Alex G
Beach Music (Domino)
Every review or article I've read about Alex G since the release of last year's excellent DSU features the same smattering of vague descriptors one might decipher as praise; prodigy, bedroom, Philly, Elliott Smith, eclectic, etc. Sure, these terms all apply to varying degrees, but they do little to describe the sonic pallet the 22 year old Havertown native utilizes on his Domino debut. Beach Music is, quite simply, its own animal. I could grab my copy of David Byrne's How Music Works and write a dissertation on this record, but it still wouldn't adequately depict anything. This is why we have ears, and this is an album that cannot be summed up by Pitchfork.
Highlights: Kicker, Mud, Brite Boy
Cloakroom
Further Out (Run For Cover)
Cloakroom's follow-up to their excellent debut Infinity is an absolutely mammoth mothefucker. This midwest trio borrows more from 90's era "slowcore" (think Bedhead or Codeine) than the now beaten-to-death shoegaze misnomer they've been tagged with. The bass tone on this record is absolutely flawless and, coupled with a percussionist dead set on putting his entire fist through his snare drum, drives Further Out's 10 tracks while Grown Up's alum Doyle Martin croons tales of witchcraft, the moon, and the power of the leaf in a tone that would likely have David Bazan confused and looking in the mirror to make sure it wasn't coming from his own mouth.
Highlights: Outta Spite, Moon Funeral, Paperweight
Title Fight
Hyperview (Anti-)
Anyone that has followed the trajectory of this Kingston quartet shouldn't be surprised by the so-called "drastic" sonic shift Title Fight displays on their third LP. This album is going to inspire a legion of bands to trade their flannel t-shirts and Dan Yemin records for a chorus pedal and Jesus and Mary Chain LP. Hyperview impresses on multiple fronts; at its best, tracks like Rose of Sharon exemplify the same urgency as any standout from Floral Green or Shed while managing to achieve a new level of audial dynamic and vulnerability. This is hardcore?
Highlights: Rose of Sharon, Chlorine, New Vision
Air Formation
Were We Ever Here (Club AC30)
2014 was the year of the shoegaze revival; Slowdive reunited, Nothing sold more merch than Wawa did hoagies, and I finally convinced my friends to play songs with me through a bunch of DD4 pedals. 2015, in contrast, was mostly a year of inevitable backlash. Whirr pissed off the entire internet (and, according to most, were never even good, bro) and most of the new bands that popped up in the wake of Guilty of Everything (including the band that made it) disowned the title and started writing Smashing Pumpkins b-sides. Lost in the shuffle, unfortunately, was the reformation and new EP from UK legends Air Formation, a group so criminally underrated that I don't believe they've ever even stepped foot on US soil. Were We Ever Here is as beautiful as it is brief and serves as a nice foot note to an excellent discography. Fans of Souvlaki-era Slowdive and Lush should be all over this.
Highlights: I Could Stay, The Wasted Days
Earl Sweatshirt
I Don't Like Shit, I Don't Go Outside (Tan Cressida/Columbia)
Simply put, Earl Sweatshirt has come a long way from the cringe-worthy shock rap of his teenage years as a member of the infamous Odd Future collective, while managing to capitalize and improve upon the potential shown within the group's first releases. I Don't Like Shit is a sparse look into the mind of a 20-something, and it plays as depressing as it does enthralling. This record oozes with equal parts pun and mommy issues, yet the self-depreciation doesn't sound contrived. Earl is an interesting anomaly within the present day rap game; this kid is either going to become the next Nas, or in a worst case scenario, the next Kid Cudi.
Highlights: Faucet, Wool, Grief
Rivers of Nihil-Monarchy (Metal Blade)
Rivers of Nihil's sophomore release for Metal Blade, to put it bluntly, will fucking devastate you. As heavy and musically proficient as any of their peers, the Reading, PA based quintet have managed to up the ante in every conceivable way the second time around, crafting a truly progressive and captivating album in a genre that considers the mere discovery of a clean channel to be innovative. Guitarist Brody Utley isn't afraid to let his various virtuosic influences show here; the record's second half shows strong shades of Steven Wilson and David Gilmour while still remaining cohesive to the whole piece. Jake Dieffenbach's vocals sacrifice no intensity in their annunciation, and Adam Biggs gives credence to the concept of a lead bass guitarist. Monarchy features the heaviest and catchiest material the group has recorded to date.
Highlights: Monarchy, Perpetual Growth Machine, Terrestria II: Thrive
Pears
Letters to Memaw (Fat Wreck Chords)
It only took Pears 4 minutes and 7 inches of wax to outdo every other punk record of 2015.
Action Bronson
Mr. Wonderful (Atlantic)
Action Bronson's persona is, admittedly, perhaps the best explanation for his career's meteoric rise, but that isn't to say his musical output hasn't been commendable. Known for his flat out ridiculous subject matter, Bronson's first proper full length sees the Fuck, That's Delicious star shed his reputation as simply a mixtape rapper. Mr. Wonderful is one of the most cohesive records of the year, in any genre. Tracks like Falconry and Only in America are certified lyrical bangers, but it's the combination of interlude Thug Love Story 2017 and standout City Boy Blues that give the album its identity as the year's best soulful hip hop record.
(Yes, I heard To Pimp a Butterfly. It's a wonderful album on every album of the year list, and I don't feel the need to write about it.)
Highlights: City Boy Blues, Baby Blue, Easy Rider
