Sputnikmusic - Staff’s Top 50 Albums of 2015: 50 – 31 « Staff Blog
- ️Mon Dec 15 2031
50. Fightstar – Behind the Devil’s Back
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Following a surprise hiatus and the ongoing reunion rumors of front-man Charlie Simpson’s seemingly buried boy-band past, anyone could be forgiven for thinking that 2009’s superb Be Human would be Fightstar’s swan song. However, the English post-hardcore, come-alternative metal quartet pleasingly return with a vengeance on their fourth LP Behind the Devil’s Back. Including metallic riffs and thunderous drumming, this is arguably their heaviest record yet, with the raw aggression on display often being astounding. Thankfully, the band have far from sacrificed those killer melodies, with the dual vocal dynamic and some nifty synth additions being a genuine strength. Lacking the diversity of their previous two albums, it may take a few listens to differentiate some of the tracks, but with no filler over an extremely lean thirty-seven minutes, fans are sure to adore this triumphant comeback. –DaveyBoy
49. Godspeed You! Black Emperor – ‘Asunder, Sweet and Other Distress’
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With a band like Godspeed, the task isn’t so much explaining how the album’s merits lifted it to the Top 50, but trying to – as sympathetically as possible – describe why it did not finish higher. There are a few things going on here. Mostly, it is a certain lack of freshness: much of Asunder…‘s content was previously available as the live piece “Behemoth”, not to mention that the band, and the post-rock genre of which they came to represent for a lot of us, seem to belong to an earlier, younger time. Asunder doesn’t come close to lifting Godspeed out of nostalgia, although the music within still gives us reason to try and reach the unreserved, naïve eagerness with which we greeted their work five, ten or fifteen years ago. There’s a new immediacy to the band: they don’t wallow in the world so much as charge at it. Even the drone parts have me on the edge of my seat. Still, Asunder is not so much a brand new thing as a reminder of the band’s enduring greatness. That doesn’t make it any worse of an album, but it does make it less likely to stand out for selection in a Top 50 list. Our full review said it all: even with a new album Godspeed remain in the past as “one of the greatest post-rock bands in history”. –Jonny Hunter
48. Marina and The Diamonds – Froot
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Don’t let yourself be fooled by humble, melancholy opener “Happy” – Froot, while balanced by a few softer, downbeat tracks, is a mostly upbeat banger full of radio-ready singles that have “industry darling” written all over them. But if someone out there’s going to take advantage of the pop machine in 2015, I’m happy to hear it be the husky-voiced Marina Diamandis.
On Froot, Marina creates brilliant electro- and indie-pop tunes with an earnest and thoughtful approach to both lyricism and the seemingly carefree bounciness of her most dance-able rhythms, allowing her music to escape the vapid trappings most pop musicians fall into. At her poppiest (“Savages”, “Froot”, “Blue”, “I’m a Ruin”) she recalls Eurythmics and Lady Gaga. At her most “indie” peaks (“Happy”, “Can’t Pin Me Down”, “Weeds”) she channels Sufjan Stevens and Laura Stevenson. But in either case, and the cases between, Marina cleverly opts to balance her powerful voice with inspired musical arrangements that thrive on their own, but which combine with her verse to form an undeniably catchy sound.
Whether it’s the tentative upbeat to the vocally downbeat “Blue”, or even the surprisingly elegant execution of the title track’s metaphor, Marina exercises a mastery of vocal and musical discretion that other artists in her arena lack, easily placing Froot among the best pop 2015 has to offer. –Thompson D. Gerhart
47. Cairo Knife Fight – The Colossus
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Following on the three ineffable EPs, The Colossus sees the New Zealand duo evolving into an even leaner heavy rock machine; yet, their triumph does not only lie in massive riffs and deep grooves that permeate through most tunes. There’s uniqueness to their approach, which manifests itself in flamboyant melodies and a stark contrast between the heaviness of the music and Nick Gaffaney’s diverse vocals that often trade conventional roars for sensual falsetto singing. Surely this formula has been patented by Queens of the Stone Age before, but Cairo Knife Fight put their own spin on it. “Rezlord” plays perfectly with its daring video, tackling the topics of desire and sexual fixation amid its blazing glam rock-inspired arrangement, while “No Longer Silent” carries an equally thought-provoking message about violence which has been the act’s ongoing interest. The Colossus is a singular rock record that doesn’t steer clear of timely issues while still packing a punch. –Greg Fisher
46. Blur – The Magic Whip
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Blur’s reunion was a highly sought moment over the past decade. Albarn and Coxon have gradually mended their friendship; however, the band have kept a low profile until their grandiose Hyde Park gigs were announced in 2009. After that, a couple of singles have surfaced, but the future wasn’t clear. A couple of years later, fortunately, when a Japan festival gig was cancelled at the last minute, the band had a few days off in Hong Kong and decided they should record some new material there. A year later, Graham finished those songs with long-time producer Stephen Street, while Damon returned to the respective metropolis to work on his lyrics.
