My Top Albums of 2015

Yeah, I know, it’s late. I could give you all sorts of completely reasonable excuses — a crazy holiday travel schedule, the hectic nature of wedding planning, really good shows to binge on Netflix, etc. — but you know what, I got it done. And good thing I did too, because it turns out I realized I’ve been doing this every year for the past decade, and it’d be a real shame if I missed the 10-year anniversary. Congratulations to me! And a big thanks to all of you who take the time to read these; I do them mostly for myself, because I’m a music nerd and enjoy writing, but I hope I’ve helped you all discover some solid new music too.

So without further ado or fanfare, here are the 10 albums I enjoyed most this year:

I’ll admit it — this album is not great. I hold Fall Out Boy to a pretty high standard, and this album to me sounded half-finished, like the band rushed to put it out as quickly as possible to capitalize on their resurgence and commercial success they’ve found since reuniting (and putting out my #1 album in 2013, Save Rock and Roll) before they lost their moment. And, well…fair enough. But the result is a mixed album — half of the songs are brilliant, half are mediocre. But the good ones are really, really good. “Centuries” has been ESPN’s epic sports hype video anthem for the past year. The odd thing about this album is that it isn’t as frontloaded as you might expect. The album’s first two tracks are some of its weakest — “Irresistable” is without question FOB’s lamest opener ever, and while I give Wentz, Stump and the rest credit for trying something outside-the-box with the title track, it just…didn’t really work. Fortunately, the middle of the record shines — “The Kids Aren’t Alright” recalls FOB’s pop-punk glory days with a killer guitar riff from Trohman, and the album’s best track, “Uma Thurman,” uses Pulp Fiction references, a pop piano, horns, and samples the theme song from the 70’s TV cult classic The Munsters to amazing effect. The sardonic, foot-stomping “Novocaine” showcases how far Stump has come as a vocalist with some impressive chops, and “Fourth of July”’s huge chorus is one of the record’s strongest moments. The album sort of peters out at the end…but like I said: when it’s good, it’s great.

Standout Tracks: “Centuries,” “The Kids Aren’t Alright,” “Uma Thurman,” “Novocaine,” “Fourth of July”

You might be forgiven for assuming that this album — acoustic versions of some of the band’s greatest hits — as a sign of complacency, a group resting on its laurels and just putting out a stopgap acoustic record to tide fans over until their next studio album. But you would be wrong. It’s much, much more than just an acoustic album — it’s a complete reimagining of the band’s catalog. The sincerity, dedication to detail and painstaking effort that the guys in Audiostrobelight put into reworking these songs is plainly evident. Intricate orchestrations and brilliant production choices throughout make this album a joy to listen to, and as a fan of the band, I was frankly stunned at how songs I thought I knew so well can take on a completely different appearance when you shift the prism through which you experience them. The album’s opening track (“Blisters”) takes what was one of the band’s heaviest, darkest tracks and completely turns it on its head, using bouncy strings, bongos, and a peppy horn section to make the song feel almost upbeat (if you don’t listen to the lyrics too closely). The stripped-down, slow-tempo piano driven version of their high-energy hit single “California Gold Rush” is gorgeously done, and Cohen shows off his violin chops on “Argyle” in impressive fashion. The album closes with a relatively (compared to the rest) straightforward rendering of “A Fifth of Feelgood,” which puzzled me at first — until I got to the ridiculous saxophone solo outro. Then I understood.

Standout Tracks: “Blisters,” “Divisions,” “California Gold Rush,” “Argyle,” “A Fifth of Feelgood”

A friend suggested I give this album a listen, and I admit I was pretty intrigued by the premise: a band that uses clips from historical public broadcasting as lyrics and weaves them into instrumental backdrops to tell a story. As the title suggests, this one is about the Cold War-era Space Race between the US and the Soviet Union. (So yeah, pretty up my alley.) The album opens with clips from JFK’s famous 1962 Rice University speech, set to some epic choir arrangements — “We do these things not because they are easy, but because they are hard” — and it still gives you chills. The album documents some of the key events spanning from the launch of Sputnik in 1957 to the final manned mission to the moon in 1972 (“Tomorrow”). Not all of them are high points, though: the news report from the 1967 Apollo 1 disaster (“Fire In The Cockpit”) is sobering. But the best tracks on the album are the triumphs: the exuberant, funky “Gagarin” celebrates Yuri Gagarin’s accomplishment of being the first human in space; “The Other Side” documents Apollo 8’s first manned mission to the moon; “Go!” uses the NASA transmissions from the Apollo 11 moon landing. The closing track (“Tomorrow”), in which Apollo 17 astronauts Eugene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt give a stirring challenge to future generations as they depart the moon for the last time, strikes an inspiring final chord.

