I Love You Honeybear – Father John Misty
Josh Tillman already had an extensive portfolio by the time he released I Love You, Honeybear in February 2015. For over a decade, the folk rocker has been writing and performing as J. Tillman, or working with bands like Fleet Foxes. Honeybear is his sophomore album as Father John Misty and the much-anticipated follow-up to his new stage persona’s 2012 debut, Fear Fun. With this new LP, Tillman manages to convey a whirlwind of emotion in just 45 minutes. He leaves his audience captivated by both his intensity and his humility. At times, he’s shouting in a fit of rage, and in others, he’s crooning softly about love lost or found. Some of the most brilliant moments on the album are captured in Tillman’s cynical perspective on contemporary life. On Bored In The USA, a high point of the album, his swooning lyrics about living chock-full of pharmaceuticals and crippled by debt are repeatedly punctuated by a laugh track, as if meant to remind us all not to take ourselves too seriously. Honeybear is a must-listen for any fans of folk or rock music. For his recent fans, I think it will go down as one of the greatest folk albums of the 2010s.
s/t – Viet Cong
Viet Cong consists of two former members of the band Women, bassist/singer Matt Flegel and drummer Mike Wallace, as well as guitarists Daniel Christiansen and Scott Munro. Following the death of Women guitarist Chris Reimer and the subsequent breakup of the band, Flegel and Wallace formed Viet Cong with Christiansen and Munro. In 2014, they released their debut EP, Cassette. In January 2015, these Canadian post-punk rockers released their 7-track self-titled LP. Standing at only 38 minutes, this album is a quick, but, unforgettable listen. Silhouettes, the sixth track on the record, was the first I’d heard of Viet Cong and at once, I was spellbound. It’s a track that is at once the fast-paced strumming of guitars while Flegel’s voice is almost drowned out as he pounds away on his bass until the tempo drops and the song slows with his groans over the rhythmic thumping of the drums. Then, the record transitions into Death, the 11-minute epic final track on the album. Steadily it builds to an abrupt end and the lyrics stop, leaving room for the crashing of guitars in sync with Wallace’s drums. Then, just as suddenly, they pick up the tempo again and they’re right back to it. Viet Cong has delivered both variety and intensity in almost every song on this record, instilling their eager listeners with anticipation of what they’ll do next. It will be under a name other than Viet Cong, however, according to a September 2015 statement from the band.
Sometimes I Sit And Think, And Sometimes I Just Sit – Courtney Barnett
In March 2015, Courtney Barnett captured American listeners’ attention in a big way. Her latest record, Sometimes I Sit And Think, And Sometimes I Just Sit is perhaps the strongest studio debut from an Australian artist since Tame Impala’s Innerspeaker in 2010. It delivers a new brand of sometimes dreamy, sometimes poppy rock music, punctuated by Barnett’s Aussie twang. It’s a sound radio DJs fell in love with. Hits like Pedestrian at Best and Depreston have since cemented Barnett’s indie street cred for being a great artist capable of delivering contemporary anthems for the dissociated youth of today. Whether she’s singing about the listlessness of suburban life or being sick of love, she leaves her audience begging for more. She starts off slowly enough on Small Poppies, but by the 7-minute track’s end you find yourself engrossed in the wailing of her guitar over light, steady drums. On Pedestrian at Best and Dead Fox, Barnett rhymes at a pace on par with most rappers, letting her guitar do the talking when she runs out of words. In all, Sometimes I Sit is just a fun album that brings a whole new energy to pop music and indie rock.
Carrie & Lowell – Sufjan Stevens
I think all of Sufjan’s fans had the same thought when he released Carrie & Lowell last year: It’s been too long. His first release in five years certainly caught me by surprise. Stevens is a celebrated folk singer/songwriter who has achieved widespread notoriety since his debut over a decade ago. His subject matter has always dabbled in the religious, to say the least. Stevens’ lyrics consistently paint a picture of a man grappling with his own faith, confronting his own demons through music. His newest record is no different. On Carrie & Lowell, Sufjan brings back an acoustic sound reminiscent of his earliest albums like 2003’s Greetings from Michigan or 2005’s Come On Feel the Illinoise. Stevens’ last record, 2010’s Age of Adz, was more experimental than his previous LPs because he used an electronic approach to the production process. So, in many ways, his newest record feels like a return to his roots. Even for those new to his music, one need only listen as far as the first track on Carrie & Lowell to be hooked. Death with Dignity is a strong attention grabber that leaves one captivated by its cheerful, yet melancholy, sound. It’s a sound that defines this record, and one that carries it through to its close. For his fans, Carrie & Lowell is a career-defining comeback for Sufjan Stevens.
Oblivion Access – Lil Ugly Mane
Lil Ugly Mane is one of the greatest rappers, if not among the most elusive, of the past decade. For the entirety of his career, fans have relied upon his Bandcamp page for new content. There, in 2011, he debuted with Playaz Circle. The next year he released Mista Thug Isolation, another tremendous album which cemented his place (at least online) as a serious rapper with a significant cult following. Since then, LUM released a few singles when he wasn’t producing his collaborators’ beats under the moniker Shawn Kemp. This Richmond, Virginia-based artist has always seemed well aware of his own career’s transience, however, and he’s said that his next album would be his last. He rarely appeared live, never toured, and refused every contract he was offered. For a long time, there was no sign of his much-anticipated and supposedly final album—until now. More than three years since his last album, LUM finally dropped Oblivion Access in December. Each track delivers some of the most quotable rhymes of his career. His voice, brooding and ominous, carries his lyrics over some of the darkest and most complex beats I’ve ever heard anyone try to rap over. His subject matter is compelling, ranging from the stuff of nightmares to the deeply introspective. Just as with his earlier albums, LUM’s talent as a producer is clear on this album. If it was possible to top the record that gen erated his fan base, he might have just done it. After such a long hiatus, Oblivion Access was everything I thought it could be and so much more—a must-hear record for any and all fans of hip-hop.
Tim Schobel