The Best Albums of 2016…So Far

Our Favorite Albums of the Year… So Far

Two weeks ago, Pitchfork published an article “Is 2016 Music's Biggest Year in Decades?”, and while I can't give you an answer to that question, it's clear that this year has been something special. I assumed the year had peaked at the release of Blackstar on January 8th, but that has been surprisingly untrue. It seems like album after album has come into the station that just blows us away. In order to celebrate 2016, WSUM's exec management team brings you their favorite albums of the year so far!

Porches, Pool

Chloe DeVries

Pool, Porches sophomore album, turns their thus far sound on its head, moving from DIY guitars on what sounds like a four track recorder to produced synths and autotune. Instead of indie kid bedroom music, Pool makes you feel like you're in some dimly lit basement of a club in Berlin or New York. And the songs are catchy – they make you want to move! What makes this album so incredible, though, is the signature darkness of Aaron Maine's songwriting. Pool is an album about loneliness, and beneath the danceable beat and catchy melodies is something haunted, tortured. It's this second layer that draws you in, and makes Pool an experience not easily forgotten. I continue to be drawn back to this album time and time again.

Foodman, Ez Minzoku

Emili Earhart

Among all the bangin new music coming out of Chicago tagged #footwork is THIS HERE CREATURE from Japan. Japanese artists seem to have the power to go above and beyond and then FAR to the left whenever any new “genre” is established across the world, and I'd have to say Ez Minzoku is an extreme, yet perfect example. I was familiar enough with Chicago footwork upon my first listen to Ez Minzoku but all I could think was “FOOTWORK? YEAH RIGHT!” after one bleep and one bloop of this record. Luckily I <3 bleeps and bloops and got through the album better than ever with this conclusion: Take any Chicago footwork artist, bring them to the Floral Shoppe, give them some Rippin' Raspberry flavored v a p e, and then replace everything you've ever loved with MIDI, and you have this record. But scratch all that I still don't think I've figured this out.

Various Artists, Sky Girl (DJ Sundae and J.Dechery)

Emili Earhart

I am still not convinced this compilation––rather, this product of divine intervention brought to you by the most melancholy of deities––has finally surfaced. Here's the gist with Sky Girl: Compiled by French DJs Sundae and J.Dechery and released on Australian label Efficient Space, Sky Girl digs into the never-before-surfaced beauties of pop, folk, and new wave, from the 1960s-1990s and brings them together into one being––a being representing what seems like the aggregate of one emotional rollercoaster traveled by one lone rider. This is a record that, in every unique tracks, sounds so otherworldly yet so real that I can only hope but confess to some petty reason as to why I should not have the privilege of hearing such music. Music to ease someone's pains and discomfort, but not mine. Music to only leave me bearing some bitter, emotional addiction to these humble miniatures so deceptively detrimental. Sky Girl evokes a sense of pathos injected by fifteen artists who all truly “know how you feel”. Sky Girl carries you over the clouds and what an honor it is to hold her hand.

Gwen Stefani, This Is What The Truth Feels Like

Casey Hutchison

The first CD I ever purchased with my own money was Gwen Stefani's 2006 album The Sweet Escape.  To say I was obsessed barely covers it; throughout ages eleven and twelve I could invariably be found, discman in hand, whisper-singing the title track to myself and dreaming of bleaching my hair to an unnatural blonde.  As I grew up, the natural next step, music-wise, was No Doubt, which led me to new wave, alternative, and ska, and the rest, as they say, is history.

Naturally, when I heard earlier this year that Stefani would be releasing her first solo album since then, I died of joy.  All my expectations were met when I heard the finished product; This Is What The Truth Feels Like is a shiny pop breakup record of epic proportions.  Despite a few cheesy missteps, most notably Fetty Wap's slurred appearance on “Asking 4 It”, she successfully pulls together everything from ska-tinged bounce (“Where Would I Be?”) and infectious choruses (“Make Me Like You”) to introspective ballads (“Truth”).  And as always, she's an expert in getting a verse so stuck in your head that you feel like it'll never leave.

Is it the best thing that Gwen Stefani has ever done?  Of course not.  But am I crazy enough about her to not care?  You bet.

Jessy Lanza, Oh No

Laura Oberwetter

Oh No is the second album from the ever talented Jessy Lanza. Lanza co-produced the album alongside Jeremy Greenspan from Junior Boys (whose album Big Black Coat is another stand out of 2016 so far), in addition to contributing vocals for every track. The production of the album straddles the divisions of electronic, soul, and even borrows characteristics derived from footwork. Layered on top of the electronically elaborate beats are Lanza's purely pop vocals. My favorite tracks are “Vivica” and “It Means I Love You”, both of which feature coldly barren sonic elements that are warmed by Lanza's swirling vocals. I saw Jessy Lanza a couple months ago in Minneapolis and the performance was expectedly superb. The audience was entirely captivated by the sounds that Lanza and her drummer produced on stage.

Badbadnotgood, IV

Nick Nager

With the year halfway through already, I feel safe saying that my favorite album of 2016 is IV by Badbadnotgood. Coming off a brilliant collaboration with Ghostface Killah on their last album, Badbadnotgood keeps me intrigued and listening to their sultry tunes on IV. I thoroughly enjoy how the album takes you up and down with the melodies and vocals throughout, creating a very smooth, cohesive sound that makes you put the whole thing on repeat. As Badbadnotgood continues to push jazz boundaries, what with the blending synth and hip-hop tunes, I foresee them blazing the trail for a new era of jazz.

