What a year it has been.
There have been moments to collectively celebrate, mourn, laugh, cry, and question in 2015. Moments that might seem insignificant at the time, but went on to make a colossal impact within our society. These moments often call for just as much attention retroactively as they do upon arrival. The large enough moments make each of us feel something that helps define and shape who we are as individuals. Music continues to plays a prominent role within these moments. Songs of protest were plentiful this year, as were ballads of love and choruses of celebration. We sometimes listen to music as a way to escape these moments, but it is implausible to denounce the impact they make on the music itself. Below are the 20 albums that impacted me the most in some way, shape, or form this year. They have often made me celebrate, mourn, laugh, cry, and question in some form or another. I plan to revisit them as time goes on and new moments are experienced.
20) Foxing - Dealer
Dealer is the ambitious second album from St. Louis quintet Foxing. The album is doused with lyrics revolving around guilt and sin in the 21st century. Highlight “Indica” speaks to its listeners about bassist Josh Coll’s time spent in Afghanistan as a soldier. The frame of reference is both eerie and enigmatic enough to hold listeners' attention. Ricky Sampson and Eric Hudson’s rhythm and lead guitars blend together beautifully throughout the album proving it as one of the year’s best.
19) Donnie Trumpet & the Social Experiment - Surf
How big of a 2015 has Chance the Rapper had? Less than a month after giving a lecture at Harvard University’s Hiphop Archive & Research Institute, Chance, along with his bandmates, released Surf as a free download on iTunes in late May. The result of the unexpected release was hysteria among the hip-hop and R&B community alike. Album highlight “Sunday Candy” is blessed with the catchiest hook of the year and is a beautiful cap to Surf’s fun, guest-packed extravaganza.
18) Jason Isbell - Something More Than Free
“I’ve been working here, Monday, it’ll be a year/And I can’t recall a day when I didn’t wanna disappear/But I keep on showing up, hell-bent on growing up/If it takes a lifetime,” sings Jason Isbell on Something More Than Free's opener. Isbell wastes no time letting listeners know his narration comes from a place that exists inside each of us, and his ability to tell a story never loses its Americana rooted steam. Something More Than Free is cheery without being cheesy and optimistic without being annoying. Isbell isn’t reinventing alternative country with songs like “The Life You Choose", but he has certainly perfected the craft.
17) Tame Impala - Currents
Tame Impala came back in a big way this year with their third studio album in five years. Frontman Kevin Parker stated that the album’s first track “Let It Happen” is about “finding yourself in this world of chaos and all this stuff going on around you and always shutting it out because you don’t want to be a part of it. But at some point, you realize it takes more energy to shut it out than it does to let it happen and be a part of ‘it’.” Always the introvert, Parker’s comment bleeds through as a recurring theme on Currents with genre-bending results. Elements of psychedelic pop, R&B, and disco oddly blend together to fantastic outcomes. “Cause I’m A Man” is the album’s trance driven climax that shows Tame Impala’s incredible range and Parker’s harness on his anxiety.
16) Leon Bridges - Coming Home
Nostalgia exists as a form of escapism within society. This nostalgia is often exerted as a craving for a simpler time in an ever-growing culture. This year's answer to this desire is Leon Bridges. Although he claims to have grown up listening to Ginuwine and Usher, Bridges unlocked his astonishing talent after listening to Sam Cooke for the first time as a teenager. The spirit of Cooke and Marvin Gaye live on through soulful tunes such as “Flowers” and the title track “Coming Home”. Only time will tell if Bridges unconcealed old-fashioned act will continue to win listeners over, but Coming Home is a colossal step in the right direction.
15) Big Grams - Big Grams
It is interesting to learn that Big Boi discovered Phantogram through a pop-up ad on his computer. The two artists first worked together on Big Boi’s second solo album for three songs including the hit “Objectum Sexuality”. The chemistry was impeccable, and Big Grams was born as a result of the collaboration. Big Boi’s boastful verses layered over Phantogram’s tight hooks leaves quite an impact over seven quick songs. The blend is best illustrated on album standout “Goldmine Junkie” as the dabbling of piano is laced through each verse shared by Big Boi and Sarah Barthel. Featured artists are not used sparingly as Run the Jewels shows up on hard hitting “Born to Shine” and the Skrillex produced “Drum Machine” has one of the most infectious beats of the year. Big Grams is sure to be a staple at music festivals all summer long in 2016.
