colderskin

[colderskin]

Joey’s 2016 Albums

You don’t have to read this.

Tier 1: Essential Joey Music: I am in love with all of these records and will be playing them for years to come.

The Hotelier – Goodness (emo)

What is emo? For the past, I guess it’s been 7 years now?, the word emo has started to be thrown around so much it feels inconsequential; a tag lazily applied to any band that makes a listener feel as if they’ve succeeded in conveying genuine emotion. It’s had its champions like Ian Cohen and its crybabies like Washed Up Emo and has clearly attracted more limelight and positive, constructive discussion than it has in a long time, proving that, yes, there was and perhaps is an emo revival. When it comes down to it, emo, whether welcomed or not, has worn many different hats, whether describing the slowed-down intrapersonal hardcore punk approach of Embrace, the twinkly guitars and cracked voices of American Football-headlined Midwest emo, the more accessible pop sensibility and straightforward lyricism of the mainstream 3rd wave Jimmy Eat Worlds, or the branching, ever-evolving shapeshifter melodic emo of today’s acts like The World is a Beautiful Place and I am No Longer Afraid to Die or Pity Sex. When it comes down to it, The Hotelier embodies the highs of every one of these waves/phases/subgenres/what-have-you. The Hotelier is the embodiment of what every emo band has had the highest hopes to achieve. The Hotelier is an emo band, and a very, very good one. So let’s talk about it.

2013’s Home, Like Noplace is There was a hurricane – an unforgiving, uncompromising hailstorm that dealt with loss of life, the trials of gender identity, drug abuse, suicide, and watching feeling slip away, all in the course of 9 tracks. It was the best record released that year, and also the most outwardly honest with the listener – this is not a coincidence. I remember the impact this album had on me distinctly: after hurting many people I cared about, without a solid support group trying to adapt to life in a developing island country, I found Home. I would listen to it after class in the gym, leave my headphones on while driving to my apartment, and leave them on until the album finished before going inside. It resonated and it healed. It understood without asking for anything in return. It repeated what I said in a way I never heard it before.

These words would be used at the beginning of the spoken word intro to the 2016 follow-up Goodness, which would be the best record released that year, too. When a band creates an instant classic within a genre, it’s bound to be met with disdain if even the slightest detail is different on the next effort. The Hotelier is not immune to this. People called the first single Piano Player too slow and didn’t think it was bombastic enough, and the album cover, featuring nonsexual nudity of multiple older men and women, was lambasted as a desperate ploy for attention. Neither of these things would be true, though both were to be expected. Upon release of the album, the response would be underwhelming or, at worst, hostile, many angry at the “more reserved” approach as compare to Home. But what many forget or ignore is that what makes emo a great form of music and art is that it’s human; though the yearning and passion might remain, emotions grow blunted and mature. To deny this in favor of staying true to the ideals outlined by a genre would go against exactly what emo is and stands for. To follow this muse and create art within this mindframe is to keep emo great.

Goodness is great because of the range of emotion that’s put forward. Fans of earlier material will be plenty satisfied with the sound and approach of the record, as well as midsection track Settle the Scar, which draws from an emotional headspace as Home – the track was originally recorded under the band’s previous name stylization The Hotel Year on a split with 5 other bands. Lyrically, songs are laced with all kinds of feeling; Christian Holden begs a loved one to stay and themselves to sustain in Piano Player, You in This Light reconciles the heartbreaking loss of a former romance with new warm respect and platonic love, and Two Deliverances addresses inner turmoil and the strain it can have on a possible romantic relationship: ”Do I hear your tunes or acknowledge wounds that I got from rubbing elbows with a sharpened edge?” The first song to hit me in the gut was Opening Mail for My Grandmother, a ballad of praise for an elderly family member, regardless of differences, with the inevitability of death in the foreground. Sun preys upon the need for warmth and light, while keeping the feelings of others in mind, as Holden shies away from becoming a crutch to someone with mounting problems of their own. But the obvious standout is song-of-the-year Soft Animal, an example of a perfect song within the genre of emo. After a group vocal attack featuring Felix Walworth of Told Slant and members of one of my favorite newer bands Loone (both of these bands I had seen on tour this year with The Hotelier), Holden begs a small deer, assuming the simple identity of just another creature, to make Holden feel alive, align his multiple personalities, prove to him there is a god. These are some pretty heavy requirements to demand from a newborn deer, but it reflects not only the Taoist principles found within Goodness, but the overwhelming hopelessness and cry for help that can be elicited from longtime inner turmoil. After the second chorus, the guitar chords accelerate from quarter notes to sixteenth notes – this is my favorite moment in music to this date.

In an interview earlier this year, when asked about the best advice he’s ever been given, Pinegrove vocalist Evan Stephens Hall responded, ”I took a James Joyce seminar and my professor said: ‘When reading Joyce, it’s never either/or. It’s always and.’ And that advice extends to just interpreting experience. It’s an adventurous perspective, and it also does not try to collapse or reduce or one-dimensionalize experience��there are many layers to everything that’s going on, and they’re not competing, they co-exist. And you don’t have to choose. In fact, to choose is a little bit foolhardy. Never either/or, always and... [points to his “&” tattoo].” This mindset applies not just to the exceptional albums put out by Pinegrove and The Hotelier in 2016, but to emo from bands whose members and fans are in their twenties as well. There is cold, but it’s met by sun – or, rather, it’s met by the protagonist begging for there to be warmth somewhere in a frigid world. Reality comes to Holden in piano ballad Fear of Good, as they sing, “the coat slips off my edged spine – it’s a weight no longer carried, and I’m freezing. So freezing.” There is loss, but it’s slowly countered by love. There is a dissolution of feeling and a steadfast yearning to feel again. There is doubt and uncertainty. But most importantly, there is honesty – as Ian Cohen says in his roundup of emo in 2016, “I don’t know” is the album’s most frequently used phrase. The tornado of sentiment that one feels throughout their late teens and early- to mid-twenties can leave one shaken and confused, but the most important thing to is come to grips with the uncertainty of life and the unknowingness of being. As closer End of Reel swirls toward completion, Holden croons “and it’s new, but I don’t know what to do, with the sight of you… brimming.” You’ll just have to figure it out on the fly.

Pinegrove – Cardinal (indie rock)

A record that really took a while to resonate with me, Pinegrove’s 2016 offering is the most refreshing release to come from the indie rock/emo scene in recent memory. Songs are carried by vocalist and guitarist Evan Stephens Hall, whose beautiful and intricate prose touches on pertinent topics for mid-twentiers with heads full of fog. Love is a subject, but so is the internal battle of self-expression, the search for human connection, and the coming-to-terms with know-nothingness. It may be the only album of 2016 to use the word solipsistic and reference Caravaggio, but at no point does it come off as self-serving or condescending. And though the feature is the lyricism and its effortlessness, the arrangements behind it are somehow even stronger: the stagger and swagger of Aphasia stumbles and glides along as the narrator navigates his inability to express himself, while Size of the Moon soars beautifully and Then Again stomps confidently. There are enough different tempos, melodies, and moods throughout Cardinal to keep anyone familiar with this sort of genre satisfied, which helps cement it as one of the most thoroughly triumphant records of the year.

Sioux Falls – Rot Forever (punk, indie rock, kind of close to emo I guess)

Portland band named after South Dakota city surprised me this year and put out one of my favorite record of 2016. The first track to grab me was Soaked in Sleep, a swirling, static-laden punk jam carried by harmonized vocals and a beautiful cooing outro. More plays proved to be more rewarding, revealing the beautiful romantic 20-something lyricism of Copy/Paste that I want played at my wedding and Brand New-The Devil and God era-esque vocal approach of softs and shouts, especially prevalent on In Case it Gets Lost and McConoughey. This record is super rough around the edges and maybe too long, and that’s exactly where its charm lies. Cracked voices, playful riffs, allusions to True Detective, overwrought falsetto are all foci of this record, making it 72 minutes of 20-something anthems. It’s beautiful.

Pity Sex – White Hot Moon (shoegazey emo)

With the departure of Britty, it was a matter of time before the inevitable break-up announcement, which made savoring White Hot Moon all the more important to me. Regardless of the end being nigh, the last Pity Sex offering was already their strongest and most concise record in their short career. Featuring the same fuzzy, shrouded feel as before but with sharper hooks, stronger vocals, and stouter chords, White Hot Moon is more than just a great addition to the band’s catalogue – it’s a great, welcome addition to the nebulous 4th wave emo scene. September combines a heart-aching guitar riff with Brennan and Britty’s dueling vocals, while the title track White Hot Moon sluggishly stomps like Drown Me Out of Feast of Love. Pin a Star contains the strongest Britty-led chorus, while Plum, though a touch forward, is the obvious tearjerker of the 12 tracks. I feel very lucky to have Pity Sex’s music in my life, and even more so considering they ended with their strongest effort.

Bon Iver – 22, A Million (folktronica lol)

I’ll preface this with my bias and admit the profound impact the last release by Bon Iver – was this really 5 years ago – had on me. Bon Iver, Bon Iver was something different than any other record I had heard at the time. Sure, my love for music was strong and growing stronger, but this record was what cemented music as something I truly cared about and cherished. I bought my first pair of headphones – a pair of Klipsch from an Apple store – because I wanted to envelope myself in ever sound and texture of this record. I bought the album and spun in every night for months on end. The beauty of the video for Holocene, the ethereal “hoo-oo hoooooo” in Michicant, the saxophone backbone – this record showed me just what music could be. It still gives me the same chills, the same warmth, the same feeling that I’m listening to something that is closest thing to perfect that I’ll hear.

5 years and a hiatus later, enter 22, A Million. Judging from the profound evolution between For Emma, Forever Ago, and Bon Iver, Bon Iver, it would be foolish to expect Justin Vernon and the band to try and make a sequel to their last record. That being said, the new approach and feel to this album still surprises: distorted vocal samples, bass swells, those track names and album art, and an overall more electronic feel take the reins from the start. It took me months of listening and a dedication to lyrics to appreciate this record, and I’m glad I took the extra time, as it finally clicked with me running in the cold December dusk alone in Nebraska. Slowly, each song opened itself up to me. Opener 22 (OVER S∞∞N) was spurred by Vernon’s failed soul-seeking trip to the Greek Islands where he became intimate with the fleeting feeling of the passing of time, recording “it might be over soon” and playing with various vocal effects, setting the tone for the album. 10 d E A T h b R E a s T ⚄ ⚄ bursts onto the scene confidently stomping with bombastic bass thumps and a screeching Stevie Nicks sample before strings and saxophone and Vernon’s gorgeous falsetto. Album standout 715 - CR∑∑KS features Vernon acapella, using his studio engineer’s invention the Messina, which splits his melody into several harmonies. This track is one of my favorite Bon Iver tracks to date, featuring some of my favorite lyrics:

Toiling with your blood,

I remember something:

In B, un-rationed kissing on a night second to last

Finding both your hands as second sun came past the glass

And oh, I know it felt right

And I had in you in my grasp.

Oh, then how we gonna cry?

Cause it once might not mean something?

Love, a second glance; it is not something that we’ll need.

Honey, understand that I have been left here in the reeds,

But all I’m trying to do is get my feet out from the crease.

Lead single 33 “GOD” showcases that beautiful “we had what we wanted: your eyes” line with the playful piano line, as well as a central sample of Paolo Nutini’s Iron Sky. 29 #Strafford APTS feels more like the Bon Iver of For Emma fame, featuring finger-picked guitar, an S. Carey chorus, and a clipped third chorus. 666 ʇ displays a crazy drum fills and downright metal double bass melting into drum production, harkening back to Perth. I could do this all day: the saxophone in slow-burning 21 M◊◊N WATER, the Beth/Rest of 22, A Million in 8 (circle), the soulful Messina croon of ____45_____, and the warm coda of 00000 Million. Point is, every song has its own distinct personality and identity and offers something different than what the other tracks on the album offer, but still sound like Bon Iver songs. There is so much to talk about, whether it be the folktronica approach, the perfect use of somewhat obscure samples, the burgeoning saxophone and string sections, Vernon’s beautiful falsetto, the use of numbers throughout the record and their meanings, the abstract lyricism referencing self, the universe, religion, and internal struggle – believe me, all of it is layered, all of it is beautiful, and all of it is worth your time. I spent so much time trying to decide what to focus on. What deserves the most attention is the music.

Balance & Composure – Light We Made (emo, post-hardcore, indie rock and post-punk influence)

Following in the footsteps of similar bands that rode the same wave of loosely-defined emo (Turnover, Citizen, Title Fight, Pianos Become the Teeth), B&C take their sound, soften it around the edges, and add some new elements from some old influences to create their own identity. Glitchy drum programming now accompanies live drums, Jon Simmons shelves the angsty screams (save for in the shrouded background of Take a Walk) in favor of a new falsetto, and the bass lines give off a distinct 80’s post punk feel. These elements will, surely, piss off stalwart fans of the band from day one – think of the reactions to Ceremony’s The L Shaped Man, Title Fight’s Hyperview – but with Light We Made, B&C craft some of their most mesmerizing soundscapes. The rhythm of the verse and melody of the chorus of Postcard, dreamscape of Mediocre Love, and emo-invoking opening chords of Afterparty are standouts of this band’s entire catalog.

Told Slant – Going By (twee, indie folk, there’s some emo influence in there, you know)

I first got turned on to Told Slant when they played with The Hotelier in Oklahoma City. Beforehand, the low-fi approach and droll vocals didn’t quite land for me, but seeing non-binary frontperson Felix Walworth and their band perform their powerful ballads and slam their mounted bass drum had a major impact on me. Going By is a big step up from predecessor Still Water in every way – the sound is crisper, the harmonies complement each other better, and the banjo and guitar shine through brighter. This is raw emotional expression with no frills, serving as almost a secret language that needs no explanation. “Wappinger’s Creek: floating by you on ice skates, vodka mixed with pink lemonade; so much love without high stakes.” “You liked my green nail polish, and I liked your sharp black wallet. It wasn’t love, but I don’t know what to call it.” These are the bare-bones confessions of the nebulous feelings felt by 20-somethings reflecting on the ways they used to feel with a certain sort of buried longing.

PUP – The Dream is Over (punk)

My first impression of this record was wrong; I saw it as yet another run-of-the-mill punk record that verged on emo and didn’t make any lasting impression. Upon revisitation and repeated spins, I fell in in love with the latest offering from the Toronto band. There is a lot offered here – the youthful energy and tongue-in-cheek lyricism of pop-punk, the confessional and attack-on-self approach of emo, the chords and ferocity of hardcore punk. What makes this record work is the conviction and energy behind it – SVP contains ooos and group vocals alike, Doubts contains a spastic chorus that culminates in a beautiful delivery of “without youuuuu” in the final chorus, and Can’t Win is a coming-of-age sadjam that succeeds because of its conviction and honesty. There are a lot of bands making a some sort of emo that sound like a lot of bands before then, but PUP sounds like PUP, and it’s a welcoming and refreshing injection of originality in a scene that oftentimes feels stagnant.

G.L.O.S.S. – Trans Day of Revenge EP (hardcore punk)

Though the message has been strong since jump, the first effort from G.L.O.S.S. felt, to a point, like a recycled formula with a renewed axe to grind. The new offering from the tranny punks, released in the wake of the PULSE shooting, not only drives the point home with more force, but is composed of better drumming, production, and energy than its predecessor.

Joyce Manor – Cody (punk, pop punk)

Look, Never Hungover Again sat in my car’s CD player in St. Kitts for over 6 months straight and has Frances Quinlan on the cover – it’s going to overshadow the next Joyce material no matter how good it is. It took a while for me to get into Cody, but this time-period was greatly alleviated by the fact that it’s a Joyce Manor record, and thus clocks in at under 30 minutes. But at the end of the day, this is just another great output from a great band. The standouts here are pretty obvious, while the tracks that maybe aren’t as flashy help to hold the record up and make for a dynamic listen. Last You Heard of Me and Fake I.D. are obvious standouts, one that crescendos to confessional halt, the other claiming the title for catchiest hook that references Kanye West. Every listen proves more rewarding, as the key changes in Angel in the Snow and Make Me Dumb give me chills, while Over Before it Began is album’s showstopping ballad and Stairs literally contains the lyrics “I’m 26 and I still live with my parents.” It doesn’t matter what Joyce Manor record is better – they’re all Joyce Manor records, and you definitely have enough time to listen to them all.

David Bowie – Blackstar (rock)

What is there to say about an album like Blackstar? Yes, this is Bowie’s swan song, a last gasp before plunging into the abyss, a melancholy farewell. And in spite of all the reports following his death that he was geared up to write even more after this record, it feels as though he knew it all along. The tone of these songs sits like a drifting fog, Bowie’s voice deep and wraith-like, saxophone calling death from within. But this record is so powerful for more reasons than just being the last output from an indisputable genius. From the “look up here – I’m in heaven” opening call of Lazarus, to the Nadsat/Polari and snappy, face-punch chorus of Girl Loves Me, to the desperate lyricism yet uplifting melody of closer I Can’t Give Everything Away, Blackstar offers Bowie’s emotional makeup, dressed up in beautiful production but not masked by it. This is not just the last Bowie record – it is the best.

Mitski – Puberty 2 (indie-folk, singer-songwriter)

One of the more honest records of the year, the newest offering from Mitski is one of the more enjoyable records to come out in the last 5 years. With a somewhat lo-fi approach, Mitski bounces back and forth between fuzz rock sensibilities and acoustic ballads, without ever seeming less urgent. Your Best American Girl is at once confessional and triumphant, with the guitar hitting at the chorus giving me chills every time. I Bet on Losing Dogs is one of the most addicting somber melodies I can remember. But what makes this record so great is the sexual confessions Mitski lays on the line: opener Happy uses a double entendre of personified happiness coming inside of her, Thursday Girl confronts the need for physical love in order to achieve validation and the regret that arrives the next moment, and the aforementioned I Bet on Losing Dogs contains the jarring line “I always want you when I’m finally fine; how you’d be over me, looking in my eyes when I cum. Someone to watch me die. Someone to watch me die.” This record is personal and important and honest for reasons unlike many other records, and for that it is a massive success.

Woman is the Earth – Torch of Our Final Night (atmospheric black metal)

Hey, there’s even black metal in South Dakota! These dudes come together to provide some of the most emotional arrangements in black metal to date, while still offering up teeth-baring intensity. The final riff of Lungcrusher and soaring riff halfway through Brother of Black Smoke stand out as two of the year’s best, while Sorrow and the Floods and Broken Hands pack a heavy punch. This is a great record.

Krallice – Hyperion (US black metal)

Though last year’s Ygg Huur never quite clicked with me, these three songs from the USBM band are three of my favorite USBM songs in recent memory. Riffs are dynamic and massive, weaving in and out of each other – these songs move. Vocals sound as if they’re fighting to be unchained. The riff around 4:45 in The Guilt of Time is seething, while bass shines through in the passage 3:30 into the opening title track. There’s a lot going on here, all of it good.

Sleep Weather – Lake Joy (emo)

Combining the melodic post-rock riffage of The Appleseed Cast with a two-headed singing/shouting vocal combination, this little-known emo offering stands as one of the best surprises of the year. The songs flow effortlessly into one another while each commands their own identity, and build-ups are aplenty yet don’t serve as a crutch.

Parquet Courts – Human Performance (post-punk, rock)

I’ve been a big fan of these dudes since their breakthrough LP Light Up Gold, and the latest offering is the strongest and most cohesive since that record. The songs on the 5th LP by the NYC post-punk veterans (not including those released under pseudonym Parkay Quarts - sway and step at a meandering pace and attitude, reflective trials and tribulations that seem to be universal, yet uniquely urban. There are songs about omnipresent air pollution, claustrophobic love-loss, the abrupt closing of a frequently-attended Chinese place, and feeling foreign and yearning for familiarity once in a city that is no longer one’s own. The songs still lurk and burst with familiar Parquet Courts energy and gloom, but it feels like there’s more conviction this time, as if frontman Andrew Savage needs to get the tar out of his lungs.

Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith & Suzanne Ciani – FRKWYS Vol. 13: Sunergy (ambient, drone)

American Football – American Football (LP 2) (emo)

Everyone has their own story of when they first heard the first American Football LP and the effect it had on them. I’m no different. I’m not sure when I first heard the Urbana trio’s seminal Midwest emo LP, but I remember vividly the times it was the centerpiece of my most cherished memories.

I’ve been hawking interactive music community last.fm for over five years now, even after they sabotaged their own site by pushing a nonfunctional beta interface. I remember a certain prominent user’s top 8 artists – 8 grainy black and white photos, 7 belonging to 80’s and 90’s hip hop artists, and one – the top spot, double the plays of any of the other artists – another grainy black and white photo of three innocent white boys in a band called American Football. I didn’t know who they were yet and I didn’t know why they had such an effect on this random internet dude. A few days later, my car would be stolen out of a “secure” New Brunswick parking garage on the same day I would see my summer fling for the last time in my life. I had a job on campus as a dude who cleaned and readied dorms for the next crop of Rutgers students that I needed to get to, so I’d illegally rent a car, put that strange American Football LP on my iPod, and listen to it every day while moving dressers and vacuuming carpets for 10 hours a day. Call it fate.

Broken-hearted, melodramatic 20-something bullshit aside, Mike Kinsella and his boys had an even more profound effect on me than this. My friend Sean would own a house that would be a place for local and touring bands alike to play for New Brunswick broken hearts, and every show put on would be the highlight of whatever week it occurred. One specific night, I found myself with Sean watching a handful of bands I had never heard with a couple of 40s and nothing else in the world to do. A few bass notes started the next song and the excitement in the room was palpable as Sean put his arm around me and we started to bob forward and backward. He was singing the lyrics at the top of his lungs and I didn’t know them yet. At the time, I’d go home and see it as a missed opportunity – the song was Honestly?, the third and maybe best of American Football’s 9 tracks offered on their 1999 eponymous debut LP. But now, 6 years removed from that moment, as the highs have become few and far between, that 6-minute period of being arm-in-arm with one of my best friends, a 40 in my other hand, surrounded by local bands and beautiful people, it stands as one of the rawest, happiest moments of my life. In the words of John Darnielle, “and I felt young and alive.”

So, suffice it to say, after a 15+ year hiatus, American Football had some large shoes to fill for so many people, even if those shoes were previously their own. There are a lot of ways this newest record could land, from a triumphant return, to a desperate, lackluster cash-grab, to a lukewarm throw-away. I felt all three of these ways in my multiple-monthlong listen of the latest output of a band that had become such an integral part of who I was, and eventually settled on loving it, for some of the same reasons I love Goodness.

