Note: My 24th annual summary listing of the 20 best albums of the year was developed via a six-part analytical tournament involving 32 contending albums. Complete narrative related to this final listing is accessible via the following links:
Part One — Part Two — Part Three — Part Four — Part Five — Part Six — Summary
TOP TWENTY ALBUMS OF 2015:
20. Vulkano, Iridescence
19. Ought, Sun Coming Down
18. Sleater-Kinney, No Cities To Love
17. Courtney Barnett, Sometimes I Sit and Think, And Sometimes I Just Sit
16. Gangrene, You Disgust Me
15. Rudresh Mahanthappa, Bird Calls
14. Bring Me The Horizon, That’s The Spirit
13. Wire, Wire
12. Shriekback, Without Real String or Fish
11. Kate Pierson, Guitars and Microphones
10. Bop English, Constant Bop
9. Sleaford Mods, Key Markets
8. Thighpaulsandra, The Golden Communion
7. Hey Colossus, Radio Static High
6. The Fall, Sub-Lingual Tablet
5. Girlpool, Before The World Was Big
4. Ezra Furman, Perpetual Motion People
3. Clutch, Psychic Warfare
2. Napalm Death, Apex Predator — Easy Meat
Album Of The Year: David Gilmour, Rattle That Lock
J. ERIC SMITH 
Have to offer my thanks for your recommendation of David Gilmour’s solo disc — I am really enjoying it, which I did not expect going in (what with my love/hate relationship with the Floyd over the years). Specifically, the shattershot approach he adopted makes it a fine, deep listen — it is almost like a David Gilmour-curated mix tape, featuring his own material. Stylically the songs are all over the map, but it works.
The jazzier textures in “The Girl in the Yellow Dress” and “Dancing Right in Front of Me” demonstrate how he COULD pursue a career of interpreting “standards” that would not be embarassing, unlike some of his contemporaries (looking at you, Rod Stewart). But, why interpret when you can offer up your own originals? Impressive, that.
The instrumentals/solos are the strongest part, in my humble opinion, but the vocal harmonies throughout (especially on “A Boat Lies Waiting”) cannot be denied. Overall, a very solid listen — thanks for a push outside my comfort zone.
(Side note: Clutch still gets my nod for album of the year, in a year full of great music. 2016 has got some heavy lifting ahead to match 2015’s heights.)
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Yeah, I like the variety of the album very much . . . not just monochrome Floydisms, for sure. While I don’t second guess the outcome of my tournament this year, I will say that it was such a strong year that Clutch and Napalm Death likely could and would have won with their respective albums in other years. All three are still on regular spins on my stereos, so that’s telling . . . since usually once I do my year end report, I’m so sick of everything that I move onto something completely different!!
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