Favorite Albums of 2016

I used to do these lists year after year, but I haven’t written one since 2012. Our band released our EP in 2013, so I recall spending less time focused on the national music scene and more time focused on practicing, recording, playing, and seeing local bands that year. It’s taken a while to really dig back into popular indie music on a broad enough scale that I can pick more than a few albums that are worth some comments, but I have done it in 2016.

As you’ll see from my list below, 2016 was a year of mostly emo and hip-hop. This is by far the most hip-hop I’ve ever had on a year-end list, mostly because it’s been a long while since I’ve listened to a lot of it in one year; at least since DMX and Nelly controlled the airwaves. My list includes some of the more mainstream guys, so I won’t act like a connoisseur by any stretch, but if you’re like me and haven’t listened to hip-hop in a while then 2016 seems like a great time to dig back in.

These are my favorite albums. The ones I liked the most. These are in order of how much I liked them, not how good I think they are. “Good” can be defined in a bunch of ways that include songwriting, message, impact, musicianship, construction, and a bunch of stuff that doesn’t necessarily come into play when I’m just choosing what I want to listen to. I’ve taken some of these things into account, as you’ll see, but this is just what I liked listening to most in 2016.

10. We Speak in Colors — It Never Mattered/Who Cares?

Andrew Armstrong is a fantastic songwriters. One of my favorites of all time. He moved to Abu Dhabi in 2015 to experience a different world and found just the right amount of inspiration to dive head-first into several songs he had written over the course of a few years living in Nashville. He released two short EPs this year, so I’m putting them together in this post.

He writes from the heart. He’s not a professional musician, so he’s not really recording these songs to impress anyone but, instead, for his friends to hear and to give him a chance to play some shows, which has developed into a nice indie following in the Middle East. He describes his music as bummer-rock, which sounds about right. RIYL Bright Eyes or Margot and the Nuclear So and So’s.

9. Kanye West — Life of Pablo

Like most Kanye West projects these days, this album is beautiful and also disgusting. I’m a drummer, so I get hooked on the beats and the words as musical notes before I pay attention to the lyrics. Kanye totally enamored me with the music on this album. Once I dug into the lyrics, though, it was feast or famine in terms of how much I actually liked it. Kanye is an incredible narcissist, so some of his lyrics get a little to Ye-y for it to be ranked higher on this list.

Bottom line, though, is that I probably listened to this album more than any this year and for that I will give credit to Yeezy.

Update: Spotify told me that my top three tracks this year were “Ultralight Beam”, “No More Parties in LA”, and “Pt. 2”, but that was before Yeezy pulled a Yeezy and campaigned for Trump after Trump’s campaign was over.

8. Deep Sea Diver — Secrets

Deep Sea Diver is from Seattle, but that’s not why they’re on this list. Secrets is a killer. Jessica Dobson’s vocals have attitude and power while being kind and, at times, sultry. The band writes some killer hooks, but isn’t a pop band. They do their own thing and walk down their own path without coming across as a pretentious indie band.

The big difference between this album and previous releases is the size of the music. There is more depth and intensity across this album than before, which is of benefit to the band. DSD mixes in a healthy amount of keyboards and synths to compliment the purposeful guitar work. The key, though, is cohesiveness, which plays out for this album that I can listen to time and again without noticing it ending or beginning again.

7. Into it. Over it. — Standards

Into it. Over It. is one of my favorite bands thanks to my bandmate, Mike Crook. They are the leaders of the emo revival coming out of Chicago for good reason. Every band like them is doing some version of what they’re doing but just not to quite the degree that IIOI does it.

Evan Weiss writes some of the sickest lyrics across all genres. He writes heartfelt tunes that take you to a place. Chicago comes to mind in every song without being mentioned. I love the idea of place, so this really hits the right notes for me.

Musically, there is a complex yet catchy nature to these tunes. The guitar work is intricate and is accented by creative drums. I can feel Evan growing more mature with every record which has been a good thing so far.

6. Langhorne Slim and the Law — The Spirit Moves

Another one of my most listened-to albums of the year. Langhorne did what he does to some people and really blew me away with a live performance this year at Timber! Outdoor Music Festival in July. He is one of the hardest-working men in music and lays it all out on the stage each time he steps foot on it. The crowd wasn’t very familiar with he and The Law before that show, but everyone walked away with a new favorite.

The Spirit Moves brought Langhorne’s typical southern folk style, but jazzed it up a bit and even pumped out a few hits that have been featured in commercials or promos this year. The hits are true hits, getting stuck in your head for days.

