We all love lists, and we all love sarcasm. Though, I think its important to reflect upon the last year of music, I’m going to do so through the use of a list. It was a fantastic year full of awesome albums, and I’m going to count down a bunch of my favorites, and give you something to listen to while reading.
25. City & Colour – Little Hell
City and Colour – Fragile Bird
Dallas Green’s highly praised solo project City & Colour put out their 3rd album, a lyrically moody & morose album about pulling through all of our personal tribulations. Green’s voice shines on this album as he sings some extremely touching and tender songs over a simple acoustic guitar backing him up. Its a fantastic album that like a fine wine, gets better with age… or just multiple listens. Favorites include: We Found Each Other In the Dark, Fragile Bird, and Northern Wind.
Buy > Little Hell
24. The Black Keys – El Camino
The Black Keys – Run Right Back
Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney dropped a bomb on all of us. A late year (only a few weeks ago) album titled El Camino. What they did was craft a really fantastic, fun blues rock album. Some will complain of the over-production on the Black Keys’ latest efforts, but as far as I’m concerned the songs are great, hell you can even dance to them. This album totally floored me, and I keep listening to it again and again. Favorites include: Stop Stop, Little Black Submarines, and Lonely Boy.
Buy > El Camino
23. The Decemberists – The King is Dead
January Hymn
Normally synonymous with songs about sailors and the oceans; gypsies and tempestuous characters the Decemberists released a full on Americana album. There really isn’t a weak song on this album. From the high on ‘Don’t Carry it All,’ to the rustic ‘January Hymn’ to the near country hit ‘All Arise!’ and the balladry of ‘Dear Avery,’ this album is one carefully crafted album. Favorites include: January Hymn, Don’t Carry It All, and All Arise!.
Buy > The King Is Dead
22. 1,2,3 – New Heaven
1,2,3 – ‘Work’
Nearly impossible to google, Pittsburgh’s 1,2,3 created an album with crunchy guitars and electro-pop samples to drive rock songs about blue collar problems in Pittsburgh. Its definitely one I think you’ve GOT to have. Favorites include: Work, Scared But Not that Scared, and Confetti.
Buy > New Heaven
21. Apache Relay – American Nomad
Apache Relay – Home Is Not Places
American Nomad blends acoustic sounds and rock elements so well, it gives the emotionalism of acoustic music with the rousing pounding rock anthem elements. It’s high spirit music that can also be very sensible and full of feeling. This album shows off the bands ability to write soaring, pounding, fantastic songs that are show off lush instrumentation, impressive musical range and the ability to take a genre like Folk/Rock and contemporize it into a shiny beautiful package that is purely fun to listen to. Favorites include: Home is Not Places, Sets Me Free, and American Nomad.
Buy > American Nomad
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