The Best of 2015: Albums Through March 31st, 2015
Leo Bud Welch
Questions – David Bronson – Already a strong contender for the album of the year, this is soft rock meets prog rock meets sweet soul and questions raised and answered over and over again. Back up harmonies an added plus and a great guitarist (and carlos Alomar) doesn’t hurt.
Rebel Heart – Madonna – The 25 song deluxe version deserves the length and breath it takes to emerge as a true self portrait.
Vulnicara – Bjork – Her most accessible work in years renders a torn asunder romance as steady strings beatified and then distressed.
Shadows of the Night – Bob Dylan – His sublime take on the great American songbook reinterprets classics and lesser known song as songs of deeply rooted humanity
To Pimp A Butterfly – Kendrick Lamar – Both major and minor at the same time, he is a toweringly ambitious look at Black life in the States which could have done with more better songs
I Don’t Prefer No Blues – Leo “Bud” Welch – hard electric guitar blues by an unknown master who just celebrated his 83rd birthday and 50th year in Church and here sounds like maybe you should be locking up your daughters. Man, is this guys mojo workin’.
Down To Believing – Allison Moorer – Five years in the life and she is shaken not stirred and ready to explain it all. “Ain’t ever gonna be like it used to be…” she warns. No, it is better.
Tetsuo And Youth – Lupe Fiasco – His best album is also his most easy going, the seasons pass and the songs, beautiful, r&b and chilled hip hop songs accrue, in mutual degrees. “Blur My Hands” is better than any r&b you’ve heard this year and it isn’t even the best
If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late – Drake – Remix tape? I prefer it to his last album, though it has no “Hold On, We’re Going Home” or the single that won him a punk from Diddy and a Grammy. Any album with songs as good as “Legend” and “Jungle” needs no caveats at all.
Tomorrow Is My Turn – Rhiannon Giddens – Sublime blues and gospel album that has made a believer out of me.
Short Movie – Laura Marling – I am gonna stop beating her up for this not being Once I Was An Eagle, and accept it for a set of fine singer-songwriter tracks.
Duets: Re-Working The Catalogue – Van Morrison – Some of this is better than the originals and even if it wasn’t… Womack? Taj Mahal? Chris Farlowe…???
Artistic Visions – Shinobi Ninja – Improvised live in the studio, produced and mastered over weeks, and as great as hard rock can get. Maniac Dave’s guitar steals whole chunks.
Expect Delays – Evans The Death – The indie rock album of the year with a death wish which will have you whistling all the way to the grave.
The White Man Made Me Do It – Swamp Dogg – This is as good as I’m Not Selling Out – I’m Buying In… from 1981 and just as funny (and as sad and angry). We call that consistency of vision.
Absent Fathers – Justin Townes Earle – Masterful but we assume that, no bad songs, but we assume that as well.
Worthy – Bettye Lavette – She covers other people’s material like Dylan sometimes covers his own; she rearranges them to an inch of their lives and then she sings the hell out of them.
No Cities To Love – Sleater Kinney – Quirked out angular post-rock, post-riot grrrl, post childhood anthems sung as one.
I Don’t Like Shit, I Don’t go – Earl Sweatshirt – This grows with every damn listen. “Mantra” took maybe five spins, but it got there in the end.
Brava – Bradinski – Where dance and hip hop bear down on each other by a French DJ.
The Firewatcher’s Daughter – Brandi Carlile – Story songs recorded fast, performed live on tape
Natalie Prass – Natalie Prass – her voice is gorgeous but for back up so she lives and dies by her arrangements and songs … and those are great.
Zero – The Rezillos – They’ve lost a little in stickiness a coupla decades later, and no Jo Callis which sucks, but the power is still there
Hold Fast – Letts – best singer songwriter album of the year so far, always smarts, always pretty, never boring, nice production by Marcus Mumford and a lot of songs that will get under your skin, especially “Charles De Gaulle”. a very pleasant surprise
R.N.I.C. – Lil Snupe – The late great rapper who coulda been mainstream but kept it way too real. The kid had flow to spare.
Title – Meghan Trainor – Her third album is even better than her second which is better than her first. She could well be a 21st century Bette Midler
Guitars And Microphones – Kate Pierson – First rate new wave for the 21st century from the act we’ve known for all these years and who does herself proud.
La Vendetta… – Adolescents – Old school punk rock and maybe a little more, from a band who can still do it.
All Hands – Doomtree – This Twin Cities collective makes rap for grown ups with five rappers, two of whom are big time and all of whom are good.
Forever Charlie – Charlie Wilson – Pure hearted, full voiced soul music.
B4.DA.$$ – Joey Bada$$ – Debut album by the Pro Active co-boss, its lyrical smart but bland but musically he goes from jazz to hip hop to r&b and back and the beat are triumphant.
Meets the Grim Reaper – Panda Bear – easily his most accessible work to date except when it isn’t; “Crossword” should rule the alt charts.
Underwater – Matt Whipkey -songs for and about people sketched in and then colored in with sounds.
Don’t Lose This – Pop Staples – The late great’s daughter Mavis gets Jeff Tweedy’s help in finishing this terrific blues album.
Future Brown – Future Brown – Experimental collective bring the pop to DJs and rap.
Sometimes I Sit And Sing, Sometimes I Just Sing – Courtney Barnett – I swing from irritation to admiration, and back.
Weeklings – The Weeklings – Power pop from a top notch Beatles cover band. Kudos to “It Means A Lot”.
Nights In The Dark – California X – Classic rock goes punk on a terrific sophomore effort. The guitars are the best sound in the world right now.
American Beauty/American Psycho – Fall Out Boy – Their best album ever, which means two masterpieces, and a coupla killer tracks. Look, I loathed em when I saw em last year so I couldn’t be more surprised myself.
The Pale Emperor – Marilyn Manson – Sure, it isn’t the shock of the new “Beautiful People” was, why would it be? It is still excellent goth rock unlike any one else at all
Live From Crush Palace – Karen O – So good in its Lo-Fi dreaminess, it may well take you back to the solo album it is culled from and which it improves upon
Mr. Wonderful – Action Bronson – Now I get it, there is a Long Island connect between Bronson and Joel…
Mixtape Of The Open Road – Martin Sexton – The world needs grown up, as Gary Trudeau once noted, so here is a grown up rock and roll album for you. I know that because one song is for his daughter like he is Paul Simon or something.
Rich Coast – Kids – excellent and deeply felt indie pop
The Killer Instinct – Black Star Riders – Second rate Thin Lizzy is vastly superior to no TL at all
