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COUCOU MES BEAUX AMIS. 2016 is coming to its end and so it’s time for us all to stop everything and make our favourite lists of life (OMG SAD). Aside from literally everybody in the music industry still being sued for copyright infringement it was quite a magical year for musical experimentation and thus produced some of the most exciting releases of the decade. Special mentions to the following albums which, up until three weeks ago, could still have been very much included in my top 20 albums of the year.

 

• AlunaGeorge I Remember

• dvsn SEPT 5TH

• Isaiah Rashad The Sun’s Tirade

• James Blake The Colour In Anything

• Kweku Collins Nat Love

• Pantha du Prince The Triad

• Parquet Courts Human Performance

• ScHoolboy Q Blank Face LP

 

MORE TO FOLLOW

 

#20 Blood Orange Freetown Sound

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When Dev Hynes returned with his third Blood Orange album in the summer of 2016 it was an intriguing prospect to see where he would take the project. For a man of 30 he’s covered such a multitude in the music industry already. Throughout Freetown Sound we see much of the traditional Blood Orange. We see Hynes vocally ghosting out of songs with elegance and grace, we see him experimenting with genres and guest vocals almost methodically. It sprawls across numerous different pigeon-hole categories and comes out the other end as, simply, Blood Orange. Amongst all the experimentation however, he still has his axes to grind.

In its entirety it is an album of unity and strength, showing the realms with which music can pass in to when standing up against oppression. In equal measure it also calls to attention society’s failings and refuses to hold back. One of Hynes’ strongest attributes in his repertoire is to paint a picture allowing people from all walks of life to understand, not really paying attention to the afterthought of whether people care. It’s the listener’s problem to then mask the miasma or stand up and deal with it. In terms of facing the issue of US racial prejudice head on, this album stands up to any ‘Cranes in the Sky’ or ‘To Pimp A Butterfly’. Certainly a far cry from the days of singing about inanimate shapes as part of Test Icicles.

 

#19 Topaz Jones Arcade

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In all honesty, when I first heard Arcade I would never believe it to be a sure-fire top whatever album of the year. It’s nice, it has hooks and it has melodies. There are a few potential smashes mixed in between the maelstrom and hodge podge. However it would appear to lack anything that could be remotely described as a moment. Listen a little more intently and you realise Topaz and his debut piece don’t need moments. It’s a byzantine documentation of his life so far, developing throughout the record with each song. He invites you in to some of his most intimate moments such as coming to grips with the global lusting of money and, on a more personal level, the eventual loss of a sweetheart after waiting around tentatively. It doesn’t need any specified markers along the way to take you on a journey.

Spinning yarns aside, Arcade also allows Topaz to showcase his incredibly sharp flow on tracks such as ‘Powerball’ and ‘Howlin’ to the Moon’. Cutting through the backing blends with the precision of a peregrine falcon, dusting witty one-line quips along his trail. For a debut album it cannot be denied that Topaz created one of the most relevant, free-standing pieces of music this year. Whether he’ll eventually ‘blow up’ as predicted when he teased us with certain sound-of-the-summer-esque jams earlier in the year remains to be seen. In hindsight I’m sure I’d prefer to see him continue on his carefully-crafted path of identifying a true funk-rap crossover framework. It certainly worked for me.

I Remember is a fantastic album. I've not a clue why that flopped so monumentally officially, but I suppose the success of I'm In Control makes up for that. Mean What I Mean and Full Swing are also favourites of mine.

 

Nice to see James Blake and ScHoolboy Q here also, the latter of which is criminally underrated and deserves a big breakout single in the UK. Hopefully next year will be the year for that.

AlunaGeorge have had some great tracks out this year! Namely I'm In Control & Mean What I Mean :D

#18 Nicolas Jaar Sirens

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When pondering over huge musically political statements you would be forgiven for not jumping to Nicolas Jaar and his work straight away. The name Sirens immediately gives the impression of something going down and he duly delivers throughout. On his second LP, Jaar leaves us with a litany of unanswered questions and droplets of knowledge to use when judging our own personal worth. All intelligently disguised under a repetition of the finest electronic synths of the year.

