Another solid year for new music. Eclectic mix as usual. Let’s get started. I hope you enjoy it!
24) Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Cool It Down
I have always liked their sound. I really enjoyed the Danger Mouse & Karen O's Lux Prima album. I see similarities between that album to this.
23) Monophonics – Sage Motel
Smooth soulful, and unmistakable voice mixed with psychedelic sounds of 70s rock and soul. Their 2020 release It’s Only Us is a better album than this by far, but I still enjoy this one enough.
22) Rayland Baxter – If I Were a Butterfly
A pretty balanced record. Always enjoyed his voice and the way he conveys human emotion over simple melodies.
21) Paolo Nutini – Last Night In the Bittersweet
I had high hopes for this album based on the first four songs on this album. From the Robert Plant inspired primal yarling on the opening track… Sadly, this album drops off pretty hard after the song "Acid Eyes". Remarkable voice.
20) Broken Bells – Into the Blue
The first Danger Mouse appearance on the list. The song "Love On the Run" is up there as top song of the year for me. That 70’s R&B/Soul gives me the tingle in my dingle.
19) Eddie Vedder – Earthling
I feel bad that I have it ranked so low but what can I do… It’s a fine album. Some nice anthemic uplifting songs and messages. But amongst the other records put out this year; I just couldn’t go higher in the rank. I guess I let my nostalgia do the ranking on this one. Sorry, Ed.
18) Sheepdogs – Outta Sight
The band is super fun. The vibe, musicianship, and vocals are there. If this was the first album I heard of them, it would have blown my mind. We were able to catch a live show of theirs at Levon Helm’s Studio this year, and it was fantastic. Live is where they really shine. It’s also where their simple musical formula translates perfectly.
17) Black Keys – Dropout Boogie
Speaking of musical formulas… Again, if this was the first BK album I ever heard, I would have been telling everyone I knew about the band and their sound. A great album, nonetheless. Suffers from my point deductions that are out of their control.
16) Lupe Fiasco – Drill Music In Zion
In the face of present-day dreadful rap, I still hold tightly to my love of hip-hop. Specifically, to artists that can toe the line between being too wordy but still conveying a message other than the trap and WAP garbage that is currently being marketed. Lupe continues to take the independent route and make music that means something. This album has a lot of that, but just not enough to be higher on my list.
15) Red Hot Chili Peppers – Unlimited Love & Return of the Dream Canteen
The lyrical content of Anthony Kiedis seems to get more nonsensical on each subsequent album. However, the groove and feel of their sound along with the chemistry that is conveyed is anything but. Maybe it’s enough for me at this stage in their career. Perhaps that’s all we need. For the record, I enjoyed Unlimited Love more.
14) Andrew Bird – Inside Problems
I had heard of Mr. Bird before. I even dabbled with the album The Mysterious Production of Eggs years ago. For some reason, it didn’t click for me. This however clicked on the first try. The wordplay, laidback oddball style, and vocals all jive together to really make an excellent record. This just had a few duds.
13) Weyes Blood – And in the Darkness, Hearts Aglow
This is definitely a mood album. One part Joni Mitchell, one part Linda Ronstadt, mixed with atmospheric orchestral pop. This an album I’ll look back on and regret ranking it higher on my list.
12) Teddy Grossman – Soon Come
This is a new artist to me via the younger Else brother. Man, what a soulful voice. If you can’t get into this, then I don’t know what to tell you. My first thought when I popped this on was James Morrison. Songwriting is a bit basic though. Thus, the 12 spot.
11) Whitney – Spark
I’m glad these guys ventured out from the folky sound of previous albums. They’ve always had the pop undertones; this just turns the dial up four or five notches.
10) Small Paul – Strangeland
If only this was an LP! I listened to these four songs repeatedly for a good clip. Soul freakin' Sugar! Sex for your eardrums. Unfortunately, I have a strict ranking code that I abide by. So, eardrum sex isn’t enough for me. I need an abundance of tracks on an album to get into my Top 5.
9) Drugdealer – Hiding In Plain Sight
Elvis Costello mixed with a little Joe Jackson vocals over yet again 70s-inspired soft rock. This is a new-aged dad yacht rock. Pop it on after work. Open a bottle of wine with your lady and just relax. I, unfortunately, lost track of this group when their previous album was brought up by music compadres. I wasn’t making that mistake this year.
8) Mama’s Gun – Cure the Jones
Sexy laid-back R&B/Soul of the 70s feel. My warm glass of milk and oatmeal cookie before bedtime. I don’t think it is blasphemous to say I hear some Marvin Gay in this. This group really commits to the Motown vibe.
7) Dope Lemon – Rose Pink Cadillac
This immediately struck me as a more upbeat and poppy Mac Demarco. It’s as if you mixed Mac with a Royal Caribbean cruise. Very catchy and easy to get into. Another Apple music recommendation. This is an Australian solo artist that has two other albums that I also really enjoy.
6) Charles Watson – Yes
This album puts me in the same mood as Omar Velasco’s Golden Child did years ago. It’s a feeling I can’t describe. Maybe it’s the perfectly echoed vocals. I’m not sure, but this album is superb. That bouncy jangle folk pop is so infectious. All the songs are catchy yet substantial. Really accessible record. This was my cooking dinner go-to for a while.
5) Arctic Monkeys – The Car
Soooo this style is for real huh? OK, I’m still on board for a couple more. Then, we’ll have to talk about this, alright? I might have listened to "Mirrorball" 11 times in a row in the car when this single was released. A little much, but there is just something about the groove they are in right now. I say I’m down for a couple more albums like this, because like all indulgent things; once you’ve had your fill, sickness sets in quickly. Nevertheless, this album picks right up where TBHC leaves off. Although, this is a bit more funkier and ditches the Bowie Space Oddity motif.
4) Nas – King’s Disease III
Time for my obligatory Nas album. I mentioned the nostalgia early in the review regarding Eddie Vedder. Where that didn’t hit quite right for me, this album does in spades. This is as close to the feeling of the album It Was Written as you can get for me- a top 5 album of all time for me. Nas continues his work with Hit-Boy on this record and brings me back to 1996.
3) Son Little – Like Neptune
A completely new artist to me. What a great Apple recommendation. This sounds like you slipped Michael Kiwanuka some acid at a party. Similar voice but just funkier. This album is great from beginning to end. It bounces between genres so effortlessly.
2) Black Thought / Danger Mouse – Cheat Codes
It is rare to have a hip-hop album where you don’t skip a single song. Many have self-indulgent interludes, features by artists that sound terrible, or beat production that sounds like it was made on a Casio keyboard. Getting to the end can seem like a chore. This album has none of that. Each song is crisply produced. Each verse by Black Thought means something. I’ve said for a while now that Black Thought is the most talented living MC. If there is a better MC out there, I’d like to know.
1) Dawes – Misadventures of Doomscroller
We had the pleasure of seeing Dawes and Bahamas live on their special tour this year. I just stood there the whole time, staring at them and smiling like a madman. I was in awe of the whole performance. It really was the most special concert I’ve ever attended. The venue was an open vineyard in the Finger Lakes at 3pm in the afternoon. This made the tracks played off this album even more special. Every time I hear a somber and wordy twelve-minute ballad single by the band, I swallow hard and hope they don’t return to the Passwords vibe. So, I was extremely excited to hear the "Someone Else’s Café/Doomscroller" single for this album. They’re back to being funky!!! Yessss!!!
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