What this record doesn’t recapture is the raw, youthful, hearts-on-fire energy of its predecessor. But this serves as a strength – 17 years later, Kinsella has been worn down, as told through the songs of his solo project Owen and his also recently reformed band Owls. These songs are less about saying goodbye at the end of summer or leaving behind all of the people you love and more about coping with coming of age and the dulling of feelings. The house on the cover of LP1 became a universal symbol of emo lore and a punching bag for those on the outside. What LP2 does is take us inside of the house, as made clear by not only the cover art but also the lyrics contained within. “We’ve been here before, but I don’t remember a lock on the door” Kinsella sings, his voice much older, more reserved, more controlled, but less breathlessly filled with wild emotion. This is the same person who shouted “not to be overly dramatic…” in his band’s last album opener, foreshadowing exactly how he’d unapologetically be for the next 40 minutes. What the contrast in delivery and approach suggests is this: the burgeoning feelings of love and the desire to not lose it have been replaced by indifference, resolution, and bitter acceptance. I’ve felt the same way over the last period of my life, watching my emotions attempt to emulate those I felt when I had more youth and naivety, to no avail. Loves burned colder, emotions were dulled, longing grew stronger. “Leave me or don’t; I don’t care,” Kinsella sings, “Just let me know when you finally drag your body out of bed. I’ll get my things.” The approach to lyricism and instrumentation is a shadow of what was offered 16 years ago, which comes across as one of the boldest, most honest methods this year.

That isn’t to say LP2 is lethargic – there is plenty of energy to be found throughout this record. My Instincts are the Enemy bounces along with Kinsella yearning for his youthful desires: “I wanna taste a little bit of everything / But it gets me in trouble / To fill my plate with the vacant and obscene / With my nerves exposed; I can’t say no.” Following track Home is Where the Haunt is references the ghosts in the room, as Kinsella bellows “You can’t just forget all the other lives you’ve lived.” The similar youthful sadness can be found in spots, as songs feature melodramatic lines such as “I can’t believe my life is happening to me” and “I’m as blue as the sky is grey.” There are some chill-inducing passages to be found within, such as the spastic, gorgeous guitar riffing after Kinsella delivers the line, “you’re made of wet paper” in Give me the Gun and a beautiful coda at the end of slow-burner Born to Lose. Active fingers still pick twinkly riffs, percussion still jumps at odd time signatures, and the cover that features that same house from a different point of view is presented in the same familiar way, with the top and bottom bordered by thick bands of white and the fractured band name running off from one line to another. Throughout some murkiness and cobwebs, the listener can pick out that yes, this is still an American Football record.

Anyone whose life has been significantly affected by the last American Football LP is going to have a hard time grappling with and adjusting to the new sound of the band, regardless of whether or not this new album has more similarities with its predecessor than differences. But with the aging of the band comes the aging of its fans, along with the addition of some new ones picked up along the way. The mature, dulled feelings that Kinsella puts forth after early years filled with unbridled emotion are echoed through the mirrored growing-up of his stalwart fans. To be entrenched in your late 30s and shout about the end of a summer would seem like a forced cry out for childish kitsch (see: Beach Slang). The album closes with Kinsella gently cooing, “In the company of others, I’m reminded why your lifetime lover’s the temperamental kind.” Somehow, it feels just right.

Lucy Dacus – No Burden (indie rock, folk, singer-songwriter)

An album that seemingly came out of nowhere, Nu Burden is a major triumphant debut from Richmond songwriter Lucy Dacus. These songs don’t attempt to do too much, but what they do is done very well. I Don’t Wanna Be Funny Anymore is the obvious standout with a strong vocal performance driven by a guitar backbone, while follow-up song Troublemaker Doppelganger is my personal favorite, featuring choppy, confident drums and a super beautiful bridge that showcases Dacus’ vocal chops and some beautiful harmonizing background vocals. Track 6 Dream State… features a similar approach with a more slow-burning head and this song’s lyrics are featured again in reprise … Familiar Place. A great debut from a small label, new artist, and one of my favorite albums of the year.

Nails – You Will Never Be One of Us (death metal, grindcore, murder)

The heaviest band continues to offer the heaviest music, but there’s more to the latest from these dudes than just sheer force. The riffs punish but captivate and the vocals command more attention. This is a perfect album to get yourself pumped to do backflips. I am going to listen to this in the gym forever.

   Tier 2: I loved these records, played them a lot, still get excited to listen to them

Lycus – Chasms (doom metal)

Opener Solar Chamber opens up slowly, assuming the funeral doom status quo, before bursting relentlessly into a blast beat frenzy 4 minutes in. The eighth-note riffage 6 minutes into the title track before delving into a beautiful guitar solo stands as a major highlight, as the song ends with a beautiful string section. This is a funeral doom record that takes its time but doesn’t drag, allowing vibrant riffage, active percussion, growling vocals, and an emotive string section to take the wheel and give life to the arrangements.

Savages – Adore Life (punk, post-punk)

Though it hasn’t garnered the attention to adulation of 2013 debut Silence Yourself, the latest record by the all-female punk band might be better. The highlight is the riveting intensity of lead single Adore’s confessional and self-confrontational lyrics, coupled with a brooding bassline and emergent, triumphant crescendo, in which lead vocalist Jehnny Beth convinces herself to love life. It’s an odd assertion in punk, especially in today’s negativity-obsessed punk scene, but the song in tone and execution admits that, which makes it not only successful, but courageous. There’s a lot of great stuff going on outside this track, though, as the buildup in I Need Something New pays handy dividends, the chorus in When in Love hits like a bag of bricks, and the eerie high-pitched guitar shrill and down-low synths of Surrender beckon the listener to come back for more. This record is a success in more ways than one, and proves to be one of the most captivating records of 2016.

Chthe’ilist - Le Dernier Crépuscule (death metal)

Most know I’m not really partial toward death metal, but this record by the Canadian three-piece offers something much more than just that. Plenty of blast beats and tremolo to satisfy any bm craving, blistering dual-harmonic riffs and solos, and demonic growls characterize this record. Some funeral doom-esque synths are thrown into the matrix as well as outstanding production to allow each instrument its share of spotlight. This is a record that, in listening to it, it’s evident a shitton of time went into not only writing but also recording these tracks, and yet they flow seamlessly, unlike so much current overcalculated prog/math metal. But the highlight for me is when final track Tales of the Majora Mythos Part 1 punishes with a flourish of overlain howls, breakneck percussion, and frantic riffing in a wall of sound assault for over a minute before fading into a white noise vacuum, emulating what the inside of a listener’s head feels like after these seven tracks of insanity. This band has gotten a lot of press in anticipation of this full length’s release and it doesn’t disappoint.

The Album Leaf – Between Waves (ambient, indie rock)

I have a lot of love for Jimmy Lavalle – The Album Leaf soundtracked every all night study session of my 4 years of college and his collaboration with Mark Kozelek is what I consider to be the strongest of both artists’ catalogues. Lavalle raised by eyebrows when he announced his latest would be released on Relapse, one of my favorite labels for metal but not one I would consider an Album Leaf collaborator. The pairing turned out great – these are vintage Album Leaf tracks, and some of the strongest of Lavalle’s career. Most focus on percussion carrying the songs to a bubbling synth-laden chorus, but the strength in this record is in the layers. Between Waves and Never Far feature Lavalle’s voice carrying the torch, the former behind a pulsing synth and the latter behind a steady bassline. The most prominent standouts are the commanding chorus of Glimmering Lights and playful production of Lost in the Fog, two tracks I find myself playing multiple times a week. I love this artist and I love this album. I am lucky to have them both.

Downfall of Gaia – Atrophy (post-black metal, blackened doom)

Mixing beauty and ferocity seamlessly, Downfall of Gaia approach black metal exactly the way I like it.

Rotting Christ – Rituals (black metal)

Known for being one of the first to bring black metal to Greece / the Mediterranean, especially w their LP Thy Mighty Contract, Rotting Christ have apparently continued chugging out material while I turned a blind eye. I'm glad I didn't miss this one - this record is a massive, anthemic black metal experience, featuring pounding war drums, blistering riffs and double bass, and truly dark Greek chanting. Have they been doing this shit the whole time? Elthe Kyrie may be a little -core but its female shrieks and chorus riff are a catchy oasis in an album chock full of filth. Rituals might not fit into the subgenre niche of "war metal," but it is music to go to war to.

Human Hands – Morning Sun (emo, post-hardcore)

The riffs and approach that this band employs really click with me, as evidenced by my love for their last s/t LP. The guitar at times makes me think of if Neil Young was in an emo band – twangy yet emotional, yearning for something more. While I’m not sure this record will have quite as much sticking power as its predecessor which mastered the crescendo, it still stands as what will probably be my favorite emo record of the year.

Touché Amoré – Stage Four (post-hardcore, melodic hardcore)

Fans know the story by now, and listening to the album leaves to no doubts – the 4th full-length offering from the LA band revolves around the death of vocalist and lyricist Jeremy Bolm’s mother to stage four cancer. Thus, yes, the words hit home hard, though in a different way; though Bolm’s lyrics had previously hit a sweet spot for me, especially on 2011 LP Parting the Sea Between Brightness and Me, this one hits a different one. Previously, lyrics turned inward to the self and asked questions about wanderlust, love loss, forging one’s path, the need to show and accept love, and the inability to cope with the inescapable passage of time. This time, the lyrics are all about Bolm and no one else, which makes the record the most honest of the Touché catalog, though some listeners may not be able to connect on the same level. Besides the lyrical approach, there is a stylist change at work as well. The songs are certainly even longer than those on 2013’s Is Survived By, though the clean sections seem to be fewer. Soaring riffs and aggressive chords are still aplenty, but there is a noticeable addition of Bolm’s mumbled, almost post-punky clean vocals (these I dig), as well as a rather strange use of Tennessee singer-songwriter and Joey-favorite Julien Baker’s vocals, somewhat muted and hardly noticeable in closer Skyscraper (this I still kinda don’t dig). As with any record from Touché, some more of their best work is on display here.

Thee Oh Sees – A Weird Exits (psych rock, punk)

At this point, the Bay Area psych rock juggernauts Thee Oh Sees have released 11 albums, all with their own identities but following the same formula. This band rules so much to me – each offering includes incredibly brazen, hightempo songs with their ears pinned back (Gelatinous Cube), starkly contrasted with how well the band can slow things down and coat a track in sludge (Crawl Out from the Fall Out). Remember that brief “hiatus” these guys took in 2013? This is their first of 2 in 2016, after 2 in 2015, and it might be one of their best. Think they’ve made up for it?

Oranssi Pazuzu – Värähtelijä (psychedelic black metal)

It’s difficult to put into words what the fuck is going on in this bonkers record and I take that as a major positive as BM has been leaning toward staleness for me recently. This is a long record, full of driving percussion, doom-bringing punishing riffs, hypnotic synths, and visceral swamp creature growls. At times the approach mimics the effect that Botanist has on a listener, but much more is going on here. Lahja features spastic xylophone/chimes with weaving tom percussion. 17+ minute track Vasemman Käden Hierarkia builds from a bass-line to an all-out assault before reeling back into the shadows and crawling out again, this time slower, for the most memorable breakdown of the year. Closer Valveavaruus features electronic percussion akin to that found on the industrial BM side but key-work akin to that of synthwave. All in all, if you have time to dedicate to this record – it is a long one – do it.

Angel Olsen – My Woman (folk, indie rock)

If the entire approach of the latest LP from singer-songwriter Angel Olsen doesn’t throw fans for a loop, the first 5 at least certainly should, as they feature a synth-heavy ballad as an opener and a guitar-shredding anthem in lead single Shut Up Kiss Me. But under the change in sound is the same heartsick Olsen songwriter that fans came to adore, as each song features painful, longing love. Heart Shaped Face bares doubt of self-worth in the form of wondering if a lover ever loved the protagonist or just the thought of her, and Those Were the Days features the pining for a past where love seemed more real both in ideal and in practice with a former lover who has since moved on. The change in pace is refreshing, as Olsen had previously put out two stellar, minimalistic folk records and now finds a new medium in which to project her beautiful brand of sorrow.

Leonard Cohen – You Want it Darker (folk)

We all knew this would be the last material we heard from Leonard Cohen before You Want it Darker even dropped, and hearing his resigned yet resilient voice growl “I’m ready, my lord” made it even more real. These tracks are dark in atmosphere but not in tone, as they stand more as a representation of the love he feels and has felt throughout his life and his complicated relationship with God. But Cohen sounds more ready for death than afraid of it, referencing metaphors such as “leaving the table” and “traveling light,” chanting “Hineni Hineni” in the opening title track, and resigning to not knowing the faces in your picture frame, as if he simply doesn’t belong here anymore. This is the last work we get to enjoy from one of the best songwriters to ever live, and it is a good one.

Owen – The King of Whys (folk, singer-songwriter)

I guess I wouldn’t really know if this is the best Owen album since I never really fully explored the discgraphy of Mike Kinsella’s solo project, but it is the best one I’ve heard. The melodies are beautiful, the lyrics are personal and heavy-hitting, and the delivery is heartfelt. For those who said the new American Football offering was essentially an Owen offering: well, you get two, and this one might be better.

Wife – Standard Nature EP (techno)

The dude from Altar of Plagues – the greatest of 3rd wave BM bands – continues on his ambient electronic project with a super delightful EP. 5 tracks and 18 minutes of beautiful bass heavy, vocal-sampling happy downtempo electronic jams that differ significantly from his previous effort. I’ll eat up whatever this project puts out.

Radiohead – A Moon Shaped Pool (music)

I’ve been a Radiohead Stan all of my life, and any addition to the already incredible catalog is always welcome. Thom and the boys offer up some great new tracks here: Daydreaming is painfully beautiful, Glass Eyes is great, and, yes, True Love Waits is one of the most beautiful songs I’ve ever heard, finally (and perfectly) finding its proper home, not only as a closer on a Radiohead album post-Thom Yorke breakup, but on a piano, accompanied by nothing except his voice. It doesn’t have the crossover appeal of In Rainbows, the world-changing swagger of Kid A or OK Computer, or the knee-jerk catchiness of The King of Limbs (fuck you it was good), and certain songs don’t land for me, or, at the very least, are overshadowed by similar approaches executed better earlier in Radiohead’s career. But it’s new Radiohead music. I’m thinking I’m overrating this album, but then I remember that True Love Waits is on it so I’ll keep it here thanks

Fuath – I (atmospheric black metal)

Repetition-utilizing atmospheric black metal is completely my shit, and that’s exactly what is offered on these four tracks by USBM one-man project Fuath. Tremolo riffing and blast beats fit like hand in glove to hypnotize, and vocals perfectly compliment. Blood has one of the more emotional bm riffs I’ve heard.

The Body – No One Deserves Happiness (post-metal, doom)

1 part Haxan Cloak + 1 part SubRosa + 2 parts Sunn O))) + 1 part Silencer is the formula for the newest offering from the bludgeoning doom duo The Body. Featuring dark siren vocals complimented by high shrieks akin to those of Silencer, this is sure to be one of the strangest records to be heard by any listener, and you know daddy loves that shit.

Ast – Fraktale (black metal)

One of the more surprising black metal records of the year, seemingly coming from nowhere

Japanese Breakfast – Psychopomp (dream pop)

Featuring lush riffage and the angelic vocal delivery of Michelle Zauner, Psychopomp plants Japanese Breakfast right in the middle of great new singer-songwriters. In Heaven plays wistfully before allowing The Woman that Loves You to burn slowly and showcase some bombastic, bass-heavy 80s synth. Zauner isn’t afraid to let it fly on Jane Cum, but her approach isn’t to throw her talent and her ear for catchy melody in the listener’s face, as this record also features two droning but essential short instrumental tracks. Looking forward to more.

Russian Circles – Guidance (post-metal, post-rock)

One of the more beautiful post-rock/post-metal projects to come out in recent memory, Guidance perfectly blends delicate beauty and unabashed fury.

Kvelertak - Nattesferd (black metal, black’n’roll)

As much a Kvelertak record as any, the latest effort by the groovy Norwegians stays true to their tried and true blackened style but may be their most coherent and offer the most of the entire discography.

Car Seat Headrest - Teens of Denial (freak folk, indie rock)

Since hearing the 4chan/mu/ touted debut and being underwhelmed by the sloppiness and maybe due to the band name summoning up childhood feelings of constant car-sickness, I never quite fell in love with the new indie rock superstar Will Toledo. Teens of Denial, however, changed that. With its barebones honest lyricism and strong chord-laden hooks, this is a captivating and truly different album, even if the songs are too long.

Porches – Pool (indie pop, indie rock)

Great beats and production, some very strong hooks. Be Apart is a standout this year. Eventually tapers and becomes somewhat static, but there are a lot of new sounds here and a certain charm that makes this record pretty enjoyable.

UADA - Devoid of Light (melodic black metal)

Receiving some shade from being a Mgła rip off in both image and style (which, yeah, I see your point), the Oregon trio puts out a blistering five song melodic assault to scratch any lingering itch Exercises in Futility left lingering. Second riff of S.N.M. punishes. Plenty of solos to appease any metal fan. Good

Oathbreaker – Rheia (post-metal, post-black metal)

Part post-bm, part post-rock, part beauty, and part fury, the latest offering from Deathwish veterans Oathbreaker show how to be associated with controversial genres without bring controversial in itself. These songs are different from others that have been considered when using these buzzwords – the relentless fury and unspeakable beauty are both there and take up their own space, but they somehow coexist so fluently regardless. Needles in Your Skin contains the best of example of this fury and beauty working in tandem, featuring a blisteringly dark riff behind vocalist Caro Tanghe helplessly pleading, “how could you go without me?” Rheia will appeal to metal fans and non-metal fans alike much like Deafheaven, but should be able to avoid the criticism from the metal community that Deafheaven (idiotically) commands.

The 1975 – I love it when you sleep, for you are so beautiful yet so unaware of it (pop, indie pop)

When I first heard this album at the beginning of the year, I didn’t dig it much at all – it was slower, contained more slow-burning ambient tracks, and reeked of a pop band that made great pop songs but wanted to be treated and viewed as more than just that. With more listens, Album With Terrible Title opened up to me, revealing the infectious choruses of UGH! And The Sound while still offering the infectious and not-as-pretentious-as-I-thought approaches of Please Be Naked and the title track. There are plenty of throwbacks and shout-outs to older material and the feelings felt in the lyrics of the band’s eponymous debut throughout this record, which makes me take it as more of a coming-of-age record than a “look what I can do” wankfest. UGH!, The Sound, Somebody Else (“fuck that get money” still is unforgivable), and The Ballad of Me and My Brain will scratch my itch. Let’s see what these dudes do next.

Somos – First Day Back (alternative, “emo”)

I tried to resist this record because this band always came across as the definition of okay to me, but I can resist no longer. Sophomoric as the sound may present itself, this record contains infectious hooks, pretty guitar work, some nice lyricism, and undeniable charm. The chords in the chorus to Reminded/Weighed down, riff and ethereal backing vocals in chorus of Thorn in the Side, and melody in Bitter Medicine stand out as some of the more enjoyable moments in music this year for me.

Arrows in Her – It Tired Me All the Same (4th-wave emo, indie rock)

It took a while for me to get used to the new, brighter production on this one, but finally being able to hear an Arrows full-length is so welcome. This record combines their two strongest tracks thus far from their split with Gifts with 7 new ones, focusing on snappy, twinkly picking and Damien’s familiar snarl. So great to see Broken World putting out music from these guys. Looking forward to them getting better.

Posture & the Grizzly – I am Satan (punk, sorta emo)

Basically, this band is like if Blink-182 was actually good. I love some tracks and what some tracks do, like the chorus of Balloons as Hands, the somber atmosphere of Delete Me, and the entirety of Elliott, Mandy, and Kill Me, but in between these I lose the connection. Looking forward to their next effort.

Abbath – Abbath (black metal)

Though the approach becomes a bit static near the end before the excellent closer Eternal, this is in all likelihood an even better result than having a new Immortal album this year. Refreshing drumming from Creature (though, yeah, he has already left the band), Abbath’s vocals are clearer than ever, and some nice bass-work by King. One to come back to.

Cemetery Piss - Order of the Vulture (blackened thrash)

"I wanna taste your cum. Fuck me like a loaded gun" guy from band named Cemetery Piss bellows before ending the song by yelling "CUUUUUUUUUUUM!!!!!!" This album is extremely my shit - I'm pretty sure the lyrics "sexual autopsy" are shoehorned into this thing somewhere too. But aside from the Shakespearean wordplay and impeccable name, this record is full of blistering riffs and black thrash goodness. It'll hold your attention even if you don't want to name your next cat Cemetery Piss.

Beyoncé – Lemonade (pop, RnB)

Lemonade seems like Beyoncé’s (successful) attempt to do everything better than everyone else – she becomes a bonafide rock star behind a wonky Jack White riff on Don’t Hurt Yourself and a belting southern belle country star on Daddy Lessons – which she sells so effectively because the story is her own true story. She takes a Yeah Yeah Yeahs chorus and makes it even more emotional and beautiful than the penning artists, and reassures you that she’s the absolute reigning monarch of RnB, hitting beautiful vocal lines in ALL NIGHT and providing a “fuck you” girl-power anthem with Formation, the song and video that drew endless disdain from racists, idiots, and people with awful music tastes (which is worst?)

Frankie Cosmos – Next Thing (indiepop, twee)

Greta Kline and the band double down on the cuteness and hooks to create the new Frankie Cosmos record to follow up on the 2013 release I became obsessed with riding around on St. Kitts. The production takes a step forward to gently accommodate for Greta’s tender delivery, akin to the sound of frequent collaborator Porches’ album Pool, also released this year.

Nothing – Tired of Tomorrow (shoegaze)

Unapologetic in its melancholy gloom, ToT delivers the Philly shoegaze band’s best work to date. Hooks are more effective (ACD, Our Plague), prettiness shines within the haze (Nineteen Ninety Heaven, Everyone is Happy) but tracks still bare their teeth (verse riff of ACD stands as one of my favorites this year). Fever Queen is a stand-out.

Nordjevel – Nordjevel (melodic black metal)

A really nice Norwegian black metal effort here from a debut LP. These dark boys unite to plaster together some beautiful melodic riffage, hypnotic production, and some visceral highs. Emperor fans will love this shit.

