2016: At Least the Music was Good

Above lies my entry for the 2016 “Slogan of the Year” award, if such an award exists. Celebrity deaths, memes, and the craziest presidential election in recent memory help define this roller coaster of a year. 2016 was a wild ride, but at least we received a great soundtrack for it.

How great? Well, great enough to justify the creation of a Top 50 (!!!) list of the year’s best albums/mixtapes/EPs/etc., in my personal humble opinion. This list is solely based on my personal enjoyment…not on sales and not on critical acclaim. That said, please feel free to let me know if you agree or disagree, and why. Patrick & I will each complete a Top 50 list, and we will separate our lists into three separate posts. This post contains #50-#31, the next post will contain #30-11, and the final installment of the trilogy will showcase my Top 10 favorite/best albums of 2016. We will provide YouTube links to one song from each album, a link to our podcast / blog review of each album (if applicable), and a Spotify / Apple Music playlist consisting of one song from each album (different from the songs we have linked here). Without further ado, let’s dive in.

#50 – Brian Eno – The Ship

Ambient LEGEND Brian Eno steered his ship in a different direction on his latest full-length effort. Mysterious moments of peaceful bliss lead into passages of vocal and instrumental experimentation over the course of this 4-track, 47-minute project. From the 21-minute title-track opener to the closing cover of fellow pioneers The Velvet Underground, Brian Eno’s soothing style captivates. However, despite my enjoyment of this project, I am left with more questions than answers. For example, on “Fickle Sun (ii) The Hour Is Thin”, Eno asks “who did not feel any purpose?” over the most tranquil melody The Ship has to offer. And although this album’s exact purpose can remain tough to pinpoint, it is difficult to deny that its purpose exists.

Listen: Brian Eno – “The Ship”

#49 – Chairlift – Moth

On one of my favorite indie-pop releases of 2016, the duo of Caroline Polachek and Patrick Wimberly provide a refreshing take on modern synth-led pop music. Moth‘s production might sound too clean or polished for some listeners, but for fans, the instrumentation creates a pleasant atmosphere. This relatively brief project releases energy when necessary (“Romeo”, “Moth to the Flame”), but understands when to take a seat and let the glossy vibes take over. Moth lacks almost any trace of rawness, especially in Polachek’s beautiful, yet modified, vocals (her delivery on “Crying in Public” explores the Doppler effect). However, the dance-pop duo thankfully compensates for this by delivering catchy composition after catchy composition. All in all, Moth has the vibrance of a butterfly.

Listen: Chairlift – “Romeo”

#48 – Conor Oberst – Ruminations

The cover art for Ruminations essentially tells the entire story. Within 48 hours, Bright Eyes frontman Conor Oberst recorded 38 minutes of traditional folk consisting solely of vocals, piano, guitar, and harmonica. Oberst performs passionately throughout the course of Ruminations while delivering sensitive, weary vocal melodies to match. And if you think this album artwork generates feelings of depression, loneliness, and melancholy, wait until you hear the music and read the lyrics. The closing track “Till St. Dymphna Kicks Us Out” wraps up Conor Oberst’s perspective on these emotional mind states with a positive outlook: at least we have each other.

Listen: Conor Oberst – “Till St. Dymphna Kicks Us Out”

#47 – Blood Orange – Freetown Sound

Freetown Sound‘s greatest accomplishment is that Dev Hynes (Blood Orange) now holds a firm grasp on his unique aesthetic. This tasty gumbo contains elements of alternative R&B and baroque pop, with a hint of funk sprinkled in. Hynes uses this colorful foundation to support lyrics that frequently center around love and social commentary. Blood Orange himself expressed that his 2016 LP provided a soundtrack for those who felt they were “not black enough, too black, too queer, not queer the right way”. To this point, Freetown Sound stresses the beauty of understanding and embracing your identity: “you are special in your own way”. Thankfully, Hynes crafted an enjoyable, interesting, and creative project in line with these sentiments.

