2015: The Best So Far

Now that we’re halfway through the year, we’re taking a look back over the first six months of 2015 and highlighting a handful of our favourite albums so far. They’re listed, in alphabetical order, below…

Gaz Coombes – Matador

With his second solo album, former Supergrass frontman Gaz Coombes succeeded where many of his Britpop peers have failed, by establishing himself as a credible solo artist. From the lively synth rock of ‘Needle’s Eye’ to the gentle fingerpicked guitar and Mellotron string arrangements of ‘The Girl Who Fell To Earth’, Matador is a songwriting masterclass from a man who is quietly on his way to becoming one of Britain’s greats. He might have grown up but, as he proves on ‘Seven Walls’ (“Let’s walk down to [famous Oxford boozer] Jericho, share a little smoke,” he’s certainly not forgotten his roots.

Ghostface Killah and BADBADNOTGOOD – Sour Soul 

SOUR SOUL found Wu-Tang Clan’s Ghostface Killah teaming up with acclaimed Canadian jazz-funk trio BADBADNOTGOOD to produce a collision of Staten Island hip hop and slinky 70s-influenced soul. BADBADNOTGOOD’s sparse, cinematic instrumentation offers the perfect bed for GFK’s verses, as the Wu-Tang man proves that he is still one of the most agile lyricists around.

Hop Along – Painted Shut

The exhilarating second album from Philadelphia cult heroes Hop Along strikes the perfect balance between scratchy intensity and refined alt-pop. Frontwoman Frances Quinlan’s larynx-shredding vocals and peculiarly idiosyncratic lyrics help give the songs their emotional depth, while the intelligent and surprisingly complex arrangements mean they never lose their poise, even in their most frenetic moments. Hop Along are yet to make any serious waves this side of the pond but, hey, some secrets are best kept to yourself.

Hot Chip – Why Make Sense?

The London electronic outfit’s sixth record might lack the euphoric highs of some of their previous albums, but it’s their most consistently ambitious and inventive one yet. It finds the band taking a step away from the dancefloor and pausing for breath after 2012’s pulsating In Our Heads, allowing them to explore some of their more left-field ideas. Why make sense? Why, indeed?

Jamie xx – In Colour 

Although it only came out last week, the debut solo album from Jamie xx instantly secured its place on this list. Bringing to life the heavy-hearted regret that accompanies the post-party sunrise, In Colour drifts by in a haze of subtle melancholy and layers of deep analogue swells. Amongst all this, the Young Thug and Popcaan-featuring curveball ‘I Know There’s Gonna Be (Good Times)’ seems almost ironic, given a whole new dimension in the context of its surroundings. A masterful debut.

Kendrick Lamar – To Pimp A Butterfly

The sprawling, snarling follow up to the stunning good kid, m.A.A.d city takes its musical cues from G-funk, P-Funk and glitchy neo-soul, employing the talents of the likes of Thundercat and Kamasi Washington and bringing a groove-laden new dimension to Kendrick’s sound. Lyrically, meanwhile, To Pimp A Butterfly is a reflection of the atmosphere in a post-Ferguson America; politically-charged, confrontational and challenging. This isn’t just a straightforward rap album, this is a no-punches-pulled protest album, following in the footsteps of the likes of Sly Stone and, more recently, D’Angelo.

Susanne Sundfør – Ten Love Songs 

Already a household name in her native Norway, Susanne Sundfør returned in February with her sixth album, which went some way to boosting her international profile. Ten Love Songs is bursting with delicious ideas, from the murderous, dramatic synth-pop of ‘Delirious’ – which remains a strong contender for Pop Song Of The Year – to the bittersweet acoustic tendencies of ‘Silencer’. It’s a fairly succinct album – and Sundfør’s most direct yet – but it is still one of the most unpredictable and enjoyable pop records we’ve come across for quite some time.

Young Fathers – White Men Are Black Men Too

Edinburgh’s Young Fathers returned earlier this year with White Men Are Black Men Too, the follow-up to their 2014 Mercury Prize-winning debut DEAD. It’s another burst of genre-defying brilliance from the trio, one that quite deliberately shuns any traditional stereotypes as it buries its hooks (of which there are plenty) underneath dense layers of synths and gang vocals. A truly unique album that comes at a time when ‘truly unique’ is getting harder and harder to find. Attempt to pigeonhole at your peril.

Want to discover even more amazing new music? Listen to our pick of the best tracks of the year so far below.