#TOP15 albums of 2015

WASHINGTON 鈥� Maybe it鈥檚 unfair to say, or maybe it鈥檚 just reflective of my personal sensibilities, but 2015 felt like something of a letdown year in terms of new music. Part of that has to do with the fact that 2013 and and set a high bar back-to-back. Another part is the fact that it seems like the year was dominated by pop blockbusters, from Taylor Swift to Justin Bieber to Adele (none of which you鈥檒l find on this list). Instead of seemingly finding new albums dropping from the sky so often it was hard to keep up, this year included deep, repetitive spinnings of a select few albums that really resonated. To help me break down this year鈥檚 Top 15 albums, I鈥檓 joined by Marcus J. Moore, who provides a nice counterpoint in terms of both his background and tastes, giving us a well-rounded list. You鈥檒l see reviews from each of us throughout this year鈥檚 list. So with no further ado, let鈥檚 start the countdown. — Noah Frank (WTOP/Noah Frank)

WTOP/Noah Frank

15. Floating Points 鈥� Elaenia Floating Points鈥� debut album ends abruptly, just as concluding track 鈥淧eroration Six鈥� reaches a peak. The drums get heavier and the keys grow louder, making me wonder if the follow up will pick up where Elaenia left off. The rest of producer Sam Shepherd鈥檚 album is remarkably fluid; bands Pink Floyd and Radiohead come to mind, and the music has a cinematic tinge to it. Elaenia could qualify as easy listening, though you can sense the composer鈥檚 uneasiness as the album progresses. He holds it together for the record鈥檚 seven tracks, finally letting off some steam at the end. — Marcus J. Moore This album is for you if: You still can鈥檛 stop playing Kid A and Dark Side of the Moon. Highlighted Tracks: Peroration Six, Silhouettes (I, II, II), Argent茅

(Album art courtesy聽Eglo Records)

Album art courtesy聽Eglo Records

14. Leon Bridges 鈥斅�Coming Home Leon Bridges鈥� debut feels like it fell through a time warp and landed in your parents鈥� attic, only to be dusted off and discovered by a new generation for the first time. His simple, straightforward soul doesn鈥檛 reinvent anything, but hearkens back to an era decades passed. And while it may not be new, exactly, it hits all the right notes and is quite a refreshing initial effort from the now 26-year-old. The title track got the most play, but it鈥檚 the closer, 鈥淩iver,鈥� that not only sticks with you, but gives hope for further exploration and a deeper lyrical venture in albums to come. — Noah Frank This album is for you if: You long for the simplicity of a resonant voice and classic, feel-good music. Highlighted Tracks: Coming Home, Shine, River https://youtu.be/EC5Lisj1hGI (Album art courtesy聽Columbia Records)

Album art courtesy聽Columbia Records

13. Christian Scott 鈥� Stretch Music New Orleans is the birthplace of jazz, and walking through the city, you quickly realize the stronghold it has there. Christian Scott鈥檚 recent album, Stretch Music, is creatively free, full of shape-shifting rhythms and evocative instrumentals. Scott already has a robust discography, but his 2015 LP was arguably his best work, blurring the lines without straying too far from his sonic core. Stretch Music was a fluid walk through the Big Easy, celebrating its rich diversity while casting an eye toward the world at large. — Marcus J. Moore This album is for you if: You like to relax to grown folks鈥� music. Highlighted Tracks: TWIN, West of the West, Tantric, The Last Chieftan

(Album art courtesy聽Ropeadope/Stretch Music)

Album art courtesy聽Ropeadope/Stretch Music

12. Algiers 鈥斅�Algiers Let鈥檚 start by saying that whatever you think of when you think of Atlanta, Algiers probably isn鈥檛 it. And with good reason. It鈥檚 like a rejection of Atlanta, of the south, of everything it paints itself to look like to cover the growing cracks in the drywall caused by the seismic shifts in the landscape by the events of Ferguson or Charleston or Baltimore. Call it post-gospel punk, if labels are your thing. Of course, the album was written and recorded before any of that. It just seems to have been destined for our time. The trio met over a decade ago at Georgia State, and did not actually begin to work together musically on this piece until two were living oversees pursuing grad programs. What they have created demands your attention. Give it to them. — Noah Frank This album is for you if: You want to channel your frustrations about our modern world. Highlighted Tracks: Remains, Blood, Irony. Utility. Pretext.

