I haven't had as much time as normal to compile my list of the top ten albums of the year. But I've given it my best shot, and here's what I came up with. First of all, notable EPs:
Paper Hearts (Silver Trees)
This new group from Nashville has a really nice, melodic, indie rock sound. Their music is very full, with a variety of instruments and very tuneful vocals. I like the way the songs build. Their four-song EP is pretty powerful, and I thought it was one of the better EPs of the year. The song "Paper Hearts" is really awesome.
The Struggle (Grizfolk)
This band seems to be from California. They are more poppy than my normal taste...but their music is really catchy. This EP is fairly electronic, and beat-driven. Their song "Vagabonds" is amazing.
The Oh Hellos' Family Christmas Album (The Oh Hellos)
This EP came out just a few days ago. It's the same style of music as all their other stuff (really excellent). It's a collection of Christmas carols, joined together into long "movements". Parts of it are slow and contemplative, but there is a lot of the driving beat and fast percussion that marked "Through the Deep Dark Valley".
You Are Here EP (Magic Man)
I came across Magic Man through noisetrade a few months ago, and I really like their sound. It's fast, electronic, and somewhat poppy. The chord transitions and rhythms are really catchy. I was pretty impressed with the EP.
Top ten albums:
10. Magnetic (Goo Goo Dolls)
The Goo Goo Dolls have stayed fairly active since their glory days of the late 1990s and early 2000s. They released a new album, Magnetic, in May of this year, and I thought it was quite good. Some of the songs were overly predictable and somewhat unimaginative, but I enjoyed a lot of them. A few songs in particular were quite compelling...the lyrics are pretty wholesome, and the tunes are highly enjoyable.
9. The Bones of What You Believe (CHVRCHES)
This was one of the better electropop albums of the year. CHVRCHES is a Scottish electropop group with an amazing 1980s sound. They have been around for a few years, but only released their debut album a few months ago. The music is really good, with catchy beats and great use of electronic effects. The lead singer is a girl, and she has an awesome voice. The group is getting pretty popular in the US this year.
8. Comedown Machine (The Strokes)
The Strokes had a long gap in their discography between 2003 and 2011. Their last album, Angles, was not particularly good in my opinion, but this year they released a new LP in April, and I enjoyed it immensely. The style of the music is very close to their previous work, but there is more variety in the sound of the songs, and the lead singer is more adventurous with his voice. He has a huge vocal range on this album; it's quite remarkable. If you liked the Strokes at all in the early 2000s, you should listen to this album.
7. Above the City (Club 8)
Club 8 is a Swedish electropop duo that I came across a couple of years ago. It had been a while since they released any music, but they came out with a new album this year. The songs have a wider range of sound than their previous almost chill-wave music. Some of the songs are pretty dark, but others are very upbeat indeed, and almost electronic. I enjoyed this album very much.
6. Searching For You (Army of Me)
I came across Army of Me on noisetrade earlier this year, before the release of this album, and then heard about the release a few months ago. It's an excellent collection of songs, although some of them have been included on EPs in the past. The lead singer's voice is extremely powerful, and the music itself is the perfect combination of pop and rock in my opinion. The melodies are really tuneful. Some of the songs are highly catchy.
5. Heartthrob (Tegan and Sara)
Tegan and Sara's music is not for everyone. Their previous releases have not interested me much; their stuff seemed too poppy without any memorable melodies. This new album, however, is incredible. The lyrics are questionable at best, and occasionally very inappropriate, but aside from that the music is excellent. The songs will get stuck in your head. Some of them are better than others, but on the whole I really like their new sound. Their voices work really well with the rest of the music.
4. The Weatherman (Gregory Alan Isakov)
Gregory Alan Isakov is a genius. His more recent work is more compelling to me than his earlier stuff. I really enjoyed "This Empty Northern Hemisphere". This year he came out with a new album, "The Weatherman"; it didn't initially grab me, but over time it grew on me quite rapidly and now I can't get enough of it. It's very consistent with his earlier work, with very retro and acoustic sounding guitar work and powerful melodies. His voice is unbelievable. I struggled to decide where to place this album on the list, it's so good. It almost went higher on the list.
3. Dear Me, Look Up (Marble Sounds)
Marlbe Sounds is a Dutch band. I think I came across them on youtube a couple of years ago, and they only had one album released. It was decent, although I didn't like every song. This year they came out with a new album and I immediately loved it. The style of music is consistent with their previous stuff, but a lot more polished with catchier melodies. I really like the upbeat sound on most of the songs. The instrumentation is really good. If you like alternative rock music and you don't mind accents, you should love this.
2. Black Bear (Andrew Belle)
Andrew Belle released his sophomore album "Black Bear" this year, and it's a huge leap from his previous work. I always thought he sounded a lot like Mat Kearney in his previous stuff; both his voice, and the poppy nature of his music. But this new album is a lot more interesting: it sounds a lot more like Beach House than Mat Kearney. The opening track is unbelievable, and it sets the tone of the whole album. Almost every song is excellent, and I can't recommend this album enough.
1. Trouble Will Find Me (The National)
This was the best album of the year in my opinion. I had very high expectations for it, but oddly, I wasn't enthralled the first few times I listened to it. I thought it was a lot less powerful than "High Violet". It probably took about three or four listens before it started to grow on me rapidly. Now, eight months after it came out, I can't get enough of it. All the essential elements of the National are there; the (mostly) vague and nonsensical but emotional lyrics, the building of each song to a crescendo, the powerful percussion and background instrumentation including what seems like a full orchestra. I had the privilege of seeing them live at Red Rocks Amphitheatre in September, and was highly impressed. They are among my favourite bands right now.
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