Favorite Albums of 2015

So many great albums were released this year. Making it even harder to narrow it down is the fact that I've even lost count of how many I bought this year. It feels like the list is double that of last year's, between those that I bought at Co-Op, Shandi's, and on iTunes. Among those left off the list would be Scorpions, Iron Maiden, Danko Jones, Muse, and Butch Walker....so without furthering this introduction, here's what made the cut.

Honorable Mention- Ryan Adams 1989
It's not exactly "fair" to put this above everything else when this is a cover album of Taylor Swift's album, although it's more of a reworking than a straight cover. This is definitely the album I played the most this calender year, even though it was only released this fall. I feel like Ryan improved on Taylor's originals, since the stripped down approach really shows off the excellent melodies and lyrics. "Wildest Dreams" and "I Know Places" are prime examples, and "Shake It Off" is reminiscent of Bruce Springsteen.

10. Blackberry Smoke Holding All The Roses
This was a band I didn't expect to like. I noticed a magazine in the bathroom at the stations had an article about this band's latest album, which was produced by Brendan O'Brien. His name was attached to albums from Stone Temple Pilots, among other bands, so I thought I'd give it a shot. If it hadn't been for expanding my musical horizons to artists like Jason Isbell, along with the albums I'd heard from the Eagles and ZZ Top, I might not enjoy it. Blackberry Smoke sounds like a modern spin on Southern rock and it's pretty darn good.

9. Mike Dunn Hard Luck Soft Rock
Although I'm a Facebook friend with this guy and his updates are hilarious more often than not, I think his album was lost in the shuffle. I gave it a listen in May and liked it, but didn't return to it until it was time to compile this list. Mike toured with the Damnwells and it's a good fit because his musical is in a similar vein, as the title suggests. The opening track, "Faith Healer", is a definite highlight and reminiscent of Bruce Springsteen.


8. Marilyn Manson The Pale Emperor
I'll admit I liked Marilyn Manson back in my high school days, probably because it was the "cool" thing to do. Songs like "Rock is Dead" were pretty good rock songs, I liked a lot on Mechanical Animals because it sounded different, at a time before I fully understood"glam rock." Although that album has held up well over the years, I quickly tired of the rest. He felt more like a gimmick to me than a musician. Even moreso when I saw him live in 2012 and he seemed more focused on changing clothes than the actual music. Something must've happened recently though, since I gave this album a chance and realized the guy is clearly focused on the music again. He enlisted Tyler Bates, famous for plenty of movie scores, and they crafted the music which makes up The Pale Emperor. "Devil Beneath My Feet" sounds like that 70's glam sound; "Third Day Of A Seven Day Binge" is reminiscent of those Johnny Cash American Recordings.

7. Jim Adkins I Will Go EP
The odds of this 6-song EP being good are pretty high compared to an album with 12 songs, so I feel a bit odd ranking it against full albums. Yet I've probably listened to it more than anything else this year, so it deserves some type of recognition.


6. Steven Wilson Hand Cannot Erase
I was and still am a big fan of Steven Wilson's band, Porcupine Tree, though his solo albums don't quite thrill me as much. It seems to be more "avante-garde rock", featuring flutes and other horns, mixed with violins. This is much more in the style of Porcupine Tree; actually more like a merger of his solo works and his previous band, which really hits the spot. Every solo album still has a pop/ballad on it, which the title track fills that role this time around. The album's opener is another highlight, "First Regret/3 Years Older."


5. The Winery Dogs Hot Streak
That first Winery Dogs album, just wow. The music and lyrics were amazing and I connected with several of the songs, so perhaps it made for impossible odds that this follow-up couldn't overcome. That's not say Hot Streak is a bad album. The band may have set the bar too high or I just could've set it too high for them. "Captain Love" and "Ghost Town" jumped out at me right away, while it took a few spins for the back half to win me over.


4. Black Star Riders The Killer Instinct
Same scenario as the Dogs album. While I knew Thin Lizzy had transformed into the Black Star Riders, I didn't actually pick up the album until I saw Damon Johnson perform a solo show about a year ago. That album, All Hell Breaks Loose, hooked me instantly- not a single track was skippable. I may not be a full-fledged Thin Lizzy fan but I am a fan of that album, so I was anticipating this new release. The Killer Instinct rocked from the moment I pushed play, but then it seemed like it lost steam after a few tracks. Now I feel like the back half hits a bit harder and the first half isn't as good. Maybe in 6 months I'll flip-flop again.

3. Jason Isbell Something More Than Free
Several of my friends were hooked on the previous album, Southeastern. I thought it was solid but I wasn't totally sold on it's hype. I saw Isbell twice on that tour and both were great shows, so I was looking forward to this album. I didn't expect to like it as much as I did; now this one matches that hype of the previous album. The first song made me think he was going completely country, so I feared for the rest of the album, but I was wrong. "24 Frames" is great, same with "Children of Children", along with "Palmetto Rose" among the highlights.

2. Ghost Meliora
I was introduced to Ghost in May 2013 while on a roadtrip to a concert and the song I heard "Year Zero" completely overshadowed the bands I was about to see live. I even heard it over the PA as part of the music between the bands. I rushed out to buy that album a few days later, then downloaded their first from iTunes. I quickly grew tired though, as they seemed more like a novelty act, like Steel Panther. I was apprehensive for this third album, but I can admit when I'm wrong. Meliora shows the band's sound evolving even further. "Majesty" is closer to Kansas than heavy metal, while "He Is" is an oustanding ballad. These guys are destined for great things.

1. The Damnwells Self-titled
Another band and album that I was turned on to by friends. I was hooked not even 10 seconds into the first song, then the album just kept getting better and better. It sounds like a blending of a few of my favorite bands, The Great Affairs and Jimmy Eat World, with a perfect mix of pop hooks and sad lyrics.