All Around Sound's Favorite Tracks Of 2016

Generally in years past I have found that compiling my collection of favorite songs of the year to be a much less arduous task than my favorite albums list. That's hardly surprising. Albums have much more songs to work with and much more opportunity to not come together how you'd expect. A favorite album has to either comprise of winner after winner or adhere to the form in an interesting enough way that you're able to look past it's missteps and yet this year in particular I found it much easier to pick out favorite albums than to pick favorite songs. There were a number of excellent albums that both were composed of excellent songs and were presented cohesively or interesting and standalone songs left a little something to be desired. An list of favorite songs composed exclusively of songs that were on your favorite albums list does not a compelling list make (and it's why I have an albeit occasionally broken rule that songs from favorite albums can't appear on the favorite tracks list). But 2016 wasn't without it's winners and several songs won a place in my heart or promised exciting things to come that they made an impression. Here's the list of songs that were revisited again and again throughout the year. Enjoy!

Adult Jazz - "Earrings Off!", Earrings Off! EP
It was pretty much anyone's guess how Leeds quartet Adult Jazz would follow up their brilliantly dense, intellectual art pop debut Gist Is. Though their debut never felt particular scattered, Earrings Off focuses in on the one topic of toxic masculinity in particular and shows the various implications of it. In the case of "Earrings Off!", Harry Burgess builds a song around an incident where his normally incredibly well behaved brother violently lashed out as a child when having his masculinity insulted by an older woman. Burgess explores how ingrained the concept of masculinity is even as a young boy and the expectations of it along to cacophonous soundtrack of horn blasts.



And The Kids - "I Dropped Out", Friends Share Lovers
Truth be told just about any song from And The Kids stellar sophomore effort could've ended up on this list. They write the kind of earcatching rock pop I often crave and their knack for seesawing between melodies essentially guarantees that you'll be singing their memories for days. And yet, I found myself returning to "I Dropped Out" probably more than any other track (although the title track was a very close second).



Angel Olsen - "Shut Up Kiss Me", MY WOMAN
Hard to say if there was a more anticipated follow up record than Angel Olsen's. At least not for me. While first single "Intern" reintroduced fans to Olsen's always resplendent vocal stylings, "Shut Up Kiss Me" was another charismatic display of Olsen's winning personality. Much like Burn Your Fire For No Witness scorcher "Forgiven/Forgotten", "Shut Up Kiss Me" is an uptempo electric affair that positions Olsen in total control. Olsen strikes the perfect balance of flirty and fun with badass independent woman who knows what she wants and has no problem demanding it.



Conveyor - "Caul", Ready Not Ready
Considering Conveyor always seemed to work on an album whenever I saw or heard from them, the hold up with Ready Not Ready was kind of an unexpectedly long one. And yet upon listening to it, it's not hard to see why: its essentially represents their work as band together. The band is as weird and self referential as ever but also just so good operating at peak performance with masterful efficiency. One of the first songs that I fell in love with years ago far before they were even ready to talk album details was "Caul". TJ Masters has cited Paul Simon as an influence as it's not hard to hear that here on the sunkissed track. It also features horn arrangements that fit perfectly with the bands interlocking guitars and elevate the foursome's already excellent musicianship to an impressive level.



Deerhoof - "Debut", The Magic
While I might have remembered Deerhoof's latest album too late to fairly give it a slot on my favorites list, Deerhoof still manage to amaze with their ability to keep pushing their sound forward innovatively and with freshness without completely blowing everything up or resorting to gimmicks. How they've manage to do this for the better part of two decades is equal parts musicianship, hard work, and magic and I for one am excited that they continue to do so.


Flock Of Dimes - "Everything Is Happening Today", If You See Me Say Yes
The journey from Jenn Wasner's first single to her debut full length album as Flock Of Dimes has certainly been a long one filled with detours with other projects and occasional releases to tide fans over. Though none of those releases made it onto the full length record they're still not only good as standalone single but also to gauge how Wasner's project has grown and develop. "Everything Is Happening" however is one of the singles released when the album had taken shape exploring, much like Wye Oak track "Watching The Waiting" released the same year, new beginnings. It's a stunner featuring lovely musical moments both big and small as well as some incredibly inspiring lyricism that demonstrates that Wasner's producing talents are on par with her lyrical prowess.



Hundred Waters - "Show Me Love" (Skrillex Remix) ft Chance the Rapper, Moses Sumney & Robin Hannibal
Since the initial leak that Skrillex was working on a remix of "Show Me Love" I was excited by the possibilities. Regardless of how you feel about his music Skrillex is an incredible producer and the idea that he would be visiting a track from definite faves Hundred Waters was thrilling. Add the news that Chance the Rapper was involved and I didn't have words to quantify my excitement level. Nevermind that "Show Me Love" is sparse and lovely and really incapable to being improved upon. I really didn't know. The Skrillex remix of "Show Me Love" is beyond anyone's expectations of what the song could be. It's a vertiable who's who of Hundred Waters' favorite musicians and collaborators who all do their very best to elevate the track to untold levels of brilliance. Everyone's crucial to the point that Hundred Waters essentially create a whole knew song built from the thesis statement of the original album opener. It's the gift that keeps on giving as each collaborator reveals themselves and practically forces you to replay it over and over; the hallmark of a truly great track.



Jenny Hval - "Conceptual Romance", Blood Bitch
I don't think there's any artist as skilled with doing so much with just a thought as Norwegian experimental artist Jenny Hval. And yet Blood Bitch is her fourth such venture and it's becoming incredibly clear that Hval's brilliance can't be some strange fluke (not that I ever thought it was). Blood Bitch continues Hval's winning streak on intricate but minimal carefully crafted art pop. "Conceptual Romance" is my humble opinion one of Hval's best songs not only on Blood Bitch but that she's done so far. Hval is not the type to revel in sentimentality and her moments of beauty often come with a price like a musical Hulder. "Conceptual Romance" is a sort of rarity in Hval's oeuvre as a love song. It's not without it's moments of intellectualism but ultimately affection wins out in its purity surviving Hval's attempts to deconstruct, examine, and otherwise dismiss it.



