My Favorite Non Hip-Hop Albums of 2015!

Welcome back to the Star World, where I have listened to more music than I ever thought I could just so I could not write about them as much as I wanted. 2015 was an amazing year for music of all varieties, and in my quest to never stop searching for good music I listened to 86 albums that came out this year. Not all of them were good, and some were even god awful, but others stood out so much that despite being released early in the year I never stopped listening to them. In the next week or so I will have a couple of lists coming out, but I wanted to start off with this non Hip-Hop list. I feel like I am known for my taste in rap music, which I do love, but I follow as much different music as I can, and I wanted the chance to share with you some of my favorites of what I have heard this year.

HONORABLE MENTIONS

The Beyond/ Where the giants roam- Thundercat

While short, 16 minutes to be exact, this EP is filled with colorful sounds and beautiful melodies. Thundercat’s voice hits smooth and the production of this small project rivals some of the most acclaimed releases of the year. It makes you feel as though you are taking a trip through a new world that is being created as you walk through it. Thundercat has been on his game for years now, working with musical Titans Kamasi Washington and Flying Lotus, and he holds his own in any conversation about the best modern musicians. With his unique take on soul combined with the electronic capabilities of the modern era; This small project has all of the sounds of a musical genius packed into a project that you could finish in the span of a long shower.

25- Adele

            I have been an Adele fan since I saw a dance video done to “Rolling in the deep”. Now, 4 years or so later, she has come back to give us 25, an album that fixes most if not all the problems I had with her previous releases. Adele seemed to going down the track of just singing about lost love, which is fine, but  I just wanted her to use her talent in more diverse ways. So while on this album she is still singing about people and her experiences with them, the production and sound of the album is much more mature. Adele has stated in interviews that she does not put out something unless she is inspired, and it seems like her inspiration lead her to take charge and help construct a wonderfully diverse but still familiar enough album that is finally a testament not only to her singing prowess, but her taste as an artist. Adele holds a special place in my heart because it is music I shared with my mom and grandma, because Adele’s appeal isn’t that she makes music for the charts, it is that she makes music that appeals to people’s hearts.

Reality show- Jazmine Sullivan

            While I was late listening to this album, it is still fantastic. There is something about Jazmine’s voice that is wholly unique, and her album builds off of Hip-Hop and blues to tell the story of a woman scorned. In similar fashion to Aretha Franklin, the power of her voice breaks through every track and the shockingly modern story turns this into an all too real concept album. It is about how poorly women can be treated and explores the reasons why they may stay in such toxic relationships, all while being backed by amazing instrumentation. This album is more than catchy, it is important. To have a black woman’s voice ring out as the voice of reason is such a satisfying listen, and while I could not include this in my top 10, I think everyone should listen to this. It is an album about courage in a time where a lot of music is afraid to take that next step.

THE LIST

10. In Colour- Jamie XX

            An eerie yet joyful mix of EDM and melodic production, this album took a second to grow on me. Being praised upon its release I had to see what the hype was about. I love The XX, which is a band Jamie is part of, and they are known for their mellow vibes and vibrant tones. This album pulls from that same musical dictionary, having long drawn out beats that do anything from pull you out of the world to make you want to dance, and the whole album feels like one song that is constantly evolving. Like it is just a representation of how Jamie feels as an artist, starting out with one idea and running with it for as long as he can. We get cameos from Jamie’s bandmates as well as the likes of Young Thug, whose style of rapping on the song “Good times” makes it one of the best singles I have heard this year. This is an album to listen to when you need to relax and enjoy yourself, with its layered production and abstract themes it is one of the most creative musical projects I have heard this year.

9. Vulnicura- Bjork

            This album is heartbreaking. Based on the breakup of Bjork from her partner of over a decade, this album will tear you to pieces. Normally when people think of break up albums someone like Taylor Swift may come to mind with her poppy upbeat takes her failed relationships. This album is not that. In the course of this LP, Bjork touches on all the dark and terrifying aspects of love and being in a relationship with someone that you never really hear about in vocal music. It is not just about how you miss the good times with that person, it is about how you miss the small details about them. Everything you cherished about a person from how they smell to the way you fought is now no longer part of your life. Bjork in her beautiful yet pained voice sings of how she is drowning in the overwhelming feelings that come with this emotional separation. All of this of course backed by some of the most beautiful instrumentation of the year. String sections and deep bass help create the dark canvas that Bjork uses to paint you a picture of her lost love.

