2015 album(s) of the year – an introduction
There’s a certain therapy about spending part of December looking back at the past twelve months every year. December’s a cold, dark, rushed time; finding the space to ostensibly suggest favourite music is actually an excuse to stop for a few moments, relive some of the good times and the bad, and consider the future.
Some years these posts come off as very cynical, in which I declare that music is doomed and there’s no innovation any more and why are we even bothering anyway? In other years, I spend weeks carefully crafting a whole series of posts cataloguing a range of excellent music and seem generally happy about where music’s at right at that moment. In truth, each is more a reflection of the year I’ve had: cynical brief posts suggests a busy or tumultuous time, more positive posts the opposite.
Where does 2015 fall on this spectrum?
Somewhere in between the two. I’ve found it a little bit of a struggle to find time to write, but I find a whole load of bloody great music from the past year. I’m cynically grouping those albums into clichéd groups, but I’m really happy with the quality of those albums.
2015 has been really rich music-wise. In my opinion there’s nothing that’s been a standout breakthrough release from a new exciting group, but there have been dozens of brilliant albums from established artists. It’s been a banner year if you like just good music and don’t care where it comes from, but much of what’s been released this year could have been released at any time over the past ten years.
While that’s true from my perspective, the caveats above definitely apply. I’ve found myself busier at work, busier in the evenings, busier with the minutiae of the day-to-day that have prevented me from digging and discovering in the same way that I would have just two years ago. Music is increasingly something savoured as a reward during a stressful commute rather than something to luxuriate over for an hour or two every single evening and my perception is definitely starting to deviate from the norm.
A resolution: next year, I will find more time for music.
In the meantime, a few posts are coming over the next few weeks. Just to be contrary, I’m counting a top six this year, for no other reason than I struggled to narrow it down to just a top five. Some are very well known, others less so, but all are a good indication of the sort of music I’ve listened to and loved.
Here’s to 2016.