I’ll
preface this post by saying I missed out on a lot of great projects this year.
In the past, I have managed to get through over 70 or 80 albums throughout the
entire year. This year I only managed 61. Even some of the year’s big albums
like Kamasi Washington’s ‘The Epic’, Chelsea Wolfe’s ‘Abyss’ and Beach House’s ‘Depression
Cherry’ somehow slipped by the wayside. That being said I did listen to a lot
of great albums this year, and I would still rank it amonst the best years of
he decade thus far. Below is my personal top 20 of the year with some brief
descriptions of why I dug them so much.
This Canadian
band went through a lot in 2015. After releasing this great album back in
January, they spent much of the rest of the year struggling through the controversy
surrounding their name. It turns out the band did not fully understand the
offensive connotations such a name had for so many people. Whatever your
opinion is on that whole deal, few can deny this album’s droney and hypnotic
sound, that has its listener in a daze for most of its run time. This is a dark
and moody listen that just about managed to creep into my top 20 after being
out a whole 12 months. Give it a listen.
19. Vince
Staples – Summertime ‘06
After
releasing possibly my favourite music video and one of my favourite singles of
2015 with ‘Señorita’, it was only a matter of time before Vince Staples dropped
a stellar album. That album came right at the midpoint of the year when he
dropped Summertime ’06. This album has a very definitive sound for such a young
artist. At 22, I’m really impressed that Vince succeeded in delivering a dark
and thought provoking depiction of his adolescence and his city. Tracks like
Señorita, Jump Off The Roof, Left Me Up and others really had me vibing out. Vince’s
delivery has put me off in the past, but I liked it here for the most part. I
think he has a bright future ahead of him and I can’t wait to see what he does
next.
18.
Ghostpoet – Shedding Skin
One of my
best friends put me on to Ghostpoet when he released the project before this a
couple of years ago. I didn’t like it. I generally find it quite hard to get
behind British rappers in the same way I do American ones, and to me his last
album was too rap heavy. With Shedding Skin, Ghostpoet took us down more of an
electronic route, singing on most of the tracks instead of rapping. The result
was a much better and more cohesive collection of songs, most of which had me
either singing along or listening intently. I think Ghostpoet has found his
lane with this project, and I hope he continues with this sound.
17.
Knxwledge – Hud Dreams
Knxwledge
was called in by Kendrick Lamar to produce the song ‘Momma’ from To Pimp a
Butterfly this year, and being such a huge fan of that song I thought I’d check
out one of the albums he dropped in 2015, I was not disappointed. Knxwledge is
obviously a very accomplished beat maker and I can’t even say with confidence
that this has been his best release as his output seems to be constant. All I
know is that I had a bunch of fun vibing out to these instrumentals and I will be
looking to see what he puts out in the coming years.
16. Father
John Misty – I Love You, Honeybear
Folk and
indie music will always hold a special place in my heart for one main reason –
it was catalyst for me discovering the music I love today. One of the bands I
discovered a few years ago that helped me on that journey was Fleet Foxes, who
released one of my favourite records of the decade a few years back. The band
included the creator of the next album on my list, Josh Tillman, also known as
Father John Misty. In early 2015 he provided a blissful soundtrack to my spring
and summer days with I Love You, Honeybear. The album’s signature is Tillman’s
iconic crooning, which gives the album a real aura. The music is sometimes a
bit sugary for my liking, but the album nonetheless held my attention for lots
of listens throughout the year.
15. Alabama
Shakes – Sound & Colour
This was an
album that I was admittedly late to, I only listened to it a few weeks ago in
fact. Turns out I’d been missing out. Alabama Shakes are one of the most
original yet accessible sounding acts that I’ve heard in a while. With Sound
& Colour, the band seamlessly blended soulful blues rock with elements of Americana
and indie pop. The resulting tracks have a real punch to them, exploding into
your ears with a spontaneous ferocity. Don’t Wanna Fight is one of the pop
singles of the year for sure, but its far from the only great track on the
album. I found myself disliking a couple of songs here, which is why its not higher
up on the list, but overall Alabama Shakes came through with a fresh, cohesive
and contemporary sounding album which I’m still playing now.
14.
Uncommon Nasa – Halfway
The last 2
years have been very good to Uncommon Nasa. In 2014 he released New York
Telephone, which I absolutely loved. In 2015 he was back with another concept
album, focussing on the theme of time and death, the title referring to being halfway
through life. This concept provides the backbone for some very reflective and
hard hitting tracks. Though I would still testify to the fact that Nasa isn’t
the most accessible rapper, it would be hard to deny his talent for lyricism,
which is on perfect display here. It is clear that Nasa rapping works best over
gritty beats and with some kind of theme to give power to his words. I think he
managed to capture both of these elements on this album and it was very
enjoyable to listen to.
