Purple Sneakers Top Albums of 2015
It's that time of year again.. We present to you the top albums of 2015, as voted by the Purple Sneakers crew!
Another year has come and gone; its speed inducing classic gasps of, "this year has gone so fast," as well as future prospects of a different personal experience for the forthcoming fresh 365 day batch.
Drawing to the end of anything validates conclusion, no matter what category you may be reflecting on. Being a music blog, we're obviously going to look at what the creatives of this industry have to show for the year. In the form of a vote, the Purple Sneakers team threw together a list of favourite LP and EP releases; based on the impact they may have had on the journey that was 2015.
So without further ado, the Purple Sneakers top records of 2015 are...
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30. Wavves V
29. D'Angelo The Black Messiah
28. Braids Deep In The Iris
27. Oisima Nicaragua Nights
26. Unknown Mortal Orchestra Multi-Love
25. Toro Y Moi What For?
24. HEALTH Death Magic
23. Sufjan Stevens Carrie & Lowell
22. Django Django Born Under Saturn
21. Tiny Little Houses You Tore Out My Heart EP
20. Thundercat The Beyond / Where The Giants Roam
19. Ratatat Magnifique
18. Floating Points Elaenia
17. Gold Class It's You
16. Oneohtrix Point Never Garden Of Delete
15. Vince Staples Summertime '06
14. Shlohmo Dark Red
13. Panda Bear Panda Meets The Grim Reaper
12. LA Priest Inji
11. Father John Misty I Love You, Honeybear
10. Szymon Tigersapp
9. Grimes Art Angels
8. Hermitude Dark Night, Sweet Light
7. Julio Bashmore Knockin Boots
6. Beach House Depression Cherry
5. Empress Of Me
There's been a number of tasteful pop releases this year, though the debut, full-length from, Empress Of is by far one of the best. The solo project of singer-songwriter, Lorely Rodriguez, Me is not only this large climax of heavily studied electronica, it lyrically strips Rodriguez bare of any sort of emotional barrier. The themes are so human, that both our vulnerability and reluctancy awake from the experiences everyone shares, yet feel so alone in.
Impressively written, performed, produced, recorded and engineered all by Rodriguez, Empress Of's, Me is a killer album, available now on Terrible Records.
4. Kendrick Lamar To Pimp A Butterfly
The most explicit record of 2015 is arguably Kendrick Lamar's, To Pimp A Butterfly, but hey, the blacker the berry, the sweeter the juice, right? On a serious note, this album is burning with an agonising plea. Calling out oppression, inequality and a need for change, To Pimp A Butterfly is a protest crowded with complexes and ideas; not to mention a bunch of collaborations, a bout of poetry and a beautiful, jazz backdrop. Pick at it, analyse it, interpret what you will, Kendrick Lamar's, To Pimp A Butterfly is an institution not to be forgotten anytime soon.
3. Homeshake Midnight Snack
Sculpting a record takes a lot of patience. Potential twists and turns to endure, you've got to be prepared for anything. Once you're on the right path, magic can happen, much like the product of, Homeshake's most recent body of work, Midnight Snack. Ridiculously sultry, Peter Sagar blends jazz, soul and r'n'b elements with vocal modifications, synths, keys and thick basslines under a lo-fi varnish; enabling an aesthetically peculiar delight. Whether you find this record suited to a steamy moment with your significant other, or better soundtracked to a vintage foreign porno, Homeshake's, Midnight Snack is one that feeds off connection and intimacy.
2. Jamie xx In Colour
Despite his remix record with Gil Scott-Heron, we'd been waiting a really long time for Jamie xx's debut full-length. Well worth the wait, In Colour is as diverse and rich as its artwork suggests. On one end, we can hear dance and subtle progressive house, whilst on the flip there's UK grime and garage influence.
Crafted over a five year period, the refined work features an array of co-writers and collaborators that helped build the journey that is this ethereal rainbow. Offering the listener to host their own viewpoint of what this record means, the one commonality is its accessibility. Hysteric yet ambient, practising clarity and white noise within its production, Jamie xx's, In Colour is an absolute masterpiece.
1. Tame Impala Currents
I feel as though this year has pushed out a vast amount of good albums, though only a select few really stand out as fantastic. What seems to be a common trait of many a music consumer is the opinion that Tame Impala's, Currents is bloody brilliant. They’re one EP and three albums into their career, and yet each new release feels like an exciting debut from a prodigal newcomer. Kevin Parker’s songwriting abilities never cease to amaze his respected audience, as evident by the hysteria surrounding the new record, Currents.
Having written, produced, recorded and mixed everything on his own within the walls of his private Fremantle studio, Parker has introduced us to a new angle of Tame Impala. Thematically portraying self-reflection and transformation, it’s so incredible to have that concept married up with the instrumentation; for it’s the first Tame Impala release to shift into a synth-heavy portal. A genre-bending entity, this cosmic scope is so very deserving of the top spot for 2015s best albums.
Words by Hannah Galvin.
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