Did I really not do a halfway post the last two summers? Even so, there’s been an abundance of good TV, film and music this year. I usually wait until around July 4th to post a formal countdown, and I will. But Spin and Consequence of Sound cheated a bit by offering up their best albums of 2016 lists a month early. This list isn’t ranked, but here’s a sample of the albums that were a cut above so far this year, released before June 1.
Mike Adams – Casio Drone
Anderson.Paak – Malibu
Anohni – Hopelessness
David Bowie – Blackstar
Car Seat Headrest – Teens of Denial
Lucy Dacus – No Burden
DIIV – Is the Is Are
Brian Eno – The Ship
Explosions in the Sky – The Wilderness
Josh Gondelman – Physical Whisper
The Hotelier – Goodness
Islands – Taste | Should I Remain Here at Sea?
The Knocks – 55
La Dispute – Tiny Dots
Lake Street Dive – Side Pony
Lecrae – Church Clothes 3
Modern Baseball – Holy Ghost
MOTHXR – Centerfold
Bob Mould – Patch the Sky
Photo Ops – Vacation
Pinegrove – Cardinal
Primal Scream – Chaosmosis
Radiohead – A Moon Shaped Pool
Corinne Bailey Rae – The Heart Speaks in Whispers
Rihanna – ANTI
The Rocket Summer – Zoetic
Sturgill Simpson – A Sailor’s Guide to Earth
St. Lucia – Matter
Underworld – Barbara Barbara, We Face a Shining Future
Rufus Wainwright – Take All My Loves
Wild Nothing – Life of Pause
Yeasayer – Amen & Goodbye