Kieran's Pretentious Crap: July 2015

Albums

15. Payola – Desaparecidos

Blistering, fuming politic-punk pulled off with gleeful self-awareness and thrilling choruses.

14. White Men are Black Men Too - Young Fathers

These Edinburgh, globally inspired Hip-Hop nerds returned with their second LP; cleaner, more refined, but also their most ambitious work to date.

13. I Love You Honeybear - Father John Misty

Easily, and wrongly, discarded as Hipster-Folk, this is intelligently written, beautifully executed Country with a great deal to say.

12. Jenny Death - Death Grips

The most insane and experimental Hip-Hop group going seamlessly conduct their brand-marked visceral production with the roars of Hardcore and Post-Punk guitars.

11. Wildheart - Miguel

R&B's most endearing sexfiend concocts a Pop classic effusing 80s guitars, mellifluous synths and typically gorgeous vocals.

10. Sprinter - Torres

The first of a surprising number of female-led Indie-Rock records on this list, Sprinter evinced admirably aggressive Rock bangers supplemented by a claying, heart-felt vulnerability.

9. In Colour - Jamie xx

The Deep-House dynamo's debut LP is splendid, bubbling over with unifying Summer anthems and wonderfully chilled Garage.

8. The Most Lamentable Tragedy - Titus Andronicus

A '28 song Rock opera' sounds pitifully pretentious, and at times Most Lamentable titters on the edge of kitsch, but when it works it makes you want to punch the air and scream 'FUCK YEAH' like the biggest wanker imaginable.

7. My Love is Cool - Wolf Alice

Drenched in a concoction of melancholic 90s Alternative sensibilities and an alarmingly life-affirming sentiment, My Love is Cool is a simply wonderful contradiction to experience.

6. Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit - Courtney Barnett

Shifting herself up a gear, Barnett swaps stoner Dream-Pop for scintillating Folk-Punk and, well, it's really bloody good.

5. Summertime 06 - Vince Staples

Another of the 'debut album' crowd, Staple's impeccable flow and sultry beats are only the foundation of an absolutely furious, terrifyingly pertinent indictment of US policing.

4. Carrie & Lowell - Sufjan Stevens

Sufjan's dedication to his eponymous parents is lathered in nostalgia, regret, longing, fondness, pain, and it is achingly beautiful.

3. After - Lady Lamb the Beekeeper

An album firing on all cylinders, confronting love both requited and unrequited, heartbreak, socio-economics, and family feuds; it is a tangible, compelling life captured in catchy choruses and pleasing melodies.

2. Painted Shut - Hop Along

This is Indie Rock at its most earnest, with lo-fi guitars, gloriously flawed vocals, and a breathtaking sincerity equalled by an incredible songwriting talent.

1. To Pimp a Butterfly - Kendrick Lamar

It was never going to be anything else. Nothing comes close. This year, or pretty much any other year. My favourite Hip-Hop album, and one of the greatest albums of all-time.