The Field – The Follower

The Range – Potential (electronic)

Though the standout from this full length from the Rhode Island producer is clearly the lead single and incredible banger Florida, slow-burners like Copper Wire and So help this record stay really strong throughout.

Frameworks – Time Spent / Smother (screamo, post-hardcore)

The two best songs ive heard from the Florida screamo band thus far. Looking forward to the full-length. EDIT: I also very much liked the full length

Jenny Hval – Blood Bitch (art pop)

Apparently focusing lyrically about female vampires and periods, Norwegian songwriter Jenny Hval puts out a super weird, captivating record that feels like a Laurel Halo record with a more linear approach to songwriting. There are spoken word sections, deep bass swirls, pulsing synths (Female Vampire), and some beautiful vocal melodies (Conceptual Romance, The Great Undressing). The more I listen to it, the more I love it. It’s worthy of the positive press.

Deftones – Gore (people say these guys are nu metal)

I’m a late appreciator of Deftones – I didn’t listen to anything until Koi No Yokama – but this record is a really nice blend of punishingly heavy riffs, and beautiful passaged, all backed by the same Chino Moreno snarl that lends it its backbone.

    Tier 3: I dig quite a bit

Lascar – Absence EP (post-black metal)

Fuzzy, beautiful post-bm with An Autumn for Crippled Children vibes. Tremolo picking throughout keeps tempo static, but the emotional riffing stands out. Good for those who like emotional post-bm (me). Looking forward to more.

Morphinist – Terraforming (atmospheric black metal)

Been waiting for some material to really love from this dude and the latest 4-track release delivers. This songs take their time building up but don’t sacrifice intensity. The clean guitar riff that leads II into the half time, swingy drums is the first exclamation point. I features soloing into blistering blast beats. Closer Shapeshifter slows the tempo and bludgeons with a more doom-focused energy. There’s plenty to love here for fans of all genres of heavy music.

Zeal and Ardor – Devil is Fine (avant-garde black metal and a lot of other shit)

Apparently blossoming from an experiment in which artist Manuel Gagneux crowdsourced which genres would be the oddest combined together, this is definitely one of the weirdest takes on the sound and atmosphere of black metal, but really, it works. The combination of slave hymnal vocals with blistering riffage is a truly evil one-two. Sometimes, the experimentation feels a bit too much – there are a couple lullaby-esque ambient tracks that are shoehorned in – but this is overall a success due to sheer weirdness.

Mork – Den Vandrende Skygge (black metal)

Guitar distortion sounds almost 8-bit, bringing tribute to early Darkthrone to mind, which creates a somewhat unique sound with the riffs employed. Some really nice tracks that don’t drone on too long. A more atmospheric, melodic take on Transilvanian Hunger? It’s a Norwegian black metal band named MORK – of course I like it.

White Lung – Paradise (punk, post-punk)

The newest installment from the Canadian punk quartet isn’t really more poppy – though Below is surely the closest to a pop song the band has ever made – but guitarist Kenneth William has stated himself on XMU that they wanted to incorporate more unnatural sounds to usher their music “into the digital age.” Whether that pleases you or pisses you off, this record does seem to be more claustrophobic but the band’s sound is still intact. Aggressiveness and shredding riffs are still everywhere to be found. It doesn’t hold up to Sorry or Deep Fantasy to me and Mish Way’s lyrics are a bit clumsier, but this is still a great band that makes great music.

Alcest – Kodama (atmospheric black metal, shoegaze alright)

Though I think Shelter was super underrated and a beautiful and welcome dream-pop/shoegaze effort from a band that had already stamped their seal on the atmospheric BM scene, sure, it was tough not to miss the heaviness of old. Kodama is able to find the perfect middle ground between these two Alcests, featuring plenty of beautiful melodies and key changes but bringing Neige’s raspy high screams and kicking up the distortion. Less people will get pissed off about this record.

Kozeljnik – Death Gives Unto Life (black metal)

Truly dark black metal from the one-man Serbian dude project. The second half of Bitter Libations to the Unnamed holds some of my favorite riffs of the year, alongside parallel deep cleans and screams.

Ion Dissonance - Cast the First Stone (chaotic metalcore, technical death metal, mathcore)

These guys still rip

Sarah Neufeld – The Ridge (neo-classical)

The violinist best known for her work in Arcade Fire and collaborative album with Colin Stetson last year churns out a beautiful neo-classical album with dreamy, gloomy arrangements and some great percussion. Reminiscent of the great Julia Kent record from 2015.

Orbs – Past Life Regression (experimental art-rock)

This band has always intrigued me simply for its lineup – featuring members from Fear Before, Between the Buried and Me, and the keyboard player from Abigail Williams/Cradle of Filth – and approach, though the first release didn’t quite land. This one if much better for me, featuring some beautiful arrangements and really putting the stellar key and guitar parts at the forefront. These two shred at their instruments but don’t come off as wanking, and the vocals of Adam are a welcome substitute for my beloved Fear Before. Dreamland II features the best arrangement of the album and some grotesque sexual imagery, providing one of the most memorable tracks of 2016.

Subrosa – For this We Fought the Battle of Ages (doom metal, sludge metal)

A somewhat more tender release than previous from the Salt Lake City doom band that features two violinists and a strong female voice, FtWFtBoA is the most captivating and melodic doom record in recent years.

Vektor – Terminal Redux (thrash)

If you really dig progressive thrash youll dig this record, but if you don’t really dig thrash youll still dig this record. Beautifully sounding record from these guys that has some shredding riffs that never let up and some great drum-work. Though the songs are long and the listen will take time, it’s worth it.

Jesu / Sun Kil Moon (uhh, sludge/post-metal and folk I guess, Kozelek)

Of all the Sun Kil Moon collaborations over the past few years, this one is certainly my least favorite, but being as it is still a Kozelek collab, I still dig it. Mark doubles down on the approach that got him so much praise via Benji, now pretty much just telling mundane tales in stream of consciousness, “then I did this” format, with results not being as rewarding as previous efforts. Whereas this style has provided for some incredible moments of insight and human emotion (Caroline from the collab with The Album Leaf and Mariette from the Desertshore collab come to mind, as well as Carissa from Benji), it more than often feels like this style is employed to fill space and project negative emotion in this record, with talk about being pissed at a fan who wants to own his shit on vinyl (maybe it was me) and at one point just yelling about what Bob Saget said during his own Comedy Central roast (congrats to whoever predicted Mark Kozelek would be yelling “SUCK MY HUNDRED MILLION DOLLAR DICK” on an album in 2016 10 years ago). Oh shit, there’s also that part where literally sings about how he’s going to read a fan letter and give the writer royalties on the song and then reads the letter. Also there is a part where Kozelek sings about getting hit in the balls. Still, at a certain point you just have to let the dude do his thing and respect how dedicated he is to this direction. Plus, the arrangements are still pretty and emotional, there are still some very pretty moments of insight (“what does rekindle mean?” “to all bereaved parents…”) and I am a sucker for Kozelek material. I choose to enjoy it for what it is.

Weyes Blood – Front Row Seat to Earth (indie folk)

Drones on at times, but a very pretty, dreamy indie folk record.

DIIV – Is the is Are (dream pop, beach rock, indie rock)

This band still comes across as one of the most overhyped heroin bands ever, but I did really dig this latest record. Too long, but some really pretty, dreamy melodies, a great track in Dopamine, and some great hypnotizing vibes perfect for warm weather, Hefeweizens, and driving.

Deer Leap – Impermanence (4th-wave emo, post-rock)

The post-rock-influenced emo sound has been so overdone within the last few years that it’s difficult to appreciate a band that does it right. Deer Leap’s Impermanence reminds listeners that it’s still possible. Featuring beautiful, soaring riffs and a delicate vocal delivery, this album features a beautifully triumphant group chant of their sister band’s name (The World is a Beautiful Place and I am No Longer Afraid to Die) and, though jarring at first, it doesn’t come across as canned corn. This record won’t overwhelm anyone who is used to the sound and approach, but newcomers will love it, and devotees will cherish it.

Little Scream – Cult Following (indie folk, singer-songwriter)

I bought my first record at an Antlers show, and the opener of that show was a band (I thought) known as Little Scream. It was sort of odd, really; this was my first show that wasn’t a hardcore or punk show, and it was at First Unitarian Church in Philadelphia. Everyone sat in the pews for Little Scream, who featured a beautiful set with a live string section before songwriter Laurel Sprengelmeyer finished alone on stage with her guitar and a rendition of her still most-popular song The Heron and the Fox. Later, the crowd would move forward and sit on the floor near the stage for The Antlers who would confusedly and politely ask the crowd to stand. It was one of the most moving show experiences of my life, from top to bottom. Years later, Little Scream finally has a follow up, and it’s very good. Love as a Weapon is certainly a change of pace, as the lead single is driven by sharp chords and a quick falsetto attack, while Dark Dance features a super catchy chorus. The latter half of the record recaptures much of the magic that The Golden Record offered, featuring beautiful dynamic ballads in Someone Will Notice and Wishing Well. Sandwiched between these two tracks is Wreckage, the first track from this record to grab me, due to it’s steady wavelike tempo and subdued, haunting vocal approach. Each time I hear this record I continue to like it more, as more layers are uncovered, much like its predecessor. A very quietly great album from 2016.

Wild Beasts – Boy King (indie RnB)

Present Tense, Wild Beasts previous effort from 2013, is one of my favorite albums of all time – I have to come to terms with that before judging this record. While it clearly doesn’t add up to previous efforts, we’re still endlessly lucky to have music from these guys. Boy King may not stack up sonically and doesn’t quite establish a mood and identity as strongly as Present Tense, but it goes down another path, standing as one of the sexiest records of the year. Big Cat and Celestial Creatures are strong. But what another last.fm user says rings true – what’s the deal with the low end on this record, or the lack thereof? And why did they use so many god damn effects on Hayden Thorpe’s already beautiful voice?

Black Tusk – Pillars of Ash (sludge metal)

If the upbeat sludge sound is for you, this is a record you’ll love. Dirty riffs, gloomy production, nice dual vocal approach. The art is killer too.

Slingshot Dakota – Break (indie pop, faux-emo)

Somewhat sophomorish, but some really strong hooks found throughout this record by the two-piece. Interesting somewhat lo-fi bedroom pop sound in the instruments though production is clean, strong female vocals, and some really nice pop melodies. The chorus to Stay was the first thing to jump out.

Ustalost – The Spoor of Vipers (atmospheric black metal)

Though somewhat difficult to muddle through due to the lo-fi production, there are some really nice, dissonant USBM riffs here beside ambient synthwork from one of the dudes from Yellow Eyes. Repeated listens prove worthwhile.

Wildernessking – Mystical Future (atmospheric black metal)

Nice South African Atmospheric bm

Wet – Don’t You (indie pop, RnB)

A really smooth, enjoyable listen from these dudes. This record has been getting a ton of flak from all over and many people claiming overhype, but I must have been somewhere because I have literally never heard of these guys. Deadwater is a great track, as is You’re the Best. Fans of Rhye will dig this.

Pop. 1280 – Paradise (dark industrial, cyberpunk)

Dark, bouncy, apocalyptic cyberpunk for people who want to be in TRON. In Silico is a great track.

Ulver – ATGCLVLSSCP (drone metal)

Regardless of the fact that the Norwegian band has been astray of black metal for years now, I’m always interested when they put out new material. Part ambient, part drone, a few parts post-rock blend together to form a really beautiful record, vacant of words until track ten (previously written).

Every Time I Die – Low Teens (metalcore)

No one writes ETID songs better than ETID, but 8 albums in, the songs are starting to bleed together. Petal is a great track.

Cirith Gorgor – Visions of Exalted Lucifer (black metal)

Nice Dutch bm that youll dig if you dig Marduk. Very similar in style, wall of sound approach with buzzsaw guitars. Demons

FT-17 – Marcellin s’en va-t-en guerre (black metal)

Some nice French black metal. Nice use of keys throughout, especially in 6th track L’armee des taupes where it juxtaposes nicely with the deep cleans.

Pillar Tombs of Aku – IV (raw black metal)

Truly good raw bm for people who dig the other bands on Black Cilice’s splits. Not quite as hypnotic and raw as Black Cilice with a bit more punk and bestial vibes.

Naðra - Allir Vegir Til Glötunarm (Icelandic black metal)

Great debut here from the Icelandic band that fans of Mispyrming will be into.

Urgehal – Aeons in Sodom (black/death metal)

Solid deathened-black metal album in which the poetic opener proclaims, “come on you fuckers! Come on! It’s now or never! Fuck you! We are Urgehal and we are here to fucking destroy you!”

Death Grips - Interview 2016 (digital hardcore?, electronic)

Flatlander digital hardcore record. Percussion assault delight.

Youth Code – Commitment to Complications (ebm, industrial)

This kind of stuff is usually not my bag – I had never really gotten into Combichrist, Nine Inch Nails, or any of the industrial side of black metal or metal in general. However, since this record has been touted by members of bands I enjoy on social media, I gave it a shot and was not disappointed. The drum programming is really nice, especially on stand-out track Anagnorisis. This is super visceral industrial hell tunage for being murdered by a machine.

John Carpenter – Lost Themes II (synthwave, dark ambient)

Though not as rhythm-driven as last year’s first installment, the latest Carpenter record continues the slick Kurt Russell leather jacket evil monster time vibes of its predecessor. It’s a Carpenter record baby.

The Sun Days – Album (indie pop)

I want it to penetrate through a bit more than it does for me, but that may happen more with increased listens. This record from the Gothenburg band is very saccharine, filled with dreamy guitar riffs and soaring vocal choruses that carry it. Fear is one of the best tracks of the year, but the approach sometimes feels overdone. Still plenty to love here.

Gatecreeper – Sonoran Depravation (death metal)

Arizona death metal newcomers offer up 9 massive, relentless tracks in their debut record, which feels like it could be a mid-career masterpiece. Crusty in pace and clocking in at around a half hour, it doesn’t try to do too much more than establish the presence of a new band that rips. It should be said: this is metal that dudes who like metal but don’t just listen to only metal (see: Joey) will dig: it’s mixed by Kurt Ballou of Converge at God City and released by Relapse Records.

Thränenkind – King Apathy (post-metal, post-black metal)

Led by major chord riffage and powerful vocals, the latest offering from the German band is enjoyable though sometimes forgettable.

Gouge Away - ,Dies (hardcore)

Aside from the cringe-worthy PETA song, a really nice debut album from the Florida hardcore band with some visceral shrieks.

Hesitation Wounds - Awake for Everything (hardcore)

It's nice to hear Jeremy Bolm working inside of a more hardcore-geared outfit consistently. His voice pairs with the approach too well.

TTNG – Disappointment Island (emo, indie rock, twinkle daddies lol)

If you heard the last effort from these dudes, you know what to expect here. They’re still crafting beautiful melodies and making tapping and time signatures seem easy, though the sound varies little. If you dig their last work, you’ll dig this one.

Yeesh – Confirmation Bias (noise punk)

There’s something strange about this record that pulls me in. It feels like nothing spectacular at surface level, but I’m not sure I’ve heard an album like this, whose sound falls somewhere within the noise rock stratosphere but whose approach to songwriting lies somewhere on the cusp of the emo side of punk. It’s a nice first effort from the Tiny Engines-signed band, and I’m intrigued to see what they do next.

Jimmy Eat World – Integrity Blues (alternative rock)

The last three Jimmy Eat World records were at best forgettable and at worst awful let-downs from a band that had affected millions of emo-hearted mother fuckers with Static Prevails, Clarity, Bleed American, and/or Futures. Thus, the latest offering from the Arizona niceboys is a solid alt rock record that is touted as better than it actually is because of how bad its predecessors were. Don’t get me wrong: I love some sections and tidbits of this record: the bright chimes in the chorus of Pretty Grids, the sugary, almost Chase this Light chorus of opener You With Me, the emotional layered vocals of It Matters. But taking a step back reminds me this just isn’t the quality of Bleed American, let alone that of Clarity. And to take But, look, this band doesn’t owe us shit this far into their career, and yet they still give us their first keeper since Futures. I’m happy with that.

Dikembe – Hail Something (indie rock, emo)

Doesn’t hit me as hard as Mediumship did, but I really love these guys’ approach to the genre. Bummer riffs, crunchy guitar, not afraid to take its time and doesn’t overstay its welcome.

  Tier 4: Not bad, but didn’t have a profound effect on me

Mount Moriah – How to Dance (alt-country)

The lack of effect on me as compared to previous album Miracle Temple may be due to the approach and sound being different and new to me when first introduced, but the latest offering from NC alt-country band Mount Moriah still stands as a solid effort, though much less rhythm-driven. Opener Calvander and closer Little Bear are standouts amongst what feels like lots of filler, but Heather McEntire’s intricate coo is enough to carry this record.

Whitney – Light Upon the Lake (indie pop, indie rock)

This record has been getting tons of praise (p4k BNM) and a shitload of airtime on Sirius XMU and for good reason – it’s a very easy record to digest, filled with very pretty guitar work from the dude from Smith Westerns and some nice falsetto vocal melodies from the dude from Unknown Mortal Orchestra. But when it comes down to it, it’s merely pleasant – it doesn’t take many risks, it stays inoffensive, and it runs 10 tracks through at 30 minutes. It’s a good first indie record for someone who wants to explore music further. That about covers it. (Golden Days is a nice song though).

Taking Back Sunday – Tidal Wave (alt-rock)

This is a collection of songs that are definitely by Taking Back Sunday.

Alex Smoke – Love Over Will (techno)

Nice abrasive minimal techno; title track is a standout; yeah, that album art is something.

Shearwater – Jet Plane and Oxbow (indie rock)

I spent months listening to this record and mildly enjoying it, waiting for it to click with me and give me something to work with so I could write about it. What I came up with is this: it’s a solid indie rock record. Thanks.

Ketzer – Starless (blackened thrash, black ‘n roll)

Calling this a blackened thrash album is somewhat inaccurate, yet probably the most accurate term I can use to describe it. There are some punky riffs, muted chugging, solos, and a corny part where the vocalist counts to ten (in a song called Count to Ten) but a lot of it is enjoyable blackened thrash. From last.fm user saggitalmortia: satan's boundaries unchained album is KVLT but now ketzer and new album starless very fucking shitty. fuck ketzer fuck off!!!

Vargafrost – Honour, Blood, Spirit and Love (black metal)

Pretty solid debut from a New Zealand black metal band, though the production and approach becomes static after a while, especially after 11 songs. It’s tagged as “heathen black metal” on last.fm though so that’s cool.

Mesarthim – Pillars (atmospheric space/black metal)

The strange appeal of this Australian space metal band lies with whatever the synth or keys are doing, which allows this latest release to be more predictable. Ive been listening to these guys since last year and their approach is certainly unique; songs drone on a mid-low tempo, riffs and vocals are cast aside into the back seat, and the keywork commands all the attention and thus the songs live and die by it. A good band if you like An Autumn for Crippled Children but you want like 10 times more keys.

Majid Jordan – Majid Jordan (R&B)

The Canadian R&B duo responsible for Hold On, We’re Going Home put out a smooth record with some nice jams, though the charm wears out after 12 tracks.

Frank Ocean – Blonde (R&B)

The overhyping of Frank Ocean is something I’m never going to understand. Channel Orange was a pretty record with a couple of very nice singles and was hailed as more than it was – why? Because he might have written a song or two about a dude? I mean, look, I’m saying this as a dude whose favorite song is Fond Farewell, which Frank literally sings the chorus to in one of the later tracks on this record. I’m going to try again a couple of times in the new year, but besides a nice chorus in Ivy and a pleasant melody in Solo, there isn’t enough here to warrant all this praise. Come on, Facebook Story is just some fake deep shit covered up in the veil of a foreign accent – that shit sounds like something that the guy who painted those pictures of Pokémon riding people’s backs to signify how MIND CONTROLLED BY OUR EVIL PHONES THIS MILLENIAL AGE IS would put in a literal facebook post. Be Yourself comes across to me as this wave-riding shit where you can just put any sort of voicemail message on a record and it will be praised as some kind of jaw-dropping decision by lanyard-wearing mother fuckers. Anyway it’s okay.

Cobalt – Slow Forever (black metal)

May call upon the wrath of the metal community when I say this – it’s just too long, and not diverse enough to command attention for 80 minutes.

Skáphe - Skáphe² (atmospheric black metal)

If you dig Mispyrming you’ll dig this record. Good but static.

Strokes – Future Present Past EP (indie rock)

Aight

Magrudergrind – II (grindcore)

A punishing, relentless grind assault from the veterans, but the songs don’t separate themselves from the pack. Go listen to Nails.

Névoa – Re Un (doom/black metal)

Some nice downtempo, low-end metal here from a pretty good band. Drones a bit with the last 2 tracks, but opener Communion is very strong.

Sumerlands – Sumerlands (heavy metal)

Throane – Derriere-nous, la lumiere (atmospheric/ambient black metal)

Some really sweet sounds and buildups throughout, but doesn’t quite stick for me.

Dance Gavin Dance – Mothership (post-hardcore)

There are still plenty of catchy riffs and dancey parts, but Tillian’s robotic vocals and shitty lyricism combined with Jon Mess’ still terrible lyricism (cocaine Christmas? Give it a rest, dude) are starting to grow stale.

Rae Sreemurd – Sremmlife 2 (hip-hop)

Black Beatles is one of the best and most covered tracks of 2016, and I love By Chance and Look Alive, but this feels like yet another pop-rap album that just drags on too long and, for some reason, joins a camp of similar releases that seem determined to lessen their appeal with too much length.

Animal Collective – Painting With (experimental/psychedelic artpop)

I appreciate the use of rhythm and the emphasis on using the voice as the focal instrument throughout the newest installment in AC’s catalog and can really dig certain isolated sections of this record, but the Pitchfork review of this record by Mike Powell hit on how I feel about it: “Each sound meticulously built and only faintly familiar, each second crammed with doodads, as though the band was worried either they or their audience might get bored.”

Battle Dagorath – I – Dark Dragons of the Cosmos (ambient/atmospheric black metal)

What you’d expect from the genre. Great album title though.

Wode – Wode (blackened doom metal)

A nice effort here from the UK band, but it doesn’t call me back like a few others from this year.

Suspiral – Delve into the Mysteries of Transcendence (black metal)

Some killer riffs and atmosphere; very noisy and very chaotic death-infused black metal for evil boys and girls. Wall-of-sound assault hell.

Grave Miasma - Endless Pilgrimage (blackened death metal)

For those who like really noisy, dark, putrid death metal doused in a wall of sound, this is for you. The approach allows the tracks to somewhat blend and, for me, this fucks with the appeal.