On ‘History Lesson’ he systematically lays down a retelling of events. ‘Chapter one, we f*cked up / Chapter two, we did it again, and again, and again and again.’ A key theme of a much bigger picture being painted by Sirens. Conveying an idea that we are all guilty of being unaware and unwilling to acknowledge our failings. However, he wears it down almost to the nub under a succession of rhythmical finger snapping. Allowing us to get lost in the beauty of such a damning reality. The first three minutes of the album are nothing more than breaking glass. Again we are then lulled in by ambient repetitive piano strokes and thus the cycle begins. Throughout this record Jaar is constantly drawing us in and taking the most critical swipes when we are too busy admiring the view.

 

#17 Wet Don’t You

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At the end of 2015 ‘Deadwater’ was lodged in my brain as one of the most delicate and beautiful tracks of the year. When Wet found the time to release Don’t You earlier in the year we weren’t treated to new deviations of sound or scattering changes in direction. We were treated to a full-length of the most delicate and beautiful tracks of the year. They understood their niche and pulverised it until there were 11 tracks greasily sliding through the acts of neediness and the depths of heartbreak. Not to say they make something of misdirection or tedium, more that it’s all part of the same hegemonic machine. With each new track Kelly’s vocals plumb new depths and open us up to a whole new world of emotion.

At the beginning of the album we hear Kelly pining in despair at the idea of not wanting to be someone’s ‘girl no more’ despite still feeling an indescribable attachment to them. As the record progresses we see a yearning for recognition as she stubbornly cries to be called by her real name. A list of almost insistent demands and a far cry from the uncertainty six songs previous. The piece de resistance, however, is saved preciously until the final track of Don’t You. On ‘These Days’ she passes through you hauntingly like that of a mythical ghost, leaving you with nothing more than a wobbly lower lip and a cold feeling throughout. At their humbling best the Brooklyn three-piece allow you to connect the dots between interpersonal struggles and the subconscious knowing of how to resolve our own issues. A theme built up gorgeously over 41 minutes of confusing ambivalence.

Nice to see James Blake and ScHoolboy Q here also, the latter of which is criminally underrated and deserves a big breakout single in the UK. Hopefully next year will be the year for that.

 

ScHoolboy Q isn't my favourite on TDE but he's certainly part of a bigger, more beautiful picture. Blank Face LP is definitely my favourite work of his so far ///

Omg Wet I have always loved them since 'You're The Best' such a great chilled band :heart:

Omg Wet I have always loved them since 'You're The Best' such a great chilled band :heart:

 

The release kind of flew under the radar I thought but given time it really is a wonderful record. Beautiful from start to finish <345

Wet really are fabulous - my favourite is 'No Lie' for sure

 

r we getting a tracks rundown cass???? token everybody inclusion of 'Into You' please

#16 Let’s Eat Grandma I, Gemini

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Heralding from East Anglia and basing their artist profile on a grammatical musing, Let’s Eat Grandma somehow managed to release one of the most bizarrely compelling records of the year back in June. On their debut, the two female teens show you glimpses of naughty and glimpses of nice, glimpses of dreamy childhood frolic and glimpses of stone cold brutality. It’s clear to the listener where one begins and the other ends, but they allow us to interpret it as a crossover of their befuddled reality. Perhaps being unaware of the distinction themselves.

For such a mature and often in parts disturbing record, Let’s Eat Grandma constantly run a trace of pre-adulthood throughout. On ‘Deep Six Textbook’ they emphasise narrative frustration and teenage angst declaring ‘We live our lives in textbooks / I feel like standing on the desk and screaming I don’t care’. Further to this, the duo open up ‘Rapunzel’ with a mesmerising, dreamy piano solo fit to accompany a children’s lullaby before quickly losing its carefree nature when the droning lyrical imagery of ‘My cat is dead / My father hit me’ kicks in. Probably their most telling point of how masterfully they can toe the line between adolescent naivety and red-eyed demonic tendency. There are parts on the record where you genuinely believe they’d cut you in your sleep and not give it a second thought afterwards.

