The 10 best Finnish albums of 2015

A bit late on the schedule, but at last, here’s my end of the year recap: The 10 best Finnish albums of 2015. Looking at the list, it seems last year I listened to a bunch of psychedelic sounds, which is always nice. Read on and hopefully, you’ll discover some of the best contemporary Finnish music. Enjoy.

Scroll all the way dow to find a playlist compiling songs from all these wonderful albums. Check out the best Finnish albums of previous years: 2014, 2013, 2012.

 

10. Satellite Stories – Vagabonds

In 2015 Satellite Stories released their third full-length, Vagabonds, and it’s a pretty much a flawless indie pop album. Filled with catchy melodies and crazy dance rhythm, this album took the band to stages across Europe and even the US, and made many people dance.

9. Okra Playground – Turmio

Rooted in Finnish traditional music, Okra Playground use ancient folk instruments like bowed harp, kantele and accordion combined with pop beats to create modern soundscapes and sing obscure folk tales. The band’s debut album. Turmio, is a surprising and engaging piece of world music.

8. Domovoyd – Domovoyd

Domovoyd have been playing psychedelic doom since 2010 and in 2015 the band embarked on a cosmic trip on their fantastic second full-length. Based on a dark, hypnotic drone, the album’s first and last songs are around the 17 minute mark to revisit some prog-rock sounds.

7. Them Bird Things – The Bride Who Came To Yellow Sky

It’s become a tradition to include americana band Them Bird Things in the list of the year’s best, but their perfectly-crafted folk-rock-blues-country songs are too good to ignore. The Bride Who Came To Yellow Sky is the band’s fourth album in six years and it might be their weirdest and most psychedelic one

6. The Rollstons – Swiss Time

After a long break since their previous, the masters of power-pop The Rollstons came back with another bunch of precious songs with wonderful pop guitars and melodies. Awakening #7 is such an awesome song.

5. Jess and the Ancient Ones – Second Psychedelic Coming: The Aquarius Tapes

With a simple formula combining heavy riffing, galloping rhythm section, spaced-out organ and the powerful voice of vocalist Jess, the second album by Jess and the Ancient Ones takes us to the golden era of the Vertigo label in the early seventies.

4. Black Lizard – Solarize

Black Lizard had the difficult task of topping their astonishing debut, and sure they did. The band took a step forward and explored different sounds and textures while staying true to classic seventies acid rock. The result was a more diverse and brighter effort that keeps on sounding fresh months after its release.

3. Death Hawks – Sun Future Moon

Death Hawks continue their explorations of kraut and psychedelia. Sun Future Moon, their third album, is a little bit more slow-paced and organic, but equally mind-bending.

2. Nicole Willis & The Soul Investigators – Happiness In Every Style

Without a doubt, Happiness in Every Style is the funkiest album of 2015. Willis and her extraordinary band delivered a batch of soulful, elegant songs, perfectly arranged with the right amount of pop in its melodies. A special mention goes to the album’s closing track Hot Sauce, which is the sexiest, greasiest, hottest and smoothest song in a long time.

1. Jukka ja Jytämimmit – Jytää vaan

In just a few months Jukka Ja Jytämimmit became the most exciting, strangest and flamboyant Finnish rock and roll band. Equally fast, the band imploded and broke up hours before their gig at Flow festival. But while it lasted, the power trio published a hard-rocking, butt-shaking album with tons of boogie and quirky lyrics.

 

Here’s a playlist with a few songs from these albums.