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.
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