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15. Ron Gallo – Heavy Meta
Young Lady, You’re Scaring Me
Put The Kids To Bed
Heavy Meta is the sound of youth if youth were smart and had knowledge of the ominous future. Lyrically, it’s ablaze with brutally honest commentary on society and dark humor. Musically, it’s concurrently abrasive and melodic rock and roll…and always ferocious. “Young Lady, You’re Scaring Me” and “Put The Kids To Bed” is gritty story telling with a clever take on relationships in different stages. And there has never been a more whimsical critique than what is thrown down in “Why Do You Have Kids?” Ron Gallo showcases his vocal chops and guitar prowess on the more psychedelic jams “Start a War” and “Don’t Mind the Lion”. I’m not familiar with any of Gallo’s previous work including Toy Soldiers, but based on the quality of songs and raw, swaggering delivery… I’m all in on whatever else he has to offer.
14. Craig Finn – We All Want The Same Things
Jester & June
God In Chicago
Craig Finn’s narrative style appeals to me in such an easy fashion I don’t quite understand. The same thing can be said for his vocal delivery and sense of melody. Perhaps his new album We All Want The Same Things is so full of fantastic songwriting, it’s just too hard to put down. The character studies in these mostly-Midwestern tales seem familiar and make one feel comforted while breaking your heart at the same time. The music is mostly uplifting and vibrates with the skewed tension of Finn’s indie rock band, The Hold Steady. “Jester & June” and “Ninety Bucks” are pop-rockers that are propelled forward by aggressive guitar riffs, crashing percussion, and Finn’s snarling expression. I suppose that is an adequate description of the album’s ten masterful tunes including “Birds Trapped In The Airport” which soars with new wave atmospherics, and “God In Chicago”, a spoken-word absolute stunner.
13. Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit – The Nashville Sound
Last of My Kind
Anxiety
Jason Isbell is quickly becoming one of the most prolific and underrated songwriters of our time. The Nashville Sound encompasses something for everyone or at least anyone who enjoys his style of beautiful but fiery country songs. He paints the American canvas with stories both personal and substantive, whether crooning on the gorgeous “Last of My Kind” or the bluesy vamp of the socially aware “White Man’s World”. Southern rock boogie permeates “Cumberland Gap” and dynamic swells meld with rootsy songcraft on “Anxiety”. Isbell has a way of stirring emotions with his affecting voice and simple phrases throughout another stunning album.
12. Ha Ha Tonka – Heart-Shaped Mountain
Race To The Bottom
All With You
The criminally unknown Ha Ha Tonka follows up 2013’s awesome Lessons with another fine entry of melodic but noisy rock and roll – the aptly-titled Heart-Shaped Mountain. An increase of expansive guitar work is observed in both intricate passages and soaring songs. “Race To The Bottom” launches the album in charging fashion and “Everything” is beautiful in both melody and its sentiment. Few songs can take flight like the fantastic “All With You” – the lyric “I want to see it all…All With You” hits home on several levels. “Going That Way” comes close though. It’s an album full of engaging vocals – just try to get “The Party” out of your head – that could serve as basis of any dinner party or late night shenanigans equally as well. The sensibility throughout is Love, and although a less gritty version of Ha Ha Tonka, it’s quite simply an extremely charming affair.
11. LCD Soundsystem – American Dream
i used to
emotional haircut
It has been seven years since any new LCD Soundsystem music following the now rebuked fashion in which James Murphy called it quits on this project. With a restless, eccentric spirit of all-of-the-above electronic dance, power pop, and worldly indie rock – he is back with a passionate and cohesive winner in American Dream. “i used to” deploys his knack for building layers that create a lush soundscape for his trademark vibrato howl. Murphy’s Talking Heads influences surface on “other voices” and the clamorous “change yr mind”. His deft version of post-punk art rock destroy the status quo on “call the police” and the raging “emotional haircut”. Throughout this album, he has something to say, and it’s delivered with a smart and intense mania.
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