Year in Rock 2016: Album of the Year Long List
This year, I face a new kind of problem. When looking at the 20 CDs pictured here, I can't help but think that the field is much more wide open than in previous years; sure, if we go by my original review scores, there are only seven 9s as opposed to twelve 8s (and one 7), so it seems a little less daunting a decision. The thing is, I'm a human being with a mind that's capable of changing, especially when dealing with albums I reviewed based on two or three listens that have since gotten much more play (and, in some cases, months worth of hundsight). So, some of those 9s and 8s have become solid 8.5s (and that lone 7, courtesy of The Tragically Hip, has proven a much more lasting record than I'd first taken it for).
All that having been said, I'm now faced with the difficult task of cutting this list in half over the next two weeks, to try and determine which ten make the short list and get official Album of the Year nominations. I'd better trade the keyboard in for headphones; I've got a lot of listening to do.
The long list of nominees for Year in Rock 2016 Album of the Year is:
Blackstar
Released: January 8
"A calming final transmission, the sound of a man who, after a half century in the business and twenty-five albums, was able to find peace and leave this world a true gift."
For All Kings
Released: February 26
"Anthrax have crafted a strong enough effort to earn themselves the throne as this decade's Kings of the Big 4."
The Great Detachment
Released: March 4
"There is still evolution happening here and, by using their core sound as the basis for further exploration, Wintersleep have made a record that's well worth the time for longtime fans and newcomers alike."
Gore
Released: April 8
"Deftones have always demanded a modicum of patience on the part of their fans, and I can say with absolute certainty that the 3½-year wait for Gore was patience well spent."
A Moon Shaped Pool
Released: May 8
"It's a lush, vibrant album with a high replay value and higher dividends with each listen. Not only is it worth the wait and makes up for the cold and listless King of Limbs, it's the most substantial artistic statement Radiohead has made since Kid A."
Tired of Tomorrow
Released: May 13
"What is clear is that the group's vision is refined, which may not be great news for fans of the rawer sound found on the group's 2014 debut but is a fair trade for better songs."
Teens of Denial
Released: May 20
"Overall, it's a supersized throwback to the '90s indie scene that was flourishing while (Will) Toledo was a toddler, a record full of fuzzed-out nostalgia, sharp wit and ragged glory."
The Dream Is Over
Released: May 27
"What could have easily been a hopeless journey becomes a statement of affirmation, an elbow to the chest of despondency and a raw triumph of a sophomore record."
Man Machine Poem
Released: June 17
"Man Machine Poem is a challenging and emotional record that may not rival the band's best work but most definitely serves as a reminder of why they're such a cherished Canadian institution."
Afraid of Heights
Released: July 29
"The end result really could be their best record yet, one that not only shows how far they've come but also proves that their reputation as a world class rock band is well earned."
My Woman
Released: September 2
"My Woman is a transformative album that is by times thrilling, mesmerizing, heartbreaking, life affirming and exhausting. It's also a brilliant turn by an artist who defies whatever box we'd put her in and, perhaps above all, an album that subverts expectations only to exceed them."
Skeleton Tree
Released: September 9
"It's a very heavy record in the spiritual sense; it draws you into the horror of losing someone you love suddenly, and allows you to process all of his anger, sadness and loss. It could not have been an easy record for Cave to make, but it's undoubtedly the album he had to make. A haunted, harrowing masterpiece."
Touch
Released: September 9
"The sum of the parts is a sweatier, sexier, more confident record that gives July Talk a good shot of becoming Canada's next big export."
Shape Shift With Me
Released: September 16
"'Power pop' likely isn't the first thing that comes to mind when you think of Against Me!; more accurately, it's probably near the bottom of the list. However, what we get on AM!'s seventh record is sort of just that. Granted, it's a distorted, more visceral form of it."
EVERY TIME I DIE
Low Teens
Released: September 23
"It's not quite as vicious as previous record From Parts Unknown, a really good record that was focused on brute force; that said, Low Teens is a much heavier record emotionally."
DRIVE-BY TRUCKERS
American Band
Released: September 30
"By tackling the issues head on and turning in inspired performances, Drive-By Truckers have pulled off perhaps their most important album yet, not just for them but indeed for their country as well."
Cody
Released: October 7
"While it doesn't offer much in the way of advice for the struggling young adults in its songs, Cody does offer a modicum of solace in that, as the cast of characters illustrate, not many of us have it all figured out anyway."
Dissociation
Released: October 14
"With Dissociation, DEP go out as frantic and gloriously against the grain as they came; it's a dizzying, combustible, shape shifting record that firmly solidifies their place as hard music vanguards."
Breathe In the Water
Released: October 14
"Breathe in the Water is diverse, encompassing aggressive metal, Sabbath-inspired groove, dark blues, and even some Alice in Chains-like hard grunge, among other styles; the feat Kyng pulls off here is sounding natural at all of them."
New Skin
Released: October 28
"The blend of power pop hooks with muscular punk-infused rock makes for a varied, quick and easy listen; it offers satisfaction whether you're looking for a singalong or a mosh pit. In the current musical landscape, it's also somewhat refreshing, an undeniably modern aesthetic as filtered through the raucous classics."
Twenty go to ten on December 12 when the shortlist for Album of the Year is announced, before all the winners get crowned on December 19. Next Monday, the nominees for all five minor awards are announced, so come on back!
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