Farewell to 2016. There is not much love lost. However, musical artists softened the blow of a rough year by turning out some of the best releases of the decade so far, including chilling swan songs from Leonard Cohen and David Bowie.
1. Radiohead - A Moon Shaped Pool
(Standout track: "Decks Dark")
2. Devendra Banhart - Ape in Pink Marble
(Standout track: "Middle Names")
3. Damien Jurado - Visions of Us on the Land
(Standout track: "Exit 353")
4. David Bazan - Blanco
(Standout track: "Little Motor")
5. Leonard Cohen - You Want it Darker
(Standout track: "You Want It Darker")
6. David Bowie - Blackstar
(Standout track: "Lazarus")
7. James Blake - The Colour in Anything
(Standout track: "Love Me In Whatever Way")
8. Shearwater - Jet Plane and Oxbow
(Standout track: "Backchannels")
9. Gregory Alan Isakov - Gregory Alan Isakov with the Colorado Symphony
(Standout track: "Dandelion Wine")
10. Michael Kiwanuka - Love & Hate
(Standout track: "Love & Hate")
11. Bon Iver - 22, A Million
(Standout track: "29 #Strafford APTS")
12. Okkervil River - Away
(Standout track: "Okkervil River R.I.P.")
13. Anonhni - Hopelessness
(Standout track: "Watch Me")
14. Angel Olsen - My Woman
(Standout track: "Shut Up and Kiss Me")
Special mention to Massive Attack’s stunning EP releases this year: Ritual Spirit and The Spoils/Come Near Me.
Further, the Paul Thomas Anderson-directed video for Radiohead’s “Daydreaming” was my favorite music video of the year, followed by Massive Attack’s video for “Come Near Me” and Clipping’s video for “Air ‘Em Out.”