Best Albums of 2015

1a. Grimes, ‘Art Angels’
Wow. Sounding like an joyously pensive fairy lost in life’s forest, Grimes wrote, recorded and delivered a hauntingly thrilling, wholly insightful powerhouse of an album. ‘Art Angels’ is pure, raw beauty.

2. Benjamin Clementine, ‘At Least For Now’
I’ve never heard anyone like Benjamin Clementine. The piano playing, ballad-singing poet pours his soul into every track and it is impossible not to feel it, to be consumed by it. Treat yourself.

3. Courtney Barnett, ‘Sometimes I Sit and Think, And Sometimes I Just Sit’
Much like Kurt Vile, Barnett’s songs are chock-full of hilarious yet completely coherent rambling that is as clever as it is accessible.

4. Vince Staples, ‘Summertime ’06’
What. A. Debut! In just his first album, Staples simply unloads with 20 momentum-building tracks that refuse to stop. The former gang-banger from Long Beach has an impossibly bright future.

5. Torres, ‘Sprinter’
Great from start to finish, Torres sings like a tornado trapped in a blizzard, seemingly quiet but oh so powerful. Every word, every line is teeming with an urgency that few singers can match.

6. Kurt Vile, ‘i b’lieve i’m going down’
I must admit I have a love-hate relationship with Vile, but I have nothing but love for this entire album. So, there is nothing to do but sit down with a PBR and enjoy the jokes the Vile let listeners in on.

Favorite tracks: Pretty Pimpin, Life Like This, All in a Daze Work
Favorite lyric: “Baby try playing, that’s all I really ever wanna do.”

7. Marina and the Diamonds, ‘Froot’
Quite easily the album I’ve listened to the most this year, ‘Froot’ is simply goooood music that is just damn catchy. Marina’s playful yet melancholy fueled album is an under-appreciated gem.

8. Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats, ‘Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats’
My man Benny introduced me to this album and for that I owe him. The album plays like a gently rolling train that is never gonna stop.

9. Kendrick Lamar, ‘To Pimp A Butterfly’
How could President Obama’s favorite album this year not make the top 10? But seriously, Kendrick is the voice of hip hop that continues to inspire as he spits lyrics on empowerment and the ills of society. Preach!

10. Leon Bridges, ‘Coming Home’
With a sound that feels straight of the 1960s, Bridges delivered the soul album I never knew I wanted. Now all I want is more, even if that means I have to swim the Mississippi River.

11. Sufjan Stevens, ‘Carrie & Lowell’
Easily the most painful, yet wonderfully hopeful album of the year. Sufjan’s ability to turn deep heartache into satisfying beauty is truly everyone’s gain, and for that we need to be grateful.

12. Blur, ‘The Magic Whip’
For the band that (thankfully) won’t die, Blur again reunited to deliver their best album since 1997. Led by the genius that is Damon Albarn, this throwback album is deeply satisfying.

13. Muse, ‘Drones’
Muse is back, baby! Complete with a not so subtle anti-war message, and a heavy, gritty sound akin to previous albums like ‘Showbiz’ and ‘Origin of Symmetry,’ ‘Drones’ is a welcome return to rock.

14. Patrick Watson, ‘Love Songs for Robots’
Though I can’t fully explain why, listening to Patrick Watson makes me feel like the kid in ‘Where the Wild Things Are.’ All I imagine is running off wildly and dangerously free. Won’t you join me?

15. Adele, ’25’
One singer to rule them all. Adele is a true icon with a voice for days and her third album is just the powerhouse I, you, we, everyone hoped it would be. As J-Lo says, her voice gives me “goosies” all over. Chilling.

16. Ryan Adams, ‘1989’
Maybe I’d feel differently about this record if I hadn’t enjoyed the Taylor Swift original, though I loved this version more. It takes a true master to completely own such widely known material and Ryan Adams has.

17. EL VY, ‘Return to the Moon’
As a major fan of The National’s Matt Berninger, I couldn’t help but be enamored by his more playful side as part of EL VY. That incredible voice is beautifully on display on this instantly memorable album.

18. Low, ‘Ones and Sixes’
Slowcore at its absolute best. Like a slow rolling fog, this surprisingly intimate album slowly envelopes listeners and darn if it isn’t beautiful. In ‘Ones and Sixes,’ Low has delivered an absolute high.

19. Chvrches, ‘Every Open Eye’
Music that is fun, happy and interesting will never go out of style, hence my love of Chvrches. The soulful electronic sound always brightens up my day and causes me to dance, even if someone is watching.

20. The Weeknd, ‘Beauty Behind the Madness’
My love affair with our generation’s Michael Jackson began with the ‘Trilogy’ album. That voice, those crescendo-ing beats, that hair, it’s everything I want from an artist. Now I just want more, always more.

21. Beach House, ‘Depression Cherry’
So ‘Bloom’ this album is not, but that shouldn’t take away from yet another highly enjoyable, beautifully delicate album from the always impressive, dreamy and hypnotic Beach House.

22. Alabama Shakes, ‘Sound & Color’
I have to be honest, ‘Sound & Color’ confounds me. In my mid-year best albums list, this was top 5 without a doubt. Though I appreciate the subtle aggression and innovative sound, the album just hasn’t aged well.

23. Dan Deacon, ‘Glass Riffer’
Like an acid trip that you that you never want to end, ‘Glass Riffer’ is the kaleidoscope journey you don’t want to escape. Deacon is not an artist I encountered until this year, but I know he’s one I won’t soon forget.

24. The Neighborhood, ‘Wiped Out’
The fact that I can’t quite pin what musical genre The Neighborhood fits into is probably why I like their music so much. Their sophomore album delivers on the promise of their debut, and for that we all win.

25. Twenty One Pilots, ‘Blurryface’
My favorite album to listen to while riding the T in Boston. The energetic duo behind Twenty One Pilots might not create the most important music, but it sure is musically interesting and oh so catchy. High five!