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: #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"

Iron and Wine - Kiss Each Other Clean

8.0

Warner Bros.
Release Date: 01/25/11

Kiss Each Other Clean is a bizarre album. Not so long ago, Sam Beam's hushed whispers and disarming folk songs were an institution of the indie music world. We all beheld the magic that was contained in Iron and Wine's cover of "Such Great Heights" that was released on the Garden State soundtrack that boosted him to credible fame. Yet here 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.

But even without knowing Beam's past work, the sounds on Kiss Each Other Clean are still often hard to wrap your mind around. Beam claims that the songs are inspired from a multitude of pop genres, calling the album "music people heard in their parent's car growing up… that early-to-mid '70s FM, radio-friendly music." And as strange as it sounds, the statement is surprisingly accurate. Beam and his laundry list of contributors have crafted a lovely album full of interesting sounds and production choices to accompany his newest batch of songs. Check out the strange aural landscape on "Monkeys Uptown" that includes a drum machine, funky synths, and a xylophone or the following song "Half Moon", which references Eagles-era country rock, backed up by "du-whops" from a few female vocalists. Yes, Kiss Each Other Clean puts to use the retro-obsessed trends of culture. But it does so with an amount of artistry that transcends its use of nostalgia.

Even so, Beam is still at his best in the quieter tracks like the piano-led, "Godless Brother In Love". Here Beam delivers a heartwarming vocal melody with some folky harmonies and acoustic guitars to boot. Once you get over how ridiculous it is that the 70s vibe of the music could sound fresh, the songs really do speak for themselves. In the creative opener, "Walking Far From Home", Beam repeats a hypnotizing melody over changing backgrounds that feature some of Beam's best storytelling since Our Endless Numbered Days. When listening to the album straight through, you'll definitely have those moments where you miss the Iron and Wine of yesteryear and wonder if its even the same guy behind those gimmicky saxophone solos. Even so, Kiss Each Other Clean includes enough catchy pop songs and good songwriting to make it a successful transition onto a mainstream label and an interesting new stylistic turn for Iron and Wine.


Iron and Wine - Godless Brother In Love