Your Albums of the Year

dindude

As we're in the mood for lists, name your (let's say) top 3 albums released this year and your biggest dissapointment.

Mine would be:

1. Wolf Alice - My Love is Cool. I struggle to think of the last time I heard such an all round fantastic debut album. It's like they've listened to all of my indie influences and blended them perfectly.

2. Alabama Shakes - Sound and Colour. Liked the first album but this was a real surprise, stretching themselves rather than taking the easy option.

3. Courtney Barnett - sometime I sit and think and some times I just sit. A pretty unique sound.

Biggest dissapointmemt:

Chvrches  - every open eye. What happened! Absolutely LOVED the first album but this is largely dross. It's all of a sudden gone from 80's informed perfect synth pop, to poor quality cheese. In places Charlotte sounds like a little girl auditioning for Annie and failing badly.

Unless I've missed something, not a great year for Guitaristic choices? 

stimpsonslostson

I nominate Frank Carter and the Rattlesnakes: Blossom. Frank's back and he's angry again! Snarling vitriolic punk. What's not to like?

Octahedron

It's a hard one, but if we must focus solely on albums that were released in 2015 then my choices are...

1) "Last of Our Kind" - The Darkness.
- They delivered an album of great riffs, something that was missing from albums 2 + 3. There's not as many solos, but the songs are varied and well crafted and it sounds like a whole album rather than a compilation of disjointed songs that didn't flow (previous album Hot Cakes). The guitar playing takes influence from The Cult, DC, Queen, Thin Lizzy, and Def Lep... But still sounds like The Darkness. Highlights include Roaring Waters, Mudslide, Open Fire, and Last of our Kind.

2) "The Book of Souls" - Iron Maiden
The triple guitar attack of Maiden is back and a double album with some real killer moments and long epic tracks... The guitar makes up for what Bruce's voice has sadly lost due to 'the big C'.

3) "The Killer Instinct" - Black Star Riders
The musicality, the trademark Thin Lizzy twin lead guitars, the slight shift from cheesy lyrics to a more serious front, BSR continued their "war" theme with a solid album. Much better than the first. Very impressed and still enjoy it. The more serious side was what they needed.


Disappointment...
"High Country" - The Sword. For some reason, unfortunately me and this album didn't hit it off and it bored me.

Grunfeld

Silversun Pickups, "Better Nature"

Fourth album from them which came out about October and it is really good.  Solid bass lines and fuzzy guitars.  That's enough to keep me happy.

Moss

1. Ezra Furman - Perpetual Motion People (Awesome old school punk/rock and roll)

2. Chvrches - Every Open Eye (Despite what dindude said, I absolutely love it)

3. Hot Chip - Why Make Sense? (Impossible not to dance to)

4. Spector - Moth Boys (Dark 80s style Indie Pop)

5. Public Service Broadcasting - The Race for Space (Beautiful concept album)

6. Hooton Tennis Club - Highest Point in Clifftown (Messy 90s indie craziness)

7. Father John Misty - I Love You Honeybear (Huge sounding album of epic proportions)

8. Lucy Rose - Work It Out (A huge change from her earlier folk)

9. Foals - What Went Down (Their heaviest album by a mile)

10. El Vy - Return to the Moon (Great side project from Matt Behringer of the National)

octatonic

Clutch: Psychic Warfare is my favourite album this year.

I've heard the new Baroness though and it is mighty.

Moss

dindude;57325" said:

In places Lauren sounds like a little girl auditioning for Annie and failing badly.

Fixed (like the fanboy I am)

dindude

Moss said:

dindude;57325" said:

In places Lauren sounds like a little girl auditioning for Annie and failing badly.

Fixed (like the fanboy I am)

Ha, good point, not sure where I got Charlotte from!

axisus

I don't think I've bought any albums that were released this year to be honest.

Moominpapa

Kendrick Lamar - To Pimp a Butterfly

richardhomer

I've bought very little this year.

The best for me is 'Still' by Richard Thompson. Some of his finest ever songs, great playing and production by Jeff Tweedy of Wilco. A classic album of the future.

The low point for me was 'Rattle That Lock'. Much as I love Gilmour's playing, the album just lacks songs of any substance or emotional weight. To be fair, after The Endless River I wasn't expecting it to be great....

thecolourbox

I've just checked and unfortunately the only new album I've bought this year and was going to nominate as being good was released in September 2014. D'oh

It was Julian Casablancas + The Voidz, Tyranny

I did buy a few older albums which I enjoyed, The Doors back catalogue, an ELO box set, a Nizlopi album

And I would quite like to listen to Brandon Flowers' solo record

GavRichList

Howl by Rival Consoles - stunning.

Totally echo @dindude on CHVRCHES. With the exception of a couple of tracks, it's cack. The best thing on it is one of the bonus tracks. Bad times.

Bucket

"Two Hands" by Turbowolf

"That's the Spirit" by Bring Me The Horizon

Octahedron

Bucket;883915" said:

"Two Hands" by Turbowolf

"That's the Spirit" by Bring Me The Horizon

I forgot about those! Both cracking albums.

I've also enjoyed...

"Return to forever" - Scorpions
"Venom" - Bullet for My Valentine
"The colour before the sun" - Coheed and Cambria
"Keep the village alive" - Stereophonics
"Higher truth" - Chris Cornell
"Born to play the Guitar" - buddy guy
"The chaos and the calm" - James Bay
"XIV" - Toto
"War of kings" - Europe
"Raise a little hell" - the Answer
"Water for Thirsty dogs" - Tracer
"Volume" - Skindred
"Battering Ram" - Saxon
"Aerosmith rocks Donington 2014" (2 disc + 1 DVD live album) - Aerosmith
"Rock n Roll" - Buckcherry
"1 Hopeful rd" - vintage trouble
"Into the sun" - Robben Ford
"Little victories" - the strypes
"Shockwave supernova" - Joe Satriani
"Def Leppard" - def Leppard
"revolución" - the dead daisies
"Devil city Angels" - devil city Angels

The list is endless.

dindude

Octahedron said:

Bucket;883915" said:

"Two Hands" by Turbowolf

"That's the Spirit" by Bring Me The Horizon

The list is endless if you're not fussy.

Finished the sentence for you 

thecolourbox

The list is endless

*end of post*

Philly_Q

I haven't really bought many 2015 releases and I've probably forgotten something, but:

"Lore" - Elder

"Arrival" - The Vintage Caravan

"Ghost Notes" - Veruca Salt

"Psychic Warfare" - Clutch (I did almost forget that one)

Biggest disappointment, at least initially, was "Crooked Doors" by Royal Thunder.  It's grown on me but there are too many mournful laid-back tracks.  Having a recently-separated husband and wife in the band may have influenced things, I guess....

mike_l

1. Iron Maiden

2. Queensryche

3. Act of Defiance

Not really been disappointed by any album's I've purchased. 

ICBM

Heather Nova - The Way It Feels

Hozier - Hozier

James Bay - Chaos And The Calm

I also like Ella Eyre's album Feline, although technically that belongs to my daughter.

Deadman

Dungen - Allas Sak
Laura Marling - Short movie
Mini mansions - The great pretenders
The Spitfires - Response
and my favourite of the lot and most played of the year,
Thundercat - The Beyond/Where the giants roam