Twenty-five albums? Twenty-five? That’s insane. What is insane too is the amount of quality to trickle out over the past twelve months. From a flurry of debut statements to an astonishing set of established artists challenging themselves and their audiences. It has been bountiful to say the least, and the arbitrary ranking of individual or group talent on a list that depicts personal opinion as established fact is the only way to construct something that clicks with the search engine. Do not take this list as gospel, these are the rankings of a journalist who, for quarter of the year, had only one working ear. That does not matter much (actually, it is preferred after listening to Bryan Adams’ So Happy it Hurts) because here and now are the twenty-five best albums of the year.
25. JESSIE BUCKLEY AND BERNARD BUTLER – FOR ALL OUR DAYS THAT TEAR THE HEART
For those that saw Wild Rose, the musical talents of Jessie Buckley are no surprise. Teaming with former Suede alumni Bernard Butler for an album that presents itself with folk charm and witty interplay, For All Our Days That Tear the Heart is a broadly rewarding jazz piece with more than a few highlights to it. They are the intimate folklore stylings that see a nice, solid concept through. It is as gentle as it is a powerhouse surprise for Butler and Buckley, whose work here rises and falls in real, focused quality.
Essential track: 20 Years a-Growing
Best track: We Haven’t Spoke About the Weather
Read Ewan’s review of For All Our Days That Tear the Heart here.
24. CHARLOTTE DOS SANTOS – MORFO
Taking a strong style to the neo-soul genre, Charlotte Dos Santos marked her sophomore effort with a powerful collection of tracks. Morfo is an expansion of the charming structures first pushed through with Cleo. Moving that sound on further with consistency comes this second album, a piece that does well to note the art pop glimmers and the broader brilliance of that R&B sound. Santos has more to offer, that much is clear, and hearing that sound take its form on Morfo is exciting. Talent marks itself clear as ever, those next steps that continue on from Morfo will be a thoroughly important period.
Essential track: Angel in Disguise
Best track: Hello Hello
Read Ewan’s review of Morfo here.
23. NO DEVOTION – NO OBLIVION
Shifting their members around, settling on a new lineup and returning to the studio, No Devotion hit back with an album that cements a higher style or the alternative rock genre. As deserving of their successes as any other artist on this list, it is formidable to see the powerhouse qualities No Oblivion offers listeners and bandmates alike. There is something to be said for the longevity of this piece, an element of survival that stings like no other and a collection of consistent tracks that, should the mood sit right, will be an utter treat for those that like a bit of darker tonal statements with their legacy-defining records.
Essential track: Starlings
Best track: Love Songs from Fascist Italy
Read Ewan’s review of No Oblivion here.
22. ACID KLAUS – STEP ON MY TRAVELATOR
Adrian Flanagan is a talented little sod that deserves more and more under this Acid Klaus project. What a delight of an album Step on My Travelator is, a clear and finely cut example of how character building in the sleeves of an album lives on not just through collaborative tracks. No point in addressing the obvious though. Track to track to track, unique sounds, dark moods and culturally present momentum like no other. Intensity inbound, but it is as Flanagan said himself, “the wheels have just got to keep on moving.” That’s what Step on My Travelator is, the wheels are moving.
Essential track: Crashing Cars in Ibiza
Best track: Bad Club Bad Drugs Bad People
Read Ewan’s review of Step on My Travelator here.
Read Ewan’s interview with Acid Klaus here.
21. LITTLE SIMZ – SOMETIMES I MIGHT BE INTROVERT
Crashing through an hour of quality with very little room for missteps, Little Simz’s work on Sometimes I Might Be Introvert is a catalyst for the quality and consistency found here. A bountiful supply of tracks detailing the rise and fall of fame, the expectations of youth and the intricacies that play into those themes come naturally to Simz. Even interludes, those filler moments that give the listener a breather when they do not really need one, are quality moments that blend a narrative into the expansive qualities of Simz’s work here. It sounds thoroughly independent and breaks through with inherent charm to each of its bold tracks.
Essential track: Two Worlds Apart
Best track: Point and Kill
Read Ewan’s review of Sometimes I Might Be Introvert here.
20. KENDRICK LAMAR – MR MORALE AND THE BIG STEPPERS
Expansive as ever and effective in the unique approach Kendrick Lamar has for this self-examining LP, Mr Morale and The Big Steppers is a definitive piece. It shines through as a rejection of the self and one of many albums from this year to articulate a response to a meteoric rise and newfound love from the listening audiences. Adapting to that, appreciating it and the before and after period is as engrossing as it is exciting, especially for Lamar. These are the next steps of an engaged artist, and hearing those moments crash through is as rewarding for the fans as it is for the artist at the heart of this production.
