Thanks Ant!
I've been following Vektor for a little while now and they certainly have started to come into their own. I've seen the album in the top 5 of a lot lists which pleases me a ton.
3 & 2
3) Injury Reserve -
Floss
With 2015's
Live At the Dentist Office I felt Injury Reserve made their intro into the underground hip-hop scene with a decent project that showed some potential but not much more. In the final weeks of 2016 however, they group blindsided me with one of the year's most impressive releases.
What sets
Floss apart from other hip-hop projects released this year is the diversity offered throughout the album. The hybrid combination of jazz-rap and radio ready bangers makes this an album any rap fan can sit down and listen to, and the moments of experimental influence sprinkled throughout (the track
Eeny Meeny Miny Moe in particular) make for a great change of pace. The reason this album is truly worthy of a top 3 spot on my list is just how fun it is, right from the first listen on.
2) PUP -
The Dream Is Over
Speaking of albums that surprised me, PUP's
The Dream Is Over was one of the year's biggest growers. An album that I initially wrote off as marginally better than the band's debut,
The Dream Is Over started getting constant spins near the end of the summer and in the process began climbing its way up my list.
The title of the album reflects on the news vocalist Stefan Babcock received from his doctor back in 2015 regarding the status of his damaged vocal chords. Nevertheless, in true punk spirit, Stefan and his band mates ignored the doc's orders and proceeded to record their most passionate and impressive pop-punk project to date. From the chaotic upbeat nature of tracks like
DVP to the more grim indie rock influenced closer
Pine Point, the band manage to stretch the genre to it's absolute limits. Much like Floss, this album claims it spot in my top 3 thanks to just how many times I found myself listening to this record throughout the year, usually whilst singing along to some of the catchiest hooks I've heard in a very long time.