Best Albums of 2011

This is going up really late, but with all the great music that was released in 2011, I feel like it woud've been a crime to not finish what I had started. It's been an awesome year for me personally and I've gotten some really great chances to write for some bigger publications. Currently I'm freelancing for Paste Magazine, Prefix, and Relevant Magazine -- with more on the way hopefully.

As for The Feedback Loop, I have some exciting things planned for 2012, so stay tuned. Below is my final list. Feel free to tell me what music you liked from 2011 in the comments below!

25 TV on the Radio - Nine Types of Light
24 Little Dragon - Ritual Union
23 Big K.R.I.T. - Return of 4Eva
22 Destroyer - Kaputt
21 John Mark McMillan - Economy
20 Grouper - A I A / Alien Observer
19 Bon Iver - Bon Iver
18 Florence + The Machine - Ceremonials
17 Jonny Greenwood - Norwegian Wood OST
16 Iron and Wine - Kiss Each Other Clean
15 James Blake - James Blake
14 Girls - Father, Son, Holy Ghost
13 CunninLynguists - Oneirology
12 Radiohead - King of Limbs
11 Colin Stetson - New History Warfare Vol. 2: Judges
10 The Civil Wars - Barton Hollow
9 My Brightest Diamond - All Things Will Unwind
8 Lia Ices - Grown Unknown
7 Rustie - Glass Swords
6 St. Vincent - Strange Mercy
5 The Roots - undun
4 My Morning Jacket - Circuital
3 Fleet Foxes - Helplessness Blues
2 PJ Harvey - Let England Shake
1 M83 - Hurry Up, We're Dreaming

Best Albums of 2011: #1

M83 - Midnight City

If there's one thing I've noticed about my listening habits in the past couple years it's that I don't have the same musical endurance I used to have. It might be that I listen to a lot more music than I used to or it might be that we all have a certain degree of ADD from using the internet too much. Either way, I've found that I often spend huge amounts of time with the first half of albums and tend to neglect the latter half. As sort of a resolution to that, I've really begun to love the shorter length of EPs -- four or five tracks that I can really get a good grip on and know inside and out.

It was strange then when I realized that the massive double-album Hurry Up, We're Dreaming was, without a doubt, my favorite album of 2011.

However, I found a sense of freedom in the epic scale of the album. Instead of a tightly-knit album of songs, I discovered a lot of space to get lost in the music. Instrumental tracks wandered and grew, only to fade out in the end, while songs like "Midnight City" and "OK Pal" burst with life and celebration. Unlike so many other indie releases these days, it's gestures were grand and majestic, not subtle in any way. While I've found that I enjoy listening to smaller amounts of music in repeated listening times in my day-to-day life, albums like Hurry Up, We're Dreaming and my favorite album from 2010, Sufjan Steven's Age of Adz prove to me that big concepts and ambitious expressions still move me most.

To read more of what I've written on the album, click here and here.



Best Tracks: "Intro (feat. Zola Jesus)", "Midnight City"

Best Albums of 2011: #2

PJ Harvey - Let England Shake

You don't have to look very far to see that the modern day Western peace movements are partisan politics at best or nonexistent at worst. Sadly, it's beginning to feel like in the Western world the idea of being at perpetual war has become a part of our cultural psyche. Every once and a while, though, a piece of art, film, or music can move people in their serious and somber portrayals of war. In the past it's been films like Schindler's List, Apocalypse Now, or The Hurt Locker -- films that show the tragic effects of war for what they are rather than falling back on typical anti-war rhetoric. For me, PJ Harvey's Let England Shake was this 2011's case against violence and warfare.

In each of these daringly simple, but masterful songs, the singer-songwriting veteran takes a step back from personal dramas to create her magnum opus of sorts. From the opening titular track on, PJ Harvey had me hooked to her idiosyncratic vocal deliveries and sparse arrangements -- a stunning exercise in controlled creativity and an example of a musician and songwriter at the top of her game. More than anything else though, as the war in Afghanistan drags on and U.S. military bases continue to pop up all over the world, I can't help but turn to my own country that I love and wonder if we need our own PJ Harvey to finally wake up.

Read my full review here.



