If It's Too Loud...

Lots of other good albums came out this year, and these are the ones that were my favorites but didn't make the final cut. * STL GLD - The New Normal * Tami T - High Pitched and Moist * Angel Olsen - All Mirrors * HANA - HANADRIEL * Tacocat - This Mess is a Place * Abigail Lapell - Getaway * Bikini Sleepover - Bikini Sleepover's First Sleepover * Sofia Talvik - Paws of a Bear * Lula Wiles - What Will We Do * Potty Mouth - SNAFU * Defoe - Too Soon to Cry * SASAMI - SASAMI * Clara Baker - Things to Burn * Julia Jacklin - Crushing * David Wax Museum - Line of Light * Alex Lahey - The Best of Luck Club * Odessa - All Things * Infinity Crush - Virtual Heaven This was an interesting year musically, with a pretty strong gap between stuff that was awesome and stuff that didn't have the same staying power. Plus, the trend toward seven song albums, more EPs, and one-off singles (thanks to the way streaming is changing the way most people listen to music) mean...

I knew I'd love Queendom of Nothing when I heard it was coming out. I knew I'd love some songs when I saw them this past summer. I didn't expect to adore this album the way I did over the last portion of the year. "Drive," in and of itself, is a killer track. I didn't believe anything they did could top "Down by the Lake" from their also-wonderful debut, but "Drive" comes close. The remaining seven tracks continue along the same dusty road, with gorgeous harmonies and a surprising lack of filler material. The band felt like they were coming into their own for their debut full-length, but this is an album from a band that seems like they're coming into their own and understanding the power they wield. The Wolff Sisters should be one of the biggest acts in folk/Americana right now, and hopefully they're able to break out of the northeast and become the huge act they should be. For now, it can still be our greatest kept secr...

Spirit Family Reunion has a lot going for them anyway, but has been a favorite of this blog arguably ever since we saw them open for David Wax Museum way back in 2011. This latest album was a long-awaited follow-up to another album we loved of theirs, and not only did it meet those expectations, but exceeded them. Spirit Family Reunion has become a band that is not only a celebration of old-style folk and bluegrass, but embraces the sound and expands on it. The lineup is larger, the instrumentation more complex, but they still have a washboard and they still play infectious songs that will not leave your head or your psyche without significant effort. From the opening track of Ride Free , "One Way Ticket," you get a great idea as to not only what they're trying to accomplish, but how far they've come. Easily one of the best of the year, and one that rarely left my rotation. Songs of note: "One Way Ticket," "Whoopie Ti Yi Yo," "Gradual...

I don’t think I’ve ever loved an album I disagree with more. First, put the politics aside: Leyla McCalla is a master at blending genres and sounds to create a truly unique experience on every piece of music she has been a part of. The Capitalist Blues succeeds in having so many different musical ideas mesh so well into a cohesive unit where the upbeat laments feel just right alongside the slower and more deliberate pieces. It’s an album at the right pace and the right time. Thematically, as noted: I don’t agree with the message. But when we have an era of truly cringeworthy protest anthems and political music, it is worth noting that McCalla succeeds in making music with meaning worth listening to. The desired tone is struck perfectly, and it ultimately becomes one of those unforgettable albums I kept going back to all year long. Songs of note: “The Capitalist Blues,” “Lavi Vye Neg,” “Aleppo”

There’s nothing I can say about Billie Eilish that hasn’t already been said by others, and probably said better. And it appears she may have some staying power that no other artist with a debut album this year will come close to, so we will hear more. But for me, as someone who has dabbled in horrorcore and who is always game for something different, BE was a revelation not only because she’s young and doing something so bold and different, but because it resonates in the public zeitgeist so firmly. “Bad Guy” was a top song for me this year according to Spotify, and it’s probably second only to “Old Town Road” overall nationally. When the popular and the weird intersect, we all benefit, and I can’t wait to hear what’s next. Songs of note: “Bad Guy,” “You Should See Me In a Crown,” “Bury a Friend,” “My Strange Addiction.”

