Top Ten Albums of 2015

   Apparently December first is the end of the year, so before this list becomes even more useless, I'll put it here. The first question to ask: Was 2015 a great year for music? Answer: Ehhh, sort of. It wasn't as good as some recent years, but the standouts were great. Before you click away, let's count this down.


10. Blind Elephant - GemStones
This album comes from one of the most skilled rappers working today. There are some missteps, but "Circles," "Lyrical Miracle", "Almost Home" and several others are some of the best songs released this year.

9. Drones - Muse
This album moves Muse back in the direction of some of their best work. It's an apocalyptic tale of someone losing their empathy and becoming a human drone controlled by others. They try to break free, and lead a revolt. The closing track tells of how the world and the human race gets destroyed by nuclear war leaving only the destroyer of the world to reminisce. How cheery!

8. I Love You Honeybear - Father John Misty
This album has some of the prettiest sounds of the year, all while the lyrics are full of biting sarcasm and genuine love. "The Night Josh Tillman Came to Our Apt." sounds like a typical love song, but lists all the loved ones faults and quirks that drive our singer mad. "Of the few main things I hate about her, one's her petty vogue ideas. Somebodies been told too many times she's beyond her years."  This album is probably the most quotable of the year.

7. Alone in the Universe - Jeff Lynne's ELO
This was the year's biggest surprise for me. It is extremely refreshing to see Jeff Lynne bring a sense of  genuineness and fun that seems to be missing from so many. There's no complex statement on the plight of the human race, it's just a collection of great songs that will stay in your head all day.

6. Carrie and Lowell - Sufjan Stevens
This album was a gut punch for me. It's rare that an album connects so much with me on a personal level. The album is greatly inspired by the death of Sufjan's mother, and the pain and melancholy is palpable.

5. Beat the Champ - The Mountain Goats
The way John Darnielle writes makes his songs sound intensely personal, and somehow universal. The album cements my belief that he is one of today's best songwriters. The way "The Ballad of Bull Ramos" progresses in each verse is a master class on how to write a story in your song. The way the defiant chorus becomes heartbreaking on repeat listens is unbelievable.

4. Blurryface - Twenty-One Pilots
On paper, this album should be a mess. It tries on so many different genres, and tries so hard to be clever with its meta lyrics, it should fall flat on its face, right? Nope. They stuck the landing and made the best pop album of the year. No one had better hooks this year then Twenty-One Pilots.

3. Mutant -  Arca
This instrumental album took me on a weird journey through twisted yet beautiful soundscapes. It's a classical suite reimagined through a mad man's brain. This album isn't for everyone, but it is rewarding for those who brave the harsh sounds and find the beauty underneath.

2. Fly Exam - JGivens
JGivens has been killing his features ever since signing with Humble Beast, growing the hype around his label debut. It lived up to my expectations, delivering a two part album exploring the highs and lows of pride. You will find something new with each listen, some new insight, some new incredible analogy or metaphor you missed. What really elevated this project over JGiven's previous releases was how he conveyed his emotions so well. His flow became more emotive then ever, culminating on the unbelievable "Humming Bird Stance."

1. To Pimp a Butterfly - Kendrick Lamar
The album everybody declared album of the year after first listen. This may seem like a boring placement seeing everyone is declaring this album of the year, but it deserves all the acclaim it receives. Kendrick goes farther down into his psyche than ever before, taking us on a journey through his thoughts. Addressing depression and social issues so well, Lamar us truly getting better and better. It also is truly the perfect album for 2015, encapsulating everything about the year.


Alright, so I hope you all hate my list so you comment and drive more traffic here. I mean, what did you think of my list? Agree? Disagree? Let me know! I hope you all had a fantastic year!

Album Review: "Blind Elephant" by Gemstones

  If you've followed my blog, you'll know I called Gemstones the best Christian rapper. (Or rapper who is a Christian, whatever floats your boat.) Obviously, I was hyped for this album. For those of you who don't know, Demarco Castle, a.k.a Gemstones, has been around for while. He used to be on Lupe Fiasco's label, releasing multiple solid mixtapes. Gemstones, due to some personal reasons including the death of a close friend, stepped away from the music industry. He returned with two more mixtapes, shifting the focus of his subject matter more towards God. If you want to check out his mixtapes, I suggest Untamed Beast, and Elephant in the Room.

  Anyway, onto Blind Elephant. The album has been delayed twice, which caused me some concern. Was it worth the wait? In my opinion, yes. Gemstones delivers again! The album opens with "Quick Go In", which serves as an introduction for those unfamiliar with Gemstones' lyrical genius. Next, "Believe" showcases Gemstones' singing ability.

  To address those who fear the album being too judgmental, Gemstones does a great job of not excluding himself in the critiques. The best example of this is on "Temple." The song starts with a verse about Gemstones walking into Church, feeling saved, then falling into bad habits the very next day. Opening the song like that lends the rest of the song a togetherness of sorts. In other words, we're all in the same boat, let's try to figure it out together.

  I do have some nitpicks about the album. The smallest one being on "Lyrical Miracle." When the producer says their name at the end of the track, it kills what momentum it picked up for me. I had a couple nitpicks with the lyrics at some points. Throughout three quarters of the album, there is some of the best lyricism of the year, which really is what this album is all about. In spite of that, I was taken off guard on "New World" when he talks about the Illuminati, and "Reptilians are real although though I've never seen 'em shift, I got a friend who did." This took me right out of the song, with the shame being it's probably the best produced song on the album.

  Those were just small problems I had, and it doesn't take away from the rest of the album. The best tracks will probably make a showing on my year end lists. If you're a fan of Christian hip-hop, this is a must have. If you normally don't listen to Christian Hip-hop, I strongly suggest you check it out anyway. This album is really close to To Pimp a Butterfly in the competition for my favorite rap albums of the year. In terms of Christian rap albums, this is the best album since last years slept on 13th Floor  by the extremely underrated The Rep. 

  I give Blind Elephant a 9/10, and a definite recommendation. When you give it a listen, let me know what you think.