► Play All Of Public Radio’s #1 Songs Of 2015

Alabama Shakes, “Don’t Wanna Fight”

The best song from one of the year’s best albums, “Don’t Wanna Fight” shows Brittany Howard’s gathering power as a singer, with the band’s rhythmic bump and guitar growls making for a memorably catchy song.
–David Christensen, opbmusic

When I saw the Shakes perform this song in May 2014, I was instantly excited to hear the direction the band’s music was taking. Brittany Howard is a force and I love hearing the emotional and vocal control she has in “Don’t Wanna Fight.”
–Kate Drozynski

Brittany Howard’s fiery vocals — reminiscent of Robert Plant and Tina Turner — make this one of the best rock songs in years.
–Dave Jackson, Jefferson Public Radio

Alessia Cara, “Here”
In an exhausting year of terrorist attacks, mass shootings, police brutalities, Nepalese earthquakes, refugee crises, Trump xenophobia, Cosby allegations and HBO’s humorless Season 2 of the The Leftovers, “Here” is a solid reminder, in no uncertain terms, that the party has been over for a long time. –Jason King, host of I’ll Take You There

Anderson East, “Satisfy Me”
He makes his home in Nashville, but East finds his way to Muscle Shoals with plenty of Wurlitzer, fat horns, a convincingly soulful rasp and a Ph.D. in TLC.
–Rachel Horn

Becca Stevens Band, “Be Still”
Brilliant mix of quirky rhythm with a great pop sense.
George Graham, WVIA

Bomba Estereo, “Fiesta”
The Colombian band Bomba Estereo is in it for the long haul. “Fiesta” is a multi-layered gem that captures the progress of a band that gets better and better with every release.
–Felix Contreras

Brenna Whitaker, “You Don’t Own Me”
The truth is easier to take when it’s wrapped up in a killer song by a beautiful and talented newcomer.
–Luke Nestler, KDNK

Caitlin Canty, “Get Up”
A song about resiliency, about picking yourself up and moving forward. The Vermont-native, now Nashvillian, is backed by an all-star band featuring Eric Heywood, Billy Conway, Jeffrey Foucault, Matt Lorenz and Jeremy Moses Curtis.
–Linda Fahey, Folk Alley

Carroll, “Green Acres”
The perfect “lying on the couch looking out the window at a cloudy Sunday afternoon” song.
–Chris Ranck, Delmarva Public Radio

Cecile McLorin Salvant, “The Trolley Song”
Salvant is the rightful heir to Sarah Vaughan. She’s fresh, innovative and one a kind. She’s got to be heard and seen to be believed!
–Melanie Berzon, KCSM

The Chemical Brothers feat. Q-Tip, “Go”
This is the mega hit of 2015 that should have been!
Rita Houston, WFUV

Chris Stapleton, “Traveller”
From country’s breakthrough lyrical voice, an instantly timeless slice of country soul that will lift you up wherever you perambulate.
–Ann Powers

City & Colour, “Lover Come Back”
Dallas Green’s soulful voice carries the listener through equal amounts of joy and lovesick sadness.
–Kyle Smith, WYEP

Courtney Barnett, “Pedestrian at Best”
Courtney’s brilliant “internal diatribe” complete with endless hooks and a Bob Dylan Highway 61 Revisited meets Nirvana Bleach sneer and attitude (and humor). Freud would have said this is the song of the year.
–Kevin Cole, KEXP

A ferocious statement of identity from one of the most gripping voices to emerge in rock since Kurt Cobain.
–Jim DeRogatis, Sound Opinions

Courtney’s the best. Her wordplay and her phrasing are always compelling and she rocks it, too.
–Dan Reed, WXPN

As Barnett’s thickets of witty words spill out, her band blasts out an anthem worthy of the inevitable Nirvana comparisons.
–Stephen Thompson

D’Angelo, “Betray My Heart”
The 2015 single from one of the best albums of 2014. Hopefully we won’t have to wait another 14 years for more D’Angelo.
–Jody Denberg, KUTX

Darlingside, “God Of Loss”
The instrumentals are just as meticulous as the harmonies, the harmonies just as haunting as the lyrics, and the lyrics a testament to the Boston quartet’s success to come.
–Larry Groce, Mountain Stage

Divers, “Breathless”
Divers exploded onto the Portland music scene this year on the back of incredibly intense live shows driven by expertly-crafted punk rock anthems, like this song from their debut album Hello Hello.
–Jerad Walker, opbmusic

Dr. Dre feat. Anderson .Paak, “Animals”
As the unofficial star of Dr. Dre’s Compton LP, Anderson .Paak pulled out all stops on the Dre/Premier joint production. Speaking directly to the current civil turmoil going on in many U.S. cities, Paak raps, sings and ultimately steals the spotlight from the two most celebrated producers in hip-hop.
–Bobby Carter

Eska, “Shades of Blue”
An enchanting amalgam of soul, psych and pop, Eska’s “Shades of Blue” summons the divine spirit of Minnie Riperton’s “Come to My Garden.”
–Ally Schweitzer, WAMU’s Bandwidth

Ezra Furman, “Restless Year”
A frenzy of poppy synths, rackety percussion and a throbbing bassline, this song effectively blends Furman’s visceral indie rock roots with his newer, glossier throwback sound. But there’s no time to pin him down or clasify him anyway — it’s just good to be along for the ride.
–Kelsey, The Current

Father John Misty, “Chateau Lobby #4 (in C for Two Virgins)”
It took a long time for Josh Tillman to craft this brilliant ode to his then-new love, and he struck sonic gold by wrapping his wit and vulnerability in lush strings, mariachi horns and one of the lines of the year: “What are you doing with your whole life? / How ’bout forever?” (By the way, she said “yes.”)
–Carmel Holt, WFUV

Future, “March Madness”
An intergalactic beat + Future’s infallible flow + perfectly timed ad libs = a legitimately lovely, debatably perfect rap song about nothing and everything.
–Kiana Fitzgerald

A groggy, codeine-addled exploration of Future’s binding dichotomy: egomaniacal braggart and depressed addict. It’s the undisputable sonic peak of the rapper’s career year.
–Sheldon Pearce

G.L.O.S.S., “Lined Lips and Spiked Bats”
You do not want to mess with these trans punks or this seriously pissed-off anthem to smashing the patriarchy.
–Lars Gotrich

Ge-ology feat. Mark de Clive-Lowe, “Moon Circuitry”
Fast, hard and funky, this is peak time club music packed with thwacking metallics and a blistering key solo.
–Sami Yenigun

Gretchen Peters, “Pretty Things”
Peters manages to distill decades of negative thoughts into a single song that gives me goosebumps and makes my eyes well up every time I hear it.
–Elena See, Folk Alley

