Civil Twilight caused quite a stir with the release of their LP Story of an Immigrant this year. But that wasn’t the only great record to come out in 2015. Below, the band shares their picks for the top 5 records of the year.
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1. Play It On My Radio – Niki & The Dove
This is just a new single from Niki & The Dove, not a full length record, but it’s just too good not to mention on this list of favorites. Niki & The Dove have been on our radar for a while, but this positive late-80’s Phil Collins/Cindy Lauper/Fleetwood Mac vibe is soft in all the right places, a feel-good 4 minutes and 33 seconds to curl the corners of your mouth up the same way Hall & Oates’ early releases do.
2. What I Kept In Hiding – Foreign Fields
Loving the new one from Foreign Fields v v much. We had the pleasure of touring with these guys a few years ago and we’ve been fans since. Their newest release is 6 songs; 29 minutes of melancholy beauty. Deeply layered, interesting sounds and textures, refined songwriting and alluring falsetto. It’s a great headphone listen. Listen first to “Little Lover.”
3. b’lieve i’m goin down – Kurt Vile
First heard “Pretty Pimpin” and proceeded to dig into the rest of the songs on this jangly, stream-of-conscious release. This is a guitar-forward, American record. Kurt’s phrasing is a bit like Dylan and Petty, and has seemed to leave behind, if only temporarily, some of the drone-y psychedelia of his past albums. Solid songs and arrangements.
4. Star Wars – Wilco
This is a fun, practice space, garagey, exploratory album. Wilco released this one for free as a surprise to fans this July, along with a list of their favorite records that they recommend people go out and buy. Love their attitude, generosity, and overall approach to the industry of music. Also: Nels Cline is the king.
5. Vulnicura – Björk
Everything Björk does is going to be interesting at the least; most likely you’ll hear sounds you’ve never imagined, song structures that take uncommon turns, and virtuosic, passionate vocal performance. This record is a departure from the densely layered, fast and wild music of her past few releases. It’s a sparse and melancholy story of her divorce with husband Matthew Barney. Not exactly the record to listen to on a city drive or a run, but put in your earbuds on a winter walk or looking through a rainy window and Vulnicura will break your heart.