8. Currents-Tame Impala

            This album is the love child of psychedelic rock and synth pop music. Through the kind of wavy vocals you would hear in the 60’s rock and the upbeat synth based pop music of the 80’s you get this unique abstract musical piece that is at the same time uplifting and mystifying. The whole LP honestly feels like a colorful acid trip down a rabbit hold you did not know was there, but through it all the trip never feels so far out that you cannot comprehend how you feel about it. It is joyous and spacey, but at the same time complex enough to make you want to listen again and again to comprehend how everything fits together. Guitar and key solos dominate the airwaves and the lead singers falsetto vocals float over the top of each song to create this trippy time capsule that can take you back to a time where music felt more free.

7. Sound and Color- Alabama Shakes

            Hailing from the state they are named after, this Southern Rock band came out with an album that uses a classic rock background to build a more modern sound that takes from the past to make a raw focused album about people, love, and life. The main singer’s vocals shout and ring over each song and hit the ear in such a different way, like she is not just a singer, but another instrument in the band. Each lyric is a small solo a meant to be part of the puzzle that each song creates. The album feels raw and powerful, and by the end of it you feel satisfied, which is a feeling that not a lot of music is able to help you achieve. Through their music the Alabama Shakes are creating a story that begins and ends, and you feel lucky for having been able to go along for the ride.

6. Have you in my Wilderness- Julia Holter

           

            This album took me by complete surprise the first time I heard it. To put it simply it is the most beautiful album I have heard this year. Julia Holter arranged and produced the entirety of this album, and it plays like one long musical. With the musical instruments coming in and out as characters would in a play this is arranged almost perfectly. It is a bright album, created to make you feel like you matter in the eyes of the artist. If it were a story you would feel like you are standing right next to Julia experiencing everything she feeling. It is a combination of classical composition, art pop, and the spice that is Julia’s touch to give this atmospheric feel that at this point in her career she is known for. This artist does not just make albums, she creates masterpieces that you could study as pinnacles of music theory or just play and appreciate as a fantastic album that carry you off into a fairy tale world that lives and breathes just our own world does.

5. Multi love- Unknown Mortal Orchestra

            This vivid, lo-fi rock album makes me happy whenever I listen to it. It is fast enough to make me move and catchy enough to haunt my mind when I am not listening to it. From the way it uses drums to the almost muffled way each song sounds, it as almost as if the message of the album is supposed to be some sort of secret that people are not ready for. The opening song explores the ideas of transgender love and relationships, while the latter songs talk about how our generation is hooked to the idea of checking our phones and the overpopulation of the planet. Granted these ideas are not thrown at you, making them less political statements and more artistic observations, but all of the contained within  this album makes it worth going back to again in again because nothing sounds quite like it. It got me through many long walks in the dark at school, because whenever I heard to opening notes of the keyboard in this album I knew I was in for a treat.

4. Choose Your Weapon- Hiatus Kaiyote

            Ever since my friend showed me this band over summer I have been obsessed. They are an Australian Neo-Soul band that, between their 4 members, has created such a full sound that it is crazy. In this album we get songs that do anything from show off a specific musical idea as an interlude, to 5 or 6 minute songs that explore the full range of what can be done when jazzy improvisation and vocal embellishments are pushed to their limits. The sounds feel complete but never lose their smoothness. While the album has an electronic element thrown into a lot of the songs, it does not feel synthetic or forced in anyway. Chiptunes and video game sounds are added to create the tone of this album, which is mysterious and wondrous at the same time. It feels like the music of the future while at the same time taking from the past. Also they have one of my favorite album covers of the year, just adding to what I love about this band.

3. Ego Death- The Internet

            The Internet is finally getting the praise they deserve, having been nominated for a Grammy for this very album. From the first song I was completely absorbed with this album. With a lot of the songs revolving around love of women, but being sung by a female lead sing, it provides a unique take on a love album. Not that this just boils down to a love album mind you, this young R&B band takes concepts like lackluster partners, drug and fame culture, and even socially conscious lyrics about black death, and uses them to create this funky yet smooth LP. With Syd the Kid’s vocals ranging from as deep as mind to falsetto, and the bands amazing playing, no song on this album feels week. Through staying true to themselves The Internet has come to find the sound that they always wanted, somewhere between atmospheric and soulful, and uses it to explore the lives of young adults growing up in this crazy disconnected society. I got to see them live this semester and it was so amazing to see all their players solo and play their hearts out on stage. At the same time though, they were having fun and putting on a great show, which is all of the signs of a band that is meant to last.