Utzalu – Germinal (raw black metal)

Like the title portrays, this some raw shit. If that’s your thing, you’ll love it.

Marissa Nadler – Strangers (ethereal dream folk)

I loved 2013’s July, but the newest offering feels like she relies on dreaminess and her falsetto too much, and it suffers from that for me and fails to make a mark.

Todtgelichter – Rooms (suicidal black metal)

Interesting in theory but scatterbrained in execution, this record brings to mind a lot of the efforts by Lifelover. When it clicks, it’s great, but this is a record that, like so many of its suicidal black metal precedents, just tries to do too much.

ANOHNI – HOPELESSNESS (indie-folk, electronic)

Since her announcement that she is a trans woman, Anohni (formerly Antony) has been garnering attention for her sociopolitical statements and the impending release of her first output since her name change. While the production and arrangements by Anohni, Oneohtrix Point Never, and Hudson Mohawke hand-in-hand with some beautiful vocal performances come together nicely, the lyrics in this record fit with them like a right foot in a left shoe, at times feeling like a 14-year-old’s first reaction to seeing racism or sexism in action. The songs here are socio-politically obsessed, and though that is in no way a negative quality, Anohni presents these ideas with not enough poetry to come across smoothly but not enough punch to land squarely. 4 Degrees, though anthemic, fierce, and relentless in approach, contains lyrics like “all those lemurs and all those tiny creatures” and “and all those rhinos and all those big mammals,” as if the artist just stepped out of her first kindergarten class. To be honest, most of this record sounds like what would be the chart-topper by a teenager in the Avatar universe.

There’s a line in Jenn Pelly’s review of this record that finally made me physically roll my eyes at something I didn’t want to. It is as follows: “Astonishingly, then, "Watch Me" is song about surveillance that might make you surveil yourself—an act of sousveillance.” Too many times throughout this record, things are stretched to make a point that may not be there. This kind of approach sounds a step above the schizophrenic delusions Elliott Smith experienced when he thought Dreamworks was following him.

Execution makes the claim that the title subject is “an American dream, like the Chinese, and the Saudis, the North Koreans, and the Nigerians.” The thing about this record is I think I agree with almost every point Anohni makes, but the delivery is so overwrought in blunt juvenile pseudo-poetry it makes me cringe. This doesn’t even include the wretched “Obama,” which, regardless of whether the listener is a fan of the president or not, cannot in any way be redeemed as anything other than a cringe-filled, terrible track that would have been torn apart across the internet if it had been put out by anyone other than Anohni. Sometimes the narrative is strong enough to allow an artist to get away with a truly wretched piece of art without deserved criticism.

I love the way this record sounds, and I love the way Anohni’s voice sounds on Crisis. I love the majority of the vocal performances. I agree with practically every point made by Anohni throughout this album and I am overjoyed that she is receiving copious support regarding both her transition and her music career. But that doesn’t just default this record into the “Great” category. It’s one that has promise in theory but oftentimes fails in execution. Ian Cohen may have said it best: “Last time you heard and LP that was so bad it made you laugh out loud, yet you still knew the narrative was going to make it a top-10 lock?” It is what it is, but as Anohni pleads so frequently throughout this album, that doesn’t mean that it should be.

Ecferus - Pangaea (atmospheric/melodic black metal)

A black metal record about anthropology and the creation of EARTH. It’s okay.

Caïna - Christ Clad in White Phosphorus (black metal)

Abrasive, industrial-tinged UKBM that takes a bit from the last Altar of Plagues record.

Atra Vetosus – Ius Vitae Necisque (melodic black metal)

A nice 22-minute track here from the melodic bm band out of Tasmania. Some nice, almost screamo-esque vocals and use of storm soundclips between the synth-heavy romantic riffing, though I may have heard this sound before. Looking forward to hearing more.

Bastard & Black Goat – Descend from the Blackened Skies to Spread the Words of Satan (raw black metal)

Classic bm sound akin to Hellhammer, Bathory. It’s nice, but you could also listen to Hellhammer or Bathory

Null / Self Defense Family – Split 7” (uhhh punk)

Null provides a sludgey, gloomy track while the SDF offers some trumpet and Patrick and Caroline (I think) telling each other that’s there plenty that he does wrong. It’s an experiment.

Explosions in the Sky – The Wilderness (post-rock)

Drake – Views (hip-hop, pop)

Controlla was great.

Tiny Moving Parts – Celebrate (emo)

Much better than that cornball debut This Couch is Long and Full of Friendship and a step up from sophomore release Pleasant Living, Celebrate finally shows the Minnesota trio starting to write some solid songs. But when it comes down to it, so many bands just do it so much better.

The Last Shadow Puppets - Everything You've Come to Expect (indie rock)

Fronted by one dude from Arctic Monkeys and another dude from some other band, this duo has been tagged as a supergroup, as music terminology gets watered down further and further. Though it features a nice string section and starts with a strong track in Aviation, the tracks become static, featuring more than one too many ballads and not enough hooks to float the 11 kitsch-obsessed tracks. "Isn't it boring when I talk about my dreams?" croons Arctic Monkeys Guy. Yes, it is.

Graf Orlok – Crimetraveler (powerviolence, sort of)

If you used to listen to Killwhitneydead but now you feel more grown up youll probably dig this.

Yuck – Stranger Things (fuzz rock/pop)

Though not offensively bad or overwhelmingly boring, besides the dreamy vocals and infectious verses of As I Walk Away, Stranger Things fades into obscurity.

Mightiest – Sinisterra (black metal)

Eh

Bhavachakra – Bhavachakra (black metal)

Some nice riffs to be found in parts, but overall forgettable.

Teen Suicide – It’s the Big Joyous Celebration, Let’s Stir the Honeypot (indie rock I guess)

Idk man it’s really long and I only like some of the melodies so whatever

  Tier 5: These didn’t do it for me

Spektr – The Art to Disappear (industrial/experimental black metal)

There is a lot of disjointed shit going on in this release by the experimental black metal band with heavy industrial elements slung throughout, but none of it really hits for me. I do like some of the ideas, but it’s a lot of “that’s weird” and not enough “that’s fucked up and also it rules” for me. That being said, I never really delved into the industrial side of bm, so if that’s your thing, youll probably dig this.

Superheaven – Ours is Chrome 5.9 (grunge sort of)

If you like Citizen and Cloakroom but want more grunge feel youll dig this. I’ll stick with Citizen and Cloakroom.

Margaret Glaspy – Emotions and Math (indie rock, singer-songwriter)

Some of the riffs are pretty nice and she has a very nice voice, but the lyricism leaves something to be desired and the approach feels stale. This is a debut, though, that the young songwriter can hopefully build on.

Hiding Place – Hiding Place (alt rock)

If you dig Turnover youll dig these three songs. Nothing to write home about though.

Basement – Promise Everything (grungey emo)

Unfortunately for Basement, they emerge from their two-year hiatus to find their grungey nu-emo sound dominated by bands that do it better than they do (see recent records by Cloakroom, Citizen, Title Fight). Though there are passing moments that catch the listener’s attention, these are fleeting, and none of the songwriting has the bite of a song like Covet or the strong chorus of lead single off of last year’s 7” Summer’s Colour. This LP lands somewhere in between, and thus fails to stand out in any way.

Ridgeway – Untitled (dreamo)

Some passable hooks and pretty riffs, but how much longer are we gonna keep pushing this shoegaze-emo shit.

Sunflower Beam – Human Ceremony (indie pop)

Easier Said got a lot of airtime from XMU this year and showed some promise in sugary chorus-work and reverb-drenched guitar hooks, but the album itself floats somewhat characterlessly. An album that tries to be neo-psych and indie pop all the same, but should have dedicated itself to one side of the line.

Stillborn Fawn – Nord 5.4 (raw black metal)

Some raw black metal

Ifrinn – Ifrinn (black metal)

Eh

Naðra – Forn (black metal)

Eh

Lebensnacht – Raging Storm of the Apocalypse (black metal)

Boring and characterless black metal

Into it. Over it. – Standards (indie rock tbh)

Every time I listen to this band I feel like I’m listening to Death Cab without the personality or Mae without the hooks. At first I was a little bit into it, but after a few listens, I was over it!!!!!! Really, these songs are just standards!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Wild Nothing – Life of Pause (indie pop)

You know I really tried to like this record even after XMU played To Know You every single time I sat in the car but there isn’t much here. White noise.

Kevin Morby – Singing Saw (indie folk)

Are Woods fans the same species as I am? These songs sit characterless for me, devoid of any strong appeal in any way (voice, arrangements, hooks, anything). Didn’t care for Woods, don’t care for this.

No Joy - Drool Sucker

For some reason this band is trying to distance itself from the excellent sound and feel of Wait to Pleasure, their most triumphant record. These are just some songs

Twin Peaks – Down in Heaven

Dude there is so much music to listen to Im not gonna waste my time listening to some garage rock band named after a David Lynch series. I listened to it once and I didn’t really care.

Bicycle Sunday – Pale Marble Movie (faux-midwest emo)

Overwrought in cheesy appeals to teenage emotion; basically a band you will dig if you want even more watered-down Empire! Empire!

Old Gray – Slow Burn (screamo)

People really like this band. I don’t think Cam Boucher makes any music that’s any good (see: Sorority Noise). Overdramatic, overwrought, sophormoric spoken word, lyrics disjointed with the music. Not good.

Nicolas Jaar  - Sirens (downtempo, deep house)

I’m just gonna go ahead and take the L on this one and admit that I don’t really get this guy’s music. Thanks for reading.

Neurosis – Fires Within Fires (sludge metal)

I didn’t get it

Hamilton Leithauser + Rostam – I Had a Dream that You Were Mine (indie rock)

Boring, simple arrangements and the shitty Walkmen dude’s voice makes me not care about this album that a lot of people apparently like.

Look Mexico – Uniola (4th-wave emo)

Here’s a band I couldn’t give a shit about. All of their songs are named after Vin Diesel quotes and their twinkle daddies approach is trumped by bands that do it much better than they do.

Ghost – Popestar (glam metal)

They’re starting to show their hand.

Emarosa – 131 (alternative rock)

It’s not even the fact that Jimmy Craig carried this band (clearly true, for the record); ever since Relativity, this band’s entire effort has gotten lazy in search of vocalist-carried commercial success, and 131 is the bottom of the barrel. Relativity was Emarosa’s creative peak, featuring janky, distorted guitar, bombastic percussion, and yes, that insane Jonny Craig voice. The self-titled effort found the band mixing the instruments lower and handing the keys to the vocalist, and it was successful because of the pure power of Craig’s vocals, which were a flash-in-the-pan gift for this godless scene. Once Jonny left, it was curtains – Versus was characterless bullshit with a new vocalist doing his best Jonny impression, and when listening to this record, I feel like I actually have to strain to hear the guitar parts because of how low they are in the mix. Bradley Warren isn’t a bad vocalist regardless of whether or not he’s a 14-year-old in spirit (he blocked me on twitter though I have never spoken to him because I said “let’s see how bad this Emarosa record is” and, I’m assuming, searched his band’s name and blocked anyone who didn’t want to make a shrine for him), but it’s impossible for me to hear him as anything less than Jonny Craig-light, and considering how overly weak-sweet-tea these instrumentals are – honestly, can you even make out one riff that’s not on Helpless? – this is the gulch a band searching for commercial success with no regard for their art deserves. Listen to it for your mental record, then dispose of it in the trash where it belongs.

SONGS OF 2016:

The Hotelier – Soft Animal

The Hotelier – Sun

The Hotelier – Two Deliverances

David Bowie – Girl Loves Me

Savages – Surrender

Lycus – Solar Chamber

Kralllice – Hyperion

Fuath – Blood

Porches – Be Apart

The 1975 – UGH!

Human hands – morning sun

Sioux Falls – Soaked in Sleep

Sioux Falls – Copy/Paste

Woman is the Earth – Brother of Black Smoke

The Range – Florida

Drake – Controlla

Yuck – As I Walk Away

Turnover – Humblest Pleasures

Somos – Thorn in the Side

Thranenkind – Vanishing Youth

Nothing – ACD (Abscessive Compulsive Disorder)

Morphinist – Terraforming II

The Sun Days – Fear

Pinegrove – Size of the Moon

Pinegrove – Aphasia

Pinegrove – Cadmium

Pinegrove - Visiting

Self Defense Family – Good Idea Machine

Sleep Weather – In the Bend

Told Slant – Green Nail Polish

UADA – Devoid of Light

White Lung – Hungry

The Body – Two Snakes

Mitski – Your Best American Girl

G.L.O.S.S. – Trans Day of Revenge

PUP – Doubts

ORBS – Dreamland II

Oathbreaker – Needles in Your Skin

The Album Leaf – Lost in the Fog

Angel Olsen – Heart Shaped Face

[colderskin]

So Lost for So Long: On American Football’s 2016 LP

Everyone has their own story of when they first heard the first American Football LP and the effect it had on them. I’m no different. I’m not sure when I first heard the Urbana trio’s seminal Midwest emo LP, but I remember vividly the times it was the centerpiece of my most cherished memories.

I’ve been hawking interactive music community last.fm for over five years now, even after they sabotaged their own site by pushing a nonfunctional beta interface. I remember a certain prominent user’s top 8 artists – 8 grainy black and white photos, 7 belonging to 80’s and 90’s hip hop artists, and one – the top spot, double the plays of any of the other artists – another grainy black and white photo of three innocent white boys in a band called American Football. I didn’t know who they were yet and I didn’t know why they had such an effect on this random internet dude. A few days later, my car would be stolen out of a “secure” New Brunswick parking garage on the same day I would see my summer fling for the last time in my life. I had a job on campus as a dude who cleaned and readied dorms for the next crop of Rutgers students that I needed to get to, so I’d illegally rent a car, put that strange American Football LP on my iPod, and listen to it every day while moving dressers and vacuuming carpets for 10 hours a day. Call it fate.

Broken-hearted, melodramatic 20-something bullshit aside, Mike Kinsella and his boys had an even more profound effect on me than this. My friend Sean would own a house that would be a place for local and touring bands alike to play for New Brunswick broken hearts, and every show put on would be the highlight of whatever week it occurred. One specific night, I found myself with Sean watching a handful of bands I had never heard with a couple of 40s and nothing else in the world to do. A few bass notes started the next song and the excitement in the room was palpable as Sean put his arm around me and we started to bob forward and backward. He was singing the lyrics at the top of his lungs and I didn’t know them yet. At the time, I’d go home and see it as a missed opportunity – the song was Honestly?, the third and maybe best of American Football’s 9 tracks offered on their 1999 eponymous debut LP. But now, 6 years removed from that moment, as the highs have become few and far between, that 6-minute period of being arm-in-arm with one of my best friends, a 40 in my other hand, surrounded by local bands and beautiful people, it stands as one of the rawest, happiest moments of my life. In the words of John Darnielle, “and I felt young and alive.”

So, suffice it to say, after a 15+ year hiatus, American Football had some large shoes to fill for so many people, even if those shoes were previously their own. There are a lot of ways this newest record could land, from a triumphant return, to a desperate, lackluster cash-grab, to a lukewarm throw-away. I felt all three of these ways in my multiple-monthlong listen of the latest output of a band that had become such an integral part of who I was, and eventually settled on loving it, for some of the same reasons I love Goodness.

What this record doesn’t recapture is the raw, youthful, hearts-on-fire energy of its predecessor. But this serves as a strength – 17 years later, Kinsella has been worn down, as told through the songs of his solo project Owen and his also recently reformed band Owls. These songs are less about saying goodbye at the end of summer or leaving behind all of the people you love and more about coping with coming of age and the dulling of feelings. The house on the cover of LP1 became a universal symbol of emo lore and a punching bag for those on the outside. What LP2 does is take us inside of the house, as made clear by not only the cover art but also the lyrics contained within. “We’ve been here before, but I don’t remember a lock on the door” Kinsella sings, his voice much older, more reserved, more controlled, but less breathlessly filled with wild emotion. This is the same person who shouted “not to be overly dramatic…” in his band’s last album opener, foreshadowing exactly how he’d unapologetically be for the next 40 minutes. What the contrast in delivery and approach suggests is this: the burgeoning feelings of love and the desire to not lose it have been replaced by indifference, resolution, and bitter acceptance. I’ve felt the same way over the last period of my life, watching my emotions attempt to emulate those I felt when I had more youth and naivety, to no avail. Loves burned colder, emotions were dulled, longing grew stronger. “Leave me or don’t; I don’t care,” Kinsella sings, “Just let me know when you finally drag your body out of bed. I’ll get my things.” The approach to lyricism and instrumentation is a shadow of what was offered 16 years ago, which comes across as one of the boldest, most honest methods this year.

That isn’t to say LP2 is lethargic – there is plenty of energy to be found throughout this record. My Instincts are the Enemy bounces along with Kinsella yearning for his youthful desires: “I wanna taste a little bit of everything / But it gets me in trouble / To fill my plate with the vacant and obscene / With my nerves exposed; I can’t say no.” Following track Home is Where the Haunt is references the ghosts in the room, as Kinsella bellows “You can’t just forget all the other lives you’ve lived.” The similar youthful sadness can be found in spots, as songs feature melodramatic lines such as “I can’t believe my life is happening to me” and “I’m as blue as the sky is grey.” There are some chill-inducing passages to be found within, such as the spastic, gorgeous guitar riffing after Kinsella delivers the line, “you’re made of wet paper” in Give me the Gun and a beautiful coda at the end of slow-burner Born to Lose. Active fingers still pick twinkly riffs, percussion still jumps at odd time signatures, and the cover that features that same house from a different point of view is presented in the same familiar way, with the top and bottom bordered by thick bands of white and the fractured band name running off from one line to another. Throughout some murkiness and cobwebs, the listener can pick out that yes, this is still an American Football record.

Anyone whose life has been significantly affected by the last American Football LP is going to have a hard time grappling with and adjusting to the new sound of the band, regardless of whether or not this new album has more similarities with its predecessor than differences. But with the aging of the band comes the aging of its fans, along with the addition of some new ones picked up along the way. The mature, dulled feelings that Kinsella puts forth after early years filled with unbridled emotion are echoed through the mirrored growing-up of his stalwart fans. To be entrenched in your late 30s and shout about the end of a summer would seem like a forced cry out for childish kitsch (see: Beach Slang). The album closes with Kinsella gently cooing, “In the company of others, I’m reminded why your lifetime lover’s the temperamental kind.” Somehow, it feels just right.

[colderskin]

Emarosa – 131: the death of a dying breed

It’s not even the fact that Jimmy Craig carried this band (clearly true, for the record); ever since Relativity, this band’s entire effort has gotten lazy in search of vocalist-carried commercial success, and 131 is the bottom of the barrel. Relativity was Emarosa’s creative peak, featuring janky, distorted guitar, bombastic percussion, and yes, that insane Jonny Craig voice. The self-titled effort found the band mixing the instruments lower and handing the keys to the vocalist, and it was successful because of the pure power of Craig’s vocals, which were a flash-in-the-pan gift for this godless scene. Once Jonny left, it was curtains – Versus was characterless bullshit with a new vocalist doing his best Jonny impression, and when listening to this record, I feel like I actually have to strain to hear the guitar parts because of how low they are in the mix. Bradley Warren isn’t a bad vocalist regardless of whether or not he’s a 14-year-old in spirit (he blocked me on twitter though I have never spoken to him because I said “let’s see how bad this Emarosa record is” and, I’m assuming, searched his band’s name and blocked anyone who didn’t want to make a shrine for him), but it’s impossible for me to hear him as anything less than Jonny Craig-light, and considering how overly weak-sweet-tea these instrumentals are – honestly, can you even make out one riff that’s not on Helpless? – this is the gulch a band searching for commercial success with no regard for their art deserves. Listen to it for your mental record, then dispose of it in the trash where it belongs.

[colderskin]

On Pinegrove’s triumphant 2016 offering Cardinal

A record that really took a while to resonate with me, Pinegrove’s 2016 offering is the most refreshing release to come from the indie rock/emo scene in recent memory. Songs are carried by vocalist and guitarist Evan Stephens Hall, whose beautiful and intricate prose touches on pertinent topics for mid-twentiers with heads full of fog. Love is a subject, but so is the internal battle of self-expression, the search for human connection, and the coming-to-terms with know-nothingness. It may be the only album of 2016 to use the word solipsistic and reference Caravaggio, but at no point does it come off as self-serving or condescending. And though the feature is the lyricism and its effortlessness, the arrangements behind it are somehow even stronger: the stagger and swagger of Aphasia stumbles and glides along as the narrator navigates his inability to express himself, while Size of the Moon soars beautifully and Then Again stomps confidently. There are enough different tempos, melodies, and moods throughout Cardinal to keep anyone familiar with this sort of genre satisfied, which helps cement it as one of the most thoroughly triumphant records of the year.

[colderskin]

On the Hopelessness of ANOHNI’s “HOPELESSNESS”

Since her announcement that she is a trans woman, Anohni (formerly Antony) has been garnering attention for her sociopolitical statements and the impending release of her first output since her name change. While the production and arrangements by Anohni, Oneohtrix Point Never, and Hudson Mohawke hand-in-hand with some beautiful vocal performances come together nicely, the lyrics in this record fit with them like a right foot in a left shoe, at times feeling like a 14-year-old’s first reaction to seeing racism or sexism in action. The songs here are socio-politically obsessed, and though that is in no way a negative quality, Anohni presents these ideas with not enough poetry to come across smoothly but not enough punch to land squarely. 4 Degrees, though anthemic, fierce, and relentless in approach, contains lyrics like “all those lemurs and all those tiny creatures” and “and all those rhinos and all those big mammals,” as if the artist just stepped out of her first kindergarten class. To be honest, most of this record sounds like what would be the chart-topper by a teenager in the Avatar universe.

There’s a line in Jenn Pelly’s review of this record that finally made me physically roll my eyes at something I didn’t want to. It is as follows: “Astonishingly, then, "Watch Me" is song about surveillance that might make you surveil yourself—an act of sousveillance.” Too many times throughout this record, things are stretched to make a point that may not be there. This kind of approach sounds a step above the schizophrenic delusions Elliott Smith experienced when he thought Dreamworks was following him.