Hamilton Broadway Cast Recording feat. Leslie Odom, Jr., “Wait For It”
A historical villain made flesh and blood before our very ears — and yet, Leslie Odom Jr.’s delivery is so transcendent that the context hardly matters. Anyone who’s ever yearned can relate.
–Daoud Tyler-Ameen

Harold Mabern feat. Gregory Porter, “Afro Blue”
Nice “up” beat, and it swings.
Rashad Abdul-Muhaimin, WSHA

The Honey Dewdrops, “Same Old”
Just one of the highlights from the outstanding Tangled Country, a collection of often sad but still hopeful songs. “Same Old” mines some of the territory of Gillian Welch and David Rawlings, with lilting banjo, gorgeous harmonies and tasteful pedal steel, and exemplifies this duo’s simple yet beautiful music.
–Freddy Jenkins, WUNC’s Back Porch Music

Hop Along, “Waitress”
The vocal performance of the year, courtesy of Frances Quinlan, whose ragged pipes added a well-worn familiarity to detailed lyrics about being trapped by bad decisions, circumstance and casual cruelty.
–Jacob Ganz

Israel Nash, “L.A. Lately”
A Harvest era-soundalike for the 21st century that transcends its Laurel Canyon feel from an amazing singer-songwriter.
Dave Michaels, WEXT

Jason Isbell, “24 Frames”
“You thought God was an architect, now you know / He’s something like a pipe bomb ready to blow” are the best lyrics anyone has come up with in a long time, rivaling Bob Dylan in his prime.
–Benji McPhail, KUNC

A catchy tune that nobody gets tired of, with terrific songwriting and singing.
–Randy Wind, WMNF

Jason Isbell, “Speed Trap Town”
Absolutely heartbreaking. Reality and Friday Night Lights come together in a beautiful song.
–John Aielli, KUTX

Josh Ritter, “Getting Ready To Get Down”
One of the world’s best songwriters. Josh Ritter’s story songs feel so real.
–Chris Wienk, WEXT

Kacey Musgraves, “Dime Store Cowgirl”
Hopefully Kacey Musgraves will inspire others to create authentic and smartly written country songs like this heart-warming tribute to her hometown of Golden, Texas.
–Cindy Howes, Folk Alley

Kamaiyah, “How Does It Feel”
An anthem for the 99 percent from an Oakland rapper who might know the answer this time next year.
–Otis Hart

Kamasi Washington, “The Rhythm Changes”
Need a swaying terry bathrobe of a groove? An unironic mantra of uplift? A sign that jazz past might just have a resonant future? “I’m here.”
–Patrick Jarenwattananon

A stand-out track from Washington’s The Epic, incorporating R&B into a timeless, classic jazz tune.
–Bruce Warren, WXPN

Kehlani, “Alive”
Oakland’s rising R&B sensation is poised for a breakout year in 2016, and “Alive” — a joyous counterweight to the 20-year-old singer’s tumultuous upbringing — helps explain why.
–Gabe Meline, KQED

Kehlani’s 2015 mixtape You Should Be Here is a roller coaster of emotions with a glimpse of hope at the end of the journey. And while you catch the brightness from the beginning, there’s nothing like when you arrive: That’s “Alive,” the song where the R&B singer candidly embraces the bad to find peace and really — I mean really — enjoy the good.
–Erika Ramirez

Kendrick Lamar, “Alright”
Faith, perseverance and bravery in the face of hate are recurring themes in black life, so it’s only right that K Dot’s single has become an anthem for today’s struggle.
–Timmhotep Aku

Kendrick Lamar, “Complexion (A Zulu Love)”
With the issue of race constantly in question, “Complexion” is a soothing meditation and message for hope with lyrics that can open minds and a melody to change hearts.
–Simon Rentner, WBGO

Kurt Vile, “Pretty Pimpin”
The self-described “pop jam” on Kurt Vile’s brilliant new album b’lieve i’m goin’ down. The wordplay and phrasing in this song completely hooked me from the start.
Russ Borris, WFUV

Lizzo, “My Skin”
Feminists have long understood that the personal is political; with “My Skin,” Lizzo captures the pain and poignance of the Black Lives Matter movement with a candid, moving and deeply personal ballad about her own experiences as an African-American woman.
Andrea Swensson, The Current

Major Lazer feat. MØ & DJ Snake, “Lean On”
Diplo was the MVP of 2015 as far as I’m concerned; behind the boards on Jack Ü’s “Where Are Ü Now” and MØ’s “Kamikaze,” it was tough to pick just one of his contributions for this list, but in the end I’m going with Spotify’s most-streamed song in the world this year.
–Travis Holcombe, KCRW

Mateo Senolia, “Baldwin”
Up-and-coming house music producer Mateo Senolia sets a classic speech by James Baldwin from 1962 against a vibe heavy deep house groove.
–Garth Trinidad, KCRW

Mbongwana Star feat. Konono No. 1, “Malukayi”
The ideal soundtrack for a spaceman meandering through the streets of Kinshasa: next-level alienation and sonic disorientation, pure humanity.
–Anastasia Tsioulcas

Michael Rault, “Real Love (Yeah)”
If the Cisco Kid was actually a singer-songwriter from Toronto.
–Annie Bartholomew, KXLL

Miguel, “coffee”
Miguel is by turns epic and intimate, sexy and innocent in this near-perfect love song.
–Amelia Mason, WBUR’s The Artery

Popcaan, “Unruly Prayer”
When the going gets rough, the best you can hope for is a rasta gospel number, and this one delivered so hard one could forgive the Drizzy shout out. “Tell the devil to keep his diss-tance, yeah.”
–Piotr Orlov

Protomartyr, “Why Does It Shake?”
Youthful bravado melts into the uncertainty of aging, and the Detroit band turns the words of a woman in the throes of Alzheimer’s disease into a moving, guitar-stoked anthem.
–Greg Kot, Sound Opinions

Raury, “Devil’s Whisper”
A young Atlanta rapper and singer marshals a choir for a forceful lesson about temptation delivered in shouts and stomps. Spacious and extremely musical — and he absolutely torched the Colbert show with it.
–Mark Mobley

Rich Homie Quan, “Flex (Ooh, Ooh, Ooh)”
“Flex” is spry and sunshine bright. It’s goofy while it wisely plays its position. It is satisfying on every level; it’s complete. This is why I was late for everything this year. Not turning it off for anybody.
–Frannie Kelley

Speedy Ortiz, “Raising The Skate”
With equal parts hilarious self-deprecation, wry honesty and ambiguous non sequiturs, Sadie Dupuis fires off an empowering call to arms for anyone who’s ever felt underestimated by toxic people in their lives.
–Mike Katzif

