Albums to look forward to in 2015

Calgary post-punk quartet Women changed the face of independent music with their sophomore album Public Strain before imploding and facing the tragic loss of their guitarist, Chris Reimer. That band's sound was the blueprint for a whole generation of guitar-based pop groups, and now one half of its members are back with Viet Cong. While it's an entirely different project from Women, the group's self-titled debut possesses the same penchant for sonic layering, timeless songwriting, and willingness to experiment. Coming out at the end of January, it just might be a record that defines 2015. (Josiah Hughes)

I’d initially assumed that Michael Rault was the next sleepy eyed, shit-eating songwriter to emerge from post-Mac DeMarco Edmonton. I, thankfully, was wrong. Rault, now based in Toronto, just cut a fantastic two-song cassette of sheer perfection—he’s emerged as a hazy, ‘60s-indebted pop songwriter, lathers luxurious psych into stick-in-your-head-for-days vocal melodies. We’re excited to see if he can duplicate “Nothing Means Nothing” (or its immaculate b-side, “Still Not Sad”) in either an EP or LP format. (Mark Teo)

He's said it's coming sooner than we're expecting, and when it comes to Overgrown's follow-up, that can't happen soon enough. He's promising a little more aggression and bounce this time around, which for Blake strikes us as odd, but given his track record, we think he's earned our trust. (Tyler Munro)

Tie: Reissues of This Heat’s 1979 debut and 1980’s Deceit (with liner notes by Byron Coley!) or Viet Cong’s debut LP. History repeats itself while the future is ready to be made. (Jesse Locke)

If Frank Ocean actually drops something I will be shocked and it will probably be incredible. (Chayne Japal)

Their comeback would be exciting enough on paper, but our first sounds from the reunited Sleater-Kinney — "Bury Our Friends" and, now, "Surface Envy" — sound as thrillingly present as anything the band has done to-date. (Ryan McNutt)

And anyway guys, Yeezus 2 could still make it out by the end of 2014. (Nicole Villeneuve)

Because Yeezus was my favourite album of both 2013 and 2014. (Aaron Zorgel)

I wanna maintain cred and say the new Gang of Four, but it's Kanye. Of course it's Kanye. Who's saying anything but Kanye? (Jeremy Mersereau)