Top 50 Albums of 2015

#50 Empress Of - Me // Art Pop

I don’t have a whole lot to say about this album. I mean, look, Me is a good, solid pop record, but it’s nothing to write home about. It’s barely clocking in to the list. I enjoyed it enough to listen the whole way through. The hooks are decent and some of the instrumentals are genuinely gripping. For the most part, though, Me is just pretty decent.

Favorite Tracks: Everything Is You, Water Water, Standard, How Do You Do It, Kitty Kat, Need Myself, Make Up, Icon

Least Favorite Track: Threat

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#49 Blackalicious - Imani, Vol. 1 // Conscious Hip-Hop

Decent conscious hip-hop.

Favorite Tracks: Blacka, Ashes to Ashes, On Fire Tonight, The Sun, That Night, We Did It Again, Twist Of Time, The Blowup, Alpha and Omega

Least Favorite Track: Escape

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#48 Little Simz - A Curious Tale of Trials + Persons // UK Hip-Hop

It’s interesting to see what is, in essence, the origin story of one of the greatest modern rappers; Little Simz. It’s crazy to think she made A Curious Tale at only 21 years old. I’m 19 and I’m still getting B’s on my college courses. On the record, she proclaims her royalty with unwavering confidence and boldness, and her performance across the record doesn’t leave much of anything to be desired. My issues with the album lie with the mixing (yeah, I know it’s early in her career, but it’s still an issue) and the production, which to me, doesn’t have any clear or coherent identity. Despite these flaws, Simz’s talent is on full display across this early record.

Favorite Tracks: Persons, Wings, Tainted, Gratitude, God Bless Mary, Dead Body, This Is Not An Outro

Least Favorite Track: Fallen

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#47 CZARFACE - Every Hero Needs a Villain // Old School Hip-Hop

Every Hero Needs a Villain pairs the art of hip-hop and the art of comic books exceptionally well. If you like MF DOOM, you’ll like what Inspectah Deck (yes, of Wu-Tang fame), 7L and Esoteric cook up on this fat fucking batch of hardcore hip-hop. This one’s for the nerds. I feel like the album runs a little too long, but I don’t think a single one of these beats miss. They’re the right balance of zany and catchy, and even when the raps aren’t memorable, the instrumentals are there to pick up the slack.

Favorite Tracks: Czartacus, Nightcrawler, World Premier, The Great, Junkyard Dogs, Sgt. Slaughter, Deadly Class, Good Villains Go Last

Least Favorite Track: Escape From Czarkham Asylum

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#46 Locksmith - Lofty Goals // Lyrical Hip-Hop

Locksmith is one of my favorite lyricists from the underground conscious scene, but unfortunately his beat selection can often be hit or miss. Lofty Goals is one of those cases where the beats are carried by the rapper and not vice versa. Locksmith spits his goddamn heart out on the album, only occasionally beating the listener over the head with syllables. Sure, he’s a little self-important and self-righteous, but Locksmith’s charisma never fails to impress. His voice is full of conviction and vulnerability, which, to me, offsets any preachiness his conscious verses might exude. Again, though, the melodramatic beats are gonna make you roll your eyes. My advice is to go into the album for the lyrics, which are pretty easy for the average raphead to understand, but still pack a goddamn punch.

Favorite Tracks: Lessons, Careful, Boxes, Blinded, Tell Me Shit, Open Doors, Sure As Can Be, Plot Line, The Love, American Beauty

Least Favorite Track: 10KONDRMS

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#45 Sufjan Stevens - Carrie & Lowell // Chamber Folk

I’m sure I’ll definitely get shit from people for putting this so low, but before I go into my critique, I don’t hate this album. I like most of the songs, I think the instrumentation is pretty, and the songwriting is solid. I listened to more than 150 albums to create this list, and it made the top 50. So it’s a good album. But unfortunately, it’s good in the same sense that a light autumn breeze is good. As much as I wish it would hit me the same way it does so many other people, it doesn’t. The thing is, songs about mothers almost never fail at bringing out the waterworks. Yet, to me, the entire record feels like one long wind chime. Sure, it’s got a certain melancholic quality to it that’ll keep me listening, but I’m never feeling anything more than “oh, that’s nice.” To me, Carrie & Lowell isn’t even close to being in Sufjan’s top 5. But it says a lot about him as an artist that even my least favorite project of his still cracks my top 50.

Favorite Tracks: Death with Dignity, Should Have Known Better, Drawn to the Blood, Eugene, Fourth of July, Carrie & Lowell, Blue Bucket of Gold

Least Favorite Track: All of Me Wants All of You

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#44 Speedy Ortiz - Foil Deer

Foil Deer is a perfectly serviceable indie rock record. It’s slightly more ferocious than your average indie rock album, but at the end of the day, it’s not going as crazy as your favorite indie punk band. I actually don’t have that many thoughts on Foil Deer besides; check it out if you like anything I just described.

Favorite Tracks: Raising the Skate, The Graduates, Dot X, Puffer, My Dead Girl, Ginger, Mister Difficult

Least Favorite Track: Swell Content