Standout Tracks: “The Race For Space,” “Sputnik,” “Gagarin,” The Other Side,” “Go!,”

It was always going to be pretty tough for Northern Ireland-based indie electronic trio CHVRCHES to top their spectacular 2013 debut The Bones of What You Believe. And while Every Open Eye may not be as breathtaking, it’s a solid, if not revolutionary progression. The production is leaner, more refined and streamlined this time around — despite the explosion in the amount of instruments and equipment the band used during recording compared to Bones — but vocally is where Every Open Eye really shines. Lauren Mayberry is without a doubt one of the finest frontwomen out there right now, and she delivers her lines with the perfect blend of vulnerability, regret, steely determination, and a distinct don’t-mess-with-me vibe. Martin Doherty lends his vocals to one token male-fronted track (“High Enough To Carry You Over” — I’m guessing to reinforce the message that CHVRCHES is a “band” rather than just Mayberry and two dudes), and it’s fine, but it’s hard not to feel that Mayberry would have delivered it better. Overall there’s a definite retro 80s/Depeche Mode-type feel to the entire effort, but it manages to sound fresh rather than cheap nostalgia. The arpeggiated synths on the opener, the one really well-placed use of an EDM-style drop on “Clearest Blue,” the slow-burning build of the interweaving layered vocal lines and synths in the bridge of “Down Side Of Me” — so many moments on this album are just so well-thought-out that it’s hard not to be impressed.

Standout Tracks: “Never Ending Circles,” “Leave A Trace,” “Keep You On My Side,” “Clearest Blue,” “Down Side Of Me,” “Bury It”

I’ve been a fan of this band ever since I saw them open for twenty one pilots at the 9:30 Club back in 2014. They had a great energy — an infectious sound boosted by several additional instrumentalists, including a guy rocking a mean saxophone — and frontwoman Mandy Lee had seriously impressive stage presence for leading a band that formed just two years earlier (because Lee reportedly “wanted an 80s cover band for her birthday party”) and an unmistakably unique voice. I picked up their debut EP Reflections after the show, and enjoyed it, but it was clearly just a teaser for their full-length album, which dropped this year. Our Own House has been a smash success, and for good reason — it’s just plain fun. Full of boisterous horn sections, bright synths, and raucous gang vocals, led capably throughout by Lee’s soaring vocals (check out “Oceans”) delivering spunky, fiercely rebellious lyrics, the album is full of memorable moments. “Hurricane” is one of the brightest spots, featuring one of the most well-written choruses of the year. It’s virtually impossible not to enjoy this one.

Standout Tracks: “Our Own House,” “Reflections,” “Oceans,” “Best I Can Do,” “Hurricane,” “Vagabond,” “Queens”

I discovered Purity Ring late last year after stumbling across their first single from this album (the fantastic “Push Pull”). I was sold immediately. This Alberta, Canada-based electronic duo’s sound isn’t unique anymore — there are a myriad of indie electro-pop groups out there (and even others on this list…looking at you, CHVRCHES) that do a similar blend of airy female vocals and distorted saw synths…but you definitely won’t find any that do it better. The juxtaposition of Megan James’s ethereal vocals and Corin Roddick’s bass-heavy, trip- and hip-hop-flavored production is pitch perfect throughout this record. The duo described their fantastic 2012 indie debut Shrines as “future pop,” and while Another Eternity is undeniably more mainstream dance-pop, it provides moments no less exhilarating: the massive synths on “Bodyache,” the huge lead and insanely catchy hooks of “Begin Again,” the unexpected overlapping, disjointed time signatures in “Push Pull,” gigantic dance-hall drops and soaring vocals in “Flood On The Floor,” the seductive, stop-start piano-driven build of “Sea Castle.” It may not be the most innovative, but judging from the number of times I played it, it’s probably the most addictive album on the list this year.

Standout Tracks: “Heartsigh,” “Bodyache,” “Push Pull,” “Stranger Than Earth,” “Begin Again,” “Flood On The Floor,” “Sea Castle”

One of the things I love most about Mutemath is their refusal to settle. This is a band of unbelievably talented musicians that never makes the same record twice, always aggressively pushing the envelope and challenging themselves while staying true to who they are. Vitals is no exception, taking the grungy blues-rock guitar riffs of Odd Soul and trading them in for a funky, psychedelic electronic sound backed by an arsenal of shimmering synths and rock organs. The production on this album is absolutely phenomenal; your listening experience will benefit greatly from a nice pair of headphones. Two intriguing instrumental tracks, “Vitals” and “Bulletproof,” also made the cut — the title track in particular is a deliciously complex whirlwind of overlapping buzzing saws and whirring synth leads (2:52 – 3:30 made me geek out a little bit as a keyboard player). Lyrically, Paul Meany keeps it pretty simple compared to previous efforts, but the exuberant musical experimentation more than makes up for it. Mutemath has always excelled at slower ballads (“All I See,” “Composed,” “Safe If We Don’t Look Down”), and these shine too, but the sheer danceability of tracks like “Joy Rides,” “Light Up,” and “Best of Intentions” point to an exciting — and very bright — future for one of the most gifted bands around.