St. Germain, “Sittin’ Here”
We’ve waited 15 years for the follow up to this French producer’s worldwide hit album, Tourist, and he’s blended African influences into his super smooth downbeat production style.
–Mark Wheat, The Current

Sumi Jo and Viktoria Mullova, “Simple Song #3 (David Lang)”
Victoria Mullova’s plaintive violin, Sumi Jo’s ardent soprano and David Lang’s sweeping music give this uneasy love song from the movie Youth, ravishing gravitas.
–Tom Huizenga

Sweet Spirit, “If You Wanna”
This Austin band writes catchy tunes that reveal several layers upon repeated listens. Also, I want to go to Mexico RIGHT NOW.
–Matt Reilly, KUTX

The Tallest Man On Earth, “Sagres”
Right out of the gate, this Kristian Matsson song engulfs you with wave after wave of beautifully lush sounds that are perfectly suited to a summer drive.
–Eric Teel, Jefferson Public Radio

Tame Impala, “Let It Happen”
This one is a bargain for your buck. It’s like four songs in one and they’re all good!
–Bill DeVille, The Current

7 minutes, 46 seconds, and I wish it was longer.
–Mac Wilson, The Current

Terence Blanchard feat. The E-Collective, “Samadhi”
A great song for everybody that meditates.
Aaron Cohen, WCLK

Thundercat, “Them Changes”
One of the most devastating songs of 2015, without a doubt. If the fusion of funk and jazz isn’t enough, add Thundercat’s beautiful bass and the heart stopping lyric, “Nobody move there’s blood on the floor and I can’t find my heart …,” and you won’t be able to pull yourself off the floor, either.
–Anne Litt, KCRW

Tomas Pagan Motta, “Up and Away”
If the amazing vocal — which conjures up Van Morrison, Tim and Jeff Buckley and somehow, Led Zeppelin — doesn’t seduce your spirit, try resisting the alchemy of acoustic guitar, strings and pedal steel.
–Vicky Gregor, KRCC

Tony Bennett & Bill Charlap, “All The Things You Are”
A song that’s been done a million times and ways, essayed slowly and deliberately by voice and piano, with conviction that feels like instinct.
–Michael Bourne, WBGO

Unknown Mortal Orchestra, “Can’t Keep Checking My Phone”
This song is a funky reminder to “be here now, man!” Put your phone down and dance.
–Alisa Ali, WFUV

From its Tarantino spaghetti western start to its groovy “Purple Rain” end, this single by the Portland-by-way-of-New Zealand band is a cinematic treat for our ears.
–Joni Deutsch, West Virginia Public Broadcsting

Young Fathers, “Shame”
From the orchestrated chaos to the catchy hooks and children’s choir, the Scottish trio’s anthem for 2015 makes you feel no … shame.
–Alisha Sweeney, Colorado Public Radio’s OpenAir

Copyright 2015 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.

When most people think of R&B protest, however, they think of artists like Nina Simone, Curtis Mayfield, James Brown and Stevie Wonder—those post ’50s musicians who courageously deployed music and lyrics to speak truth to establishment power. By the mid-’60s and into the ’70s, wide-eyed integration dreams morphed into black power-era realities, the Nixon administration waged war against black revolutionaries and assassinations of civil rights leaders blanketed the land in collective disillusionment. R&B (or aspects of it) became decidedly tougher, more militant and funkier, and songwriter-producers like Norman Whitfield and Gamble & Huff delivered artistic explorations of social problems like injustice and oppression, hypocrisy and double standards, and tyranny and corruption.

My goal in curating this special edition of “I’ll Take You There” is to radically expand the stylistic and temporal boundaries of what constitutes protest in R&B. You’ll hear much more than the expected MVPs of protest music like Sam Cooke, Edwin Starr and Labelle. I’ve included genres that pre-date and helped spawn R&B, like jazz, gospel and blues, as well as bebop, free jazz, folk, reggae, calypso and spoken word. You’ll hear early rock ‘n roll by Chuck Berry and Little Richard; retro spirituals by civil rights troubadours like Harry Belafonte and The Staples Singers; blistering Vietnam-era hard rock by Jimi Hendrix and The Chambers Brothers, black arts movement spiel by the Last Poets and Gil Scott Heron; bombastic hip-hop by Public Enemy and The Roots; and transcendent house by Aly-Us and Taravhonty.

Protest music was never one size fits all: it could be searing and caustic like Gene McDaniels’ “The Parasite (for Buffy),” exuberant and subversive like Martha Reeves and the Vandellas’ “Dancing in the Street;” or slap-happy and conga-line-maudlin like The O’Jays’ “Love Train.” You’ll find feminist freedom anthems like Chaka Khan’s “I’m Every Woman” as well as gay pride one-offs like Carl Bean’s Motown barnstormer “I Was Born This Way.” Soulful protest stretches far beyond American shores: I’ve included music from Sierra Leone, Benin, Jamaica, Trinidad, Nigeria, Ghana, Brazil, Chile, Cuba and much more. South African anti-apartheid (and post-apartheid) liberation songs are well represented here too.

By the ’90s, Clintonian deregulation resulted in unprecedented media conglomeration, which in turn made possible the Clear Channel homogenization of radio. As a result, mainstream outlets for protest music — sounds that might challenge or upset advertisers and corporate interests that keep such outlets running — have mostly withered. But that doesn’t mean R&B musicians stopped making protest. Sure, you have to search harder to find explicit instances of it in new millennium R&B, but we should make much of the anti-police-brutality musings of Anthony David and Wyclef, the unabashed black-love Afrocentricity of Angie Stone and Esperanza Spalding; the acid-tongued genius of Meshell Ndegeocello, in a category by herself; the post 9/11 commentary of Donnie and Erykah Badu; the in-yer-face Afrobeat of Antibalas; or the retro-jazz of Gregory Porter. These artists, while not always the consistent recipients of mainstream visibility, helped carve out space for the current overground post-Ferguson celebration of outspoken artists like John Legend and Kendrick Lamar.

There will also be those who believe that R&B should never aspire to be anything more than escapist entertainment. They suppose that politics somehow interferes with the groove. Sometimes that’s little more than an anti-intellectual conceit made by people who get nervous and fidgety when they hear people who are darker than blue talking too much about revolution and planetary change.

This special edition of the stream is a reminder that soulful dissent can be both entertaining and politically efficacious. Soulful protest is the work of skillful musicians using their gifts and raising their voices to recreate the world so that everyone has an opportunity to fully participate and no one else’s voice ever again has to remain suppressed or unheard. Democracy is so much better if it’s funky.

Copyright 2015 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.