2. Surf- Donnie Trumpet & The Social Experiment

            The reason this is not on the Hip-Hop list is because at its core it is more than that. Donnie Trumpet makes music more akin to soul and smooth jazz, and while this takes a different turn, the turn is not serve enough to be put in the rap category. Through collaborations with his band which includes the ever popular Chance the Rapper. If you want to read everything I think about this album you can find it HERE. To cut it short this album makes me happy, and it’s a testament to what can be done when you defy conventions and just make good music with your friends

 1.      The Epic- Kamasi Wahsington

 I have also written about this album, but never by itself. This is a 3 hour jazz album constructed by the same man who arranged the majority of the music for Kendrick Lamar’s “To Pimp A Butterfly”. Needless to say this man is a musical genius, and with the help of a ten piece band and choir he put together and ten hour recording sessions used to record this album, he made my favorite non Hip-Hop album of the year. This album not being included in any jazz category for this year’s Grammys is probably the biggest musical tragedy of the year, and just shows how out of touch our mainstream appreciation of music has gotten. It has everything you would expect from Jazz and does not limit itself to just one sub-genre. There are elements of Free Jazz Bebop along with the vocal melodies of the more laid back blues vocal aspect of older jazz songs. This album is a celebration of Jazz of all kinds, and its main method of celebration is just taking the old conventions of Jazz and doing it way better. The length of this album is a message; it expresses a love for music and a desire to inspire fellow players to keep this beautiful art form going. Some of the best Jazz musicians in the world are on this album, including Thundercat on electric bass, and they all came to together to make an album that is deserving of its namesake. I listen to this album as much as I can, studying its melodies and getting lost in the wild directions the music go in. This is more the just music, it is a part of a movement, it is artists collaborating to have their voices heard because people assume that artists of that caliber are a thing of the past. When people say “man music just isn’t good anymore” you show them this gem and tell them that music is coming back in a big way. The Epic has arrived and I believe it just the beginning of a huge Jazz revival. If you like Jazz you need to hear this album, if you like music you need to hear this album, if you want to hear what happens when masters of a craft all come together to make a work of art, then do yourself a favor and listen to this amazing album.

A Look Into The Mirror

 Sequel to 'A Night'

It had to be a dream. Not because the pain felt too intense to describe, the tears fell too much to dry, nor the sun never seemed to come up, but rather because it was all just too depressing. In the span of what seemed like hours but may have only been minutes, Kyle was walking down a hallway straight out of hell itself. Consistently and without missing a beat there were pictures frames lined up perfectly every two feet or so. In these frames were everything he was ashamed of, from breakups to breakdowns. All of this was on display for the world, and more importantly Kyle, to see.

It was hard to remember how he got here, but everything else he remembered perfectly. The pain of loss and the sting of remorse were as familiar as the clothes he was currently sweating in, but he could not trace his steps back. Did he kill himself? Maybe, if the pictures on the wall are any indication, he could be pretty reckless. Still this didn't seem like death, a bit dreary yes, but not the nothing he was expecting after he died. Another unspecified amount of time passed and the hallway just kept going. After forever had come and gone he stopped in his tracks and stared in horror at a particular picture that had caught his eye. It was him, much like the other pictures, but in this one he was huddled in the corner of his room just crying to himself. He remembered.

So much loss.

He had never had to deal with losing family before, all his life things had just fallen into place and stayed there. It was no paradise, but he felt like he had a support system if anything. Then one phone call later it all crashed down. His mother was destroyed, his father speechless, and he himself was thrown into a constant state of shock because without that he may have jumped out a window. Was the Kyle walking now the same Kyle that was in that corner crying? Could it be he was still there just trying to make sense of it all? Time had passed but there was no way to tell how much, all he could do was keep walking. Walk through the pain, walk through the memories, and keep walking until he hit something that wasn't just the wall that her death put around his mind.

Deeper still into the abyss his journeys brought him to another picture. This was him and a girl. He knew the girl, and cared for her, but in the end could not make her happy. He tried to blame it on the loss, blame it on the girl, blame it on anyone but himself because he knew how much he had ruined it. He could not help it for he was a dreamer, building fantasy was is life, and to admit it was anything but would crush him. Yet it crushed her...and them, while he still go to hold onto his sense of self like it wasn't his fault. He remembered. She tried to give him space because he was suffering a loss, but he filled that space with resent toward the both of them. He threatened to pull the trigger on himself, told her he needed him, and she left. Another picture showed his empty apartment. It was quiet like his mind never was and only told the truth, much like he hadn't.