14) Tobias Jesso Jr. - Goon
Many may know him as the collaborator on Adele’s “When We Were Young,” but fewer are aware that Tobias Jesso Jr. released one of the best albums of 2015. Comparisons to Randy Newman and Harry Nilsson are fair, but Jesso’s debut album Goon transcends these critical assessments. “How Could You Babe” helped Jesso quickly ascend from the somnolent songwriter stereotype towards something much larger. Jesso proves he can weave tales of love and loss as well as any balladeer in the business as the album progresses to its best track on “Leaving LA”.
13) The World Is a Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid to Die - Harmlessness
Harmlessness has an atmospheric presence to it unlike any other album released in 2015. Call it the “Emo revival” if you will, but TWIABP continue to channel their inner Kinsella on their second LP. The instrumentals often trump the album’s vocals as shown in “January 10th, 2014”, but the conscious back-and-forth between vocalists David Bello and Katie Shanholtzer more than make up for the occasional blemish. “The Word Lisa” is another album standout that is as quirky as it is honest, “When we get home, we won’t be empty/We found a purpose in each other/Break the mirror, we get younger/Life will always be weird.”
12) Dr. Dre - Compton
It finally happened. 2015 was the Year of Dre as the hip-hop mogul released his first album in nearly 16 years accompanying the film Straight Outta Compton which chronicles his rise to the top. After years of whispers that Detox was on the way, Dr. Dre surprised many by releasing a soundtrack of sorts to the film. Dre has never kept secret his use of ghostwriters, and evidence of Kendrick Lamar’s presence exists all over Compton. On “Deep Water”, the student surpasses the teacher as Lamar drops the hottest verse on the entire album. Eminem turns in his best feature since 50 Cent’s 2003 single “Patiently Waiting” on “Medicine Man”, and the album paints a glowing cinematic picture of life in Compton.
11) Beach House - Depression Cherry/Thank Your Lucky Stars
Beach House defined the dream-pop genre with their emotionally multifaceted self-titled debut in 2006. The band was one of the busier acts in the music industry this year as they released two ambitious efforts in Depression Cherry and Thank Your Lucky Stars. DC takes the strengths from 2012’s Bloom and only builds upon them as “Sparks” is a catchy little indie tune that proves as a return to simplicity for the band. The climax of the combined 18 tracks comes on TYLS as “One Thing” is guaranteed to send chills down any listener’s spine.
10) Houndmouth - Little Neon Limelight
Houndmouth broke onto the scene in a big way in 2015 with appearances at Bonnaroo, Hangout, and other summer festivals in support of Little Neon Limelight. The album touts fun folk rock tunes and is a breath of fresh air to a stagnant genre in Americana. The Midwestern quartet take listeners to church on the charismatic “15 Years”, and “Sedona” proves the band has adapted a sound of their own. Look for big things from Houndmouth in 2016 and beyond.
9) Destroyer - Poison Season
Dan Bejar proved his knack for writing beautiful, ambient pop melodies on 2011’s critically acclaimed Kaputt. The album was so critically acclaimed in fact that Bejar refused the attention it brought his way, “I was just trying to lie low and make sure that the world at large forgot Kaputt ever happened,” he stated in a recent interview. This self-loathing reflects through Poison Season’s 13 tracks without apology – most notably so on “Times Square”. But Bejar remains relentless to prove Kaputt isn’t completely out-of-sight, out-of-mind on “Girl in a Sling” as he sings, “I’ve been sifting through these remains for years/Bitter tears, bitter pills/Oh, it sucks when there’s nothing but gold in those hills/Girl, I know what you’re going through/I’m going there too.” Never has wallowing in pity sounded so gorgeous.
8) Chvrches - Every Open Eye
The title for Chvrches new album is a very self-aware one. All eyes were on Lauren Mayberry and Co. after the band’s critically acclaimed 2013 debut The Bones of What You Believe catapulted them from relative unknowns to festival headliners. Every Open Eye is similar to Bones in many ways. Songs like “Never Ending Circles” are catchy and fun; they fit in immaculately amongst the band’s debut. However, Chvrches takes an artistic step forward on “Clearest Blue” the album’s fifth and best track. The song’s slow buildup to the syth-pop pinnacle is a payoff unlike anything else in the group’s discography. Chvrches have opened more eyes with their rock-solid sophomore effort.
