In this, the last day of 2015, we at Transverso Media have compiled our list of the top 30 records that were released in the past year. What are yours?
29. The Dead Weather - Dodge and Burn
28. Cage the Elephant - Tell Me I'm Pretty
27. Autre Ne Veut - Age of Transparency
26. Car Seat Headrest - Teens of Style
23. Sleater-Kinney - No Cities To Love
21. Natalie Prass - Natalie Prass
19. Sufjan Stevens - Carrie & Lowell
18. Julien Baker - Sprained Ankle
17. Youth Lagoon - Savage Hills Ballroom
15. Gardens & Villa - Music For Dogs
13. Courtney Barnett - Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit
12. Beach House - Depression Cherry
10. Kendrick Lamar - To Pimp a Butterfly
8. Alabama Shakes - Sound & Color
7. of Montreal - Aureate Gloom
6. Unknown Mortal Orchestra - Multi-Love
3. Beach House - Thank Your Lucky Stars
Thank Your Lucky Stars acts as both an extension of and pivot point for Beach House’s career as a whole. Many may want the band to actively change in a progressive way, but the band chooses to continually broaden their sound in the most familiar and microscopic ways possible instead. Perhaps one of the best integration of all five preceding albums, you hear the metronome, drums are crisper, individual instruments are audible, and Victoria Legrand’s lyrics are unexpectedly discernible at certain points. It's what works for them, and its afforded Beach House the ability to carve out a dream-pop legacy (and avoid becoming a caricature) on their own terms.
2. Majical Cloudz - Are You Alone?
Are You Alone? takes off where the Montreal duo’s preceding Impersonator left off; a paradox of bare-bones, minimalist soundscapes ebbing with lush depth that are somehow simultaneously tranquilizing and uplifting. Welsh’s immaculately vulnerable monologues and unflinching vocals are gently bold, and they drive their synth lullabies forward with severe care. It's Welsh at his most overbearing, and yet his tight grip is irresistible. Calculatedly organic, passionately controlled, it’s a journal reading in a dream.
Currents is the most adventurous, interesting, and well-produced collection of songs Kevin Parker has created thus far, sitting atop Tame Impala's discography as the most mature and painstakingly crafted iteration in their twisted psych-pop world. From the lush synth tracks that bubble through the mix to his effortless, washed out vocals, every sound is rendered with the utmost care. Currents proves Parker is unable to stick with a certain sound, forever looking for new ways to evolve his ideas and push his project beyond what was expected when Innerspeaker first hit the shelves.