13. Pusha T
– Darkest Before Dawn
Pusha has
been one of my favourite rappers for some time, yet I’ve always wanted to see
him produce a classic. He definitely has it in him, but it needs to be soon.
Darkest Before Dawn is a prelude album to his next, larger project, King Push,
which should be hitting stores sometime in 2016. Nonetheless. This was a great
album in itself. Pusha sounds like he did on his previous album My Name is My
Name, but I actually think this is a slightly more polished and consistent
effort. Thanks to tracks like Untouchable, M.F.T.R and Got Em Covered, the
album maintains Pusha’s recent trend of putting out catchy and replayable songs
without them coming off as too basic. The production has some great variety,
from clean beats inspired by artists like The-Dream to more grandiose instrumentals
that sound like they were recorded during the My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
sessions. A thoroughly enjoyable listen from a rapper who continues to impress.
12. Carly
Rae Jepson – Emotion
Perhaps this
was not what you were expecting this high up on the list, but its true, I loved
this project. I still have memories of teenage parties listening to Carly Rae
Jepson’s Call Me Maybe, and I’m not scared to say I love that song. This girl
obviously knows what she’s doing when it comes to making addictive pop tunes,
as this album also contains some absolute bangers. Run Away With Me is undoubtedly
one of the pop songs of the year, with endless replay value and some genuinely
passionate lyrics. I Really Like You is similarly catchy, if a little simpler
in its structure. But what impressed me about Emotion the most was its deep
cuts, which held up pretty well against the few obvious hits. Few mainstream
pop albums (yes even JB’s) can hold my attention for 12 tracks, but she really
did with this. Much of it is down to the fantastic production, which borrows
obvious inspiration from 80’s synth pop. But Carly does her thing on most of
the tracklist here, and I truly am a fan of her youthful singing. Definitely
one pop star to watch in the future.
11. Drake –
If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late
From one
pop album to another. Yes, I did say this was a pop album, because that’s how I
see it. Drake is not a great rapper, he’s just not. He definitely has the
ability to rap well, as he does on some of the tracks here, but where he really
shines is with his R&B singing and softer raps. I don’t think If You’re
Reading This.. is a great project, but I have to put it this high up simply
because of how much I played it in 2015. Drizzy has almost come to define meme
rap in the modern era, whether it be coining Yolo or his hilarious Hotline
Bling video. Whether you like him or not, Drake is the biggest in the game
right now. This album only continued his ascent to hip hop’s upper echelons,
with a handful of bangers that I’m sure every rap fan has had stuck in their
head for at least a day since the album’s release. I almost resent how much I
enjoy this album, as technically it’s a mess and the beats are lazy, even by
Drake standards. But the whole of the first half had me hooked for at least a
couple of months, and for that I have to give the 6 God his credit. That being
said, I hope Views From The 6 is a lot more thought out as this kind of album
is not going to fly with me next time.
10. Jay
Rock – 90059
If there
was one album in 2015 I was anticipating behind SWISH and To Pimp A Butterfly,
it was probably Jay Rock’s. The TDE star had taken his sweet time crafting a
follow up to his commercial debut album in 2011. He has been on my radar ever
since I heard his song-stealing verse on Kendrick Lamar’s Money Trees, and the
tracks he was putting out teasing at this new album were all fantastic. Jay
Rock is known as the hardcore rapper in TDE, yet he has always had a talent for
lyricism too. With 90059 he sticks pretty close to his roots in some ways,
whilst straying away from them in others. My favourite tracks on here were the
harder songs like Necessary, Easy Bake and 90059, but I also enjoyed the
introspective tracks, something Jay Rock is relatively new to. Vice City
featuring Black Hippy was great and the most replayable track on the record, if
a little bit safe for 4 of the best rappers in the game right now. Nevertheless,
this was a very fun listen and deserving of a top 10 spot.
9. Sufjan
Stevens – Carrie and Lowell
This album
was a slow burner for me, but when it hit me, it really hit me. This was my
first exposure to Sufjan’s music, and after hearing rave reviews upon release I
checked it out, only to be let down. It sounded too samey to me and a bit bland
if I’m honest. But I gave it several more listens and it finally clicked. This
album sent me off in to a dream like state at times, under the influence of its
echoey pianos and Sufjan’s soft voice. It’s a peaceful album. Even without any
context on the subject matter, there is beauty in the material here, but after
you find out that this album was about his mum, you really start to hear them
in a new way. This album had me shedding a few tears thinking about my family
and friends, reminiscing on old times. Yes, its sentimental and nostalgic, but
there is nothing wrong with that now and again. It feels like Sufjan needed to
sing these songs to get the feelings out of his system, and it’s that cathartic
quality that makes it such a rewarding listen.