(Album art courtesy聽Matador Records)

Album art courtesy聽Matador Records

11. The Breathing Effect 鈥� Mars is a Very Bad Place for Love My wife can鈥檛 listen to the Breathing Effect鈥檚鈥淩ising Inside鈥� without freestyling to it. It鈥檚 physically impossible. No, she鈥檚 not a rapper, but once the melody comes together, she thinks she鈥檚 MC Lyte or Queen Latifah. I can鈥檛 blame her; the Breathing Effect鈥檚 debut album is special that way. It鈥檚 rooted in jazz and soul, but there鈥檚 a bright feel to it that works on multiple levels. The band released an equally great EP in 2014, powered by the tracks 鈥淟ayers of Thought鈥� and 鈥淟osing My Mind.鈥� Among other things, the LP showed there鈥檚 something captivating about these guys. They鈥檙e waiting on the world to catch up. — Marcus J. Moore This album is for you if: You like jazz, soul and R&B all mixed into one thing. Highlighted Tracks: Visions, Streetlights Out of Focus, Weightless Reality, Rising Inside

(Album art courtesy Alpha Pup聽Records)

Album art courtesy Alpha Pup聽Records

10. RATATAT 鈥� Magnifique After bursting onto the scene in 2004, RATATAT seemed to have worn out their welcome after a series of increasingly lackluster efforts. Their first two albums, their self-titled debut and Classics two years later, showed just how dynamic, full and catchy instrumental rock could be. Back after a five-year hiatus between releases, Magnifique signals the New York duo鈥檚 triumphant return to the formula that endeared them to our hearts and ears in the first place. The sharp, bright guitar overtures that punctuated the band鈥檚 first offerings are back, along with more tightly layered sounds than past efforts. The subtle complexities in how some of these secondary sounds are shaped give the sound more nuance and keep it from ever being repetitive. , the duo said they returned to writing around melodies instead of beats. Thank god for that. This is the RATATAT album those of us who fell in sonic love with the first two have been waiting quite some time for. — Noah Frank This album is for you if: You appreciate killer guitar lines and beats and don鈥檛 need lyrics to make your music essential. Highlighted Tracks: Cream on Chrome, Abrasive, Countach

(Album art courtesy聽XL Recordings)

Album art courtesy聽XL Recordings

9. Deradoorian 鈥� The Expanding Flower Planet Angel Deradoorian鈥檚 voice doesn鈥檛 hit you right away. Her tenor is celestial, wafting in from a distant place. Deradoorian offered serene vocals to Flying Lotus鈥� 2014 album, You鈥檙e Dead!, and spent time playing with bands Dirty Projectors and Avey Tare鈥檚 Slasher Flicks. For her solo debut, the multi-instrumentalist opted for a broad sound that funneled international themes into hypnotic arrangements. The Expanding Flower Planet was a slow burn that casually found its way. Deradoorian proved she could stand alone and loom just as large. — Marcus J. Moore This album is for you if: You like international music with a pop slant. Highlighted Tracks: A Beautiful Woman, Violet Minded, Your Creator, Ouneya

(Album art courtesy Anticon)

Album art courtesy Anticon

8. Alabama Shakes 鈥斅�Sound &聽Color It鈥檚 pretty clear from outset 鈥� the long intro into the nearly naked bass, xylophone and drums-led title track 鈥� that Alabama Shakes鈥� sophomore effort is going to sound different from their attention-demanding 2012 debut. While their first album was steeped in Southern rock styles and unfiltered soul, Sound &聽Color is sharper, more produced, and also darker than its predecessor. It may seem an odd analogy to make, but the best comparison I can forge is to the difference in John Mayer鈥檚 first two major studio albums, Room for Squares and Heavier Things. That tighter production over a wider variety of styles聽allows each layer of sound and instrumentation on Sound &聽Color to come through more clearly, where Boys and Girls had a fuzz that blended everything together more flatly. It鈥檚 almost as if we saw Alabama Shakes through a cheap, disposable camera the first time around, and as good as they were, we didn鈥檛 get to enjoy them fully until we upgraded to the telescopic lens we get to see them through here. — Noah Frank This album is for you if 鈥�:聽You appreciate a frontwoman whose booming voice can dominate a room. Highlighted Tracks: Sound &聽Color, Don’t Wanna Fight,聽Shoegaze

