Best 2016 Albums That Aren't On Any Other "Best Of" Lists
Happy New Year! By now, your Facebook newsfeeds are probably littered with Best of 2016 lists, rating and ranking everything from movies to Trump’s most offensive tweets. Well, I’m adding my own to that assemblage. But rather than try to wax eloquent about 5 albums that are on every other list this time of year (because who would want to read that?), I'mma give you 5 albums from 2016 that you most likely won’t find on any other list.
Now, let me make something clear: This isn’t an honorable mention list. It’s not a 15-11 list of albums that didn’t quite make the Top 10. Nor is it my view of the absolute 5 best albums of 2016. Rather, it’s a list of amazing albums whose creators don’t have quite enough sway to infiltrate the inner sanctum of music royalty (meaning: they’re not in the Illuminati).
To be fair, I can’t guarantee that I’m the only one to put these in a Best of 2016 article. In fact, I hope I’m not, because these artists deserve more attention than they’re getting. But I can guarantee you one thing: Kanye’s more likely to show up for the rest of his tour than on this list (Too soon? Nah.)
5. The Blanket Truth – Jared Evan
The Blanket Truth is Evan’s first commercially-available album of his career, and boy, did he get off on the right foot. The album is a collection of Evan’s thoughts and emotions as he grapples with what it means to be a man, a brother, a lover, a human. They come out through his signature harmonizing vocals coupled with quasi-rap verses, layered over a symphony of synth, piano and snare compositions. It’s easy to get lost in the swirling beauty that seamlessly carries through from one song to the next.
Highlights: “Role Model”, “Revive Me”, “The Blanket Truth”
4. Us – gnash
Okay, this one is kinda cheating, I know. gnash had one of the biggest radio hits by someone not named Justin Bieber or The Chainsmokers in “i hate u, i love u”. But THAT’S LITERALLY THE ONLY SONG ANYONE EVER KNOWS FROM GNASH AND HE DESERVES SO MUCH MORE ATTENTION THAN HE’S GETTING. He’s much more than that one song. Us is a heartbreaking collection of stories detailing gnash’s one (and perhaps only) love, and all the joy, pain, and loss that came with it. If you’ve heard “i hate u, i love u”, then you know gnash’s iconic melodic rapping abilities and how he smoothly injects lilting melodies into his slow, rhythmic rhymes. It’s magical. That magic is sprinkled through every song in Us. It’s a beautiful, quick listen that will pull on your heartstrings from beginning to end.
Highlights: “first day of my life (cover)”, “fragile”, “u just can’t be replaced” (“i hate u, i love u” deliberately not listed.)
3. The Human Condition – Jon Bellion
Ah, Jon Bellion. Bellion may be the most naturally gifted musician I’ve ever had the honor of listening to. I was watching a documentary about him on YouTube (yes, I’m a fanboy) and his bandmates said that he hasn’t written down a lyric in two years. LIKE WHAT? WHO DOES THAT? Jon Bellion does. He sings, he raps, he plays like 18,000 instruments, he (mentally) writes his own lyrics, he produces. His previous album, The Definition, set the bar high, but he easily met/exceeded that expectation with The Human Condition. Bellion writes about just that – the human condition – and does it in a raw, introspective way that allows us a peek through his mind’s window. On top of that, his signature production does not waver in the slightest – it’s synth pop from the 80s meets boom-bap hip-hop from the 90s meets the electronic dance of today, an eclectic mix that is dissonant but makes oh-so-much sense. And, of course, when you’ve got Jon Bellion singing and rapping over all of it, you’re in for a treat.
Highlights: “New York Soul, Pt. II”, “Maybe IDK”, “Weight of the World”, “Hand of God”
2. With Love – Phora
With Love is a masterpiece. It’s the latest of several albums Phora has released over the years, and is arguably his best. Phora is unsigned like Chance, soul-baring like Eminem, and came from the bottom like Tupac. He’s got the emotion and delivery of G-Eazy, without the cockiness. In With Love, he brings his blood, sweat and tears to us, literally. It’s his commentary on drug abuse, depression, poverty, and unwillingness to let go of the skeletons in his closet. It’s his recounting of the time he got shot in the head during a gang-related ambush attack (seriously). It’s his knowing his music matters, but still trying to make ends meet using it. It’s his struggle to grow. Phora treats the mic like his therapist. He’s not afraid to let us hear his heart and soul. It makes for a bewitching experience.
Highlights: “Sinner”, “Fake Smiles”, “I Think I Love You”, “With Love”, “In A Perfect World”
1. The Narrative – Sho Baraka
The Narrative is the album we didn’t know we needed. Sho Baraka was newly signed to Humble Beast Records and had recently formed a relationship with the uber-talented Louis Portier, but the hype for his new release was surprisingly low. How foolish of us. The Narrative is the perfect mixture of big band swing and hip-hop, 60s gospel and rap. Baraka describes it in one song as “trap jazz." It’s an odd pairing at first, but it is artistic evolution and expression at its finest. It’s the content of the album that makes it stand out above the rest, however. Baraka takes a major stand on social justice issues, the lack of action in the Church, and his own personal struggles with race, faith, love and parenthood. He describes the growth, give-and-take, and perspectives that formed his views throughout the album. The Narrative encompasses all these topics and brings it to a raw, organic level for the listener. He speaks truth in every song with disregard to what others may think of him. Listen to it. Love it. Thank me later.
Highlights: “Foreword, 1619”, “Kanye, 2009” (Okay, well maybe he does show up), “Here, 2016”, “Myhood, USA, 1937”, “Words, 2006”
Any albums that you think deserve to be here? Any bones to pick with my choices? Drop a comment below.