Still, we started out with far more to choose from. It took an enormous amount of effort to get here: Thousands of acts play SXSW each year, enough that winnowing them down to 100 required months of seeking, listening, culling and decision-making. What remains are some of SXSW 2015’s most thrilling discoveries and highlights.

In addition to this list, we’ve also got a full, interactive multimedia experience — not to mention a way to stream these songs all the way through SXSW 2016. And, as always, visit NPR.org/SXSW for live concerts, photos, videos and dispatches from this year’s festival.

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The Austin 100 Playlist

A. Sinclair, “Shiny Things”

Alvvays, “Archie, Marry Me”

Amason, “Älgen”

Amber London, “Strikkly 4 My Sippaz Freestyle”

Andrew Combs, “Foolin'”

Bell Gardens, “Darker Side Of Sunshine”

Big Phony, “I Love Lucy”

Boogie, “Bitter Raps (prod. DK The Punisher)”

Chancha Via Circuito, “Jardines (feat. Lido Pimienta)”

Charlie Belle, “Get To Know”

Chastity Belt, “Time To Go Home”

Cheerleader, “Perfect Vision”

Cold Mailman, “Moments”

Colony House, “Silhouettes”

Count This Penny, “Shoebox Scene”

Courtney Barnett, “Pedestrian At Best”

Donovan Wolfington, “Keef Ripper”

Doomtree, “Gray Duck”

Doug Seegers, “Going Down To The River”

Emmy The Great, “Swimming Pool”

The Family Crest, “Beneath The Brine”

Fantastic Negrito, “An Honest Man”

Fatherson, “I Like Not Knowing”

Field Mouse, “Everyone But You”

Fort Romeau, “Insides”

Gabi, “Fleece”

Genevieve, “Colors”

Geographer, “I’m Ready”

Girl Band, “Lawman”

Girlpool, “Blah Blah Blah”

Hanne Kolstø, “We Don’t See Ourselves”

Happyness, “Anything I Do Is All Right”

Hinds, “Bamboo”

Homeboy Sandman, “Rain”

Houndmouth, “Sedona”

Howard, “Falling”

Ibeyi, “Ghosts”

Irene Diaz, “Crazy Love”

Joan Shelley, “First Of August”

Josh Berwanger Band, “I Want You Bad”

Jukebox The Ghost, “The Great Unknown”

Kaleo, “All The Pretty Girls”

Kali Uchis, “Ridin Round”

Kate Tempest, “The Beigeness”

Kevin Devine & The Goddamn Band, “Bubblegum”

Knox Hamilton, “Work It Out”

Kristin Diable, “Time Will Wait”

La Luz, “Pink Slime”

Lapalux, “Closure (feat. Szjerdene)”

The Last Year, “Mania”

The Lees Of Memory, “We Are Siamese”

Little Simz, “Devour”

Liza Anne, “Room”

Lowell, “I Love You Money”

Luluc, “Small Window”

Madisen Ward And The Mama Bear, “Silent Movies”

Makthaverskan, “Witness”

Mantar, “Spit”

Max Capote, “Sin Mentirte (feat. Sie7e)”

Meg Mac, “Roll Up Your Sleeves”

Meishi Smile, “Blank Ocean”

METZ, “Acetate”

Mitski, “Townie”

Moon Honey, “The Cathedral”

Moving Panoramas, “Radar”

The Octopus Project, “Whitby”

ODESZA, “Say My Name (feat. Zyra)”

Pity Sex, “Acid Reflex”

Qarabagh Ensemble, “Isterem Seni”

Quiet Company, “Understand The Problem”

San Fermin, “Jackrabbit”

Scotty ATL, “Cloud IX (Go Up!) [prod. DJ Toomp]”

Screaming Females, “Ripe”

Shamir, “On The Regular”

Sheer Mag, “What You Want”

Skylar Spence, “Fiona Coyne”

SOAK, “B a noBody”

Spring King, “City”

Strawberry Runners, “Hatcher Creek”

Summer Cannibals, “Something New”

Summer Heart, “Thinkin Of U”

Sunflower Bean, “Tame Impala”

Sunny Sweeney, “Second Guessing”

Tanya Tagaq, “Uja”

THEESatisfaction, “EarthEE (feat. Shabazz Palaces, Porter Ray & Erik Blood)”

Title Fight, “Liars Love”

Torres, “Strange Hellos”

Tuxedo, “Number One”

Twerps, “Back To You”

Twin Shadow, “Turn Me Up”

Venomous Maximus, “Give Up The Witch”

Vérité, “Strange Enough”

Weyes Blood, “Some Winters”

Whiskey Shivers, “Free”

White Reaper, “Cool”

Wild Party, “OutRight”

Wilsen, “Go Try”

XETAS, “The Point”

Young Buffalo, “Sykia”

Your Old Droog, “Bad To The Bone (Remix)”

Copyright 2015 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.

At the other end of 2014 was The Soft Pink Truth’s Why Do the Heathen Rage?, a record that not only brings black metal classics into the dance club but also appropriates their meanings. Sarcofago’s “Ready to F- – -” becomes a glittery, queer house jam sung by Jenn Wasner (Wye Oak, Dungeonesse). Somewhere, somebody is voguing to “Beholding the Throne of Might,” Darkthrone’s original now soundtracking executive realness. It’s unapologetic, it’s profane, it’s delicious.

Neither of these albums makes this year-end metal list because, well, they aren’t metal. But they do illustrate how we think about tradition and what we value in this 40-year-old genre. Do we want the riffs? Yes. Do we want it heavy? Well, yes, c’mon. How do we feel about politically-charged lyrics? I mean, Metallica and Slayer stuck it to the man back in the day. What if metal was prettier? I mean, Anathema’s cool and all … What if a trio of Japanese girls started singing about chocolate and throwing up horns? Uhhhh … What if the societal dynamic of metal changed? [Dead silence, followed by endless comment threads not worth linking to.]

These are the growing pains of 2014. We still believe in the traditions and keep the faith, but recognize that evolution is inevitable — some of us kicking and screaming. Below are my favorite metal albums of the year that, perhaps tellingly, straddle both: underground legends who never gave up the tradition, young guns that keep it going; an underground legend who never stops innovating, young metalheads leaping across genres.

Ranking be damned, this personal top 10 list is in alphabetical order. (If you’re aching for more than 10 albums, head on over to my blog for the metal records I hated to cut.)

Copyright 2015 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.

So things happened, a wide variety of things, maybe too many things, and we missed some ground-hugging gems, even a couple made by legends. These are ten of those.

