{"id":47778,"date":"2015-12-18T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2015-12-18T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/features\/2015-strikes-back-the-top-eleven\/"},"modified":"2026-07-25T07:31:34","modified_gmt":"2026-07-25T07:31:34","slug":"2015-strikes-back-the-top-eleven","status":"publish","type":"feature","link":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/features\/2015-strikes-back-the-top-eleven\/","title":{"rendered":"2015 Strikes Back: The Top Eleven"},"content":{"rendered":"

This was the year I saw Death Cab For Cutie for the third time with my mom, Dave Grohl rocking New York from an unbelievable light-up throne made out of guitars, and The Weeknd in New Jersey amid an ear-piercingly loud horde of teenage girls that made me feel every bit of my 25 years of age. It was also my second year of graduate school, which meant an ever-regenerating stream of papers and seeing therapy clients for the first time \u2013 all events that needed soundtracks that rocked but also inspired, music that kept me moving, feeling, and looking forward. Without further ado, here is my top eleven of the year (because it wouldn\u2019t be rock \u2018n\u2019 roll without a little rebellion).<\/p>\n

Bring on 2016!\u00a0 <\/p>\n

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1. The Weeknd \u2013 Beauty Behind The Madness<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

I held off on writing a review of this disc when it was first released because I worried I would be too effusive. I figured my red-hot enthusiasm for the third release from Abel Tesfaye, aka The Weeknd, would eventually cool off, but four months, endless spins, and one live show later, there\u2019s no sign of the spark fading. Beauty Behind The Madness <\/i>is at once sultry, intimate and bleakly raw, with a pop\/R&B sensibility that distills his earlier work into a mass-appealing sound. Opener \u201cReal Life\u201d is revealing and revelatory; you\u2019ll swear you\u2019re hearing the ghost of Michael Jackson come back to life on \u201cIn The Night;\u201d and chart-topping \u201cThe Hills\u201d is a blown-out anti-love song with an indelible chorus. Time will tell, but this looks like it\u2019s going on my list of the all-time greats. My first task of 2016 will be to review this one properly. <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

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2. Death Cab For Cutie \u2013 Kintsugi<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

Spotify says this is my most-played album this year, and while I\u2019m pretty sure that honor belongs to The Weeknd, this one is a close second. This is the disc that brought me back to Death Cab after a Codes And Keys<\/i> hiatus, and I\u2019m so glad it did. Kintsugi <\/i>makes disillusionment look lovely, crafting a batch of cracked and fractured yet endlessly listenable songs. From hauntingly catchy \u201cBlack Sun\u201d (which is a fine showcase for founding guitarist Chris Walla\u2019s signature sound on his last disc with the band) to dance-pop on \u201cEverything\u2019s A Ceiling,\u201d this is one of those rare albums that I look back on and wish I had graded higher. And it makes for a great live show, too! <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

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3. Years & Years \u2013 Communion<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

One of my musical regrets this year is missing these guys live when they made their way to NYC, because if relentless energy on this disc is any hint, the songs from Communion<\/i> are likely even better in a live setting. But the stylish electropop grooves here are substantial, too; the best songs here combine rafter-reaching beats with poignant lyrics about love gone wrong, designed to get you dancing and feeling at the same time. Standouts include the swirling \u201cKing,\u201d slow-burning \u201cDesire,\u201d and anthemic \u201cShine.\u201d <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

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4. Queen \u2013 A Night At The Odeon (Hammersmith 1975)<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

1975 is the year that found Queen about to break through to megastardom, and this show is a fine glimpse into a band on the rise. It marks the first appearance of \u201cBohemian Rhapsody,\u201d as well as a lineup of early hits (a snappy \u201cKiller Queen,\u201d hard-rocking first single \u201cKeep Yourself Alive\u201d) and deep cuts (\u201cWhite Queen\u201d is a forgotten and gorgeous gem, and \u201cLiar\u201d is a raucous epic). Freddie Mercury\u2019s voice is absolutely pristine, showcased in all its glory here before decades of cigarettes caught up with him \u2013 and the rest of the band is no slouch either. This set has been heavily bootlegged for years, but it\u2019s worth checking out to find a fully formed Queen right from the very beginning. <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

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5. Florence + The Machine \u2013 How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful <\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

A Florence + The Machine release is always a revelation, and this latest offering is no different. This is just another gem in an ever-growing string of standouts. How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful <\/i>is as elegant and soaring as previous discs but infused with a more modern and upbeat sensibility, too. This is a breakup album for the ages \u2013 and this is no better emblemized than in the outstanding single \u201cWhat Kind Of Man,\u201d which starts out slow building and then suddenly becomes a piercing, stomping, and absolutely electric. From the opening jangle of \u201cShip To Wreck\u201d to the stormy \u201cDelilah\u201d to the magnificent horns section in the title track, this is an album to be experienced.\u00a0\u00a0 <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

