40. The Booty Tape – Ugly God – The Booty Tape cracks the top 40 based moreso on Ugly God’s potential than the actual quality of the project. I think Ugly God is a genuine character in hip hop, he’s funny, personable, and every so often proves to listeners that he has plenty of musical talent. Tracks like “Welcome To The Booty Tape” and “F*ck Ugly God” are perfect examples of Ugly God’s ability to laugh at himself but still make a fun track to listen to. My overly optimistic trajectory for Ugly God is to see him surround himself with talented individuals that will help develop further as a rapping talent without sacrificing the humor that comes so naturally on some of his music. If he is able to find the right people to mentor his development, I could see Ugly God fitting into a similar lane as Danny Brown.

Notable tracks: Welcome To The Booty Tape, F*ck Ugly God, Water

39. Good for You – Aminé – While dark, dreary pop has been in vogue in 2017, Aminé’s Good for You is a breath of fresh air. It’s bright, easy going and playful, something that we can all use more of to break up the steady stream of bad news and uncertainty. There is plenty of variety in this album’s production. The opening track “Veggies” has a gorgeous string arrangement, followed up by a simple, but pleasant guitar playing in the background. “Hero” features a goofy intro of several people mispronouncing Aminé, it has a bit of a high school teen movie feel to it, before the track itself kicks off into a breezy little guitar riff. Other tracks like “Sundays” and “Turf” help vary the tempo, so as to avoid making this project a one trick pony. I will say that Good for You does overstay it’s welcome near the end, “Turf” feels like a natural conclusion (despite the track listing have six tracks after the fact), but this might just be an issue with the ordering of the songs rather than a shortcoming on Aminé’s part. All things considered, Good for You is fun, and I think everybody can use a bit more fun in their lives these days.

Notable tracks: Veggies, Hero, Sundays, Dakota

 

 

38. Same Sky – James Linsey – For an artist plays so well to poppy, light, beats (think Amine), the content of Linsey’s music can be pretty heavy. For example, “Rainbows” is all about how easy it is to fall into the prison pipeline as a black man in America, but it’s presented with this bright, groovy, beat. It can feel a little tonedeaf. Tracks like “Spotlight” are where Linsey really shines, it’s flirty, energetic, and I’m always a sucker for vinyl store hunting. Same Sky is a complex debut that serves as more of a showcase for Linsey’s many musical talents rather than an album with a unified theme.

Notable Tracks: Wanna Shine?, Rainbows, Apples to Oranges

37. 2016 Discography – VELVETEARS – The mellow vibes of Discography 2016 are the perfect companion for a dreary day inside while huddling underneath a cozy blanket. It’s a collection of minimalist indie-rock/electronic tracks that feel moody that are all tied together by VELVETEARS’ sullen vocals. I can’t say much more concerning this album unfortunately (which I definitely hate to do, especially for a year-end list), but this was the kind of album that served as a default backdrop to a lot of my year. The blend of basic, electronic production and lingering guitar notes was widely applicable throughout 2017.

Notable tracks: Share The Throne, Will I Ever Care, Cry to This, Hands Around My Neck

36. You’re Not As _____ As You Think – Sorority Noise – In the wake of losing several close friends to drug overdose and suicide, Sorority Noise’s frontman Cameron Boucher contributed to the release of two EPs that encapsulated where he was in his grieving process, one was a numb, exhausted collection of tracks (It Kindly Stopped for Me), the other an explosion of rage with punchy instrumentation (Slow Burn). Sorority Noise returned with a year of reflection under their belt and met in the middle and came up with You’re Not As _____ As You Think. This project is a return to form for the emo rock, it’s a more substantial, mature, take on what is often looked at as a vapid genre. You’re Not As _____ As You Think explores the wide range of emotions that comes with the dark periods of our lives, all while backed by killer duets of guitars and worthwhile musical payoffs on slow building tracks. The track “A Better Sun” is the perfect portrayal of feeling emotionally sapped after a lengthy hardship with the repetition of the line “This is the part where [insert activity/feeling here]” delivered by a dejected Boucher. “Second Letter From St. Julien” feels like the album’s ultimate redemption track as Cameron wrestles with the existence of a higher power, and while he doesn’t come to a tidy conclusion, he does come to a reassuring conclusion of what he hopes for that higher power.

Notable tracks: No Halo, A Better Sun, Where Are You? Second Letter From St. Julien

35. 32 – T.Y.E – The opera-singer-in-training turned rapper brings an awesome perspective to hip hop. Much like Anderson .Paak, T.Y.E blends training in a traditional music form with a genre that is still defining itself with every passing year. Opera influences are plain as day on 32, every single track is a larger than life, grandiose, and full of character, and that’s not even taking into account T.Y.E’s vocal performance. His voice is dripping with whatever emotion he is hoping to portray on any given track, whether he’s being arrogant on “Universe” or becoming a living embodiment of anxiety on the second half of “A*shole” the emotional range that T.Y.E brings to this album is nothing short of impressive. The listener is invited to be subject to a 40 minute panic attack in the mind of T.Y.E as he pushes himself to the brink over the one thing that he lives for: The pursuit of happiness.

Notable tracks: Universe, A*shole, Aliens & Ufos, Unusual

 

 

34.  The Iceberg – Oddisee – Oddisee’s experience in rapping and producing allows for a tightly controlled project. While there is the risk of “tunnel visioning” on a sound (if that makes any sense) by keeping the group of collaborators small, it doesn’t seem like that happened on The Iceberg. While you can definitely identify musical fingerprint with a common thread throughout The Iceberg, the production isn’t all one note. “Digging Deep” is a great jumping off point for the project, it eases you in with suave horns, a solid rap about working hard, and a general fun vibe to start everything off on the right note. But the real meat of this album is when Oddisee uses his talent to discuss interesting social issues that are relevant to our current cultural moment. “Hold It Back” discusses the unique position Oddisee finds himself in as a person with a platform and the responsibility that comes with that platform. “You Grew Up” is a heartbreaking series of stories about how hatred breeds in our hearts, particularly from the perspective of young children that get taken advantage of towards nefarious ends. Oddisee is thoughtful in his presentation, and it helps that it’s catchy as hell.

Notable tracks: Hold It Back, You Grew Up, Rights & Wrongs

 

 

33. Rap Album Two – Jonwayne – Rap Album Two is an authentic return to music after Jonwayne’s brief hiatus. It’s self-aware, it’s observant, it’s well-written. The opening track, “TED Talk,” is as good of an introduction to an album as I’ve heard all year, it’s packed with witty bars like “I never forget like elephants on 4chan,” or “Kissing that cross, now they kissing my crosshairs/When I rap on beats that sound like a video game boss lair – [expletive]”. “LIVE From The [expletive] You” is a clever statement track about how annoyed Jonwayne gets by people that use his him for his fame, told in an annoyed tone to an ignorant fan. There’s an insightful moment on this album on “The Single” that feels like we’re witnessing Jonwayne’s breaking point that caused him to take his hiatus as he struggles to make what is supposed to be a hit single for an upcoming album, it’s heartbreaking and vulnerable in a way that any artist can relate to. The extended metaphor on “Paper” wherein Jonwayne compares himself and his legacy to a tree is a moving excerpt of songwriting that I can’t help but share whenever I talk about Rap Album Two. He writes: “When I die, I wanna grow into a tree/I want ’em to bury me/Mixed in with soil and leaves/And when I’m stretched ‘cross the land/And your son cuts me down/I wanna be the book your grandchildren read aloud/With the tape on my spine/I’m still proud/I want ’em to hand me down/And give me to Goodwill/And price me for a dollar/Still get shoplifted, hell/Torn open just to give a man shelter, shit/That’s the world of my wishes/This paper my motivation”. Jonwayne shares with his listener the portrait of an imperfect artist, and anybody who joins him on that journey will find an endearing message by the end.

Notable tracks: TED Talk, LIVE From The [Expletive] You, Paper, These Words are Everything

 

 

32. Villains – Queens of the Stone Age – It’s difficult to identify a more successful run of hit records in modern rock than that of Queens of the Stone Age. Given their masterful contributions to the genre like Songs for the Deaf and …Like Clockwork, I had high hopes for Villains. While it doesn’t quite live up to their previous efforts, I think there’s a lot to enjoy here. “Feet Don’t Fail Me Now” starts the album off with a bang, featuring what I can only describe as “restless leg syndrome as a guitar riff,” every time I come back to it, I’m tempted to move with the track. “The Way you Used to Do” keeps the ball rolling with a track that starts high and insists on going higher, the guitar riffs here are hyper and complimented by a chaotic, up tempo, drum beat. Josh Hommes is at his best vocally on “Head Like a Haunted House” wherein he channels his inner coked-up Elvis for a rambunctious listening experience. My personal favorite on this record is the down tempo, yet still heavy “Un-Reborn Again,” the track feels full, every piece of instrumentation plays well with one another (the synths alternating with those awesome power chords, the dueling guitars during the chorus and at the end of the track, Josh’s vocals being complimented by his backup on the chorus, the seamless transition from guitars to violins and back again, it’s truly a masterful blend). In spite of some of the albums forgettable tracks (a la “Hideaway” and “Domesticated Animals”), I think there are some real gems here that will feel right at home with the rest of Queens of the Stone Age’s discography.

Notable tracks: Feet Don’t Fail Me Now, The Way you Used to Do, Head Like a Haunted House, Un-Reborn Again

 

 

31. Melodrama – Lorde – When Lorde burst onto the scene with “Royals” (and the accompanying album Pure Heroine), I found her to be talented, but a bit too one note for my taste (fairly shallow lyrics, and most of the album had the same basic sounding instrumentals). All that being said, Melodrama was exactly what the New Zealand artist needed to win me over. The opening three tracks, “Green Light,” “Sober,” and “Homemade Dynamite,” is one of the best runs of tracks to be released this year, they do a lot to sell to me that Lorde has made efforts to expand her sonic palette beyond the sound she explored thoroughly on Pure Heroine. Lorde feels like she’s having more fun on this album and she wants the listener to have fun with her, most notably, “Writer In The Dark”. The refrain on this song “Bet you rue the day you kissed a writer in the dark” is such a spiteful, yet fun image, and she gets plenty of mileage on this joke thanks to the unhinged tone in her voice on lines like “Now she’s gonna play and sing and lock you in her heart”. “Perfect Places” wraps the entire project up in a peppy conclusion, encouraging you to find your perfect place in the midst of all the crap that imperfect moments that we live in. Lorde came into her own on this project by letting down her guard and embracing her imperfections.

