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: #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"