30. Whyte Horses - Pop or Not 
Light psychedelia with The Go! Team touches (and collaboration), it works specially on the two French songs.
29. Cate Le Bon - Crab Day 
I'm more keen on the guitars than her voice or the songs, last song a good example on that, but still an enthralling record.
28. Savages - Adore Life 
"The Answer" (an insistent beast) and "Adore" (with Smiths deviations) is where it's at. The rest is more or less what they did on the debut, which is fine but less exciting than performed live.
27. Parquet Courts - Human Performance 
Initially I thought it was more of the same and without many highlights, but after a while (and seeing them live) for me it turned onto their strongest and more consistent record.
26. The Monkees - Good Times! 
It's a pleasure to get a slice of good ole music like this record. I don't have too much knowledge on The Monkees or their story besides the big hits, but this year, with the help of some big names, they proved they still have that spark.
25. Woods - City Sun Eater in the River of Light 
Woods keep on refining their sound, slick but warm, with a more prominent bass plus adding some brass and cool percussion.
24. Ryley Walker - Golden Sings That Have Been Sung 
I loved seeing them in a small venue with a small crowd, because I believe this won't be possible soon. He seems to have two kinds of songs: the ones that can be captured on record and the sketches that will mature on the road. That's what sometimes makes the record a bit hard to digest, but a rewarding experience nonetheless.
23. Cullen Omori - New Misery 
Smith Westerns singer doing Smith Westerns with less guitars. Cinnamon is one hell of a tune. But, you know, I've seen better reinventions...
22. Bloc Party - Hymns 
A fuckin' Bloc Party record? In 2016? Really? Well, yeah, synth-sounding-guitar and all. Kele threw out all the moaning which annoyed me and seems now relaxed and spiritual. Which still sounds like shit when you read it but I dig it.
21. Oscar - Cut and Paste 
This was a release I was looking forward since 2015, but the end result wasn't as exciting as his previous EP. Reusing some of those songs and a few early singles, the new ones landed on the easy pop side of him. Still a promising artist with a big knack for melody.
20. Weaves - Weaves 
Indie rock with certain art rock intentions but easy listening anyway.
19. The Growlers - City Club 
I've never quite enjoyed them as much as I thought I should and in fact, the first listen to this record was a bit underwhelming. But after a while it slowly got under my skin: I found stronger melodies, bouncing fun and, maybe due to Julian Casablancas producing, I appreciated the clearer sounds present here they lacked.
18. Telegram - Operator 
Was interested in them a few years ago when they went to Benicassim. Some years later here they come with a pretty decent debut: indie rock on the glam side of it with Eno-ish details and a lot of punch. Nothing more, nothing less.
17. Wild Nothing - Life of Pause 
This was my first contact with them and after revisiting the rest of their discography, it's still my favourite by a wide margin. Great production, consistent, varied and catchy.
16. TOY - Clear Shot 
A little less kraut but more pop each time, this might be their most focused effort. Another Dimension brings strong Stone Roses vibes and there are many other memorable melodies throughout.
15. Iggy Pop - Post Pop Depression 
Sleazy rock like only Iggy knows, although I reckon Josh Homme is probably the big name here channeling Berlin era Bowie. Sunday has the best guitar I've heard the whole year and Gardenia is groooovy.
14. A Giant Dog - Pile 
Energetic indie rock with some classic rock'n'roll workouts, surprisingly melodic and enthusiast. Nothing too special, but a rush of adrenaline like this is welcome these days.
13. Pixies - Head Carrier 
Short and sweet record, they lack the edge and spark they had back in the day but these set of songs is quite strong and that's what matters at the end of the day. Sometimes they sound more like The Vaselines than like the old Pixies, but that's totally fine for me. I wasn't fan of the comeback EPs but I really enjoy this one for some reason.
12. The Lemon Twigs - Do Hollywood 
These brothers (singers, drummers, guitar Gods) are called for something big. Even bigger, I mean, because they already have achieved a complex and cheesy record that would have been despised from 1980 to yesteryear, but it seems totally fine these days again. God bless Macca.
11. Angel Olsen - MY WOMAN 
What a voice, what a woman. Shut Up Kiss Me is one of those songs that I will keep close to me forever but the record is more than that: Intern, the perfect intro. Never Be Mine, echoing Roy Orbison. Sister, ending in Crazy Horse style. The second half is a bit weaker in my opinion, but only because the start is so strong.
10. Spring King - Tell Me If You Like To 
Like I said about Oscar, I already knew the best songs here from their previous EPs and singles, plus they've lost some of the diversity of sounds. But they make up for it keeping a breakneck pace and providing BIG and LOUD choruses. A treat for my younger self, "anthemic garage pop at times recalling mick jones fronting the clash".
9. Public Access T.V. - Never Enough 
New wave via noughties rock revival, the catchiest set of tunes you'll find this year. It appealed me from the start but in a ok-ish way. Before I realized, the songs grew and grew on me so it has ended up being quite high on my list.
8. PJ Harvey - The Hope Six Demolition Project 
Following the sound of Let England Shake, this record is a step behind but that's only a praise for the former. Hope Six... might have the poppiest moments of Polly Jean, and the way she approached the different troubled matters seems totally fair in my eyes. And great cover art, whatever you say.
7. Japanese Breakfast - Psychopomp 
It's so sweet, charming and uplifting musically (lirically poignant though) that I can't get enough of it, the short length helps and it never gets too twee or dramatic in my eyes. Dream pop, synth pop and some shoegaze mixed together tastefully.
6. Triángulo de Amor Bizarro - Salve Discordia 
Fantastic collection of songs from this weird noise pop Spanish band, probably our best band of the century. Male and female vocals, lots of feedback and gorgeous melodies.
5. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Skeleton Tree 
This is what artist do: turn grief into pieces that will outlive them. Music as feelings that everyone can relate to, although this kind of pain is something only Nick knows and I hope I'll never be close to. I must confess the film made the songs came alive in a fantastic way for me, so I'm not sure if I'd have enjoyed it this much had I not seen it, as I wasn't a big fan of Push the Sky Away. The band is amazing here and Nick's voice is weak and strong at the same time, no polishing needed.
4. King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard - Nonagon Infinity 
NONAGON INFINITY OPENS THE DOOR!!!!! And so on. Hit replay. Over and over again.
3. Car Seat Headrest - Teens of Denial 
At first I didn't get it. The songs felt unnecessary long and rushed and filled with words and not too original. But it got much praise, so I kept listening to some songs and finally went to see them at NOS Primavera Sound in Porto. That show changed everything: the energy, the guitars, the conviction. From that moment I started spinning again the album with open ears and fell in love with it. The songs don't feel long but epic, the words are insightful and everything seems now a big slowly crafted plan. One of the best indie rock records of the decade, (nearly) not a second is wasted (great use of brackets too).
2. Whitney - Light Upon the Lake 
The Band goes pop. Warm, earnest, lovely, add your own. The production is fantastic, the songs are very well-built and the guitar is simply exquisite all along.
1. David Bowie - Blackstar 
I listened to it at least once before his death, and I'm happy I did. But to separate the record from that fact is silly: it's a conceptual record. That's not the main thing, there are plenty of shit conceptual records. But the effort taken, the knowledge, the links to his past, the sound, the lyrics and, basically, the whole result is simply mindblowing. Like people are saying on RYM, I'm just glad I got to live through what it was like to see Bowie drop a landmark album.