The result? A very interesting mishmash of old and new to feed nostalgia and have something to move on with at the same time. Starting with the familiar Brit-pop of “Lonesome Street”, The Magic Whip quickly turns into an eclectic effort that bring all their projects together. The omnipresent electronic elements shaped highlights such as “Thought I Was A Spaceman”, “New World Towers”, or “My Terracotta Heart”, with each feeling like a culmination of their previous experiments. Meanwhile, tracks like the dissonant, lazy rocker “Go Out” or the militant “There Are Too Many Of Us” — along with a laidback, bass-driven “Ghost Ship” and “Mirrorball”‘s hazy, sun-soaked guitar licks — offer a welcomed diversity that few of their LPs share.
Still, there’s a cold, detached feel that this lovely album evokes. Like Damon mentioned, it emanates an urban vibe that’s unlikely of Blur, with the exception of Think Tank. There are several moments that seem jolly, yet The Magic Whip is more of a diary where several persons (including band members) share their stories. These are tales of loss, deceit, dead-ends, detachment in the cold internet age and faint details regarding the feud that plagued Blur 15 years ago. Still there are traces of hope everywhere, so one should focus on those, too. Let’s hope it won’t be such a long wait for the next LP. –Raul Stanciu
45. Kacey Musgraves – Pageant Material
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Winning a Grammy award and receiving a gold certification for your major label debut isn’t exactly flying under the radar, but two years after Same Trailer Different Park, it still feels like Kacey Musgraves is a Nashville outsider. Like aesthetic companion Ashley Monroe, Musgraves is a throwback to a time when country singers weren’t automatically lumped in with the flag-waving, red-blooded lowest common denominator. Pageant Material doesn’t have a mission statement like “Follow Your Arrow”, but it doesn’t have to, instead doubling down on the kind of careful craftsmanship that you don’t find too often on radio, country or otherwise, these days. Simply put, it may be the most beautifully produced album this year. At only 27 and unencumbered by the Nashville hit-making apparatus, it will be thrilling to see where Musgraves goes from here. –Rudy K.
44. Soilwork – The Ride Majestic
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Soilwork had some big shoes to fill after the release of their hugely popular double album, The Living Infinite, a record that assuredly put the band back on the map. Two years later, the Swedish outfit needed to prove that it wasn’t a fluke. The Ride Majestic proves that it wasn’t. The Ride Majestic takes all of the best elements of their previous album and somehow crams them into a compact single disc. Even more amazing is that they still managed to fit a few new sounds into their formula. There’s the black metal style of “Alight in the Aftermath” and the Miranda Sex Garden-meets-Soilwork rhythms and sounds of “Death in General”, to name just two. Throughout the album there is everything that has made this band great without any of the crap that filled a lot of their later albums. –Trey Spencer
43. Horrendous – Anareta
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There was sufficient hype behind 2014’s Ecdysis for there to also be a slight air of disappointment. It wasn’t that Horrendous’ homage to Swedish death metal’s great yesteryear was an abomination, but rather it was a bit too much of an ode to OSDM, which in turn swallowed any fleeting moments when Horrendous shifted their gaze toward improvement rather than flattery. Being able to take criticism as it is – constructive – rather than as a personal affront is not a trait to look down upon, and here we see why. Anareta is a resounding improvement in virtually every facet of their sound. It keeps the old-school riffing flowing through massive leads and dynamic tempo shifts while adding a not-so-subtle chunk of Sweden’s latest export: melodic death metal. To keep it all kosher, though, Horrendous rampage through the melodies in a way that errs strictly on the side of traditional death metal – meaning that the fruitiness of melodic death metal is kept completely at bay. Boasting an insanely appealing organic-sounding production, Anareta spins around maniacal screams and swirling solos with a confidence that normally comes after years of continued success. Given what Anareta shows us, I will not be the least bit surprised if that confidence grows even larger, and with it will grow the sheer volume of quality tunes that Horrendous unleash. That’s a future worth looking forward to. –Kyle Ward
42. Bring Me the Horizon – That’s the Spirit
