
GORILLA VS. BEAR’S ALBUMS OF 2015
We feel pretty confident proclaiming 2015 the best year for new music this decade, and we'd even go so far as to say it's been arguably our favorite year in the history of this site. So many stars seemed to serendipitously align this year — our 10th as a blog — for sounds that veered right into our own personal, sometimes insular little lane: the triumphant return of Grimes; the improbable meteoric rise of Leon Bridges from seemingly out of nowhere (i.e., right here in our own backyard); a sweet, thoroughly relatable, '90s-hip-hop-inspired record from Panda Bear (our favorite artist); two Beach House albums in the span of two months; D'Angelo with probably the best show we've seen since the last time he rolled through town 15 years ago; Grouper started a pop group; the summer of Jamie xx; and on and on. If 2015 had seen the release of Dear Tommy and new music from Shabazz Palaces or Burial (all still possible, I suppose), our blog might have imploded.
With all of that said, I still feel like we went as deep as ever this year, and as always, there were some genuinely incredible hidden gems to uncover if you spent a little time digging. Let us know how your year went as you check the full list of our 50 favorite records of the year, and lose yourself in our nearly 3-hour-long spotify playlist:
50 PALMBOMEN | PALMBOMEN II
49 DANNY L HARLE | Broken Flowers
48 RAE SREMMURD | SremmLife
47 JESSICA PRATT | On Your Own Love Again
46 STEALING SHEEP | Not Real
45 TEI SHI | Verde
44 CAROLINE NO | No Language
43 JLIN | Dark Energy
42 BICEP | Just
41 PURE BATHING CULTURE | Pray For Rain
40 VALET | Nature
39 YUMI ZOUMA | EP II
38 BEACH HOUSE | Depression Cherry
37 KNXWLEDGE | Hud Dreems
36 MOLLY NILSSON | Zenith
35 NEON INDIAN | VEGA INTL Night School
34 DILLY DALLY | Sore
33 ANTHONY NAPLES | Body Pill
32 CINDY LEE | Malenkost
CINDY LEE // Always Lovers
31 AIRBIRD & NAPOLIAN | Mr. Foolish
30 EMPRESS OF | Me
29 JOANNA NEWSOM | Divers
28 ABRA | Rose
27 SUSANNE SUNDFØR | Ten Love Songs
26 ERYKAH BADU | BUT YOU CAINT USE MY PHONE
25 EARTHEATER | RIP Chrysalis
24 LANA DEL REY | Honeymoon
23 DISASTERPEACE | It Follows OST
22 DOMENIQUE DUMONT | Comme Ça
21 TORO y MOI | Samantha
TORO y MOI // The Usual
20 THE GALLERIA | Calling Card / Mezzanine
THE GALLERIA // Mezzanine
19 AUTRE NE VEUT | Age of Transparency
18 COUSIN STIZZ | Suffolk County
17 BOP ENGLISH | Constant Bop
16 JULIA HOLTER | Have You In My Wilderness
15 YOUNG THUG | Barter 6
14 ONEOHTRIX POINT NEVER | Garden Of Delete
13 SUFJAN STEVENS | Carrie & Lowell
12 SOPHIE | PRODUCT
11 U.S. GIRLS | Half Free
10 GEORGE CLANTON | 100% Electronica
09 BEACH HOUSE | Thank Your Lucky Stars
08 LOWER DENS | Escape From Evil
07 HELEN | The Original Faces
06 VINCE STAPLES | Summertime '06
05 CINDY LEE | Act of Tenderness
CINDY LEE // Power and Possession
04 LEON BRIDGES | Coming Home
03 JAMIE XX | In Colour
02 PANDA BEAR | Panda Bear Meets the Grim Reaper
01 GRIMES | Art Angels
01 GRIMES | Art Angels
02 PANDA BEAR | Panda Bear Meets the Grim Reaper
03 JAMIE XX | In Colour
04 LEON BRIDGES | Coming Home
05 CINDY LEE | Act of Tenderness
06 VINCE STAPLES | Summertime '06
07 HELEN | The Original Faces
08 LOWER DENS | Escape From Evil
09 BEACH HOUSE | Thank Your Lucky Stars
10 GEORGE CLANTON | 100% Electronica
11 U.S. GIRLS | Half Free
12 SOPHIE | Product
13 SUFJAN STEVENS | Carrie & Lowell
14 ONEOHTRIX POINT NEVER | Garden Of Delete
15 YOUNG THUG | Barter 6
16 JULIA HOLTER | Have You In My Wilderness
17 BOP ENGLISH | Constant Bop
18 COUSIN STIZZ | Suffolk County
19 AUTRE NE VEUT | Age of Transparency
20 THE GALLERIA | Calling Card / Mezzanine
21 TORO y MOI | Samantha
22 DOMENIQUE DUMONT | Comme Ça
23 DISASTERPEACE | It Follows OST
24 LANA DEL REY | Honeymoon
25 EARTHEATER | RIP Chrysalis
26 ERYKAH BADU | BUT YOU CAINT USE MY PHONE
27 SUSANNE SUNDFØR | Ten Love Songs
28 ABRA | Rose
29 JOANNA NEWSOM | Divers
30 EMPRESS OF | Me
31 AIRBIRD & NAPOLIAN | Mr. Foolish
32 CINDY LEE | Malenkost
33 ANTHONY NAPLES | Body Pill
34 DILLY DALLY | Sore
35 NEON INDIAN - VEGA INTL Night School
36 MOLLY NILSSON - Zenith
37 KNXWLEDGE - Hud Dreems
38 BEACH HOUSE - Depression Cherry
39 YUMI ZOUMA - EP II
40 VALET - Nature
41 PURE BATHING CULTURE - Pray for Rain
42 BICEP - Just
43 JLIN - Dark Energy
44 CAROLINE NO - No Language
45 TEI SHI - Verde
46 STEALING SHEEP - Not Real
47 JESSICA PRATT - On Your Own Love Again
48 RAE SREMMURD - SremmLife
49 DANNY L HARLE - Broken Flowers
50 PALMBOMEN - PALMBOMEN II