(Important Note: All songs are listed in chronological order by album release date)
“Madonna (And Other Mothers in the Hood)” – Lupe Fiasco ft. Nikki Jean
One of my favorite musicians of all time released his fifth full-length (and, easily most intriguing) album weeks into 2015 featuring a myriad of songs that were lyrically flooded with content it would take months to mentally ingest it all. And while a majority of the tracks became favorites of mine, none stood out more than “Madonna (And Other Mothers in the Hood)” – a song encapsulating the pain of any mother who feels she failed in keeping her righteous child out of harm’s way. The music video actually flips the story entirely; adding another layer to an already emotional story to an even more poignant song.
“How Much a Dollar Cost” – Kendrick Lamar
There’s not much more that I can write about regarding one of, if not the best tracks on Kendrick Lamar’s “To Pimp a Butterfly” after naming “How Much a Dollar Cost” – a tune based on a fictional encounter between Lamar and a not-so-average homeless man asking for a single dollar – one of “My Songs” a few months ago.
“Southwestern Territory” – The Mountain Goats
It doesn’t take much to figure out that I’m a pro wrestling fan. What you might not know is that I’m also a fan of The Mountain Goats band. So when it was announced that the John Darnielle-led band would dedicate its fifteenth studio album to the greatest form of sports entertainment available I was instantly excited. And The Mountain Goats did a wonderful job evoking the feelings experienced by both wrestlers and fans alike in the album’s opening minutes with “Southwestern Territory” – a song focusing on the (attempted) mental trip down memory lane taken a retired wrestling witnessing a younger version of himself just like his fans did years ago while adding a sense of normalcy to the people who get dressed in tights and boots, and look to perform feats unlike anything seen elsewhere on a weekly basis.
“Oh, Daniel” – Civil Twilight
Civil Twilight is one of those bands that attempts to shake up its sound with each album released. “Holy Weather”, though it had the familiar “air” of its predecessor (their self-titled debut LP), would make you think this wasn’t the same Civil Twilight that gave the world “Human” and “Letters From the Sky”. Then came “Story of an Immigrant” this year with the album’s opening track, “Oh, Daniel”. It proves to be the perfect audio starting point for a record recounting the feelings the members of Civil Twilight had beginning their journey toward what they are today as a quartet. The song is hauntingly beautiful and inspirational at the same time; perfectly capturing the emotions of what it means to begin a journey toward one’s dreams; the fear, confusion, regret and a sense of accomplishment that could (and most likely will) come from moving forward on nothing but hope and potential.
“Grow” – Lianne La Havas
Lianne La Havas really switched things up with her second LP release, “Blood”. Her first album, “Is Your Love Big Enough”, rooted itself in R&B, soul, and jazz, audibly highlighting the voice coming from La Havas while providing a nice, rather slow listen. While you still get some of what made her first full-length offering what it was, Lianne jumps out of what appeared to be her comfort zone with several songs that makes “Blood” what it is; including my personal favorite, “Grow”. While the lyrical content might not be incredibly profound, the musical range – be it from the songstress’ voice to the guitar picking done by Lianne, to the drums that just come out of nowhere less than a minute into the track – allows for “Grow” to sound like nothing else in her growing catalogue in the best way possible.
“Unity” – Socionic
To this day I don’t remember exactly when or even how I heard the band, but like Kaura (another great musical group out of Los Angeles), Socionic started filling the void growing without a new Tool album to grace my ears after I purchased the band’s “Identity” EP. Craving more from the quartet, I jumped on board in pre-ordering Socionic’s first LP titled “Dividing Horizon”. Halfway into the album comes “Unity”; a song featuring rapid guitar riffs, thumping bass lines & drums, and a chorus that reverberates and resonates to the point it feels like you’re having an out-of-body experience. With lyrics that not only tie into the overall message of “Dividing”, but also connects perfectly with the themes found in “Identity”, “Unity” is an audible tour de force that reinforces just how talented Socionic is.
Honorable Mentions: “Slow Black River” – Iron & Wine; “Close to Heaven” – Breaking Benjamin; “Mona Lisa” – Dead Sara; “It’s a Good Thing” – Fashawn; “The Experience” – Skyzoo; “Y A N A” – Dead Letter Circus; “I Feel Your Love” – Laura Marling; “The Remedy” – Puscifer; “3 Years Older” – Steven Wilson
