Top 10 Albums of 2015

10. Albert Hammond Jr - Momentary Masters

Having your musical education shaped by the garage revival fronted by The Strokes in the glory years of indie (2003 - 2007), Hammond Jr's skittery, pounding, chiming and frenetic fretwork has become so familiar that it's almost predictable.
Momentary Masters, though, is free spirited, unabashed and unabated and was a refreshing break from many of the overwrought albums of 2015. His cover of "Don't Think Twice, It's Alright" is so terrible it's brilliant. The highlight album of his career.

9. Roisin Murphy - Hairless Toys

Sexy Roisin comes from a long line of entrancing but odd electronic divas and frontwoman.
Post Moloko she has been beating Alison Goldfrapp in the weird but sexy muso stakes, cooing and discoing her way into many a middle aged, post punk's hoary heart. Her contributions have become platinum slick, none more so than Hairless Toys. With it's unusual dollops of soul, humour and one or two genuinely tender moments ("Unputdownable" being one), Hairless Toys is perfection in a leather unitard.

8. Blur - The Magic Whip


Hearing that Blur - with Coxon back on board - were back was almost too good to be true.
Hearing 'The Magic Whip' for the first time was no less so. Hearkening back on a few tracks to 90s Blur ('I Broadcast', 'Go Out', 'Lonesome Street'), echoing Gorillaz ('Ghost Ship') and for making us remember a time when it was cool to be gloomy and fun to be depro ('There Are Too Many Of Us') as only Albarn could,
The Magic Whip was as close to being back in the 90s as ever we could've hoped to be.
Non cheesy nostalgia (with a few Garage Band beats thrown in to remind you that it's 2015).

7. Titus Andronicus



When Patrick Stickles starts to shout, you listen.
In the vein of classic Punk nuggets, along the lines of The Clash (when rock music still had something to say and did so with razor sharp sarcasm), 'The Most Lamentable Tragedy' is a most beautiful magnum opus. At 29 tracks (only 8 "filler" or interludes), TMLT could have so easily been an embarassing, try-hard bomb. Instead it is dangerous, savage and totally sold out to it's own vision, in a way so few albums are these days. Pretty much every subject is covered, and in the end you have witnessed a band that has undergone a journey and emerged entirely scathed, jaded but still passionate.

6. Active Child - Mercy

Having only ever released absolutely sublime work, there was no doubt that Pat Grossi would effortlessly deliver once again with 'Mercy'. Mercy indeed did not disappoint. With vocals and sentiments so delicate and beautiful they could be icicles forming on pine needles, Mercy had a combined warmth to it's frozenness that made it at once accessible and awe inspiring. '1999' has probably played every single week on my phone and I am in no danger of getting sick of it.

5. New Order - Music Complete



It's often the case with bands of near mythic proportions that their later output often falls embarassingly short of their previous glory. Usually it's a case of a now non-relevant band trying hard to adapt to a new world (or order, if you will) (scratch that - that's bad), and their work becoming sadly contrived. Happily this was not the case with 'Music Complete'.
With all limbs firmly rooted in the early 80s synth haze of their youth, New Order completely (mercifully) abandoned their guitars and moody bass in favour of something lighthearted, exuberant and celebratory. The result was a seamless, joyful and easy escapade through neon landscapes and plastic beats. Only occassionally flogging a dead pony ('Plastic' did not need to be 6 minutes long), Music Complete was nevertheless the best album they've done since Power, Corruption, Lies. Finally.

4. Foals - What Went Down



Few end of year lists would be complete without a Foals album on it. Upon first listen I thought 'What Went Down' was entirely over rated. The band had given countless interviews during the making of the album, and in all of them they'd mentioned how this was their most extreme album they'd ever done. "Every genre we dip into is emphasized on this one" said Yannis last October.
That's clearly not exactly true, and only when I let go of that expectation could I appreciate the genius of WWD. There's little doubt that title track "What Went Down" is the heaviest savage thunder the boys have ever presented us with. "London Thunder", "Lonely Hunter" "Birch Tree" and "Mountain At My Gates" all surpass even "My Number" in catchiness. But there is the classic Foals depth and mastery at the foundation of every track, ensuring that every song is perfectly honed.
"Give It All" even garnered the attention of one Ms. Lana Del Ray, who expressed a desire to work with the band after hearing it. A pleasing prospect apparently to Yannis. Hmm...

3. Chvrches - Every Open Eye



You'd have to be deaf or an accountant to have missed this one this year.
Lauren Eve Mayberry has not only become a household name and feminine icon, but is now universally viewed with the usual protective fondness you'd reserve for your incredibly cute younger sister. The really great thing about this band is that they completely surpass the hype.
And this is one flawless pop record.
Having been compared to Jimmy Eat World's Bleed American (3 bangers, ballad, banger, 2 ballads, 3 more bangers, beautiful closer) Every Open Eye became an instant classic. It's ease and confidence assured it's place in not only 2015's best albums, but in music history. Proving that not every overwhelmingly upbeat pop song needs to be a love song (take notes Carley Rae), Lauren and her boys dismissed haters, exhorted their listeners to reach higher heights of confidence, rued lost love and dropped the mic in triumph.
This is a beast of a record.


2. Sufjan Stevens - Carrie & Lowell



Never one to shy away from soul baring honesty, Sufjan reached new heights and depths with Carrie & Lowell and gave us an unwitting ringside seat to his grief over his mother's recent passing.
Whether it was straining to find hope in retrospective reflection on "Should Have Known Better", recalling the visit to the hospital to see his mother's body on "Fourth Of July", overcoming suicidal thoughts on "The Only Thing" or grappling with loss of faith in the face of tragedy in "No Shade In The Shadow Of The Cross", Sufjan does not try to free himself from any burden on this, his most devastating of journeys, but rather plumbs and processes every part of it. The result is an album that should be heavy and dark, but which turns out to be fragile, brutal, utterly gorgeous, understandably sad and brittle in it's struggle.


1. Grimes - Artangels



Slipping into the album charts slightly unexpectedly comes Claire Boucher's most free spirited and best work to date. After announcing that she had scrapped an album that was near to completion in mid 2015, fans and critics were doubtful on the release date and direction of the fourth Grimes album.
And then it dropped. In all it's brash glory.
It's not just that everything about Grimes is homegrown and unique. It's not even that she has a point of view few but anime characters have. It's that she throws herself so wholeheartedly into following her own muse that it leaves the listener breathless.
Anyone who has seen her live energy will testify to that.
"Artangels" is the future of pop. With multiple easter eggs hidden in every track, in the form of an acid beat that only lasts for one chorus, or a string section playing a riff on the outro of "Pin", this album never disappoints and always surprises. With songs that are almost immediately familiar, even the more bizaare tracks ("Scream") are accessible and fascinating.
There are too few artists willing to abandon caution and engage their hearts these days.
Boucher delivered an album that was equal parts fun, insane, catchy, beautiful, cynical and hopeful.
It's a scary thing - releasing your piece de resistance before your 28th birthday.
Claire has proved she is fearless though.
Pop has a new queen.
She has a penchant for fake blood and halos.

WVS