Essential track: United in Grief
Best track: Father Time
Read Ewan’s review of Mr Morales and the Big Steppers here.
19. WET LEG – WET LEG
Wet Leg have received a welcome, inevitable rise with their self-titled debut album. Nobody could have expected the afterburn to last this long. Wet Dream is still pumped out of radio stations, Chaise Longue still has that essential, biting display of masterful intent. Their Glastonbury set and the massive crowd that surrounded the stage proved Wet Leg was a special release. That it is. Grand pop fun with an indie swing to it that settles well on the mind as inspired, finger-on-the-pulse of modernity rounded tracks. Wet Leg has hit the ground running, and even if they fumble the second take-off, there will always be a refuge in the utter fun of this first piece.
Essential track: I Don’t Wanna Go Out
Best track: Wet Dream
Read Ewan’s review of Wet Leg here.
18. LAMBCHOP – THE BIBLE
Eerie, sinister and just too good to leave off of a list detailing the broader strokes of the best albums of this year. Lambchop hones in on their art pop style with a broad range of brooding notes and ambient musings. The Bible may be a bold claim for a title and even come through as something varyingly intimidating, but this Lambchop work is remarkable, exploring the despondent charms of Kurt Wagner and Andrew Broder. That pairing is suitable, distressing, uncomfortable and frankly brilliant in showcasing the broad range of this legendary group.
Essential track: That’s Music
Best track: Police Dog Blues
Read Ewan’s review of The Bible here.
17. PIXEY – DREAMS, PAINS & PAPER PLANES
Calling Dreams, Pains & Paper Planes a mini-album is an understatement. Easy-going indie riffs provide Pixey with a neat setlist of great tracks to toy with. Upbeat and articulate, these tracks are as sincere as they are focused in their intention, their message and their display of talent. Energetic and feverish in the very best regard, the tracks throughout Dreams, Pains & Paper Planes are ready for that wider audience. Merseyside charms sprinkled throughout are not quite as colloquial as they are utilising the dialect, but Pixey marks another key example of how important this new age of British music is.
Essential track: Recycled Paper Planes
Best track: Treat Me Right
Read Ewan’s review of Dreams, Pains & Paper Planes here.
16. DANGER MOUSE AND BLACK THOUGHT – CHEAT CODES
Collaboration is always a gamble. Take a look at the recent efforts of Gorillaz and how far they have fallen off. No chance of that for Danger Mouse and Black Thought though, whose work with the likes of MF Doom, Kid Sister and Raekwon is as inspiring as it is intense. Cheat Codes is a stunning piece that feels as genuine as it does proud of its scope. An absolute blast of a production sees a collection of focused jazz rap strike through with a lineup like no other. Quality assured, consistency too. It marks a great entrance into hip hop’s broader strokes for those not as well addressed with the genre.
Essential track: The Darkest Part
Best track: No Gold Teeth
Read Ewan’s review of Cheat Codes here.
15. ALVVAYS – BLUE REV
Thorough in their broader strokes, Alvvays have marked their third album as their best. A frankly spotty second endeavour has been pushed to the side and is on the mind no more. Blue Rev is a golden opportunity and a greatly taken one at understanding a consistency that is needed for this unique group to work. Jangle-pop elements are shrill and strange, but work for what Alvvays intend to do with this piece, one filled with floaty elements featured further up on this list. Noisy, clean fun with that ever-present feel of jangle pop influence does set a wonderful tone.
Essential track: Pharmacist
Best track: Tile by Tile
Read Ewan’s review of Blue Rev here.
14. BLACK MIDI – HELLFIRE
Frank Zappa wishes. Black Midi crash through Hellfire with carnage at the forefront. Their genre strokes, what they wish to achieve with their delicate car crash of ideas, is surreal. Flamenca, jazz, metal, it all flows through this fundamentally harsh piece that grows from the dark labyrinth of Cavalcade a year prior. Vulgar brilliance and a statement from Greep, Picton and Simpson sees the trio pull together a layered, essential bit of work that dives into radio hosts, boxing, the arena of life and an explosion of nonsensical terrors that stick firm to the sound that guides them. Rightly chaotic.
Essential track: Sugar / Tzu
Best track: The Race is About to Begin
Read Ewan’s review of Hellfire here.
