Top 12:1:
David Maxim Micic -
Bilo IV - prog metal/djent/ambient/fusion
The long-awaited follow-up in his series of eclectic albums, it's worth the wait. There is nothing else like it, with brilliant playing and tasteful orchestral flourishes.
Highlight - "Cry"
2:
Kate Havnevik -
Lightship - electronic art pop
Something of a mixture of Bjork and Imogen Heap, somehow she never attained nearly the popularity, yet the quality is at the same level, with experimental, yet very melodic pieces.
Highlight - "Space Ark"
3:
Red Handed Denial -
I'd Rather Be Asleep - progressive metalcore/post-hardcore/djent
They seem to get better with every album, it's tricky to pick a track, there are so many. Imagine if Periphery was less noodly, more focused, and had better vocals.
Highlight - "Father Said"
4:
Carpenter Brut -
Leather Terror - darksynth
My favorite album of his so far, it hits all the right notes of modernized aggressive 80s nostalgia. Not as representative of the album, but "Stabat Mater" with Sylvaine guesting is probably my favorite track, very spacious and melancholy.
Highlight - "Paradisi Gloria"
5:
Sylvaine -
Nova - blackgaze/ethereal wave
After guesting with them, she's doing Alcest better than Alcest now.
Highlight - "Mono No Aware"
6:
Giant Walker -
All in Good Time - prog/alt rock/metal
Everything they do is really enjoyable, but hard to describe. It's nothing particularly experimental or groundbreaking, yet they don't really sound like anyone else, which is a goal not enough bands achieve on their debuts, but they have.
Highlight - "Coda"
7:
Morphide -
Anhedonia - alternative metal/djent
Really atmospheric and engaging, I'm liking this newer wave of bands like them and Spiritbox who take after early TesseracT. "Panopticon" also received heavy play this year.
Highlight - "Catharsis"
8:
Emily Jane White -
Alluvion - ethereal wave/singer-songwriter/folk
Her best album yet, her style has become rather hard to classify, but it's very rich and poignant.
Highlight - "Battle Call"
9:
AEries -
Arcanum - prog/alt metal
Really lush songcraft with modern influences that proves this style is still viable.
Highlight - "U763"
10:
Darkher -
The Buried Storm - ethereal wave/doom folk
This whole area of folk that blends influences from ethereal wave, doom metal, post-rock/metal and such has been one of my favorites in the last few years, and Jayne is one of the premier practitioners of it.
Highlight - "Where the Devil Waits"
11:
Zola Jesus -
Arkhon - art pop/darkwave
When I want gloomy but poppy electronics, she's one of the best at it.
Highlight - "Undertow"
12:
Yaatri -
Lucid - jazz/fusion/Hindustani classical
An exquisite tapestry of sounds, there are endless layers of deep textures to unpack for many listens.
Highlight - "Vipassana"
Honorable Mentions:40 Watt Sun -
Perfect Light*A.A. Williams -
As the Moon RestsAlter Bridge -
Pawns & KingsAnimals As Leaders -
ParrhesiaAtrium Carceri & Kammarheit -
Colossus*Autumn's Grey Solace -
Therium*Avishai Cohen -
Shifting SandsBjork -
Fossora*Celldweller -
SatellitesCharlotte Wessels -
Tales From Six Feet Under Vol. II*Dreadnought -
The EndlessEnvy of None - s/t
Ethel Cain -
Preacher's DaughterFirst Aid Kit -
PalominoHalestorm -
Back From the DeadHatchie -
Giving the World Awayi_o/Lights -
Warehouse SummerIthaca -
They Fear Us*Kaipa -
UrskogKing's X -
Three Sides of OneKnight Area -
D-Day II: The Final ChapterLights -
PEPLisa Batiashvili -
Secret Love LettersMecha Maiko -
NOT OKMindwarden -
TimelessMinuit Machine -
24Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway -
Crooked TreeMoriah Woods -
HumanProjected -
HypoxiaPunch Brothers -
Hell On Church Street*Pure Reason Revolution -
Above CirrusRolo Tomassi -
Where Myth Becomes MemorySetyoursails -
NightfallShaam Larein -
Sticka en kniv i varldenSharon Van Etten -
We've Been Going About This All WrongSZA -
SOS*Tears For Fears -
The Tipping Point*Tedeschi Trucks Band -
I Am the Moon: I. CrescentThe Birthday Massacre -
FascinationThe Hellacopters -
Eyes of OblivionThe Interrupters -
In the WildTigran Hamasyan -
StandArt*triosence -
Giulia*YAYA Kim - a.k.a.
YAYAZguba -
Znoj*Close to top 12
And some EPs:
Spiritbox -
RotoscopeShedfromthebody -
Destruction/Breathing/HealingSara Gazarek -
VanityVila -
Liminal SpaceGoGo Penguin -
Between Two WavesMarissa Nadler -
The Wrath of the Cloudsmilosh111 wrote:
03. Emily Jane White - Alluvion
07. Darkher - The Buried Storm
Beach House are on another level if we're talking about dream pop, like Cocteau Twins were back in the day...Emily Jane White for one of the best female singer/songwriter at the moment...
Mega props for those two. Chelsea Wolfe is basically the centerpiece of probably my favorite musical scene of recent years, and with her not releasing a proper album this year, EJW and Darkher are great substitutes to hit on some of that feel. Beach House and some loosely similar music (Hatchie, Weyes Blood, sometimes Lana Del Rey) have its moments, but something about them that I can't quite put my finger on prevents them from being as high up on my lists. Some of the other albums on your list sound interesting as well.
Incantation wrote:
Carpenter Brut - Leather Terror
It might end up on my top 10 this year (obviously not the one I'll be submitting here though). It's just so unreasonably good. I flew up to MD to see them as well and that concert was just mind blowing.
Yeah, the synthwave/darksynth scene over the past decade or so has been another of my favorites, and while I didn't listen to nearly as much of it last year as the previous few, this one was just too good to not spend a fair amount of time with.