This may make sense only to me, but when I think of grunge? This album mirrors what’s in my brain. There’s so much I can say about this, but I think that the way it balances a familiar sound with such a unique presentation is what works so well here. I love everything about it, which is what makes it so hard to focus on one specific aspect. All I can say is that every time I put it on, it feels new and fresh, and for the moment I don’t expect that to change. Worth a listen for everyone, but it’s absolutely a surprise favorite for me this year. Songs of note: “Traumantic,” “Traps,” “Cowboy’s Song.”

This is the album I listened to the most this year, and nothing else came close. It caused me to reconsider Phoebe Bridgers (who I liked and now love), made me wish I was in a band again, made me happy music like this exists in the world, and on and on and on. I can’t nail down all my favorite things. It may be the prevalence of the parallel harmonies. It might be that you can clearly hear the contributions in songwriting from both Bridgers and Conor Oberst. It may be that the stories told in these songs are ridiculously relatable. It may be that this was basically a surprise release and all of the extras that come with that. What I do know is that it’s great, and has some of the best pure songwriting out this year. Songs of note: “Dylan Thomas,” “Didn’t Know What I Was In For,” “My City,” “Dominos”

Cherry Glazerr was one of my earliest favorites this year, with the only song I really and truly kept on repeat for much of the year in “Wasted Nun.” What made this better than their previous efforts? I couldn’t tell you for sure, but there was a polish here that was lacking before, the songwriting (which has always been the strength of this act) felt tighter, the themes more pronounced. I truly couldn’t get enough of this. Loud and unapologetic without lacking something to say, it didn’t wear out its welcome for me and still hasn’t. I’m very glad this album exists, and I think CG has become one of my favorite current acts in the process. Songs of note: “Wasted Nun,” “Ohio,” “Stupid Fish”

A sign of how great the best music of this year has been? At one point in my list, this was my #1. Marika Hackman's third album definitely has a different feel than her first two. I went from a low-key fan to low-key obsessed thanks to this album, which is a cohesive and interesting listen that's equal parts sexual and sophisticated. There are layers here I didn't expect, songs here that lodged themselves in my head for weeks, and imagery that stuck with me long after I was finished listening. It's one of the albums I recommended more than any other this year, as well. To Hackman's credit, this seemed to be a breakthrough release for her, with "Hand Solo" getting some radio attention and more people talking about her than I saw for her last album. Still, this is an album that feels isolated and personal even with such an expansive intent. I'm glad it exists, and every time I listen to it I'm reminded as to why it's a favorite. Songs...

I am personally particular about my rap music these days. Not really a fan of most of the really popular stuff these days, and, really, we're more of a Run the Jewels and STL GLD (the latter of which is likely my #11 this year) crew here for newer rap music. Enter Little Simz. This album kind of blew my mind when it came out in the spring, I revisited it in the summer and fell in love all over again, and then realized that not only is it a solid album, but it's really one of my favorites this year. The title gets the mood of this perfectly: Simz's delivery matches perfectly with the sort of monotone, understated instrumentation, and the full result is something that just continually grabs my attention every time I hear it. It's a complete package that I don't want to miss a moment of instead of a series of moments, and I feel like this in particular has been criminally overlooked in a year with some decent rap releases on a whole. Songs of Note: "Selfis...

My #10 album this year is a surprise to me. I keep lumping Slayyyter in with the PC Music crowd, but that isn't very accurate - it's more that she represents an aesthetic of the deconstruction of late-1990s pop music. In some ways, it's more derivative of Peaches than PC Music in some regards, but if you don't have Britney and dubstep, you don't get Slayyyter. So why does this work so well for me? For one, so much of this is ridiculously catchy. If you're not singing the chorus of "Daddy AF" to yourself (and, if you're in your late 30s like I am, feeling really conflicted about it), you might not have much life coursing through your veins, and "Alone" is a legit banger that feels like Christina Aguilera and Aphex Twin had a baby. Plus, there's a lot to appreciate from a melodic and musical standpoint in that it is so aggressive and off-center yet still ridiculously compelling. A late release this year, it's one I've g...