8. Milo –
So The Flies Don’t Come
I’ve been
waiting for Milo to come out with a great album for a while now. I wasn’t huge
on his last project, and I hadn’t heard anything great from him since his
double EP from 2013. Luckily this was the album I was waiting for. So The Flies
Don’t Come is concise, cohesive and full of head-bobbing beats. Milo’s lyricism
is still on point here too, as he raps about things most hip hop stars wouldn’t
go near, and that’s what makes him as unique as the likes of Open Mike Eagle. What
impressed me here though was that Milo managed to marry his rhymes to his beats
much more seamlessly. He made it less about writing the most complex rhyme
scheme he could think of and more about substance, without losing his trademark
sound. I hope he continues in this vein as he undoubtedly has endless amounts
of potential.
7. Laura
Marling – Short Movie
Like Milo,
I’ve also been waiting patiently for Laura Marling to release a top quality
album. Short Movie for me is by far her best effort so far. I first heard about
Laura when someone described her to me as the female Bob Dylan. Although I disagree,
I would compare her to Joni Mitchell. I actually think she sounds uncannily like
Joni in both tone and pitch, which is no bad thing. I had the chance to see
Laura in concert back in May of last year, and it really helped me get into
this project. She was amazing live, and the songs came over real and genuine,
as did she. The songwriting on Short Movie was a real step up in my opinion,
and she has that way of making a really bitter and biting line sound like no
big deal, a quality both Dylan and Mitchell certainly possessed. I think she
still has room for improvement, but Laura is really staking a claim with this
release.
6. Courtney
Barnett – Sometimes I Sit And Think, and Sometimes I just Sit
Sneaking
into the top 5 we have another female singer-writer, Aussie Courtney Barnett.
After garnering attention with her double a few years back, Courtney finally
released a follow up in 2015. This album is far from flawless, and musically
its quite basic, but Courtney’s passion and song writing shines through so
strongly that it doesn’t really matter. From the opener Elevator Operator to
the dreary Depreston, Courtney paints vivid pictures of the everyday pitfalls
of suburban life. I like the fact this album is simple because it stops it from
sounding pretentious. It sounds like Courtney just wants to make observations on
the world around her and project those over catchy rock melodies, and I can
respect that. There is clearly plenty more to come from Barnett, but she has
already made a very positive start and I look forward to her next project.
5. Dr Dre –
Compton
Who knew in
2015 I would have been listening to a new Dr Dre album? For years, it was all
about Detox, but we eventually learnt that Dre wasn’t happy with how that
project was coming together and ended up scrapping it. Most of the disappointment
generated by that news was remedied by this album though. Compton is a great
return for Dre, even if it’s not up there with The Chronic and 2001. That’s not
the point, Dre is clearly in a much different place musically and in his life
now as he way back then. Compton is more of a collaborative effort, celebrating
Compton and its artistic output. Some will understandably see this as a
negative, noting that it doesn’t sound like a Dre album. For me though, all I care
about is the quality of the music, and there is tonnes here to be admired.
First of all, the features he picked were spot on for the style of the album.
Everyone put their absolute all into crafting great verses, including Kendrick,
The Game, Snoop, Anderson Paak, Eminem and Ice Cube. Kendrick’s verse on Deep Water
especially was mind-blowing. The familiar thing to take away for Dre fans will
be the production, which was spectacular once again. Each song felt like a
short movie, yet still Dre managed to create a feel of cohesion. I admire the
doc’s bravery in having the vision for a project like this, knowing that his
fans are waiting for Detox. Instead he threw a curveball at them, without sacrificing
much of what made his last 2 albums so special. It was always going to be a
very divisive album, but I believe that Dr Dre pulled it off again with
Compton.
4. Jamie xx
– In Colour
This was by
far the most feel-good album I heard last year. I’ve been hot and cold with
Jamie’s work in the past, but with this project I think he finally hit a home
run with me. Each song has its own vibe and flavour, but ever present is Jamie’s
sumptuous production, which feels nicely layered and put together throughout.
The album also included one of my favourite singles of the year, I Know There’s
Gonna Be (Good Times) featuring Young Thug. If I needed convincing of how
exactly to use an artist like Young Thug on a track, this was the track, it
works so well. Beyond that though, this project has a real sense of life and
soul to it, each song pulsating with an infectious energy that kept me coming
back for more. I loved how English the album was too, Jamie obviously borrowing
influence from the garage and rave scenes that exploded in the UK in the 90’s.
Luckily it still sounds fresh and contemporary enough though to make it
distinctive. This was a very impressive album and I think a step up from 2011’s
We’re New Here.