5. A Tribe Called Quest — We got it from Here… Thank You 4 Your service

While 2016 was mostly awful in popular culture, we were graced with a very unexpected gem from A Tribe Called Quest; their first album since 1998. The album is laced with ATCQ’s typical flare and some familiar beats, but takes a very 2016 angle with its lyrics, hitting on current events such as police violence, the presidential election, and the president-elect’s stance on deportation.

The album’s title was provided by Phife Dawg who passed away due to complications from diabetes in March 2016. The name remains a mystery, but comes across as a representative “farewell” from the legendary group and, in particular, one of its members.

4. Kendrick Lamar — untitled unmastered.

Speaking of unexpected blessings, how about untitled unmastered. by Kendrick Lamaer? I credit Kendrick for not only reigniting my interest in rap music but for leading me to take an extra long look at black hip-hop artists as not only culture makers but social commentators. This album was dropped out of the blue in March as unreleased demos from To Pimp a Butterfly (my, and many others’, #1 from 2015).

The album isn’t as fluid from song-to-song as Kendrick’s last two storytelling albums were, but these are essentially B-sides, so that’s to be expected. That being said, the album certainly flows from one song to another with a certain purpose that makes it easy to repeat over and over. As rhythm guy, I am enthralled with the beats and bass on this album. Laced with Thundercat’s bass lines and complimented with a variety of cameos, Kendrick does another incredible job of taking tunes that didn’t fit on one album and making them fit in a standalone collection.

3. Modern Baseball — Holy Ghost

The emo revival being driven by Into It. Over It. is sharing a touring van that includes Modern Baseball. This album found its way into my car CD player and didn’t leave for a couple months. It’s great for my self-diagnosed ADD (2.5 minutes per song) and filled with emotion and relatable stories. Like all good emo, it hits the hopeful high school kids as much as the nostalgic thirty-somethings.

Jake Ewald and Brendan Lukens share the singing duties between the first and second half of the album, respectively and beautifully. Ewald’s songs harken back to The Get-Up Kids and early Saves the Day, while Lukens’ tunes resemble more of today’s IIOI or You Blew It! emo. Maybe my love for this album comes from the interplay between these two distinct and wonderful eras of emo.

2. Chance the Rapper — Coloring Book

If I were making a list of the “best” albums this year, this is probably it. Chance is the hottest thing in hip-hop and maybe even all of pop culture, but he only releases mix tapes and you can’t buy his CDs or downloads, so it’s indie. I don’t know.

I like this album because it’s diverse. The beats are killer, the interludes flow well, and Chance’s collaborators (a who’s who of hip-hop) are top-notch. His background vocalists make the album dynamic. His lyrics have depth and flow that stand alone in 2016.

I won’t be able to say anything about this album more impactfully or elegantly than the professionals, so just Google “best albums of 2016”, look near the top of the list, and read what someone else has to say.

1. Cymbals Eat Guitars — Pretty Years

It’s been since Celebration Rock that I’ve heard an album for the first time and thought “yes, this is it”, but it was love at first listen for Pretty Years.

Cymbals Eat Guitars have been on my radar for several years (I got on the LOSE bandwagon far too late), but this was the first time their music just hit me in the face with intensity and captivated my imagination for the entire album upon first listen. I am an absolute sucker for first tracks (just check out my Top Songs of 2016 list on Spotify) and “Finally” does it for me. It’s a big build that tells you that you should probably keep paying attention for the next 37 minutes.

The dynamics of this album are what keep me engaged. CEG hit the 80s vibe hard, but in their own way. The slow, ghoulish drawl of “Mallwalking” and “WELL” remind me of the 80s vibe of Stranger Things. The album is littered with synths, saxophones, and funky bass that make it stand out from other grimey indie music. The production is the real killer, making a very raw-sounding band translate through your stereo with depth and complexity.

I’m not a vocals or lyrics guy first, but I am attracted to real and raw singers. Joseph D’Agostino is that if nothing else. One look at this band tells you east coast. One listen to this band screams Staten Island. Working class, hard-nosed, don’t give a shit rock-and-roll with a totally approachable and relatable stage presence. These guys have no ego and it shows in the most endearing way.

This album, like many on this list, succeeds because it was made for them and for me rather than for the masses. It isn’t showing up on many “Best of 2016” lists, but it shouldn’t, really. It’s not as universally loved as Coloring Book or Bon Iver, Bon Iver before it. But that’s what makes a truly great album to a dedicated fan base, this one sounds unique and special enough to not only stand out in 2016 but stand the test of time for years to come.