Notable Tracks: Green Light, Homemade Dynamite, Writer In The Dark, Perfect Places

 

 

 

30. Big Fish Theory – Vince Staples – In the weeks leading up to the release of Big Fish Theory, Vince gave us the following quote to describe the album’s sound: “All I can tell you is that it’s current. It’s tomorrow…We making future music. It’s Afrofuturism. This is my Afro-futurism. There’s no other kind.” A couple days after this quote, he would go onto the Daily Show and basically tell Trevor Noah he made up that description to mess with white people. But after reading up a bit on Afrofuturism, I feel like there is something to this playful quip (or maybe I’m just taking the bait, who’s to say?). The heavy dose of EDM and industrial production elements makes me think of clipping’s Splendor & Misery or Kanye’s Yeezus (without the lack of focus that was prevalent on Yeezus); it’s an interesting new direction that Vince explores without alienating listeners of his earlier work. “Alyssa Interlude” is another entry in an already impressive collection of mysterious, downer tracks that Vince has produced (a la “Smile” and “Summertime”), this one contemplating lost loved ones with a somber beat that sounds like rain pattering against a windshield, complete with wiper blades swishing back and forth. “Yeah Right” is an eerie, noisy, industrial sounding track in which Vince questions the authenticity of modern culture and some of his contemporaries in hip hop, the Kendrick feature helps bring this already great track to a whole other level. “Homage” serves as a sort of sales pitch to award committees with lyrics like “Outrun my gun, I’m the big shot now/Prima Donna had them like ‘wow!’/Hitchcock of my modern day/Where the [expletive] is my VMA?/Where the [expletive] is my Grammy?” suggesting  that he’s underappreciated outside of his fan base and genre critics. “I am too cultured and too ghetto,” is another line off this track that I feel really captures Vince’s place in the greater music landscape. He finds himself caught between two worlds, not quite fitting in either, too cultured to have street cred, but his music is looked down upon by gatekeepers.

Notable Tracks: Big Fish, Alyssa Interlude, Yeah Right, Homage, Rain Come Down

 

 

29. Dead Reflection – Silverstein – Silverstein entered the music landscape in the height of emo/post-hardcore’s popularity as a genre. While many much bigger acts from that period have since called it quits or transformed their sound beyond recognition, the Canadian-based post-hardcore outfit continues to churn out quality music without sacrificing the band’s personality. I credit the group’s longevity to the band’s ability to create compelling concept albums that lends their music to multiple listens. On their 9th studio album, the band opted out of telling a traditional narrative in favor of a series of tracks that all surround a common thematic element. Between his passionate singing and violent screaming, Shane Told’s performance serves as an emotional anchor on Dead Reflection. The front half of the record is loaded with plenty of heavy, scream laden, intense tracks that old fans will have come to expect from the group (tracks like the chaotic opener “Last Looks” or the explosive second half of “Ghost”), but the most interesting song to me has to be “Lost Positives”. It’s common for Silverstein to either maintain a high intensity track, or build a slow burning song into an bursting, emotional climax, not quite the case with “Lost Positives”. This track takes ebbs and flows between reflective, calm, verses, and colossal guitar riffs, it’s a surprising new trick that the band hasn’t used too much on their previous work. While it might be difficult to believe, Dead Reflection is an album about hope, and overcoming yourself in spite of bleak circumstances, if you’re able to stomach the abrasive tone that post-hardcore music can often take on, I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised by Silverstein’s hopeful message.

Notable tracks: Lost Positives, Ghost, Secret’s Safe, Wake Up

28. Queue: The Mixtape – The Stoop Kids – Queue: The Mixtape sounds more like a golden oldies greatest hits from a collection of artists rather than one band. On this project, we have 10 tracks, all of which sound like they’re coming from a different period in American popular music. In the course of about thirty minutes, you will hear downtempo disco/funk (on the track “Motions”), funky surfer music (on the track “Curious Man”), and heavily distorted contemporary RnB (on the track “Better Left Unsaid”). The Stoop Kids are a blast to listen to on this project, their refusal to nail down a distinct sound allows the group to explore what works for them, and I think the gamble ultimately pays off. The group is having fun experimenting with a wide range genres and that’s plain enough for anybody that listens to the project. If you’re in the mood for a genre chameleon from start to finish, look no further than Queue: The Mixtape.  

Notable tracks: Motions, Curious Man, Better Left Unsaid

27. Drunk – Thundercat – There aren’t too many people that are capable of singing about  bedtime routines, hatred for social media, love for anime, the friendzone, and everything in between without creating a tone deaf mess of an album. Lucky for us, Thundercat is no ordinary musician, his goofy personality, electro-jazz style, and the respect he garners from talented musicians new and old allowed him to create a zany and surreal contemporary jazz experience on Drunk. The culmination of contributions from Flying Lotus, Kenny Loggins, Kendrick Lamar, and Pharrell gives this album one of the most distinct footprints of any 2017 release. On one track the suppressed, muffled, production will give you the feeling of being submerged within the beat; on the next you’ll feel like you’re floating over a peppy, ethereal track. All in all, you’re getting into a pleasant and diverse listening experience. I haven’t even gotten into Thundercat’s goofy lyrics. When you hear these lyrics paired with the world class music put forth on this project, it just adds to the hilarity of the whole affair. Looking specifically at “Friend Zone,” it’s a funky, psychedelic, track as Thundercat’s tenor delivery addresses a woman that he’s purposefully avoiding so he can play video games. Drunk is an enjoyable listen from start to finish, and Thundercat’s humor bleeds through his lyrics.

Notable tracks: Captain Stupido, A Fan’s Mail (Tron Song Suite II), Tokyo, Friend Zone

26. Trap Ketchum – Shofu – Shofu is a competitive Pokemon player who has dabbled in rapping as a hobby, and finally released a proper mixtape, Trap Ketchum. I’ll be honest, it’s a pet favorite of mine for this year; but to say that this is just a gimmick Pokemon mixtape would be underselling Shofu’s natural talent for rapping. It has a VERY specific audience in mind, but if you’re in that audience, boy will you enjoy it. For example, trying to explain the backstory behind “Verlisify” would be like trying to explain the Drake, Meek Mill beef to a hip hop outsider. The classic 90s gameboy inspired beats are fun without overstaying their welcome, Shofu’s aggressive delivery (for example on “Woke Up in Pallet Town”) and creative flows make this project a fun trip, especially if you can pick up on all the Pokemon reference that are littered throughout the project. Several of his collaborators bring their A-Game as well (most notably Pe$o Pete). Even non-fans can at least recognize that Shofu at plenty of talent to make a name for himself as a rapper (as he puts it on “Hurry Along” “They prolly hatin’ because I rap about Pokemon better than they rap about anything.”).

Notable Tracks: Woke Up in Pallet Town, Splash, I Don’t Understand, Kami Clouds, The Goons!

 

 

25. The Underside of Power – Algiers – The Atlanta quartet, Algiers brings the heat in their sophomore effort The Underside of Power, it’s a riotous call for revolution in the plainest of language possible. The group blends elements of punk, gospel, hard rock, industrial, and blues music to make the soundtrack of the oppressed. Front man Franklin James Fischer infuses every performance on this album with anguish, frustration, and hope, which helps sell this album’s righteous anger. The opening track “Walk Like a Panther” helps set the tone for the rest of the album, it’s a relentless, explosive snapshot of what you can expect from the rest of the project. While much of The Underside of Power might feel like a fire and brimstone sermon, there are plenty of moments of redemption to be found throughout the album. The title track “The Underside of Power” feels like a moment of triumph as Fischer delivers a sermon-like pep talk to his listeners, as he says the the underside of power “[is] just a game that can’t go on”. Algiers has a unified direction, and that is never more evident than the symbiotic relationship between Franklin James Fischer and his band on The Underside of Power.

Notable tracks: Walk Like a Panther, The Underside of Power, Animals

24. Brick Body Kids Still Day Dream – Open Mike Eagle – On a typical Open Mike Eagle album, Mike often keeps his audience at arm’s length, typically opting to share his feelings through observational comedy and humorous songwriting. Brick Body Kids Still Daydream, drops the emotional distance in favor of sharing the personal experience of Open Mike Eagle losing his childhood home, the Robert Taylor Homes in Chicago. Beneath these wobbly, eccentric beats, there are heavy feelings of nostalgia and displacement throughout the entire project, as if Mike’s childhood officially ended with the destruction of these public housing projects. “(How Could Anybody) Feel at Home” serves as a sort of TL;DR for the whole project, as Mike ponders what “home” really means for him, especially for the nomadic lifestyle he leads as a musician. “95 Radios”  is Open Mike Eagle at his most personal as he recounts the first time he heard rap music on the radio in the lines “And the homies said they heard a rap song/Sounded like some folks they know”. It’s a revealing, personal track that gives the listener a look into how Mike got interested in hip hop music in the first place. Brick Body Kids Still Daydream focuses on the subtle moments of life, and relationships that gradually drift apart rather a violent end in one traumatic event.

Notable tracks: (How Could Anybody) Feel at Home, Tldr (Smithing), 95 Radios, My Auntie’s Building

 

 

23. CTRL – SZA – SZA’s long awaited debut album has finally dropped and I have to say, it was well worth the wait. After falling in love with her sensual voice on songs like “Childs Play” and “Warm Winds” I would spend the next couple years waiting for a proper debut album. What we would ultimately get is CTRL, a heartfelt yet blunt collection of tracks that explore SZA’s experiences with love, betrayal, and honesty. There’s a unique blend of elements from neosoul, RnB, and indie rock present on this record, it makes for a pleasant listening experience that is universally accessible. “Supermodel” kicks things off with a stellar vocal performance from SZA as she recounts betrayal in an intimate relationship over a somber electric guitar riff. The abundant moments of reflection add an element of authenticity SZA’s music, whether she’s talking about her immaturity in previous relationships on the disco-pop track “Prom,” or her emotional insecurity on “Drew Barrymore”. “20 Something,” the album’s final track, is a perfect conclusion. After learning all we have about SZA’s life throughout the project, she concludes that she is far from where she thought she would be at this point in her life. The lyrics “How could it be? 20 something/All alone still, not a thing in my name/Ain’t got nothin’, runnin’ from love/Only know fear,” wraps up all of SZA’s fears into a concise, existential, conclusion that many people (myself included) can relate to. SZA’s mother at the end of the track thankfully provides message of hope to those of us that feel similar dread about our lives, so as to leave the listener with a feeling of hope in spite of their shortcomings.

Notable tracks: Supermodel, Prom, Pretty Little Bird, 20 Something

22. Turn Out the Lights – Julien Baker – Julien Baker is one of the more unique voices to have come out in the past couple of years. A gay, Christian, singer-songwriter hailing from the south is probably one of the bigger contradictions you’ll hear about this year. Her sophomore album Turn Out the Lights is a showcase of polished, singer-songwriter fundamentals with worship music influences. Baker’s exploration of her crippling depression and suicidal thoughts is a haunting, yet moving experience. “Shadowboxing” is the painful telling of Baker describing how nobody can truly help her cope with her mental illness, since she’s the only one who understands the full scope. The contemporary worship music influence is plain enough on the song “Sour Breath,” a song about trying to maintain a relationship between two broken people, with the building instrumental on the repeated line “The harder I swim, the faster I sink.” Julien Baker’s newest efforts are a personal endeavor as she invites you into her mind, and I think that’s beautiful.