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With Linkin Park experimenting wildly, 30 Seconds to Mars working around their Oscar-winning frontman, and Lostprophets coming to an inglorious end, a prosperous vacancy existed for a rock band who were willing to cross-over to a more accessible sound. Seizing the opportunity with both hands, English quintet Bring Me the Horizon continue to evolve from their metalcore roots and head straight for the jugular on fifth LP That’s the Spirit. The band’s most mainstream-sounding album yet, it is unabashed in its targeting of a larger audience, but the results are better than anyone could have imagined. The odd cringe-worthy moment still exists, but there’s also a multitude of shout out loud choruses that should see the group heading for stadiums. The electronics of Jordan Fish – who also produced the record splendidly – continue to play a prominent role, most notably on the massive sounding singles “Throne” and “Drown” — two genuine song of the year contenders! –DaveyBoy
41. Exgenesis – Aphotic Veil
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From the shaking of the waters with Slumber to the graceful re-emergence with Enshine during the ’00s, it took only two albums for guitarist Jari Lindholm to leave an acclaimed mark in the realm of melodic death/doom metal. Enshine, in particular, were/are responsible for fleshing a more ethereal aspect of the said sound, in which melody and uplifting arrangements prevail. However, a fundamental need for a heavier/bleaker sound, while keeping the melodic aspect intact, led Jari and newly emerging Colombian vocalist/guitarist Alejandro Lotero to form Exgenesis, and deliver one of the best pieces of tense and brooding death/doom metal for 2015. –Voivod
40. Jenny Hval – Apocalypse, girl
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What is to take care of yourself? For Jenny Hval, this is no mere hypothetical, but a call to study, action, self-reflection. Just as 2013’s Innocence is Kinky provoked its audience into conversations on the social constructs that constrain (or indulge, or incite) inspiration and art (and then wrestle the resulting artifact from the grasp of its author and her intent), Apocalypse, girl concerns itself with the people living at the emotional fringes of impropriety, tasked with having it all, despite “all” being in ever short supply, and “all” being indefinable. This is an album that is, on the surface, about the wars within herself: of really wanting it all, despite the collusion necessary; of being drawn to religious fervor and the uninhibited song of the devout, despite the lack of faith; of simply being held, despite the vulnerability and its gendered politics. The contradictions extend to form: for her first album with Sacred Bones Records, Hval leaps further into the warped pop territory she’s mapped since the dawn of the decade, but somehow skews darker, more oblique, turning up a single as simultaneously catchy and caustic as “That Battle is Over” against ambient folk tracks like “Holy Land” unspooling for ten minutes. The result is not an album that stands opposed to pop culture but apart from it, waiting for the conversation to catch up. –Lewis P.
39. Florence and the Machine – How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful
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I could go on about how great it is that Florence Welch’s saber-toothed vocals are still as visceral and vibrant as they were when Florence and the Machine burst onto the scene half a decade ago, and how great it is that the shimmering guitars dart and slice with empowered ferocity, and all of that would (I suppose) be perfectly valid praise for a band who, three albums in, show no sign of slowing down anytime soon. However, what makes How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful such an incredible album to me is that, funnily enough, it’s the first Florence and the Machine album that’s completely hooked me. I’m not quite sure what makes it so special, especially in comparison with the equally-lauded Lungs and Ceremonials, but if I had to pinpoint one difference it would have to be the newfound bareness of this most recent release. Certainly, it’s a less cocksure album than Lungs, and it’s slightly more subdued than Ceremonials (though still large and loud as hell). And, for what it’s worth, that slight pull-back – the hesitation on “Delilah” while piano and organ are plunking away before the piece explodes with the force of a supernova, or the long, luscious build to the perfect guitar solo of “Mother” – makes How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful a special album in a way that neither of the band’s previous two were (though they were both great albums, even if I couldn’t quite get into them!). It’s loud, it’s proud, and it’s everything we’ve come to love from Florence and the Machine – except it’s got an extra degree of depth and nuance, songs blasting in like typhoons, with all the pain and doubt that comes with any disaster following close behind. If I’m five years late on Florence and the Machine, then so be it – but I’m glad I’m finally hopping on the bandwagon. –Will Robinson
38. Leviathan – Scar Sighted