7) The Early November - IMBUE
The Early November reunited after a six year hiatus to release In Currents in 2012 and the results were mostly disappointing. The album left a certain something to be desired and lacked an airtight identity similar to the band’s prior releases. IMBUE, released in May of 2015, is the album the band reunited to create. Ace Enders shows range in both lyrically and vocally to answer a relatable question: What happens after we’ve grown into what it is we were meant to be? The single “Narrow Mouth” would fit in appropriately on any of the band’s previous albums, but the final two tracks are what propel the album from great to elite. “I Don’t Care” boasts the most powerful hook the band has ever written and is an absolute powerhouse. The album’s closer is appropriately titled “Nothing Lasts Forever”, and is the fastest song on the album. The song shows off the talent of lead guitarist Joe Marro, but pulls together the recurring album themes of solidarity, angst, and hope for the future as Enders leaves listeners with one last falsetto as he concludes, “If this is how it ends then I am better off without it/You don’t fight breaking down, we just let it take control/Let it take control, until it lets you down/So slow.”
6) Father John Misty - I Love You, Honeybear
The separation of Father John Misty as a persona and Josh Tillman as a musician is interesting to study. Tillman earned early success as the drummer for indie act Fleet Foxes in 2011 only to venture “Back into the gaping maw of obscurity” as he stated on his personal Twitter account. A few short months after his departure and Father John Misty was born. I Love You, Honeybear is a sarcastic, tongue-in-cheek album about unconditional love. Look no further than “The Night Josh Tillman Came To Our Apartment” where Tillman himself coyly opens, “Oh, I just love the kind of woman who can walk over a man/I mean like a god damn marching band/She says, like literally, music is the air she breathes/And the malapropos make me want to fucking scream/I wonder if she even knows what that word means/Well, it’s literally not that.” Father John Misty focuses on the more interesting aspects of love that you rarely hear about in love songs – the qualities of your one-and-only that drive you absolutely insane. The album’s unique ways shine on “Chateau Lobby #4 (In C For Two Virgins)” as Tillman compares his lover to a queen in brilliant, unflattering fashion. I Love You, Honeybear is a caricature of a classic love album and is as smart as it is crass.
5) Grimes - Art Angels
Emotions are preyed upon on Grimes’ fourth studio album Art Angels. The album is the ultimate D.I.Y. project as Grimes produced and engineered each track on her own, and the result toys with listeners from start to finish. The album’s second track “California” is the most upbeat and fun pop song of the year. It is a sugarcoated tune that makes you want roll your windows down and belt at the top of your lungs unapologetically. The song is quickly followed by “SCREAM” (Grimes’ emphasis) which is horrifyingly calculated in Mandarin Chinese. The song is a homework assignment to English speaking listeners, and translates to, “The screams that are buried in the lungs/Buried in the bones and the muscles/Unexploded, undeniable/Cram into a sickness/What used to be dry is now sodden.” Believe it or not, the song gets even more descriptive as it continues. The transition Grimes makes from upbeat pop star to gothic queen of the underworld is perplexing. As the shock settles, the album has its tracks ready for top 40 radio (“Venus Fly” features Janelle Monae.) But Grimes shows her dark side yet again on “Oblivion” proving that she can hold your attention hostage from beginning to end.
4) Shamir - Ratchet
Sassy like Beyoncé and technical like Daft Punk – 20 year old Shamir released his debut album Ratchet in in March of 2015 and damn is it fun. Many critics note that Shamir’s voice is similar to Janis Joplin’s in that it is very countertenor. Shamir’s voice is piercing and downright catchy as shown in “On the Regular” which has since been featured in Apple commercials. “Vegas” is the album opener that recounts days of growing up in “cookie-cutter suburban” as Shamir explains. In an alternate universe, “Make a Scene” is the dance anthem of the year and is impossible to listen to without busting a move. In a world full of evil and scorn, it is refreshing to see a young artist pumping the breaks and just enjoying himself in the moment. For Shamir, Ratchet is that moment.
3) Vince Staples - Summertime '06
“I don’t have a message,” Vince Staples shared in an interview in early 2015, “You already have all these people telling you how to live, who to be, what to wear, what to drive – I just want people to see what I see.” At the time, the quote could have been viewed as an artist’s attempt to fish for attention and gather hype around an upcoming debut album. Upon first listen it is inevitably clear that Staples’ words serve as a forward for his autobiographical Summertime ’06. Staples’ motivated double disc contains 20 songs and cuts with the precision of a surgeon’s blade. The album clocks in at just under an hour, but never manages to seem longwinded. Tracks like “Norf Norf” and “Jump Off the Roof” tell the horrors of growing up in poverty stricken Long Beach. The album has less to unpack than an album like Kendrick Lamar’s heralded good kid, m.A.A.d city, but tells its story just as impressively. “Senorita” serves as the album’s high energy hype song and is meant to be played at maximum volume and bass levels. The future is bright for 22 year old Vince Staples, and no one will tell him where to go next.
