Albums of the Year 2015

2015 has been a good year for music, maybe the best for a while. I struggled to pick 5, so here's my top 10 albums of the year, in no particular order. 

Sufjan Stevens - Carrie & Lowell
An incredibly personal and reflective album written about Stevens' parents (mother Carrie and stepfather Lowell), particularly his relationship and childhood memories with his late mother who passed away in 2012. It's a much more stripped back affair than his last few releases, and is much more intimate as a result. These acoustic tracks with some fairly frank lyrics will touch even the toughest of souls.


Blur - The Magic Whip
Blur's first record in 12 years took everyone by surprise. I would probably describe it as a concept album of sorts, clearly strongly influenced by the band's time spent in Hong Kong where the album was recorded. The band released a 30 minute video documentary about the making of the album, which gives a lot of background behind the setting in which the album was made. A refreshing return which is much more than just a nostalgia trip.


Ryley Walker - Primrose Green
After seeing him live at End Of The Road festival this year (and getting a signed copy of the album), I was keen to find out more about the Illinois singer-songwriter. Primrose Green is a summery jazz-folk album with a restless, rough-cut, fuzzy feel to it. A brilliant album which has some fairly obvious influences from previous decades, but still sounds very relevant in today's setting.  


Courtney Barnett - Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit
Courtney Barnett's distinctive deadpan vocal delivery and understated, down to earth lyrics have made her debut album stand out from the crowd. Her songs are just incredibly fun. Lyrical content is usually very centred around everyday life, but in places is a little more mysterious and less clear-cut. 




 
Marika Hackman - We Slept At Last
Perhaps my favourite of the year. Marika Hackman's full length debut is only really appreciated after a few listens, when the heaviness of the lyrical subject matter really sinks in. A beautifully dark and atmospheric album with themes of death and decomposition running throughout. There are elements of folk in here, with each song telling a story of its own. Perhaps hasn't received the recognition it deserves. This video review analyses the album brilliantly and picks out some of the subtleties that other music critics have missed out. 

Drenge - Undertow
Drenge's second effort is quite different to it's gritty, no-nonsense predecessor, showing a great deal more maturity. It's also quite dark, and draws on local areas of the Peak District familiar to the band. Perhaps slightly less raw originality than the first album, but still incredibly enjoyable nonetheless.





Kendrick Lamar - To Pimp A Butterfly
There won't be many album of the year lists that don't include this album, which seems to have appealed to a huge range of people. His flows, lyrics, instrumentals, guest appearances and general themes on this album are excellent. Some have labelled it the best rap album of the decade. It's certainly gonna be a tough ask to beat this genius. Youtuber and music reviewer Anthony Fantano (theneedledrop) gave this album a rare 10/10, and analyses the album to explain how it has been received so well. 


Songhoy Blues - Music in Exile
A Malian band formed when they were forced to leave their homes during the civil conflict when jihadist group Ansar Dine took control of northern Mali to impose strict Shariah law. This debut album sounds like a record from a band celebrating freedom. Full of fast paced, groovy and often danceable bluesy songs. Watch them perform "Soubour" on Jools Holland here. 



The Maccabees - Marks To Prove It 
Fourth album Marks To Prove It sees The Maccabees explore the decline of the area they grew up, Elephant & Castle in London. An overall more varied and interesting effort than 2012's Given To The Wild. Lyrics from frontman Orlando Weeks have improved too, and certainly add to the depth of the songs. They haven't by any means taken a musical U-turn and changed their sound drastically, but this album sounds considered and personal than anything they've done before.  


Tame Impala - Currents
Producer and lead vocalist Kevin Parker is at the peak of his powers on Currents. The heavy presence of synthesisers on this album replacing the fuzzy guitars, which many fans were worried about pre-release, actually adds a dimension to this album that was perhaps missing from the first two. The songs are varied, some with complex arrangements, and some which are more simple, with some of the smoothest and best-applied melodies Parker has ever written. 

In addition to these 10 records, I've also enjoyed, at least in part, all of the albums listed below. Some of these (particularly the top 6) would probably be quite easily interchangeable with the last two albums listed above.  

Roots Manuva - Bleeds
ESKA - ESKA
Benjamin Clementine - At Least For Now
Lonelady - Hinterland
Jamie xx - In Colour
Ghostpoet - Shedding Skin
Maribou State - Portraits
Foals - What Went Down
Florence & The Machine - How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful
Public Service Broadcasting - The Race For Space
Ezra Furman - Perpetual Motion People
Stealing Sheep - Not Real
Father John Misty - I Love You, Honeybear
Django Django - Born Under Saturn
Unknown Mortal Orchestra - Multi-Love
Everything Everything - Get To Heaven
Beach House - Depression Cherry

Overall, lots of great albums in 2015, with hopefully many more to come in the new year. 

Thanks for reading.