Julia Jacklin - "Small Talk", Don't Let The Kids Win
Introduced to the Sydney singer/songwriter from tourmate and fellow Australia based singer/songwriter Marlon Williams, I was immediately taken by Julia Jacklin's understated folk rock. She's sure to draw comparison to Laura Marling or Angel Olsen but she's firmly and fondly her own woman. A student of songwriters, Jacklin's songs feature simple yet effective turns of phase and she's efficient in her storytelling. "Small Talk" was an instant favorite off her very excellent debut album Don't Let The Kids Win for that very purpose. It's sparsely arranged surging forward in the choruses and pulling back in the verses. More than that it's so wonderfully wry. Even as she tosses and turns and rethinks decisions in the narrative, Jacklin is one cool customer, fully in control as her voice cranes and bends amidst placid guitars and mellow drums.



Landlady - "Electric Abdomen", The World Is A Loud Place
With Landlady releasing not one or two but four singles not only before the year's end but ahead of record The World Is A Loud Place's January street date, the Brooklyn based who's sophomore record Upright Behavior charmed and inspired essentially guaranteed they'd have a song on our favorites list. But it's definitely a slot they've earned. "Electric Abdomen", the opening track from their forthcoming record highlights exactly what's so deeply enjoyable about Landlady. Their brand of intricate, intelligent, and soulful funk pop is at its most infectious and well crafted on "Electric Abdomen" and you have a hard time non succumbing to the urge to dance.



Living - "Cerulean", Living EP
Maybe there's something in the waters of Bergen, Norway that leads many of their bands to seek musical escapism in music from warmer climates. Whatever the case Living the project of producer Lucas de Almeida is following in the footsteps of Young Dreams in their tropical infused pop with a noted difference: where Young Dreams embark on lush, symphonic journeys, Living now a four piece band with de Almeida at the helm keep thing firmly confined to guitar, bass, synth, loops, and samples. The result is a much different sound despite similar sources of inspiration for Young Dreams' Matias Tellez and Living's Lucas de Almeida. "Cerulean" was the first song I heard from Living as their self-titled EP was just beginning to take shape and it's arguably their best foot forward. Recalling Princeton's Rememberance Of Things To Come albeit without the string flourishes.




Marissa Nadler - "Janie In Love", Strangers
While Nadler's self-titled album and "In You Lair, Bear" still hold the place as the definitive favorite of her work, Nadler's subsequent offerings have come incredibly close to overthrowing them. Strangers, the follow up to her most personal record July, finds Nadler back in familiar territory spinning engaging narratives that aren't quite so close to her own life. The appeal of "Janie In Love", the introduction to Strangers, lies in how it elevates Nadler's sound to a heretofore unreached level of grandeur. Nadler, even when writing and performing with a full band, opts for a more minimal approach than the driving lushness of "Janie In Love". It's a winning decision that demonstrates Nadler's ability to find new ways to push her sound forward seven albums in.



Moses Sumney - "Lonely World", Lamentations EP
Thank heavens for having friends who are also seeking out the most exciting things to listen to. If not for the tip several years ago from Hundred Waters and their subsequently booking him to play at their music festival FORM Arcosanti not once but two years in a row I probably wouldn't have heard of Moses Sumney. Although with appearance on both James Blake and Solange's new albums it might not have stayed that way for long. What makes Moses Sumney so truly distinct is in his raw vocal power. "Lonely World" is cavernous and his vocals make the most both of it's expansiveness and the cacophonousness that Sumney uses to fill the space. Sumney relies almost exclusively on his higher register and it's a marvel at just how much he can do with it.



Porches - "Be Apart", Pool
Brooklyn indie rockers Porches. are the latest in a wave of bands abandoning the hallmarks of their characteristic sounds for remarkably different sounds. In the case of Aaron Maine he's steered the band towards the electronics of his synth pop project Ronald Paris and Pool is a similarly synthier affair. I've always preferred Porches. at their meaty darkly textured rock best on cuts like "Skinny Trees" and "Permanent Loan" and yet in their reinvention "Be Apart" ended up capturing my attention perhaps far more than any other song on Pool. Perhaps it's the similar dark pop articulated through different instrumentation. Maybe it's the fact that the lyrics are far more hopeful than the song's arrangement leads you to believe. One thing is clear it's the best example of what Maine's minimal synth pop can and should be.



Psychic Twin - "Lose Myself", Strange Diary
Patience is a virtue. That's especially true when you're waiting for new music from an artist you like. Psychic Twin's journey to a full length album has been more of a marathon than a sprint. Cross country moves, shifting lineup, and time spent tinkering away on production. But finally it's here and it comes in like a god damn wrecking ball. Strange Diary is an emotive statement: the slow gestation and resolution of feelings past, present, and future dealt alternatively with restless urgency or placid calm. "Lose Myself" is one of singer/songwriter Erin Fein's moments of flight: soaring vocals, lucid introspection, inescapable synth pop catchiness. It's pitch perfect musical escapism with bite.



Radiation City - "Sugar Broom", Synesthetica
For Radiation City's latest effort they had all the ingredients for a great album: listlessness, fatigue, a break up, a reconciliation. But while some bands are handed excellent emotional material to work with it takes a capable songwriter and even more capable band members to turn it into something worthwhile. Synesthetica essentially capitalizes on all of Radiation City's potential amped up both out of the urgency of Cameron Spies and Lizzy Ellison refusing to let the project fade away and also their newfound method of letting the songs gestate naturally before bringing them to the rest of the band. One of the highlights of Synesthetica is "Sugar Broom", an incredibly catchy number that combines Radiation City's dips into the surreal, autobiographical lyrics, and their genre blending. It's a lesson in less indeed being more and succeeds based on the simplicity of its melodies and the band knowing exactly how to complement Ellison.