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One could name a slew of influences that can be heard within Scar Sighted, but simply name-dropping bands and calling the record a product of these influences is entirely unfair. Jef Whitehead, who has long gone by the nom de guerre Wrest, has been using Leviathan as an outlet for his own struggles for many years now, but never before has an album of his been so clearly personal. Maybe it is due to the sheer maelstrom of instruments that the record unleashes, but the atmosphere conjured by the doom-laced black metal of Scar Sighted is Wrest’s most potent to date. Dissonant riffing amidst agonizing wails litter the titanic title track, while “Dawn Vibration” hearkens back to his early material with unusual tremolo riffing patterns and a hail of drumming. The stylistic variation is staggering, yet Wrest displays the ability to rein in the chaos with a careful eye for fluidity and cohesion contained in a record that, at a quick glance, is unbridled anarchy. Scar Sighted is a deep and layered piece of music from an artist who has struggled in the past to make sense of the potent emotions that act as the muse for his work. This time, though, whatever the catalyst was that gave birth to the ensemble of black metal and heaving doom put forth here, it has produced Leviathan’s best record to date. –Kyle Ward
37. Frank Turner – Positive Songs for Negative People
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Frank Turner has always possessed a distinct advantage over his contemporaries for one reason only: every single word that falls out of his mouth is the sincerest thing you’ll ever hear. Never mind exactly what he’s playing on about – you’re going to believe in it, sing along, and remember the words as if fighting “for this four square feet of land like a mean old son of a bitch” was written about your life. If there’s anyone who could rally the entire world behind him just by writing a couple songs, it’s probably Mr. Turner, because frankly, he just has that effect. He believes what he’s saying so much that it feels wrong to doubt him. Positive Songs for Negative People takes all of that earnestness and channels it into an album overflowing with unbridled optimism, and it unsurprisingly is a very true reflection of its title. Positive Songs for Negative People is a call-to-arms to leave your comfortable misery, step outside, and face tomorrow. It’s a record that aims to mend your broken heart with simple, pure rock & roll, a dash of folk music, and the core belief that if you put forth the effort, you can make your life whatever you want it to be. It may sound a little naïve to the average cynic, but that’s the point. It’s not something to be overanalyzed. Like a famed writer on this site once wrote: “Learn the words, sing along, and be happy. Seriously.” –SowingSeason
36. Bosse-de-Nage – All Fours
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Comparing All Fours to Deafheaven’s Sunbather or even 2015’s New Bermuda seems inevitable. The two California groups split in 2012, just before Sunbather‘s emergence as one of 2013’s premier listening experiences, leaving listeners, one would think, baited for Bosse-de-Nage’s 2015 release. But the shadow cast by Sunbather is a long one, and with the release of New Bermuda in the same year, it’s not hard to see how All Fours could be overlooked. But to overlook it would be a mistake.
All Fours comes to the plate armed and ready to go, a little heavier than its contemporaries, but Bosse-de-Nage are a little more sparse in their guitar work as well – seemingly content to let the album’s drumming drive the energy and motion of their work. All Fours is truly comparable to Sunbather in its use of shoegaze and post-rock leads, though All Fours is on more of a rampage than Sunbather, with its remaining black metal influence pounding past the drum throne and reverberating through disturbing, albeit poetic, growled lyrics. As a sum, they set a tone either of the bizarre, or the frantic, or of both. The music conjures up images of lunacy and “thrill of the kill” – emotional states and thoughts I can only imagine as saturated and frenzied darkness interspersed by brief flashes of lucidity.
Considering their contemporaries, this may not be an entirely unique insight any longer, but in 2015 it’s still a rare perspective, and one examined from a sharp angle. Given the deviant twists Bosse-de-Nage exert on their particular take on craft, All Fours is a necessity for any Deafheaven enthusiast and for enthusiasts of all manner of post-metal. –Thompson D. Gerhart
35. Foals – What Went Down
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Whilst a lot was made before its release about the heavier direction What Went Down was supposed to be going in, it turned out to be just another Foals release. That’s far from a criticism, though. Foals have established themselves as one of the most consistent indie bands around, and their fourth LP only cements their already stellar reputation further. Sure, there are some heavier moments here, the likes of opener “What Went Down” and the ending to the superb “Mountain at My Gates” attest to that, but elsewhere its business as usual. Both “Albatross” and “Birch Tree” would’ve sounded right at home on Total Life Forever, whilst plenty more feature noticeable touches from Holy Fire. They’ve evolved enough to remain fresh and interesting, but they’ve begun pulling together snippets of their back catalogue to ensure it’s familiar, too. What Went Down might be just another Foals album, but that’s certainly no bad thing. –Dan H.