Notable Tracks: Shadowboxing, Televangelist, Hurt Less

21. How to be Human – The Classic Crime – It is nearly impossible for me to grade this album fairly. I will say from the outset that How to be Human is far from The Classic Crime’s best work (I’d give that distinction to their 2012 album Phoenix). But nevertheless, this band is an old favorite that I have listened to for almost ten years now, so providing a fair assessment will prove tough. All that being said, I think this is Matt Macdonald’s strongest performances as a lyricist. Tracks like “Not Done With You Yet” and “Driftwood” are about human imperfection and finding redemption in spite of those shortcomings. Often times the band falls back on safe musical motifs that worked on previous albums (“Shades of Green” features an interlude towards the end of the track that is basically a rehash of “You and Me Both”). The closing track “Black & White” is a slow-burning ballad, a staple of any album by The Classic Crime, about facing one’s maker after wasting the most precious gift one can receive, that of life. How to be Human is another solid entry from an old favorite.

Notable Tracks: Not Done With You Yet, Driftwood, More, Black & White

20. Blkswn – Smino – Smino’s ability to change tone from track to track (sometimes even within the same song) makes Blkswn a treat to listen to from start to finish. The muddled, sometimes muted production was a great decision for this project, it really allows for Smino’s voice and charisma to take center stage on the album, as evident on the earnest, heartfelt opening track “Wild Irish Roses”. Smino takes advantage of his time with you to treat you to a wide variety of tones, styles, and flows. The transitions from track to track are smooth and seamless without running into a monotone rut (see the peppy “Spitshine” and the sexy “Netflix & Dusse”). In an era where young hip hop artists are comfortable packaging a string of unrelated tracks together and calling it a mixtape, Smino makes the case that you can still make an interesting, cohesive project.

Notable tracks: Wild Irish Roses, Spitshine, Netflix & Dusse, B Role, blkswn

19. Pure Comedy – Father John Misty – Whenever Josh Tillman releases music, you can always count on it to be a full, well-crafted, listening experience. Pure Comedy meets expectations once again as Father John Misty offers biting, witty, and poignant criticism on anything and everything he can get his hands on. There is something here for everybody, you can commiserate with Tillman on “When the God of Love Returns There’ll Be Hell to Pay,” you can enjoy the hill-billy, big band orchestral performance on “Total Entertainment Forever,” or you can listen to the methodical takedown of the entertainment industry on the thirteen minute long “Leaving LA”. Even Tillman himself cannot escape the lampooning, as he deals criticism of himself as a self-important, old, white guy who takes himself too seriously on “Ballad of the Dying Man”. Pure Comedy just might be some of Josh Tillman’s best work yet. His vision is enormous, but he’s more than up to the task thanks to an excellent pen and plenty of musical talent to make every minute of Pure Comedy worth a listen.

Notable tracks: Total Entertainment Forever, Leaving LA, Two WIldly Different Perspectives

18. 508-507-2209 – Joyner Lucas – Joyner is one of the most talented rappers from the current generation of up and coming hip hop artists. His sophomore album, 508-507-2209 is proof enough that he’s ambitious and has a desire to tell huge stories, even if at times he loses focus on the overarching narrative of his project. Lucas makes a loose narrative about avoiding tough conversations and the dangers of distancing oneself, but to me, the sum of the parts is much more powerful than the whole in this case. For example, “Keep It 100” is a masterfully crafted story about the intimate moments of people and their vices, all told through the perspective of a $100 bill, however it exists mainly on its own in the greater context of the album, the same could be said for “FYM”. All that being said, Joyner is sharp, tenacious, and a downright force when he hops on the mic. Most will balk at the idea of an hour and twenty three minute long album, but Joyner Lucas has no trouble filling the entire project with a smorgasbord of tracks that are compelling and fun at the same time. Want to turn up? Listen to “Ultrasound,” “FYM,” or “Look What You Made Me Do”. Want to slow it down? “Lullaby,” “I’m Sorry,” and “One Lonely Night” are more your speed. Joyner Lucas has some of the greatest potential out of any of his contemporaries, and I think in a couple years time, we’ll be listening to a classic project from him.

Notable Tracks: Ultrasound, FYM, Keep It 100, I’m Sorry

17. What Now – Sylvan Esso – When the North Carolina duo first debuted with their self-titled album, I was immediately hooked. Their minimalist, indie-pop sound kept me listening for months on end. Now they’re back with a more fleshed out sound on their sophomore album What Now. I think the risk to make “bigger” sounding music paid off, Amelia Meath is an excellent vocalist, and giving her more opportunities to indulge her energetic impulses on tracks like “The Glow,” “Radio,” or “Just Dancing,” gives Sylvan Esso another dimension to explore on future projects. Nick Sanborn’s expanded sample pallet makes for a much more interesting project all in all, for example “Kick Jump Twist” is a sonic adventure that experiences several peaks and valleys within the four minute thirty second run time without the song feeling like a tonal mess. In a pop landscape that is dominated by dark sounding music (a la Taylor Swift’s “Look What You Made Me Do” or Ed Sheeran’s weird attempts at being sexy on “Shape of You”), Sylvan Esso finds their niche with a medley of fun dance tracks. As great as their debut was, Sylvan Esso letting loose allowed the duo to stay fresh while still remaining familiar to the fans that enjoyed their debut.

Notable Tracks: Die Young, Radio, Just Dancing

16. Run the Jewels 3 – Run the Jewels – (NOTE: This album came out on December 24th 2016, so I’m counting it as a 2017 release) Run the Jewels will be the modern generation’s Eminiem, insofar as the kids that don’t appreciate rap will ALWAYS say that this is the one group in the genre they like. The group’s third studio album (fourth if you include their meme album “Meow the Jewels”) takes a turn for the political (oh gee I wonder why?) and I think the project is better off for it. Given Killer Mike’s social activism and his short stint as a Bernie Sanders surrogate, the decision is a welcome and encouraged one. The duo is sharp as ever, El-P’s beats continue to be eccentric yet accessible, and both rappers keep their rebellious, devil may care attitude fresh. I can’t get enough of “Legend Has It”. That track to me captures Run the Jewels essence the best. It’s brash, boastful, and has a wild beat, everything we’ve come to expect from the duo. Things take a turn for the revolutionary on tracks like “Don’t Get Captured” and “A Report to the Shareholders/Kill Your Masters”. While on this album the group merely dips their toes into the the more political conversations, I think this decision will pave the way to several more years of interesting topics for the group to cover.

Notable Tracks: Legend Has It, Hey Kids (Bumaye), Stay Gold, A Report to the Shareholders/Kill Your Masters

15. Radio Silence – Talib Kweli – Hip hop has been in a transition, and this year many of the hot debates have come to a head. Old heads are lecturing the next generation with a message that resemble the ones that stuffy prudes told them in hip hop’s early days, legendary rappers like Andre 3000 are saying that old guys shouldn’t rap, and the definition of hip hop feels like it’s being stretched to it’s absolute limit. And then there are artists like Talib Kweli, he didn’t get the memo that old guys shouldn’t rap. His latest efforts on Radio Silence are vintage Kweli. His relentless flows on “The Magic Hour” pairs perfectly with the loosely arranged drums and the funky guitar chords that make up the beat of this track. “The Magic Hour,” feels like the most appropriate track to kick this album off, as if suggesting that Kweli’s talent isn’t inherent in his age, but rather in the hard work and dedication to his craft. Following this up with the KAYTRANADA produced “Traveling Light” and an Anderson .Paak feature further illustrates that Kweli is relevant and knows what works without sacrificing the identity that made him a success back in the mid nineties. And of course, it wouldn’t be a Kweli album without social advocacy themes. Whether he’s criticizing law enforcement on “All of Us,” or the culture of violence that is ingrained in American culture on “She’s My Hero,” Kweli continues to stay relevant by sharing impassioned, thought provoking lyrics without falling into the “fake woke” trap that contemporary hip hop artists tend to fall for.

Notable Tracks: The Magic Hour, Traveling Light, She’s My Hero, Knockturnal, Write At Home

14. 3 – Tricot – Since their debut studio album in 2012, Tricot has released a steady stream of hectic, complex, math rock that will surely get your blood pumping. The trio built off their previous success with their appropriately titled, third studio album, 3. Frontwoman Ikumi “Ikkyu” Nakajima continues to prove herself as a formidable vocalist throughout the project with songs like the relentless opening track “Tokyo Vampire Hotel” or her vocal solo at the end of “Sukima” that would even rival Mariah Carey’s range. Motok Kid and Ikumi have excellent chemistry with one another as they play off each other’s talented guitar playing. “Pork Ginger” is an excellent display of tempo changes that blend together without the track sounding jarring. Even though I don’t speak Japanese (and therefore don’t understand the lyrics of this album without looking them up), the trio’s ability to create tangible, emotional tones with their music is the latest evidence that music is the universal language.

Notable Tracks: Tokyo Vampire Hotel, Pork Ginger, Setsuyakuka

13. I Love You Like a Brother – Alex Lahey – You know, Alex Lahey is a victim to poor timing. If she somehow found a way to release this album about fifteen years ago, Lahey’s music would have been featured in every single straight-to-DVD teen movie put out over that period. Personally, I’m glad we have this project in 2017, it’s fun, sassy nature is much needed to break up the downer music that dominates my Spotify listening history. Lahey’s debut album introduces us to the funny, honest, and brash frontwoman in a flurry of energetic anthems about platonic relationships, self-care, and anything else that’s on your typical millennial’s minds. “I Haven’t Been Taking Care of Myself,” is one of my favorite songs of the year, it’s an earnest track of self-deprecation, but presented with raucous pop-punk guitar chords and an upbeat tempo. Most of the music is simple, yet addictive, thanks to Lahey packing this project with plenty of loud, electric guitars. I Love You Like a Brother is a love letter to fem pop-punk akin to Paramore, Pvris, or Courage My Love.