Lil Yachty, Lil Boat

Devlin Brush

Perhaps more than any other genre, hip-hop and rap are genres that depend on personality and social factors.  When you hit play on a rap song, you may want to be told a story, or encouraged to take action, or just rap along with words that signal “the good life” so you too can feel like you're ballin' like it's March Madness. Like any social relationship, first impressions matter in hip-hop, and Lil Boat makes it clear that 18-year old Atlanta artist Lil Yachty understands this completely. Introductory track “Intro (Just Keep Swimming)” starts with an instantly recognizable sample from Finding Nemo, right before a headfirst dive into Yachty's unique soundspace: Light, bouncy production from frequent collaborator Burberry Perry, a tight-knit flow from alter-ego Lil Boat in the first verse, and Yachty's autotuned-to-the-heavens second verse, possibly the friendliest in history (“Hello Boat it's so niiiice to meet you/I'm so glaaaad you caaaame!”) It's a quick, clean example of how and why Yachty came from seemingly out of nowhere to the cover of the XXL Freshman list. Elsewhere, we see that he also has a knack for anthemic melodies like slow-burning hit “1Night”, banger “Minnesota”, and the euphoric “Good Day”. He's working with a refreshing set of producers as well, staying away from Atlanta go-tos like Metro Boomin and the 808 Mafia and picking a more colorful palette of sounds like the flutes and Mario Bros. samples of glorious centerpiece “Run/Running” (credited to Earl & E-Bundles). Lil Boat shows that Yachty has both the tools and skills to make a lane for himself in the modern rap game, and I'm excited to see what comes next from him.

B Boys, No Worry, No Mind

Karolina Barej

As Music Director, I receive and review new music every week.  Among the expected and unexpected releases, 2016 has unveiled to be a phenomenal year.  Thus, this question, “Favorite album of 2016”, is almost impossible to answer.

But I will say that among mountains of CD's that pile on my desk or downloads that clutter my inbox, B Boy's album No Worry, No Mind has been a standout. It's smart, quick, and better yet, it's the band's debut work.

I never heard of Brooklyn trio until mentioned by one of my co-workers.  Despite signing with Captured Tracks, B Boys remain virtually “unknown”. With a low profile and master sound, No Worry, No Mind feels like buried treasure.  B Boys have produced something many people could easily confuse as a “never released” 1978 punker… a secret album from CBGB archives, dusted off and put out for spins just for the heck of it.  I got hooked immediately.

No Worry, No Mind, just 23 minutes long, cuts the crap.  A witty & playful post punk that quickly gets to the point and no more. Its shortest songs “Psycho Fast” & “Nevah” are extremely reminiscent of Wire's 1977 Pink Flag.  As heard in other songs, such as  “Sound Frequency” & “Other Head”, the fast tempo is complimented with early new wave twang and vocals, signature to David Byrne of the Talking Heads or Mark Mothersbaugh of Devo.

The energy is brilliant – a kick, enough to wake you up and get you addicted. It's a splash of cold water.  A refreshing and an enlightening escape to time when this album would have exploded among other CBGB repertoire.

Death Grips, Bottomless Pit

Evan Boyd

When, all of a sudden, we thought that Death Grips just quit on us via Twitter (literally), they throw out The Powers that B in 2015, and Bottomless Pit in May. This experimental hip hop group, I'll admit, puts out some weird stuff. I showed my Dad this album, and he was not a big fan. With that being said, such hits like “Giving Bad People Good Ideas”, “Spikes”, and “Eh” are some of the best songs Death Grips has put out among their five studio albums. It is hard core, heavy rap, and it will get you amped up. Just try to imagine their live shows.

David Bowie, Blackstar

Rolands Lauzums

What was once seen as an exciting return to form turned into a spectacular retrospective on David Bowie's career. Blackstar, released a few days before his death, remains one of the finest “swan songs” of an artist's career. The album explores Bowie's coping with his own mortality through lyrics and other more subtle clues. One such reference is within the final track “I Can't Give Everything Away”. It features a harmonica sample from his song “A New Career in a New Town” which conjures images of leaving the past and starting anew. Blackstar departs from Bowie's more conventional rock sound and reaches new exciting heights. It may be the most divergent album of his discography but perhaps creating what is most unexpected from him is the most Bowie-like note to leave on.

Kendrick Lamar, untitled unmastered.

Petar Djordjevic

All of a sudden I'm sitting on Spotify and there's a new Kendrick Lamar album. Poof! Just like that!  The unexpected release of untitled unmastered comes after weeks of media hype and controversy over Kanye West's The Life of Pablo, and it made it that much more meaningful.  Untitled unmastered , lyrically, was an extension of To Pimp a Butterfly with mentions of religions and race, but the sound is unique.  The lyrics seem ever more personal with mentions of Lamar's childhood and hometown of Compton.  Lamar also mixes steady modern beats with old school jazzy melodies to create a fresh, less produced sound.  There is a throwback feel to many songs, and some songs have a whole change in pace and sound within itself, such as “untitled 07 I 2014-2016.”  With the reflective lyrics and dynamic sound, untitled unmastered feels like Lamar's personal commentary on To Pimp a Butterfly, almost as if he had more he wanted to say but couldn't in one album.  I am thankful Kendrick Lamar decided to save all of his extra thoughts for another album because even though there are 5 months left, it is one of the best albums of 2016.  Pimp-pimp, Hooray!

These are some of our favorites (although it was extremely tough to choose). Let us know what yours