Top 10 Albums of 2015

Here they are, ladies and gentlemen: the ten best albums of 2015, as I hear them. I run the gambit on this list, from pop to jazz to classical. Read, listen, and enjoy!

(*5 Honorable Mentions: California Nights by Best Coast, No One Ever Tells You by Seth MacFarlane, Water Walker by Folk Family Revival, You Were Never Alone by Emery, 2.0 by Big Data)

10.) Good Girl by Julian Moon: Equal parts pop and sarcasm, Good Girl is a dreamy yet biting record. It's honest, funny, and incredibly catchy (and "A Cup of Coffee" is one of the year's best songs...seriously).

9.) The Epic by Kamasi Washington: Although this record is far longer than it needs to be (a whopping 2 hours 53 minutes!), this is nonetheless a fine work of jazz. It lives and breathes, swelling with soul and alive with unusual composition.

8.) My Favorite Things by Joey Alexander: Somehow, one of the decade's best jazz albums burst forth from the imagination and ability of a 12-year-old. Joey Alexander is a musical prodigy, and on My Favorite Things he shows off his impressive, eclectic, and incredible skills.

7.) What A Terrible World, What A Beautiful World by The Decemberists: This is familiar territory, but it's never seemed fresher. Here, The Decemberists craft a bubbly album, one with introspective lyrics and tight arrangements.

6.) Higher Truth by Chris Cornell: An album of unbelievable warmth, creative melodies, and astonishing musicianship. Cornell's voice is timeless, and so is this record.

5.) Star Wars: The Force Awakens (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) by John Williams: Orchestral music is certainly out of the pop culture these days, but with this soundtrack, Williams again proves how wrong we all are. Apart from the standard Star Wars fare (beautiful in its own right), there are some stunning new compositions, notably the heartbreaking "The Scavenger" and the haunting "Snoke."

4.) Invisible Stars: The Choral Works of Ireland & Scotland by the UCD Choral Scholars & Desmond Earley: Again, classical songwriting can be some of the most expressive, most engaging music available. Here, we have a collection of choral pieces from Ireland and Scotland, and they are utterly captivating.

3.) 1989 by Ryan Adams: In all honesty, I listened to this album thinking I was going to hate it. I'm not infatuated with Adams or Taylor Swift, and thought this record was going to be a hokey, pretentious musical experiment. And while there are a few moments of faux avant-garde nonsense, this is nonetheless a fabulous recording. Adams' quaint vocals pair beautifully with arrangements ranging from downbeat folk to bouncy pseudo-funk. This is an undeniably cool, interesting album.

2.) The Weather Below by Sister Sparrow and the Dirty Birds: Holy crap, this album is up my ally. This is a mammoth throwback to the hits of yesteryear - phenomenal funk, sensual soul, unending awesomeness. Sister Sparrow herself is a bit like Joss Stone, but without all the pretentious political posturing. The overall sound quality is textured and organic, like what you might hear on an Avett Brothers or Mumford album (which makes sense. Producer Ryan Hadlock is known for working with The Lumineers). I love the way it shuffles past your ears; bounces in your brain. Highlights include the searing "Borderlines" and the bubbly "Sugar." 

1.) Besides by Pomplamoose: If there's such a thing as post-postmodern music (maybe altermodern?), then Besides by Pomplamoose is the quintessential example. This album is a hybrid of original material, covers, mash-ups, and everything in between. It simultaneously explores music of the past with that of the present, blending familiar hooks and melodies with quirky, borderline surreal chord structures and arrangements. Miraculously, this is a record free of pretension, thanks in part to its modest production and small scale. But there's nothing small about the musical innovation and freshness of Besides.