Notable Tracks: Every Day’s the Weekend, I Haven’t Been Taking Care of Myself, Lotto in Reverse, There’s No Money

12. ALL-AMERIKKKAN BADA$$ – Joey Bada$$ – The spectre of politics seems to have invaded every aspect of our lives. Celebrities, coffee companies, and tiki torches have been forced to make some kind of a political statement, it was a given that music would get political too. I can think of very few musicians that was better staged for speaking truth to power in 2017 than Joey Bada$$. While most prefer the boom-bap, golden era hip hop sound that got Joey noticed a la 1999 or B4.Da.$$, I think the more airwave friendly sound of ALL-AMERIKKAN BADA$$ works well for the Brooklyn emcee. Listeners are treated to a whole range of Joey’s emotions on this project, in particular his complicated relationship with the United States. “FOR MY PEOPLE” is laden with optimistic sounding synths and a distant brass instrument as Joey raps about overcoming the everyday trials and tribulations of his existence through his “super power” of sharing his experience through the written word. “LAND OF THE FREE” is a somber anthem about feeling dissatisfied with the American government and the lack of change that politicians like Obama were able to accomplish despite their campaign promises.The sample selection on this album is superb, the clip from Coonskin is the perfect transition from “Y U DON’T LOVE ME? (MISS AMERIKKKA)” to “ROCKABYE BABY”. And the audio of the child’s police brutality speech is an excellent bookend for the “TEMPTATION”. The conclusion of the project, “AMERIKKKAN IDOL” is a boiling point of frustration wherein Joey calls for unity and a revolution against the powers that be; depending on your perspective it’s either inspiring or terrifying, but nevertheless the natural conclusion of all the feelings that Joey lays out on the project.

Notable Tracks: FOR MY PEOPLE, LAND OF THE FREE, ROCKABYE BABY, LEGENDARY, AMERIKKKAN IDOL

11. Witness – Benjamin Booker – Benjamin Booker is one of the latest in this wave of contemporary artists that are reinterpreting classic genres. If Leon Bridges had a rebel older brother, he would be Benjamin Booker. “Right On You” sets the perfect tone for the rest of this project, it’s a jubilant, rebellious introduction to Booker’s infectious talent, and he rarely loses your attention throughout the album. The bluesy, garage-rock, tracks are broken up when appropriate with a well-timed gospel influenced song, like the title track “Witness” or “Carry”. The full range of Booker’s talents are on display on “Off the Ground” a track that explodes into a raucous display of wailing and guitar mashing that would be sure to wake up the dead. Benjamin Booker is the the type of frontman that is an absolute joy to listen to, and his talent truly shines through from start to finish on Witness.

Notable Tracks: Right On You, Witness, Overtime, Off the Ground

10. Flower Boy – Tyler the Creator – A feeling of resolution is ever prominent throughout Flower Boy. The project peels back a lot of the violent, revolting nature that was so prevalent on Tyler’s earlier work in favor of a mellow tone. The opening track, “Foreword” is a moment of self-reflection, as Tyler poses questions about his life thus far, something we would never see during Tyler’s Goblin era. He brings heavy nostalgia vibes on the track “November” as he asks the listener to think about their November, or the time they were happiest. All these thoughtful tracks are not to say that Tyler has lost the edge that he built his brand off of. “Who Dat Boy” and “I Ain’t Got Time!” are both vintage Tyler the Creator, albeit with a little less sexual assault. From the warm, breezy, production to the superb rapping, Tyler the Creator has blossomed (boo me for this awful pun please) on Flower Boy. Regardless of how you feel about the authenticity of Tyler using this album as a coming out moment, it’s hard to deny that he has come a long way from his Goblin days.

Notable Tracks: Foreword, See You Again, I Ain’t Got Time!, November

9. Process – Sampha – The British singer/songwriter’s debut studio project was long anticipated as he built a reputation through his features and production credits with artists like Solange, Drake, and FKA Twigs (among others). To say that Sampha delivered on the hype is an understatement. Slow boiling production on tracks like “Plastic 100°C” and “(No One Knows Me) Like the Piano” highlight Sampha’s talent as a singer. These tracks feel complete despite the minimalist approach to the backing instrumental. Speaking of “(No One Knows Me) Like the Piano,” that track is a testament to Sampha as the complete package. His songwriting, piano playing, and lyricism come together in an intimate story about Sampha at his most vulnerable. Sampha brings a fine tuned ear for production, an elegant pen for songwriting, his honeyed voice, and of course his talent at the ivory keys. This collection of spacious sonic delights is a brief, but intimate journey with a musician that I can’t wait to hear more from.

Notable Tracks: Plastic 100°C, (No One Knows Me) Like the Piano, Reverse Faults, What Shouldn’t I Be?

8. Being You is Great, I Wish I Could Be You More Often – Quelle Chris – It’s hard not to draw parallels to Madvillainy on this project. But with all the bizarre samples that Quelle Chris pulls out of his arsenal for this album, I can’t help but at least make the comparison from a production standpoint. The album’s opening rap “Buddies” might just be my favorite track about self-love of all time, the heavy baseline is the perfect pairing for Chris’s lazy delivery as he explains to the listener that “he [expletive] with himself”. I find this album to be a relatable experience for anybody like myself that struggles with self confidence, most notably with tracks like “Dumb for Brains” or “The Dreamer in the Den of Wolves”. Chris gets personal throughout most of this project, and I find it to be a fascinating look into the mind of artistic genius that doesn’t think he is one.

Notable Tracks: Buddies, In Case I get Lost Inside the Crowd, The Dreamer in the Den of Wolves, Birthdaze

7. DAMN. – Kendrick Lamar – Can we just acknowledge the fact that this album is basically a Fox News dis album? I’m almost 100% certain that the idea for this project was born in response to the Fox New segment that distilled his hopeful track “Alright” down to an oversimplified, message of hate. When Kendrick realized that there is a sizable cross-section of Americans that wouldn’t want to listen to his thoughtful message on the black experience on his previous record, he responds with a message of anger. “DNA” feels like a conversation with the anchors disparaged his life work, essentially saying “I’ll show you what real anger looks like”. He follows it up with “YAH,” where he directly responds to Geraldo Rivera’s criticisms in the lyrics “Somebody tell Geraldo this [expletive] got some ambition, I’m not a politician, I’m not ’bout a religion”. But DAMN. is much more than Kendrick telling everybody how much he hates Fox News. Where “To Pimp a Butterfly” was an intense internal reflection of Kendrick’s experience as a successful black man in America, DAMN. is Kendrick’s contemplation on the hypothetical. What if he was killed before he realized his full potential (on “BLOOD.”)? What if his dad was shot by Top Dawg (on “DUCKWORTH”)? What if all of the fears of black America broke him down (on “FEAR”)? “DUCKWORTH” is a fusion of Lamar’s masterful storytelling and technical rapping ability, allowing for him to make what I think is his best track to date. While DAMN. is not my favorite Kendrick Lamar record, he continues his dominance of the genre with this latest release.

Notable Tracks: DNA., FEEL., FEAR., DUCKWORTH.

6. IWASVERYBAD – IDK – I’ve always been impressed with Jason Mill’s ability to make albums that explore one common theme in a nuanced, thoughtful way (i.e. drug dealing on Subtrap, or money on Empty Bank). On his third full-length album, IDK turns to his own experience growing up as a middle class black American through the lense of his relationship with his mother. “Mrs. Lynch, Your Son Is The Devil” is an unsettling introduction to the album, as the listener is treated to a cacophony of voicemails explaining IDK’s progressively worse behavior, all of which crescendo with a condemnation from a chorus telling him “[expletive] you gon’ be bad, forever.” IDK paints a haunting picture of a young man who is caught between two worlds, being told he was too dumb to be successful in school (with lyrics like “The first one in my family/to see the/penitentiary/when I should’ve seen Cs, Bs/As too” on “Maryland Ass [expletive]”), but too timid to really be a criminal (with lyrics like “Knowing I’m no killa/but f*ck it, I’m trying to be that [expletive]/So my acting skills kicked in/I’m Michael Jackson off of Thriller” on “Pizza Shop Extended”). IDK takes an uncharacteristic violent tone in the opening of the project, which eventually gives way to jazzy, instrumental production once we reach the emotional core of this album on tracks like “No Shoes On The Rug, Leave Them At The Door” or “Black Sheep, White Dove”. IWASVERYBAD is a testament to the ostracization that young, black, folks can experience growing up in the suburbs, and the negative impacts of that experience. Notable Tracks: Mrs. Lynch, Your Son Is The Devil, 17 Wit a 38, No Shoes On The Rug, Leave Them At The Door, Black Sheep, White Dove.

5. SATURATION I, II, & III – BROCKHAMPTON – BROCKHAMPTON proved that boy bands aren’t just for tween girls. To simply call the 8-man collective a “rap group” does a real disservice to the diversity of their creative output in 2017. It’s a testament to the group’s chemistry that every member brings their own own creative flavor to a track without stepping on each other’s toes or cluttering any individual song. On any given track, you can have Merlyn’s yelpy, accented delivery, Ameer’s clever, stoner, bars (side note, Ameer proves that you can rap about drugs without resorting to the lazy bars that your typical Soundcloud rapper uses), Matt Champion’s antagonistic lyrics (see “HEAT”), and Kevin Abstract’s general charisma to bring it all together. There is a ton of emotion and enthusiasm across all three projects, with over 40 tracks on three albums, I guarantee that there is something in here for everybody.

Notable Tracks: HEAT, STAR, 2PAC, QUEER, JESUS, JUNKY

4. Rainbow – Kesha – Even though this album only came out a couple of months ago, I feel like it continues to get more relevant with each passing day. In the wake of a tidal wave of sexual abuse in entertainment coming to light via the Weinstein dam breaking, the story and success behind Kesha’s resurgence with Rainbow nearly encapsulates this cultural moment better than any other single work. After breaking free from the creative purgatory Sony and Dr. Luke kept her under, Kesha responded with a medley of genre experimentation and creativity that I did not expect. If you would have told me that an album that featured both The Eagles of Death Metal and Dolly Parton was going to be a creative success, I would have laughed you out of the room. She switches from fun, punk-pop tracks like “Let ‘em Talk” (which is the song that Swift’s “Shake it Off” always wanted to be) to the more thoughtful, acoustic, ballads like “Praying”. I even fully enjoyed her dips into experimenting with country crooning on tracks like “Spaceship”! Kesha is at her best when she gets to be herself. In spite of all the hardship, Rainbow allows her to do just that.

Notable Tracks: Let ‘em Talk, Praying, Spaceship

3. Laila’s Wisdom – Rapsody – Rapsody is bar for bar, one of the greatest modern day rappers, full stop. While she’s been a featured guest on many of my favorite projects throughout the past couple of years (see Anderson .Paak’s Malibu and Kendrick Lamar’s To Pimp a Butterfly), she finally takes center stage on Laila’s Wisdom and proves her talent through fourteen incredible tracks of pure rap goodness. The opening track of this album is three and a half minutes of Rapsody spitting over gospel vocals and piano chords, delivering self-confident bars like “God rested on day seven but worked on me on day four”. Her lyricism is impeccable, she has an infectious confidence on all of her tracks that keeps me coming back to this project. “Pay Up,” the first single released for the record, is a groovy, entertaining track about dealing with a deadbeat boyfriend who exploits her generosity. In a year full of vivid storytelling through music, Rapsody makes a heartbreaking track of her own with “Jesus Coming,” a song that explores three brief, yet biting vignettes of individuals dealing with their untimely demises. The features on this project are top notch, with contributions from Kendrick Lamar, Anderson .Paak, Busta Rhymes, BJ the Chicago Kid, and Amber Navran. It’s safe to say that Rapsody has without a doubt put out her best work to date with Laila’s Wisdom.