(Album art courtesy聽ATO Records)

Album art courtesy聽ATO Records

7. Beauty Pill 鈥� Beauty Pill Describes Things As They Are Beauty Pill鈥檚 recent album marked a sharp creative shift for the D.C. band: The group鈥檚 previous work was straight-ahead rock; this was sonically challenging, full of electronic textures that were tough to wade through. Overall, Beauty Pill Describes Things As They Are is a bright collage of airy synthetics and introspective lyrics. Album centerpiece 鈥淒og with Rabbit in Mouth, Unharmed鈥� was a gorgeous ode to frontman Chad Clark鈥檚 dog, Lucy, who died of cancer. The album title seems ironic in hindsight: Nothing was easy here. The world is a beautifully complicated place with no real answers. — Marcus J. Moore This album is for you if: You like music that takes you places. Highlighted Tracks: Dog with Rabbit in Mouth Unharmed, Afrikaner Barista, Steven and Tiwonge, Near Miss Stories

(Album art courtesy Butterscotch Records)

Album art courtesy Butterscotch Records

6. Hop Along 鈥斅�Painted Shut Every few years, a new voice distinguishes itself from the pack in its unmistakable delivery, its nuanced timbre and tone. If enough people hear the sophomore effort from Philadelphia鈥檚 Hop Along, Frances Quinlan may be that next voice. She鈥檒l tremble and quiver, the top of her range will grate like sandpaper as she grinds through the notes between the notes, stretching for that next landing place. And it all works. I鈥檓 so disappointed I initially missed their 2013 debut, Get Disowned, which includes firecracking anthems like 鈥淭ibetan Pop Stars.鈥� . I鈥檒l wait. If you鈥檙e not pumped for Painted Shut after that, I don鈥檛 know what to tell you. This is a more polished and less raw collection than its predecessor, but that allows Quinlan鈥檚 vocals to shine above the noise even more clearly in all their flawless imperfection. — Noah Frank This album is for you if: You think American Idol voices are overly polished and saccharine and you yearn to hear something genuinely expressive. Highlighted Tracks: Horseshoe Crabs, Waitress, Well-dressed

(Album art courtesy Saddle Creek Records)

Album art courtesy Saddle Creek Records

5. Kamasi Washington听鈥斅�The Epic Jazz made a big comeback in 2015, due mostly to rapper Kendrick Lamar鈥檚 exquisite third album, on which saxophonist Kamasi Washington was a key contributor. Washington鈥檚 album, The Epic, held a massive sound that went in all sorts of creative directions. While mostly traditional in scope, The Epic also paid homage to cosmic acts like Sun Ra, Weather Report and late-’60s Miles Davis while remaining close to label boss Flying Lotus鈥� creative arc. In the era of mainstream 鈥渢urn up鈥� music, Washington created an opus that connected to wide groups of listeners. 鈥淭he Rhythm Changes鈥� hits like a radio pop single, and 鈥淔inal Thought鈥� is a layered hybrid of funk and soul. 鈥淗enrietta Our Hero,鈥� dedicated to Washington鈥檚 grandmother, feels like a gospel song: A full choir backs up singer Patrice Quinn, giving the track a transformative resonance. The Epic reminded us that good music is good music, no matter where it comes from. — Marcus J. Moore This album is for you if: You dig expansive rhythms that take time to unfold. Highlighted Tracks: Askim, Re Run Home, Miss Understanding, Change of the Guard

(Album art courtesy聽Brainfeeder Records)