Dornik, “On My Mind”

Here in the U.S., we continue our desperate quest for that fresh and innovative sound. We squeeze everything we can out of a trend and leave it out to dry. British musicians have been taking what was great in the past and resurrectng it with unfamiliar interpretations. This is best heard in what they do with the ’80s and ’90s styles. Dornik put out his first song, “Something About You,” at the beginning of 2013. As luck would have it, this year he’s still deep in his ’80s bag. On his third song, “On My Mind,” the MJ influence stands out along with bits of D-Train, Mtume and other soul staples. What sets Dornik apart are the intricate chord and vocal arrangements merged with his influences.

Eric Roberson feat. KING, “Just Imagine”

This year the pride of Howard University, Eric Roberson, released his 8^th LP, The Box, where he continued to expand his brand of contemporary, grown man R&B. On “Just Imagine,” Roberson relinquishes writing and production power to NPR&B’s favorite trio, KING. This is barbershop quartet at its finest. Soothing finger snaps and harmonies glide across Paris’s delicate melody.

Sir, “Can We Still”

Inglewood, Calif.’s Sir dropped an EP called Seven Sundays, consisting of nine exceptionally cohesive songs, this fall. It isn’t a mixtape that was just thrown out, it’s a project that was attentively assembled. On “Can We Still,” Iman Omari‘s unorthodox production meshes perfectly with Sir’s flow and raw vocal. His delivery teeters back and forth between hip-hop and soul but once he opens up, you realize the kid has pipes. Topping things off with Tre Pugh’s keys creates one of the top slow jams of 2014.

Phil Beaudreau, “Anyway”

Grammy Award-winning producer Dawaun Parker struck gold with singer/multi-instrumentalist, Phil Beaudreau. Together they leaked a few teasers throughout 2013 and at the top of 2014 unveiled Phil’s debut album, Ether. Parker’s often complex, bottom-heavy soundscapes make for a beautiful marriage with Phil’s tone, but when scaled back on “Anyway” something emphatically magical happens. Over a simple kick and playful synths, Beaudreau sings about life lessons learned the hard way with no regrets. It remains to be seen if this dynamic duo will make a run on the charts or achieve phenomenon status, but judging by these recent releases, their burgeoning fan base can expect more great music in 2015.

Faith Evans, “Ever Go Away”

When seasoned vet Faith Evans made her debut on Bad Boy Records 20 years ago, she came in with all of the intangible qualities that would be considered “marketable” today. She didn’t even need them, because she could outsing virtually everyone in her class. In 2014 it’s still true, with the addition of two decades of wisdom. Her 6^th studio album, Incomparable, is her best since 2005’s The First Lady. “Ever Go Away” reunites Evans with the producer responsible for crafting her signature sound, Chucky Thompson. On paper, it’s a simple profession of love. Vocally, it’s a triple backflip through near impossible arrangements. Clocking in at a mere two minutes, it’s everything good in R&B. Her late fourth quarter release was criminally slept on.

DJ Fudge & Hallex M. feat. Omar, “Simpatico”

Before you say it, we know. It’s a house record. It’s a house record featuring Omar, fierce tribal percussion and an irresistible groove. Therefore, we deem it worthy of this list. House-inflected R&B, at least in the U.S., lives comfortably at the grassroots level so, it should come as no surprise that this didn’t pop off. But whether you were born with two left feet or came equipped with a keen sense of rhythm, “Simpatico” will move you.

MNEK, “In Your Clouds”

The name MNEK holds serious weight in the U.K. Having received writing credit on five Top 10 singles before the age of 20, the singer/songwriter/producer is gearing up to invade the States. He’s taken the rapper approach of introducing himself by rolling out a rash of remixes and collaborations. The iTunes special release “In Your Clouds” gets the head nodding right away. By the time that build of a hook kicks in, one may uncontrollably break into a body roll. While MNEK’s a triple threat, it’s his voice that locks you in. After the bridge, it completely cuts through the track. Keep an eye on what this young tunesmith brings next year.

Mariah Carey feat. Nas, “Dedicated”

There’s not much to say about Mariah Carey’s body of work that hasn’t already been said. But her latest studio album, Me. I Am Mariah… The Elusive Chanteuse, didn’t get the traction you’d expect from one of the most successful singer-songwriters of our time, which is a shame because the album was littered with brilliant moments. One of them is the summer number “Dedication” featuring Mr. Illmatic. HS87’s breezy 808s and a Wu-Tang vocal sample make for an excellent backdrop as Carey and Nas reminisce on the golden age of love and hip-hop. “Dedicated” is the nostalgia that urban radio so oftentimes evades, which might be why it flew under the radar.

Teedra Moses, “All I Ever Wanted”

In hip-hop, repurposing certain classics is considered an act of sacrilege. Camp Lo’s “Luchini” which samples Dynasty’s “Adventures in the Land of Music” is indisputably one of those songs. This summer Teedra Moses courageously attacked, and, in her words, “took what you gave and I flipped that,” taking aim at some poor soul who mistook her affection for avarice. The production pays respect to the original, only adding a filter here and there with a pinch of extra percussion. She rides the beat the way her cult following and DJs alike have grown to love.

Abhi//Dijon, “Distant Love”

The sounds of Abhi//Dijon are unfettered by proper training — which is a good thing. The young Maryland duo’s self-titled, self-produced and self-released EP is all of four tracks and 13 minutes long, but it’s more than enough to make an impression. Dipping into “Distant Love” feels like the audio-equivalent of seeing life through rose-colored glasses. The lyrics point one way, toward the not-so-distant finish line of an unavoidable breakup, while the undulating groove goes in another, making it feel like somehow, everything’s gonna work out. (Pay attention around the 3-minute mark. A lovelier beat switch would be hard to come by.)

Copyright 2014 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.

With that in mind, we asked our partner stations to tell us about their favorite musical discoveries of the year. The results include everything from a metamodern country singer to a heartsick Toronto surf-pop band, not to mention a whole lot of love for impressively viral Irish singer-songwriter Hozier. Read on for 10 hosts’ picks for the artists who broke out in 2014.

Copyright 2014 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.

You can stream this month’s mix here or through NPR Music’s SoundCloud account. If you’d rather just hear each song individually, check out the playlist below.

You can keep up with our favorite discoveries on Twitter by following @Sami_Yenigun and @spotieotis.

Copyright 2014 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.

What links them together? 2014 has, in its first six months, been a wonderful year for musicians who go deep. The 25 albums on this list (presented alphabetically) all start with a sound, a vibe, a concept or crucial idea. After that, they flower in different ways. One might display the range of sounds a band leader can pull out of a few fellow musicians or the depth of emotion a singer can plumb while mapping the course of desire and heartbreak. Others offer history lessons, looking back over 20 years in the life of an American city or 200 years in the life of an instrument.