13. AURORA – THE GODS WE CAN TOUCH
Surprising it may be that a track that sounds like a Mario Kart: Wii sample can strike through as one of the best of the year, that is the seamless talent AURORA holds. Her work on The Gods We Can Touch is as uplifting as it is well-detailed in its impressive mix. It also cements confidence in the style AURORA brings as a pop artist. Extra detail, better layering, the mixture of instrumentals and a soft yet strong voice guide this alt-pop piece to a bar-setting moment. Important it is for The Gods We Can Touch to siphon off its unique state, it is an immediately likeable, Pomme-featuring album that readies itself with some stretches of absolute perfection.
Essential track: The Innocent
Best track: Cure for Me
Read Ewan’s review of The Gods We Can Touch here.
12. WEYES BLOOD – AND IN THE DARKNESS, HEARTS AGLOW
Baroque genre pieces have seen a strong resurgence this year. Daniel Knox must have had a word, the master at arms dispersing a stream of quality to contemporaries. Weyes Blood marks their latest release as arguably their best. And in the Darkness, Hearts Aglow is full of that piano ballad charm, but the bombastic lyrics and the qualities that flow through from their meaning are another level. Structured well and tonally consistent, the work of Natalie Merring and its sheen of quality are no surprise, but they are as engaged and impressive as ever.
Essential track: Children of the Empire
Best track: God Turn Me Into a Flower
Read Ewan’s review of And in the Darkness, Hearts Aglow here.
11. BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN – ONLY THE STRONG SURVIVE
Cover tracks from Bruce Springsteen are not as left field as first imagined, but the quality on Only the Strong Survive is remarkable. Finally utilising his vocal range after all those decades spent cowering behind perfect guitar albums and inspired lyrics, Springsteen holds his own in covers of the greats, meeting the demanding highs of quintessential covers of classic tracks. In that, he finds a new range for his voice, style and focus – far removed from those Born to Run days, but still those same, powerful charms.
Essential track: Nightshift
Best track: 7 Rooms of Gloom
Read Ewan’s review of Only the Strong Survive here.
10. FICKLE FRIENDS – ARE WE GONNA BE ALRIGHT?
One foot in the top ten, and rightly so. A tremendous feat for these Fickle Friends. Are We Gonna Be Alright? is anxiety-ridden, sincere and as well-formed as it gets. Lingering around since the start of the year, Fickle Friends scorched the top of the pile and, since then, have been a constant and engaged outfit. Their tracks are crucially unique to what they will hopefully go on to provide, but for now, Are We Gonna Be Alright? shows the band will be just fine until their next release, so long as they maintain this essential quality.
Essential track: Are We Gonna Be Alright?
Best track: Love You to Death
Read Ewan’s review of Are We Gonna Be Alright? here.
9. BLACK COUNTRY, NEW ROAD – ANTS FROM UP THERE
Lasting almost a year, lingering in the back of the mind, Black Country, New Road have excelled once before and their latest release is no surprise to that quality. They test themselves, at the very least. Ants From Up There is an essential release from a group that are still in their fresh, up-and-coming period. Despite that, they have struck a fundamentally unique chord that carries the torch for their style. “Art Rock” is just another label for “rock” but “interesting”. Ants From Up There is interesting indeed, as poetic as it is rejective of love and hate romance structures.
Essential track: Good Will Hunting
Best track: The Place Where He Inserted the Blade
Read Ewan’s review of Ants From Up There here.
8. AOIFE NESSA FRANCES – PROTECTOR
Frankly, brilliant. Aoife Nessa Frances’ second album is a consistent, melodic bit of chamber pop beauty. Neo-psychedelic etchings takes firm hold of these divine and beautiful pieces, rising and falling under wise string sections from Ailbhe Nic Oireachtaigh. Colloquial, Dublin roots dominate parts of the album, which finds itself fundamentally close and connected to home, rightly so, it is where some of the most emotive charms of this album come through. Protector lists an effortless charm that relies on longevity. Pushing through from track to track, it is surreal just how consistent, how much quality, Frances can, will and does bring to the table.
Essential track: Way to Say Goodbye
Best track: Back to Earth
Read Ewan’s review of Protector here.
7. KATIE SPENCER – THE EDGE OF THE LAND
Rooted in Hull and intimately focused on the quality that comes from that charming little pocket of the country, Katie Spencer’s The Edge of The Land is an essential folk record. Brilliant collections of colloquial memory, that is key to much of the emotionally powerful moments throughout this piece. A delicate cover of an Anne Briggs classic is a neat bow to tie together a tremendously strong piece of work that caters to lush, calm melodies that are even more impressive when knowing how quickly the recording sessions were. True folk music, diving into the focused refinement of the genre in the short window artists were and are now offered.
Essential track: Roads
Best track: Forevermore
Read Ewan’s review of The Edge of the Land here.
