Best of 2015: Albums

There have been so many fantastic albums this year, it's genuinely been a good year for music. Here are my top 15 albums of 2015, along with a notable song from the album.

Some aligning in this post didn't work, sorry!

       15. Anthems for Doomed Youth – The Libertines

I was rather nervous when I heard The Libertines would be returning, but, they pulled it off. The Libertines' Anthems for Doomed Youth restores the band in Brit culture successfully.

14.   My Love Is Cool – Wolf Alice

Each song is unique and each song is produced with care. Wolf Alice's debut album is refreshing and youthful, seeming intelligent and the band coming across as genuinely passionate about the music they release, with each track on the album being worthy of your time.

13.   Beauty Behind the Madness – The Weeknd

2015 was The Weeknd's year (for the most part), right? While tracks like The Hills and In The Night stand out a lot, not only on the album but in the music industry for this year, the album felt underwhelming for me. Nevertheless, it is a fantastic album and well-deserving of it's insane applaud. 

12. Our Own House - MisterWives

(Sorry if the video isn't aligned, I spent ages in HTML and Compose mode trying to centre it but it just wouldn't work with me) 

MisterWives' fresh, dynamic sound appealed to me a lot in spring this year, I swiftly recommended their music to some friends after discovering Hurricane on Spotify. I then discovered their album which released a few months before, I was impressed by the indie pop sound and thoroughly enjoyed how energetic their music was.

    11. Unguarded – Rae Morris

Having been familiar with Rae Morris through her work with Bombay Bicycle Club, I decided to check out her own music. Rae Morris' Unguarded capitalises on her smooth vocals in the best way possible, the songs are accomplished and the song-writing is immersive and creative which leads to a pleasant listening experience.

10. Pharmacy – Galantis

I first discovered Galantis' hit Runaway (U & I) back in November whilst looking up music videos for college, I quickly discovered Peanut Butter Jelly and found I had a taste for Galantis' music. Runaway, a few months later, became a hit worldwide, followed by Peanut Butter Jelly. Having looked into Galantis even more, I pre-ordered their album and enjoyed it thoroughly. It was a nice, albeit insanely entertaining, deviation from everything else that tops the charts nowadays.

9. Wishes – Rhodes

Rhodes is one of my favourite artists to have 'emerged' in 2015, it's refreshing to hear something so unique come from somebody so talented, with such a combination being lost so often in the production process. Wishes is a thought-provoking, creative debut album that is so, so appealing and pleasant to listen to. 

       8. Surrender – Hurts

While the album is a lot more energetic and euphoric than it's predecessors, Hurts' Surrender still manages to pay tribute to Hurts' unique and known sound. Every sound is harmonic and every word is sung with passion, additionally adding some fun to Hurts' often melodramatic sound. The album flows nicely and easily, meaning it's easy to get lost in the sound.

7.   Get to Heaven – Everything Everything

Get to Heaven is fun, energetic and... slightly bizarre? The pacing of the album is particularly appealing, with tracks like No Reptiles and Distant Past exploring indie pop meeting pop in such an abstract, artistic way that can often become unrecognised when listening to the album. 

6.   Froot – Marina and The Diamonds

Marina and The Diamonds' third album Froot is a complete deviation from her previous music that works in Froot's favour, as we hear a much more personal album from Marina. Admittedly, my first impressions weren't good, however after a few more listens the album grew on me. It's worth noting that Marina took complete creative control over this album; she produced and wrote the album with as little 'big-name' help as possible which is absolutely admirable when you consider the quality of the songs, which progresses throughout the album. Froot is a naturally powerful album, the lyrics are thoughtful and the sound is unique in the current music industry. 

     5.   What Went Down – Foals

This album was one of my most highly anticipated, and it lived up to expectations. What Went Down is an outstanding, must-have album in which Foals embrace their sound and nurture it, becoming slightly more mature in the music they create while maintaining the sound we all know and love.

4.   Chaos and The Calm – James Bay

James Bay's Chaos and The Calm feels genuine and tender, sounding gentle and compassionate. James Bay thrives on a sense of intimate familiarity in his confessional lyrics and emotionally honest vocals. Chaos and The Calm is poignant and intimate and thus worthy in being one of the best of 2015.

3.   25 - Adele

      

Adele's long-awaited, surprise, return was huge; and, while perhaps slightly overhyped, was stupidly excellent. My particular favourites on the album are Water Under The Bridge, Remedy and When We Were Young. 25 is full of heart-wrenching, stylistically-different songs that perhaps show a lighter, reflective perspective from Adele that deviates from two previous albums full of sad songs crafted to make you want to cry.

2.   Communion – Years + Years

Years & Years' Communion is a masterpiece, shining in the light of a new wave of popular music. The music feels authentic and personal, despite the dancefloor-filling sounds that accompanies it (which in this case, is a good thing). Going track-by-track, it's difficult to find one that isn't underwhelming, because each song is unique in it's own way that it's difficult to compare. 

Honourable mentions

Blue Neighbourhood - Troye Sivan, Caracal - Disclosure, The Way Back Up - Prides, True Colors - Zedd, A Head Full of Dreams - Coldplay, Wilder Mind - Mumford & Sons

1.   How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful – Florence + the Machine

Florence's return to the music industry is the best thing that could have happened in 2015, I could not have been any more excited than I was for this album. Florence's new rock/pop sound is intriguing and worthy of attention and praise. How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful is a force to be reckoned with, the album flowing so easily. I'd recommend listening to this on vinyl, also, it's even more stunning than you'd expect. The emotional depth and charismatic sound is worth noting, with Florence now being much less reliant on operatics to convey a powerful message that also makes you want to jump around and dance.