Execution makes the claim that the title subject is “an American dream, like the Chinese, and the Saudis, the North Koreans, and the Nigerians.” The thing about this record is I think I agree with almost every point Anohni makes, but the delivery is so overwrought in blunt juvenile pseudo-poetry it makes me cringe. This doesn’t even include the wretched “Obama,” which, regardless of whether the listener is a fan of the president or not, cannot in any way be redeemed as anything other than a cringe-filled, terrible track that would have been torn apart across the internet if it had been put out by anyone other than Anohni. Sometimes the narrative is strong enough to allow an artist to get away with a truly wretched piece of art without deserved criticism.

I love the way this record sounds. I love the majority of the vocal performances. I agree with practically every point made by Anohni throughout this album and I am overjoyed that she is receiving copious support regarding both her transition and her music career. But that doesn’t just default this record into the “Great” category. It’s one that has promise in theory but oftentimes fails in execution. Ian Cohen may have said it best: “Last time you heard an LP that was so bad it made you laugh out loud, yet you still knew the narrative was going to make it a top-10 lock?” It is what it is, but as Anohni pleads so frequently throughout this album, that doesn’t mean that it should be.

[colderskin]

Favorites of 2016 - First Quarter

Hello here is what I have listened to in 2016 thank you xo

Essential Joey Music – Hell Yeah Pimp

David Bowie – Blackstar 8.8 (rock)

What is there to say about an album like Blackstar? Yes, this is Bowie’s swan song, a last gasp before plunging into the abyss, a melancholy farewell. And in spite of all the reports following his death that he was geared up to write even more after this record, it feels as though he knew it all along. The tone of these songs sits like a drifting fog, Bowie’s voice deep and wraith-like, saxophone calling death from within. But this record is so powerful for more reasons than just being the last output from an indisputable genius. From the “look up here – I’m in heaven” opening call of Lazarus, to the Nadsat/Polari and snappy, face-punch chorus of Girl Loves Me, to the desperate lyricism yet uplifting melody of closer I Can’t Give Everything Away, Blackstar offers Bowie’s emotional makeup, dressed up in beautiful production but not masked by it. This is not just the last Bowie record – it is the best.

Krallice – Hyperion 8.2 (US black metal)

Though last year’s Ygg Huur never quite clicked with me, these three songs from the USBM band are three of my favorite USBM songs in recent memory. Riffs are dynamic and massive, weaving in and out of each other – these songs move. Vocals sound as if they’re fighting to be unchained. The riff around 4:45 in The Guilt of Time is seething, while bass shines through in the passage 3:30 into the opening title track. There’s a lot going on here, all of it good.

Lycus – Chasms 8.1 (doom metal)

Opener Solar Chamber opens up slowly, assuming the funeral doom status quo, before bursting relentlessly into a blast beat frenzy 4 minutes in. The eighth-note riffage 6 minutes into the title track before delving into a beautiful guitar solo stands as a major highlight, as the song ends with a beautiful string section. This is a funeral doom record that takes its time but doesn’t drag, allowing vibrant riffage, active percussion, growling vocals, and an emotive string section to take the wheel and give life to the arrangements.

Chthe’ilist - Le Dernier Crépuscule 8.0 (death metal)

Most know I’m not really partial toward death metal, but this record by the Canadian three-piece offers something much more than just that. Plenty of blast beats and tremolo to satisfy any bm craving, blistering dual-harmonic riffs and solos, and demonic growls characterize this record. Some funeral doom-esque synths are thrown into the matrix as well as outstanding production to allow each instrument its share of spotlight. This is a record that, in listening to it, it’s evident a shitton of time went into not only writing but also recording these tracks, and yet they flow seamlessly, unlike so much current overcalculated prog/math metal. But the highlight for me is when final track Tales of the Majora Mythos Part 1 punishes with a flourish of overlain howls, breakneck percussion, and frantic riffing in a wall of sound assault for over a minute before fading into a white noise vacuum, emulating what the inside of a listener’s head feels like after these seven tracks of insanity. This band has gotten a lot of press in anticipation of this full length’s release and it doesn’t disappoint.

Rotting Christ – Rituals 8.0 (black metal)

Known for being one of the first to bring black metal to Greece / the Mediterranean, especially w their LP Thy Mighty Contract, Rotting Christ have apparently continued chugging out material while I turned a blind eye. I'm glad I didn't miss this one - this record is a massive, anthemic black metal experience, featuring pounding war drums, blistering riffs and double bass, and truly dark Greek chanting. Have they been doing this shit the whole time? Elthe Kyrie may be a little -core but its female shrieks and chorus riff are a catchy oasis in an album chock full of filth. Rituals might not fit into the subgenre niche of "war metal," but it is music to go to war to.

Human Hands – Morning Sun 8.0 (emo, post-hardcore)

The riffs and approach that this band employs really click with me, as evidenced by my love for their last s/t LP. The guitar at times makes me think of if Neil Young was in an emo band – twangy yet emotional, yearning for something more. While I’m not sure this record will have quite as much sticking power as its predecessor which mastered the crescendo, it still stands as what will probably be my favorite emo record of the year.

Fuath – I 7.9 (atmospheric black metal)

Repetition-utilizing atmospheric black metal is completely my shit, and that’s exactly what is offered on these four tracks by USBM one-man project Fuath. Tremolo riffing and blast beats fit like hand in glove to hypnotize, and vocals perfectly compliment. Blood has one of the more emotional bm riffs I’ve heard.

Abbath – Abbath 7.8 (black metal)

Though the approach becomes a bit static near the end before the excellent closer Eternal, this is in all likelihood an even better result than having a new Immortal album this year. Refreshing drumming from Creature (though, yeah, he has already left the band), Abbath’s vocals are clearer than ever, and some nice bass-work by King. One to come back to.

Porches – Pool 7.5 (indie pop, indie rock)

Great beats and production, some very strong hooks. Be Apart is a standout this year. Eventually tapers and becomes somewhat static, but there are a lot of new sounds here and a certain charm that makes this record pretty enjoyable.

Nordjevel – Nordjevel 7.5 (melodic black metal)

A really nice Norwegian black metal effort here from a debut LP. These dark boys unite to plaster together some beautiful melodic riffage, hypnotic production, and some visceral highs. Emperor fans will love this shit.

Lascar – Absence EP 7.5 (post-black metal)

Fuzzy, beautiful post-bm with An Autumn for Crippled Children vibes. Tremolo picking throughout keeps tempo static, but the emotional riffing stands out. Good for those who like emotional post-bm (me). Looking forward to more.

Frameworks – Time Spent 7.5 (scream, post-hardcore)

The two best songs ive heard from the Florida screamo band thus far. Looking forward to a full-length.

This is Pretty Good Dude

Jesu / Sun Kil Moon 7.2 (uhh, sludge/post-metal and folk I guess, Kozelek)

Of all the Sun Kil Moon collaborations over the past few years, this one is certainly my least favorite, but being as it is still a Kozelek collab, I still dig it. Mark doubles down on the approach that got him so much praise via Benji, now pretty much just telling mundane tales in stream of consciousness, “then I did this” format, with results not being as rewarding as previous efforts. Whereas this style has provided for some incredible moments of insight and human emotion (Caroline from the collab with The Album Leaf and Mariette from the Desertshore collab come to mind, as well as Carissa from Benji), it more than often feels like this style is employed to fill space and project negative emotion in this record, with talk about being pissed at a fan who wants to own his shit on vinyl (maybe it was me) and at one point just yelling about what Bob Saget said during his own Comedy Central roast (congrats to whoever predicted Mark Kozelek would be yelling “SUCK MY HUNDRED MILLION DOLLAR DICK” on an album in 2016 10 years ago). Oh shit, there’s also that part where literally sings about how he’s going to read a fan letter and give the writer royalties on the song and then reads the letter. Also there is a part where Kozelek sings about getting hit in the balls. Still, at a certain point you just have to let the dude do his thing and respect how dedicated he is to this direction. Plus, the arrangements are still pretty and emotional, there are still some very pretty moments of insight (“what does rekindle mean?” “to all grieving parents…”) and I am a sucker for Kozelek material. I choose to enjoy it for what it is.

Black Tusk – Pillars of Ash 7.1 (sludge metal)

If the upbeat sludge sound is for you, this is a record youll love. Dirty riffs, gloomy production, nice dual vocal approach. The art is killer too.

Wildernessking – Mystical Future 7.0 (atmospheric black metal)

Nice South African Atmospheric bm

Wet – Don’t You 7.0 (indie pop, RnB)

A really smooth, enjoyable listen from these dudes. This record has been getting a ton of flack from all over and many people claiming overhype, but I must have been somewhere because I have literally never heard of these guys. Deadwater is a great track, as is You’re the Best. Fans of Rhye will dig this.

Ulver – ATGCLVLSSCP 7.0 (drone metal)

Regardless of the fact that the Norwegian band has been astray of black metal for years now, I’m always interested when they put out new material. Part ambient, part drone, a few parts post-rock blend together to form a really beautiful record, vacant of words until track ten (previously written).

Cirith Gorgor – Visions of Exalted Lucifer 7.0 (black metal)

Nice Dutch bm that youll dig if you dig Marduk. Very similar in style, wall of sound approach with buzzsaw guitars. Demons

FT-17 – Marcellin s’en va-t-en guerre 7.0 (black metal)

Some nice French black metal. Nice use of keys throughout, especially in 6th track L’armee des taupes where it juxtaposes nicely with the deep cleans.

Urgehal – Aeons in Sodom 7.0 (black/death metal)

Solid deathened-black metal album in which the poetic opener proclaims, “come on you fuckers! Come on! It’s now or never! Fuck you! We are Urgehal and we are here to fucking destroy you!”

Eh idk man – Didn’t click with me

Shearwater – Jet Plane and Oxbow 6.9 (indie rock)

I spent months listening to this record and mildly enjoying it, waiting for it to click with me and give me something to work with so I could write about it. What I came up with is this: it’s a solid indie rock record. Thanks.

Ketzer – Starless 6.9 (blackened thrash, black ‘n roll)

Calling this a blackened thrash album is somewhat inaccurate, yet probably the most accurate term I can use to describe it. There are some punky riffs, muted chugging, solos, and a corny part where the vocalist counts to ten (in a song called Count to Ten) but a lot of it is enjoyable blackened thrash. From last.fm user saggitalmortia: satan's boundaries unchained album is KVLT but now ketzer and new album starless very fucking shitty. fuck ketzer fuck off!!!

Vargafrost – Honour, Blood, Spirit and Love 6.9 (black metal)

Pretty solid debut from a New Zealand black metal band, though the production and approach becomes static after a while, especially after 11 songs. It’s tagged as “heathen black metal” on last.fm though so that’s cool.

The 1975 – I love it when you sleep, for you are so beautiful yet so unaware of it 6.9 (pop, indie pop)

I am in love – IN LOVE – with this band’s self-titled record – it’s incredibly well-constructed, lush pop music with infectious guitar hooks and undeniable charm. On this record, yeah, sure, the band does more stuff, like experiment around with more ambient numbers and soulful ballads, and that’s fine for a young band, but the positive press surrounding this record relies on them being a boy band that simply is better than all the rest. But The 1975 was never a boy band akin to the likes of One Direction or 5 Seconds of Summer – they were just (bizarrely) lumped in there because of their fanbase. The fact of the matter is this: The 1975 are unrivaled in their construction of super-saccharine hooks and choruses – just listen to UGH! – and they refuse to play to that strength on this record in favor of trying out some different avenues. That’s fine and all – this is a young band tinkering around and that should be encouraged, especially with such popularity and fandom of The 1975’s like – but I don’t come to these chavs to hear their best Brian Eno impression; I come to hear pop banger perfection like Chocolate, The City, or Settle Down.

Utzalu – Germinal 6.5 (raw black metal)

Like the title portrays, this some raw shit. If that’s your thing, you’ll love it.

Todtgelichter – Rooms 6.5 (suicidal black metal)

Interesting in theory but scatterbrained in execution, this record brings to mind a lot of the efforts by Lifelover. When it clicks, it’s great, but this is a record that, like so many of its suicidal black metal precedents, just tries to do too much.

Ecferus - Pangaea 6.5 (atmospheric/melodic black metal)

A black metal record about anthropology and the creation of EARTH. It’s okay.

Atra Vetosus – Ius Vitae Necisque 6.5 (melodic black metal)

A nice 22-minute track here from the melodic bm band out of Tasmania. Some nice, almost screamo-esque vocals and use of storm soundclips between the synth-heavy romantic riffing, though I may have heard this sound before. Looking forward to hearing more.

Bastard & Black Goat – Descend from the Blackened Skies to Spread the Words of Satan 6.4 (raw black metal)

Classic bm sound akin to Hellhammer, Bathory. It’s nice, but you could also listen to Hellhammer or Bathory

Graf Orlok – Crimetraveler 6.3 (powerviolence, sort of)

If you used to listen to Killwhitneydead but now you feel more grown up youll probably dig this.

Mightiest – Sinisterra 6.2 (black metal)

Eh

Bhavachakra – Bhavachakra 6.2 (black metal)

Some nice riffs to be found in parts, but overall forgettable.

No I didn’t like this no thank you friend

Spektr – The Art to Disappear 6.0 (industrial/experimental black metal)

There is a lot of disjointed shit going on in this release by the experimental black metal band with heavy industrial elements slung throughout, but none of it really hits for me. I do like some of the ideas, but it’s a lot of “that’s weird” and not enough “that’s fucked up and also it rules” for me. That being said, I never really delved into the industrial side of bm, so if that’s your thing, youll probably dig this.

Superheaven – Ours is Chrome 5.9 (grunge sort of)

If you like Citizen and Cloakroom but want more grunge feel youll dig this. I’ll stick with Citizen and Cloakroom.

Hiding Place – Hiding Place 5.8 (alt rock)

If you dig Turnover youll dig these three songs. Nothing to write home about though.

Basement – Promise Everything 5.7 (grungey emo)

Unfortunately for Basement, they emerge from their two-year hiatus to find their grungey nu-emo sound dominated by bands that do it better than they do (see recent records by Cloakroom, Citizen, Title Fight). Though there are passing moments that catch the listener’s attention, these are fleeting, and none of the songwriting has the bite of a song like Covet or the strong chorus of lead single off of last year’s 7” Summer’s Colour. This LP lands somewhere in between, and thus fails to stand out in any way.

Ridgeway – Untitled 5.5 (dreamo)

Some passable hooks and pretty riffs, but how much longer are we gonna keep pushing this shoegaze-emo shit.

Lebensnacht – Raging Storm of the Apocalypse 5.0 (black metal)

Boring and characterless black metal

Into it. Over it. – Standards 5.0 (indie rock tbh)

Every time I listen to this band I feel like Im listening to Death Cab without the personality or Mae without the hooks. At first I was a little bit into it, but after a few listens, I was over it!!!!!! Really, these songs are just standards!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[colderskin]

Joey's Year in Music

Joey's favorite music moments of 2015 Last minute of Supersonic Home by Adventures Third chorus key change riff of Uendlich by Der Weg einer Freiheit String section at the end of Requiem by Der Weg einer Freiheit "Save me white Jesus" in Bored in the USA by Father John Misty Percussion section in chorus of I Miss You by Adele  The impact of that first chorus in Converging Towards the Light by An Autumn for Crippled Chidren First chorus of If I Have to Wake Up by Baroness First breakdown of Torches by Birds in Row Lil B saying that Russell Westbrook looks like a sandwich Hop Along getting the coverage and recognition I've wanted to see for years Winning Island Idol with a fucking TLC song The guy at Breeze bar who kept restarting the reggae cover of Phil Collins' "One More Night" Papa Emeritus II saying "mummy dussssssssst" on that Ghost record Listening to Land of Talk all year and hearing Lizzie is reuniting the band Hunter throwing down on Liturgy's Kel Valhaal... And me loving it Riff on outro of Ondine by Lower Dens Chorus riff on Price Tag by Sleater-Kinney Finding beauty in the absurdity of black metal Finally hearing a new Made in Heights record, and being happy with it Sharing love for Future Islands and Wild Beasts with my roommate  Improving all pop songs that played in the gym by pretending they were by Pharrell Singing Hotelier songs at the abandoned hotel Buying records, opening records, playing records, loving music Coming back to the states to find there are iPhones with 128GB Singing Taking Back Sunday at karaoke with Rigo Yelling to Ja Rule on rum runs Listening to All of a Sudden I Miss Everyone to cope with another major lifestyle shift and saying goodbye to people I love Joeys most hated musical moments of 2015 That Fifth Harmony music video playing at Vibes all the time "What are you drink-iiiiiiiing" Loving All in It by Biebs until he inexplicably starts talking about being imperfect but how God is perfect Having to deal with some more fuck shit like Hop Along and Protomartyr being undercut by shit like Deerhunter on year end lists Remembering Bradford Cox is still respected Walk the Moon That stupid Ryan Adams-Taylor Swift shit Praise for that atrocious Bitch Better Have My Money song  Missing The Pine's reunion show, and having to watch it in bed drunk Mark Kozelek being a dick

[colderskin]

Joey's Favorite Songs of 2015

Sleater-Kinney - Price Tag Title Fight - Your Pain is Mine Now Viet Cong - Death An Autumn for Crippled Children - Converging Toward the Light John Carpenter - Fallen Dynfarí - Hafsjór Lightning Bolt - Horsepower Der Weg Einer Freiheit - Uendlich Der Weg Einer Freiheit - Requieum Turnover - New Scream Courtney Barnett - Depreston Algiers - Irony. Utility. Pretext. Sufjan Stevens - The Only Thing Archivist - Ascension Holly Herndon - Chorus Florence + The Machine - Queen of Peace Adventures - Dream Blue Haze Adventures - My Marble Hole Adventures - Supersonic Home Chon - Echo Tame Impala - Let it Happen Tame Impala - The Less I Know the Better Citizen - Ring of Chain Unknown Mortal Orchestra - Can't Keep Checking My Phone Mew - Making Friends Mew - Interview the Girls Skaur - Skillingsvisa Chvrches - Never Ending Circles Chvrches - Leave a Trace Mgła - Exercises in Futility I Mgła - Exercises in Futility VI The Dear Hunter - At the End of the Earth Hop Along - The Knock Julia Holter - Feel You So Hideous - The True Pierce Kowloon Walled City - Your Best Years Borgne - Fear Beach House - Sparks Made in Heights - Death Ought - Beautiful Blue Sky Grimes - Kill v Maim Drake - Hotline Bling

[colderskin]

