|
User
Soundoffs 2
Album Ratings 38
Objectivity 68%
Last Active 09-05-16 6:01 am
Joined 07-25-14
Review Comments 76
| 10 solid jams of 2015
my favorite albums that I've stumbled across this year. This isn't a list of the best of 2015 so far because I haven't listened to every album put out. I'd also appreciate recommendations, if you dig anything and think I might dig it as well. They're arranged in order of how much they stuck with me, and not in order of skill, quality, or innovation. | | 1 |  | Counterparts
Tragedy Will Find Us
This is just an all around solid metal/melocore album. The album is extremely emotionally resonant for me. It appeals to the hate, frustration, and discontent in me, the poetic love that I have lost that I think about, as well as the optimism and bouncing back when life gets you down, among other places the album takes me and feelings the album brings me through, as lame as that probably sounds. Counterparts have really been working to this point, in my opinion. I think this will go down as their magnum opus, once everyone has had a good while to digest the album (unless they drop a better album, of course). | | 2 |  | The World Is a Beautiful Place...
Harmlessness
There's a whole lot to say about this album. Most of the flack it gets are because of stylistic choices. People also say it's same-y, generic, and/or bland which I could see as reasonable arguments. Otherwise, this release is a totally solid work from a group of really talented and creative individuals. I also really love the Death Cab influence sprinkled in. | | 3 |  | Marietta
As It Were
This is a solid contemporary emo LP. The album is fun at times, emotionally expressive at times, and dark and contemplative at times. The biggest downfall would be some tracks that don't say "I'm me and not another 3 minutes of the album's sound" if you know what I mean. If you're a fan of emo, definitely check these guys out. I'm sure you won't hate them, and you might end up really liking them. | | 4 |  | Manners
Pale Blue Light
So I know this came out last year but check it out anyways because it deserves to be checked out if you haven't given it a listen. This LP is extremely cohesive and is a frighteningly accurate look at depression from a melocore band. If you've been through the depths of depression and this album clicks with you, this album will hit you like a semi truck. | | 5 |  | City and Colour
If I Should Go Before You
City and Colour is one of the acts that I've been listening to longer than most other acts I listen to. Unfortunately, I was severely underwhelmed by The Hurry and the Harm, so I wasn't expecting much out of this lp. However, I figured considering it is City and Colour, I'd give it a spin. I ended up really really digging this record. It isn't anything ground breaking by any means, but it's a solid City and Colour record altogether. The sound is tweaked a bit to be more diverse this time around. | | 6 |  | Foxing
Dealer
If referred this album, one might say just listen to the aforementioned TWIABPAIANLATD's Harmlessness instead. They're both similar acts, TWIABP's record being a lot more technically advanced, creative, and ambitious. I don't agree with saying skip Dealer, and I wouldn't agree with one saying Harmlessness is better than this record. I think this LP is definitely worth checking out. I would think this LP was designed to be emotionally engaging, cohesive, sonically consistent, and cathartic. This album reminds me a whole lot of Copeland's Ixora. If you're into this kind of record, give this record a try. If you don't know what I mean, give this record a good try and spin the whole record in the dark, late at night, before you go to bed, while you have nothing going on. If you listen to music to be impressed by technical ability and don't care about the emotional aspect of it, then go ahead and skip to Harmlessness. | | 7 |  | Modern Baseball
The Perfect Cast
I'm usually pretty careful about the pop punk I listen to, and I go into any new pop punk record with low expectations, for the reason that most pop punk is total shit. Modern Baseball just has charisma. They're like that cool nerd in high school who plays Magic the Gathering at lunch and wears a League of Legends T-Shirt but they're just a solid and likeable guy. I think they get a lot of flack because on the outside they look like part nostalgia trip, part gimmicky hipster band. They know that's what they are, though, and to me, they totally own it. The fact that they're purposefully not trying to be the cool band is part of what makes them cool, in my opinion. I would say they're consistently vastly underrated, in some part because of the pop punk label, but they're mostly indie rock. I think with this ep they've really expanded and matured in pretty much every facet. You may not like it, but I think it's worth a try. | | 8 |  | Crooks
Are We All The Same Distance Apart
Crooks are a UK melocore act, with stong alt rock influences. One might say they're an alt rock act with punk influences, since they dropped the harsh vocals for this LP. If this is melocore, it's on the exact opposite side of the spectrum from the aforementioned Pale Blue Light. This LP is far from perfect. A good amount of tracks are completely forgettable, but this band has a lot going for them on this LP to make up for the shortcomings. The drumming is probably the biggest thing they have going for them. The vocalist is also definitely a strong suit. I wouldn't say this is a solid LP, but it's worth checking out. These guys are definitely an act to keep your eye out for in the future. | | 9 |  | Turnover
Peripheral Vision
Initially I was turned off by the shoegaze label slapped on these guys, and even though I've only recently started listening to this album, I've already grown to like the shoegaze aspect and I the LP so far. When you think of punk gone shoegaze, what do you think of? Citizen? Title Fight? Well don't worry; this isn't another case of "Shoegaze: The Good Band Killer". They pull it off. Check them out, if you feel so inclined. | | 10 |  | The Wonder Years
No Closer to Heaven
Unless you live under a rock, I don't really need to talk about this album, do I? I'm sure you've already decided your opinion of this record. However, If you do happen to live under a rock, this is an LP by the much loved and much hated band The Wonder Years. It isn't their best work, but it's still a decent to good record, and worth a spin. It's a shame to say the record is decent to good, because The Greatest Generation is one of my favorite records of all time. | |
|