Salt Cathedral - "Lift Me Up", Homage EP
There are few act capable of surprising me with each subsequent release as Brooklyn based Colombian duo Salt Cathedral. From their days as tropical prog pop quintet il abanico and their name change and Salt Cathedral EP to their pivot to electro pop and OOM VELT EP Salt Cathedral are constantly pushing themselves in new an exciting directions that even their most devoted of fans couldn't possibly predict. And that's how Salt Cathedral arrived with "Lift Me Up" a cut from their two song b-sides EP Homage. It's a stuttery, sample-laden dance jam that essentially shakes up their sound in an exciting way. Still rooted in their much appreciated constant of Juliana Ronderos' emotive vocals, Salt Cathedral essentially aim for the rafters in terms of the song's stature. Essentially a sort of musical experiment, it's incredible that Salt Cathedral can make songs of such grandeur without sidelining their love of pop and ultimately makes their upcoming full length even more of a mysteries. The sky's the limit for Salt Cathedral and they prove it with "Lift Me Up".



Sofi Tukker - "Matadora", Soft Animals EP
Since accidentally stumbling into their set at CMJ 2015, dance pop duo Sofi Tukker have managed to keep everyone's interest by releasing great single after great single eventually culminating in their debut Soft Animals EP. "Matadora" just happens to be my favorite song from an EP where each song is easily slated to your favorite. In "Matadora", Sophie Hawley-Weld and Tucker Halpern's strengths are at their most infectious: Hawley-Weld letting her nerdy side out and adapting a poem from Brazilian poet Chacal (a continuing source of lyrical inspiration for Hawley-Weld) and the production incorporating Spanish guitar flourishes and horns skillfully for flavoring while still relying on big danceable beats. It's Sofi Tukker at their best: minimal, careful but confident ensuring you head back for extra helpings.



Sondre Lerche - "I'm Always Watching You",
Though he's always been known as a bit of a pop connoisseur, perhaps the most characteristic quality to Sondre Lerche's music has been the interesting chords he affixes his songs. On "I'm Always Watching You", Lerche assumes a logical next step and goes fun on pop, laying down his jazz and tropicalia infusions for a tune that owes far more to the 80s pop he also grew up on. Add an inventive song subject and you've got the winsome appetizer to his forthcoming full length Pleasure out next year. There's no telling how the rest of it will sound but "I'm Always Watching You" combines the experimentalism of Please, the wit of Two Way Monologue, and the uninhibited badassery of Phantom Punch all seasoned with the experience of current day Lerche.



Sylvan Esso - "Radio", "Radio"/"Kick Jump Twist" 7"
Considering their backgrounds in folk outfits Amelia Randall Meath and Nick Sanborn are probably the last people you'd expect to start a electronic act and yet if their amazing self-titled debut proved anything it's that the two are unique suited to the task. While the duo have spent the time post album exploring out musical outlets (Sanborn returning to his electronic moniker Made Of Oak), the duo have promised a follow up is in the works and delivered a taste in the form of new single "Radio" and it's subsequent 7" pairing with "Kick Jump Twist". "Radio" is so catchy that it's incredibly easy to miss the message. It wasn't until setting it down and returning to it months later after many many frequently listens that I could hear and analyze the lyrics. Much like "Hey Mami" critiques catcalling and the culture around it, Sylvan Esso create on the most catchy radio-friendly tune to critique radio culture. If their "Slave to radio" chorus and it's frequent references to the ideal radio song length wasn't enough (it wasn't enough for me), "Do you have the moves to make it stick, yeah/to get the clicks, yeah" sets up the viral nature of some of the most popular chart topping pop songs. Sylvan Esso are fond of pop music so it's unclear if the critique is meant to be scatching or constructive but ultimately it turns out to be excellent fodder for one of their best songs to date.




Tiny Ruins & Hamish Kilgour - "Hurtling Through", Hurtling Through EP
The work of Tiny Ruins' Hollie Fulbrook and The Clean's Hamish Kilgour meeting up randomly in New York, Hurtling Through marks a decidedly more experimental direction for Tiny Ruins. Kilgour's percussion imbues Fulbrook's poetic prose with rich timbre while Fulbrook centers Kilgour's more chaotic tendencies. "Hurtling Through" is a meeting of mind and musicians who are remarkably different but finds the subtle overlap between them.



Uni Ika Ai - "Make You Better" Keeping a Golden Bullseye in the Corner of My Mind
Uni Ika Ai are that rare band that comes out of nowhere that is exactly what you're looking for. Composed of members of several other Brooklyn bands, the fact that they're so good at playing together is no surprise. However the fact that they could put together an album that's challenging and weird with crystalline moments of pure pleasure is. It's a indicator of a truly good band and "Make You Better" is the best song I can think of to illustrate exact how the band fits together. It is their most accessible but also the most demonstrative of the group's tight knit precision and the power a song gets when everyone believes in each other's skill and trusts them to do their part. "Make You Better" is all wild guitar patterns and unceasing forward momentum. Something far harder to execute than the rugged experimentalism that characterizes much of the group's debut album.



Weyes Blood - "Do You Need My Love", Front Row Seat To Earth
For her latest effort Natalie Mering recalls the pristine songcraft of 1970s California and the result is a bewitching collection of songs. While Front Row Seat To Earth is an incredibly engaging record as a whole I found myself returning to the dramatic grandeur of "Do You Need My Love" time and time again. Lyrically it's simple and yet mysteriously vague but bursting with raw emotion. On an album of winsome introspective moments, "Do You Need My Love" with its cinematic end credit like arrangement charms by virtue of its epicness. Even lyrically Mering pulls no punches "I felt your body scream to be set free". It's a song of thrilling contradictions: a big set piece with finale quality down to its fade out yet firmly in the middle of the album. Intimate despite it's silver screen aspirations and the grandness of its arrangements. Emotional stirring despite its elusive vagueness. It's a study in contradictions and a perfect piece of methodically craft folk pop all the same. Mering is at her best and so it's bound to be the surefire favorite of anyone lucky enough to happen upon it.



Young Dreams - "Of The City"
Initially introduced to their music via singles from Sondre Lerche, I've been a fan of Norwegian orchestral pop quintet Young Dreams for awhile now. While there were originally plans to release a new album this year, they ended up scrapping the entire album. Luckily for us, producer Matias Tellez saw potential in one of the tracks and after deciding that it just needed new dressings we were gifted with "Of The City" which expands the quintet's sound in a big way. The band's tropical symphonic pop gets a bit synthier and the results is a wonderful alchemy of sounds both futuristic and classic.