Best Tracks: "Let England Shake", "The Words That Maketh Murder"

Best Albums of 2011: #3

Fleet Foxes - Helplessness Blues

If there's one thing that can really turn me off from any music publication, it's got to be when albums get discredited simply because it's not the band's first album. Not surprisingly, I sort of did the same thing when I first heard Helplessness Blues. At first I wavered as to whether or not I preferred the simplicity of heart in Fleet Foxes' debut self-titled album over the emotional complexity in Helplessness Blues. I reasoned that perhaps Fleet Foxes were biting off more than they could chew -- that maybe they should stick to singing about furry animals and sunrises. That is, until the Occupy movement hit the streets in every major city in country, young people took over the Republican Party behind a 76-year old libertarian named Ron Paul, and every able-bodied Internet user regardless of political affiliation took up arms against the Internet censorship bill, SOPA.

Not to say that Helplessness Blues is at all a political album. Instead, it's music about desiring to be a part of something bigger than yourself; part of a movement. It rightly reaches back to the Joan Baezs and John Lennons of the original youth movement of the 60s for inspiration both musically and thematically -- attempting to inspire people to dare be more than consumers of materialism. When Paste assembled a list called the 10 Anthems For Our Generation and put the titular track from Fleet Foxes' album at #1 over songs by Arcade Fire, The Decemberists, and The National, they were totally 100% correct.



Best Tracks: "Helplessness Blues", "Grown Ocean"

Best Albums of 2011: #4

My Morning Jacket - Circuital

There are only a few bands who, in my mind, can still pull off the whole rock band thing these days. Foo Fighters, The National, maybe The Black Keys come to mind -- but few bands can claim the energy and raw musical expertise without a smirk or a wink, especially rock bands of the independent persuasion. But My Morning Jacket's new album Circuital proves that their take on 90s indie rock is the real thing. Having released their first album in 1998, these guys know their stuff and their return to form shows their perfection of the form.

Circuital is one of those rare albums where every single track is absolutely required and non-skippable. From the old-school heaviness of "Victory Dance" to the upbeat indie rock hit "Circuital", Circuital has the emotional punch of their early albums and the relevancy of Z. The strong hooks, thoughtful lyrics, and MMJ's undeniable musicianship all add up to something refreshingly familiar: a classic good album that is easily one of the best of the year.



Best Tracks: "Victory Dance", "Holdin On To Black Metal"

Best Albums of 2011: #5

The Roots - undun

In an interview with AdWeek, drummer ?uestlove said, in talking about their new album, that "I definitely feel like How I Got Over was our first record, and now Undun is our second album." In many ways, I can see why he says that. As they settled down as the Jimmy Fallon late night band, How I Got Over felt like a reinvention of The Roots -- a simplified and refined version of themselves. In undun, they pursue a more complex conceptual topic, but still keep the beats simple and raw.

When ?uestlove would later say that this is the best Roots album yet, he really wasn't kidding. Black Thoughts' flow has never been better and the guest spots by Big K.R.I.T., Greg Porn, and Dice Raw are perfectly integrated. The conceptual material of the album doesn't feel like anything new -- after all, how many rappers have made albums about growing up in the hood and entering a life of crime? Yet, The Roots still give the story their own existential, cringe-free spin and produce what is in my mind the best rap album of the year. The Roots' ability to continue to refine their sound and push forward creatively is kind of mind-blowing to think about considering undun is their 11th studio album. If undun is a sign, they show no sign of slowing down any time soon.



Best Tracks: "Make My", "Tip the Scale"

Best Albums of 2011: #7

Rustie - Glass Swords

I really never thought an instrumental electronic album like Glass Swords could make it to the top of my end-of-year list -- I just tend to not have the patience for this kind of stuff. Looking to expand my musical palette a bit, though, I did my best to give the debut album from newcomer Rustie a try. Quite surprisingly, I found myself totally addicted the sounds and styles Rustie plays with in Glass Swords. Influences from across the electronic music spectrum make it into Glass Swords and the result is a dizzying blend of styles that only a young producer like Rustie could pull off.

It's heavy on samples, 8-bit synths, and even cheesy guitar solos -- indulgent and maximalist in every meaning of the words. In "Hover Traps" Rustie matches a slap bass guitar with a sample of Navi from Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time -- in "Globes" he sounds like a bit like the German electronic duo Digitalism, but "City Star" might as well be the backing track for the best Rick Ross song he never rapped over. Genres, subgenres, labels... throw it all out the window: Rustie is the definitive electronic release of 2011 -- a snapshot of electronic music in 2011 and what the genre has to offer.



Best Tracks: "Glass Swords", "Ultra Thizz"

Best Albums of 2011: #8

Lia Ices - Grown Unknown

Every once and a while an album will come along that revives my faith in the traditional singer-songwriter. I understand that a girl singing and strumming an acoustic guitar isn't exactly everyone's cup of tea these days, but among new releases from crowd-favorites like Feist, Lia Ices easily stood out as a unique voice in the genre. Grown Unknown is only her sophomore album, but it already sounds like a mature musical statement from the young artist.

