1. Sob Rock, John Mayer
I already knew "Last Train Home" was a nearly perfect song, and Sob Rock is a nearly perfect album (I could do without the misguided "Why You No Love Me"). "Wild Blue" would be right at home on any Yacht Rock compilation, "Shot in the Dark" has a pure 80s sound with the most wonderful tongue-in-cheek lyrics, "Til the Right One Comes" and "All I Want Is To Be With You" both have a slight country inflection that ties this album to Paradise Valley, and "Shouldn't Matter But It Does"
is classic John Mayer introspection. Taken as a whole, this is a
straightforward John Mayer album with some delightful 80s influences
that add a comforting sense of warmth and nostalgia and set it apart
from his previous albums.
2. Spaceman, Nick Jonas
This album is full of bops from front to back, and it happens to be the
second album produced by Greg Kurstin (the other being Foo Fighters Medicine at Midnight
– apparently the man has range) with which I fell in love at
first listen this year. Indeed, the heavily 80s-inspired synths, sax
solo, and soaring, soulful backing vocals on "This Is Heaven"
hooked me immediately; this song is pure aural sunshine. One of the
things that I like most about this album is that I can
clearly discern and understand the lyrics, which tend to be clever and
thoughtful, for all of the songs. It's also refreshing that Nick Jonas
co-wrote every track on this album, especially given its pure Pop
sensibilities. The result is a rare Pop album that feels personal and
meaningful, while also being fun to listen to. There is not a dud on Spaceman, but the songs that have me hitting repeat include other heavily 80s-influenced tracks like "Deeper Love" and "If I Fall", as well as the purely fun "Delicious" and "2Drunk".
Medicine at Midnight is an enjoyable, solid rock album with understandable lyrics through and through. Every one of the nine songs on this album is thoughtfully written, performed, and sung. "Love Dies Young" is an instant classic in my book, but other standout tracks include the psychedelic "Chasing Birds" (which feels like a follow-up to Concrete and Gold's "The Sky Is A Neighborhood"), "Waiting on a War", and the QOTSA-esque title track "Medicine at Midnight".
This album sounds like what would happen if you crossed Harry Styles' Fine Line with Bon Iver's self-titled album from 2011. The opening track, "Starting Line", is a beautiful pop-rock song backed by a symphony of guitars that create an appealing sense of momentum. It's directly followed by the smooth 80s synth-filled vibes of "Saigon" and "Motion", which are echoed later on the album with "A Beautiful Dream". "Baby Blue" would be right at home on Fine Line, and "Diamonds" is another pop-rock jewel. Overall, the songs on this album evoke a strong sense of nostalgia, as if written to capture the pure vibes of a hazy end-of-summer golden hour.
Godspeed delivers the classic Glasvegas atmospherics and the depth of feeling that comes from thoughtfully crafted lyrics. "Keep Me a Space", "My Body is a Glasshouse", and "Cupid's Dark Disco" are all incredible songs that grabbed me the first time I heard them and then didn't let go (and those song titles!). Glasvegas is an amazing band to see live, but this album fills the live gig void quite nicely by offering an album experience that is like the dark, Scottish version of Pet Sounds.
I discovered this album via a social media recommendation from RM of BTS. It shares the laidback vibes of RM's mono. mixtape, while adding delicious layers of upbeat optimism via a fusion of jazz, hip-hop, R&B, soul, and funk, a la Jamiroquai; it's right up my alley. Standout tracks include "Can You Understand", "Purple Sky", "Swiss Gold", and "Multiverse".
I first saw Adam Sander open for Cole Swindell at the Best Buy / Nokia / Playstation Theatre in 2015, and I have been waiting for a full-length album ever since. Sanders has put out plenty of great singles over the past six years, but this album proves that good things come to those who wait. Overall, Sanders' style hearkens back to the lyrics-driven style of 90s and 2000s Country (i.e. the days before Bro-Country took over the airwaves). While I personally can't connect so well with the few overtly Christian-themed tracks, every song on this album is extremely well crafted, both lyrically (Sanders co-wrote every track on the album) and musically. Highlights include: the title track, "All About That", "Burn the Stars", "So Good At That", "I Got Roots", and "Make Em Wanna Change" (which I wrote about last year, when it was released as a single). Sanders is a great talent who hasn't gotten the mainstream recognition he deserves; I hope this album changes that.
This album, full of breezy jazz saxophone intermingled with funky guitar riffs, is perfect for the time of day it's named after. Dave Koz seems to have a knack for finding wildly talented collaborators from all corners of the music world, and Cory Wong is no exception. Listening to this album, it's clear that these two musicians bring out the best in each other. Highlights include "Today", the title track, "Little Rascals", "Engine 71", and a wonderful new recording of the Koz classic "Together Again".
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