I’m known as a bit of a music geek. I listen and buy obsessively, but I’m not a natural critic. I readily admit that my biases can color my evaluations. It’s after to call me more of a fan, which is why I am framing this list as a collection of favorites, rather than as some kind of definitive list of the best.
I’m breaking these selections into four groupings — three stars, or the handful of records I thought towered over much of everything else; two stars, which were excellent, but not on the same level,; one star, or those I loved but were not on a par with the first two categories; and runners up. I limited my selections to those I’ve purchased, which means I’ve missed quite a lot of good music.
I didn’t include everything I liked — the Drive-By Truckers’ live album is great, but I decided to exclude live records, save one. I liked Jackson Browne’s new record, but more because I like him as a general rule and not because the record stood out in any particular way.
The list is heavier on folk and roots music than usual. There were not as many hip-hop or soul records that caught my ear as usual.
Here’s the list.
Three stars:
Tamar Aphek, All Bets are Off — A top-5 selection. The Israeli singer creates a mix of hard edges and atmosphere on her sophomore effort
Art d’Ecco, In Standard Definition — an album that feels connected to an earlier time (Roxy Music with Eno), but wholly new
Leon Bridges, Gold-Diggers Sound — I can’t put into words just how much I love this album. Bridges is a consummate soul singer, whether working in earlier styles as he did on previous records, or meshing jazz, soft R&B reminiscent of the early ‘80s, or engaging in a thoroughly modern feel. All of it is mixed together, so that the individual styles do not lead the effort and instead he creates something his and his alone. Album of the year.
Rhiannon Giddens, They’re Calling Me Home — roots music at its finest, with Giddens’ powerful soprano voice harkening back to an earlier moment in American music
Amythyst Kiah, Wary + Strange — In my top 5, easily. Near perfection.
Imelda May, 11 Past the Hour — May is a chameleon, able to take on different musical personas. Early on there was a rockabilly swing feel to her sound, but now she explores more atmospheric pop and rock. Each album proves to be a must hear.
Adia Victoria, A Southern Gothic — this album just takes my breath away on all levels. It just may be one of the the closest things to perfection we’ve been given this year
The Watters, Intuition — Straight-up soul, transported from another time and place
Yola, Stand for Myself — dance, soul, alternative with a disco feel
Two Stars:
Carsie Blanton, Love & Rage — it’s listed as pop, but it spreads its tentacles beyond those confines from the start. A charming record.
Robert Finley, Sharecropper’s Son — one of the best, if not the best, pure blues record released in years.
Iceage, Seek Shelter — big rock reminiscent of the better and harder new wave bands of the early 1980s, a very English driving rock sound.
Wanda Jackson, Encore — There is no one like the grand dame of rockabilly.
Chris Pierce, American Silence — the opening harmonica borrows from Dylan, and the record is just an old-fashioned protest folk record
Robert Plant & Alison Krauss, Raise the Roof — excellent follow to their earlier pairing. Plant, kind of the heavy rock vocal, finds a perfect sparring partner in the country chanteuse.
Son Volt, Electro Melodior — Jay Farrar’s voice fits the band’s music like old sneakers. I love this record.
Afton Wolfe, Kings for Sale — a great blues record that’s a bit more country and old-times feeling than most
Yard Act, Dark Days (EP) — Brits doing a talking indie thing better team most
One Star:
Blackberry Smoke, You Hear Georgia — This album is pretty much what you’d expect: Country flavor and Southern Rock guitars.
Erin Ivey, Solace in the Wind — a strong folk record buoyed by a rock arrangement and production
Jelly Cleaver, Forever Presence — intriguing album that mixes jazz with pop and closes with a masterful talking blues
John Hiatt & Jerry Douglas, Leftover Feelings
Durand Jones & the Indicators, Private Space — American soul of the old-school variety
Brianna Kocka, Let It Stay (EP) — soulful voice nestled in a country lilt. Can’t wait for her first full-length
Beth Lee, Waiting on You Tonight — a straight-up rocker
Los Lobos, Native Sons — fun record of covers pointing to the band’s roots.
Ida Mae, Click Click Domino
Naked Raygun, Over the Overlords — I hadn’t been clued into this band before this album and the only thing I can say is “How did I miss these guys?”
Suzy Quatro, The Devil in Me — this was a bit of a surprise. Quatro had some hits in Great Britain in the 1970s, made an appearance on Happy Days (as Leather Tusdcadero), but hasn’t been on my radar for decades. Then this appears, just as tough and hard as anything she’s done.
Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats, The Future — southern soul. Nothing fancy or groundbreaking, but a great record
Allison Russell, Outside Child — this is exquisite singer/songwriter pop
Sturgill Simpson, The Ballad of Dood & Juanita — Simpson goes deep into the old-school sound again for this one.
Sleater-Kinney, Path of Wellness — strong addition to the band’s late-career return
Southern Culture on the Skids, At Home with Southern Culture on the Skids — Just a good, country roots record, though not your Country Music Association fare.
Stellar, Rainbow Shades — the song “Enemy” carries this strong folk record, but is not the only song that demands attention.
Amy Winehouse, At the BBC — That voice. That voice.
Honorable Mention:
Scott Ballew, Talking to Mountains
Courtney Barnett, Things Take Time, Take Time
Billy Bragg, The Million Things That Never Happened
Common, A Beautiful Revolution, Pt. 2
Rodney Crowell, Triage
Dropkick Murphys, Turn Up That Dial
Steve Earle, J.T.
The Flatlanders, Treasure of Love
The Hold Steady, Open Door Policy
Travis Linville, I’m Still Here
Aimee Mann, Queens of the Summer Hotel
Tom Morello, The Atlas Underground Fire and The Atlas Underground Flood
Various, I’ll Be Your Mirror: A Tribute to The Velvet Underground
A final note: Bruce Springsteen guested on a couple of unexpected songs: “Wasted Days” with John Mellencamp, a long-awaited merging of two classic rockers with Americana roots.
The other is “Dustland” with the Killers. The Killers are a band that has mostly failed to live up its promise, with a strong early record that sent them up the charts and a mostly desultory catalogue since. This song, though, captures something the band has been striving to reach for a long time.