Somber and solitude -- Grown Unknown was the perfect winter album for early 2011. Sparse instrumentation surround Ices' chilling vocals, but every bit of it purposeful and important. As much as a quiet album like this one can, Grown Unknown managed to surprise me with each track. Whether its the hand claps in the title track, the string flourishes in "Ice Wine", or the guest spot by Justin Vernon in "Daphne", the album seemed to offer compelling production choices at every turn. The problem with lists like these is that its so easy to forget about last January -- especially a quiet album like this one. Even still, Lia Ices' voice struck a chord with me that kept me returning to the album over and over throughout the course of the entire year.



Best Tracks: "Daphne", "Grown Unknown"

Best Albums of 2011: #9

My Brightest Diamond - All Things Will Unwind

My pick for #9 is, in my opinion, one of the most critically misunderstood and underrated albums of the year. I have read very few reviews that have My Brightest Diamond's latest a proper chance. In All Things Will Unwind, multi-instrumental classicist Shara Worden has crafted an orchestral pop record of the most nuanced kind. When many arrangements in records of this nature are dull and boring, the arrangements here sparkle no doubt thanks to the help of the ensemble group yMusic. yMusic compose most of the backing group behind the music here and their talent in both arrangement and performance truly shine in All Things Will Unwind.

Song-wise, Worden's main attraction is still her angelic voice -- jumping octaves, twisting and turning melodies, and still sounding altogether accessible. Quite simply, I've been waiting for My Brightest Diamond to put out a record like this for a long time and it easily takes the cake for best orchestral pop record of the year.

Best Albums of 2011: #10

The Civil Wars - Barton Hollow

Of all the acoustic indie folk duos that have appeared this year, The Civil Wars have continued to stick in my mind throughout the past twelve months. they've been written about extensively so far, but there is something very special about the interplay between the two members of The Civil Wars. Yes, it's the creative harmonies and yes, it's the intricate songwriting. In fact, I could compliment the technical and musical accomplishments of Barton Hollow for days -- yet in many ways there is something beyond words about how well these two musicians' styles, voices, and personalities match.

"More than anything else, Barton Hollow and the band itself is very much about the 'civil' fashion in which we wage war against our loved ones. The civility of it all is apparent enough in the music; the harmonies that Williams and White sing are almost agreeable and pretty to a fault. There is no clutter getting in the way, just the pristine clarity of an acoustic guitar and two brilliant singers. However, beneath the surface, there is an undeniable tension in the conflicted lyrics and darker musical shades. The best example of this tension might be in their single "Poison and Wine", where they sing, "I don't love you/but I always will". Williams calls this darker side of the music the depiction of the idea that "beauty can be bittersweet and truth can be hard to swallow"."

Read my whole review here.

Best Albums of 2011: #11

Colin Stetson - New History Warfare Vol. 2: Judges
It should be simple enough to say that Colin Stetson made saxophones cool again, but it turns out there were plenty of instances of that in 2011. Even still, I love giving a top spot on my list to a musician has so perfectly crafted a sound that emphasizes his expertise as a performer. Creating every sound on the album himself in one take, the songs are recorded live with an array of well-placed microphones, capturing every rhythmic fluctuation and noise of Stetson's deliberate performance.

As far as the actual music goes, Judges never lets Stetson's performance overwhelm the songs themselves. Firmly rooted in minimalism and free jazz, Stetson is all kinds of postmodern. But instead of sounding apologetic or high-brow, Judges presents us with a dirty and grimy side of classical/pop crossover. More than that, though, Stetson manages to be legitimately mind-blowing at his instrument without relying on gimmicks or irony. Its a rare thing to find in the indie pop world, but Stetson never really fit into that niche anyway.



Best Tracks: "Judges", "From No Part Of Me Could I Summon A Voice"

Best Albums of 2011: #12

Radiohead - The King of Limbs

Everyone knows that Radiohead is one of those bands that will always be constantly redefining themselves and challenging their listeners. Because of that, when people hear a new Radiohead album, they expect something new. Something definitive. Something that will challenge the idea of being a rock band in an "in-your-face" kind of way. And for the past 10 years, that is exactly what Radiohead has done whether it wasOK Computer or Kid A or In Rainbows.

