Anaurac - I Don’t Stand a Chance.
The debut release from Anaurac continues with the trend for ‘kooky’ indie rock bands but bring with them some truly crowd moving melodies and an unexpectedly mature sound.
Better Off - Milk.
After the release of lead single “Whatever, I don’t care”, Milk quickly became one of my most anticipated albums for the second half of 2015. The album ended up delivering in spades and stayed in constant rotation for a decent amount of time after its release. A rare album where you can play it in repeat and even start with any song while still guaranteeing a great listening experience.
Butch Walker - Afraid of Ghosts.
It has taken a long time for me to get on board with Butch Walker as an artist I truly enjoy but “Afraid of Ghosts” sealed the deal. Single “Bed on Fire” was a song I would consistently return to during the lead up to the album. Hauntingly beautiful from beginning to end.
Forever at Last - Ghosts Again.
This one came out of nowhere and at the same time as a lot of my anticipated releases but I found I kept coming back to this instead. Raw, loud and catchy as hell.
From First to Last - Dead Trees.
I’ve been a long time FFTL fan and I’m in the rare crowd that consider that they’ve gotten better with every release, “Dead Trees” is no exception and sees them breaking new ground in the post hardcore genre. Sad that the band pretty much disappeared as soon as it was released though.
Funeral for a Friend - Chapter and Verse.
When this first came out I really didn’t like it, they had gone back to an earlier sound for their final release. But after I picked up the album cheap on vinyl I found myself putting it on quite often and it has probably turned into my most played physical record of the year. Melodic chaos.
Light Years - I’ll See You When I See You.
This was the stand out pop punk release for me in 2015. Great melodies front to back.
Plain White T’s - American Nights.
PWTs returned in 2015 with the criminally underrated “American Nights”. Easily the best pop album of the year, every single song dripping in gloss.
Rubick - Golpe de Efecto.
Speaking of underrated, I’d completely forgotten that this album came out in 2015. Rubick, a Spanish band hailing from Valencia put out their first release in their native tongue after failing to make a big enough splash from their song writing in English (all of which is also underrated).
This Good Robot - The Light is Taking Me To Pieces.
The band has been around for a long time but it wasn’t until this release that I had the pleasure to check them out. Would fit right at home on the Fueled by Ramen roster circa ’08. Complex, musical while also being chock full of sing along moments.
Against the Current - Gravity.
Fueled by Ramen are keeping up their tradition of signing bands that are somehow a step above similar sounding artists. Against the Current have delivered an EP packed with songs each of which could easily be lead singles for showcasing their blasting sound to the world. The loudest 3 piece of 2015, released back in February but still sounding fresh.
Fourth Line - Everything is Fine.
2015 brought a constant stream of great pop punk music but this release was one of the stand outs for me. Just that little bit catchier than the rest.
Sundressed - Dig up a Miracle.
2015 saw two EPs from Sundressed, I’ve gone with the first of them as it introduced me to the band and probably saw the most play time.
You Me and Everyone We Know - Dogged.
Another highly anticipated release as soon as the first single dropped. Raw sound from guitars to vocals while also bringing great melodies.