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Mike Bennett writesCHIRP Radio Best of 2015: Mike Bennett
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Throughout December, CHIRP Radio presents its volunteers’ top albums of 2015. Our next list is from DJ Mike Bennett. Making these lists has become such a thankless task, since I can't hear everything and I can't buy everything. I listened to somewhere between 150 and 200 2015 releases at least once through. I limited my list to albums I actually purchased. This was another terrific year for music, starting with having a band I'm a big fan of (Franz Ferdinand), team up with my all-time favorite band (Sparks). |
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#1 FFS by FFS (Domino) |
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#2 On Your Own Love Again by Jessica Pratt (Drag City) |
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#3 The Epic by Kamasi Washington (Brainfeeder) |
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#4 Primrose Green by Ryley Walker (Dead Oceans) |
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#5 Holding Hands With Jamie by Girl Band (Rough Trade) |
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#6 Have You In My Wilderness by Julia Holter (Domino) |
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#7 Matador by Gaz Coombes (Hot Fruit) |
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#8 Ratchet by Shamir (XL) |
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#9 High by Royal Headache (What's Your Rupture?) |
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#10 Blood by Lianne La Havas (Nonesuch) |
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The Next 10: Motor Sister -- Ride Christian Scott aTunde Adujah -- Stretch Music Courtney Barnett – Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit Richard Hawley -- Hollow Meadows Donnie Trumpet and The Social Experiment -- Surf Susanne Sundfør - Ten Love Songs Swervedriver -- I Wasn't Born to Lose You Eleventh Dream Day -- Works For Tomorrow Songhoy Blues -- Music in Exile Negative Scanner -- Negative Scanner |
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The team up of Franz Ferdinand and Sparks allowed the Scottish post-punkers to expand their stylistic reach while the veteran art-poppers were freed from a singular concept and revisited many of the various approaches they have employed over the past 43 years. They found a common sensibility and knocked out a bunch of knock out songs. Even better, the vocals of Alex Kapronos and Russell Mael meshed wonderfully, and recording the album in just two weeks resulted in lively performances. This is a hook filled, varied pop-rock album of type that you don’t see too often nowadays.
Pratt is a special songwriter, her numbers going from drony, folky pieces that unfold into unexpected pop songs, keyed by wonderful chord changes and resonant melodies. Her delicate finger picked guitar and reedy, engaged vocals are the best possible vehicle for her songs. The production seals the deal. This is lo-fi with a purpose, as the fidelity of the living room recordings serves to enhance the haunting qualities that these songs naturally had.
This triple LP announces Washington and his core of fellow musicians as a major force in jazz. Conversant in both free jazz and more traditional forms, the songs cover a wide swath of sounds and emotions, all played warmly and creatively, with improvisations never overwhelming the song structures. The original compositions are exciting and the outside material is well selected. Washington wholly succeeds in bringing decades of jazz into an effort that is forward thinking and classic.
The blend of jazz and folk that artists like John Martyn and Tim Buckley touched on many decades ago gets the full treatment on the second album from Walker. Working with top flight jazz musicians, Walker composes some beautiful songs, while other songs are made for the band to rock out and get creative. It’s not pure jazz, but it’s certainly not just another folk rock album. And the fact that Walker’s vocals nearly match his guitar prowess makes for great album.
This Irish band is often compared to The Fall, primarily for how they approach their singing and lyrics. Girl Band is also often described as noise rock, and it’s true -- they sure are noisy. But what really impresses on their debut album is how they turn noise into something catchy. The song structures are very simple and they create hooks out of simple things, like repetitive fuzzy bass parts or guitar squalls. Some songs are just pure tension, but it is inevitable there are some explosions. At no point do they take themselves too seriously, while the music teems with excitement.
Holter finally decided to concede something to accessibility, allowing her vocals to come through clearly, with the rest of the music falling suit. This doesn’t take away from her arty approach, as her melodies are sophisticated and arrangements and choice of instruments don’t edge her too far into pop. But she can’t help herself, and there are a number of catchy, immediately appealing songs, which provide balance with the moodier, more atmospheric material. These songs cohere into an album that moves into many different feelings.
The former Supergrass front man adds some color by working with more electronic instrumentation on this album. But it’s not like he’s gone full Radiohead. He’s still the same songwriter who has been making hummable tunes with a strong whiff of melancholy that serves him all the better as he ages. He just so happens, on his second solo album, to have composed his best set of songs since Supergrass’s In It For The Money album (coincidentally, the band’s second album). So Coombes is back in peak form, making for a very compelling listen.
This genderqueer 21-year-old manages to evoke the classic electronic edged R & B of the early ‘80s (in the vein of Michael Jackson and, especially) Prince with more modern styles. His smooth countertenor vocals are surprisingly expressive, he already knows how to craft both Grade A beats and hooks, and his personality is infectuous.
These Aussies are yet another Oz punk band that relies heavily on classic R & B structures. Falling somewhere between The Saints and The Happy Hate Me Nots, these are fluid and melodic songs that rock like crazy. Moreover, the vocals and playing imbue them with a lot of feeling, giving the direct lyrics extra punch.
This album is a gigantic leap from La Hava’s fine singer-songwriter debut. Here, La Havas, working with an array of top flight producers and musicians, creates a modern update on the jazzy, lite-funk sounds of the ‘70s. Her songs percolate in a manner akin to Chaka Khan and Stevie Wonder, and her voice is so powerful, and she, unlike many modern singers, only deploys that power when needed, letting her expert phrasing do the rest.Next entry: CHIRP Radio Best of 2015: Patrick Masterson
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