What Went Down – Foals (2015)

As a group, Foals is like fine wine, they get better with age. Their fourth album, What Went Down, brings back their energy they lacked in several songs on their previous album, Holy Fire. Tracks to check out: “What Went Down,” “Mountain at my Gates” and “Albatross.” – Hannah Kubbins

Pawn Shop – Brothers Osborne (2016)

I can listen to Pawn Shop for days on end without getting sick of it. There’s something special about the music that these two brothers come together to create; it always make me feel a little nostalgic, in the absolute best way possible. – Taylor Lifka

High Roller – Sugar & the Hi Lows (2015)

When music seems to be constantly becoming more and more complicated, Sugar & the Hi Lows bring it back and keep things simple.  The harmony between their voices and the simple melodies make the songs catchy yet relaxing.  The simple stories told in their songs are beautiful and take you back to another time altogether. – Kaitlyn Specht

Masked – Fox Amoore (2009)

For those like me who can’t listen to music with too many words or catchy tunes while studying, Fox Amoore’s Masked is a good choice for some ambient noise. Composed mostly of instrumental tracks, Amoore’s albums tend to follow a story and are generally paired with a visual work. Masked stands alone, but other albums such as Whenever I Read and Come Find Me have visual components. – Mat Scott

Palomino – Trampled by Turtles (2010)

Homegrown bluegrass is a commodity often attributed to Appalachia. But this album by Duluth, Minnesota natives should be considered a staple of the modern bluegrass revival. The lead track, “Wait So Long” features a fiery fiddle, gripping vocals and some mean pickin’ on the banjo — make no mistake, it’s a banger. – Ryan Strother

Skin – Flume (2016)

After dropping this highly anticipated album, Harley Streten, who performs under the stage name Flume, is possibly the greatest electronic producer of all time. Skin offers heavy synth drops accompanied with massive build ups, as well as soulful ballads and experimental noise. This album showcases Flume’s unique sound in an industry flooded by cliches. – Owen Smith

Blonde – Frank Ocean (2016)

After being off the radar for what felt like eons to fans, Frank Ocean finally crawled out from under his rock of creativity to bless us first with a visual album titled Endless and second with his studio album, Blonde. Although it took me some time to give it a listen (subconscious rebellion for my waiting period, perhaps), the album in full did not disappoint. With his much missed swooning vocals and musical twist of style acquired in his absence, Blonde was sure to satisfy–so much that fans were ungrudgingly ready to forgive. – Kalyn Dunkins