These are my top 10 albums of 2011:
1. The Kills – Blood
Pressures
This fourth album from The Kills is simply spectacular. With
pounding drumbeats and excellent guitar playing, as well as interesting lyrics
and powerful vocals from both Alison Mosshart and Jamie Hince, every song is
grand. It is nearly impossible not to listen to the whole thing all the way
through. It isn’t all loud though – there is the soft, lilting “The Last
Goodbye”, a sad song about a failed romance that sounds like it is being played
on an old record player, and the quiet, simple, almost John Lennon-esque sound
of “Wild Charms”, which is much
too short at only 1:15. It is a
perfect collection of songs, with plenty of variety, yet not a single track
feels out of place. Blood Pressures is without a doubt my favorite album of the
year.
Favorite Tracks: Future Starts Slow, DNA, Baby Says, The
Last Goodbye, Satellite
2. Florence & The Machine - Ceremonials
One word to describe Florence’s second album: magical. This
is truly a beautiful record. Florence Welch’s voice is as lovely as ever, and
the songs resonate with a power that is hard to describe. The lyrics are
amazing, and filled with poetry and meaning. Her backing band – the machine –
provides excellent instrumentation for each track. Like Blood Pressures, the
collection is unified, and difficult to listen to individually, but rather a
full listening experience. I found this album even better than her debut,
Lungs, which although is a great album, can never top the pure magnificence of
Ceremonials.
Favorite Tracks: No Light, No Light, Only If For A Night,
What The Water Gave Me, Leave My Body, Shake It Out
3. Arctic Monkeys - Suck It And See
Though the album cover may be plain and boring, the songs
are not at all. This fourth album from British band Arctic Monkeys is
magnificent. As always, Alex Turner’s voice is as handsome as he is. The
guitars and drums are excellent and powerful. The whole album has a balance
between soft and loud that is difficult to describe. I had the opportunity to
see them live in October, and they were just as amazing on stage as they are on
their records (I’ll be seeing them again in March, opening for The Black Keys,
which should be a great show!). (Side
Note: Alex Turner’s solo EP, Submarine, which also came out this year, and I
just discovered and listened to a minute ago, is also really good.)
Favorite Tracks: Don’t Sit Down ‘Cause I’ve Moved Your
Chair, Reckless Serenade, Black Treacle, Suck It And See, Love Is A Laserquest
4. Sleeper Agent - Celabrasion
This debut album by new band Sleeper Agent, from Kentucky, is
awesome. The harmony between Alex Kandel and Tony Smith’s voices is amazing,
and makes the songs all the more powerful. It is mostly loud and will have you
rocking out the whole time. This is yet another album that is very whole and
should be listened to straight through. I also recommend you go to their
website and watch their acoustic performances at the Tennessee State Prison,
which shows that they can play just as well quiet as loud. I didn’t start
listening to this record until almost the last month of the year, but after I
heard it once I couldn’t stop listening.
Favorite Tracks: Get It Daddy, Love Blood, Be My Monster,
Get Burned, That’s My Baby, Far And Wide
5. The Submarines - Love Notes/Letter Bombs
This third album from couple Blake Hazard and John
Dragonetti is a real treat. The simple, sweet songs about love are absolutely
delightful, and it’s hard not to smile while listening to it. Both member’s
vocals are beautiful, and the instrumentation is lovely, but the singing is
what really stands out. Every track is excellent, from beginning to end.
Favorite Tracks: A Satellite, Stars, And An Ocean Behind You,
Tigers, Birds, Shoelaces, The Sun Shines At Night
6. The Black Keys - El Camino
Although I’ve been rocking out to first single “Lonely Boy”
since it came out, and heard a couple other tracks on the radio, I didn’t get a
chance to listen to El Camino in full until today. But it is still making my
list, because it is truly amazing. The duo’s blues-rock style is evident, and
the uptempo beats and catchy tunes will make you want to dance. Dan Auerbach’s
voice is rich and vibrant, and the lyrics are brilliant.
Favorite Tracks: Lonely Boy, Little Black Submarines, Gold
On The Ceiling, Run Right Back, Sister, Nova Baby
7. Dawes - Nothing Is Wrong
The first time my sister tried to introduce me to Dawes,
with their song “When My Time Comes” from their first release, North Hills, I
rejected it, saying it was “too country”. Later she convinced me to listen to
Nothing Is Wrong, and I enjoyed it very much. Since then, I’ve re-listened to
“When My Time Comes” and I don’t know what I was thinking that first time, as
it is a great song. But back to Nothing Is Wrong, a lovely album, full of
poetry and emotion. Taylor Goldsmith’s voice is beautiful and every track is wonderful.
(Side Note: Though this version of “Million Dollar Bill” is great, I recommend the
Middle Brother version even more, Taylor’s side project which also includes
John McCauley of Deer Tick and Matt Vasquez of Delta Spirit.)
Favorite Tracks: A Little Bit of Everything, Fire Away, If I
Wanted Someone, So Well
8. Death Cab For Cutie - Codes And Keys
This is yet another impressive album from Seattle-based band
Death Cab For Cutie. Every song is gorgeous and the lyrics, which talk of life
and love, are very profound and poetic. The instrumentation is fabulous and
backs Ben Gibbard’s splendid and soulful voice perfectly. This album is simply
grand.
Favorite Tracks: Stay Young, Go Dancing, Codes And Keys,
Underneath The Sycamore, Some Boys, Home Is A Fire
9. Feist - Metals
Leslie Feist’s latest release is as impressive as her last
two albums. Her voice is lovely as always and the lyrics are pure poetry. The
songs are full of emotion. Most of the tracks are quiet and simple, though it
gets slightly louder on some songs, like “A Commotion” and “The Undiscovered
First”. All the songs have a light, clear feeling to them, like a peaceful
spring day. This is truly a beautiful record.
Favorite Tracks: How Come You Never Go There, The Bad In
Each Other, A Commotion, Undiscovered First, Comfort Me
10. Only Son - Searchlight
I discovered this album from Regina Spektor’s post about it
on Facebook, as she sings with Jack Dishel on the track “Call Them Brothers”. I
listened to that song and loved it, so I listened to the whole thing and bought
it later. It is very good and Jack Dishel has a lovely voice. Most of the songs
are quiet and soft, except for the loud, energetic “Stamp Your Name On
It”. The quieter songs are almost
like stories, and are beautiful and poetic.
Favorite Tracks: Call Them Brothers (Feat. Regina Spektor),
Stamp Your Name On It, It’s a Boy, Solo Mission
Thanks for reading! Tell me your favorite albums in the comments below. Top five concerts coming tomorrow. :)