And then the hallway ended. His trip brought him to a mirror. With the pictures still crying behind him Kyle figured the best thing to do was step forward, it seemed to work for him thus far. Then in the mirror he saw a figure start to shift. The lights that he didn't even notice were lit in the hallway went out and he was forced to focus on nothing on this creature now fully visible in the mirror. It was wearing a straitjacket, with chains attached to the limbs that connected to a stone wall behind it. The jacket was clean, spotless even, like someone had always come to make sure this being was cared for. It mumbled in a way that Kyle could not decipher, yet it was familiar. Then the creature raised its head and Kyle almost threw up at the site of it.

It was him.

Well...almost him. It had tiny yet pronounced horns and what appeared to be fangs in the mouth that spoke coherent mumbles. It was wearing a blindfold, yet tears were streaming down its cheeks. The thing was a monster, and Kyle hated every moment he was it its presence, yet he could not look away. It was locked behind this mirror in this word Kyle did not understand, but he still pitied it. He held out his hand, for whatever reason, to try and touch the mirror. As his fingers just began to touch what should have been glass, the being spoke.

“Worthless,” it said.

“W-what?” Kyle was in shock, despite him thinking the mumbles were familiar, he never thought it could speak to him.

“We...are....worthless.”

“I don't understand, what are you?!” Kyle's voice rose and fear was slowing sinking into him.

“We am you, you am we. We are nothing.”

“I can't be you, that doesn't make sense. Why are you here, why are you locked up? Answer me!”

The creature rose to its feet slowly, like it's body was broken, before answering. Kyle knew what it was going to say though, he could feel the the creature was connected to him somehow, and its pain was his pain.

“We are here because we want it.”

“No...why would I want to be here?”

“The world wants we here, we do what makes them happy. We know we are worthless so this is the safest place. We are safe here.”

Just then Kyle understood and dropped to his knees in a panic. This was him, no different from the him currently on his knees.

“Did I...make you?” Kyle asked, his brain felt like it was bleeding.

“We made us, we have always been.”

Kyle stumbled forward, through the glass that wasn't there, and into the domain of the mirror. Face to face with the thing now he could not break eye contact. Upon closer inspection he saw that on the straitjacket were names written. Names of people he had hurt, let down, or distanced himself from for their own good. They faded in and out of visibility, but never completely gone. The chains attaching the being to the wall were actually being held by the being itself. If it wanted to let go and free itself it could. The being looked at Kyle, and despite it's blindness could tell exactly where to focus its gaze.

“We hate us, we are worthless, we will never know love.” The being seemed sad now, genuine sadness hidden by its devilish appearance.

“No, I don't hate you...I never have. I am sorry.” Kyle hugged the creature. And it screamed.

“WE ARE WORTHLESS, WE HATE US, WE WILL NEVER KNOW LOVE!!”

Its fangs dug deep into Kyle's neck, and at the moment where death should have found him he woke up. He was in his empty, honest room. It was still and he had been sweating. He sat up in silence for a long time, long enough that he could replay the night's events in his mind again over and over. Each time things became more and more vivid until it seemed like the creature would burst out of his mind again. He got up and walked over to his desk. He saw on a notepad next to his computer was a message. It read, “Worthless, Unloved, Alone” over and over again until the ink started to fade at the bottom of the page. Disgusted he ripped the page up and threw it away. He no longer believed what the message said, which did not mean it wasn't true, but he no longer believed it. On that same desk was a charm that the girl had gotten him on a trip she took. It was a keychain, the only souvenir he would accept. The charm was handmade, and meant something like good fortune or love. Neither of which he considered himself to have a lot of. Still, it was there, and that meant something. He got up to go to his bathroom and after about 10 mins of fear, turned on the light to face his mirror. It was him. No blindfold or horns though, just bags under his eyes and messy hair. He stared deeply at himself. There is no we, there was him. Just then he had an idea. He ran to his nightstand to get something he knew was there, a lipstick tube. She had left it, so saddened by his actions that it was not important. He went back to his bathroom and started writing. His hand was guided by a force that reminded him of his grandmother, no nonsense and supportive. He stepped back, gasping and looked at what he wrote. “I am not worthless, my past will not define me, I will forgive myself and more importantly, love myself”. It would become his mantra, it would break his chains, and it would silence the being from speaking its truth.

In that moment he was his own biggest fan.