Contact CU Independent Entertainment Writer Thomas Roller at thomas.roller@colorado.edu.
Well, friends and neighbors, 2015 has come to an end, and it’s time to celebrate the passing of yet another trip around the sun (and around my new column, which you are currently reading and should probably catch up on). I’d like to talk about the best album and EP releases from the last year, so let’s get into it with number 10.
10. CES Cru – Recession Proof (EP)
Ever since this duo got signed to Tech N9ne’s Strange Music label in 2011, they’ve been providing more than adequate proof that they deserve to be vassals under the lord of independent rap. Recession Proof is another solid entry in the CES catalogue. The playful back-and-forth between the two MCs, Ubiquitous and Godemis, is as entertaining as ever, and the wordplay is still some of the best in the rap game. Here’s to hoping for another full-length release from these guys in 2016. Listen
9. Ghost – Meliora
I’ve covered Swedish doom rock luminaries Ghost before. Namely, how they totally crushed it on their Oct. 17 show in Denver. Before this year, my interest in Ghost was fairly limited. I felt their second album, Infestassumam, while very competently arranged and atmospheric, lacked teeth. Well, Meliora was a titanic improvement on all fronts, cranking up the production quality and atmosphere and adding that much-needed panache. If for no other reason, Ghost deserves to be on this list for making such a massive improvement in their sound. Listen
8. Melanie Martinez – Cry Baby
Have you ever listened to a pop tune and thought it was too upbeat? Then Melanie Martinez is your woman. This album blew up in 2015, and for good reason. Behind the pop music veneer that Martinez erects lies songwriting that deals with weighty topics like emotional torment, infidelity and many other situations guaranteed to make you depressed on a fundamental level. So, good times all around! The soul-stomping lyrics are juxtaposed against lilting, carnivalesque backing tracks, which only twists the knife. This album is a wild ride. Listen
7. Apathy – Weekend at the Cape (EP)
The King of Connecticut came back in 2015 with a direct sequel to 2014’s full-length release Connecticut Casual, which was one of my favorite rap records of 2014. Ap’s always had a talent for production, but Connecticut Casual seemed to mark a new evolution in his beats, and Weekend at the Cape shows a continuation of that evolution. The centerpiece track of this EP, “How to Breathe Underwater,” is just one such example. Apathy’s storytelling is also sharper than ever, and this EP leaves me absolutely hyped for his Widow’s Son and Perestroika albums to be released later this year. Listen
6. Lianne La Havas – Blood
It’s a slippery slope for a critic to use overworked descriptors like “beautiful” when talking about an album, but Lianne La Havas’ Blood is, plain and simple, a beautiful album. The singer-songwriter mixes traditional pop elements with folk and Jamaican dancehall influences, creating a sumptuous palette of sounds that combine seamlessly with her lyrics, which discuss love, family and her experiences around the world. At times this album hits a sweet spot, evoking a sense of childhood innocence and timeless nostalgia that will warm the heart of the Grinchiest music snob to ever write a Top 10 column for a college newspaper. Listen
5. Chelsea Wolfe – Abyss
In stark contrast to the lightness of Blood, this album from one of the scariest women in music is a study in unforgiving darkness. There are no moments of levity on this album. It merely bounces back and forth between different flavors of terror. From the crushing, oppressive loudness of tracks like “Carrion Flowers” and “Iron Moon” to quieter, more insidious songs like “Survive,” Abyss is just that — an abyss, a sonic black hole. It’s a night walk through a haunted forest. It’s gripping the hand of a banshee and letting her walk you into impenetrable fog. An incredible experience, and an excellent addition to your Halloween playlist from now on. Listen
4. Kendrick Lamar – To Pimp a Butterfly
If I didn’t include this album on my Top 10, I’m pretty sure I’d get a fair amount of hate mail. To say this was one of the most socially significant rap records of the year and maybe even the decade would be an understatement. Kendrick Lamar has built on the very sturdy foundation he laid down with 2012’s good kid, m.A.A.d. city, but where that album told the story of a single young boy’s night in Compton, To Pimp a Butterfly tells a much larger tale of what it means to be black in America, covering topics like institutionalized racism, sex, hip-hop culture and ultimately self-actualization. This is Lamar’s masterstroke, his grand thesis, and it’s cemented his place in hip-hop history as one of the greats. Listen
3. High on Fire – Luminiferous
I’m very thankful that this year I got to hear a new release from one of the premier heavy metal bands — emphasis on “heavy.” Eye-poppingly, spine-bendingly, muscle-bustingly heavy. This album starts out strong and only improves from there. From the thunderous opener “The Black Plot” and the mercurial “Slave the Hive” to slower, more introspective moments such as on “The Falconist,” High on Fire has proven that the newfound sobriety of frontman Matt Pike has not denigrated the quality of the band’s sound. Quite the opposite, in fact. If you only take one of my recommendations from this year’s list, make it Luminiferous. Listen
2. Czarface – Every Hero needs a Villain
If this were just a “Top 10 Rap Releases” list, Every Hero needs a Villain would absolutely be at the top of it. But it’s not, so the number two spot will have to do. Featuring Inspectah Deck of the Wu-Tang Clan and Esoteric on the mic, and 7L handling production, this album was definitely one of my most replayed records in 2015. Ruthless, clever and backed by comic book-esque, yet unforgivably gritty beats, Every Hero Needs a Villain creates a standard that, in a perfect world, every rapper would aspire to. Listen
1. Clutch – Psychic Warfare
Oh look, my favorite band takes the top spot. Who could have seen that coming? Probably anyone who knows me, or anyone who saw that I drooled all over this album in my review of it or that I interviewed their drummer. In all seriousness, Clutch absolutely deserves the top spot this year. No other artist created an album that was so tight and cohesive. The music itself, pleasingly crunchy while still being accessible to a wide audience, is a showcase of how the band has matured and aged like fine wine throughout the course of its career. Listen
Did you listen to any of these albums? Did you enjoy them? Did I leave something out? Let me know by email or in the comments!