 

#15 Ariana Grande Dangerous Woman

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On Grande’s third full length she insisted that we took everything we knew previously about her and put it to the backs of our minds, for now at least. Spearheaded by the image of a throwback-to-Spring-Breakers-esque balaclava with bunny rabbit ears she goes on to throw out vivacious, almost arrogant lines such as ‘Maybe you got lucky ‘cause you’re rocking with the best’. She flirts with the idea of indulgence, desire and (of course) danger. While she may not be entirely comfortable with the moniker herself she certainly pulled it off exceptionally.

Awash with superstar guest appearances (yes Macy Gray we hear you) Dangerous Woman allowed Ariana to not only showcase her incredible vocal qualities but create some of the most insatiably moreish pop jams we’ve heard in a long time. Casting our minds back to when Ariana announced the album with the title ‘Moonlight’ it’s easy to understand how this album may never have come to fruition. The named track to the opening song is a slushy, slow-burning melody which sees her in her natural form. Prolonging an issue of being hurt and how she never knew she could be stung so badly. As soon as we hit the second track, that’s when we know she means business. The key changes hit you with immediate impact and suddenly we have a record that is accompanied by a confident swagger, not an awkward foot-shuffling jaunt. In reality it’s not an album we will ever see again from her, but for the 55 minutes it lasts it’s quite something.

 

Wet really are fabulous - my favourite is 'No Lie' for sure

 

r we getting a tracks rundown cass???? token everybody inclusion of 'Into You' please

 

I haven't finished compiling tracks yet but if I get the time it's certainly something I'm hoping to complete!

This should be GOOD/provide many for me to check out! Ariana Grande is my big favourite of the year so happy to see it here - for the key changes alone. Looking forward to what else is to come, we have a fair few musical crossovers I think :o

 

(these descriptions too are fab!)

Dangerous Woman is a really exceptional album, I was a fan of Ariana's beforehand but she surprised me still with this album, I didn't expect it to be so well put together! Excellent point about Moonlight too, and Focus was intended as the lead? I like the track but it is so against the image she's managed to create this album - sophisticated, sexy and slick, and Focus is none of those things really :')

 

Fabulous stuff so far Cass!!

Thanks guys!! Ariana's album really came out of the blue having had nothing more than disinterest towards her previously but yes, it all worked out well in the end. Will be interesting to see which direction the next era takes her in.

#14 Francis and the Lights Farewell, Starlite!

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For a debut record, Farewell, Starlite! has an incredible list of collaborators and contributors (namely Justin Vernon and the notably anonymous Kanye West). This has been largely down to Francis scurrying around in the shadows for the best part of 5 years, accumulating a list of contacts and admirers that most could only dream of. Aside from all the fancy namedropping and guest slots however, Francis and the Lights managed to create a categorically hipster record that is neither contrived nor conceited. Yes the lyrics could arguably belong to a certain type of person and the rhythmic patterns are colluded with the year 2016 in mind, but the content at no point crosses the line.

The introductory tracks on the album allow us to keep an open focus on what Francis and the Lights are and where they are heading. ‘See Her Out (That’s Just Life)’ is diluted and technically efficient. Whereas ‘I Want You To Shake’, taking a hand from numerous 80s influences, could well be placed on entirely different body of work to that of Farewell, Starlite! Eight tracks in and Francis is levelling with us, instructing that it is indeed ‘alright to cry’ when we feel low. This is very much the theme of the record throughout. It bounces about all over the place. We have beautiful moments of honesty and clarity synched with authentic foot-shuffling anthems on the corresponding axis. To be able to do that over the length of a full album and not come across as lacking any real direction is what makes this such a special and unique record. Something that certainly justifies the wait for a complete record.

 

#13 Teenage Fanclub Here

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Here has all the qualities of a long-distant acquaintance realigning with the dynamics of a friendship circle after being absent for way too long. ‘I’m In Love’, the first track on their first album in 6 years, is a tepid affair. Blake’s vision and yearning for connection is as warm and gooey as anything they have previously released, but it comfortably affirms their stronghold on our interest. The whole record continues to tinker along with the same geniality. A place where we are invited to have a look inside the heads of Teenage Fanclub and realise, once again, what they’re all about. There’s no middle ground with them. Once you’re in, you’re never leaving.