34. Tame Impala – Currents
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Currents is a study in letting go. It is personal transformation as song; the relentless stripping away of emotional baggage and ultimately arriving at one’s inner core. “Yes, I’m changing; yes, I’m gone / Yes, I’m older; yes, I’m moving on,” sighs Kevin Parker at a key moment in the album. Similarly, the Tame Impala of 2015 is an altogether different proposition from the outfit that gave rise to Innerspeaker and Lonerism. Gone are the fuzzed-out guitars and the walls of acid sound, having been replaced by spacey, looping beats, glassy keyboards, and, on occasion, vast expanses of endlessly stretching synthesizers. For some, Parker’s decision to sand down his psychedelic edge was a significant disappointment, but to deny him his artistic freedom seems rather churlish at best, and tends to result in failure to recognize what a breathtakingly beautiful record Currents can be, if you let it. And so we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past. –Irving Tan
33. Queensryche – Condition Human
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Geoff Tate who?
Todd La Torre is, was, and, seemingly, always will be the perfect voice for the Queensryche everyone actually wants. And who can blame them? Shot for shot, his tone and timbre match up so well against Tate’s that it’s as though Scott Rockenfield cloned Geoff, removed his less appealing tendencies, and injected a little extra youth into his vocal cords and BOOM – Queensryche are back to their glory days! It seems so easy, you’d think they would have done it years ago, but science takes time, I tell ya.
Though we all held our breath for the Todd La Torre experiment after the eponymous Queensryche, it seems that on their second album with the better man at the microphone, Queensryche have codified their return to power and prominence. The overblown theatrics of the band that wrote “Wot We Do” and performed with the Queensryche Cabaret are dead and gone. In their stead sits a modern ‘Ryche with a sound drawing on the heaviness of old made distinctly modern by evolutions in musicianship and technology.
The end product is a very distinctly Queensryche package. Delicately assembled with plenty of catchy, if sometimes quirky guitar hooks attached to some grooves, riffs, and other sounds on the proggier side of modern rock, all wrapped up neat and tight by Todd’s extensive and invigorating vocal range, Condition Human proves an excellent starting or resuming point for listeners.
Long live Toddryche. –Thompson D. Gerhart
32. Turnover – Peripheral Vision
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Some albums arrive in your life at just the right time to become a personal soundtrack. Peripheral Vision accompanied me on my first real travelling experience outside of Europe, to Indonesia. It might seem unlikely that the hazy atmosphere and baritone drawl would mesh so seamlessly with the many idyllic beaches and the sprawling mountains, but it couldn’t have been more congruent. The carefree, almost lazy attitude which many of the songs adopt perfectly mirrors that of the Balinese people, and strumming a rough version of “Hello Euphoria” at one of their nightly beach and BBQ jams couldn’t have been more perfect. Despite the largely conventional song structures and slight lack of variation toward the album’s end, the laid-back, practically horizontal vocals of Austin Getz and the dreamy drawn-out chords make Peripheral Vision an album all too easy to return to. It might be accessible, but it’s also got more than enough substance to keep you coming back to its dusky depths for more. –Dan H.
31. Bjork – Vulnicura
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When I first heard Vulnicura I was in the midst of a whirlwind trip to New Orleans. At the height of the Midwest’s cold season, the warmth and flavor of the city was a welcome retreat. With my boyfriend alongside, the trip was marred by nothing; a sort of personal and intimate outing between two dudes experiencing new things with one another. Vulnicura, however, was a stark contrast to everything I was enjoying. It was an aural tragedy about love and relationships; Bjork walking me through the realization that her life was irrevocably dismantling around her. In spite of the bliss surrounding me, Bjork’s latest album resonated with me. Lush and wholly engrossing, Vulnicura managed to make me feel every ache and pang of sadness. It is Bjork’s finest achievement in over a decade because of this ability to transport you into this black hole of uncertainty, no matter the peripheral setting. Hidden within this, however, is still a glimmer of hope and beautiful nostalgia. Don’t be mistaken though, Vulnicura is the same Bjork we’ve seen before. This is merely a different side of her. –Eli K.
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