Joey's Albums of 2015

Essential Joey Music - I Say "Oh Hell Yeah Pimp" At Least Thrice Throughout Der Weg Einer Freiheit - Stellar 9.5 Post-black metal was really the genre and sound that caused my downward spiral into the depths of black metal's gaping maw, and despite all the criticism and hatred within the community, it continues to hold my attention today. That being said, the tag itself leaves the door open to include so much, from screamo influenced melodic bm to one-man projects featuring a drum set and hammered dulcimer. It can get tiring at times and I often find myself wondering what post-bm is even supposed to really sound like. This record is the answer to that query. The German band constructs 57 minutes of the most moving and emotive post-black metal I've heard yet, and it's one of my favorite records of the year. Each song features ladder-climbing, emotional tremolo riffs alongside relentless blast beats and double bass pounding (4:50 into Einkehr is textbook perfection), driven by visceral highs reminiscent of George Clarke. Though the emotional riffs are aplenty (the key change in the second chorus of bonus track Unendlich is staggering), this is still undoubtedly a record steeped in black metal, and Verbund reminds the listener of this with unforgiving blast beats and teeth-clenching riffs. But what drives this record over the top is the beautiful piano and string section added into the tracks, especially at the end of Requiem, the record's strongest track. This is the record I have listened to the most this year, and this is what I look for in my metal. Sufjan Stevens - Carrie and Lowell 9.5 I guess it's interesting, really, how many different reactions the death of a loved one can elicit. Some go into hiding and search within themselves, others pledge to love the world twice as much as ever before, and some still are stoic, unable to express or simply too numb to feel. Throughout his expansive musical career, Sufjan Stevens has written quiet indie-folk songs about stories found in the Bible, embarked on a mission to create Americana records filled with horn and windward flourishes about all fifty states (he finished 2 before scrapping the idea), scored and conducted an entire orchestral album about a motor traffic-cursed expressway, and masterminded a folktronica epic inspired by the apocalyptic artwork of a schizophrenic artist. He has gone on stage with an entire backing orchestra, wearing anything from a Boy Scout uniform with wings to a light up jumpsuit with bigger wings and softer feathers. As a fan of all of Stevens' work, I have met much opposition to his approach from peers and mentors - he was a child with ideas too big, insincere in his approach, or simply annoying in his pretension. I loved all of the art, but I got it. When we heard from Stevens' last, he was touring around songs with space themes - most named after planets - with an enormous backdrop of the solar system, looking as if he was once again reaching for even bigger subjects to write about. When the death of his mother struck, he disappeared for a while, and, though concerned, everyone wondered if we'd ever actually see material from him again. After months of grief, reflection, self-discovery, and eventual acceptance, what Stevens quietly and politely offered the world - after taking so much inspiration from it - was a piece of himself - 2015's best and most honest record, Carrie and Lowell. Though named for both Stevens' mother and stepfather, there is no mistaking that this record focuses on the tumultuous relationship Stevens had with his mother, whom he had always grown to call by her first name. She had abandoned him and his siblings as a child and struggled with substance abuse throughout her son's life, giving him more than enough reasons to harbor nothing but malice for their relationship. Instead, this record is filled with dedication to finding reasons to love and the insatiable hunger for maternal affection. Gone are the bursting geysers and foreign blips of Adz, the bombastic horn fanfare of Illinoise, the fluttering flutes of Michigan that had encompassed the very sound of Sufjan Stevens for so long. Gone is the talk of Vesuvius, Superman, buildings in Chicago. Abraham Lincoln, Djoriaha, and Royal Robertson are nowhere to be found here. Accompanied by minimal background instrumentation, this record is Sufjan with his guitar, and if he needs to harmonize, he'll harmonize with himself. This isn't a record about America or space or avant-grade art; this is a record about Sufjan Stevens. In an interview earlier this year with Ryan Dombal of Pitchfork, Sufjan offered this with no frills: "This isn't my art project. This is my life." It would be impossible to suggest anything otherwise. Songs contain references to summers away in Oregon, being left by a mother at a video store, contemplative suicide in the bathtub of a Holiday Inn, having your first name confused with a Japanese automobile maker - these are subjects only Stevens can sing about and mean it. But what truly makes this fit right in as a Sufjan record is the troublesome relationship the artist has with God - fighting for a reason to believe in anything as a form of solace is what eventually saves Stevens from ending his own life in that hotel he's thought about so much, though it's clear in his delivery that his belief could very well be completely unfounded. That's enough for him, and at times, it's the only thing. Beyond the heart-wrenching narrative, deeply personal storytelling, and whispery delivery, what makes this record the definitive Sufjan Stevens offering is its honesty. In "Fourth of July", Stevens has a one-way dialogue with his recently deceased mother. The death of someone close to us can bring out the most painful soul-searching realizations, and oftentimes, there's no art to what we think or feel. Sometimes dressing things up in superfluous frills can reduce the impact of a feeling. Sometimes there's nothing more visceral and real than the realization that "we're all gonna die." Elliott Smith has been gone for over 12 years now, and I frequently find myself reading and thinking about him. Though many have told similar stories, no artist I've heard in the twelve years since Elliott's death has even reminded me of him. In listening to Carrie and Lowell, I can't help but to think Stevens' latest offering is the closest thing we've got, and not due to a desire to emulate, but due to a desire to let the art be what it is and lay everything on the table bare. After all, Carrie and Lowell is essentially 44 minutes of Smith's most bare-bones confession: "I'm never gonna know you now, but I'm gonna love you, anyhow." Mgła - Exercises in Futility 9.4 I sift through a lot of black metal over the year and thus listen to a lot of records that underwhelm, but finding a record like this makes it all worth it. This is what a perfect new black metal record sounds like. I opens with a brooding opening riff before picking up the pace - the emotional tremolo riff complemented by relentless blast beats highlights this track, and this approach flourishes and resurfaces throughout the entire record. V features a truly menacing riff halfway through and rides it out until the end of the track. Sixth and final track is the most powerful of them all, highlighted by a ladder-climbing emotional tremolo riff. Definitely Polish orthodox bm in sound and approach, but something about this record sets it apart and, in a genre supersaturated in goofiness, makes it honest and believable. Thank you. Hop Along - Painted Shut 8.9 Yes, it is difficult for me to appreciate and articulate my thoughts about this record when its predecessor is my favorite record of all time, but putting everything aside and focusing on the product, this is a straight up stellar record. Frances Quinlan is the best vocalist on earth right now and fills the void left behind by Land of Talk's Elizabeth Powell (note: she just announced they're writing again) and then some. The Knock is a powerful, perfect track // Waitress is a standout, showcasing Frances' incredible vocal chops and strong songwriting // The end of Horseshoe Crabs gives me chills I felt throughout Get Disowned // Happy to See me takes the place of Trouble Found Me // The exit of Well-dressed is perfectly off key. I prefer the single version of Sister Cities, but there's plenty of new stuff to love here, including the twinkly guitar riffs of the new guitarist of former Algernon Cadwallader fame. Hop Along is untouchable, and Quinlan is a treasure we are very lucky to share. Ought - Sun Coming Down 8.7 Ought burst onto the radar essentially out of nowhere with last year's great post-punk debut More Than Any Other Day. Their new effort caught me surprised, as I hadn't heard much of anything about it before its release, and it's even better than the predecessor. The punk flourishes are more in-your-face (The Combo), the hooks are stronger (Passionate Turn), the dissonance is heavier (Sun's Coming Down), and the build-ups hit harder (Beautiful Blue Sky, one of the best tracks of the year). But what makes this record so strong are the lyrics, which portray the dead-end constraints of sububurbia and every-day life without drifting into trite or hackneyed territory that these subjects are so vulnerable to. Black Cilice - Mysteries 8.6 A really interesting approach here where a sort of harsh noise feel adds to the black metal riffage and howling demon vocals to create a different breed of raw atmospheric BM. The overall raw quality of the recording combined with the vocal approach makes me feel like I'm trapped in a tomb and that's all I can ask for in my music. The opening riffs of To Become and From the Long Forgotten Past are two of my favorites this year. Also Ben got me this LP for my birthday and the packaging is unbelievable it has a ton of keys on it and I'm obsessed with the art. "This is true black art" -some dude on last.fm. Mew - +- 8.5 I get into a very solid, well composed indie pop record every year, and Mew's latest is that record this year. Hooks are infectious, compositions have more layers than an ogre, all is bright and resonant. This record comes off as if Copeland wrote longer, denser songs and evolved hand in hand with my taste, and You Are My Sunshine was one of my favorite records when I was younger. The funky riffs in Interview the Girls and Making Friends are great. The chrouses in The Night Believer, Making Friends, and Water Slides burst like fireworks. This is 67 minutes of pure bliss. Last year it was Wild Beasts and Bombay Bicycle Club; this year, it's Mew. Dynfari - Vegferð Tímans 8.5 Yeah baby this is the bm I like. Atmospheric but aggressive, nice mixing of acoustic passages and buildups. Beautiful use of clean female vocals in Vegferd II - Ad Astra. Emotional but still dark and in your face. The tremolo riffage at the end of Hafsjór is exactly the shit I love. Really really great record from the Icelandic duo. Adventures - Supersonic Home 8.5 Plays like if Tigers Jaw's Charmer entirely adopted the approach of the title track and Distress Signal. Power-poppy emo from Run for Cover Records featuring members of Code Orange Kids, but miles better than them. Somewhat sophomoric but I love every moment of it, esp end of My Marble Hole, chorus to Pure, beginning of Dream Blue Haze, and end of Supersonic Home Tame Impala - Currents 8.5 Though I very much love Lonerism, I wasn't really highly anticipating this record much, partially because I hadn't heard much about it prior to its release. That perhaps added to why I like it so much - the hooks are more infectious than ever though not super schlocky, the psychy, hazy approach is still strong, the weird wonky guitar parts (the guitar solo at the end of Let it Happen is one of my favorite things this year) pair nicely with bright synth melodies and the percussion is ruled by snaps which appear throughout the record yet somehow don't reek of creamed corn. The Less I know the Better is incredibly infectious from start to finish and just doesn't get old. Eventually is a sad break up song that shimmers. And, holy shit, the production and the bass playing on this album are spectacular. ian Cohen reviewed this record calling it "a man trying to perfect music" and that pretty much tells it like it is, except for the fact that it doesn't sound like a songwriter trying to do anything other than create his own brand of art. Currents is a lovable record throughout, and I do love it very much. Pyramids - A Northern Meadow 8.3 This is a really interesting listen. Post-metal meets black metal in instrumentation - though calling it post-bm wouldn't seem accurate - with clean vocals throughout. Sounds a lot like the last Blut Aus Nord record at times if Vindsval tried his hand at singing - there's even the similar industrial-esque percussion that you'd hear in earlier BAN stuff. I really dig this record - some crazy good riffage, great clean vocals adding to the emotional intensity, and the atmosphere is second to none. Another great one from Profound Lore Records. Underling - Bloodworship 8.2 A very nice take on post-metal (?) with a handful of black metal and punk leanings. Features bludgeoning tracks in Blackout and Servant of Filth and some beautiful ghostly feminine vocals on The Seventh Wall. Adore is the standout track. Hermóðr - Krigstid 8.2 Some really nice atmospheric bm here that makes use of a slow, lethargic tempo and repetitive chords to create the atmosphere. Shrouded cleans and screams seem distant in the mix which only adds to this effect. A couple of clean riffs sound like they could be from a Christie Front Drive record and I love that. Really good shit here. Chvrches - Every Open Eye 8.1 Chvrches follow the success of debut The Bones of What You Believe by doubling down on the hooks to create a thoroughly saccharine pop record. Leave a Trace is one of the strongest pop songs I've heard in recent memory, while tracks like Down Side of Me and High Enough to Carry You Over remain reserved yet just as catchy. These are balanced by high BPM jams like Clearest Blue and Keep You on My Side. Didn't dig it at first, and uncovered more to love with each listen - a rare trait for a pop record. Really good. Panopticon - Autumn Eternal 8.1 Been lukewarm on this one man folk/atmospheric-bm USBM project in the past, but this is the record I've waiting for from him. Opening string section that dominates the first track opens the floodgates for seven tracks of string atmospheric black metal. String, emotional riffs, tight, quick drumming and backseat vocals allow the arrangements of this record to really penetrate through. The folk aspect is there, but at the right concentration this time, serving as the down interludes of the longer tracks. Really strong, enjoyable stuff. Foxing - Dealer 8.1 Many seem to have the opposite opinion, but The Albatross had a bit too much filler for me to truly adore. Dealer atones for this sin and is filled with strong, emotional tracks that are darker than what's found on its predecessor. Influenced by a Catholic childhood and tours in Afghanistan, the subject matter here is extremely personal and greatly complimented by the beautiful instrumentation. Ian Cohen wrote a better review for this so just read that. Made in Heights - Without My Enemy What Would I Do 8.1 If you know shit about me you know this band is very special to Joey since I have over 100 plays on each track from this duos previous release Aporia: In These Streets; the bombastic, snapping percussion of producer Sabzi complemented with the delicate feminine voice is a match made in heaven for me. I've been waiting for new material for years, and though the approach is clearly more pop, the LP doesn't disappoint. Lead single DEATH was the first standout and could have been lifted from previous material, while Panther is a brooding track that features that bass-generous percussion that I loved so much. Pirouette feels like a slower track from previous efforts as well. However, this record offers another dimension to the duo's sound: the uptempo pop banger, which can be found amongst Cry, Slow Burn, Forgiveness, and Pop It In 2 alike. Actually in going through each track I realize I like this record way more than I thought I did. For fans of more poppy trip hop or more percussion-driven pop. Amestigon - Thier 8.0 ★Exquisite Shit ~ 2015 :)~~ as one last.fm user put it. The Austrians have been at it for a long time now and in 2015 have put out one of the best black metal records of the year. Four songs clock in at 57 minutes, yet none feel lethargic or drawn out. Black metal with a doom edge, high pitched vocals that don't rob all of the shine and allow the riffage and drumming to take the spotlight. Some really massive riffs here and each track has enough layers to be spread out over a demo apiece. The riff that this record ends on is extremely good shit. An Autumn for Crippled Children - The Long Goodbye 8.0 When people cry about Deafheaven in the black metal discussion, I try to black it out; the amount of arguments I've had on the shoutbox converge to a number im not proud of. With AAFCC, however, I would understand the tears a bit more. This record sounds much more influenced by the post-rock side of screamo and the wall-of-sound approach of heavier shoegaze - the only black metal influence would be solely from the depressive/suicidal bm side of the spectrum. But, alas, I love screamo and I love DSBM so I love this record. The punch Converging Toward the Light delivers, the atmosphere of Only Skin, the imaginative yet subtle drum patterns - oh hell yeah pimp. This is the good shit. Marduk - Frontschwein 8.0 When I came to Marduk's chapter in Evolution of the Cult, I took a liking to their unrelenting, guitar-focused approach though their discography remained overall very linear. Frontschwein is most certainly not a departure from their approach but it may be their best and is surely my favorite. Relentless, breakneck pace (spare Nebelwefer), Mortuus doing his best Jordan Dreyfus impression at times with the amount of lyrics he throws in (Thousand-Fold Death), and an approach that's so aggressive it lends to a wall-of-sound feel without use of any special effects. Death Engine - Mud 8.0 Really glad to see dudes still making great music within this type of sound. Super noisy, filthy, chaotic, sludgy hardcore with some crushing passages. Bass heavy, high pitched vocal approach - this is the kind of shit I want to hear more of. I love Still. Sigh - Graveward 8.0 Great classically weird bm from the Japanese band. Takes cues from Master's Hammer at times with vocal approach and tympani-centric passages. Nice riffs that don't rely totally in tremolo and atmosphere. Great horn and sax sections. Julia Holter - Have You in My Wilderness 8.0 So much of Julia Holter's musical output showcases such a broad pallet of offerings - her pronunciation, voice, incredible string arrangements, haunting melodies, jazz and classical motifs, background vocal layering, and ability to flip the switch from brooding ballad to upbeat feelgood bounce, to name a few. But what separates Holter from the rest is just how beautiful her music truly is. Ghost Bath - Moonlover 8.0 Yes the band who claimed to be from Chonqing, China but is actually from Minot, North Dakota, who says "it doesn't matter; we are all worthless humans", who has drawn accusations of Deafheaven (particularly Sunbather) copycats due to similar sound and naming their album Moonlover with seven tracks and a mix of fast post-black metal songs with instrumental interludes, who have apparently stolen their album artwork. Guess what mother fucker: I like Deafheaven and I like this album. There are plenty of similarities and I understand the comparisons, but this record seems less rhythmic in its approach - Sunbather split up each heavy onslaught track with a dreamy instrumental whereas the instrumentals are smattered throughout here. By itself, I love the heavier pieces and enjoy how the instrumentals build up to the heavy tracks. It's a good record. So Hideous - Laurestine 8.0 Calling this even post-black metal is somewhat of a stretch, but calling it anything else is nearly impossible. This record combines the tremolo riffing and high-pitched yowling of post-bm with post-hardcore and punk sensibilities and adds a captivating, soaring, romantic 30 piece string section to create a sound I've never heard. The True Pierce is a standout. This is post-black metal for the bleeding heart. Archivist - Archivist 8.0 This is a very dense, jam-packed record and can take some time to sift through but deserves your attention. More on the post-metal side than anything, beautiful, emotional riffage and soaring arrangements. A very emotional metal record from start to finish. The whole. Space concept album shit is somewhat prominent in this realm of metal and very infrequently do I enjoy it, but it works here. Very nice. Noisem - Blossoming Decay 8.0 I'm not usually very into death metal but this relentless assault that clocks in at under 25 minutes hardens my nipples. Catchy fast riffs, plenty of hardcore/grindcore notes lend this album a dope mouthfeel. Obsequiae - Aria of Vernal Tombs 8.0 It would be weird to call an album like this black metal, since half of it is composed of classical medieval harp compositions and half is composed of riffy metal tracks, but it's another example of why black metal is the best and expansive metal genre going today. Super great drumming, vocals and riffs juxtaposed by beautiful harp interludes make this album full of castles for only the non false. Father John Misty - I Love You, Honeybear 8.0 Josh Tillman managed to write practically an entire album about his wife and not come off as some kind of cheesy loser. Some tracks contain grandiose arrangements with opera house aspirations and some are stripped down guitar/piano and vocal ballads but all hit just as hard with Tillman's dark sense of humor and bare-bones romantic confessions. Everything is laid out on the table and no movement overstays its welcome. I've found myself staring out the window thinking and reflecting whilst just in the midst of something because I've had this record on. The reason why this record rules so much is because it's believable, true, unbridled emotional expression from a songwriter who isn't trying to prove anything. Good. Julien Baker - Sprained Ankle 8.0 Gonna do some crying to this record for sure Protomartyr - The Agent Intellect 8.0 This band rules extremely hard and their third LP should cement that as a post-punk powerhouse. Joe Casey's lyrics are better than ever, ranging from content nausea to faux-happiness ala Pharrell. Liturgy - The Ark Work 8.0 At first I didn't care much for it - it's true, the YEEEEEEEHHHHHHHHH and rapping (rhythmic talking?) vocal approach take some time to get used to - but thanks to a friend suggesting I listen again I finally got enveloped in the latest from the transcendental bm fuckers spearheaded by ultimate nice boy Hunter Hunt-Hendrix. The songs seem to revolve around a pretty, innocent central melody - introduced in the beginning of follow - and rhythm pattern - introduced in opener Fanfare - and the guitar spends equal time on shrill tremolo picking and following this aforementioned rhythm. Kel Valhaal is a bonkers song which features background squealing hypnotic bagpipes, midi-esque horns and guitars weaving in and out of each other, and HHH completely throwing down at the end. Point is, no one is making music like Liturgy right now - many try, but none succeed and push the envelope more than they do. Sleater-Kinney - No Cities to Love 8.0 Forceful, empowering, riot grrrl charged punk rock from one of the top bands of the genre, No Cities to Love delivers unforgiving hook-filled jams with attitude. Lyrically pertinent, vocally sharp, infectious riffs and sick drumming. This record rules. Jamie xx - In Colour 8.0 Plays like a Burial record that met an XX record, which, really, is what I expected. Foot tapping percussion, sick atmosphere, a couple tracks that could straight up be on the new XX album but that still claim a feel that is specifically Jamie. Even the fucking Young Thug track is incredibly infectious. Lots of steel drums too btw. With all the time Jamie has had an album "in the works" the temptation to make a long-winded album must have been there, but at 45 minutes the serving feels just right. Ghost - Meliora 8.0 Basically, if a band that loved Abba and Fleetwood Mac made a heavy metal record. Papa Emeritus III's vocals are very one dimensional besides the snarl of From the Pinnacle to the Pit (great riffs in this song) and Mummy Dust (a corny ass track that I can't stop listening to). Choruses are catchy as hell while riffs and drums still have plenty of teeth. Enjoyable metal record for metalheads and non-metal listeners alike. Citizen - Everyone is Going to Heaven 8.0 Didn't resonate with me at first, but yet another hazy emo-esque record that grew on me in time. Sludgy, gloomy riffs that don't try to do too much, some nice lyrics, and a great closing track. Actually I just listened to this again and I really like it - I think it's more complex than a lot of similar records that have emerged recently. Maybe dirtier, grittier, more grungy without sounding like grunge? Heavier. John Carpenter - Lost Themes 7.9 Ever since being introduced to the Giallo films of Lucio Fulci and their soundtracks composed by Fabio Frizzi I've been captivated by well done original horror soundtracks, and of this genre Carpenter is still king. While you can definitely imagine these tracks being used in one of Carpenter's creepy ass films perfectly, they stand strong in their own as well, with a wide array of dark synths, keys, and booming percussion. It's beautifully composed and beautifully mastered and a nice system or pair of phones will really accentuate how good this record is. Jlin - Dark Energy 7.9 I've always been a fan of footwork though never quite a scholar. Many are calling this album a deconstruction of footwork and I suppose that's what this is. Jlin only used her own samples here and the rhythm is addicting - the high percussion snaps and flows, the low provides a heartbeat, and the textures of the melodies and samples provide for a full-bodied listening experience where nothing lacks. Extremely good shit. Turnover - Peripheral Vision 7.9 Another release from a former pop-punk/nu-emo band turned dreamy alternative (see: Title Fight, not shoegaze) that tickles my asshole. A lot more vocal-centered a more straightforward pop songwriting approach here. Songs are relatively simple but pretty and pleasant, hooks are strong (New Scream is drugs, as is I Would Hate You if I Could). Quenches my recurrent "emo" thirst. Blaze of Perdition - Near Death Revelations 7.9 Super good orthodox bm from Poland. Dense, killer vocals, great riffs. Blanck Mass - Dumb Flesh 7.9 Nice shit here from one of the dudes from Fuck Buttons. I always crave one dark electronic album to cling to and right now this is the one. Heavily percussion-driven, noisy, powerful, infectious darker melodies. In your face but not obnoxious. The Body & Thou - You, Whom I have Always Hated 7.9 Just what you'd expect from this collab - filthy, dark, and unbelievably heavy. Baroness - Purple 7.9 Have yet to really delve into the dudes' catalog but will now after this strong, bluesy, melodic effort. Guitar tone is beautiful and heavy, choruses are catchy but sharp (Shock Me, If I Have to Wake Up), riffs are groovy throughout, and God damn do I love all of Baizley's art. Strong crossover effort. Self Defense Family - Heaven is Earth 7.9 Though maybe not as monstrous and complete as Try Me, this is a quick, solid SDF record with some standout tracks (Basic Skills, Heaven is Earth). Florence + The Machine - How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful 7.9 There is, obviously, no correlation between having a great voice and being a great songwriter. Artists with voices like Florence Welch often fail to succes at the latter, to the dismay of music fans but delight of the casual listener. In their earlier material, much of The Machine's work has relied almost entirely on Welch's bombastic voice belting it out, leading to mixed results. With their new record, the songwriting takes a step up; there is less focus on the home run and more focus on the cohesive songwriting process (evident when listening to the demo version of Third Eye and then the album version) and Florence uses her brooding lows as much as her soaring highs. Songs like Queen of Peace take their time and bubble toward climax while others get to the point like lead single Ship to Wreck, but all of the tracks offer a strong chorus without entirely relying on one to salvage an otherwise underwhelming track. With a spurned love lyrical theme similar to that of Björk's Vulnicura from earlier this year, How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful is one of this year's best surprises. Kowloon Walled City - Grievances 7.9 Something new - a somewhat sludge-leaning record that could probably be classified as a metal effort but doesn't try to be heavy. Some super emotional riffs are complimented nicely by the shouted vocals and heavy lyrics. I haven't heard a sound like before and I think that contributes to my love of this record. Your Best Years is a standout. Birds in Row - Personal War 7.8 Got a scare from these dudes when they almost broke up earlier this year, but glad they delivered this quick and punchy EP. The approach of this band borders on emo violence while still having the tone of a metalcore record, and this EP plays to those strengths, especially Torches Leviathan - Scar Sighted 7.8 Starts off super aggressive and quick and takes its time to slow down the pace, offering a wall-of-sound assault with very imaginative black metal compositions. This record sort of challenges what exactly composes a black metal record - it's unrelenting but the approaches makes it feel like a fever dream or a drug-induced coma. Scar Sighted is extremely dense and trudging through it will take more than a listen through, but the payoff is worth it. Cult Leader - Lightless Walk 7.8 Undoubtedly the most bludgeoning and unforgiving record of 2015 from (basically) the band formerly known as Gaza. Tracks are blistering and produced to pack a punch, but two tracks at the end being the longest and sludgiest give away that this was a Ballou-produced record (what's his deal with that?). I love the art as well. Anamnesi - Erimanto 7.8 A very nice atmospheric black metal effort here from the Italian band. Plenty of tremolo riffing throughout with captivating riffs and vocals. Uh idk it's good, this is kinda the stuff I like I guess. Dance Gavin Dance - Instant Gratification 7.8 Lyrics corny as ever and it falls off near the end, but this band still writes post-hardcore in a way no one else does incorporating incredibly strong hooks, noodly riffs, funky bass lines, and a dude singing way too high. Also, this may be the first record I actually enjoy Jon Mess in - he sounds great. Im 24 and still fucking with this band. Thee Oh Sees - Mutilator Defeated at Last 7.8 Psych'd out rock jams typical of a TOS record, but this one may be my favorite. Julia Kent - Asperities 7.8 Surprise in love with this dark, apocalyptic, neo-classical record from cellist and composer Julia Kent. Arrangements are brooding, cello is visceral. Exquisite shit. Drowning the Light - From the Abyss 7.8 People aren't too keen on the new record from this Australian DSBM project but I really enjoy it. It's been a while since he's put out new material so some anticipated more but this is a really nice aggressive yet atmospheric DSBM record with some great riffs and some really great ambient passages that compliment them nicely. Natalie Prass - Natalie Prass 7.8 Some really nice folk songs, each driven primarily by a different instrument, with some beautiful string arrangements around a delicate vocal delivery make an easy to listen to, honest, and enjoyable folk record. Bird of Prey is addictive. Vattnet Viskar - Settler 7.7 Sky Swallower, the last effort from these NH post-bm dudes, was the first black metal record I ever bought and could be pointed to as the reason for me spiraling into the genre, so I hold this band to a high standard. This record avoids the pitfalls that many atmospheric/post-bm sometimes embraces in that it's concise while retaining its atmospheric feel without drawing out the cleaner, dreamier parts too long at the risk of trying to sound epic. It's a pretty record at times and aggressive at others, which is what I look for from bands like this. One thing: the vocals sound kind of weird, as if they were mastered in a way to try to sound almost like Botanist or maybe some of the more anyonymous/mysterious bm acts (Fell Voice, Ash Borer). I'm not sure if that's what they were going for but I can't shake the feeling that it's weird somehow, especially since the vocals on Sky Swallower were crystal clear. Unknown Mortal Orchestra - Multi-Love 7.7 Always loved this band and their approach to neo-funky, psychy RnB, and I think their latest might be their best. Great basslines, very central production, catchy pop-tunes hand-in-hand with psych rock jams. Hooks that get caught in your head for days. Went through a phase where I couldn't stop listening to Can't Keep Checking My Phone. Great shit. Disappears - Irreal 7.6 Dark psychedelic post-punk album with some great drumming and killer atmosphere. I came back to this a lot because while I didn't love it at first listen I did love the overall approach. Eventually it clicked. Really great tracks here. Drug Church - Swell EP 7.6 Patrick Kindlon in a hardcore band. Dynamic, intense, and personal. Great twenty minutes for when I need a quick hit. Abstracter - Wound Empire 7.6 Nice dark, gloomy, doom that takes its time and puts equal emphasis on atmosphere and intensity. Caïna - Setter of Unseen Snares 7.6 Very nice post-bm record which plays sort of like a YOB record - guitars are aggressive and have a nice crunchy tone to them especially on I am the Flail of the Lord while closer Orphan floats dreamily. May be the only bm record of all time featuring Matthew McConnaughey. Hot Chip - Why Make Sense? 