Maz's Top 13 Albums of 2015

Ok y'all, I suck at ranking albums so this is just going to be a list of my favorite releases this year. I'll include one or two tracks from each record that were my favorite as well as a short little blurb of why I enjoyed each record (Sorry for the odd number...)

Kendrick Lamar - To Pimp a Butterfly 

This dick ain't freeee....easily my favorite release of 2015. I feel like of all the hip-hop albums released within the past two or three years this deserved all the hype it got. I've had a difficult time grasping concept albums within the hip-hop genre in the past but the way K-dot creatively explored themes related to blackness and being Black in America not only made this record relatable but it also illustrated his ability to tell a story that matters. Also enjoyable is the fusion of jazz, funk, and hip-hop that has always been a favorite style of mine. I'm really glad he got Thundercat, Kamasi Washington, and Flying Lotus on this album as they're some of my favorite artists within the contemporary jazz/funk scene.

Favorite Tracks: These Walls, Wesley's Theory

Sufjan Stevens - Carrie & Lowell

All hail the album that made me cry for like a week straight when it was released. This record made me feel so many different things but I think thats why I loved it. Sufjan has always been a story teller, incredibly gifted in the ability to creatively tell stories and this album showcases this from start to finish. You can feel how complex his relationship with his mother was and knowing he was singing about events of his life made listening to this record pretty special.

Favorite Tracks: Fourth of July, Should Have Known Better

Ta-Ku - Songs To Make Up To

Ta-Ku has long been one of my favorite producers and I enjoy the themes related to relationships he has explored in his other releases as well as with this one. Each track on this record has an easy vibe to it; light and delicate yet purposeful in nature. The JMSN, Atu, and Jordan Rakei features are also great.

Favorite Tracks: Sunrise/Beautiful , Hopeful 

Deerhunter - Fading Frontier

As someone who has never really been an avid Deerhunter listener, I was pleasantly surprised with how much I enjoyed listening to this album. The contrast between the dark lyrics (like super dark tbh) with the pop-rock medleys is pretty unique. Each song is beautifully produced which makes listening to it a breeze. Definitely an album I'll be coming back to in the future.

Favorite Tracks: Leather and Wood, Ad Astra

Vince Staples - Summertime '06

Man oh man, this album and I were best friends this year. Vince Staples has truly risen from the underground hip-hop scene, and this record proves his ability as not only a rapper but also a narrator. The title is a bit deceiving, you think of summertime and easy-going cheerful sounds is what comes to mind, but this album explores different points of Vince's life that many would see as dark. I will admit, when I saw it was a double album I was like "fuck, this hardly ever goes well with hip-hop" but Summertime '06 was fantastically focused from start to finish and Vince never failed to express complex ideas in real and poetic ways.



Favorite Tracks: Loca, Summertime, Senorita, Surf 

Young Fathers - White Men Are Black Men Too

Another one that got mixed reviews I think, but I've always enjoyed Young Fathers' work and this didn't disappoint me. They're really great at using elements of hip-hop, pop, and rock which result in a unique sound. This record is a great example of this as well as an exploration of identity politics and black masculinity.

Favorite track: Get Started

This Is The Kit - Bashed Out

In my opinion, one of the most underrated albums of the year. Freak-folk is something I'm typically super picky about but Kate Stables does it so beautifully on this record. The use of guitar and bass are subtle yet purposeful and coupled with Stables' vocals, the results are tracks that explore various themes but still remain coherent within the context of the album as a whole. I think many of you guys will enjoy this one, I already know Tyler did :)

Favorite tracks: Vitamins, Misunderstanding, Spores All Settling 

Tropics - Rapture

The atmospheric vibes of this record are so so so great, I highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys alternative R&B with some chillwave elements. The lyrical content is a standout on this album, especially compared to his first album Paradoria Flare, but production is also top notch in my opinion.  Chris Ward has a keen ear for sounds that work well together and I think this album is a great example of that.

Favorite Tracks: Blame, Perfume Kinship

Logic - The Incredible True Story

This album got pretty mixed reviews but I personally enjoyed it, both for the production and lyrical content. People's biggest complaint was that he recycles beats and flows too obviously and doesn't seem to have his own style but in my opinion, hip-hop is a genre that has long done this and artists are only called out for it when they haven't built up that street cred yet. Despite this, I loved the theme and setting for the record (space, the future) and the contrasting use of 90s old school style beats on many of the tracks. Looking forward to more Logic in the future.

Favorite Tracks: Young Jesus, Run It, Like Woah

Jlin - Dark Energy

So I listened to this album on a whim pretty recently after seeing Jana Hunter of Lower Dens tweet about it literally on December 31st and I'm so fucking glad I did. This record is so diverse but I love it because of that. Each track is completely different from the one before it, yet they're all just as dark and mysterious too. Highly recommend this one for anyone interested in electronic sounds à la the style of Aphex Twin circa 1992.


Favorite Tracks: Erotic Heat, Mansa Musa (couldn't find a YouTube link for this one)

Thundercat - The Beyond/Where the Giants Roam

Had to include my man Thundercat on the list. The psych-jazz/R&B fusion Flying Lotus has pioneered with his label Brainfeeder is a sound I'm so excited about. I've loved most of the work released on the label and this EP isn't an exception. Thundercat explores themes of death and the afterlife and while the instrumentation of the EP is the most standout aspect, his lyrics also helped set the mood as well.


Favorite Track: Lone Wolf and Cub

Tame Impala - Currents

Probably the most cliche pick for the year, but I have no shame of including it in my list. I loved the direction Kevin Parker went with this record and the solid production made listening to the album quite enjoyable. Literally my only complain is Nangs needs to be made into a full track. 

Favorite Tracks: The Less I Know The Better, Nangs 

Future - DS2

Rounding out the list with my most listened to album of the year and the album with probably the best opening track of the year. 2015 was the year of #FutureHive; with the release of 2 studio albums and 2 mixtapes, Future proved to be an unstoppable force, showing us that he's doing what he does for the music. With the help of Metro Boomin and Rocko, Future was able to create a record which at first listen seems to be a typical trap album, but then you realize the beats are more slow tempo and dreamy. Coupled with Future's relaxed yet scratchy style of rapping, it made for a unique album and one I consistently come even months after its release.

Favorite Tracks: Stick Talk, Slave Master, Thought It Was A Drought



Honorable Mentions: Jamie XX - In Colour, Empress of - Me, Justin Beiber - Purpose, Kamasi Washington - The Epic, US Girls - Half Free, Ducktails - St. Catherine, Beach House - Depression Cherry, A$AP Rocky - AT.LONG.LAST.A$AP