I try to do something different every year for my album of the year list, so this year I wrote a little poem for each of my top ten albums. Let me know which albums you loved this year in the comments!
Honorable Mentions
The Saint of Lost Causes – Justin Townes Earle, New Age Norms 1 – Cold War Kids, Light’n Up – Matthew Logan Vasquez, Turn Off the News (Build a Garden) – Lukas Nelson & The Promise of the Real, The Valley – Charley Crockett, K.R.I.T Iz Here – Big K.R.I.T, The Highwomen – The Highwomen.
10. Jaime, Brittany Howard
We are blessed to live in the time of Brittany Howard
The Alabama Shakes’s lead singer keeps moving forward
Her solo debut is full of brilliance, beauty, and fire
But it’s a bit uneven, keeping it from ranking even higher
Watch this performance and ascend into heaven.
I already feel, like doing it again, honey
9. Better Oblivion Community Center, Better Oblivion Community Center
Putting Phoebe Bridgers and Conor Oberst together created an album full of promise
At times quiet and slow, it swells to a roar on songs like “Dylan Thomas”
Others, like “Exception to the Rule” and “Chesapeake”
Are the types that sit with you for a week
I’m getting used to these dizzy spells
I’m taking a shower at the Bates Motel
I’m getting greedy with this private hell
I’ll go it alone, but that’s just as well
8. Wilder Woods, Wilder Woods
The NEEDTOBREATHE frontman’s sneaky solo debut
Tells stories from a different point of view
With a new sound that surprised many
This funk, soul, pop album has delights aplenty
When the night’s too much
And you need a touch
Maybe I can kiss you right
Try a little supply and demand
7. JESUS IS KING, Kanye West
Ye is back with a new belief
For fans who hoped for redemption this was quite a relief
He reunited Clipse so we could hear No Malice and Pusha T
But only Kanye could pair them with the smooth sax of Kenny G
They give you Wraith talk, I give you faith talk
Blindfolded on this road, watch me faith walk
Just hold on to your brother when his faith lost
6. I Am Easy to Find, The National
It’s a little self-indulgent and overly long
But the inherent genius of The National makes the work so strong
Matt Berninger’s baritone vocals harmonize perfectly with guest voices
Songs like “The Pull of You” and “Hairpin Turns” are top choices
What are we going through, you and me?
Every other house on the street’s burnin’
What are we going through, wait and see
Days of brutalism and hairpin turns
5. Room 41, Paul Cauthen
The baritone country bad boy’s album gets it right
fluctuating from a drug-fueled party
to a cry for help on a lonely night
It’s everything a country album should be
You know I can work real hard
Keep a roof right over our heads
And make sure the lights stay on
And keep the baby fed
But that’s only in my dreams
You’ve been gone for quite some time
4. SOUND & FURY, Sturgill Simpson
Doing the unexpected is how Sturgill has made his name
Instead of saving country music, this one is hard rock
that laments fake friends and the endless quest for fame
At this point, nothing Sturgill does is a shock
Mercury must be in retrograde again
But at least it’s not just hangin’ around, pretendin’ to be my friend
3. Ghostseen, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
Dense, dark, deep, unyielding
You expect nothing less from Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
But wrestling with the death of his son packs this with even more feeling
Honest, vulnerable, quality art is what the world needs
A priest runs through the chapel, all the calendars are turning
A Jesus freak on the street says He is returning
Well sometimes a little bit of faith can go a long, long way
Your soul is my anchor, never asked to be freed
2. “Let’s Rock”, The Black Keys
The modern kings of rock and roll made a surprising comeback
With a hard-driving, fun, and fast rock attack
The lyrics mean nothing and that’s alright
Dan and Pat just want you to have a good night
No one really knows
Where it goes from here
But we all decompose
And slowly disappear
1. The Thunderbird, Beau Jennings & The Tigers
It’s hyperlocal and Oklahoma-centric
But The Thunderbird’s universal truths make it less specific
Often you’re dropped into a time and place in unfamiliar company
Where you encounter deep feelings of nostalgia, longing, and empathy
Jimmy Houston hosted a fishing show for decades
Only Beau could write a song about him that brings up past heartaches
Dairy Queen serves Blizzards and steak fingers
So why does Beau’s song about it create a feeling that lingers?
It’s only been three years since Kevin Durant played for OKC
But a name-check on “Back In Town” feels like a reference from another century
Nostalgia is a powerful weapon and Jennings wields it right
Not cheaply, but in a way that makes you feel alright
In these polarizing times where it’s easy to be snide
Jennings even offers a hand to “The Other Side”
Tonight the Empty Bottles got us all a little closer to heaven
The basketball game’s on the TV at the bar and we’re praying to this kid named Kevin
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