All Around Sound's Favorite Albums Of 2016

I don't think anyone who pays any attention to music trends could've have predicted that after last year's terrific year that we were poised for another great year for music and yet here we are. 2016 offered up an absolute smorgasbord of releases for music lovers of every possible type: Rihanna, Gaga, and Zayn for the pop obsessed; ANOHNI, Okkervil River, Radiohead, for the indie lover; Beyonce, Blood Orange, and Solange for the politically minded. And yet this year, like almost every year, my favorite stand out albums happen to be ones that I felt were unfortunately overlooked. Considering how many good albums came out this year that's hardly surprising but hopefully this list of favorite album ranked in no particular order helps you find some truly great records that came out this year even if it's just a brief job down memory lane. Enjoy and as always feel free to chime in with your own.

Alex Izenberg - Harlequin
It's happened more times than I can count - an artist releases a single or several singles and either that single is the best song on the album by a strangely large margin or is just dramatically inconsistent with the songs on the album. In the case of Los Angeles singer/songwriter Alex Izenberg's debut full length Harlequin the singles "To Move On" and "Grace" do not prepare you at all for album in the best way. They paint a picture, intentionally, of your standard singer/songwriter crooning over guitar or piano with just the right amount of strings to ornament the song and give it added depth. And they're not entirely off base as Izenberg sets himself up to be just that but in an exciting twists glimpsed just barely in "Grace", Harlequin offers up something different: a wonderfully off-kilter experimentalism that finds itself in the wide majority of Izenberg's songwriting efforts. There's no attempts to hide it - album opening track "The Farm" sets the scene with dramatic string flourishes and highlighting Izenberg's distinct vocals. "Libra" and "Archer" inhabit that same realm of vivid dream-like imagery and its effectiveness heightened due to collaborator Ari Balouzian's arrangements. On Harlequin, Izenberg essentially breaks down many singer/songwriter tropes just by virtue of being himself - experimenting with sounds and textures as much if not more than his inventive lyricism.



 

Andy Shauf  - The Party
Perhaps the most surprising thing about Andy Shauf's latest effort The Party is just how steep his learning curve was that led to its creation. His debut full length The Bearer Of Bad News was the end result of 100 songs whittled down and still capable of forming coherent narratives and a cohesive flow. On The Party not only did Shauf work with far less songs but he aborted his original plans to record with an orchestra in favor of essentially handling the whole record himself while working although somewhat loosely in a concept. The Party succeeds on so many levels: the concept is simple but Shauf is able to do a lot with it: crafting characters and weaving tales that occasionally reoccur and intersect. His touch is light in every respect from the lyricism to the arrangement that it's immediately clear that's by design not lack of skill. It's impressive and engaging from start to finish and proof that Shauf is definitely a songwriter to watch.

Bayonne - Primitives
With an affinity for bedroom as well as experimental pop, I'm no stranger to loop based music and yet Primitives, the latest album from multi-instrumentalist/composer Roger Sellers, reinvigorates it in such a bold, yet understated way. The first album under his newly adopted Bayonne moniker, Sellers' manages to marry his study of minimalist music with pop songwriting and the result is a next level album that's intricate as well as exciting from beginning to end. Part of that is Sellers' own enthusiasm as he takes an active part in the layering and sequencing imbuing the electronic base with a live, human element that highlights the strengths in both while creating a sound that's new, exciting, and absolutely fascinating to dip into.

Big Thief - Masterpiece
My discovery of Big Thief is purely the result of their label Saddle Creek putting out releases from several of my favorite artists in the past that when they released the news that they were releasing Big Thief's debut album I made a note to check it out and I'm incredibly glad I did. Songwriting is nothing new to Adrianne Lenker and Buck Meek who in addition to making music on their own also had another project together, and yet there's something in the alchemy of the full band that pulls even more intriguing songwriting out of Lenker and Meek. It's hard to imagine "Real Love", a beautiful song just lyrically speaking, without the rock grit. Masterpiece doesn't just succeed on those harder moments but also its lovelier, softer folk moments.

Chance The Rapper - Coloring Book
After his amazing second mixtape Acid Rap, the only people who weren't eagerly anticipating not only its follow up but anything the man did next were people who hadn't heard his music before. From guest appearances on fellow Save Money members mixtapes to last year's Donnie Trumpet and The Social Experiment record, Chance The Rapper has been building up a golden reputation. Add an appearance on probably the best song on Kanye's Life Of Pablo "Ultralight Beam" and that's pretty much solidified it. Coloring Book finds Chance The Rapper in a considerably different place than he was three years ago and it shows. Coloring Book is a winning combination of fun and spirituality, social commentary and self critique. With an all star cast as well as highlighting some of Chicago's best up and comers, Coloring Book is a mature work of self growth. Chance is counting his blessings but literally and figuratively and sharing the fruits of his labor in a fashion that's downright celebratory. Each song paints a definitive picture of what Chance The Rapper's been up to for the last couple years and it's a joy to hear him return so absolutely triumphant. Label woes and brushes with drugs behind him, Chance The Rapper's Coloring Book celebrates the music, his city, his family and God in a way that even the most resolved atheist can get behind. In fact the most spiritual moments on the mixtape tend to be its highest points.

Esperanza Spalding - Emily's D+Evolution
Despite being a Grammy award-winning artist, Esperanza Spalding is an artist that certainly no one is talking about as much as they should be. Perhaps it's because she's a jazz musician and most people only pretend to listen to jazz? Whatever the case, Spalding put out one of this year's best albums in the form of Emily's D+Evolution. It's a concept record of sorts but even without really knowing the concept which is Spalding inhabiting an alter ego of Emily, it's a record steeped in imagination as well as talent. Separated from the live show which plays much like musical theatre and provides context, it's songs are still just as strong. Beginning with an ode to creativity energy, Emily's D+Evolution is an album of rich ideological ideas and inventive lyricism that uses its roots in funk and jazz fusion to move it along. Spalding tackles deep subjects on the album but in such an unpretentious way that it's easy for the listener to miss them. It's an album that reveals more about itself and it's multitude of wonders the more time you spend with it.