Notable Tracks: Power, Pay Up, Black & Ugly, Jesus Coming

 

 

 

 

2. Common As Light and Love Are Red Valleys of Blood – Sun Kil Moon – Mark Kozelek, say what you may about him as a person, is the William Faulkner of modern music. Common As Light and Love Are Red Valleys of Blood (Common as Light) is a masterful experience of stream of consciousness, it is the closest you will ever get to hearing a person’s real-time thoughts over the course of a song. This thing is dense, almost two hours of music. It’s aimless ramblings aren’t for everyone, but one can’t deny that Kozelek makes some unique observations on mortality throughout this sprawling work. The best example that I can think of is “Chili Lemon Peanuts” a nine minute song about watching a Manny Pacquiao fight in Vegas, ultimately serving as a parable about coming to grips with the inevitability of aging. Several times on this project Kozelek does what I can only describe as “pausing” the main narrative of a song to provide his own commentary in the form of another song. “Butch Lullaby” is a perfect example of this in practice. Kozelek shares his personal experiences with the now deceased Butch in between the larger narrative about the song’s central character. The minimal instrumentation serves as the perfect backdrop to the narratives that Kozelek tells throughout this record. If you’re willing to be patient with this project, you’ll find plenty of nuggets of wisdom from start to finish.

Notable Tracks: Chili Lemon Peanuts, Butch Lullaby, Seventies TV Show Theme Song

1. A Crow Looked at Me – Mount Eerie – How do you make art when life loses its meaning? Why do we insist on finding symbolism when there is none to be found? In the wake of his wife’s sudden passing, these are questions that Phil Elverum seeks to answer on A Crow Looked At Me. There is no big swell of emotion, no grand, universal, conclusion like you would expect in big budget film or your favorite book, rather quite the opposite. A Crow Looked At Me is a muted, minimalist series of heartbreaking reminders that life forever changes in the wake of a personal tragedy, and a glimpse into the lonely journey that one must take. Everyday tasks are reminders to Phil, like receiving mail addressed to his deceased wife, cleaning out a wastebasket with her old tissues, closing the windows as the seasons change, all these mundane tasks are portrayed as insurmountable because they are just another wound that hasn’t quite closed. Listening to this album wallow through the motions is a moving experience that I cannot recommend enough. While it doesn’t have a tidy resolution, we are treated to the tiniest glimpses of hope as Phil begins his journey towards acceptance.

Notable tracks: Real Death, Seaweed, Toothbrush/Trash, Crow

10. Car Seat Headrest – Teens of Denial

“You have no right to be depressed!” lead singer Will Toledo shouts in the chorus of the first track on Teens of Denial. As somebody who has dealt with being depressed at different points in my life, in spite of having one of the cushiest lives in all of recorded human history, this is a line that sticks with me throughout the entire album. Teens of Denial is a near 70 minute sprawl of lo-fi, indie rock goodness that explores Toledo’s transition from emotional turmoil to a state of nihilism as he entered early adulthood. With a majority of the tracks being longer than 4 minutes (and many being longer than 5), this album can get a little too big for its britches, but if you’re willing to be patient with the individual tracks, you’ll be rewarded with a pretty awesome album for your angsty inner high school kid, but with much more substance than you’d get from projects that that kid would listen to.

Notable Tracks: Fill in the Blank, Destroyed By Hippie Powers, The Ballad of the Costa Concordia

9. Solange Knowles – A Seat at the Table

It’s no surprise that race relations were going to take the forefront in 2016. Given precursors like Black Lives Matter, this year’s Oscars, and the generally divisive language of this year’s election, it was only natural that musicians responded through their work. Solange Knowles’ neo-soul album, A Seat at the Table enters the conversation of race and culture from an intimate, personal, perspective. It’s tough to really pinpoint the emotional tenor of this project. While there are moments of anger (on songs like “Mad” or “Interlude: Pedestals”), to say this album is a display of Knowles’ anger sells short the emotional intelligence of this project. On tracks like “Cranes in the Sky” and “Weary,” Knowles is laying her pain to bare at the current state of race relations of soothing string arrangements. The interludes of interviews that are dispersed throughout the project offer these incredibly personal accounts of the minority experience in America. A Seat at the Table is an emotionally moving experience. While this album might be uncomfortable to listen to for some, if there is any album on this list that you walk away with listening to, please let it be this project. If there is any take away from this album it’s the quote off of “Interlude: Tina Taught Me” which reads: “It really saddens me when we’re not allowed to express that pride in being black, and if you do it’s considered being anti-white…You’re just pro-black, and that’s okay, the two don’t go together.”

Notable Tracks: Weary, Cranes in the Sky, Interlude: Tina Taught Me, F.U.B.U.,

8. ScHoolboy Q – Blank Face LP

The individual songs on Blank Face LP feel much more ambitious than on Q’s previous efforts. The production is eerie, and the beats are never content with staying in one spot for too long as they progress and change throughout a song, see tracks like “Groovy Tony/Eddie Kane” and “Kno Ya Wrong” for the best examples of this. Q does well to keep true to his aggressive style on several tracks, while also trying out different types of deliveries to keep his listener interested, like the sexy sounding “WHateva U Want” or the toe tapping “Big Body”. Q’s ability to talk about the same subjects from several different perspectives (most notably his glorification then criticism of gang lifestyle), helps make Q’s case as one of hip hop’s most complete perspectives. Even with as high of a rating as I gave this album, it is not without its faults. Kanye’s feature on “THat Part,” is so bad, it’s like having to sit through watching your dad get beat up. I’ll never understand why the Black Hippy remix didn’t just end up being the version they went with. And the album feels like it should have ended about two songs early since Anderson .paak provides such a natural conclusion with his feature on the track “Blank Face”. All in all, great album, all hip hop fans should give this record a spin.

Notable Tracks: Groovy Tony/Eddie Kane, Kno Ya Wrong, Str8 Ballin, Black THoughts

7. Jeff Rosenstock – WORRY

Pop punk has been an ugly mark on the otherwise rich, diverse landscape of 2016 music. Blink-182 tried to stay relevant with a safe release, Good Charlotte complained about auto-tune (while using auto-tune mind you), Sum 41 bemoaned the death of real music and decided that was enough to cover up the fact that they weren’t doing anything groundbreaking, even Green Day made a by-the-numbers release with Revolution Radio. But then one time lead singer of Bomb the Music Industry followed up his 2015 project, We Cool?, with a bold, raucous 37 minutes of pop-punk goodness on the album WORRY. From front to back, you are taken on a journey that every soul searching millennial can identify with. Jeff is going through the struggle of a stagnant life, a longing for his dwindling youth, and impassioned cries like “We don’t want to live inside a hellhole!” that so many people my age feel justified in screaming when they’re looked down upon by their elders or peers who are “above it all”. And the closing track “Perfect Sound Whatever” is a phenomenal closing track that ties it all up with a wakeup call that reminds us that “Perfect always takes so long/Because it don’t exist/It doesn’t exist”. Jeff Rosenstock gives me hope that there is a place for good rock music in the contemporary music landscape.

Notable Tracks: Staring Out the Window at Your Old Apartment, Wave Goodnight to Me, HELLLLHOOOOLE, Perfect Sound Whatever

6. Jay IDK – Empty Bank

Jay IDK follows up his intriguing debut Subtrap with the unofficial sequel Empty Bank. It’s another hip hop album about money, but not in a traditional hip hop sense. Imagine if you took “Wesley’s Theory” off of To Pimp a Butterfly and stretched it out into a whole project, that’s what Empty Bank feels like. We open with “Mr. Mills” performed by an optimistic Jason Mills (Jay’s real name) with a light, progressive beat filled with acapella harmonies as he tells us about how he’s finally starting to find success in his career as a musician. As the track closes, Jason receives a call from a collection agent who pop’s in and out throughout the remainder of the project and continues to harass him about making payments on his overdue debts. One of my favorite moments on Empty Bank is the song “She Blocked Me/Brian Arsenal” which has a critique of romantic relationships, the societal expectation of male stoicism, and struggling to distinguish between people that care for you, and who care for your status. This album really captures the image of a modern struggling artist while allowing his fans behind the curtain to see how the other half truly lives.

Notable Tracks: Mr. Mills, Priorities Pt. 1, SOMEBODY, How Long/Last Song 2 (Outro)

5. Sturgill Simpson – A Sailor’s Guide to Earth

I’m not a country guy, no amount of “Wagon Wheel” or “Chicken Fried” will ever change that opinion for me. That being said, Sturgill Simpson put out one of the most thoughtful, genre defining albums this year with A Sailor’s Guide to Earth. The album keeps the rural Americana imagery and family values, but diverts from conventional country with blaring trumpets, funky drums, and even a challenge to devout patriotism that is so dominant in mainstream country (See the song “Sea Stories” with lines like “Just another enlisted egg/In the bowl for Uncle Sam’s beater.”). The album opens with “Welcome To Earth (Pollywog),” an intimate love letter to Simpson’s newborn son, but it plays like a proclamation to the world (think “Circle of Life” and Simba’s birth) with its bombastic arrangement that dares to be ignored. A Sailor’s Guide to Earth is a powerful statement of a record in a genre that has grown to be comfortable and complacent in the lane it occupies.

Notable Tracks: Welcome To Earth (Pollywog), Keep it Between the Lines, In Bloom

4. Margaret Glaspy – Emotions and Math

Addressing relationships and their messy nature is as fruitless of an effort as combining emotions and math. Margaret Glaspy’s first full length album, Emotions and Math, could not be more appropriately titled. The project is a series of vignettes about romantic relationships, most often about the mental gymnastics that transpires when we ignore what we should do in favor of what we want to do. “No Matter Who” shows us a pair of lovers that drift apart due to the false assumption that their other half is no longer interested. “You Don’t Want Me” is a track about dealing with the insecurity of dating somebody you perceive to be out of your league, and thus leading to the destruction of that relationship because you assume you aren’t worthy of that person’s affection. And who better to deliver these heartbreaking messages than the petite, unassuming, Margaret Glaspy? And let’s not forget “Memory Street”.  Glaspy’s vocals on this track are haunting, they sound like something straight out of a dingy dive bar in New York. Emotions and Math is not a break-up album, rather it’s the album you listen to after the dust settles that offers a fresh perspective for those complicated emotions.

