Top Ten Albums of 2015 - 5 through 1

Courtney Barnett - Sometimes I Sit and Think and Sometimes I Just Sit - This album caught my attention early in the year.  It has the drive of a good punk album, but, enough melody and beat to keep my attention.  My children actually know this album by some of the lyrics which they find amusing.  I just like the way it sounds.

Donnie Trumpet and The Social Experiment - Surf - The Social Experiment is Chance the Rapper's band, and, even though he isn't credited, he is all over this album.  There is a song on the playlist from him, that I really enjoyed this year and he did one of the songs off of this album on Saturday Night Live.  This is not a rap album. This a jazz, funk, soul album featuring the trumpet.  It covers a broad range of styles and it surprised me how much I enjoyed it.  The best part?  It was free on iTunes.

Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats - Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats - The early reviews called this album Springsteenesque.  It's east coast R&B, but, it's more in the vein of Southside Johnny and Mink DeVille.  This is a bar band playing bar band music.  It is rough and tumble music for a night out when you might have one or two too many.

James McMurtry - Complicated Game - As I've said many times, I don't listen to the words very closely, but, there was something about this album that caught my ear. The first song has him talking to his wife about when he's going to clean the blood off of his truck from deer hunting. From that point, he has your attention.  It is alt-country in the vein of Sturgill Simpson, and it has a bit of an Americana flavor.  It's a part of the world that we don't experience in the city, but, it's real and valid.  He does an amazing job portraying it.

Adele - 25 - I know, super predictable.  But, it was the best thing I heard all year.  I think the reason it hasn't been on more end of year lists was the late release. It has a similar tenor to her earlier albums, but, that is because it is still her voice among stripped down arrangements.  Her topics are more adult, which you would expect from someone who has happily become a parent.  Since her vocal cord surgery a few years ago, her voice is slightly lower, but, she uses it better and is able to convey more power than before.  Finally, it's one of the few albums the entire car can agree on during long car trips.