7.6 The nerdy white dudes added some guest rapping and some soulful guest vocals/sampling to add real personality to their dancy indie pop, making this a really nice listen. Strong hooks as always, doesn't rush, doesn't overdo it. Strong record. Dark Night is the jam. Blacklisted - When People Grow, People Go 7.6 Nice boy hardcore. Foreign Observer rules. Like more than friends; "Very Nice" -Borat Lightning Bolt - Fantasy Empire 7.5 Super-charged noise punk explosion. Snare drum tone snaps and is perfect for the mood of the music. Drumming overall is insane and riffage paired with guitar tone rules. If you listen to Horsepower whilst running you turn into a centaur. The Dear Hunter - Act IV: Rebirth in Reprise 7.5 It exists, finally, and it's very good, though a bit hit or miss. At the End of the Earth might be the strongest track Casey Creschenzo has written, while some tracks that recall his more playful (and, to me, weaker) side like If All Goes Well don't do much for me (akin to Go Get Your Gun from Act III). But for the fan of TDH's entire expansive catalog, this will hit every mark - passages straight out of the earlier acts (especially II) are rekindled here, and some of the songwriting sounds ripped straight from the mind of Migrant (which I didn't care for), while the aforementioned At the End of the Earth could be found on the Orange or Red side of The Color Spectrum. Repeated listens prove rewarding. Cradle of Filth - Hammer of the Witches 7.5 Maybe the best Cradle record. Great riffage, less gothic and more bm, lyrics about werewolves. Chon - Grow 7.5 Still have a soft spot for twinkly math rock? Nice mostly-instrumental LP here, vocals mixed in very nicely on the two tracks they appear on (really like Echo). Drumming is very good as it usually is on projects like this. It'll scratch the itch. Beach House - Depression Cherry 7.5 Totally didn't get it until I think the eleventh listen, then it clicked with me. I was expecting the bombastic saccharine chorus of Myth or the open arms of a strong guitar hook like in Wild, but once it became clear that wasn't this album's MO, it was easier to accept it for what it is. I still prefer Bloom, as I call upon Beach House for a quick fix of addictive dream pop, but I wasn't fair to this record - Sparks is one of the strongest tracks of the year instrumentally, and though the vocals don't take much shine, the arrangements in this record are special, and patience is needed to really enjoy them. Still don't really dig PPP much, though, no matter how much Ray likes it. King Woman - Doubt 7.5 Veeeeery nice little EP here from the former Whirr singer's new doomy project. Burn has a strong chorus, King of Swords is a beautiful and emotional, Candescent Soul feels like an opiate haze. Looking forward to a full-length. Cloud Rat - Qliphoth 7.5 A nice grindcore assault that offers some sludge and hardcore flavor to boot. Riffs are spastic but coherent - even catchy at times - and the vocals are killer and visceral. Very nice effort. Envy - Atheist's Cornea 7.5 An Envy record. Courtney Barnett - Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit 7.5 Quirky yet not pretentious because it's honest, this record is brooding and sad at times and akin to giving the finger while lighting up a cig at others. Barnett is who she is and doesn't apologize, which has helped this album grow on me over the past few months. I love Depreston. Drudkh - A Furrow Cut Short 7.5 Very good dose of straight bm from the Ukrainians. Colin Stetson and Sarah Neufeld - Never Were the Way She Was 7.5 Something dark and magical about this experimental jazz-infused ambient record. Waves of percussion combine with spastic yet atmospheric violin. I'm not sure I know how to describe this album but I like it. "Very nice" -borat Arvas - Black Satanic Mysticism 7.5 Solid bm record w riffage akin to the second wave acts. Nice use of atmosphere that's not too prominent big definitely makes an impact. Very good. Crom Dubh - Heimweh 7.5 Nice doomy bm here from the UK. Production is a bit fuzzy, especially on the guitars (close to the effect An Autumn for Crippled Children has) which lends the record a bit of a different feel from the others I've heard this year. Most tracks take their time and the riffs for Sedition and The Invulnerable Tide are super catchy. Mastery - Valis 7.5 I like this record from the one man avant-garde bm project out of San Francisco but feel like I need to listen more to fully digest it. A few of the riffs really excite me though. Sexually. Update I think I'm starting to digest it fully and really love how some of the riffs shine through the the hypnotic repetition of the vocals and percussion onslaught. All of the riffs (and I mean all of them) are unrelenting and extremely quick. Some really interesting shit here. Vardan - Despicable Broken Hope 7.5 Good depressive suicidal bm record from the one man Italian project. V is especially solid. Enslaved - In Times 7.5 Despite some of the flack this record is getting I think it's really solid. Plays like a progressive metal record (not too much black metal let at this point) but remains groovy with some killer riffage without trying to shove in too much technical wankery. Cleans and screams mesh well with each other though they do predictably take turns. It's a solid, enjoyable six tracks that don't feel dragged out, despite a run time of over fifty minutes. Holly Herndon - Platform 7.5 Spastic production that percolates before coming together to create infectious melodies, great use of percussion, Chorus is one of my favorite tracks of the year, vocals serve as another instrument. There's a lot going on in this record, including the use of strange speech that makes us feel or think a certain way (namely a minor focus on ASMR, even aside from Lonely at the Top). It's a weird listen but one that feels somewhat familiar because it preys upon themes we all have experience with. Lower Dens - Escape from Evil 7.5 Nice to see these guys find their element. Incredibly infectious guitar hooks complimented nicely by the vocals. Heavy Beach House vibes with a more guitar-centric feel. Some of the magic of the hooks wears off with repeated listens, but I still enjoy this record very much regardless of how Captured Tracks-y it may be. Napalm Death - Apex Predator - Easy Meat 7.5 Punishing, angry grind from the grind masters. Slægt - Ildsvanger 7.5 Really enjoyed this effort from black metal/blackened thrash band from Denmark. Shades of early Darkthrone in production, tempo, and riffage. Looking forward to what they do next. Björk - Vulnicura 7.5 This is a record wholly made of ballads and though this usually wouldn't interest me, it's a Björk record, fueled by spastic percussion, demented self-harmonies, and winding string arrangements that she herself composed. It's an honest record with its heart on its sleeve, containing tracks all dealing with the loss of love she experienced at the hand of her life-partner. I found myself coming back to this a lot. Helios - Yume 7.5 Eingya is my favorite ambient record, and here's some more of the same emotional stuff found on that record. Scuba - Claustrophobia 7.4 Very nice atmospheric techno here that helped me through the worst hangover of my life. Algiers - Algiers 7.4 Starts slow but the second half absolutely slays. Heavy gospel/soul influence on the vocals with production behind somewhat akin to Autre ne Veut - bluesy at times, jazzy at others, relatively dark throughout. Some of the tracks are super strong. I'm probably underrating this. Nécropole - Ostara 7.3 Nice aggressive black metal tape from the French band. Approach lends an atmospheric feel. Looking forward to what's next. Erraunt - The Portent 7.3 Some nice stuff here from a new black metal project out of Chicago. Has an overall feel of a Botanist record without the hammered dulcimer or whisper-sequel vocals. Really enjoy the bass tone. Nice 30 minutes. Green metal. Ava Luna - Infinite House 7.3 Chock full of vocal harmonies and layers, bass grooves, and hypnotizing, psychedelic arrangements, Inifinite House is a record that will annoy you (overly quirky Steve Polyester) at times and captivate you at others (Coat of Shellac), while all the while making you ask, "is this the new Dirty Projectors record?" Prurient - Frozen Niagra Falls 7.3 A very long, dark noise album that mixes light melody with abrasive electronics. Reminds me at times of that Sevendeaths record I loved from last year. Somewhat hit or miss for me, but the songs that hit do so hard - Dragonflies to Sew You Up is a stellar track. Mono / The Ocean - Transcendental EP 7.3 Nice two tracks here, with both bands playing to their strengths. The Ocean's side is certainly the stronger of the two. Jessica Pratt - On Your Own Love Again 7.3 On first listen, I didn't find much to love about this album other than its unoffensive pleasantness. But it kept pulling me in and the melodies and Pratt's very unique voice eventually stood out. The album plays almost like dream pop songs if they were played with just a guitar and a voice. The melodies are infectious and somewhat foreign, especially on Back, Baby, Strange Melody, and Game that I Play. I sometimes get the vibes of Elliott Smith meeting Joanna Newsom. Nice record. Myrkur - M 7.2 It takes me a lot of listens to digest a Myrkur project, which is weird due to the short run time. But the approach to black metal is indeed different due to the clean, angelic vocals and piano parts throughout this record. I eventually came around after months of sporadic spins. This is a nice record. And I'm not sure I've hard anything quite like it. Deeradorian - Expanding Flower Planet 7.2 Plenty to hook Dirty Projector fans in here from the DP member's newest solo effort and then some. Plenty of weird, off-kilter vocal lines akin to DP earlier material, catchy hooks sputtered throughout, and some freak-folk sensibility that seems to reference a page out of Julia Holter's book. A weird and pleasant listen. Les Chants de Nihil - Armor 7.2 Some nice atmospheric bm here from the French band who has a cat in the sky of a storm scene on the cover. Been thinking about some of the riffs on this for a while. Sticks with me. Title Fight - Hyperview 7.2 I spent a lot of time listening to this record. I never got into Title Fight but something about this record pulls me in. Idk if they toured too much with Whirr or had this switch in sound in mind for a while but they maintain the same songwriting approach while reverbing the shit out of their guitars and taking the dreamy less-abrasive and more melodic "shoegaze" approach. The songwriting keeps me into it and I really enjoy some of the tracks, especially Your Pain is Mine Now. Shaidar Logoth - Chapter II: The Ritulist 7.2 Dizzying doomy black metal here with massive riffs and relentless atmosphere. Songs aren't afraid to take their time and build. Composition and approach reminds me of the latest Lantlôs record mixed with this year's Ghost Bath record. Grimes - Art Angels 7.2 Hey, I finally enjoy a Grimes record! Infectious, layered pop-hooks galore, though sounds like music for fairies and at times I feel I'm being duped into listening to an Alvin & the Chipmunks record. Learning guitar really paid off for this record, as the guitar parts add a lot to the tracks. Levon Vincent - Levon Vincent 7.1 Repetitive, dark techno that incorporates some nice sound work and heavy use of rhythm. I love this kind of looping techno so this will keep me at bay until the next Field record. Tribulation - The Children of the Night 7.1 I'm not quite sure how to classify this record (gothic death metal? Traditional death metal?) but that's welcome - some really nice riffs, beautifully recorded drum set (cymbals are super clear and crisp), great harsh vocals (had a bit too much of cleans in doom this year; it's wearing on me), nice incorpation of orchestral passages and keys. I dig it. Ghost Culture - Ghost Culture 7.1 Dark textures combine with a dancey approach to create something between ambient music and almost new wave. I love the sound of the synths and the heavy use of rhythm. Arms is a killer track. Very nice. The Soft Moon - Deeper 7.1 Kind of in the similar vein of the Ghost Culture record, dark, gloomy new wave-esque, post-punk jams with a very 80s vocal approach (I swear he sounds like Spandau Ballet at times or fuck, another dude that I can't remember right now). I really dig all of the tracks here, especially Wrong. The Decemberists - What a Terrible World, What a Beautiful World 7.1 I initially got hooked by the lead single Make You Better. This is a good record, man - mixes the catchy hooks of Calvary Captain, Make You Better, and The Wrong Year with more bluesy, folky takes of Til the Water is All Long Gone and Lake Song. The lyrics are well written and I enjoy the arrangements. Fight me. NettleCarrier - Black Coffin Rights 7.1 Nice black metal here akin to the second wave style - melodic tremolo picking, blast beats galore, dude in background yelling spastically about Satan. I really enjoy the approach and riffs here. Revok - Bunt Auf Grau 7.1 One part Converge, one part Norma Jean, one part wall-of-sound gives this metalcore record a nice personality I haven't heard in a while. Chaotic, nice mixture of cleans and screams, spastic drumming, sick riffs. Very enjoyable record. Ömheten - Själv 7.1 Some nice depressive bm here also hella props for it being six songs like at 6:06 each song oh hell yeah pimp. Kêres - Battle Secrets 7.1 Some nice repetitive bm here with very Darkthrone-sequel riffage and approach. Cloakroom - Further Out 7.1 I like this record but I feel like I should like it more. Nice heavy, gloomy riffs mesh well with the accompanying vocals. Love Deep Sea Station. I do appreciate the approach, which combines the songwriting of a second/fourth wave emo record with the execution of a shoegaze record. 7.0 is like, yeah, I dig this Waxahatchee - Ivy Tripp 7.0 It's difficult for me to digest this album without bias, as Katie Crutchfield's previous effort, Cerulean Salt, contains some of my favorite songs and melodies of all time. I adore some tracks (Poison, Grey Hair, Summer of Love) and others just float there without any impact on me (Breathless, Blue). With time I think this record will grow on me. Jungbluth - Lovecult 7.0 A quick-hit punk record. Basically what I wish the new Metz record sounded more like. Lena Willikens - Phantom Delia EP 7.0 I spent a lot of time listening to this nice dark, industrial techno record. Lots of cool weird shit going on like her use of howling with the rhythm of the Howling Lupus and the creepy spoken word shit in Nilpferd. "Perfect music for working in a factory" -Ray A Place to Bury Strangers - Transfixation 7.0 Nice noisey post-punk/garage rock that doubles down in intensity and atmosphere. Heavy and dark. V nice. Tyler, the Creator - Cherry Bomb 7.0 I actually really enjoyed this record??? A Pregnant Light - All Saints' Day 7.0 Nice little post-bm here. Riffage in Phoenix Street is primetime. Sannhet - Revisionist 7.0 Enjoyable but not overwhelming instrumental post-metal record. Atmospheric bm at parts. Noveller - Fantastic Planet 7.0 Nice, noisey, dark drone album. Hermóδr - What Once Was Beautiful 7.0 Not quite as impactful as Krigstid and a little bit long and drawn-out, but another good record from this one man depressive BM project with some beautifully sad passages. Mourn - Mourn 7.0 Solid female fronted poppy punk record with some riot grrrl flavor. Catchy melodies, brooding vocals. I very much like Marshall. Viet Cong - Viet Cong 7.0 I couldn't decide if I dug this record at first but the last three tracks are super interesting. Darker, progressive approach to post-punk that takes some risks and rolls some dice at points. The payoff is worth it. With more spins I think I'll learn to love it. The closer, Death, is extremely good shit. Clandestine Blaze - New Golgotha Rising 7.0 Good bm Wardaemonic - Obsequium 7.0 A nice Australian bm record. Temple of Rats is a good track. Counterparts - Tragedy Will Find Us 7.0 I listened to that first Ghost Inside record last time I was home in the gym constantly and really enjoyed it (or at least the first few tracks) all those years later, so I think it's safe to say I have a soft spot for melodic fitted hat hardcore still. This record is pretty solid with the riffs and I like the higher vocals, though it gets a little too breakdowny at times. I haven't listened to any of this kind of shit for a while so I think in small doses, I enjoy records like this. Black Breath - Slaves Beyond Death 7.0 A nice heavy record of you like Converge but want more hardcore than metal. Arc of Violence is a sweet bludgeoning track. Drake - If You're Reading This it's Too Late 7.0 Whereas I love Drake's LPs, IRRTITL feels and sounds like a mixtape from top to bottom. I know why it was released and an album and that makes it okay but I'm more partial to the flow and feel of his approach in album format and 40s melodies seem a little weak, and, yeah, there are some points where he sounds more like Rich Homie Quan than himself. Still enjoyable though. I listened to 10 Bands and Energy a lot. Godspeed You! Black Emperor - 'Asunder, Sweet and Other Distress' 7.0 Feels to me like godspeed went a bit jammy with this release. First track seems to float at a jam band pace while the two middle drone tracks serve as filler - good filler, but filler nonetheless. Definitely the weakest godspeed release but still very strong with the songs feeling like a build up to very good closer Piss Crowns are Trebled. Death Grips - Fashion Week 7.0 This honestly sounds like Flatlanders album to experiment with a more linear approach to songwriting - time changes are almost absent, the punk aesthetic that complimented MC Ride is absent, but the arrangements are still strong and compelling. Not bad for an instrumental record meant to be played at a fashion show. I don't think I want to see Jenny Death be Ride adding his vocals to these tracks, though - they're relatively less aggressive and overall work better on their own. I don't think that's the case though, and I guess we'll see. UPDATE - it's not the instrumentals to Jenny Death Venom - From the Very Depths 7.0 What this isn't: a black metal record. What this is: a kick-your-dick-into-dogfood metal record. Venom sounds in no way lethargic or resigned after over 30 years of activity and with this record are able to prove they're still a force in the metal community. Antlers - A Gaze Into the Abyss 7.0 P good atmospheric bm. But not The Antlers. Akitsa - Gran tyrans 7.0 Quebec band takes the a bit from each approach offered within Les Legions Noir, adds a bit of its own flavor with heavy punk/oi influence, cooks up a nice record. Joanna Gruesome - Peanut Butter 7.0 Veronica Falls with teeth or Perfect Pussy with less noise. I don't fancy it as much as Weird Sister but still a nice 22-minute record. Panda Bear - Panda Bear vs. The Grim Reaper 7.0 Super dense. Listened ten times and still don't know if I can pick through it but plenty of things about it interest me. Let me come back to this. Misþyrming - Söngvar elds og óreiðu 7.0 Not as keen on this as many are, but a nice, hectic, wall-of-sound bm approach with some dark ambient passages that fit nicely from the Icelandic band. Crypt Sermon - Out of the Garden 7.0 Heavy hitting, slow paced doom riffs meet with theatric clean vocals to make a nice traditional doom record. I'm historically not really into this kind of sound but these guys manage to pull it off without the approach sounding mismatched. Good shit. Punch Brothers - Phosphorescent Blues 7.0 Nice progressive bluegrass record. Plenty of banjo shredding, some nice instrumental passages, strong melodies. My Oh My is very good. G.L.O.S.S. - DEMO 7.0 Some nice quick hardcore jams here that I didn't expect to enjoy as much as I did. Also a very important band in the punk scene right now. Whirr fucked up. Gorgoroth - Instinctus Beastialis 7.0 Honestly, a bit samey and surprisingly super short at just over 30 minutes. I'm also more partial to a higher pitched vocal approach with these dudes as opposed to that of the new Serbian vocalist. But it's still a Gorgoroth record, and it's still Infernus. Abigail Williams - The Accuser 7.0 Remember that shitty metalcore band with a shitton of synth that pretended to make black metal when you were 15? They actually made a pretty good atmospheric black metal album in 2015! Ceremony - The L-shaped Man 7.0 The powerviolence to post-punk anamorphis is complete and yeah, Ross sounds like Ian Curtis. Other than that, a solid effort that gives off dark Protomartyr-esque vibes. Mefitic - Woes of Mortal Devotion 7.0 Bestial black metal is very iffy for me but I do dig some of it once in a while after listening to shitton of screeching, and this record scratches my itch for that. Some great riffs and very deep demon vocals from the Italian band make this an enjoyable listen that doesn't overstay its welcome. Adele - 25 7.0 Feel like, at times, Adele takes a similar approach to what Florence did this year - scale back the big notes and let the songs speak for themselves. Nice pallet of approaches here: classic ballads but not too many (Hello is okay), some more upbeat tracks (even if Send Your Love sounds kinda like a cheerleader song), nice percussion section in I Miss You, groovy guitar-driven tracks (esp Water Under the Bridge). My favorite from Adele so far. Beach Slang - The Things We Do to Find People Who Feel Like Us 7.0 Sophomorish and pop-punky, but something about the tone and some of the hooks doesn't allow me to dislike this record. The appeal is limited, but it's there. Chelsea Wolfe - Abyss 7.0 The best Chelsea Wolfe album, and, yet, still, simply, a Chelsea Wolfe album. Okay Not Bad Metz - II 6.9 If you liked Metz's first one you'll like this. If you like noisy punk music with heavy riffs and pounding drums you'll like this. If you don't like those things you won't like this. Okay goodbye Minsk - The Crash and the Draw 6.9 You know, I listened to this atmospheric sludge record a lot this year and waited to fall in love with it but I found it difficult. Sure, I dig some of the riffage and the vocals, but being honest, there isn't much variety for 76 minutes on 11 songs here, and I don't think I could pick out a song on this record besides The Way is Through (which is pretty). I want to love this record but the truth is it's a rather uniform wall of sound and so dense that it becomes difficult to truly appreciate it. I recommend checking it out though; maybe it's just me. Slidhr - Spit of the Apostate 6.9 A nice little EP here of hard-hitting, dark, doom-infused bm. Loving some of the ideas and will keep my eyes open for a full length from these dudes. Slægt - Beautiful and Damned 6.9 Nice little thrashy-bm EP here, but much different from their previous, Darkthrone-esque work. The Negation - Memento Mori 6.9 Some pretty good Italian BM, though not as memorable as many other releases this year. Witchprayer - Devil Worship Prayers 6.9 A nice four song selection of fast bm here. Nice riffs. Football, etc. - Disappear EP 6.9 Not my favorite material from the band, but nice enough songs from a group I love. In the vein of Everyone Asked About You, Rainer Maria. Aegrus - Devotion for the Devil 6.9 Nice Finnish bm, it's good, I like it, alright Alda - Passage 6.9 I wanted to like it more, but still enjoyed this Cascadian bm record which features a beautiful acoustic fifth track. Shamir - Racthet 6.9 I dig the dudes voice and songs like Vegas and Demon but could do without the quirkier shit like On the Regular where I feel like he's one of those people who call Nicki Minaj "Queen" and shit. Cool production and some nice choruses though. Circle of Ouroboros - Alttarimyllyt 6.9 The bm side is okay. The neofolk side is okay. Olde Pine - The Jawns 6.9 I feel like if this record had reached me a year or so earlier Id like it considerably more. It's an enjoyable twinkly fourth wave basement emo record and the jams are nice. It just doesn't resonate with me as much as I'd hoped. Monolord - Vænir 6.8 Pretty nice psychedelic doom record. Heavy, dreamy, but not much impact on me. Torche - Restarter 6.8 I've heard this record called stoner metal, pop-sludge and doom and I guess they all make some kind of sense. I dig the approach but some of the tracks drag for me and many lack the density I wish they had. I enjoy Minions though. Kontinuum - Kyrr 6.8 Enjoyable atmospheric, progressive post-metal vibes here from the Icelandic band, but not much to write home about besides a few really enjoyable passages. Darchon - The Stygian Black Beyond 6.8 I love the space/ambient bm approach but a lot of this feels like a less-inspired Alrakis. The last track reminds me of the last level of Final Fantasy IX and I loved that game and that level so that's chill. Goatsnake - Black Age Blues 6.8 Some nice bluesy stoner doom with great blues riffage but sometimes the whole cheeky approach and lyricism turns me off. Not bad tho. Botanist - Hammer of Botany EP 6.8 If you have listened to Botanist's material - especially his latest full length Flora - you know what to expect with this EP (hammered dulcimer, driving drums, backseat shrouded vocals) and nothing new is really offered here. I do dig this to an extent, however, because I dig Botanist. Borgne - Règne Des Mortes 6.8 Swiss atmospheric bm record that really drags on almost aimlessly at times, but Fear is a massive track. Nocternity - Harps of the Ancient Temples 6.8 Lethargic, atmospheric bm. An enjoyable enough listen but one I won't come back to too much. Every Time I Die - Salem EP 6.8 ETID has released bonus tracks with almost every one of their previous albums, so it's a bit unbecoming to see them milk these four tracks (at 9 total minutes) for a separate release. But like most of ETID's bonus tracks, these are solid, and better than many tracks on From Parts Unknown. Idolatria - Breviarium Daemonicus Idolatrorum 6.7 The more aggressive, thrashy, satanic side of bm. Relentless, filthy, and fast with an attitude. Not bad, but not entirely my bag. Purity Ring - Another Eternity 6.7 When I saw Purity Ring close out day one of Pitchfork Fest 2012 I had no idea who they are but was captivated - the pitch black darkened stage illuminated only by paper lanterns, Megan James' handheld lantern, and the mysterious paper lantern instruments that responded to Corrin Roddick's mallets by lighting up and making a crystal-esque synth sound. They managed to take the positive approaches of witch house - down-tuned vocals, trap percussion, heavy, sluggish bass - and combine them with an innocent, feminine voice and a pop approach to songwriting and create a captivating listen with Shrines. With Another Eternity, the weirdness is gone - almost all songs follow a super simple pop verse-chorus-verse approach - and it feels to me like the duo really tried to make an accessible pop record instead of a Purity Ring record. There are some huge drops in this record that give me awful Avicii vibes. I really wanted to love this record, but the best I can do is pick out portions of each song that I enjoy while the rest bores me to tears. Ophidian Coil - Death | Will | Becoming 6.7 More in the side of death influenced black metal. Plenty of solos, high-energy, thrashy bm from Serbia. Not bad. Mount Eerie - Sauna 6.7 Mount Eerie is one of those artists that is renowned all over but I just haven't connected with yet. I enjoy parts of some tracks, especially the more aggressive ones, but the more laid back, drawn-out parts don't resonate with me. Quite possibly a case of just not getting it. Pinkshinyultrablast - Everything Else Matters 6.7 Think A Sunny Day in Glasgow with less emphasis on vocals and a heavier shoegaze influence. Twinkly guitars and soft, shrouded, feminine vocals. Enjoyable listen from the Russian band. Black Howling - O Sangue e a Terra 6.6 Not a bad effort for this atmospheric bm band but the drumming is sloppy at points and not much stands out for me. Will be overshadowed by some superior efforts this year. Rorcal - La Femme sans Tête 6.6 Droney doomy bm that presents a nice atmosphere and not much else. Cattle Decapitation - The Anthropocene Extinction 6.6 These dudes can still really shred and a dig the new somewhat clean vocals, but I could do without the guttural screams and after a while the tracks blend together a lot. I'm also not a huge death metal proponent so take that for what it is. Fjorsvartnir - Mzoraxc' Forbandelse 6.6 Nice melodic bm record here with some solid female cleans and really nice emotional riffage, but a bit overshadowed by the Dynfarí record of a very similar style. Eh - Enjoyed some of it, didn't annoy me Harm's Way - Rust 6.5 Starts off strong and I love the drumming at parts but just devolves into caveman breakdown-obsessed hardcore. I don't give a shit about image (I listen to bm) but jacked frontman for straight-edge breakdown band isn't my cup of tea but maybe Kermits. VHÖL - Deeper than Sky 6.5 Alright thrashy riffage, but not my metal cup of tea. Midnight Odyssey - Shards of Silver Fade 6.5 Some nice spacey atmosphere but overall, I don't like the overuse of clean vocals, many of the tracks drag on without developing, and at times it just seems excessive. This album is 143 minutes long. Arcturus - Arcturian 6.5 Arcturus is weird and this record is weird and that's cool and all, I just really give much of shit about it. Katechon - Coronation 6.5 Really love the artwork for all of the work from these dudes, a lot, but as far as blackened death metal goes, I could take it or leave it. Pet Symmetry - Pets Hounds 6.5 First came off to me as lame wannabe emo but with time I got used to dudes voice and warmed up to the power pop guitar tone. Some nice tracks, solid hooks, but pretty sophomoric, and on the pop punk side of new emo, which never quite resonated w me. Bell Witch - Four Phantoms 6.5 Bludgeoning but only theoretically - how bludgeoning and gloomy can a record really be when it moves this slow? Maybe it's just a preference thing for me, because I've seen a lot of critics praise it. Gonna try again in 2016. Justin Bieber - Purpose 6.5 I expected a Justin Timberlake record when I should've expected a Jesse McCartney record. I really dig the singles on this record - Sorry, What Do You Mean?, I'll Show You, Don't Make Sense, The Feeling, No Pressure, and especially All in It before he inexplicably ruins the song by talking complete idiot nonsense at the end - but the other tracks are cringe-worthy swings-and-misses - Children, Life is Worth Living, and Purpose are pretty awful. But, really, why did I hype it up so much to begin with? All things considered, it's a singles record that I really do enjoy for the singles. The rest I'll pretend don't exist. Menace Beach - Ratworld 6.5 Psychedelic fuzzy garage slacker jams. If you like the vocal approach of Thee Oh Sees with the vibes of Wavves. Not bad but doesn't stand out as much as I would've liked. I dig Lowtalkin' though. Modest Mouse - Strangers to Ourselves 6.5 It's alright. Shape of Despair - Monotony Fields 6.5 Id probably get roasted for not loving this record, judging by how much this band is praised online. It's a good doom record that takes too long. Xibalba - Tierra Y Libertad 6.4 "I want an album where hardcore meets death metal but not like deathcore" well here you go. Nice solos, heavy breakdowns, the-dude-from-Throwdown-esque vocals. Just not quite my cup. California X - Nights in the Dark 6.4 Hazy, psychy slacker rock jams that are good for a listen or two but don't stick out too much to me. Black Grail - Misticismo Regresivo 6.4 Alright Chilean black metal. Some of the atmospheric synth passages are hypnotizing but otherwise, eh. Urfaust - Apparitions 6.4 Essentially a dark ambient record. Nice dark, candelabra atmosphere but tracks just seem to float rather than leave an impact. It Prevails - Perdition 6.3 When I was in high school The Inspiration was one of my favorite albums ever and the only album Id drum to cover to cover. But with my changing taste and these guys opting for the home-run clean vocal chorus in every song, the interest in these dudes has really declined for me. It's just plain predictable. Serpent Noir - Erotomysticism 6.3 Some okay occult bm. I like some of the synth and percussion use but overall somewhat forgettable. Wilco - Star Wars 6.3 A Wilco album Missa Mortvm - Et lux perpetua Luceit Eis... 6.3 Some alright deathy bm here. Ben really likes it, not really my cup though. The Body & Krieg - The Body & Krieg 6.3 Love the collabs The Body is involved in, but this one didn't leave much of an impression on me. Mamaleek - Via Dolorosa 6.2 Idk man, kind of like, they're trying to just jam around with some jazzy ass guitar and drum shit and then throw in some screaming and ambience? Am I missing something here? Some of it is okay. High on Fire - Lumniferous 6.2 Pretty heavy but I think I gotta be honest w myself and just admit I don't really care for any of this "stoner metal" shit. I also stubbed the shit out of my toe when I was listening to this the first time so that may have affected my outlook. It's bleeding everywhere. Maybe if I smoked more weed I'd like this kind of stuff better? Autre ne Veut - Age of Transparency 6.1 Look, I absolutely adore Anxiety and think it's a truly unique and underappreciated work of art, but listening to it I realized the concepts and execution walked a tightrope that succeeded so well because every mark was hit dead on. Age of Transparency feels like the counterpart to that record, where half of the marks are missed. Half the songs here feel like ideas that don't really have an endgame, and the tracks suffer from that. Whatever - Didn't Impress or Sucked Ass Soul Glo - " " 6.0 The answer to the question "who will put out the first screamo album referencing Mike Brown?" Chaotically charged and socially pertinent, but just okay and doesn't interest me much in approach or execution. ASAP Rocky - At.Long.Last.A$AP 6.0 Ive been listening to so much black metal that I'm probably not qualified to talk about hip hop right now. Lil' Wayne has a great verse on one track. I kinda enjoyed it. Thanks No Joy - More Faithful 6.0 Loved the last record from this band but this one adopts less of a wall of sound approach in favor of a more generic indie rock feel and it suffers. Hooks are less effective, backing vocals do less, nothing to write home about. Sorority Noise - Joy, Departed 6.0 I dig p much all of the slower tracks on this record but the uptempo ones are too corny in lyricism and don't do much to catch my attention, even if Art School Wannabe is straight up about me. Corrigan is a cuckhold's anthem. Miguel - Wildheart 6.0 Miguel recently said he makes better music than Frank Ocean as a response to the comparisons he has gotten to the Channel Orange penning artist. To me both of these dudes make super underwhelming RnB that only catches my attention in flashes "oh that was nice" then back to a boring ass verse or chorus. Idk man I don't give a shit, I like a beautiful exit though. I feel like people hype dudes like this up because they say Le edgy shit like "tits, clit" and shit. Okay, goodbye. Ad Hominem - Antitheist 6.0 Relatively uninteresting black n roll with song titles such as "Anus of Yahweh" and "Death & Cunt." Black Flame - The Origin of Fire 6.0 Bm that didn't catch my attention much. Lots of better shit this year hombre. Nicolas Jarr - Pomegranates 6.0 I could take it or leave it. Toro y Moi - What For? 6.0 Chaz Bundick is so worried about disconnecting himself with the term chillwave that he's pushing himself into being a rock musician. The songs here really aren't bad, but I don't feel like there's any reason to listen to them after I've finished a listen through the album. Would I have dug this a few years ago when I was hella into urban outfitters? Life is weird. Anomalie - Refugium 5.7 Wanted to like it, but ended up having no effect on me Defeater - Abandoned 5.6 Dig some of the drumming, but this record is overwrought in religious imagery and metaphor that by halfway it becomes super trite and makes me go "alright, dude."I understand that's kind of the point and what makes it such a personal record, I just, uh, I dont give a fuck, okay. Tau Cross - Tau Cross 5.5 Too much cock in my rock. Dad crust. Seventh Circle - Not Worth Saving EP 5.3 Heavy for heavy's sake. Future - DS2 5.3 I think I was hungover when I first listened to this so let me try again in 2016 Absconditus - 5.3 Eh Dood - Liberating Self-Destruction 5.2 I really wanted to like this record because the band is named Dood and there's a noose on it but it's run of the mill almost-depressive suicidal bm that doesn't commit much to a sound and suffers from it. A less ambitious Lifelover clone. The Weeknd - Beauty Behind the Madness 5.1 I truly adore the first three Weeknd mixtapes, which presented a dark, shrouded, somewhat UK garage-influenced RnB artist who kept himself hidden from the world. There was an allure to this new sound I had never heard before that was only amplified by the mystique associated with it. Abel Tesfaye started showing his face more than just once in a while. This is his pop-breakthrough, and while I'm happy for his success, this record somewhat sucks ass. It's not a Weeknd record - it's an Abel Tesfaye: Pop Star record. Because of the cloak and the darker instrumental approach to his music, the dude used to be able to get away with lazy lyricism but now "everybody fuckin everybody fuckin" elicits the cringes it probably should have years ago. This album can be summed up accurately by Tesfaye literally saying "I'm that nigga with the hair singin bout fuckin bitches, poppin pills, living life so trill." Thanks for letting us know bitch. I don't even know what the appeal is to a song like The Hills (which, no bullshit, plays when you use the new Weeknd vape, and is just a shittier version of Thursday), but I do dig the beautiful Amharic outro, and wish more of the record sounded like that. Often and Acquainted are strong tracks that sound like actual Weeknd songs and I enjoy them very much, and I'm a big fan of Earned it. That's enough to make me not despise this effort, but it feels forced. Black Cascade - Mirkwood 5.0 Gonna assume the dudes behind this band are kids since the band is named after a WITTR album and they have a song with a Twin Peaks clip in which they scream "fire walk with me" a bunch. Not good. Death Cab for Cutie - Kintsugi 5.0 Something About Airplanes is a great record because of its brooding, angry disappointment and juxtaposition of sparse yet powerful instrumentation with Ben Gibbard's voice and lyricism adjacent to it. Transatlanticism and Plans managed to resonate with a larger audience while still being great because of the believable conviction that Gibbard's vocals delivered, strengthened by the emotional guitar and piano parts. Now, it just feels like all that has vanished - there's no conviction in Gibbard's going-through-the-motions vocal delivery, the instrumental arrangements though catchy at times just float there, and the last two records really seem like solo efforts, and poor ones that pale to their artist's groupwork at that. It's a bummer, man, because I know this band is capable of so much more. Tobias Jesso Jr. - Goon 5.0 At times I dig this dude's arrangements and songwriting and at others he seriously sounds like the motherfucker who sang the Toy Story songs. It's overly cutesy, kitsch shit that you might dig if you really like turtlenecks and ankle bracelets. Once the dude started going "oh bay-buh bay-buh bay-buuuuh" I was out. Between the Buried and Me - Coma Ecliptica 5.0 Ever since Colors this band has bored the shit out of me. Too much effort trying to shift into a focus on cleansing being proggy and not enough effort writing captivating tracks. Maybe I just don't love the whole prog metal sound. Not for me. I am sorry. "This shit literally sounds like circus music" -stupidasscody Refused - Freedom 5.0 I've lost that loving feeling Dysthymia - In the Darkness Again 5.0 Some depressed dude makes some run of the mill DSBM and noodles around on his Casio. Sheidim - Sheidim 5.0 Two song noisy bestial black metal demo. If you dig that shit you'll like it. Didn't do much for me. Passion Pit - Kindred 5.0 Honestly, I'm glad I gave this record a proper spin with phones because it uncovers some somewhat pleasant layers of synth and otherwise I would've despised this. I loved Manners and its playful shyness helped pass off the infectious pop melodies and falsettos but at this point it feels like this band isn't going for song structure and is just trying to make music for children. Cheap melodies. Let's Go is a bullshit song. FIDLAR - Too 4.9 Sober barely beats Passion Pit's Let's Go for Most Egregious Song of 2015. Belle & Sebastian - Girls in Peacetime Want to Dance 4.5 I really enjoy this band's earliest records but I don't connect with much in this album. The hooks and vocals are weak and arrangements seem rather lazy. Whereas the first two records have an earnest, undeniable charm to them, the songs here just float around almost characterlessly. Snoozefest - at least for me. Pile of Napkins - shitty music EP 4.0 Shitty music ep Deerhunter - Fading Frontier 3.9 Everything Bradford Cox makes is so stupid. Danzig - Skeletons 2.0 Would be better if Danzig just sang about taking a shit the entire time. I'm still not sure about these, and will try again in 2016 Death Grips - Jenny Death Beach House - Thank Your Lucky Stars Kendrick Lamar - To Pimp a Butterfly Sun Kil Moon - Universal Themes Alex G - Beach Music Arca - Mutant The World is a Beautiful Place - Harmlessness Deafheaven - New Bermuda