Album art courtesy聽Brainfeeder Records

4. Beach House 鈥斅�Depression Cherry / Thank Your Lucky Stars Baltimore duo Beach House threw us a curveball this year, dropping their first album since 2012鈥檚 Bloom, only to follow it up with a second release just two months later. Sonically, both Depression Cherry and Count Your Lucky Stars are cut from the same cloth, but the latter is more than just B-sides from the former. Both albums are well worth your time, but Depression Cherry is a truly excellent home alone, big headphones and oversized sweatshirt on, snow drifting in flurries outside kind of album. Beach House fans may find more comfort in the familiarity of TYLS, but it鈥檚 not as ambitious 鈥� rather a step back toward the safety of what they鈥檝e already done, as opposed to the step forward into the unknown that was Depression Cherry. And goodness, the arpeggios on 鈥淪pace Song鈥� just slay me every time. It鈥檚 my single favorite song of the year. — Noah Frank This album is for you if: That old sad bastard music is . Highlighted Tracks: Space Song, She鈥檚 So Lovely, One Thing

(Album art courtesy Sub Pop Records)

Album art courtesy Sub Pop Records

3. D鈥橝ngelo and The Vanguard 鈥� Black Messiah Released by surprise last December, Black Messiah spoke directly to the racial angst that鈥檚 grown more pronounced in recent years. 鈥�1000 Deaths鈥� had a wartime feel; with its muddy guitar riff and deep bass drops, D鈥橝ngelo addressed the anger of watching your people be killed for sport. 鈥淭he Charade鈥� looked at inequality from an exasperated viewpoint: 鈥淎ll we wanted was a chance to talk/鈥橲tead we only got outlined in chalk.鈥� Elsewhere, Black Messiah was vintage D鈥橝ngelo, full of sweet melodies and barely-there lyrics. It鈥檚 almost easy to forget now that the album was plagued by years of false starts, blown deadlines and the singer鈥檚 own struggles. Nonetheless, Black Messiah arrived right on time. — Marcus J. Moore This album is for you if: You like transformative soul music. Highlighted Tracks: Really Love, Another Life, 1000 Deaths, Sugah Daddy

(Album art courtesy RCA Records)

Album art courtesy RCA Records

2. Sufjan Stevens 鈥斅�Carrie and Lowell There wasn鈥檛 a more personal album released than Sufjan Stevens鈥� latest venture. Rather than intensely study and attempt to capture a topic聽like he did with his two state albums, he tackles the subject he knows best, his parents. Named for his mother and stepfather,聽Carrie and Lowell聽tackles the questions and challenges of his own life head on, taking his music to a deeper level than we鈥檝e seen before. While Michigan showed how much Stevens can do with his minimalist style and he flexed his impressively expansive musicianship on Illinois, the songs on Carrie and Lowell evoke Nick Drake and Elliott Smith at their finest. It was once said of Drake鈥檚 music that you could 鈥渢urn an album all the way up and it would still sound quiet.鈥� Carrie and Lowell feels the same; that no matter how loud you tried to make it, each note would remain touchingly soft, as delicate as if the volume was set low in the background. — Noah Frank This album is for you if: You want music that demands you feel every note. Highlighted Tracks: All of Me Wants All of You, Fourth of July, No Shade in the Shadow of the Cross

(Album art courtesy聽Asthmatic Kitty Records)

Album art courtesy聽Asthmatic Kitty Records

1. Kendrick Lamar听鈥斅�To Pimp A Butterfly After the great success of 2012鈥檚 good kid, m.A.A.d. city, rapper Kendrick Lamar could鈥檝e easily followed the same formula and achieved similar results. But this year鈥檚 To Pimp A Butterfly was a magnum opus of free jazz, spoken-word poetry and spacious funk, the likes of which the West Coast hadn鈥檛 seen since Dr. Dre鈥檚 The Chronic. Butterfly is remarkably black: It arrived on the heels of intense struggle between blacks and law enforcement, and the rapper didn鈥檛 mince words in conveying his message. Butterfly is aggressive, loving and insular 鈥� often all at the same time. It鈥檚 a complicated mix of self-doubt and meditation, with Lamar pondering what it鈥檚 like to live as a black man. 鈥淎lright鈥� became an uplifting anthem for the 鈥淏lack Lives Matter鈥� movement, and 鈥淗ow Much a Dollar Cost鈥� is reportedly President Obama鈥檚 favorite song of 2015. Who needs a Grammy with that sort of praise? — Marcus J. Moore This album is for you if: You like hip-hop with a message and aren鈥檛 scared to hear truth that might make you uncomfortable. Highlighted Tracks: Institutionalized, Momma, Alright, The Blacker the Berry

(Album art courtesy Interscope Records)