#17: Chastity Belt – “Time to Go Home”

Chastity Belt started as something of a joke, with a provocative name and song titles like “Pussy Weed Beer” on their first album, No Regerts. The description of their first release, Fuck Chastity Belt, reads “This is the worst music you will ever hear. Chastity Belt is the worst band to ever exist.” However, they now describe themselves as a “real band,” and their second album, Time to Go Home backs that up with a more developed, mature sound that moves past the band’s beginnings without completely forgetting about them.

The most impressive part of Time to Go Home is how the band has their own unique vibe that defies easy categorization, which is no small feat in 2015. The band retains their early punk spirit, but the actual sound of the album is much more low-key and subtle. Julia Shapiro’s vocals have a strong point of view and sometimes touch on feminist topics, but are delivered with a matter-of-fact, at times blase, tone instead of punk shouting.

But what really separates Chastity Belt is their lead guitarist, Lydia Lund, who really shines on this album. Her arpeggio-based guitar riffs have a warmth to them and give the band its dreamy sound that makes a unique pairing with Shapiro’s vocals. Some of my favorite moments on the album are just Lund guitar parts, like the three minute section at the end of “On the Floor” or the repetitive, calming riff on “Drone.” Songs like that make it clear that Chastity Belt truly is a real band, and isn’t just joking around anymore.

#18: Marie Davidson – “Un Autre Voyage”

I’m still mostly a dabbler in electronic music, but Marie Davidson’s Un Autre Voyage stood out for me because it felt more personal than a lot of similar music that is focused more purely on sound. Though admittedly, I’m kind of guessing here, since Davidson is from Montreal and the vast majority of the lyrics on Un Autre Voyage are in French, with Davidson speaking more than singing.

Davidson’s music has a dark, twitchy energy to it, created by repetitive synths and drum machine beats that create very specific night-time anxiety feelings for me. And the French language ends up being part of the appeal: I don’t know what she’s saying most of the time, which gives Davidson a mysterious charisma, and the language itself sounds compelling to my boorish American ears.

The language barrier makes Un Autre Voyage much more about style and mood than other albums on the list, and it’s a testament to Davidson’s ability that it is such a gripping album, even if you subtract one of the more important elements of the music.

#19: Adult Mom – “Momentary Lapse of Happily”

Adult Mom is primarily the project of Steph Knipe, who makes bittersweet indie pop that is reminiscent of early Rilo Kiley. Momentary Lapse of Happily is one of my favorite debut albums of the year, partly because Knipe feels like a fresh, unique voice in music. A self-identified queer, their songs describe how that has affected their life and outlook, while mixing in relatable observations about growing up and not really fitting in with people.

Adult Mom’s strengths really come through in “Survival,” which is one of the songs I ended up playing on repeat a lot this year. Its upbeat sound is juxtaposed with the lyrics, which detail Knipe coming out and the general feeling of confusion and isolation that happened afterwards. The lyric “I survive because I have died” sums up a feeling that is present throughout the album, of being young but already feeling like a hardened survivor.