All pull you in with both hands. All of them connect us as listeners to the work done by musicians who ask for more than three minutes of our time. These ones deserve it. These are our favorite albums of the year so far.

Advisory: Some of the songs on this page contain profanity.

NPR Music’s 25 Favorite Albums Of 2014 (So Far)

ANA TIJOUX
VENGO

Over the last few years, Chilean rapper Ana Tijoux has released one flawless record after another, making her one of Latin America’s most beloved rappers. Her most recent album, Vengo, is no exception. It’s musically exhilarating while lyrically poignant, a difficult equilibrium that Latin hip-hop — a genre that tends to be very political — sometimes has trouble achieving. Tijoux walks the thin line that separates thoughtful from preachy with confidence: She’s at that sweet spot of being joyously combative, relaxed but resistant. Musically Vengo is also quite breathtaking. While some of her colleagues wallow in derivative beats, she proves why she’s at the top of her class with a unique blend of jazz, funk and Andean rhythms. For those who don’t know her work, this is a good time to catch up. — Jasmine Garsd

ANGEL OLSEN
BURN YOUR FIRE FOR NO WITNESS

The word “confessional” tends to get tossed around to describe singer-songwriters who reveal — and even revel in — raw, sticky emotions. But there’s a kind of submissiveness, even apology, implied by that word that doesn’t suit Angel Olsen. Whether she’s huddled over a single acoustic guitar or backed by a muscular rock band, Olsen’s voice grabs you by the collar and looks straight through you. As commanding and assertive as its title suggests, especially in naked and foreboding songs like the seven-minute “White Fire,” Burn Your Fire for No Witness doesn’t waste a motion or a breath. Olsen’s subtle, commanding voice is the embodiment of coiled intensity: The more she seems to hold still, the harder her punches land. — Stephen Thompson

ARTURO O’FARRILL & THE AFRO LATIN ORCHESTRA
THE OFFENSE OF THE DRUM

There’s no doubt that the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra, led by pianist Arturo O’Farrill, is well-versed in clave and swing. But here’s a list of other things that appear on its new album: Colombian country harp; “Iko Iko” featuring a Mardi Gras Indian chief; a mesmerizing beat pattern from Vijay Iyer; an arrangement of a work by French Romantic composer Erik Satie; Nuyorican slam poetry with scratching turntables; djembe, taiko drum and at least 26 other percussion instruments. Musical hybridity is at the heart of this band; here, it assimilates any remix thrown at it with furious conviction. — Patrick Jarenwattananon

BECK
MORNING PHASE

If we needed any proof that albums still matter in this short-attention-span world, Beck‘s flawless 12th album, Morning Phase, is a triumphant testimony. From the soft swells of the orchestral opener, “Cycle,” and the first strum of his guitar, the transportive effect of this slow and beautiful sonic journey begins. Made with Beck’s composer father, David Richard Campbell, and many of the same musicians behind 2002’s Sea Change (Beck’s beloved ode to heartbreak), Morning Phase could be called a companion piece, but it is better described as a grown-up sequel. The songs pull at the heartstrings, and instead of pulling us downward, they are ultimately about finding the light when one lets go. Whether it is in the glow of early morning or under a blue moon, Morning Phase provides a bittersweet reminder of the temporary nature of all things, and a wiser Beck right there with us. — Carmel Holt, WFUV

BRIAN BLADE & THE FELLOWSHIP BAND
LANDMARKS

This album is led by an all-world jazz drummer, but there aren’t really drum solos. It’s pastoral and tranquil when its peers are often urbane and frenetic. It feels simple — rhythmically, harmonically, structurally — in an age of complexity. So when a melody emerges, it cuts like a knife. When a saxophone reaches for that high note, the sincerity is palpable. And when the constantly simmering tension erupts, or even just hits a rolling boil, there’s a joyousness, an instant renewal of 20-year friendships, a velocity of celebration. — Patrick Jarenwattananon

DAVID GREILSAMMER
SCARLATTI & CAGE SONATAS

Like a crafty DJ, David Greilsammer has a knack for surprising musical juxtapositions. On the pianist’s album Baroque Conversations, from 2012, 18th century masters like Jean-Philippe Rameau sit cheek-by-jowl with modernists like Morton Feldman. Now Greilsammer’s back at it, swapping sonatas written 200 years apart by Domenico Scarlatti and John Cage. For Greilsammer the two composers are kindred spirits, both “inventors of sound” — Scarlatti with his radical harmonies and rhythms inspired by flamenco, and Cage with his prepared piano (into which he inserted nuts, bolts and rubber thingamabobs to create a percussion orchestra). His performance of Scarlatti’s Sonata in D minor, K.213 exquisitely dovetails into Cage’s Sonatas XIV & XV, creating a third entity — the fascinating bridge connecting the daring and the delicate in each piece (you can listen to an excerpt here). To the “inventors” Scarlatti and Cage we can add and third name — Greilsammer, whose spunk and imagination are most welcome. — Tom Huizenga

FREDDIE GIBBS & MADLIB
PIÑATA

Rapper Freddie Gibbs, born and raised in Gary, Ind., met venerable producer Madlib in Los Angeles, and the album they made together is a complete work that straddles generations and sensibilities. The pair’s conception of gangster music sounds more like crushed velvet than velour, dramatizing the turmoil of a narrator who could be Sincere’s older son, or the grandchild of Youngblood Priest. On one song, “Robes,” Gibbs quotes 1987 Babyface and invites two ’90s babies to jump on. Throughout, his eye is unsparing, never more so than when it’s turned on himself. On “Broken” he begins with the Basmala and later, talking about his inherited infidelity, says “Honestly, I know I’m out here f- – -ing up.” Gibbs’ phrasing is virtuosic; his words sound like they’ve levitated. No guest — not Scarface, not Raekwon, not Earl, not Danny Brown — outshines Gibbs over beats that are glassine and big-bodied and as real as can be. — Frannie Kelley

GORDON VOIDWELL
BAD ÉTUDES

Like Frankenstein’s monster, BAD ÉTUDES is stitched together, alive and breathing by the hand of its master, Bronx musician Gordon Voidwell. Oozing funk, pop, R&B and otherworldly inspiration, the record is filled to the brim with thoughtfully constructed modulations and manipulations — imagine a Prince from the future who says, “To hell with all these instruments. Let me see how far I can freak a keyboard.” With his production serving as a constantly tilting landscape of audacity, Voidwell takes it a step further by altering his vocals, veering them toward femininity then back again. He throws us off and turns us on; winds us up and breaks it all down. As a whole or piece-by-piece, this album is a funky sci-fi experiment gone right. — Kiana Fitzgerald

Bad Études is available for purchase on Bandcamp.