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Hysterical Light: On Sufjan Stevens' Carrie and Lowell

I guess it’s interesting, really, how many different reactions the death of a loved one can elicit. Some go into hiding and search within themselves, others pledge to love the world twice as much as ever before, and some still are stoic, unable to express or simply too numb to feel. Throughout his expansive musical career, Sufjan Stevens has written quiet indie-folk songs about stories found in the Bible, embarked on a mission to create Americana records filled with horn and windward flourishes about all fifty states (he finished 2 before scrapping the idea), scored and conducted an entire orchestral album about a motor traffic-cursed expressway, and masterminded a folktronica epic inspired by the apocalyptic artwork of a schizophrenic artist. He has gone on stage with an entire backing orchestra, wearing anything from a Boy Scout uniform with wings to a light up jumpsuit with bigger wings and softer feathers. As a fan of all of Stevens’ work, I have met much opposition to his approach from peers and mentors - he was a child with ideas too big, insincere in his approach, or simply annoying in his pretension. I loved all of the art, but I got it. 

When we heard from Stevens’ last, he was touring around songs with space themes - most named after planets - with an enormous backdrop of the solar system, looking as if he was once again reaching for even bigger subjects to write about. When the death of his mother struck, he disappeared for a while, and, though concerned, everyone wondered if we’d ever actually see material from him again. After months of grief, reflection, self-discovery, and eventual acceptance, what Stevens quietly and politely offered the world - after taking so much inspiration from it - was a piece of himself - 2015’s best and most honest record, Carrie and Lowell.

Though named for both Stevens’ mother and stepfather, there is no mistaking that this record focuses on the tumultuous relationship Stevens had with his mother, whom he had always grown to call by her first name. She had abandoned him and his siblings as a child and struggled with substance abuse throughout her son’s life, giving him more than enough reasons to harbor nothing but malice for their relationship. Instead, this record is filled with dedication to finding reasons to love and the insatiable hunger for maternal affection. Gone are the bursting geysers and foreign blips of Adz, the bombastic horn fanfare of Illinoise, the fluttering flutes of Michigan that had encompassed the very sound of Sufjan Stevens for so long. Gone is the talk of Vesuvius, Superman, buildings in Chicago. Abraham Lincoln, Djoriaha, and Royal Robertson are nowhere to be found here. Accompanied by minimal background instrumentation, this record is Sufjan with his guitar, and if he needs to harmonize, he’ll harmonize with himself. This isn’t a record about America or space or avant-garde art; this is a record about Sufjan Stevens. In an interview earlier this year with Ryan Dombal of Pitchfork, Sufjan offered this with no frills: “This isn’t my art project. This is my life.”

It would be impossible to suggest anything otherwise. Songs contain references to summers away in Oregon, being left by a mother at a video store, contemplative suicide in the bathtub of a Holiday Inn, having your first name confused with a Japanese automobile maker - these are subjects only Stevens can sing about and mean it. But what truly makes this fit right in as a Sufjan record is the troublesome relationship the artist has with God - fighting for a reason to believe in anything as a form of solace is what eventually saves Stevens from ending his own life in that hotel he’s thought about so much, though it’s clear in his delivery that his belief could very well be completely unfounded. That’s enough for him, and at times, it’s the only thing.

Beyond the heart-wrenching narrative, deeply personal storytelling, and whispery delivery, what makes this record the definitive Sufjan Stevens offering is its honesty. In “Fourth of July”, Stevens has a one-way dialogue with his recently deceased mother. The death of someone close to us can bring out the most painful soul-searching realizations, and oftentimes, there’s no art to what we think or feel. Sometimes dressing things up in superfluous frills can reduce the impact of a feeling. Sometimes there’s nothing more visceral and real than the realization that “we’re all gonna die.”

Elliott Smith has been gone for over twelve years now, and I frequently find myself reading and thinking about him. Though many have told similar stories, no artist I’ve heard in the twelve years since Elliott’s death has even reminded me of him. In listening to Carrie and Lowell, I can’t help but to think Stevens’ latest offering is the closest thing we’ve got, and not due to a desire to emulate, but due to a desire to let the art be what it is and lay everything on the table bare. After all, Carrie and Lowell is essentially 44 minutes of Smith’s most bare-bones and personal confession: “I’m never gonna know you now, but I’m gonna love you, anyhow.”

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Oval-shaped knot in wood resembling E.T

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Bee infestation in a back porch ceiling

Photo credit: Richard Burkhart/Savannah Morning News

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White Lung @ SXSW.

(Photo credit: Erez Avissar)