I’m going to change it up a little this time. To start, I was getting a little bored with the format I’ve been writing over the years. Also, 2015 presented me with a bit of a problem as an audiophile - too much music. I don’t mean this in a bad way at all. I just bought too many records and as a result, found myself listening to so much that a clear top ten was too difficult to come up with. So, what I’m giving you is my top five and the other top picks that I found myself unable to take off my record player this year.
Hope you enjoy them as much as I did.
1. Tame Impala - Currents
I was really concerned when I heard Kevin Parker was going to head in a new direction. Album after album of perfect psych rock is something a fan hopes isn’t going to be tampered with. Then, in the middle of a balmy summer, I heard Let it Happen. It was then that I realized Tame Impala had been making us dance all along. This time, Parker just decided to add a little more synth, a few more loops.
What’s more, is that this is another upbeat album that is largely written around heartache.
Hidden away on many tracks, out in the open like a wound on others. Parker’s skill of having a heavy album masquerade as a dancehall favourite is immense. The last record I’ve seen it done so well, was Of Montreal’s Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer?
It makes me think back to that great Nick Hornby line; “Did I listen to pop music because I was miserable? Or was I miserable because I listened to pop music?” Whichever way Parker felt while writing it, it’s perfect.
2. Father John Misty - I Love You Honeybear
Yet again Josh Tillman finds a way to cram the most visual tales into impressively musical tunes. And again, he seems to do it so easily. From the slow drawl of the opening title track, this album could punch you in the face with the subtle jabs doled out by Tillman’s lyrics. Bright tunes, with dark undertones are something he’s always excelled at. But always with a splash of acidic humor.
Whether it’s the condemnation of a nation in Bored in the USA, or the utter disgust at being attracted to someone that you so despise on The Night Josh Tillman Came to Our Apartment. It’s poetry, it has soul, and most of all - it has the distinct character of something that can only be Father John Misty.
3. Kendrick Lamar - To Pimp A Butterfly
If you have a chance, find the interview with Kendrick Lamar where he watches old Tupac videos and reflect on them. The insight he shows in those quick vignettes only magnifies the way he has picked up the torch of what rap music should do. To Pimp A Butterfly once again sees Lamar at conflict with where he’s come from, where he’s going, and those who are profiting from it.
While doing all this, he does it in the most diverse and musical way. Like on good kid, m.A.A.D. city, every song is really first and foremost about the story. Like the rap albums I always find myself returning to, this one is all about surprises. It means you’ll just be getting used to the frenetic skat jazz Lamar is spitting over an interlude featuring two women bickering - when the raucous beat of King Kunta begins.
What a ride. Kanye who? In Kendrick, we trust.
4. Viet Cong - S/T
Dark, brooding, and noisy. All in the best possible ways. The amount of depth in this album is hard to fathom.
At its highs, there are hints Joy Division record with Godspeed accents. Like all great albums of this energy, it knows not to overstay its welcome while not seeming short. When a song appears to be hitting its crescendo, Viet Cong know where to pull back and shift tempo.
Get noisy in a dark 80’s kind of way. Literally begins with an ominous din of clamour, before banging its way into the room. Only letting up when the band says so.
5. Ryan Adams - 1989
Trust me, I know. An album of Taylor Swift covers? What, in the hell Bingley?
This record proved a couple of things to me. First, that I really have an issue with Taylor Swift. I find the woman intolerable. Sure, she can saturate the radio with catchy tunes - but she is just - so - ANNOYING!
But, the songs she and her collaborators write are at their core, pretty darn good. So take her out of the mix and sub in someone with both the skill and credibility as Ryan Adams and you have something that is really great.
One of the best things about this record, is that while it is at its core a cover album - Adams has made it his own. Staying true to the essence of some songs, he really does warp them into something way more complex.
Essential Listening:
Beach House - Depression Cherry and Thank Your Lucky Stars
Not one, but TWO Beach House records within the same year. An embarrassment of riches really, but also a bit of a problem. While both of these are good albums, neither is incredibly great. There are quite a few gems, and if I would have to pick, Thank Your Lucky Stars is the stronger of the two. Both are adequate, but I have a strong feeling that the band could do well to take some time off after this tour to craft something that will be in line with their last two masterpieces.
Deerhunter - Fading Frontier
Another great album from a band I’ve loved for years. But while listening to it, I was left with a question “is this weird enough for a Deerhunter record?” Even as I found myself asking that, the band would almost answer “yes, it is - see?” But it’s not nearly weird enough. Lead singer Bradford Cox has taken to opening up the band’s sets with his own solo material. In the past, those songs often become a template for some amazing Deerhunter tunes. I hope he stops hoarding his bizarre nature and lets it all out next time.
D’Angelo and the Vanguard - The Black Messiah
Technically this came out in late December of 2014, but when someone has waited 15 years between records - they’re getting on my list. This is some dark, heavy, sexy music. I asked a friend if he was going to pick it up and he said “no, I don’t want to grind up on stuff at work.” That’s a perfect description for how this record will get you moving. And it’s like that from start to finish.
Leon Bridges - Coming Home
When I first heard this on the radio, I thought it was an old song. Nope - brand new. Bridges has crammed so much soul into one album, that I hope he still has one for himself. While he may be playing an homage to a bygone era, he does it without making it seem like a schtick. Put this on and sway.
Grimes - Art Angels
I haven’t even had a chance to listen to this yet! My damn record store hasn’t managed to get it in and I don’t want to steal it. Why is it on here? Because it’s sure as hell going to be a good record. At least I have something to look forward to next year.
El Vy - Return to the Moon
Don’t write this off as something dependant of Matt Beringer’s success with the National. This is a record of upbeat songs, while still managing to have a great deal of depth. I’m a big fan of my favourite artists taking time to find something to do with their time in between records. It shows a range of Beringer that is likely restricted of him with his other band.
The Flaming Lips - Entire Catalogue
I made the plunge and completed my collection of Flaming Lips records this year. And you should too. This is a perfect band and it will hopefully be respected for what it does in the years to come. Maybe one reason I wasn’t able to do a proper top ten, was because I spent too much time gazing into the past with these.