Standout Tracks: “Joy Rides,” “Light Up,” “Stratosphere,” “All I See,” “Vitals,” “Used To,” “Best of Intentions”

One of the most moving albums I’ve heard in years, Carrie & Lowell is Stevens’ gut-wrenching, heartbreaking reflection on death, family, and loss — specifically the death of his mother, who passed away from cancer in 2012. The album, named after his mother and stepfather, is intensely personal, and while the themes he explores — memory, grief, faith, loneliness — are universal, the content feels autobiographical as Stevens tries to unpack his complicated relationship with his mother, who suffered from mental illness, alcoholism, and drug abuse (“Death With Dignity,” “All of Me Wants All Of You”); a snapshot of his difficult childhood in Oregon (“Eugene”), his repeated abandonment by his mother (“Should Have Known Better”), dealing with the event of his mother’s death (“Fourth of July”), and wrestling with his Christian faith in his darkest moments (“No Shade In The Shadow Of The Cross”). The instrumentation is also incredibly intimate, with most songs featuring just Stevens’ voice accompanied by an acoustic guitar, piano, or organ, and the smallest details are the most memorable. You hear the air conditioning unit in Stevens’ home humming in the background while he recorded. There’s a half intake of breath at the very end of “John My Beloved,” a half-finished thought Stevens decided not to finish. This is a delicate, reverent, beautiful, emotionally devastating record.

Standout Tracks: “Death With Dignity,” “Should Have Known Better,” “Eugene,” “Fourth of July,” “Carrie & Lowell,” “John My Beloved,” “No Shade In The Shadow Of The Cross”

The fifth full-length from Austin, TX-based indie pop-rock quartet Quiet Company is way bigger, bolder, and brasher than anything they’ve released to date, and the result is arguably their best album yet. After being fairly disappointed in their last record, 2011’s We Are All Where We Belong, I was blown away by Taylor Muse’s songwriting in Transgressor. A heavier dose of grittier, driving electric guitar, synth, and bass riffs — mixed with a fair bit of folk influence — pays off big-time, and the opener and first single “Seven Hells” sets the tone for the rest of the album. Muse’s earnest, wry vocals sound better than ever (and the background/gang vocals do too, particularly on “Road to Perdition” or those harmonies on “Understand the Problem”) and the catchiness of the hooks on virtually every track set this effort apart from their previous albums. This is just a plain fun rock album that’s pretty much impossible not to enjoy.

Standout tracks: “Seven Hells,” “The Most Dangerous Game,” “Road to Perdition,” “Understand The Problem,” “Kindness,” “I Heard the Devil Say My Name,” “The Virgin’s Apartment”

Unlike many of my friends and loved ones, I’m not what you would call a “musical theater person.” I definitely enjoy a good theater show, but Phantom of the Opera is the only other Broadway soundtrack I own (or could sing more than one song from). But not only was Hamilton the best album of the year — it wasn’t even close. I was fortunate enough to get to see Hamilton on Broadway in September, but one of the most amazing things about this album is that you don’t even need to have seen the show to become obsessed with it. Composer, lyricist, and star Lin-Manuel Miranda’s hip hop musical about the incredible true life story of Alexander Hamilton is nothing short of a masterpiece. It takes all that dry stuff about the Founding Fathers you learned — or in a lot of cases, didn’t learn — in school and makes American history undeniably cool again. Miranda came up with the idea after reading Ron Chernow’s 800-page authoritative biography of Hamilton, and somehow managed to successfully pack more than 20,000 words into a two-plus hour musical, making it by far the fastest-paced Broadway show of all time. Calling it “brilliant” or “groundbreaking” doesn’t even come close to doing it justice. The record-breaking success of the cast album (and the show) speak for themselves — and it completely lives up to the hype.

Standout Tracks: “Alexander Hamilton,” “My Shot,” “You’ll Be Back,” “Right Hand Man,” “Satisfied,” “Wait For It,” “Guns and Ships,” “What’d I Miss,” “Cabinet Battle #1,” “Burn”

*****

25 – Adele – It doesn’t break any new ground, but Adele solidifies her place as this generation’s greatest vocal talent.

Blurryface – Twenty One Pilots – It’s uneven, and the heavy infusion of reggae wasn’t my favorite…it doesn’t come anywhere near the brilliance of 2012’s Vessel, but 21P has one of the most original sounds out there, and they get points for fearlessness.

Four Year Strong – Four Year Strong – A surprisingly strong return to form.

Top Hat on Fleek – Scott Bradlee’s Postmodern Jukebox -1920’s jazz club covers of Top 40 pop songs! Yeah. It’s awesome.

M29 – My God, It’s Full Of Stars – An impressive solo effort from Mae’s former keyboard player. And best album art of the year.