Notable Tracks: Emotions and Math, Memory Street, You Don’t Want Me

3. YG – Still Brazy

Whoever says that “real rap” (whatever that means) doesn’t exist anymore never gave YG a chance. Still Brazy is a throwback album for a modern audience. The meaty base lines and steady percussion and each individual track fells like something straight out of LA. But it’s much more than beats that make this album one of my favorite releases of this year. YG’s comprehensive examination of his trust issues, while still making an entertaining album, makes Still Brazy one of the year’s best releases. “Who Shot Me?” introduces the idea of betrayal and the paranoia that was bred within YG as he recounts a night that he was set up to be murdered. In the form of a narration, YG tells us about how he no longer trusts his friends, the value in the truth, the women he knows, politicians, law enforcement, and everything else in between. After YG is finished taking his listener on a wild ride through a day in LA, he ends the album with the perfect conclusion “And they wonder why I live life looking over my shoulder.” YG’s frustration with everything around him captures 2016 in a way that no other album could, and his blunt political soapbox track “FDT” gives an angry voice towards the state of political affairs in the blunt, vitriolic, language it deserves.

Notable Tracks: Twist My Fingaz, I Got A Question, FDT, Police Get Away Wit Murder

2. Anderson .paak – Malibu

The Oxnard native burst onto the scene with his diverse, soulful project Malibu just two weeks into the year. Anderson .paak is living proof to modern music deniers that musicians can still sing, and his diversity on the drums dismisses the faulty claim that people don’t play instruments anymore. This project seamlessly dances from easy listening soul, upbeat funk, sensual R&B, and of course a generous helping of hip hop in a way that there is a track to listen to on any occasion. Anderson’s passion is contagious as he lays down dizzying flows on “The Waters” or when he belts out in his raspy vocals on “Silicon Valley.” Anderson .paak is nothing less than a musical phenome, and Malibu is one of the year’s most complete efforts.

Notable Tracks: Without You, Room in Here, The Dreamer

1. Danny Brown – Atrocity Exhibition

In an interview prior to the release date of Atrocity Exhibition, Danny Brown made the bold proclamation “I’m like on black belt status when it comes to beats. I can rap over two pots scraping each other.” After listening to what can only be described as a night of cocaine fueled debauchery condensed into 47 minutes, I’ll be praying that the Detroit phenome one day follow’s through with his promise. Atrocity Exhibition is a showcase of Brown’s chameleon-like ability to transform himself for whatever beat he’s given. Danny tweaks through a drowsy beat on “Downward Spiral,” invokes a panic attack on the hectic and relentless “Ain’t it Funny,” blends his flow with the eerie guitar riff on “White Lines,” and proclaims enough is enough over the concluding track’s steady piano chords. Atrocity Exhibition plays like a cautionary tale about addiction and the dangers that come when you try to “dance in the water without getting wet.” This album pushes the envelope with what a hip hop artist is capable of accomplishing sonically; I wouldn’t be surprised if we look back on this project in a similar way we look at MF Doom’s Madvillainy today.

Notable Tracks: Really Doe, Lost, White Lines, Dance In The Water

30. Romaro Franceswa – Mirror

Seattle hip hop artist Romaro Franceswa put out an incredible follow up to his 2015 release Balance with his latest efforts on Mirror. Where former looked to explore themes of personal balance, the latter turns inward on a journey of self-realization and becoming comfortable with whom you truly are. I really like that Franceswa seems to remember the lessons that he learned on his previous album and incorporated them on Mirror, as exhibited in lines like “Church and dope are all I’ve known my whole life” on the track “Right Now,” showing that he’s using his music as a growing process. And that’s not even talking about the quality of the music. “No Enemies (Free Nino)” is probably one of the hardest bangers of the year, Ro’s flow on the subdued “Never Been Late” is sleek and easy to listen to. All in all, Mirror is yet another win for the local rapper, it’s exciting to watch his growth as a perform on this project.

Notable Tracks: Never Been Late, No Enemies (Free Nino), Faces

29. Vic Mensa – There’s A Lot Going On

The biggest weakness of There’s A Lot Going On actually can play as a strength. On an album who’s central theme is the stress that the current social and political climate has on Mensa’s mind, he loses focus of his theme with “New Bae” and “Liquor Locker”. While that might normally be a problem, I think drifting away from his main message before picking it back up again on the self-reflections of “Shades of Blue,” I find that this approach actually makes the album feel like it’s coming from the mind of a person that is so overwhelmed with all the injustice he sees, he doesn’t know where to begin. Mensa is comfortable enough to not only point out the shortcomings of his community, but he will also speak frankly to his own short comings with “Now here I am talking ‘bout a revolution. /And I can’t even spare a dollar to the movement. /But I’m in the strip club spending dollars on that movement.” The shortcoming of this album is its length compared to the amount of material Mensa wishes to cover with it, I’d love to hear more about many of the stories that he covers in the closing 6 minute track. He brings up plenty of stories that sound like they deserve their own track (like the physical fight with his girl, the time he attempted suicide, etc.), but the fact that he runs past each story can make each tale lose its emotional impact.

Notable Tracks: Dynasty, Shades of Blue, There’s A Lot Going On

28. Jon Bellion – The Human Condition

In his short career, Bellion generated quite a bit of buzz online by making writing contributions to tracks like Eminem’s “The Monster”, or Jason Derulo’s “Trumpets,” and scoring features on songs from artists like Zedd and B.o.B. All this hype leads up to the release of Bellion’s debut album The Human Condition. From front to back, this project is sugar-coated Disney, it’s unapologetic in it’s positivity, and it offers an array of brightly colored production to match the tone of the lyrics. Bellion wears his heart on sleeve as he raps and sings through topics like high school love, his dedication to New York, and the comfort in not knowing all the answers. One thing I love the most about this project is Bellion’s candid Christianity. He displays a comfort with in his faith and shares it amidst his many flaws that many archetypical Christians would likely shame him for. Given how by the numbers popular Christian music feels, the self-righteousness, the safe production, and the ambiguous “struggles” that these artists often profess, Bellion’s music feels like a genuine human being that lives his life for his faith. Whether you agree with Bellion’s beliefs or not, you’ll find the way he shares his message to be authentic and a joy to hear.

Notable Tracks: New York Soul – Pt. ii, Maybe IDK, The Good in Me

27. Frank Ocean – Blond

I’ll just come out and say it, “Nikes” could have been a great song if Ocean didn’t use that stupid chipmunk voice. Now that that’s out of the way, if channel ORANGE was all about falling in love, then Blonde is about falling out of love. Frank Ocean takes a minimalist approach; most of the songs almost feel empty (and it serves the album well). These tracks feel similar not to the heartbreak itself, but to the process that comes afterwards as you’re picking up the pieces. That moment where the heart aches less, but you’re far from feeling “good”. Ocean’s ability to capture that feeling is masterful. The best example of this is Frank’s performance on “Solo,” the track that deals with loneliness, the struggle for self-love, and the feeling of uncertainty that comes with waiting for somebody you care about. Some people aren’t a fan of the skits on this project, but I must admit that I love the “Be Yourself” skit, it’s all too relatable to anybody how grew up with a protective/concerned mother. I don’t think this is the best “love” album to have come out this year, but I do admire that it covers an interesting part of the love process that often doesn’t get discussed in media.

Notable Tracks: Pink + White, Solo, Nights, Futura Free

26. Chance the Rapper – Coloring Book

With his performance on “Ultralight Beam,” Chance captivated the American public as he upstaged Kanye West with his passionate, Bible infused, verse on the Saturday Night Live state. Throughout the year he gave the spotlight little reason to stray as he continued appear in commercials, at White Sox games, and of course, releasing his long anticipated Coloring Book (formally referred to as Chance 3). What draws me the most to this album (and to Chance in general) is the authenticity with which it presents itself. With moments like the heartfelt goodbye on “Same Drugs,” the optimism on “Finish Line/Drown,” and the final rapped verse on the album in “Blessings,” every time Chance has something to say, his emotions bleed through the tracks. While most critics gushed over this project, I find myself frustrated that Coloring Book downplays its greatest strength: Chance himself. On previous projects like Acid Rap or Ten Day, there’s no question that it is a Chance project. Compared to Coloring Book, the album is so jam packed with features; they end up suffocating Chance’s contribution to the project. And when Chance says it’s an album to his newborn daughter, it feels a little odd that he decided the best messengers were a bunch of other musicians.

Notable Tracks: Same Drugs, All Night, Finish Line/Drown, Blessings (the second one)

 

25. Vince Staples – Prima Donna

The emotional distance that Vince Staples typically puts forward is shed on Prima Donna, the most recent efforts by the Long Beach artist. We caught glimpses of it on songs like “Summertime,” on Vince’s debut studio project, but he never addressed it head on. Now with Prima Donna, Staples seems perfectly comfortable with presenting his emotional, even broken side that he often buries beneath his sassy personality. Prima Donna takes the listener through Vince’s life after fame and the drawbacks that come with notoriety. James Blake and DJ Dahi are incredible producers to pair with Vince’s signature, disinterested flow. They both created these crisp, yet chaotic sounding tracks that really capture the feeling of stress that Vince tries to display throughout the project. While I found Summertime ’06 to be a pretty bloated album, Prima Donna is an excellent follow up project that is short enough to make you want to learn more about the Long Beach emcee.

Notable Tracks: War Ready, Smile, Big Time

24. Carly Rae Jepsen – Emotion (B Sides)

Carly Rae Jepsen holds a weird place in the music scene (and dare I say, my heart??). After catapulting to the top with “Call Me Maybe” in 2012, the Canadian pop starlet disappeared from public consciousness. But during that same time, she has cultivated a dedicated core of online fans that can’t get enough of “Run Away with Me” memes. Personally, I fell in love with Emotions last year and couldn’t get enough of the tracks that ended up on the cutting floor in Emotions (B Sides). This album bops (the pop music version of bangs/bangers) and that’s all there is to say. If you enjoyed 80s pop music, then you’ll likely find the track list of this EP to be an enjoyable trip down memory lane.

Notable Tracks: Body Language, Store, Roses

23. Mick Jenkins – The Healing Component

Mick Jenkins has generate quite a splash as his mixtape The Waters captivated conscious hip hop fans all across the country in 2014. He rode that wave into 2016 with the release of his first studio album The Healing Component, a project that aims to take an all-encompassing look at the idea of love. The problem that many similar hip hop artists (think Hopsin or J. Cole) struggle with their music can feel so self-righteous that their message gets drowned out by the tone in which it’s delivered. The interludes between Mick and his woman counterpart help make the delivery of The Healing Component’s message feel more like a conversation than a lecture. Mick isn’t preaching as other conscious rappers are prone to do, although he does hope that his listener walks away learning about the importance of self-love, religion, selflessness, and any of the other topics that fall within the broad subject range of love. All things considered, come for Mick’s bars and liquid delivery, but stay for the hydrating message.

