15. Deerhunter: Why Hasn’t Everything Already Disappeared? {Review}
Reliable indie rock from stalwarts of the scene.
14. Andrew Bird: My Finest Work Yet
The whistle man whistles some more above some whimsical folk and his typical looping instrumentals on his most accessible work yet.
13. Lee Fields & The Expressions: It Rains Love
The man, the myth, the legend returns yet again to remind all the kids out there who the real fuckin’ boss is.
12. Shana Cleveland: Face of the Sun
Known as the lead singer of Latinx band La Luz, Shana Cleveland breaks out on her own and quickly establishes herself as the voice of a desert, of a Latinx experience, of a hazy California sunset.
11. Nick Waterhouse: Nick Waterhouse
The man known for getting back to basics gets, well, back to basics on this riotous ’50s rock-tinged album.
10. Pond: Tasmania {Review}
The psychedelic boys trade their LSD licks for more melodic kicks on this fun indie rock pop album produced by Tame Impala’s Kevin Parker.
9. Solange: When I Get Home {Review}
Solange brings the avant-garde experimental R&B soul inspired by the ambience of her hometown Houston.
8. Jenny Lewis: On the Line
The revered lead singer of in-the-past band Rilo Kiley doesn’t give two hoots about your heartbreak. She’s more focused on the justice and whoop ass she’s going to serve on this delicately strong album.
7. Toro y Moi: Outer Peace {Review}
One of the fathers of chillwave returns to form on this groovy jammin indie funk LP.
6. Local Natives: Violet Street {Review}
The quintet from Orange County continues to push the levels of their artistry in this lush, orchestral indie pop opus that provides the soundtrack for their VSCO-filtered album cover.
5. Bruce Springsteen: Western Stars
The Boss returns sans E Street Band to write and score the soundtrack for the Best Western Film Never Made. Truly a masterpiece so late in a career.
4. James Blake: Assume Form {Review}
Typically known for his sad boi grooves, Assume Form is an excellent evolution for him personally and musically as he embraces optimism in his love life.
3. Vampire Weekend: Father of the Bride {Review}
After Rostam left the band, many feared that Vampire Weekend was over, and that Ezra Koenig had only the idiosyncrasies left in him. He proves them stunningly wrong on this genre-jumping kaleidoscope of a summer album.
2. Anderson. Paak: Ventura
A true successor to his breakout hit Malibu, .Paak revisits and expands upon the soulful R&B jams with swagger that made him famous (and leaves Oxnard‘s hip-hop pivot in the dust).
1. Tyler the Creator: IGOR {Review}
On this image-defying album, Tyler the Creator redefines what it means to be a hip-hop artist, and hell, even just an artist, as he takes on a jamming odyssey through heartbreak, manipulation, sexuality and obsession.
Kadrian is a Los Angeles native and music obsessive who loves discovering new sounds. During the day, Kadrian is the Director of Advertising & Media at a prominent TV network. By night, though, he’s adding new vinyl to his ever-growing collection and making playlists that tell stories on his Instagram page @playlistdisco. Feel free to DM him if you want argue over the best era of Weezer.