Something interesting about this record is the distinct lack of parallels to be drawn with their previous work. It’s almost as if the pain and sorrow in their lives have been dissolved through six years of listening to Belle and Sebastian songs. They sing about ‘The Darkest Part of the Night’ to the backing of air-guitar scenarios and folk-rock jingles. They look back on life following death with nothing but admiration and acceptance. Nothing can seemingly deter them or their cheery spirits. Teenage Fanclub took a huge step with this record and certainly crossed over into the pop-sensibility playground. A bold yet experimentally on-point move.

I have heard a song or two from the Teenage Fanclub album, they sound quite joyful!

I have heard a song or two from the Teenage Fanclub album, they sound quite joyful!

 

Check them out Pete, if ever there's a time to get into them it's now. 'Here' is very accessible!

#12 Mitski Puberty 2

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Upon first coming to grips with what Mitski Miyawaki did on Puberty 2 it’s quite easy to find yourself lost in the gloom and brusque. From assumption she’s trying to get her head above water once again. Through all the perturbation that comes with our teenage years she obviously felt the approach into adulthood would be a much smoother course. However this is a real ‘when will it all end’ record. Essentially the message explores a ‘second puberty’ where the outlets of sexual release and intoxication are much more readily available. It takes a while but Mitski explores many avenues and still doesn’t come out entirely satisfied, or even close.

Allowing no reservations for people grossed out by bodily fluids Mitski sets the tone on Puberty 2’s opener. ‘So he laid me down, and I felt happy come inside of me’. An unmitigated disaster waiting to happen. She continues as the record unfolds, to throw down an incredible succession of bad decisions, one after the other. On ‘Your Best American Girl’ Mitski boasts what is arguably the most triumphant chorus of the year. The highlight clearly being her finding peace with the way she was raised in the face of other people’s distain. She goes through the motions of nearly every negative feeling you can feel as a young adult and still makes you feel amazing throughout. It’s incredible. It’s a journey. It’s an album where the words ‘fuck yeah’ have never more fitting upon completion.

 

#11 Hinds Leave Me Alone

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After my Hinds Nuggets entry flopped I have nothing more to say about this band.

#10 Angel Olsen My Woman

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Angel Olsen was not the first or last female artist to shift the criterion of her musical capacity in 2016. However, what she did do was massively noticeable. She returned with an album pouring with grand moments, sing-song choruses and a masterclass in instrumental artistry. She glides effortlessly from rich vocal showpieces to huge festival anthem fodder. Her ideals are constantly fluctuating and the goalposts are translocated throughout. Warbling through the 10 track record with all the self-entitlement of an established and consistent artist, something I presume she is yearning for.

‘Intern’ opens up the album with dignity and grace. Olsen presents her ghosts for all to see, wailing about how she’ll one day find a contented state and unwavering in her faith as a human being. Vocally she lays herself down across the track and allows you to almost extract the meaning yourself. ‘Never Be Mine’ follows much of the same pattern as the album progresses into the dying embers of a relationship. On ‘Sister’, she condenses 7+ minutes into what seems like a fleeting few seconds of harrowing reflection. ‘I want to go where nobody knows fear / I want to follow my heart down that wild road’. At her most inviting moments Angel Olsen paints a picture of self-discovery and longing like nobody else out there. Compare that to the confident and assured lyrics of ‘Shut Up Kiss Me’ and the biting, ‘this is me’ moments of ‘Woman’ and you have an almost entirely different record altogether.

Olsen takes you through the stages of her femininity, the layers to her artistic direction and all the gristly bits in between. It’s raw and it’s energetic, without coming across in the slightest bit pretentious. The latest stepping stone in what has thus been a cloudy back catalogue to date. As far as breakthrough records go, this stands alone at the top of the pile for 2016.

Wet :heart: 'Deadwater' was one of the best bjsc tracks of last year (and was sent by me, naturally), that song and 'All The Ways' are absolutely everything <3

 

Hinds are a cool prospect, glad i picked up their debut in early january as it's a total joy!