Ear to the Underground: Post Of Random Chaos (including my top albums of the year so far).

So, the last couple of months have been sort of crazy, so my album review schedule has been all kinds of erratic. That doesn't mean I have stopped listening to new stuff, it just means I haven't had time to form full fledged opinions on a lot of it. However, I hope to get all of this off my chest as well as my overdue albums of the year so far in one big post. Enjoy!

Top Albums of the Year So Far (In no particular order).

1. Father John Misty: "I Love You, Honeybear".

The year started off really well, and this album is proof. FJM came together with a heartwarming and funny album here, full of songs about love and the road to it. In short, this album is everything you want in a singer-songwriter album that you can simply relax to.

2. Kendrick Lamar: "To Pimp A Butterfly".

Kendrick Lamar has been making waves for the past few years, but this album right here is clearly his masterpiece. An album that is so poignant, yet balances its message with an equally impressive and catchy set of instrumentals that are hard to forget. This is surely a contender for album of the year.

3. Alabama Shakes: "Sound & Color".

I was thoroughly surprised with the latest Alabama Shakes release, an album full of tight and catchy rock tunes that even have a bit to them underneath the surface. Certainly songs like "Gimme All Your Love" will still be in rotation come 2016. Heck, this album may even win a Grammy or two, so that's cool!

4. The Decemberists: "What A Terrible World, What A Wonderful World".

Sure, I may be a little biased, and seeing them in concert for the first time this year only enhances that fact, but I still think that The Decemberists came together and put out one of their most enjoyable albums in the last few years. Plus, you get a song about a pervy teenage boy, so this is like the most 'Decemberist' Decemberists album in years!

5. Drake: "If You're Reading This Its Too Late".

Drake has been on a streak lately. Though I thought his last album was just okay, I found myself really loving this new mixtape/album. Its been in rotation since the day it dropped, and tracks like "Know Yourself" and "10 Bands" are fantastic. I look forward to hearing his next project and just hope he can keep this up.

6. Sufjan Stevens: "Carrie & Lowell".

Sufjan has been a favorite of mine since the first time I heard Illinoise, and part of me figured the new album would never reach the same heights. While that is certainly true in terms of scale, I'd say this album is Sufjan's best in terms of just about everything else. Carrie & Lowell is a simply heartbreaking ode to Sufjan's life and relationship with his late mother, and it is a testament to just how great a songwriter Sufjan is.

Albums That I Didn't Get A Chance To Review, But I Still Wanted To Talk About.

1. Sun Kil Moon: "Universal Themes".

The new SKM album kind of came out of nowhere, and considering that Benji was my album of the year, I was really excited to listen to it. And while it definitely isn't as good as the last album, there are still some really wordy and enjoyable tracks on this album. The only problem is that some of the tracks get lost in the wordiness and rambling, leading to some of the longer tracks feeling like a grind. This is a good album, but it isn't great.

2. Algiers: Self-Titled.

This album is fantastic and may end up on my end of the year list, but I just didn't have time to write a full review. and it's been out so long, I figured you didn't need another opinion telling you the same thing. In short, Goth meets Soul, and it's fantastic.

3. High On Fire: "Luminiferous".

Truthfully, I haven't given this album a full listen, but what I've heard has been excellent. Big, meaty riffs and fantastic melodies that are some of the bands tightest yet. I've loved almost everything that I've heard from this band and this new album is no different. Another album I really should have made an effort to review.

4.Tech N9ne: "Special Effects"

Sigh... I feel bad for ever enjoying All 6's And 7's. But at least that album had the decency to have some actually enjoyable tracks on it. Tech has been under utilizing his rapping ability and over utilizing his features lists for way too long at this point.

5. The Vaccines: English Graffiti

It's not bad, but I just can't get over how odd the trajectory of this band has been. I like when they put out catchy brit-pop tunes, but I just don't find them to be interesting enough to do anything deeper than that.

Tracks That I've Really Enjoyed This Year.

Future Islands: The Chase