HURRAY FOR THE RIFF RAFF
SMALL TOWN HEROES

Considering the songs that populate Hurray for the Riff Raff‘s latest release, it makes sense that they titled the disc Small Town Heroes. Here are the voices of battered women taking their power back; defiantly hopeful lovers; neighborhoods keeping their pride amid surging crime waves; the outlaw with the yearning heart; and of course the band on the road, longing for home. They’re songs about a city revitalizing itself, people coming into their own. Its rhythms and melodies call to mind everything from Appalachian tradition to the Mississippi Delta and the old folk-blues. Frontwoman and songwriter Alynda Lee Segarra sings every lyric with a haunting, raw honesty. Where her voice doesn’t tremble like it’s shaking the rain out, it soars and bops like a determined bird flying against a breeze. Small Town Heroes is an arresting, memorable disc from a band that’s only just getting started. — Kim Ruehl, Folk Alley

JEFF BALLARD TRIO
TIME’S TALES

Drummer Jeff Ballard had never led a recording before this one, which is amazing considering how many recordings he’s been a part of. His debut album reflects most of his divergent impulses toward the worldly and the familiar, the knotted bundles of odd-meter asymmetry and the silky-smooth groove — and does so with only three guys. It works because while his two collaborators play guitar (Lionel Loueke, from Benin) and sax (Miguel Zenón, from Puerto Rico), everyone’s a percussionist at heart. That rapid fire rhythmic dialogue, and some nifty guitar noises, enables a skeleton crew to throw a street parade. — Patrick Jarenwattananon

KASSEM MOSSE
WORKSHOP 19

On a string of singles released over the better part of a decade, Leipzig’s Kassem Mosse has found the sweet spot between stripped-down production and melody-driven songwriting. Making music that’s warmer than much of the techno coming out of Germany and sparser than much of the house music coming from the States, Mosse is hailed again and again for blazing his own trail, and sucking in others under his wake. An auteur to the bone, Mosse’s debut LP showcases the flexibility of his sound. It’s murky and melancholic, ambient at times, but also made to get people up out of their seats. Once again, Mosse finds the space between expected and inaccessible. — Sami Yenigun

LEON VYNEHALL
MUSIC FOR THE UNINVITED

Remember what it felt like to listen to your parents’ cassettes when you were a young child? Kind of, but not really, right? We recall snippets of songs, the stack of plastic cases below the car stereo, maybe the auto-reverse click between “Darling Nikki” and “When Doves Cry.” For many of us, it’s an impressionist painting in our mind of the moment we first fell in love with music. British dance producer Leon Vynehall called on his fuzzy memories of low fidelity while writing his debut album, Music For The Uninvited, a sample-fueled fusion of house, disco, funk and soul. He even ends each “side” of the record with that unmistakable *snap* of a play button popping back into place. It’s an old-school labor of love by one of the most promising young minds in dance music, nostalgic and next-level at the same time. — Otis Hart

LOS LOBOS
SI SE PUEDE!: LOS LOBOS AND FRIENDS

Over 40 years ago music played a crucial role in one of this country’s most important civil rights struggles: not in the Jim Crow South but in the agricultural fields of California, where the United Farm Workers was organizing laborers into a union for the first time ever. Traditional Mexican corridos were reworked to call people to march, picket and strike. The music was made by some of the workers themselves, as well as members of the UFW, and you pretty much had to be out in the fields to hear it — until 1976 when the album Si Se Puede was released as a fundraiser for the UFW. Herb Albert donated his A&M Records studios to a group of young Chicano musicians who called themselves Los Lobos del Este de los Angeles and who gathered some of their friends to record some of the music that had become part of the farmworker movement.

The band shortened its name and eventually made a big noise of its own, and 38 years later, long after it had gone out of print, the music was finally digitally rereleased this spring to coincide with the release of a biopic about Cesar Chavez. The themes of social justice are timeless but more so is the notion that music can indeed help change the world. We seem to have forgotten that. That’s why this music, now nearly four decades old, still matters. — Felix Contreras

MAJID BEKKAS
AL QANTARA

Al Qantara (“The Bridge”) is a fitting title for the new album by Majid Bekkas. The native Moroccan’s home country has long been a nexus of African, Eastern and Western cultures. Bekkas is steeped in Gnawa, an ancient Moroccan spiritual trance music, but on Al Qantara he adroitly fuses the tradition with jazz and African styles. His principal tools are the oud and the guembri, a three-stringed guitar-sized instrument covered in camel skin that produces the low notes of a double bass. With his Afro-Oriental Jazz Trio, Bekkas guides a journey through traditional Moroccan tunes (“Bania”), jazz staples (Don Cherry’s “Guinea”) and his own mesmerizing creations. “Choroq,” after an extended oud introduction, gives way to Manuel Hermia’s evocative basuri (bamboo flute). When Khalid Kouhen’s Indian tabla drums kick in, the piece takes flight with a melody of sublime beauty. Hopefully Al Qantara will bridge yet one more gap — the one between the notoriety Bekkas enjoys in Morocco and that which we hope he finds far beyond. — Tom Huizenga

MIRANDA LAMBERT
PLATINUM

Miranda Lambert likes to say in interviews that she’s no role model. And thank goodness. On her fifth studio album, country’s longtime self-aware bad girl offers something more powerful than craziness and kerosene: a deliberately holistic portrait of 21st century femininity, with room for vulnerability, regret, gentle nostalgia, hope and plenty of humor. Lambert speaks through characters who are married and independent, sexually confident and anxious about their looks, longing for home comforts and eager for the wide open road. The music ranges just as widely as Lambert’s worldview, from traditional bluegrass to honky-tonk rock to the well-burnished country that radio requires. Lambert herself always retains her individualistic edge. “You don’t know nothin’ about girls,” she sings, confronting stereotypes in the album’s lead track. Don’t worry; Miranda will school you. — Ann Powers

OWEN PALLETT
IN CONFLICT

Once the golden boy of Canada’s now decade-long indie invasion, Owen Pallett made his best album by tracking the growing pains of becoming an adult: solitude, self-destruction, depression and regret cut with a confidence born of the realization that you, you grown human person, have survived long enough to build a life made out of your own accumulated choices. Everything that made Pallett’s name is here on In Conflict: the lonely, looped violin; lyrical details that weave soul-baring into mundane; the tense/triumphant orchestration that won him a spot as Arcade Fire’s resident classical guy (not to mention an Oscar nomination for scoring Her last year). Any one of these would make him a tremendous talent. All of them, knit together with new authority and purpose, make him singular. — Jacob Ganz