Notable Tracks: The Healing Component, Daniels Bloom, Drowning, Angles, F*cked up Outro

22. Banks – The Altar

Banks followed up her debut album Goddess, a heart breaking project about a woman coping with her failed relationship, with a triumphant roar in The Altar. From the onset, she sets the tone with two ballads of independence in “Gemini Feed” and “F*ck With Myself” where she is looking her past lover in the face and saying, “I love me, and you will not have power over me.” Of course, like any emotional recovery, with the victories come defeats. Banks uses her sultry, breathy voice to remind us of the valleys on tracks like “Lovesick” and “To the Hilt”. The Altar feels like a human experience of overcoming adversity on a not-so-perfect path.

Notable Tracks: F*ck With Myself, Lovesick, 27 Hours

21. D.R.A.M. – Big Baby D.R.A.M.

First off, Big Baby D.R.A.M. has the best album cover of the year. D.R.A.M. strikes me as the type of guy that practices what he preaches, as evidenced by “Get It Myself,” the opening track of Big Baby D.R.A.M.. “I had to tell myself to go and get it myself/‘Cause I got tired of waitin’ on everyone else.” Is a testament to D.R.A.M.’s rise in spite of his “Cha Cha” losing recognition to Drake “borrowing” the sound for his own successful “Hotline Bling”. Rather than letting the opportunity pass him by, D.R.A.M. came back and created one of the year’s biggest singles “Broccoli”. As a debut project, Big Baby is about as good as it gets, and who has enough sway in the industry to already get creatives like Young Thug AND Erykah Badu onto the same project? Big Baby D.R.A.M. is full of earworms, powerful vocals, and introspective lyrics about relationships, D.R.A.M.’s own hypocrisy, and the feeling of finally making it.

Notable Tracks: Monticcello Ave, Cash Machine, Cute, Outta Sight/Dark Lavender Interlude, Sweet Va Breeze

20. Rapsody – Crown

Rapsody is one of the best rappers in the game that you’ve never heard of. No qualifiers required, she spits. Her proclamation on the opening track “They tell me I’m a king,” proves her confidence in her abilities and no one will tell her otherwise. If you’re an old head that misses when hip hop was rap, this is your album. Front to back, this project is full of boom-bap beats, clever word play, and that sense of confidence that “only 90s kids remember”. Rapsody’s confidence is infectious on tracks like “Crown,” as she preaches to the listener to never leave the house without their head held high, wearing their metaphorical crown. But of course, she challenges her listeners. She says confidence isn’t enough on “#Goals,” action is also required. The track “Tina Turner” serves as a piece reflection, both on her own career and the current landscape of the rap game (“I’m misunderstood yet you love Tiimmy Turner” being an allusion to the often criticized Desiigner). Her ability to change flows with a seamless beat change on “Take It Slow” and “Through with Him” is comparable only to Drake on “Summer Sixteen”.

Notable Tracks: Crown, Tina Turner, OooWee

19. A Tribe Called Quest – We Got It From Here…Thank You 4 Your Service

Aside from Biggie and Tupac rising from the dead and saying that the current crop of young rappers are taking the genre in the right direction, there really aren’t many greater ways to signify a changing of the guard than A Tribe Called Quest’s final album We Got It From Here…Thank You 4 Your Service. This album plays like a victory lap for the legendary hip hop act, as well as a nod of approval to the new generation of rappers on songs like “Dis Generation” in the line “Talk to Joey, Earl, Kendirck, and Cole, gatekeepers of flow./ They are extensions of instinctual soul.” This project is stacked with contributors including André 3000 (who kills it on “Kids…”), Kendrick Lamar (who kills it on “Conrad Tokyo”), Jack White, Elton John, Kanye West, Anderson .paak, Talib Kweli, Consequence, and Busta Rhymes. All these features do well to compliment what Tribe is doing, without stealing the spotlight for too long. If this really is the final project for A Tribe Called Quest, then We Got It From Here…Thank You 4 Your Service is the perfect punctuation mark for a genre defining career.

18. Kanye West – The Life of Pablo

The release of The Life of Pablo captures the contentious artist better than any single Kanye song could (except for perhaps “I Feel Like That”). It was erratic, ambiguous, and often times frustrating. With the tweaks to the track list, the twitter rampages, the leaked Taylor Swift lyric, the odd but endearing album art, and of course the manic episode at the end of his performance of “Ultralight Beam” which finally allowed Pablo to drop, it was a surreal experience to be part of. I feel like it’s going to be difficult to explain to my children Kanye West without the context of his persona being forever in the limelight. All that being said, The Life of Pablo is an album for Kanye fans. I could go on for hours about how incredible “Ultralight Beam” is, but any music blog that brings up this album will already be heaping praise on that track. Consistent lyricism has never been a selling point for Kanye and that much remains true with songs like “Father Stretch My Hands Pt. 1” (Disclaimer: This still might be one of my favorites on the album) and “Highlights”. But songs like “Real Friends” “30 Hours” and “No More Parties In LA” show that Kanye can still rap when the occasion calls for it. Oh, and everybody thank Chance for saving “Waves” it’s the perfect follow up for “I Love Kanye”. Kanye is a flawed human being and is definitely deserving of criticism, and what better way to celebrate him than with a flawed but interesting album like The Life of Pablo?

Notable Tracks: Ultralight Beam, Waves, Real Friends, 30 Hours, No More Parties in LA

17. Childish Gambino – “Awaken, My Love!”

Donald Glover is probably one of the most diverse entertainers of our time. With successful ventures in acting, comedy, creating TV shows, and of course, music, Glover leave little doubt in my mind that he is loaded with talent. However, I’ve never been the biggest fan of his music. Earlier entries into his catalogue felt dishonest, or at least covered pretty safe topics for a successful entertainer like Glover to cover. “Awaken, My Love!” is a complete change in direction. Departing from his pop-rap sound and style in favor of a more funky and soulful sound. “Me and Your Mama” serves this project well to set the tone of the album its slow build to a monumental explosion of distorted guitars and passionate cries directed at a woman that he is desperate to keep in his life. “Riot” has plenty of swagger to sound like it could have been a James Brown track, and other songs like “Baby Boy” are an honest reflection about entering fatherhood and what that means for maintaining an already damaged relationship with the mother of his child. This is a raw album that feels honest, while it’s not perfect (“California” and “Terrified” are pretty low points in this project), it’s a refreshing change of pace for Glover’s musical development.

Notable Tracks: Me and Your Momma, Boogie Man, Riot, Baby Boy

16. Kendrick Lamar – untitled unmastered

A sign of genius is not the final product, but the meticulous process that gives birth to it. No release validates that claim like K. Dot’s untitled unmastered. There is little question that Lamar is one of this generations greatest artistic voices, and the surprise release of these To Pimp a Butterfly leftovers further solidifies the uncompromising approach that Lamar takes with his music and the vision he aims to share through it. I’m glad that these tracks were able to see a proper release (outside of their live versions via talk shows and the Grammys), as we got an insight into Kendrick’s recording process on songs like “untitled 4” and the second half of “untitled 7” where we actually hear him vibing out to an earlier draft of the former. While this project lacks a certain cohesiveness you would expect from a feature length Kendrick Lamar album, untitled unmastered lets you into the recording studio to witness a once in a generation artist work his magic. FUN FACT: The date listed next to “Untitled 3” was my 21^st birthday. So Kendrick is basically my best friend now.

Notable Tracks: Untitled 2, Untitled 3, Untitled 7

15. Kevin Gates – Islah

As Gates says on the second track of Islah, “Make ‘em believe/ I made ‘em believe,/ A lyrical songwriter/ And he can sing,” in reference to himself. After listening to Islah, I’m inclined to agree, Gates made me believe in his talent as a rapper. Most know Gates for his goofy interviews, bizarre social media posts, and unsavory moments in the media. Anybody who sells the Louisiana rapper short hasn’t given him his fair shake. Islah is an introspective album about a flawed man who isn’t afraid to present himself as is. “The Truth” is a confessional track in which Gates acknowledges his wrongdoings, his flaws, and a plea to become invincible. Other tracks like “Hard For” shows Gates’ confusion towards a woman in his life who wants his love, to which he responds “I’ve been misused/ What the f*ck you want my heart for?” Islah paints a portrait of a man who is deeply flawed, but in spite of those flaws, Gates continues to be himself for better or worse as he concludes on the final song with a triumphant “Not even heaven can stand in my way.”

Notable Tracks: Really Really, Thought I Heard (Bread Winners’ Anthem), Tha Truth, Excuse Me

14. Noname – Telefone

Despite the doo-wop inspired beats, the peppy finger snapping, and the dreamy synths that play throughout the album, Telefone explores themes that betray the production of the project. Let’s not mince words, Noname raps about the ever present fear or having to see her friends in caskets, the heartbreaking tale of her decision to get an abortion, and unrealized failure. But Noname separates herself from the pack by offering hope. While it might not seem like these nursery sounding beats match the subject manner of Telefone, the encouraging conclusions that this album draws makes it impossible to not feel warm inside as you hear Noname talk her truth throughout the ten humble tracks she presents to you. If this first mixtape is any indication of what Noname is capable of, I am excited to see her next step.

Notable Tracks: Freedom (Interlude), Casket Pretty, Bye Bye Baby

13. Phatogram – III

Phanotgram’s newest release is their most complete project yet. On previous albums and EPs, I found myself skipping entire sections of music, but getting stuck on two or three songs for months at a time, that’s not the case with III, this is a satisfactory listen from start to finish. Sarah and Josh by all accounts have added to their toolbox as musicians, while still maintaining a vision on what makes their music so attractive in the first place. For the first time I also find myself legitimately enjoying tracks that feature Josh on vocals, particularly his solo performance on “Barking Dog,” which works well with the sample they made for the track. “You’re Mine” features an addicting toe-tapping beat that I could listen to for hours. The duo from New York goes from slow building stadium ballads to heartfelt confessional tracks with little effort, every song sounds unique without abandoning that distinct Phantogram sound.

Notable Tracks: Funeral Pyre, You’re Mine, Destroyer

12. Rihanna – ANTI

I have been overly critical of Rihanna’s career, her consistent presence in Top 40 charts since the late 2000s has been one of my least favorite aspects of popular music. Her latest entry into her catalogue, ANTI, is a showcase of diverse vocal prowess that cannot be denied. The front half of this project is filled with vintage Rihanna with offerings like “Desperado,” “Needed Me” and “Kiss It Better” (Side Note: “Work” is a clear weak point on this record to me, even as a single, it really sells her talents short compared to the tracks I listed earlier.). But the real treasure on this album is the back half of the album, when she performs a Tame Impala tribute with “Same Ol’ Mistakes”. Her spacey, echoing voice on this track blends spectacularly with the 80s inspired synths and the oh so familiar base line from the original track. From that point onward, we get a series of Motown inspired ballads where Rihanna holds nothing back on tracks like “Higher” and “Love On the Brain,” proving to everybody that she is worthy of her spot atop the charts.

