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Considering the fact that I am trying to cram listening to a whole year's worth of albums into the last few days, I hardly know where to start, and having the attention span of a goldfish really isn't doing me any favors right now either. I should state that I do not want to emphasize any album over the other; of course there are favorites, but I really have no interest in categorizing anything. So I will just start the list based on whatever I am listening to at the moment.

 Pope Killdragon - Strand of Oaks
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I'll be honest, as I'm typing this, this is the first time I have listened to the album (I only got it yesterday), but even with a preliminary listen, it's quite obvious that the album necessitates an hour set aside with nothing but good headphones and a lyrics sheet. Each track is at once mesmerizing, heavy, and incredibly imaginative.

O - Oval
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Okay, so maybe 70 tracks seems a little daunting. You might even think, how is it even possible to write 70 separate tracks for a single album, let alone actually listen to them all. But, have no fear, for most of the tracks stop short of 2 minutes. And, in all likelihood, you probably spent as much time trying to listen to Have One On Me by Joanna Newsom as you would on this album. Though not everybody likes electronic music, or even like spending so much time on a single album, people that enjoy testing their patience and really want to invest into an album will enjoy O.

Innundir Skinni - Olof Arnalds
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You could blame Bjork, or Sigur Ros, but for whatever reason I just happen to love music that comes out of Iceland. Whether it is their accent when singing in English, the beautiful Icelandic language, the charming quirkiness of the musicians, or just my own fascination with the country, I can't help but enjoy Olof Arnalds. Without the crutch of understanding the lyrics, the appeal of Innundir Skinni relies solely on the warmth the music evokes, Olof Arnalds' voice, and the impeccable songcraft. Though the songs present themselves as common little folk songs, the wide and surprisingly diverse instrumentation provide plenty of surprises.

Tomorrow Is Alright - Sonny & The Sunsets
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Every once in a while, you might discover a sneaking feeling that you'd just like to return to another time. Sonny & the Sunsets manage to encapsulate that feeling in Tomorrow Is Alright, immediately reminiscent of an earlier era but never a direct homage to any one influence. And what's more, the songs feature delightfully absurd narratives, but even in the face of women on a strange planet that enslave men, Sonny & the Sunsets make their music feel completely effortless.

oOoOO EP - oOoOO
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There isn't much for me to say about this EP. I am no expert in the kind of music oOoOO makes, nor do I have any real physical reason why I enjoyed this EP. Though there is definitely something eery in the music and even the album cover, it is still surprisingly accessible. Not to mention, "Hearts" might actually be one of my favorite songs of the year.






I think that is all I can write about for now. This cold is making me sleepy.