Jinja Safari - Crescent Head (Crescent Sun/Crescent Moon)
Though singer/songwriters Marcus Azon and Pepa Knight met and formed the jungle pop quintet Jinja Safari in 2010, it wasn't until 2013 when they released their debut self-titled. Sure they had released two EPs and compilation double EP in the years prior but Jinja Safari was a milestone moment for the band after several high profile shows and festivals. Unfortunately it also signaled a sort of beginning of the end, the band took a hiatus to work on side projects and otherwise alleviate industry pressures and expectations. When the band reunited they started recording the tunes that would form their double album Crescent Head.  Named after Azon and Knight's hometown and split into two parts Crescent Sun and Crescent Moon, the double album functions as love letter to the music they painstaking crafted, the fans that enjoyed it, and the band itself. It's deeply ambitious: Crescent Sun a collection of the more upbeat pop songs they're known for and Cresccent Moon a more restrained affair and yet it's masterfully done. Jinja Safari embody both the primal rhythms and jubilant energy and also making subtler, more mature musical choices. It's a shame it's their swan song since Crescent Head as a whole paints a picture of a band not only comfortable with their sounds and their choices but also a band that would continue to push itself in service to creating truly entertaining, enjoyable, and most importantly interesting music. It's a hell of a way to go out especially considering most band breakups don't come with such a thoughtful finale.

Kevin Morby - Singing Saw
Considering how practically flawless Kevin Morby's sophomore record Still Life was, I had high hopes for Singing Saw that even then were exceeded beyond my wildest dreams. Singing Saw finds Morby going grander and more cinematic with help from Sam Cohen of Yellowbirds refining his sound with effecting arrangements. Morby continues to be in rare form and his songs are as thoughtful as they are beautiful - capturing emotion stirring moments rather just telling interesting stories. There's a shift subtle as it may be in Morby's lyricism as Morby turns his gaze towards invoking a rich, balanced portrait of the human experience. And yet, there's still a little of both the reverential and referential in Morby as he calls back themes and subjects of Singing Saw on "Black Flowers" much like did on Still Life.

Kishi Bashi - Sonderlust
Perhaps the most enjoyable thing about following the career of multi-instrumentalist/producer Kishi Bashi is that none of his releases have sounded all that similar to one another. Sure two songs from his debut Room For Dream EP found their way on his debut full length 151a but were in an excitingly new context with newer songs. His sophomore effort Lighght somersaulted into Ishibashi's love of jazz fusion and prog rock and String Quartet Live! reimagined songs with string quartet accompaniment. Sonderlust is where Ishibashi hit the wall that so many artists normally hit between their first and second album. Where could he take his lush technicolored take on psychedelic dream pop while still staying true to his core sound as Kishi Bashi? The answer was inward. Ishibashi grounded his songs in his life and looked outside of his trademark violin gymnastics for inspiration. The result is an album rooted in real hopes and dreams that resonates. The sound is ambitious and yet not wholly detached from the jazz fusion and prog rock of Lighght. The lightness of tone and melody that characterized a lot of both 151a and Lighght is all but snuffed out returning briefly in the delightful album ender "Honeybody" and its use there is cathartic: the light at the end of the tunnel. Kishi Bashi believes in love and by focusing not only the bright butterflies fluttering feeling but on the actual work that must be put in to maintain it, Sonderlust ends up as an honest, sincere ode to it.

Lucius - Good Grief
Considering how all around great their debut record Wildewoman was Lucius had quite the task ahead of them avoiding a sophomore slump and less time to gather the songs to do so. But by staying the course even when they thought it would drive them insane, Lucius crafted a wonderful follow up that further expands their diverse sonic palette. The 60's girl group influence is still there but updated and not relied upon too heavily. Lucius focus on the real tumult and strife found in relationships to inform their songwriting and it elevates the moments of joyous celebration to ecstatic heights. Good Grief emphasizes the role of pain and struggle in making the moments of ease and comfort feel truly special.

Mal Devisa - Kiid
In this the age of the surprise album I think it's been forgotten that that's largely how music was released from less high profile artists. Indie bands that had no marketing budget, especially in the old Myspace days would just kind of release their music and hope that it'd reach the listeners that wanted it. And that's essentially how Mal Devisa released Kiid. Although truth be told it was a bit of an event among people who had actually seen her live and had been eagerly awaiting for her to release music. And Kiid doesn't disappoint. It captures Deja Carr's eclectic tastes and interests and offers them up in somewhat tidy package. Kiid goes from folky singer/singerwriter to fiery social commentary to deeply moving soul without ever feeling like it's trying too hard or doing too much. The album moves quick but it's not trying to lose you, Carr just has a lot to say and trusts your ability to keep up. It's a trust more art should have in its recipients and the result of that trust is a diverse offering of powerful songcraft.

Margaret Glaspy - Emotions and Math
I have a bad habit of ignoring music my friends are listening to until an embarrassingly long time after the fact. My introduction to Margaret Glaspy was an attempt to course correct. My friend Jeanette of The Miscreant/Miscreant Records have nothing but good things to say about her and so I jumped into her music around the time of her second single and didn't look back. Glaspy is an amazing singer, songwriter, and guitarists. What charmed me, aside from the absolutely infectious melodies she builds her songs around, was a kind of don't-give-a-fuck quality to her singing that reminded me of Fiona Apple's The Idler Wheel.... On that album in particular Apple contorted her voice: howled and screamed with no regard for sounding pretty. What mattered was a sincere portrayal of the emotions and Emotions and Math finds Glaspy embarking on a similar journey. It's a portrait of complex woman - a fierce badass still capable of being hurt and wanting to be loved.

Mothers - When You Walk A Long Distance You Are Tired
With singer/songwriter/poets like Laura Marling and Johnny Flynn ranking among my favorite artists, it's hardly surprising that upon learning that Kristine Leschper, the frontwoman of Athens, GA four piece Mothers, is a poet why their songs resonated so much with me. But while Marling's poetic lyricism tends toward vague realism and Flynn's often detached from the self entirely, the most enthralling aspect of Leschper is that many of the lyrics feel lived in. There's also the packaging: complex rhythm and intricate guitar riffs catapult quiet emotive moments into action. When You Walk A Long Distance You Are Tired tells many stories: of love wanted and rebuked, of crippling self-doubt, of those questionable choices we make despite swearing we know better and yet ultimately, it's one long quest of the self: of finding yourself within yourself and reckoning with it. That's why despite the album's numerous tales of fractured, failing relationships, it manages to be so hopeful and inspiring. Leschper's charted journey isn't about boyfriends and girlfriends - it's about disarming and reversing one of the album's first eye-opening lyrics: "I hate my body/I love your taste". By album's end the certainty of the self is all that's left; all that's real.