ST. LOUIS SYMPHONY/DAVID ROBERTSON, CONDUCTOR
ADAMS: CITY NOIR/SAXOPHONE CONCERTO

Composer John Adams wrote City Noir as a homage to the City of Angels — and it is at once a cinematically scaled nod to 1940s and ’50s film scores and, especially in the first movement, an intricate bundle full of knotted melodies climbing inside each other. The saxophone concerto that accompanies City Noir carries bebop in its DNA, and soloist Timothy McAllister is simply outstanding. Meanwhile, the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra and conductor David Robertson are born naturals for this music, turning in fresh, dynamic and invigorating performances. — Anastasia Tsioulcas

ST. VINCENT
ST. VINCENT

I’ve always thought Annie Clark’s music and guitar-playing was pretty damn good — then she released her fourth St. Vincent record and I was floored. All of the qualities I’ve come to love in her music — the quirky lyrics, songs with hairpin turns and her idiosyncratic guitar-playing — are here, sharper than ever. There are songs about her Jesus and her mother, about political activist Huey Newton, about running naked in the desert and the meaning of it all in this digital age. The songs are fun, sometimes funny and sonically a treat for the ears. — Bob Boilen

STROMAE
RACINE CARRÉE

It’s hard to pin the Belgian artist Stromae down, and that’s just how he likes it: a little EDM, a little hip-hop, a little R&B, a little Eurodance, a little Congolese rumba, a little tango … and yet it all works, beautifully. One of the smartest songwriters around, Stromae navigates the shoals of modern life — from relationships and race to the financial crisis and existential concerns — with grace, humor, a wink and a teeny bit of swagger. There are so many tracks to fall in love with here — “Formidable,” “Tous Les Mêmes,” “Ave Cesaria,” “Ta Fête,” “Humain A L’Eau,” the global smash “Papaoutai” — that the whole album is an unmitigated, heavy-repeat pleasure. And his live show is, improbably, even better. — Anastasia Tsioulcas

STURGILL SIMPSON
METAMODERN SOUNDS IN COUNTRY MUSIC

There are people who fret about the health and purity of country music and there are those who just keep the damn stuff alive. On his second solo album, Sturgill Simpson pumps oxygen into familiar forms — the honky-tonk all-night drunk, the philosophical road song, the country-politan ballad, the gospel singalong, the trucker anthem — with the no-fuss creativity of a rebel with a cause, and a plan. The Kentucky native, now living in Nashville, set out to make songs that honored tradition but rejected easy associations: Instead of odes to girls with painted-on jeans, Simpson applies his majestic baritone to sometimes psychedelic ruminations about fate, personal agency and the Zen interconnectedness of all things. His muscular touring band keeps Simpson grounded while letting him range wide. The result is hard country with no edges made for people with big sky minds. — Ann Powers

SYLVAN ESSO
SYLVAN ESSO

An unexpected, intoxicating left-field debut, Sylvan Esso captures the sound of two equally unlikely musicians: singer Amelia Meath, known for singing folk a cappella in Mountain Man, and producer Nick Sanborn, known for playing bass in the psychedelic roots-rock band Megafaun. Neither had hinted at anything that sounds quite like this batch of intricately crafted, emotionally resonant, strikingly catchy electro-pop songs. Music this sturdy and remix-ready doesn’t generally come from such a distinct and powerful lyrical point of view: Meath’s often hauntingly ambivalent words seize just as much attention as the multidimensional sound beds on which they’re placed. “Coffee” is the most unstoppably great song here — maybe the most unstoppably great song of the year, period — but everything else on Sylvan Esso grabs hard, too, from the playful provocation of “Hey Mami” to the wobbly anthemic rush of “Play It Right.” — Stephen Thompson

TONI BRAXTON & BABYFACE
LOVE, MARRIAGE & DIVORCE

Rich doesn’t come close to describing Toni Braxton‘s voice. More than 20 years after her first duet with Babyface, with the mic capturing every little thing that comes out of her mouth — every catch, every low-key run, even the bitten off end of a word — she sounds at once impossible and exactly like your friend did the last time her heart got broken. There are overblown moments on Love, Marriage & Divorce, but most of the album feels personal, and all that reverb helps to make it feel interior, even private. Babyface’s voice is tangy and refined. On “Roller Coaster” he’s punchy, using his voice like a rhythm instrument. Braxton takes liberties with the beat. Her two solo turns, “I Wish,” which is too real, and “I’d Rather Be Broke” aren’t occasions to show off; they further the narrative. The album sticks to its story, and in the process delivers a set of mature songs masterfully detailed. — Frannie Kelley

TRIPTYKON
MELANA CHASMATA

In his third band in three decades, Tom Warrior continues to be one of metal’s most thoughtful innovators. As visionary as Warrior has been in Hellhammer and Celtic Frost, Warrior works best in tandem with a band that locks into his dark world. Triptykon’s second album, Melana Chasmata, is a bottomless pit where nocturnal creatures breed and kill, uncovering atmospheres and riffs still unknown. — Lars Gotrich

THE WAR ON DRUGS
LOST IN THE DREAM

The War On Drugs‘ Lost In The Dream is the sound of tomorrow’s greatest classic rock today. Lead singer and guitarist Adam Granduciel’s epic guitar playing and songwriting on album tracks like “Under The Pressure,” “In Reverse” and the seven-minute “An Ocean In Between The Waves” are infused with mesmerizing Springsteen–Petty–Velvet Underground influences. He’s got a vocal style that brings to mind Dylan circa Blood On The Tracks. It’s possible to deduce the themes of the album by the names of the songs. “Eyes To The Wind,” “The Haunting Idle,” the title song and the slow burning “Suffering,” express matters of the heart and soul. There are plenty of searching, longing and questioning, set to a soundtrack of a psychedelic heartland. Lost In The Dream is a triumphant, transcendent, classic rock album — whether or not you hear the Springsteenisms that subtly inform the record. —Bruce Warren, WXPN

YG
MY KRAZY LIFE

After the success of his platinum selling single “My Hitta” and Drake-flavored “Who Do You Love,” YG released his debut album, My Krazy Life, earlier this year. My Krazy Life has the feeling of a traditional West Coast album (skits included): You can hear Dr. Dre bass lines and some Bay Area bounce slips in thanks to the production of DJ Mustard. YG is a ’90s baby straight outta Compton, the storied neighborhood that brought us rap icons N.W.A. When the good kid from the maad city himself, Kendrick Lamar, meets up with his bad a$$ neighbor YG on “Really Be (Smoking N Drinking)” they sound vulnerable exposing the harsh realities of inner-city life and their coping mechanisms (Kush and alcohol). My Krazy Life is his cautionary tale about the trappings of street life — the highs, the lows and eventually redemption. — Cedric Shine

All album photos by Sarah Tilotta/NPR

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