Listen: Blood Orange – “Augustine”

#46 – Chance the Rapper – Coloring Book

Coloring Book: Because “Ultralight Beam: The Mixtape” sounded too clunky. Chance the Rapper’s latest work became a critical darling shortly after its May 13th release date. Though I believe this collection of tracks doesn’t quite live up to its 90/100 Metacritic rating, Coloring Book showcases Chance’s best qualities: charisma, positivity, originality, and energy. This mixtape’s fusion of hip-hop and gospel music is a PB&J pairing, which significantly improved the reputation of religious hip-hop. The last third of his third mixtape especially shines, with tracks such as “Finish Line / Drown”, “How Great”, and “Blessings (Reprise)” nearly perfecting this gospel-rap soulful subgenre. Coloring Book may not have been the greatest hip-hop project of 2016, but in a genre often defined by negative stereotypes and harmful attitudes, it might have been the one we needed the most.

Listen: Chance the Rapper (feat. 2 Chainz & Lil Wayne) – “No Problem”

Podcast Review: Chance the Rapper – Coloring Book (Mixtape Review)

#45 – Glass Animals – How to Be a Human Being

At this point in the list, we transition from a fun gospel-rap mixtape to an equally fun indie-pop record. Undeniable grooves, interesting percussion, and vibrant atmospheres fill the majority of How to Be a Human Being. These eleven tracks offer a variety of bangers, ballads, and festival anthems without compromising the group’s identity (regarding festival anthems, I expect Glass Animals to appear at most big-name summertime music fests). From the tribal drums on the opener “Life Itself”, to the MGMT-esque synth on “The Other Side of Paradise”, to the video game samples on “Season 2 Episode 3”, this colorful effort from Glass Animals finds a way to please a large demographic. Despite being my biggest shrinker of 2016, How to Be a Human Being packs a punch worthy of a listen.

Listen: Glass Animals – “Life Itself”

#44 – Tim Hecker – Love Streams

Simply put, Love Streams is a beautiful piece of art. Tim Hecker, a critically-acclaimed artist working in ambient, drone, and electronic music, laced a cohesive sonic narrative with his 2016 LP. Much of this project showcases Hecker’s prowess as an ambient artist with his inclusion of peaceful soundscapes. However, he occasionally invites moments of slight chaos to this tranquil habitat, like how one might shake a snow globe. Love Streams contains interesting subtleties, rewarding those who partake in repeated listens. These experimental explorations exemplify the importance of one particular album characteristic: atmosphere.

Listen: Tim Hecker – “Castrati Stack”

#43 – Swet Shop Boys – Cashmere

If you bought stock in Riz Ahmed last year, congratulations on your newly-acquired wealth. In 2016, he starred in the hit HBO show The Night Of, acted in the newest Star Wars film Rogue One, and co-hosted the 43rd-best musical project of the year (alongside ex-Das Racist member Heems). Being of Pakistani and Punjabi-Indian descent respectively, Ahmed & Heems spend much of Cashmere discussing racial profiling in America. They rap about frequently getting “random” checks at airports, military conflict, and being fly despite getting “no-fly list” treatments. The duo shares their thought-provoking perspectives on these issues over catchy South Asian sounds. With this effort, Swet Shop Boys overcome arguably the greatest obstacle in political hip-hop: making the music sound fun.

Listen: Swet Shop Boys – “T5”

#42 – The Hotelier – Goodness

You do not want to see the uncensored album artwork. Believe me. But perhaps the nudity pictured on the album’s cover intentionally reflects The Hotelier’s lyrics about revealing one’s emotions. Emo music often focuses on internal turmoil and depression. As the album’s title might imply, however, Goodness decides to shift focus toward the attitudes and experiences that help us separate from our darkest, innermost mind states. Tight instrumentation keeps the album urgent and captivating, while Christian Holden’s vocals implement a punk dimension. The Hotelier’s 2016 work might not be the stand-out album in the on-going oft-discussed “emo revival” movement, yet it maintains a level of goodness that should please fans of the genre.

Listen: The Hotelier – “Soft Animal”

#41 – Carly Rae Jepsen – E•MO•TION: Side B

Don’t judge a book by its cover, nor a pop artist by her most successful single. “Call Me Maybe” initially turned me off from someone who has become one of my favorite forces in pop music over the past couple of years. 2015’s Emotion caught me by surprise as a genuinely enjoyable alternative approach to 1980’s-pop-revivalism. This 2016 bag of leftovers, in my opinion, leaves an even greater impression in a shorter amount of time (this EP doesn’t even cross the 28-minute barrier). Specifically, the three-track stretch of “Body Language”, “Cry”, and “Store” fills listeners’ heads with earworm choruses. Interestingly, CRJ has garnered a devoted following in the indie community, despite her mainstream success…an almost cult-like following. Well, if Jepsen continues to churn out catchy pop melodies, Carly’s cult may be worth joining.

