The first step, they say, is admitting you have a problem. Mine is albums and books—as in purchasing too damn many of both.
About halfway through this year I decided to exercise a little more control. I’ve got books on my shelves that I haven’t read yet, after all, and albums that I don’t even remember buying.
I know what you’re thinking: “But Aaron, how will I know what to think (and buy for all my music-loving friends this Christmas) without your annual review of the year’s best music?” Fear not. I didn’t say I quit cold turkey, did I?
So here are ten noteworthy albums from 2016:
Animals as Leaders—The Madness of Many
Brian Eno—The Ship
iamthemorning—lighthouse
Old Fire—Songs from the Haunted South
Opeth—Sorcerer
Red Fang—Only Ghosts
Steven Wilson—4½
Toska—Ode to the Author
Vijay Iyer and Wadada Leo Smith—A Cosmic Rhythm with Each Stroke
various artists—Day of the Dead
Oddly enough, there’s not a whole lot of diversity in this year’s list. Four are metal (two of which are instrumental), three are prog-ish pop/rock, one is ambient/pop, one is jazz, and one is a box set of Grateful Dead covers. But as Miles Davis once said, there are only two kinds of music: good and bad. And these, folks, are all good.