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6. Atlas Genius \u2013 Inanimate Objects<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

This one was a sleeper hit for me. The second album from South Australian alt-rockers (best known for their 2011 hit \u201cTrojans), Inanimate Objects <\/i>finds the band creating a slow-building atmosphere that runs throughout the whole disc, creating a seamless listening experience that sounds even better live. They drew me in with the soaring and cathartic \u201cA Perfect End,\u201d but kept me sticking around with songs like the dance-worthy, jagged pop of \u201cMolecules\u201d and \u201cStockholm.\u201d <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

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7. Carly Rae Jepsen \u2013 E*MO*TION<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

This album feels like the sequel to Taylor Swift\u2019s 1989 <\/i>for me in terms of its modern resurrection of \u201880s synth-pop. This disc feels a bit less stylized than Swift\u2019s opus; Jepsen is relatable and endearing on this release, from her sassy collaboration with Sia on \u201cBoy Problems,\u201d to the pastel sweetness of \u201cI Really Like You\u201d (not to mention Tom Hanks in all his glory in the accompanying video), to the swooning \u201cAll That.\u201d Jepsen composed over 250 songs to gather up this batch of 12 tracks, and it looks like that hard work paid off. <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

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8. WATERS \u2013 What\u2019s Real<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

This album, the long in the works follow-up to 2011\u2019s underrated indie gem Out In The Light, <\/i>somehow managed to slip past me until recently. Recorded with Grouplove drummer\/producer Ryan Rabin, this disc indeed sounds like a blend of WATERS\u2019 debut \u2013 hooky yet heartfelt \u2013 and Grouplove\u2019s ineffably peppy, sun-baked California sound. Opener \u201cGot To My Head\u201d is pop gloriousness with hints of rock stomp, and the title track is a jangling ode to the search for self-awareness. This disc breezes past at just 35 minutes, but it\u2019s bigger sounding and farther-reaching than its breezy runtime would suggest. <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

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9. B\u00f8rns \u2013 Dopamine<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

The debut full-length from B\u00f8rns wasn\u2019t quite as epic as I hoped it would be, judging from the sugary pop wondrousness of his Candy <\/i>EP. Still, the chocolate-box of tracks here provides an excellent intro to a talent in the making. You\u2019ll never get tired of spinning joyously clear-eyed single \u201cElectric Love, but stick around for the gauzy \u201cAmerican Love,\u201d the sultry grooves of \u201cFool\u201d that are plucked right out of the \u201870s, or the hazily downbeat \u201cClouds,\u201d which provides a new dimension to BORNS\u2019 pop majesty. <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

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10. Mumford & Sons \u2013 Wilder Mind<\/i> <\/b><\/p>\n

I think I\u2019m the lone listener that actually likes this disc, though I recognize that it marks a downturn in quality from British rockers Mumford & Sons\u2019 previous work. Most say that they lost their distinctive sound when they cut out the banjo and went electric, but I still found something to love in this sprawling, surging collection. Lead single \u201cBelieve\u201d reminds me of U2 in its bittersweet sentiment and plugged-in guitars, the jittery, swirling \u201cSnake Eyes\u201d deserves to be a single, while the downbeat \u201cMonster\u201d is sweetly crafted, providing a break from the roiling brood of the rest of the disc. <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

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11. Foo Fighters \u2013 Saint Cecilia<\/i> (EP)<\/b><\/p>\n

My motto is that any Foo Fighters is good Foo Fighters. Hot off the heels of the Broken Leg tour, which found Dave Grohl relegated to a ridiculous yet totally rock \u2018n\u2019 roll throne for their world tour, this five-song EP infuses all that energy and rage that was left to burn. Previous full-length Sonic Highways <\/i>was ambitious but a little too over-baked, and this little sparkplug of an EP (recorded at the Austin City Limits Festival) is a nice way of getting back to basics \u2013 catchy, straightforward, straight-up ROCK as the Foos does best. The title track rolls along with an enveloping jauntiness, while \u201cSean\u201d and the pun-tastic \u201cSavior Breath\u201d offer up roiling, breathless punk. Here\u2019s hoping that this EP is a prequel for what\u2019s to come next from the sitting Kings Of Rock \u2013 Wasting Light<\/i> part two, please? <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Best Of 2015<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":48,"featured_media":49570,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false},"tags":[],"feature_type":[5609],"class_list":["post-47778","feature","type-feature","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","feature_type-best-of"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/feature\/47778","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/feature"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/feature"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/48"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/feature\/47778\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/49570"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=47778"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=47778"},{"taxonomy":"feature_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/feature_type?post=47778"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}