Listen: Carly Rae Jepsen – “Cry”

#40 – NxWorries – Yes Lawd!

Despite the success of 2016’s Malibu, Anderson .Paak did not rest on his laurels. Instead, he quickly teamed up with Knxwledge, a prolific producer of Bandcamp fame. Their cohesive R&B/hip-hop hybrid features slick production reminiscent of J Dilla and Madlib (perfect for a project released through Stones Throw Records). “Kutless”, “Get Bigger / Do U Luv”, “What More Can I Say”, and most of the other songs laced in this 19-track tapestry showcase Knxwledge’s ability to construct smoooooooth vibes. And as expected, Anderson .Paak displays his signature versatility and personality (despite having to tone down his style in order to match the production). Together, NxWorries only requires that the listener sit back and relax.

Listen: NxWorries – “Best One”

Podcast Review: NxWorries – Yes Lawd! (Album Review)

#39 – Deakin – Sleep Cycle

This year, Animal Collective toured as a trio, because their fourth primary member focused his 2016 on the release of his brief effort, Sleep Cycle. And although AnCo released a 2016 album of their own, long-time fans of the collective flocked more so toward Deakin’s work. Solely judging from the music contained on each album, one can understand why this was the case. Sleep Cycle, not Painting With, manufactures sounds reminiscent of Feels and Person Pitch. The half-dozen songs included on Sleep Cycle mix psychedelic pop, electronica, and experimental sounds. And, in agreement with a large portion of the indie community, the opener and closer on here (“Golden Chords” and “Good House”, respectively) are two of the best indie tracks released during this stacked year. Deakin’s latest work proves (once again) that Animal Collective solo projects are worth anticipating.

Listen: Deakin – “Just Am”

#38 – Santigold – 99¢

On a Top 50 list that (at this point) has consisted of several indie-pop records, Santigold’s new LP is certainly the most eclectic. Once again, Santigold solidifies her unique niche in the art-pop spectrum with an ambitious, colorful, lively mixture of tracks. Some songs pale in comparison to others, but at its most vibrant, 99¢ consists of some of the best pop tunes I have heard all year. For the second list-entry in a row, the opener (“Can’t Get Enough of Myself”) and the closer (“Who I Thought You Were”) shine the brightest. This pair in particular oozes confidence and boldness often exhibited by the record as a whole. Santigold’s artistry and originality never sacrifice arguably the most necessary aspects of a pop album, energy and fun.

Listen: Santigold – “Can’t Get Enough of Myself”

#37 – Kanye West – The Life of Pablo

Whether you loved The Life of Pablo or hated it, most of us can agree on one statement regarding Yeezy’s latest smorgasbord: it’s a mess. Kanye’s recent musical expression of his personality is, at the very least, intriguing. Reference intended, TLOP includes several “highlights” and “lowlights”. The most-discussed hip-hop album of 2016 simultaneously contains personal ballads (“Real Friends”), energetic bangers (“Fade”), underrated gems (“30 Hours”), and thoughts on bleached assholes. As someone who admittedly misses the old Kanye, I enjoy our future president’s new artistic directions, even if I don’t place TLOP on the same pedestal as Late Registration and My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. Regardless of personal stance, Kanye West released one of the most significant and most memorable records of the year.

Listen: Kanye West (feat. Rihanna & Swizz Beatz) – “Famous”

Podcast Review: Kanye West – The Life of Pablo (Album Review)

#36 – Roosevelt – Roosevelt

The 36th-best record of 2016 doesn’t reinvent any wheels, push any genre boundaries, or challenge the electronic-dance industry. Instead, Roosevelt’s self-titled simply establishes a sound, and does it well. With this LP, Roosevelt answers the prayers of those wishing for new night-time driving music. If the Drive soundtrack has worn on your ears, I would recommend this selection of casual retro-electro dance numbers to accompany your post-sunset commute. “Night Moves” and “Colours” challenged my ability to drive and dance at the same time, yet I managed. Although Roosevelt clearly draws from throwback influences, it doesn’t sound (entirely) derivative. It knows its identity and proudly shows itself to the public.