3. Death
Grips – The Powers That B
Perhaps my
most anticipated album of last year, Death Grips did not disappoint when it
came to releasing the second half of their double album The Powers That B in
2015. It is rumoured to be their last project after they announced that they
were splitting up last summer, but at this point its hard to trust anything the
trio say. The Powers That B is a very hard album to pin down as its not like
anything they have ever done. Being a double album with each side being
released a whole year apart from one another, it gave the band a chance to
create a sense of contrast. The first part, Niggas On The Moon, the band
strayed a bit from their noise hop roots and went down some weird avenues. The result
in unnerving, tense and typically claustrophobic, but a bit softer and more
nuanced than previous albums. The second half, Jenny Death, also contains some anomalies
and curve balls, but is generally a return to the classic Death Grips sound. I
love both for different reasons. This collective is still undefinable, from
their image, to their beats, to their vocal style, to their marketing. I see
them as having been right at the pinnacle of musical innovation for the last 5
years or so, and this album only added to their mystique. The fact that they
managed to conjure such hysteria and hype over the release date of Jenny Death
is a huge achievement, considering how seemingly inaccessible and abrasive
their music is, add that to the fact that they have influenced the likes of
Kanye West and David Bowie. If this is the last album from the trio then it is
certainly a fitting end, a fantastic project from start to finish.
2. Lupe
Fiasco – Tetsuo & Youth
If you’d
told me I would be putting a Lupe Fiasco album this high up on my list in 2014
I would have laughed. Although Lupe is an undeniably talented MC, his 2011
effort Lasers was a really bad project. I thought Lupe had sacrificed his
lyricism and creativity for a more commercial sound. I listened to Lasers and
his other albums in the lead up to Tetsuo & Youth, concluding that he was
probably past his prime. I was wrong. Tetsuo & Youth is a fantastic album.
From the opening few lines on the opener Mural, I knew that he had recaptured some
much needed inspiration. The song is 9 minutes in length, and Lupe doesn’t let
up for the entire duration, spitting clever line after clever line. As a fan of
hip hop, I admire both technically brilliant rapping, with lots of double untenders
and metaphors, as well as more conscious or storytelling type rap. Lupe does
both brilliantly on this album, coming up with some lines that portray what he’s
really trying to say in a clever or witty way. The concept of this album helped
sew the songs together beautifully, with Lupe breaking up each act with a
soundscape that represented a certain season. I am glad that Lupe learnt from
the failure of Lasers and came back with such a fine collection of tracks.
There is something for everybody on here, or something to cater for the
fluctuating moods of just one individual. Songs like Chopper verge on gangster
rap, whilst Madonna and Deliver sound more trap and pop-rap inspired. Overall
this was a tremendous return to form for Lupe and I hope he can use it as a
springboard for future projects.
1. Kendrick
Lamar – To Pimp A Butterfly
My number 1
for 2015 will be a surprise to no one. Of course, it had to be the masterpiece
created by Kendrick Lamar, To Pimp A Butterfly. This album may go down as the
most important hip hop album of the 21st Century thus far. That of
course is debateable, but what is undeniable is that Kendrick is the biggest
rapper out there right now thanks to this album. After Good Kid, M.A.A.D City I
was struggling to foresee what direction Kendrick would go with his next
project. To Pimp A Butterfly proves that he had a hell of a lot more to say,
and that what he set out to do was to create a more mature album, making more
potent and prophetic observations about himself and the world around him,
especially in regard to the black community. The genius of this album for me is
its duality, how K Dot manages to connect the deeply personal and the external
world. What it gives the listener is a sense of unity, a feeling that if one
seeks to live in and effect the world around them, they must first go through a
transformation in order to understand themselves fully. Many called this album
a ‘political’ album or a statement on black power, but I think this assessment
misses a large part of the record, that being Kendrick coming to terms with who
he is destined to be. The songs on To Pimp A Butterfly are diverse in tone and
subject matter. I’m not going to talk too much about the individual songs in
this post as I’d be here for days, I’ll save that for a proper review. What I
will say is that every single one blew me away. As mentioned, Kendrick goes
from tearing himself apart on u to tearing the establishment apart on Blacker
The Berry with extraordinary ease. One can’t help but be sucked into every word he says on almost every song, purely due to just how much passion he puts into
rapping them. The production is where the album divided opinion, some saying it
was overly excessive and too free form for a hip hop record. For me, that’s
what I love about it. Kendrick and the producers he worked with fused so many
genres together here without it coming across as too intellectual. The beats
are still catchy but still have a lot of detail if one wants to look for it. Only
once or twice did I think he went slightly over the top with a jazz
instrumental. The other defining quality of the album was the concept, which
featured Kendrick reading lines from a poem he wrote to break up the songs,
culminating with him having a fictionalised conversation with his hero, Tupac
Shakur. It was a genius touch that gave the album a cohesion and ultimate climax
to build towards. Somehow Kendrick managed to up his game once again with
this album, and he’s showing no signs of letting up anytime soon. For me, To
Pimp A Butterfly helped to secure his place at the top of hip hop’s totem pole,
at least for now. This is surely a record for the ages.
Thanks for reading!
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