Australia's best albums of 2016

I have decided that the not-so-affectionate nickname for 2016 should be the year of the train wreck. In every dictionary from now on, the definition for 2016 will be a single photo- a flaming, singed heap of stuff. If nothing else, there is one shining beacon of hope- the Australian music scene has been booming this year. The following are a few of many of the best Aussie albums of 2016.

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This Is Our Vice

Cub sport’s debut album is a 13 song masterpiece of pure indie-pop. Dreamy ethereal vocals are inter-meshed with enthusiastic drumming and an awesome backing of synths and guitar. After their paradise and told you so EP’s were released, they gained a small but dedicated following from Aussie youth and their US counterparts. “I can’t save you”, a definite album highlight features 80s’s style synths, a mix of quiet gentle vocals and powerful choruses. It is catchy as can be and is sure to keep you singing it long into the night. Another top track on the album “stay” is filled with beat heavy drumming and guitar and backing choral vocals that pack a powerful punch as a beautiful close-to ending for a phenomenal album.

Camp Cope

If you plan on listening to camp cope’s self-titled debut, make sure to prepare yourself- with tissues and comfort food. For a band with such a small following, they certainly bring the best. Through the album’s 8 tracks, themes that are distinctly personal to the bands members which have the uncanny trait of relating directly to every listener. They bookend their album with their most successful track done and ending with perhaps the most personal track of all song for Charlie. The wonderful lead vocals, strong and emotive, set the tone for the whole band, with skillful bass, guitar and drumming following suit. The tracks summon up memories of late nights, dark skies and silence in the crowd.

Animal

Big scary- a Melbourne two-person that is yet to release a disappointing song. The massive build up to the release of their third studio album was certainly well worth it. The album is a conceptual one; it is about the four states of an animal- Hunting, Lurking, Resting and Walking- and applies this concept to a romantic relationship. It starts off with the beat-heavy, repetitive and suggestive track oxygen and progresses to songs like the opposite of us, a bittersweet track with beautiful piano and vocals that bring the whole album together. The album all together is melodious, smooth and widely varying from upbeat to mournful. Yet again, big scary has impressed.

Glorious Heights

Another debut album, Montaigne’s (Jessica Cerro’s) first piece of work, released this august has been on high rotation on triple j- and it’s not hard to see why. Drawing inspiration from video game soundtracks and Australian alternative music, Montaigne has released an album jam packed with huge, swelling choruses; mournful, emotional vocals harmonise with perfectly mastered backing tracks. As a previous unearthed high finalist, Montaigne was already on the indie radar when she gifted the world with this album. The topics of the tracks vary greatly- from unhealthy relationships in because I love you’s upbeat, jumpy beat to the soulful sounds of consolation prize. This album has something for everyone.

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