Listen: Roosevelt – “Wait Up”

#35 – clipping. – Splendor & Misery

This experimental hip-hop trio’s second full-length studio album should only be experienced in the following fashion: front-to-back in its entirety without skipping or shuffling. Splendor & Misery is as much a story as it is an album, with a narrative as strange as the associated noise. clipping.’s story (set in the future) follows Cargo 2331, a slave in outer space. Lead MC Daveed Diggs notably improved his storytelling talent, as he is able to weave this unconventional narrative (perhaps he honed this skill while starring in the Broadway musical Hamilton). Despite clipping.’s past, the instrumentation on Splendor & Misery centers less around harsh noise, but more so around a harmony of futuristic and classic textures. Individually, these songs do not make the strongest presences, but in context, they remind us why clipping. remains one of the more interesting hip-hop groups working today.

Listen: clipping. – “Air ‘Em Out”

#34 – Bon Iver – 22, A Million

Disclaimer: despite my notion that 22, A Million was the 34th-best record released in 2016, I believe that the common commendation of its “experimentation” was a tad overblown. To me, the left-field LP acted more as a familiar Bon Iver record with a significant amount of additional bells & whistles. We did not get Bon Iver’s Kid A or Age of Adz, rather, we received interesting explorations into folktronica, complete with Justin Vernon’s modified, yet stunning, vocals. A couple forgettable ingredients did not spoil the entire pot, as Vernon & Co. delivered some of their best material yet, including “8 (circle)”, “33 “GOD””, “22 (OVER S∞∞N)”, and “666ʇ” (yes, these are real track titles). The most polarizing indie record of 2016 contains as much gloss as it does substance, but 22, A Million remains an enjoyable listen nonetheless.

Listen: Bon Iver – “33 “GOD””

Podcast Review: Bon Iver – 22, A Million ~•@lbumm r€vi€w•~

#33 – Pinegrove – Cardinal

This oft-overlooked sampler of folk, emo, and alt-country wonderfully represented a niche genre I previously did not know I needed in my life. Cardinal sounds all too familiar, and yet, unlike anything I have heard before. The melodies strike with accessible, easy-going fervor, yet the moody lyrics discuss fear, complications, and realizations of life’s fleeting status. Pinegrove’s mini-LP is either pleasant or depressing, depending on the depth at which one listens. Now, does Cardinal boldly fly from its nest into the unknown? Not quite. But its brevity ensures a lack of filler, its lyrics promise potential for their songwriter (Evan Stephens Hall), and its quality justifies Pinegrove’s status as one of 2016’s “bands to keep an eye on”.

Listen: Pinegrove – “Visiting”

#32 – Noname – Telefone

The production on Noname’s debut mixtape exudes vibrance. Cleanliness, playfulness, and the joy synonymous with modern-day Chicago hip-hop find a home on Telefone. That said, if the bright colors on the mixtape’s cover symbolize these attributes, then the skull must imply some aspect of darkness. Well, in this instance, Noname shares insight on a variety of somber subjects with her spoken-word flow and calm cadence, including but not limited to, her grandmother’s death, police brutality, and abortion. We’re not granted a happy ending either. Telefone ends on a powerful note with “Shadow Man”, a closer on which Noname & guests discuss their own funerals. Fans of Noname waited several years for her debut, and if its placement at #32 is any indication, I certainly don’t want to wait as long for her next project.

Listen: Noname (feat. Saba, Smino, & Phoelix) – “Shadow Man”

#31 – Ka – Honor Killed the Samurai

In a musical year partially shaped by an impressive number of worthy hip-hop releases (many of which appear on this list, with several more to come), Ka demonstrated the best hip-hop pen game of 2016. This gritty, raspy rapper undeniably takes his craft seriously, from a lyrical standpoint. Every bar, every line, every word counts. The Brooklyn MC delivers his art with a nonchalant, quiet tone, but with a confident inflection, as he is well aware of his skill. Ka additionally puts lyricism in the forefront with the inclusion of sparse instrumentals that almost entirely lack drums (save for faint hi-hats). Most importantly, his complicated rhyme schemes aren’t wasted on simple or nonexistent topics. He avoids the “lyrical spiritual miracle” trap by sharing authentic perspectives that frequently fuse the code of the samurai with the code of the streets (“wild out here in the illicit fields, you either grippin’ steel or missin’ meals”). With this inaccessible effort, he waxes a conscious lyrical clinic that should enchant fans of MF DOOM, GZA, or Ka’s many other influences.

Listen: Ka – “Conflicted”