1) My Love Is Cool – Wolf Alice
My entire summer and autumn consisted of listening to Wolf Alice’s debut album on repeat and with good reason. This album is my number one favourite of last year simply due to its stunning production and vocals throughout. From the mellow sounds of ‘Silk’ and ‘The Wonderwhy’ to heavier, indie rock songs ‘Giant Peach’ and ‘ Your Loves Whore’, the album simply cannot be faulted and the variety of moods and sounds showcased throughout make it evident why it was nominated for the Mercury Prize Album of 2015.
2) Nothing But Thieves – Nothing But Thieves
It was difficult to pick a favourite out of these albums however seen as Nothing But Thieves are my favourite band of the year, I had to have them at number two. After seeing songs from the album being performed live multiple times in 2015, most recently in Liverpool in November, I fell even more in love with the album and it has remained on repeat ever since. The album comprises of a combination of genres with mostly indie rock hits like Itch and Wake Up Call and also some softer, mellow sounding songs like If I Get High, Lover Please Stay and Tempt You.
3) Blue Neighbourhood – Troye Sivan
This is possibly my most highly anticipated album of 2015 as I have been a huge fan of Troye’s music since his debut EP, TRXYE was released in August 2014. However his sound has evidently matured since then and thus one of the best pop albums of the year was released. The haunting sounds of ‘BITE’ and ‘TOO GOOD’ are contrasted with the heart wrenching vocals in ‘TALK ME DOWN’ and ‘BLUE’ to create a mostly dark pop feel to the album. However lighter, melodic songs like ‘WILD’ and ‘YOUTH’ prove that the album isn’t strictly one genre, making the album a true masterpiece and emotional rollercoaster in the best way possible.
I also urge you to watch the emotional, tear-jerking video trilogy for the songs ‘WILD’, ‘FOOLS’ and ‘TALK ME DOWN’ as it covers some extremely important issues in today’s society surrounding LGBTQ+ youth. Watch Here
4) Communion – Years & Years
This is easily one of my favourite pop albums of 2015, and I can safely say there is not one track I dislike, which is a rarity. A friend introduced me to Years & Years after she fell in love with their pop anthem ‘Desire’, and I quickly became obsessed too. After seeing their outstanding performance at VEVO Halloween in October, I was determined to see them perform again and now have tickets to see them in April. I can’t wait!
5) The Way Back Up – Prides
After finding Prides on SoundCloud back in 2014, I was excited to hear that they would be releasing some of their own music rather than only remixes of other artists’ songs. Stewart’s voice is a dream itself and combining that with synth pop is a wonderful mix. The album is a number of synth pop hits with some raw, stripped back songs like ‘The Kite String and The Anchor Rope’ which truly showcase the heavenly voice behind the band.
Must Listen To: Messiah, It’s Not Gonna Change, Just Say It
6) Oh Wonder – Oh Wonder
After discovering the pop duo from London on Spotify Radio, I quickly fell in love with Oh Wonder’s soft, rhythmic pop. Anthony and Josephine’s voices sound like a dream together and after hearing their a new song each month in the run up to their album release in September, I couldn’t wait to hear the complete package with some extra previously unreleased songs, ‘Plans’ and ‘Heart Hope’, and I can definitely say it exceeded my already high expectations.
7) Badlands – Halsey
I’ll be honest in saying that I did not know much of Halsey or her music until after her album, ‘Badlands’ was released in August 2015. My sister quickly became a fan of her and her album and told me to listen myself, and after hearing ‘Roman Holiday’, I fell in love. Her honest, raw lyrics combined with a dark pop style produce the most perfect array of songs and she has quickly became my favourite female solo artist of recent years due to her honesty in her music and doing something unique compared to the majority of mainstream pop artists.
8) Young Chasers – Circa Waves
I became a fan of Circa Waves after hearing their song ‘Stuck In My Teeth’ on XFM back in the early Spring of last year and began to stalk their Spotify for new music releases. When their album was released in March I was far from disappointed with the LP of pop-rock style songs and they became the soundtrack to my summer especially with songs like ‘T-Shirt Weather’.
9) Chaos And The Calm – James Bay
After discovering James in December 2014, and becoming obsessed with his single ‘Hold Back The River’, I was so glad to see him getting the recognition he deserved when he received the award for ‘Critics Choice’ at the BRIT Awards back in February. I knew from listening to his previously released music that Chaos And The Calm would be a complete masterpiece of acoustic wonders and that’s exactly what it is. From slower, stripped back songs like ‘Clocks Go Forward Again’ and ‘Stealing Cars’ to the more upbeat, dance-worthy tunes of ‘Hold Back The River’ and ‘Best Fake Smile’, there is a song for everyone to love on the album.
10) What Went Down – Foals
After I saw Foals perform live at their surprise set at Leeds Festival in 2015, I had become even more obsessed with the band and told myself that the first thing I’d do when I got home was to listen to their new album ‘What Went Down’ in full. Since doing so, I can now say I am a true fan of the album that offers such an array of unique sounds and genres combined. Night Swimmers is definitely my favourite song from the album, however ‘A Knife In The Ocean’ is a close second, as well as ‘What Went Down’ which is definitely a head banger when I hear it on the radio frequently.
What was your favourite album of 2015?
Kathryn x
The Style Compulsion 