However, King of Limbs presents the band in a new way -- it reintroduces the band as one that can be subtle. So subtle that the band might do something like announce the album for one day and then just release the album the day before in a seemingly inconsequential way. They might release a "newspaper" edition -- a transitory medium that is here one day and forgotten the next. They might have tracks that give the band room to explore and perhaps even jam a bit. Tracks like "Bloom" and "Lotus Flower" feature textures that are mind-blowingly dense, yet at the same time they always feel somewhat effortless. The more I listened to this album throughout the year, the more I realized that Radiohead knew exactly what they were doing with this album and in many ways have surprised fans and critics again, but in a way we never would have expected.



Best Tracks: "Bloom", "Lotus Flower"

Best Albums of 2011: #13

CunninLynguists - Oneirology

The world of hip hop is exploding right now and now that artists are releasing free rapid-fire mixtapes online, its been really hard to stay up to date. I understand that. Even still, Oneirology has been one of the must underrated, under-appreciated hip hop albums to come out this year and this is me doing my part. Ambitious, heavy-hearted, and gorgeously produced, CunninLynguists' fifth album is not only their best release yet, its one of my favorite rap albums of the year.

For me, its rare to come across a rap album that has in enough going on in both the rapping and the music itself to warrant listen. Oneirology has Thematically, Oneirology shoots for the moon on Oneirology, taking on dreams as their topic of choice. And by dreams, I mean the beautiful, dark, twisted fantasies that not only exist in our times of sleep, but that color every choice in our lives. CunninLynguists do the ambitious concept justice, delivering some thoughtful rhymes and packing each track with great samples, psychedelic instrumentation, and big beats. Oneirology isn't flawless, but my goodness... listen to "Murder (Act II)" and tell me this thing isn't stumbling upon perfection around every corner.



Best Tracks: "Murder (Act II)", "Enemies With Benefits"

Best Albums of 2011: #14

Girls - Father, Son, Holy Ghost

After Girls' debut album dropped in 2009, the surfer-rock indie band was quick to talk about moving in a new direction. While Album was lofi and almost minimalist in a way, Father, Son, Holy Ghost feels overindulgent in comparison. Musically, Girls has opened up to a vast array of new instruments, effects, and new sense of fidelity that makes them sound like a whole new band. "Vomit" is a Floydian ballad that features a gospel choir and an organ while "Die" is a hard-hitting instrumental metal track. Well, "sort of" metal.

But that's not the only thing new about Father, Son, Holy Ghost -- it does that very same thing emotionally as well. The range of emotion on Girls goes from unadulterated bliss on "Honey Bunny" to somber melancholy on "My Ma" to sickening depression on "Vomit". The only thing that holds the whole thing together is the presence of courageous frontman Christopher Owens. Emotionally fragile but brutally honest at every turn, Owens faces up to his past ghosts and relationships -- not denying them, but also not letting them determine his future. If Father, Son, Holy Ghost is an album about identity like Owens says it is, it offers a thrilling expose on the endless potential of life.



Best tracks: "Alex", "Vomit"

Best Albums of 2011: #15

James Blake - James Blake

"Radiohead's Kid A, released 11 years ago way ahead of its time, was a prophetic expression of the "digital anxiety" that was at hand with its avant-garde art pop changing the way people understood electronic music. [...] Through the lenses of dubstep, AutoTune, and electronica, James Blake has crafted his very own haunting brand of electronic art pop..."

Certain parts of James Blake's self-titled album from earlier this year have held up really well -- perhaps even gotten better. Songs like "Wilhelm's Scream" and "I Never Learnt To Share" still ring true with that same crushing desperation I felt when I first heard them. The way Blake seamlessly integrates jazz, hip hop, and electronic stands out among the host of musicians trying to do that very thing. Click here for my full review.



Best tracks: "Wilhelm's Scream", "I Never Learnt To Share"

Best Albums of 2011: #16

Iron and Wine - Kiss Each Other Clean

"...on their first major label release, Iron and Wine continues that which was started on The Shepard's Dog of shedding much of the sound that they were once known for. Beam singing is now anything but hushed and his instrumentation anything but acoustic. Kiss Each Other Clean is definitely not just Iron and Wine plugged in. "

Unafraid to throw out older templates for crafting Iron and Wine songs, Kiss Each Other Clean is a daring release that takes a lot of risks but pays off in almost off of them. Fortunately, rather than letting all the new instruments and styles get in the way, they are all used to emphasize Sam Beam's iconic lyricism and maintain a unique 70s soft rock style throughout that has had me returning to the album more than I had originally thought I would. Ultimately, Kiss Each Other Clean is exactly the kind of album you want to see from a band as established as Iron and Wine: This isn't the Iron and Wine you remember, but its the one you won't be able to forget.