Wye Oak - Tween
The fact that Jenn Wasner and Andy Stack have elected not to call Tween an album while initially confusing probably aids in its digestion. Essentially a collection of songs they had no home for, the fact that they don't consider it a full length or even a EP enables a sort of lowering of expectations that seems unworthy of how good Tween actually is. Recalling both Jenn Wasner's other side projects as well as Wye Oak's growth in general, it populates a unique place in the band's history in that it paints a picture of Wye Oak in transition. It might be an album of experiments and yet it's clear both in their decision to release it and the fact that songs like "If You Should See" and "Watching The Waiting" have made its way onto their setlists that it's a work of strong songcraft even managing to flow despite its various changes in sound and tone. With the exception of "Out Of Nowhere" which functions more as a place setting piece, Tween is a veritable feast of rock pop stunners. Wye Oak might not consider Tween to be a proper album but they've approached its creation with the same innovation and ear for melody that's made favorites out of their other proper albums.



Honorable Mentions:
Adult Jazz - Earrings Off! EP

Anderson .Paak - Malibu

And The Kids - Friends Share Lovers

Angel Olsen - MY WOMAN

Christopher Tignor - Along A Vanishing Plane

Conveyor - Ready Not Ready

Damien Jurado - Visions of Us on the Land

Golden Suits - Kubla Khan

The Heligoats - Back To The Lake

Hiss Golden Messenger - Heart Like A Levee

Jenny Hval - Blood Bitch

Julia Jacklin - Don't Let The Kids Win

Kris Orlowski - Often In The Pause

Kyle Morton - What Will Destroy You

Laura Gibson - Empire Builder

Lucy Dacus - No Burden

Mandolin Orange - Blindfaller

Marissa Nadler - Strangers

Marlon Williams - Marlon Williams

Moses Sumney - Lamentations EP

Noname - Telefone

Peter Broderick - Partners

Pinegrove - Cardinal

Psychic Twin - Strange Diary

Radiation City - Synesthetica

Steve Gunn - Eyes On The Lines

Sur Back - Kitsch EP

Tiny Ruins - Hurtling Through EP

Tuskha - Tushka

Uni Ika Ai - Keeping a Golden Bullseye in the Corner of My Mind

Weyes Blood - Front Row Seat To Earth

All Around Sound's Favorite Albums of 2015

I doubt that anyone who's experienced the year can/would be willing to argue against 2015 as one of the best year's we've seen in music in quite sometime. It was an embarrassment of riches - featuring much anticipated follow ups from everyone from Adele, Joanna Newsom, Panda Bear, and Sufjan Stevens to releases from consistent mainstays like Dan Deacon, Laura Marling, and Mount Eerie. 2015 was a year that wouldn't let up in terms of excitement inducing releases and yet which such an exorbitant amount of releases this year, I've sought fit to narrow down the albums I personally feel deserved attention. Enjoy this unranked list of favorites in no particular order and feel free to chime in with your own.

Beach House - Depression Cherry
"There's a place I want to take you" Victoria Legrand coos on Depression Cherry opener "Levitation" and if there was ever a thesis statement not only for the album but Beach House's entire oeuvre, it is this. Depression Cherry, the duo's fifth album (and the first of the two albums they've released this year) continues in the vein of Legrand and Scally's transportive brand of dream-pop. Their inspirations and influences are diverse and likewise are the sounds the two evoke of the record - from 60's girl pop on "PPP" to the shoegaze reminiscent wall of sound on first single "Sparks". Where Depression Cherry sets itself apart from sixth album Thank Your Lucky Stars' mood music and ultimately won me over over the former is its insistence. Depression Cherry moves as quickly as Beach House allow themselves to go and finds the duo offering up some of the most winsome melodies they've had to offer.

BRAIDS - Deep in the Iris
Montreal art pop trio BRAIDS have certainly come a ways from me only being able to remember the song "Plath Heart" off debut album Native Speaker. Each subsequent record has not only seen the threesome embarking on more and more innovative musical ideas but also saw the trio embracing the more poppy element of their enchanting experimental pop. Deep in the Iris builds on Flourish//Perish's aural accessibility by blending it with probably the most personal songwriting Raphaelle Standell-Preston's ever done. Whether a straight up break up/make up song like "Taste" or the fiery rape culture call out of "Miniskirt", BRAIDS refuse to pull any punches creatively and the result is an album of intense, memorable songs.

Cemeteries - Barrow
While I was certainly into the debut record The Wilderness by Cemeteries' Kyle J. Reigle, it was his side project Camp Counselors and what it said of his unfettered creativity that truly got my interest piqued for Reigle's eventually return to the Cemeteries moniker. And he certainly didn't disappoint. Barrow - a record nearly three years in the making wastes no time in combine Reigle's various interests and explorations in that time period into a cohesive and deeply engaging record. It's concept is loose but Reigle's horror fandom shines through and galvanizes the record along with a much more electronic twist. And yet it still imagines to retain the sheer immersive dream-pop quality of Reigle's debut, with the tweaks to the sound solving the more listless qualities and expanding the sound into an utter strength.

The Dø - Shake, Shook, Shaken
Technically released last year pretty much everywhere but here in the States, there was very little doubt I'd enjoy this record considering how in love I was with almost every one of the singles. Shake, Shook, Shaken is perhaps the most The Dø's most straightforward pop effort and yet, it's far from a simple, predictable endeavor. The duo's experimentalism is explored on a more subtle level - dictating the song's subject and narratives instead of actually influencing the song's sound. Shake, Shook, Shaken is firmly rooted in electro pop unlike the genre-jumping Both Ways Open Jaws but even with the focus on the electronic, The Dø never forget to give the organic elements, most notably Olivia Merilahti's emotive vocals, ample room to breathe.

