We lost a lot of good musicians
this year. But that isn’t to say 2016 has been an awful year for music. In
terms of albums, there have been some impressive releases this year that show
we can all still look forward to the future with optimism. Here are my personal
favourites.
(psst! if you like lists don’t
forget to check out my favourite and least favourite tracks of the year. You
can also check out my favourite albums of 2015, 2014, 2013 and 2012.)
20 - 11
20. Here Comes Washer – Washer
Brooklyn rock duo Washer serve up this satisfyingly slovenly
dish of angsty lyrics over rugged twangy guitars. There’s even a song about
getting drunk and eating the sun.
Favourite tracks: ‘Pet Rock vs Healing Crystal’, ‘Got Drunkand Ate the Sun’
19. You Will Never Be One Of Us – Nails
Sugary song titles like ‘Life is a Death Sentence’ and ‘Made
to Make You Fail’ and some crushingly heavy riffage make up this intensely
savage sonic onslaught from US grind warlords Nails.
Favourite tracks: ‘You Will Never Be One of Us’, ‘They Come Crawling Back’
18. Crux – Jaggery
Self-proclaimed ‘avant-rock’ fellowship Jaggery from Boston meld
Bjorkish vocals, dark strings, soft pianos and jazzy percussion for a
genre-defying listen.
17. Painting With – Animal Collective
The Baltimore psych-pop madmen return to form with this cartoonishly
brilliant blend of squelchy synths and signature barbershop vocals.
16. Junk – M83
French-American synthpop cosmonauts M83 go lovably corny on
this new record, embracing slap bass, sax solos and pianos rolls for a playful pastiche
of everything we love and hate about the 80s.
15. Take Control – Slaves
The Tunbridge Wells punks get angrier and more unhinged on
this exciting follow-up to last year’s Are
You Satisfied?, continuing to boast the same rawness and sense of humour.
14. Cashmere – Swet Shop Boys
Injecting their Asian roots into Western hip hop, Riz and
Heems comically and daringly tackle the stereotypes and prejudices facing their
ethnicity to a backdrop of Bollywood-sampling beats.
Favourite tracks: ‘T5’, ‘Zayn Malik’
13. Imperial – Denzel Curry
Florida rapper Denzel Curry spits some of his meanest and
fastest bars to date, whilst instrumentally fusing his love of trap and psychedelic
for some formidable bangers.
12. Levitate – Lone
UK electronic producer Lone brings back the nostalgia-soaked
video-game-vibes and rave stabs of Galaxy
Garden, whilst incorporating newfound electrifying elements of jungle.
Boston brain-curdlers Guerilla Toss throw together dissonant
guitars, squealing synths and screechy vocals for a challenging but ultimately
exciting dose of noise rock.
Favourite tracks: ‘Grass Shack’, ‘Color Picture’
10 - 1
10. How to Ruin Other People’s Futures –
Losers
Pummelling percussion, seismic synths and acrobatic vocals make
up this new hard and heavy selection of inventive anthems from loud London
electro-rockers Losers.
9. Magma – Gojira
Whilst still showing off their ear for a monstrous riff and a
beastly drum fill, French metal stalwarts Gojira streamline their sound into a
more atmospheric and primal approach to heaviness that is entirely their own.
Gaudy gangsta rap badass Schoolboy Q throws down some of his
most creative and catchy cackling over a diverse palette of beats.
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Kendrick serves up these allegedly ‘unmastered’ leftovers
from last year’s To Pimp A Butterfly LP
and the result is still better than most the official albums released this
year.
A space-themed hip hop opera – this wild new album from Californian
experimentalists Clipping takes their sound to cinematic territory, Daveed
Diggs continuing to swank his impressive knack for storytelling and speed.
5. Limeade – Ehiorobo
New Jersey soul artist Ehiorobo delivers this ridiculously
fun concoction of foody lyrics, bubbly crooning and innovative self-produced electronica.
4. Atrocity Exhibition – Danny Brown
Squawking Detroit rapper Danny Brown dons some of his most avant-garde
instrumentals to date, whist delving into the dark thoughts of a decadent drug addict on a
downward spiral.
3. 99.9% - Kaytranada
Haitian-Canadian EDM producer Kaytranada effortlessly bounces
between house, hip hop and urban soul, whilst never sacrificing the flourishes
that make his music unique. There’s something in the sparkly tones he uses and upbeat
melodies that feels individual to him no matter which genres he delves into.
His ability to pick similarly unique vocalists and guests and draw the best out
of them only adds to his talents.
2. Bottomless Pit – Death Grips
Whilst the experimental hip hop group continues to grow more
extreme, they’ve abandoned some of the progginess and word salad that gave the
first half of their previous LP The
Powers That B pretentions, delivering an album that’s as catchy and
cohesive as it is challenging. Despite MC Ride’s angry yelling and the hellishly
distorted beats, the hooks and grooves are more infectious than ever before and
the lyrics have much more punkish clarity.
1. We got it from Here… Thank You 4 Your
service – A Tribe Called Quest
20 years have passed since the NY hip hop veterans' last album, and yet A Tribe
Called Quest feel more relevant than ever. They’ve stuck to their original
jazz rap sound, but modernised it with effects and creative sonic ideas, whilst
tackling current topics such as the rise of Trump and police brutality, criticising
the present but simultaneously keeping an optimistic outlook on the future. All
the guest features are flawless from Andre 3000 to Kendrick Lamar. It
feels like they’ve taken all the best of hip hop and squeezed it into a
perfectly crafted album. The fact that Phife died this year and that that it’s
the group’s final album only add to the poignancy.
HONOURABLE MENTIONS:
Coloring Book – Chance
the Rapper
This Unruly Mess I’ve
Made – Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
Blonde – Frank
Ocean
Gore – Deftones
Anti – Rihanna
Blackstar – David Bowie