Best Tracks: "Tree By The River", "Godless Brother In Love"

Best Albums of 2011: #17

Jonny Greenwood - Norwegian Wood OST
Admittedly, I haven't watched as many films this year as I wish I could have, which of course, also means I haven't heard as many great soundtracks either. However, Radiohead guitarist and composer extraordinaire Jonny Greenwood has written possibly one of his best works yet in his scoring of the Japanese film, Norwegian Wood. Greenwood has this tragic underpinning behind his work that so effectively puts the audience inside the minds and hearts of the characters on screen.

The album opens with "Mou sukoshi jibun no koto, kichinto shitai no", which introduces the twisting theme of the score -- here it unfolds in a series of canons and loops just before unraveling into nothing as if it were never there to begin with. The plot follows the love triangle of three young Japanese college students and the deals with themes of identity, sexuality, and loss in their lives. In tracks like "Quarter Tone Broom", Greenwood shows off his beautiful language of dissonance that brilliantly describes the unwinding mental state of Norwegian Wood's characters. But what really made this soundtrack even more special for me was Greenwood's inclusion of two haunting acoustic guitar tracks that has me convinced that Greenwood is one of the most talented and unique composers working in the film industry right now.

Best tracks: "Mou sukoshi jibun no koto, kichinto shitai no", "Toki no senrei o ukete inai mono o yomuna"

Best Albums of 2011: #18

Florence + The Machine - Ceremonials

After ignoring this English vocal powerhouse for long enough, I'm now convinced that Florence + The Machine is one of the best big pop acts out there right now. Not only does Florence + The Machine do what is required one of them as a radio-friendly pop group by writing some irresistibly catchy tunes, they surprised me by exploring some darker musical and lyrical themes on Ceremonials. Pulling in some lovely soul influences, Florence writes some pretty interesting spiritual ballads and that make Adele sound like a glorified teenage pop idol.

Furthermore, the interest in soul/gospel and spirituality justifies the enormous sound that the group puts out to me. The huge organs, pounding drums, and gospel choir arrangements might be a bit over-the-top for some, but in a year where I was left pretty underwhelmed by Coldplay's album that felt like a significant step backwards, Florence + The Machine have filled that hole in my soul for British pop that's not afraid to be big.



Best Tracks: "Shake It Out", "Spectrum"

Best Albums of 2011: #19

Bon Iver - Bon Iver, Bon Iver
You'll see this one at the top of #1 lists across a lot of publications (perhaps even the Grammys) and I can totally get that. Bon Iver's self-titled sophomore album is an ambitious album that in my mind sometimes bites off more than it can chew, but nevertheless delivers a lush, somber musical experience that's hard to deny. Parts of the album hit me originally as being overwrought and self-aware, but following an emotionally rich album like For Emma, Years Ago, that's to be expected to some degree.

The best tracks on the album like "Perth", "Minnesota, WI", and "Holocene" find a balance between letting Justin Vernon explore some more experimental arrangements and sound-producers without loosing focus in the mix and not sounding like a kid in a candy shop. Amidst the ADD instrumentation exists Bon Iver's strongest claim to fame: Justin Vernon's impeccable ability to write catchy melodies that this album is rife full with. For that alone, this album deserves every bit of acclaim its received.

Best tracks: "Perth", "Holocene"

Best Albums of 2011: #20

Grouper - A I A / Alien Observer
Grouper is the moniker for ambient-folk, Portland artist Liz Harris and A I A / Alien Observer is her fourth full-length album. If you are into ambient music in any way, shape, or form, this should be your album of the year. In this double album, Grouper still uses an assortment of acoustic and electric instruments to create her majestic soundscapes, but never in a way that feels synthetic. Her whispered vocals stretch out through the mixes like comets with long tails of reverb bouncing through the night sky, always giving the tracks a very "human" feel. Rather than creating ambient music that place the listener wandering the stars lost in space, Grouper's vocals and acoustic sounds instead plant the listener on the ground in the midst of a labyrinth of fog and light.

Even in the song "Alien Observer", one of the most accessible tracks off the album, Liz Harris finds herself looking inward and seeing herself as the outsider looking in -- an "alien observer in a world that isn't mine". Ultimately, a lot of these tracks seem more concerned with exploring the complex soundscapes and emotions within the interior of a person and that's where it has often struck me. Despite how muddled and inaccessible these "songs" can be, I often found myself finding strange moments of clarity in the album while the ambient the soundscapes cleared out the exterior world for me. While A I A / Alien Observer is not as accessible as her previous album, it is no less expansive as a piece of art.

Best tracks: "Alien Observer", "She Loves Me That Way"