Notable Tracks: Consideration, Desperado, Same Ol’ Mistakes, Higher

11. Beyoncé – Lemonade

Prior to the release of Lemonade, despite Beyoncé’s consistent presence in popular culture, I never felt like I “knew” who she was. While most of her music was empowering (and even catchy in its own right), Beyoncé never did much to make herself vulnerable through her music. While Lemonade didn’t quite entrench itself into popular culture like I Am Sasha…Fierce or Beyoncé, this newest project might just be her most personal yet. Beyoncé invites the listener behind the curtain to see how the music industry’s biggest power couple lives, exploring infidelity and the pain that comes with experiencing emotional trauma from the love of your life. It goes beyond just the lyrical content, Beyoncé challenges herself musically by venturing into several genres she has little to no prior experience in. “Don’t Hurt Yourself” is a confrontational rock track with a signature Jack White guitar performance, then only a couple tracks later, Beyoncé jumps into a country ballad on “Daddy’s Lessons”. Lemonade might not be nearly the commercial success of Beyoncé’s previous efforts, but I’d be hard pressed to say the Queen didn’t challenge herself on this most recent effort.

Notable Tracks: Pray You Catch Me, Don’t Hurt Yourself, Forward

40. Hamburger Helper – Watch the Stove

Yes, an April Fool’s joke ended up in my end of the year albums list. But let’s face facts, this thing bangs. Since the rise of social media, businesses, politicians, and other authority figures have tried so hard to earn that sweet meme money that comes from connecting with the youth, with varying degrees of success. And then Hamburger Helper redefined social media marketing forever with their five track mixtape Watch the Stove. Just when everybody was thinking that a social media team would forever be looked at as the “cool” parent that so desperately wants to relate, Hamburger Helper connected with an audience in a way that I never thought possible. The opening track “Feed the Streets” could legitimately be thrown into the middle of a college party playlist, and nobody would notice that it’s a track about cooking beef stroganoff. Hell, “All these haters salty/I’m too seasoned homie” is legitimately a good line. Who knew that a love letter to trap music could come from the most unlikely of places, a meme rap album from a budget seasoning company.

Notable Tracks: Feed the Streets, Hamburger Helper

39. A Day to Remember – Bad Vibrations

A Day to Remember has been making the same album since 2010, a couple of safe rock anthems, a couple of mosh pit tracks with growling vocals, a soft ballad (or two for good measures), and then a track about hating where you are and having trust issues then calling it a day. While stagnation is what made rock music fall to the back of the pack as a music genre over the last decade and a half, I’ll take a rock group sticking to what they know over the terrible pop-punk revival that has made a half-assed effort to come back into the forefront this year. A Day To Remember doesn’t do anything new with Bad Vibrations, but if you liked their efforts in 2009 on Homesick, then like me, you’ll enjoy this victory lap.

Notable Tracks: Justified, Turn Off The Radio, In Florida

38. Futuristic & Devvon Terrell – Coast 2 Coast

NOTE: This album was a 2015 release, but since it came out on Christmas last year, I’m counting it as a 2016 project.

Futuristic is an artist I’m often going back and forth on. He has as much talent as any rising star in hip hop, and he’s made some great work like The Rise which maintained a fine balance of bangers and more personal tracks. Other projects like his more recent As Seen on the Internet feel like a step in the wrong direction which felt much less ambitious by comparison. With that being said, Coast 2 Coast is an incredible collaboration between the Arizona rapper and his counterpart Devvon Terrell. While Terrell tends to occupy a more RnB/pop space, he rises to the challenge and manages to keep up with Futuristic on some of the albums more rap centric tracks (most notably “Sub Me In” and “Uh!”). Coast 2 Coast is a talent show case for the two young artists. While Terrell feels much more diverse throughout this album, Futuristic does well by sticking to his area of expertise with his machine gun delivery and clever, albeit sometimes cheesy, punchlines.

Notable Tracks: Sub Me In, I Want It All, Uh!

37. Koi Child – Koi Child

Australian rap/jazz group Koi Child released their first official album after receiving the assistance of Tame Impala’s Kevin Parker. The self-titled album is a spectacle of jazzy beats that range anywhere from psychedelic, chill, to even downright aggressive. Parker’s influence on the album is abundant and clear with the dizzying synth sounds on songs like “Black Panda” and “Wumpa Fruit”. Koi Child is fun, the tracks have attitude, and the delivery of the raps on the album work very well. The one issue I have with Koi Child is the production often drowns out the lyrics, making it difficult to make out what’s being said. All in all, this is an excellent debut album and an intriguing group to come out of the international music scene.

Notable Tracks: Wumpa Fruit, 1-5-9, Black Panda

36. Travis Scott – Birds in the Trap Sing McKnight

(NOTE: I have not listened to Rodeo as of the writing of these comments, I’m aware that most people prefer Rodeo to Birds in the Trap Sing McKnight, but I can’t compare the two here.)

I love the dreary, hazy vibe that Birds in the Trap Sing McKnight brings into the hip hop scene. While Scott’s lyrics leave a lot to be desired, the production on this album does a great job of communicating the emotions of uncertainty that he looks to bring out in his lyrics. I think there is a ton of excess on this album that I could definitely do without, and about two dozen too many poorly timed “it’s lit” adlibs, but I often find myself coming back to tracks from Birds because of the stellar production. Birds starts out strong with a Travis Scott intro and Andre 3000 feature on “the ends,” but it loses my interest until the second half of the album with “sweet sweet”. I think that if this album had a little bit of stronger focus, and if Scott spent a little time trimming the fat, we could be looking at a much tighter, stronger album. Songs like “lose,” “goosebumps,” and “pick up the phone,” all do a great job of capturing the feelings of uncertainty that Travis Scott seems to want to portray with this album, but the messaging can get lost on songs like “coordinate” and “beibs in the trap”.

Notable Tracks: the ends, sweet sweet, lose, goosebumps

35. Warpaint – Heads Up

I’m fairly new to Warpaint and their work as of this year, so while I can’t say how Heads Up stacks up with their previous efforts, it’s a highly accessible record for indie-rock enthusiasts. Theresa Wayman’s soothing vocals go well with the often muted guitar chords, subdued drums and steady baselines that make up any given song on this album, tracks like “Dre” and “The Stall” are great examples of this. Warpaint’s clear strength is their ability to develop subtle song, but on several tracks, the group constructs these slow burns of tracks that become fiery payoffs. For the best examples, check out “By Your Side” and “Don’t Let Go”. Warpaint’s approach to fem-fronted rock is catchy and addictive to listen to whether they play it subtle or bring the noise.

Notable Tracks: By Your Side, Don’t Let Go, Dre

34. Bon Iver – 22, A Million

22, A Million is like if you took “Lost in the World” off of My Beautiful, Dark, Twisted, Fantasy and turned it into a whole record. It’s a much more electronic direction than previous Bon Iver efforts, I would say that the risk pays off in some songs (“715 – CR∑∑KS”, and “666 ʇ”) while on other songs it falls flat (“29 #Strafford APTS” and “21 MOON WATER”). Justin Vernon’s experimentation with voice distortion is a great experiment throughout, specifically on “10 d e a t h b r e a s t” and “715 – CR∑∑KS”. I know I’ve already mentioned “715 – CR∑∑KS” twice before, but I can’t get over how great a track this one is. Vernon’s melancholy writing pairs well with the tone of the vocal and the indecisive delivery. All this ties together in a spectacular fashion as Vernon comes to the conclusion that he has lost his faith and feels abandoned by said revelation. 22, A Million is a little too inconsistent to rank high on this list, but when it hits, boy does it deliver.

Notable Tracks: 715 – CR∑∑KS, 10 d e a t h b r e a s t, 666 ʇ

33. Elzhi – Lead Poison

On the surface, it makes sense that a Detroit rapper would release an album titled Lead Poison in relation to water crisis in Flint, Michigan. But rather than being inspired by external events, Elzhi, turned inwards to create this project. In an interview about Lead Poison, Elzhi said “[Lead Posion] was really a representation of me feeling like I was bottling things up inside, which I consider to be poisonous. And the only way I knew how to get it out was through writing; that was my outlet.” The most creative song of the year is “Hello!!!!!!” a nearly five-minute track about an artist’s connection to his listener. He asks us whether we actually listen to the earnest thoughts that musicians put onto their albums, or if it’s nothing more than background noise. As an aspiring writer, I can relate to Elzhi’s thoughts. Will anybody end up reading my work (hell am I the only person that will ever read this sentence?)? Will they only use it for their own benefit to prove an argument, or will they take time to understand my perspective?

Notable Tracks: Medicine Man, Two 16s, Hello!!!!!!

32. Open Mike Eagle – Hella Personal Film Festival

Open Mike Eagle is one of the underground hip hop scene’s best kept secrets. On Hella Personal Film Festival, he teams up with the production of Paul White to put out a sonically light but content dense project. The producer/emcee pairing could not be better on this project, Paul’s eccentric, lo-fi beats work well with Open Mike Eagle’s playful delivery and the unique perspective he brings to hip hop. On “Check to Check” Mike raps over a robotic, fuzzy, beat about the obsessive way modern society lives between each time we check our phones (and the speech to text rap at the end is hysterical). “Smiling” is another entry into this year’s already stacked list of tracks about race relations, but rather than taking the melodramatic approach, Mike covers the small but significant inequality he experiences by interacting with average Americans just for being a black man. For as incredible as this album is, the album loses me on the back half, right around “Protectors of the Heat” and onward. If you like rap that is a little out there in its production and its content, then Open Mike Eagle’s Hella Personal Film Festival is the project for you.

Notable Tracks: Admitting to Endorphin Addition, I Went Outside Today, Check to Check, Smiling (Quirky Race Doc)

31. Regina Spektor – Remember Us to Life

Regina Spektor released Remember Us to Life with little fanfare at the end of September. Much like its release, this album is unassuming, yet confident in its presentation that the music itself was enough advertisement to find its audience. Spektor’s diversity and talent as a songwriter and musician are both plenty evident as she paints vivid imagery throughout the song “Grand Hotel” of this opulent, but intimate setting. Songs like “Small Bill$” and “The Trapper and the Furrier” display some great observational concepts and do a great job of fleshing the idea out to be comparable to thoughtful, modern day parables. Remember Us to Life is another strong entry into an already respectable catalogue for Regina Spektor. If you like clever, thought provoking music that’s also a pleasure to listen to, than Spekor is your gal.

Notable Tracks: Bleeding Heart, Small Bill$, The Trapper and the Furrier