Favorite Albums of 2016
I couldn't put an EP of five songs above full albums, especially since it only had one original songs, "Square Hammer." Yet, those 5 songs received a lot of play and spins in my car. "Square Hammer" pushes the band in a new direction, maybe the most "pop"/commercial song they've done, which fits great alongside the covers chosen here including Eurythmics' "Missionary Man." I love how the band really transformed that song, turning it into a haunting blues song with a creepy harmonica and devilish back-up singers.
Highlighted song: "Missionary Man"
9. Cheap Trick Bang, Zoom, Crazy...Hello
While this isn't the first Cheap Trick CD purchase I've made, it is the first album they've released since I can call myself a fan. Most of these classic rock bands that are still releasing albums some 30 or 40-odd years later have unfortunately lost some of the magic, although Cheap Trick proves they still have gas in their tank and a catchy song up their sleeve.
Highlighted song: "The Sun Never Sets"
8. Thomas Absolution
I purchased this at Tommy's CD release party early in 2016 and enjoyed it well enough. It's a real labor of love of Central Illinois' local talent, featuring not just members of Thomas, but also The Great Affairs. However, I feel the songs truly shine when performed live.
Highlighted song: "This Is Low"
7. Megadeth Dystopia
Honestly, I wasn't much into this album when it was released. I liked 2 or 3 songs, then mostly forgot about it for the better part of the year. It wasn't until I saw the band live, where they performed around 2/3's of the album, that I started to appreciation. Megadeth seem to have time-traveled back to 1992, as the Dystopia songs stack up well alongside their material from Rust In Peace and Countdown to Extinction.
Highlighted song: "Poisonous Shadows"
6. Butch Walker Stay Gold
Butch's 2015 album was more of a somber affair, much more like his collaborative partner Ryan Adams' style. Stay Gold is more like the Butch Walker that hooked me with The Spade- he's rocking and having a good time.
Highlighted song: "Stay Gold"
5. Metallica Hardwired...To Self-Destruct
I said Metallica didn't have "it". I hated the singles released prior to the album- "Moth Into Flame" and "Hardwired." Perhaps I lost touch with that teenager who worshipped all things Metallica, or on the other side of the coin, maybe Metallica took too long of an absence between albums. That belief was shattered because Metallica has always been a band who does things their way and this album is a return to form- melting faces.
Highlighted song: "Halo On Fire"
4. Alter Bridge The Last Hero
I was a little underwhelmed with this album, maybe because I really enjoyed the previous albums, so expectations were impossibly lofty. Although 2013's Fortress took some time to win me over, too. I even heard the full album several months in advance, so you'd think I'd be a little more pumped!
Highlighted song: "Losing Patience"
3. Jimmy Eat World Integrity Blues
Stating that I was underwhelmed with Alter Bridge's album and it ranked high on this list, is also the same sentiment felt towards the new Jimmy Eat World. I liked them but maybe I just placed too much excitement and expectations on the new material from these bands. JEW seemed a little more "experimental" this time around, compared to 2013's straight-forward album Damage, so maybe that played a part as well.
Highlighted song: "It Matters"
2. Muddy Magnolias Broken People
I saw this amazing, soulful duo back in February in St. Louis as an opening act for Gary Clark, Jr. and searched everywhere for their music. At the time, only iTunes had one single available, with the full album finally seeing a release in the Fall. Two young ladies sing together, often in harmony or trading off lead vocals, and their backing band plays a mixture of blues, rock, even country. This band NEEDS to be huge.
Highlighted song: "Devil's Teeth"
1. Denny Smith An Overnight Low
It's even grandma-approved! This album and Muddy Magnolias battled back and forth over my favorite album of the year, with both being two that stood out the most, as not much really hooked me me this year. In fact, this is the first time in 10 years that Dream Theater's new release wasn't my favorite of the year. Denny picked up the slack from everyone else and released an excellent album, covering several styles across its 12 tracks.
Highlighted song: "Missing You"
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