6. DANIEL ROSSEN – YOU BELONG THERE
As it turns out, the wait was worth it for Daniel Rossen’s solo debut. You Belong There is as well-structured as expected of a man who has taken a decade out to refine his words and work since his previous EP dropped. Those natural blends of string and brass, they are intoxicatingly warm despite the seemingly frigid and cold exterior. Make no mistake, there is great beauty within You Belong There, it is as touching and intimate as the prose Rossen utilises here. An incredible talent finally pushing through with a solo piece. It would be rude to ask for more while the glass is still so full.
Essential track: Celia
Best track: Unpeopled Space
Read Ewan’s review of You Belong There here.
5. BEACH HOUSE – ONCE TWICE MELODY
Coincidental it may be that the best Beach House release is their first self-produced record, Once Twice Melody shows a trust in the fundamentals of their sound and style. Shimmering dream-pop with good form throughout, there is a beauty to the vagueness, an adaptability that makes its charm knowing and universal. Broad strokes lead to some lingering afterthoughts, moments that strike through with that warmth and constant awe, not just from the lyrics but the brilliance of the wide and varied compositions.
Essential track: Once Twice Melody
Best track: Hurts to Love
Read Ewan’s review of Once Twice Melody here.
4. SUEDE – AUTOFICTION
Marking their reunion almost a decade ago as well worth it, Suede’s most recent album rivals that of their glory days because they have finally moved on from them. Autofiction is as intense as it is unique for Brett Anderson and company. Moving moments of real clarity that have not been heard since the Coming Up days, but inherent to Autofiction is a deeper, personal style of songwriting. It is staggering that Suede and Anderson, isolated by the lyrical honesty, mark their first truly open and viscerally personal album with this release. It was a long time coming, and there is no doubt of how sincere a quality it holds.
Essential track: What Am I Without You?
Best track: She Still Leads Me On
Read Ewan’s review of Autofiction here.
3. ARCTIC MONKEYS – THE CAR
Traces of the old era of Alex Turner and company are nowhere to be found on The Car, and rightly so. Arctic Monkeys push forward once more with a new sound and engaging style that does away with the notion that the listener is either in control of what they want or even know what they need. Should Arctic Monkeys have travelled down the continuance of AM, then they would not be as successful, or as interesting, as they are now. Inspiring works that rattle off numbers deeply steeped in an influence of the 1970s and allow Turner to spread his lyrical expressions beyond the cages of a colloquial nightclub. Double down on those Tranquility Base Hotel and Casino perfections, and rightly so. It is still as colloquial as those early days, but Turner and company have traded the sticky nightclub floors for their successful, current pop-oriented surroundings.
Essential track: Sculptures of Anything Goes
Best track: Body Paint
Read Ewan’s review of The Car here.
2. BIG THIEF – DRAGON NEW WARM MOUNTAIN I BELIEVE IN YOU
Beautifully mused and excelling in all the independent folk charms it nails, Big Thief’s double LP piece is the highlight of their works so far. Comforting and folk-oriented, criticisms of its gentrification of genre are overstated. There is a key difference between the removal of something and the revival of it. Big Thief are, fundamentally, in the latter camp. Their expressive goodness that pours from each of the tracks on this eighty-minute powerhouse are as intoxicating as they are well-versed with the folk charm lost to the lack of mainstream care audiences have for a genre still glowing thanks to Sufjan Stevens and Joanna Newsom. More of this from Big Thief on the next outing would be delightful, a real and rare treat, where the artistic goal is met.
Essential track: Love Love Love
Best track: Flower of Blood
Read Ewan’s review of Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe In You here.
1. YARD ACT – THE OVERLOAD
Album of the year was decided back in January. Yard Act’s punchy, post-punk revitalisation that criticises everything from cash to crime to gentrification of the soul is a beautiful, chilling creation. Warming to it was not just an experience for the music but for the people in control of it. James Smith, Ryan Needham, Sam Shjipstone and Jay Russell are the masterminds behind this on-the-note punch-out that has seen David Thewlis, Elton John, Acid Klaus and Mad Professor all linger in their attractive afterglow. The Overload is packed with utter quality. Yard Act, along with a handful of others on this list, are championing a new and thrilling reform of British-based music. It is impressive to hear it, unbelievable to see it, and exciting to know it will continue on. Finally, something to be proud of from this tinpot country.
Essential track: Tall Poppies
Best track: Payday
Read Ewan’s review of The Overload here.
Sincerely, though, what a year for music. Utter class from a lot of names, some on this list, some not. The cut was hard to make, it could have been a Top 40, but who has time to read that? Maybe next year…
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