2) Kendrick Lamar - To Pimp a Butterfly
It may be subjective opinion that Kendrick Lamar is the best hip-hop artist in the game, but it is absolute fact that he remains the hungriest. In 2012, Lamar’s good kid, m.A.A.d city revived a stale concept album market and set the tone of 2013 hip-hop with artists such as Danny Brown, J. Cole, and others telling their autobiographical rise to stardom from start to finish. Flash forward to 2015, and Lamar yet again plays the hip-hop barometer with To Pimp a Butterfly. Kendrick didn’t use his resources sparingly as he brought on producers Flying Lotus, Pharrell Williams, Thundercat, and several others to give his new sound a splash of funk, jazz, and spoken word. In album opener “Wesley’s Theory”, Kendrick asks the question, ‘Well, I’ve made it – Now what?’ and sets the tone for an incredible ride inside his conscious and subconscious. “King Kunta” is an anthem that fires shots at Drake and other rappers who allegedly have additional help writing lyrics, “I can dig rapping, but a rapper with a ghost writer/What the fuck happened?/I swore I wouldn’t tell/But most of y’all share bars like you got the bottom bunk in a two man cell.” Lamar uses his biggest hit of the year to subtly drop the best diss verse of the year. “For Free?” is where Lamar shows us an even deeper look inside his genius with a tornado of spoken word that flings thoughts left and right. The interlude is just over two minutes long, but could be studied under a microscope for hours. “Alright” calls for a voice for the voiceless, and is Lamar’s way of telling listeners that through all the violence and hatred in the world – his people will come out all the better for it. The focused and driven “The Blacker the Berry” is the angriest song of Kendrick Lamar's catalog. The song is an impactful moment where you realize this album really matters outside the context of music. Maturity and self-awareness on To Pimp a Butterfly don’t lead self-importance. The opposite is true, in fact, and the result is the best hip-hop album of the year.
1) Sufjan Stevens - Carrie & Lowell
Each generation has its handful of artists that transcend the period in which they are writing. It is almost as if they are too talented, too creative, too close to perfect to exist within the current time. Experiencing an artist’s work who has achieved this status can move one to tears simply because it is impossible to unpack everything the artist is trying to portray. Upon listening, the end result is just…an ambiguous beauty that one cannot fully wrap their mind around. Whether it be film, theater, or music, we’ve all felt something that changes us as people upon experiencing it. Sufjan Stevens is one of these artists. As implausible as it seems, Carrie & Lowell is Sufjan Stevens’ best album to date – and it isn’t close. This conclusion can only be reached by experiencing Stevens’ previous albums, but the experience is much more rewarding upon doing exactly that. For those familiar with Kurt Vonnegut, Carrie & Lowell serves as Stevens’ Breakfast of Champions. The novel itself is fantastically written, but each character is recurring from a previous Vonnegut novel. The more Vonnegut you have read, the more rewarding the experience.
“Death with Dignity” opens the album and reveals the complicated relationship Sufjan had with his mother, “Sprit of my silence I can hear you, but I’m afraid to be near you/And I don’t know where to begin… I forgive you, mother, I can hear you,/And I long to be near you/But every road leads to an end/Yes, every road leads to an end.” Stevens’ mother, Carrie, was bipolar and schizophrenic. She had substance abuse problems and passed away in 2012, but had ended communication with her son long before as is revealed in “Should Have Known Better” as Stevens sings “When I was three, three maybe four, she left us at that video store.” This is raw emotion. No metaphors or hypotheticals. It is very clear that this actually happened.
“Fourth of July” shows that Stevens never despises his mother, but that he feels her presence everywhere. The song serves as the emotional lowlight, but musical highlight on the album as Sufjan questions how he will go on without a mother, “Well you do enough talk/My little hawk, why do you cry?/Tell me what did you learn from the Tillamook burn?/Or the Fourth of July?/We’re all gonna die.” Perhaps the most fantastic quality of the album is that Stevens’ faith is never broken. He is, in fact, a devout Christian who delivers heartfelt sermons at his shows between songs. Stevens questions the happenings within his life, but never once doubts his faith. There is a beauty in that constancy that only Stevens himself can both celebrate and mourn.
Thanks for reading.
