Roxy & the Underground Soul Sound – Fusebox
“Fuse Box” is right! This firecracker of an instrumental kicks off Roxy & the Underground Soul Sound‘s album Stand Up, and that we are. Full of energy and funk, this retro number starts things off at a 10.
Wintersleep – Forest Fire
On an album already full of strong messages, Wintersleep’s “Forest Fire” reminds us that, at best, we are all fatally temporary.
Walrus – Played Out
Halifax psych rockers Walrus address the notion of maintaining a bad habit that barely serves you, just for the sake of it. “Played Out” gets psychedelic and uses reverberation to pull you under.
Tim Baker – All Hands
Tim Baker’s “All Hands” is another track that we still love from earlier this year. The former Hey Rosetta! frontman crams in as much nostalgia as he can on this track, reflecting on his life, where he’s been, and where he hopes to return to.
Loviet – Symbol of Love
Loviet released what appears to be a song of heartache, but sneaks in a criticism of the music industry and the truly fickle monster it can be.
Dave Sampson – Trouble
Dave Sampson’s “Trouble” is terrifying in the way that it is so good that it can make you question if you’re a closeted country fan. Dave Sampson is making us feel things we’ve never felt before.
Jamie Comeau & the Crooked Teeth – Tall Pine
Still a staple in their repertoire, “Tall Pine” by Jamie Comeau & the Crooked Teeth remains a fan favourite. With their debut album now out, the band are making waves in the local music scene.
bleu – weight
bleu’s deeply mellow track “weight” touches on the heavier feelings associated with coming to terms with life’s inherent changes.
Scientists of Sound – Dark Side of the Room
Blending the styles of Pink Floyd with all the funk of Daft Punk, Scientists of Sound’s “Dark Side of the Room” takes us on a journey through the challenges of mental health.
Kiwi Jr. – Salary Man
Kiwi Jr.’s “Salary Man” is still catchy enough for us to continue loving it this far into the year. These Charlottetown kids turned Torontonians shed a realistic light on big city life and the toll it can take.
Daughter of the Moon – Women Who Love Women
Reminiscent of Nelly Furtado, “Women Who Love Women” by Daughter of the Moon lulls us in with its soft and mellow tone while raising a flag for queer women.
Terra Spencer – Brooklyn
From Terra Spencer‘s concept album about the flux of a relationship, “Brooklyn” remains a happy, catchy little track that hooks you before plunging into the depths of Terra’s post-romantic fantasies.
Prism Shores – January
Prism Shores‘ unintelligible dream-pop track “January” indulges in the abstract aspect of exploring the trappings of growing up on a literal island.
Tim Baker – The Eighteenth Hole
God damn, Tim Baker! If there was an album this year that was guaranteed to crush your heart it was Forever Overhead. “The Eighteenth Hole” tells a gutting tale about mistakes realized too late and waking up to find yourself hemorrhaging catharsis in the (un)likeliest of places.
Devarrow – Home
Devarrow’s “Home” is like Graham Ereaux built a rocket pad into a piano, launching this song into falsetto vocals and tasteful noodling. Absolutely blissful.
Skeleton Club – Jendall Kenner
With pop harmonies over one of the strongest grooves of the year, Skeleton Club landed a special place in our hearts for importing their whole operation from Montreal to record at the Old Confidence Lodge in Riverport, Nova Scotia.
Sam Wilson – Honest Moments
Sam Wilson‘s “Honest Moments” still impresses us and has even moved further up our list. This track stands out as a lively and accessible jazz number that can make you wonder why there isn’t more jazz at jazz festivals.
Levi Rowan – Night Terrors
Working with Neon Dreams, Levi Rowan has made huge steps forward in his career this year. It’s most obvious in this catchy ukulele-powered track about self-doubt.
The Trews – Touch
The Trews continue to do what The Trews do best: heavy bar-room anthems. And while “Touch” is about experiencing a sense of disconnect, there’s no doubt crowds of concert-goers will all be shouting out the lyrics to this together.
Tim Baker – Dance
Tim Baker’s “Dance” continues to sweep us away. This absolutely gutting track from one of the most anticipated albums of the year makes a double impact with a touching video that features the dance moves of Tim Baker and Sydney Levitt.
Kill Chicago – Pull Over
The closing track from Kill Chicago’s The Fix, “Pull Over,” is a great example of the band exploring new directions that really pays off. The song delicately balances frontman Greg Webber’s vocals against guest horn player Matte Robinson’s trumpet, showcasing a previously unseen quieter side to the band, very much to their advantage, while wrapping up the album in a Tarantino-esque finish.
Mo Kenney – Ahead of Myself
Mo Kenney’s reflection on her wild past has allowed her to pretty well maintain her spot on our list for this year. And yes, we’re still hoping there is a full album coming in the near future.
Scientists of Sound – Bury Them Deep
“Bury Them Deep” delivers some small insight into the larger whole of Scientists of Sound’s new album, The Beginning (Of the Beginning of The End), which delves into modern cover-ups, abuses of power and a few other things that’ll have you donning your tinfoil hat. The beat also happens to be catchy as hell.
norc – Riviera Paradise
norc’s beautiful instrumental “Rivera Paradise” manages a tiny miracle by maintaining its position in second place, no small thanks to Ryan Holland’s ability to crank out a beat better than the Swiss jump-rope team.
Wintersleep – Beneficiary
Wintersleep held onto the #1 spot all year long, which shouldn’t be all that surprising. Their album, In The Land Of, would probably qualify as our Album of the Year, if we had a category for that. It’s a tidy feat to find themselves in that position, particularly after following up last year’s Postdata (AKA not-not-Wintersleep) album, Let’s Be Wilderness, which similarly occupied that quasi-non-existent category.
This toe-tapping song about genocide delicately balances systemic abuses against a heavy instinct to get our groove on. It’s complicated and we’re all trying to process a lot right now.
Congratulations!
If you’ve made this far, good for you! In celebration of such a feat of scrolling, we’d like to reward you with this: an entire playlist full of the above music. Please enjoy responsibly.