Year in Rock 2015: Song of the Year Nominees (Part 3 of 5)

Usually, as spring gives way to summer album releases dry up. In 2015, however, it didn't really feel like the case. Sure, there were less albums released than in the spring but pretty much every week in June and July saw something worthwhile hit the shelves. Plus, there are a couple from July 10th, which is the date all new releases shifted from Tuesdays to Fridays. This batch of nominees also represents a nice cross section of new and emerging bands, established acts and long dormant bands breaking long silences.

Our third set of Song of the Year Nominees are:

THE VACCINES: Dream Lover

From: English Graffiti (Released May 26)

My feelings about Dave Fridmann are well known; sought after due to a knack for producing "hits", his production style amounts to what I consider an insult to audiophiles. Nevertheless, if you can manage to not focus on the offensively loud mastering on Dream Lover, you can't deny its charm.

DAWES: All Your Favorite Bands

From: All Your Favorite Bands (Released June 2)

I've unconsciously shifted my tastes away from Americana and lite rock over the last few years, as less and less bands in that section of the musical spectre have caught my attention. Every once in a while, though, that near-perfect song in that near-perfect moment can make an impact. Dawes got me with this, an earnest and charming ballad with one of the most beautiful toasts I've ever heard: "may all your favorite bands stay together".

MUSE: Reapers

From: Drones (Released June 9)

Once the initial adrenaline rush of having Muse rock out again wore off, I came to realize just how silly Drones is as a record. Aspiring so hard to be deep, meaningful and grand that it by times turns out as something more approaching comical, Still, what the record lacks in subtlety and nuance it makes up for in pure arena rock thrills.

BULLY: Trying

From: Feels Like (Released June 23)

My sweet spot in 2015 must have been the intersection of '90s nostalgia and female vocals. Cooing like Juliana Hatfield and roaring like Courtney Love, Bully's Alicia Bognanno may not have grabbed the headlines this year, but the quality of her debut performance suggests that there may be amazing things to come from this group.

WOLF ALICE: Moaning Lisa Smile

From: My Love is Cool (Released June 23)

Speaking of impressive debuts, perhaps none was lauded more feverishly in the UK than that of Wolf Alice; after smashing with the single Moaning Lisa Smile (which, admittedly, was technically released in 2014 and is only including on North American pressings of their debut album, but my list my rules), their full-length debut showed that there was much more to this band than big hooks and nostalgia. 

FAILURE: Counterfeit Sky

From: The Heart is a Monster (Released June 30)

One of the '90s most underrated bands, Failure broke almost two decades of silence with the release of The Heart is a Monster. The "picking up where they left off" cliche is a bit overused, but it's appropriate for this band because this album is pretty much a continuation of 1996's Fantastic Planet.

REFUSED: Elektra

From: Freedom (Released June 30)

Did any band's fans experience such levels of anticipation and disappointment than those of Refused this year? Not that I minded Freedom, but even I have to admit that I didn't expect reaction to the record to be so negative. Oh wait, their previous album was called The Shape of Punk to Come and they set the table for an entire sub-genre of punk to flourish, then went away after releasing their masterpiece. Yeah, this record was doomed from the start.

BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME: The Coma Machine

From: Coma Ecliptic (Released July 10)

They've always had some elements of prog rock in their sound but, on Coma Ecliptic, BTBAM really go for it. Bombastic, theatrical and massive in sonic scope and ambition, this isn't a record that's easy to follow. That said, and more importantly, it's also impossible to ignore.

VERUCA SALT: Laughing in the Sugar Bowl

From: Ghost Notes (Released July 10)

When I awarded Veruca Salt with 2014's Comeback of the Year, I still don't think I could have anticipated an album of such glorious, pleasing quality as Ghost Notes. In a way, it's too bad I didn't wait until this year to nominate them for Comeback of the Year because, in album form, I haven't heard a comeback this convincing and thoroughly rewarding in quite some time.

HIGHLY SUSPECT: Lydia

From: Mister Asylum (Released July 17)

Unlike the majority of dumb, bro-rock chest beaters that carry the torch of nu-metal and dominate hard rock radio, Highly Suspect fuse their aggression into a more classic rock-leaning package, resulting in a sound that kind of feels like the world's heaviest 3 Doors Down cover band and somehow manages to make that a good thing.

The next group of nominees is coming next Monday!