#13: Palehound – “Dry Food”

Given the millions of solo songwriters out there, it’s a pretty tall task to feel distinct these days, but Ellen Kempner (aka Palehound) is able to pull it off on her debut full length, Dry Food. While it fits into the same indie rock/folk style as many other artists, Kempner’s versatility as a guitarist and songwriter makes it feel like something unique, as she nimbly goes from up-tempo lo-fi rock songs with distorted guitar blasts to heartfelt folk with gentle strumming.

While Kempner’s guitar playing is flashy, her vocals and lyrics are more understated, with introspective observations sung in a near deadpan tone. Yet Kempner is still capable of expressing a lot of emotion with her voice, like on the quiet title track where she sings “I’m over it,” a simple lyric that feels like it means a lot when she sings it. Overall, Dry Food is one of my favorite debuts of the year, and it showcases a young artist who is forging her own path.

#14: Marriages – “Salome”

Emma Ruth Rundle released one of my favorite albums of last year with her debut solo effort, Some Heavy Ocean. That album showed her quiet intensity as a singer and lyricist, as well as her ability to incorporate ambient and post-rock elements into her more folk-style songwriting. This year, she returned to fronting Marriages, where she rocks a bit harder fronting a full band that backs her up with swirling guitar influenced by bands like The Cure.

While Marriages’ first release, Kitsune, mostly buried Rundle’s vocals beneath the heavy guitar, Salome borrows from her solo album and is more centered around her vocals and now-decipherable lyrics. Rundle’s biggest gift continues to be her commitment to the songs and the passion she conveys with her voice, which fits the dramatic sound that Marriages go for. Salome is pretty gloomy throughout, with many biblical references and talks of “spitting on your mother’s grave,” but Rundle’s performance keeps it engaging and ultimately rewarding.

#15: Erase Errata – “Lost Weekend”

Erase Errata’s first album in nine years was possibly the year’s least hyped comeback, and Lost Weekend certainly isn’t a massive “WE’RE BACK AND ALL THESE YOUNG BANDS ARE FINALLY GOING TO HEAR WHAT TRUE GREATNESS IS” kind of statement. With a 27-minute running time over seven songs, it makes sure to not overstay its welcome. Over that short span, the band shows a lot of different styles, mixing in horns and handclaps (on the fittingly titled “History of Handclaps”) which gives the band’s sharp music a sense of playfulness that contrasts with some of its more overtly political material.

Over the long layoff, the band (Jenny Hoyston, Ellie Erickson, Bianca Sparta) somehow developed more chemistry and confidence than they had before, which particularly shows through on the heavy grooves of “Watch Your Language,” which I felt was one of the biggest straight-up jams of the year. The band decided to officially call it quits later in the year, but the band and Lost Weekend deserve to be remembered.