Now that I am a manager at my work place, all the times that I used to spend listening to albums is now spent listening to other people on conference calls using words like “align”, “prioritize” and referring to people as “resources” rather then as actual people. So long story short, once again, I was not able to get through the amount of albums I had in previous years, and I see this as a trend that will only continue as I advance in age. Are the golden days over? I don’t know. Maybe I will hire someone to represent me in meetings and give me Cole’s notes on them. Time will tell.
Still, I was able to listen to a few albums this year. Here are some of my favorites.
Wolf Alice – My Love is Cool
Somehow I managed to miss both their shows this year, but the UK band had an exceptional effort this year with My Love is Cool, proving that rock isn’t dead. No one ever said rock is dead, but that line sounded particularly cool in my head. Bros might be one of my favorite songs of the year.
Here is a performance of them on James Corden, for some reason
Happyness – Weird Little Birthday
A band definitely inspired by Pavement, Happyness’s original release was in 2014, but it was the re-release that I heard. So take that, nerds. According to last.fm, this was my most listened to album of the year. It’s laid back spaced out vibe appealed to my late night listening sessions. Happyness also had the funniest line of banter at a show this year. One of the members said “I think I have most kissable cheeks in the band, who you think has the second?” to which the other member of the band (there are three) replied “I can’t really do my own, can I?”. Those clever Brits.
Jamie XX – In Colour
This album is so good. It’s got everything, moody XX type ballads, dance floor tracks and also, Good Times, one of the tracks of the summer. What can’t this guy do? He should still make a third XX album though.
Blur – Magic Whip
Oasis may have won the battle, but Blur definitely won the war. The band keeps on reinventing themselves time after time and the decade long hiatus definitely didn’t stop the band’s creative juices. This album was also made in my home town of Hong Kong, which is a bonus. Damon Albarn has got to be one of the greatest musical forces to come along, this is the man responsible for songs like Parklife, Boys and Girls, Song 2, Tender and On Melancholy Hill. So different, yet all so good.
Chvrches – Every Eye Open
Chvrches proves their debut record was no fluke, releasing yet another album filled with single worthy tracks. Not much has changed in the Chvrches formula, but why change it? It works. The guy shouldn’t sing though. I dunno why he does.
Sufjan Stevens – Carrie & Lowell
Sufjan comes out with yet another album where I listen to the album in it’s entirety most of the time and couldn’t name you one single song off of it. I probably can’t even pick it out of a box if I had to. Yet, this album was his best work since Illinoise, which is one of my favorite albums of all time.
Disclosure – Caracal
I still think the best work Disclosure did this year was the cover of Hotline Bling with Sam Smith. Still, their sophomore album continue the 90s dancefloor revival that their debut album had. Only, this time, they have upgraded Alunageorge and Eliza Doolittle to the likes of the Weeknd and Lorde. In other words, they gone big. Their third album might feature Obama and Celine Dion. I believe they are on the right course, which is, the Calvin Harris trajectory. I don’t know which one of them will date Taylor Swift though.
Wilco – Star Wars
Star Wars branding has gone too far. Even Wilco made an album about the film. Star Wars Star Wars Star Wars. I’m just typing this in a desperate attempt at getting some SEO. I wish I had listened to this album before their Pitchfork show, but considering they dropped the album one day prior, that was an impossibility. Still, any year with a Wilco album is a good year.
Courtney Barnett – that album with the long title
So good. Watching Courtney Barnett develop from up and coming talent to an unstoppable force is like watching a team you like draft a prospect and seeing them turn into a star. While Courtney Barnett is not a “star” just yet, this album is very good start, much like a good rookie season. No more sports analogies I promise.
I’m too lazy to write about more albums, but i’ll do word association with them like those shitty interviewers do on tv.
Mikal Cronin new album – “splendid”
Django Django album #2 – “delightful”
Leon Bridges debut “retroish”
Young Fathers’s 2015 album – “unique”
Richard Hawley’s one – “pleasantown”
Tame Impala’s – “wonderful”
Yay.
