Here is our guide to the best new music of the first quarter of 2015. A select list of mixtapes/albums that should be added to your library to start the new year off right…
Short List
To Pimp a Butterfly // Kendrick Lamar
As one of the most anticipated albums of 2015, Kendrick Lamar’s second studio album To Pimp a Butterfly, easily lived up to its hype. It has been called “unapologetically black” due to Lamar’s politically charged and emotional rhetoric. As Pitchfork’s Craig Jenkins wrote, “Underneath the tragedy and adversity, To Pimp a Butterfly is a celebration of the audacity to wake up each morning to try to be better, knowing it could all end in a second, for no reason at all.”
Goon // Tobias Jesso Jr
Tobias Jesso Jr, a relatively new artist from Los Angeles, stuns in this new album. His clear inspiration from 70s singer/songwriters has him being compared to greats like Harry Nilsson. Check out the album’s center piece track “Hollywood,” a favorite.
If You Are Reading This its Too Late // Drake
Released secretly on the sixth anniversary of Drake’s So Far Gone, a mix tape that launched his career, If You Are Reading This its Too Late delivers the same enthusiasm and ease as his original tape.
Rebel Heart // Madonna
It’s Madonna’s 13th album, and it’s simply awesome. We couldn’t not include it.
Amethyst // Tinnesha
A gift to her fans after her hugely successful album a year ago, Aquarius. As Steriogum’s Caitlin White wrote, “Of course, amethyst is the birthstone of the Aquarius sign. Tinashe picks up right where she left off, alternating between airy vocals and sing-talk rapping to call out bogus dudes and daydream about forever.”
another eternity // Purity Ring
As our favorite dream-pop record of the year (so far), another eternity perfectly exemplifies the genre. The compact record, at 10 songs and 35 minutes, is filled with Purity Ring’s staple gorgeous vocals and dream like reverb and synth. As Pitchfork’s Ian Cohen described, “If the lower-case stylization of another eternity and its song titles seems overly precious, at least it’s congruent with James’ distinct vocal approach. She works something like an origami expert, quickly folding and refolding melodies until they’re acutely angled, pointed, and elegant.”
Honorable Mentions
Panda Bear Meets the Grim Reaper // Panda Bear
Vulnicura // Bjork
SremmLife // Rae Sremmurd
B4.DA.$$ // Joey Bada$$
Dena Tape 2 // Hodgy Beats
Dark Sky Paradise // Big Sean
Girls in Peacetime Want to Dance // Belle and Sebastian
Sour Soul // BADBADNOTGOOD & Ghostface Killah
Fashion Week // Death Grips
Nobody // Chief Keef
I Don’t Like Shit, I Don’t Go Outside // Earl Sweatshirt