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10. Cloud Nothings – Life Without Sound
Internal World
Darkened Rings
Few bands have satisfied my edgier-rock interest over the past few years like Cleveland’s Cloud Nothings. New album Life Without Sound is clearly more polished than previous offerings, but they have always existed somewhere between the lines of hard rock, post-punk, and off-kilter indie rock. “Things Are Right With You” and “Internal World” both contain accessible vocals from front man Dylan Baldi in addition to brisk guitars, pulverizing drums, and expertly crafted breakdowns. Easily the most pop-oriented track of their catalog, “Modern Act” is a solid achievement in songwriting. The thrashing assault of “Darkened Rings” and “Realize My Fate” reveals that Baldi isn’t done with the throaty vocal rage of earlier albums. “Sight Unseen” strikes a balance well with tempo changes and some killer vocals… much like the consistent quality throughout this exhilarating album!
9. Hiss Golden Messenger – Hallelujah Anyhow
I Am The Song
John The Gun
M.C. Taylor told me post-show last October – he was just hanging around the bar after his show – “It’s just Mike… guess it sounded cooler when I was younger.” Earlier that evening from the stage he said “I appreciate all the applause, I would just be doing this anyways. You know….if you write 1 song a month, you should have an album every year…it’s not that hard.” Well, for him it is clearly not. 2016’s Heart Like A Levee was one of my favorite albums last year [#1 actually], and Hallelujah Anyhow has that same warm, soulful vibe that keeps me spinning the tunes. The album bounces and swings with animated folk like “Lost Out in the Darkness” and “I Am the Song” and expressive country blues like “Gulfport You’ve Been on My Mind”. “John the Gun” begins as a sparse picker and adds flavors and instruments, becoming an unknown idiosyncratic genre. “Domino (Time Will Tell)” rolls with a gospel-inflected chorus and wonderful slide guitar. The album excels as the type of rumbling, melodic folk rock I dig immensely. It feels timeless and effortless – but I guess Mike would say “it’s not that hard”.
8. Gov’t Mule – Revolution Come…Revolution Go
Stone Cold Rage
The Man I Want To Be
Warren Haynes fills the void again! At least for me, guitar heroes and big muscular Blues Rock that I really enjoy has been hard to come by. Warren Haynes is the man and not only is his playing outstanding here, but he seems to have found his voice even more so as of late – evident on 2015’s solo effort, Ashes & Dust. Here with co-founder and drummer Mat Abts – and joined by keyboardist/guitarist Danny Louis and bassist Jorgen Carlsson – Gov’t Mule rages on Revolution Come…Revolution Go, their newest progressive, jam-band rock album. Fittingly, not every track is as imposing as “Stone Cold Rage” and “Drawn That Way”, both with meaty riffs and wah pedal virtuosity madness. “The Man I Want To Be” is a beautiful song and “Thorns of Life” utilizes effects and percussion as it slowly builds and crescendos repeatedly. Through jazzy-funk numbers, “Sarah, Surrender”, and the epic multifaceted title track, Gov’t Mule once again displays that real instrument playing – and ruling at it – is not gone. Even on a studio album, their improv spirit is alive, and it’s an extremely solid release!
7. Kevin Morby – City Music
City Music
Tin Can
Kevin Morby creates music that feels familiar while delivering something entirely unique. The Velvet Underground is an obvious influence, and his merging of folk songs with a lush avant-garde rave-up is quite compelling. His melancholy baritone establishes a forlorn mood on “Come to Me Now” and the jaunty “Crybaby” before the CBGB/Ramones tribute “1234” crashes in. “Aboard My Train” continues the seedy NYC ’60s/’70s sound but ripped apart by some blistering guitar. The standouts are numerous and include title track “City Music” and “Tin Can”. The former is a crescendo jam and one of my favorite songs of the year, while the latter is rollicking and a phenomenal representation of all Morby can bring. I enjoyed his previous – 2016’s Singing Saw – but this album is just brilliant!
6. The National – Sleep Well Beast
The System Only Dreams In Total Darkness
Carin At The Liquor Store
Even for a dark, brooding band, Sleep Well Beast is incredibly dark. The National have taken their signature sound and somehow infused it with more intensity and sonic eccentricities. And its awesomeness is not lost on me! There is an affluence of conflict both lyrically and musically throughout, and Matt Berninger has said the album is about the challenges and failures of marriage. The struggle can be heard in “My faith is sick and my skin is thin as ever” from the eerie opener “Nobody Else Will Be There” and the propulsive energy of “Day I Die”. “The System Only Dreams In Total Darkness”, containing the most captivating vocals here, finds the subject trying to understand the world and that frustration leads to the roaring “Turtleneck”. A phenomenal piano lead graces the gorgeous “Carin at the Liquor Store”, where layers fade in and out among Berninger’s outstanding vocals. So much of what The National does can’t be contained in a single song and that’s never been more true than on this dazzling release. Several tracks nearly implode with deviating sections that co-exist in beauty and anger. Nothing is resolved but the struggle is compelling.
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