The Dodos - Individ
In all honestly, when I first listened to the new Dodos record I was pretty unimpressed. Mostly because finding their footing several albums prior, Individ didn't appear to offer much in the way of the duo altering their percussion-heavy sound. I might've been spoiled from previous release Carrier and its external elements - namely in it serving as an tribute to Chris Reimer of Women. For me, Individ was a grower but I doubt it would've needed to be if I was less invested with factors outside of its musicality. It's a record that listening to it now, I can't possibly imagine not being into. It's another consistent effort from the duo and sometimes consistency is the hardest thing to maintain. The explorations in guitar tone that formed the backbone of Carrier are carried over here as the duo grow ever more confident in their musical voice.

Empress Of - Me
Though the time between Empress Of releases seemed maddening at time, the fact that they've all been pretty consistently amazing made the wait justified and the announcement that Lorely Rodriguez was finally putting out her debut full length such an exciting one. Unlike other producers who rush to release a full length after getting buzz, Rodriguez spent her time configuring her sound, doing it all on her own terms. The result is a record that's pretty much flawless front to back and such a personal offering, it's hard to imagine at times it's meant to be a dance record. With Me, Rodriguez cements her place as a producer of note and ushers in a whole new cycle of anticipation.

Hop Along - Painted Shut
There's no denying that Hop Along's Frances Quinlan has one of the most distinct voices in rock and on Painted Shut. she's able to pair her graceful, emotive roar with a set of personal, engaging narrative. Less is more for Quinlan and though she's allowed more of herself to shine through, she's managed to captivate and intrigue with a sort of withholding element to her songwriting. Painted Shut shows Hop Along firing on all cylinders; the songs are more insistent, the riffs more angular, the melodies more infectious. Hop Along have always been a strong band but Painted Shut shows the time spent between albums can do wonders even for the best band as the band return stronger still with a collection of songs that elevate and glorify the mundane. There's no infusion of drama necessary when you've got as capable a songwriter as Frances Quinlan at the helm.

Jenny Hval - Apocalypse, girl
When I first discovered Jenny Hval through "Mephisto in the Water" that I was so beguiled by its beauty that I missed the sociopolitical nature not only of the rest of Innocence is Kinky but of much of Hval's art. On Apocalypse, girl there's no mistaking it. Her targets are clear from "Kingsize" as she talks about everything from subversive subcultures, to "soft dick rock" and yet, it and the rest of Apocalypse, girl never comes off like a radical rant. Instead Hval tackles in probably the most accessible/universally applicable track "Take Care of Yourself", the notions of femininity. Of how as you get older, societal expectations shift towards procreation and nurturing but not of the self. Women's bodies are rarely acknowledged as being their own in a variety of cultures and Jenny Hval points out the inherent hypocrisy in caring about a woman only after propagation and only then in regards to her offspring and homemaking ability. What makes Apocalypse, girl the kind of album you return to is that while it's ideas are heavy, their packaging is not. It's a beautiful, rebellious record that combines Jenny Hval's dry humor with her very serious ideas of womanhood and rejection of the feminine/cultural ideal.

J Fernandez - Many Levels of Laughter
Several years and three EPs later (two of which have seen re-releases from their initial cassette run), Chicago's J Fernandez has emerged from the bedroom pop moniker with his debut full length Many Levels of Laughter - a collection of psych pop gems that manages to pay homage to the genre while pushing forward Justin Fernando's own addition to the pantheon. It's a record that belies the fact that despite J Fernandez expanding into a tight knit four piece, it was still very much a creation of Fernando's solo exploits. It's a complex multi-layered work that's catchy but also intimately introspective.

Julien Baker - Sprained Ankle
Her rising popularity wouldn't surprise anyone who's actually encountered the debut album from Tennessee singer/songwriter Julien Baker. Sprained Ankle is a fully realized debut not only of considerably lyrical ability but of devastating emotional depth. While this will no doubt bode well for her continued output, there's no denying that Sprained Ankle is stunningly mature. On it, Baker reaches the perfect balance of sincere expression of heartbreak and hope for the future without chaffing sentimentalism. That right there is a testament to Baker's narrative strength - able to craft an honest break up record that holds up against continuous listens.

Lady Lamb - After
When setting out to follow up her terrific debut full length Ripely Pine, Aly Spaltro turned inward. Not in the introspective way most singer/songwriters plumb their emotive depths but Spaltro dove deep into her mind and returned with After, a surreal collection of songs with shifting perspectives and varying narratives. In a way, it's not all that different from Ripely Pine considering Spaltro's narrative strengths and yet, that inward dive and embrace of abnormality resulted in an absolutely charming batch of songs that are as interesting as they are emotionally resonant. The fact that it's not based on Spaltro's life doesn't make songs like "Sunday Shoes" or "Spat Out Spit" any less visceral or effective. The fact that Spaltro can imbue the fantastical with a sense of real lived-in emotion is a testament to her songwriting prowess and is the main reason After comes across as such a grand success.

Natalie Prass - Natalie Prass
Despite the absolute strength of first single "Bird of Prey", when I discovered that Nashville native Natalie Prass created music in a folk pop style before her more Muscle Shoals style album I was more than a little wary. Ultimately what sold me on her self-titled debut album (besides the absolutely amazing Matthew E. White assisted arrangements on "Bird of Prey") was Prass' commitment to the album's elected style. Instead of being karaoke-esque, Prass sells not only her interest but her delivery that shows she knows exactly where she's treading and she's not doing so lightly. Even with some of the affected drama on album cuts "Christy" or "My Baby Don't Understand Me", the album coasts and banks on Prass' sincerity. While you might be able to argue whether or not Natalie Prass' soul turn is authentic, you can't argue that it isn't believable. Because it's so damn good.

North Highlands - North Highlands
When I first saw North Highlands on a bill along with ARMS and Hospitality, I was instantly smitten with their genre-blurring form of danceable pop rock. They ended up being the first of the three bands that performed that night to release their debut record and it quickly became a favorite of mine. Which made the news that the former Brooklyn band were calling it quits as their members set about moving to different corners of the country all the harder to swallow. Luckily for fans of the band, North Highlands sought fit to release their final record almost a year after their final show together and if nothing else, it's a rather great way to say goodbye. The self-titled record is break up record of sorts as songwriter Brenda Malvini found herself falling less and less in love with New York City. North Highlands have always reveled in a sort of attractive lyrical vagueness but North Highlands brings us a bit closer to Malvini's true emotions as she readies to act on them. And yet despite its function as double-fold breakup record, it's moves along with a casual plod. It allows itself to dip into synthy dance breaks and doesn't forget to let itself have fun and in that way it's a perfect snapshot of the band: happy creating music together even if it's the last chance they have.

Olivia Quillio - Get Down and Pray
Considering the release of her debut album The Bomb happened just last year, Olivia Quillio's follow up was pretty unexpected. But after heartbreak and a cross-country move which she essentially used as a songwriting retreat, Olivia Quillio returned with her strongest batch of songs to date and an album that was leaps and bounds better than her already enjoyable debut. Get Down and Pray might be a bit of a genre roulette and yet, each song is wonderfully sincere; forged in the fire of experience but arranged for universal appeal. Olivia Quillio proved early on in demos that she's was a skilled popsmith and Get Down and Pray is a testament to that, packaging up her personal experience with love, rejection, heartbreak, and acceptance with beguiling ease.

Pearl and the Beard - Beast
Beast, the third and final album from chamber pop trio Pearl and the Beard, is the summation of years worth of work together as band. On Beast, Jocelyn Mackenzie, Emily Hope Price, and Jeremy Lloyd-Styles are in peak form musically and creatively. From the heady rush of harmonies "You" and "Again Animal", soulful "River" or crackling "Devil's Head Down" and "Take Me Over", Pearl and the Beard are certainly not at a loss for ideas and yet, they've made a career out of incorporating a multitude of ideas in service to a greater goal. While that's an impressive feat for three singer/songwriters working together, it's even more so when you consider the fact that Pearl and the Beard's egalitarian songwriting has resulted into sonorous mesh of timbres as the trio trade not only songwriting duties but vocal and instrumental duties as well. Beast is Pearl and the Beard at their most grand, their most inherently majestic and they certainly don't disappoint aided in part by two album's worth of creative blueprints. If Beast truly is their final album, Pearl and the Beard ensure that they go out on an absolute high.
 

Purity Ring - another eternity
If you had told me a couple years back that I would fall in love with a Purity Ring album I would've laughed in your face but another eternity, Purity Ring's sophomore full length effort is so impressively complex yet so unavoidably catchy that it's not only won me over instantly but inspired me to go back and reexamine their previous efforts. another eternity's production is immaculate; at once simple seeming and artfully intricate, Purity Ring have clearly put in a ton of time finding exactly the right sounds and samples and other electronic elements they wanted but even then the pairing of those with Megan James' vocal work results in an absolutely beast of a production - unstoppable in its infectious sweep and enthralling in its complexity. I might not have understood the buzz around the time of their debut but another eternity proves that it certainly was worth it.

Seoul - I Become A Shade
I'll admit when I first encountered Montreal trio Seoul and their self-defined label of ambient pop, I was a bit wary. That is until I actually heard music from them when all doubt and assumptions of pretension evaporated away. Seoul is a band of serious music makers and as such, their record is truly a cohesive effort - segues and continuations; spilling into and building off of one another, I Become A Shade comes off effortless smooth and most importantly - insanely well crafted. The fact that the band worked on it for years before readying it for its auspicious debut speaks to how seriously the trio take their craft and yet with some of the most memorable, ear-catching memories I've heard all year, they're not too serious to make music that's actually enjoyable to listen to. I Become A Shade is a creative endeavor worth celebrating as it balances accessibility with auteurship for a debut album that's certainly going to be hard to beat.

Son Lux - Bones
Just when I think that Son Lux have outdone themselves, they release a new album to completely turn that notion on its head. Though they were featured previously on Lanterns, Bones is the first Son Lux record to usher jazz guitarist/composer Rafiq Bhatia and drummer Ian Chang properly into the band and although Ryan Lott didn't need an infusion of newness in the band's sound, it certainly is appreciated. It's hard to imagine a song like album standout "Undone" existing on the record without the jazz chops of both Bhatia and Chang as Lott strives to and ultimately captures the spark of the trio's impressive live energy.

Torres - Sprinter
On her self-titled debut Torres' Mackenzie Scott arrived with a stunning beautiful set of songs that properly introduced Scott as a singer/songwriter of note. Unsurprisingly she drew comparisons to that of her friend/fellow singer/songwriter Sharon Van Etten and as apt as they might've been then, on her sophomore record Sprinter, Scott returns to set herself apart. Where Scott's hurt and discomfort mostly took lyrical form on Torres, with Sprinter, Scott arrives in a blaze of badassery. Sprinter is beautiful, yes but it's not afraid of being abrasive or unflinchingly honest.

Viet Cong - Viet Cong
Name drama aside, there probably wasn't a single other album I've encountered this year that so acutely nails the cohesive nature of the album format like Viet Cong's self-titled album. Sure, each song is a self-contained slice of riotous but precise noise rock but also, the album as a whole marches purposefully toward intensely climatic album ender "Death" that when it finally gets there, not only to the end of "Death" but the album itself, it functions on a whole other cathartic level. While last year's "Cassette" introduced audiences to the band formed from the wreckage of Women, the self-titled full length is a true statement of intent - an artful and meaningful expression of grief, anger, and the human condition that's refreshingly solid and whose outright sincerity is bound to appeal to listeners whether the sort of high energy grit of Viet Cong is normally their bag or not.


Honorable Mentions:

Beach House - Thank Your Lucky Stars

Donnie Trumpet & The Social Experiment - Surf

Friend Roulette - I See You. Your Eyes Are Red.

GEMS - Kill the One You Love

Hip Hatchet - Hold You Like A Harness

Jessica Pratt - On Your Own Love Again

Jonna Newsom - Divers

Landshapes - Heyoon

Laura Marling - Short Movie

Palm - Trading Basics

Sufjan Stevens - Carrie & Lowell

Towkio - .Wav Theory

Villagers - Darling Arithmetic

Waterstrider - Nowhere Now

White Reaper - White Reaper Does It Again