It’s December – time for holiday cheer, gift giving, roasting chestnuts… and of course year-end lists. To continue my annual tradition of recommending (proselytizing) music to my friends and family, let’s proceed with my 2011 music review.
Through various music podcasts, streaming sources like Spotify, NPR’s First Listen, and by pooling purchasing resources with some friends (thanks Josh and Scott), I was able to listen to and/or get more new music this year then ever before. (Ah, the promise of the information age.) Looking back on it, I do wonder about the amount of time I spent skimming music websites, podcasts, adjusting playlists, and tweaking my iTunes library. Anyway, I’ve also been slowly expanding my sources to include a wider range of genres. I know there’s still a lot of great music out there that I missed (especially in the areas of jazz, Latin, electronic) but my exposure to new hip-hop and world music was better then ever as well as all the indie-rock/pop and alt country stuff. I think the increased exposure has not only helped me find more new artists and sounds, but it’s also helped me appreciate the best of the music I was already listening to.
Later this week I’ll get out a post with some top songs, but for now lets get to my choices for best album of the year.
Colby’s Top Ten Albums of 2011 (in alphabetical order):
El Camino – The Black Keys
This is the first of two bands that made my “Best of” list two years in a row. I noticed this and it made me reconsider. Was El Camino really worth a top ten rating or was I just playing favorites? It was this question that motivated me to really do my homework before posting my list. I carefully reviewed my all of my music from the year as well as other albums I had listened to but decided not to purchase for one reason or another. I even checked some other “Best of” lists that were out there already to see if I was missing something which could supplant this album or another choice I made. In the end, I had to say this album is damn good. It’s not as bluesy as much of their older stuff and I think they are skirting the edge of becoming over-produced. I also believe that with the rise of many newer groups having a similar sound (whether from blatant copying or just respectful influence) they run the risk of becoming part of a cliche. But for now, I’ll be happy to hit play again and crank it to eleven. Listen to “Little Black Submarines.”
We Are the Tide – Blind Pilot
I picked Blind Pilot’s debut release as my favorite album of 2008 and I’ll stick by that choice today. I can’t say that We Are the Tide grabbed me in quite the same say – it’s maybe just a little too similar to 3 Rounds and a Sound – but as I was putting my list together and going back to purposefully listen to albums again, there was just no denying that this is a beautiful piece of work. Listen to the title track.
The King is Dead – The Decemberists
When I sat down and wrote my first draft for the top albums list, this was the first album I put down and there was really never any thought about taking it off. There were some jokes made by music critics that The King is Dead was the best R.E.M. album of the year but I don’t think that should detract at all from what The Decemberists have done. For me, this is an amazing mix of country, folk, The Decemberists lit-rock tendencies and that mid-era R.E.M. sound (think Life’s Rich Pageant and Document) – and having somebody like Gillian Welch pitch in doesn’t hurt either. This is certainly their most accessible album to date and it’s hard for me to argue with those calling it their best. My favorite part of the album: the back and forth pedal-steel & harmonica solos in “Rise to Me” – as bittersweet as it gets.
Go-Go Boots – Drive-By Truckers
Yes, the Drive-By Truckers have been one of my favorite bands for years now, but that doesn’t mean they automatically make the “Best of” list when they release a new album. In fact, they went through a bit of downturn when Jason Isbell left (who also released a nice album this year) and I was concerned they had lost the magic. But then came The Big To-Do in 2010 and Go-Go Boots this year. Wow. It’s hard to think of many bands that can put out two albums in two years which this kind of song writing craft, power and passion. Listen to “Cartoon Gold.”
The Head and the Heart – The Head and the Heart
This Seattle band was my SXSW find for the year. I often find a lot of new music by scouring the SXSW coverage (maybe someday I’ll make it in person) but this year I didn’t hear a lot of stuff that was either new to me or exciting. I did hear the audio from an in-store appearance by The Head and the Heart which stuck with me and over the coming months the album remained a regular part of my listening rotation. Their sound follows suit with several other bands you might hear me talking about (Blind Pilot, Kopecky Family Band, Fanfarlo, Mumford & Sons, The Rural Alberta Advantage…) but that doesn’t change the fact that this is a great album. Listen to “Lost In My Mind.”
James Blake – James Blake
James Blake made a lot of music critics’ end-of-year lists. For me, this album was a bit of an acquired taste. First time or two through I was ready to chalk it up to over-hype. About the third time through, it started to hit me and then one night, I sat down with a class of rum, put the headphones on, closed my eyes, and listened to the whole album straight through. Whether through my own fault or the fault of modern society’s constant information/entertainment onslaught, I find it harder and harder to be pulled in (or let myself be pulled in) to listening to an album, uninterrupted and undistracted, from start to finish. This was one of the few albums that could do that to me in 2011. Listen to “The Wilhelm Scream.”
Get Out the Lotion – Low Cut Connie
I discovered this album when it was reviewed during Fresh Air and I have to say, “Thank you Terry Gross.” It’s not a complicated album – it’s just a kick in the pants. But behind that raw, cut-it-loose attitude there’s an intelligence and a sentimentality that really sets it apart. For the low-brow side check out “Shit Shower & Shave.” For the sentimental, listen to “Full of Joy.”
Middle Brother – Middle Brother
As a collaboration between songwriters from three different bands, it is easy to see why this album changes it’s sound from track to track. Yes, they all share the same roots rock/alt country feel, but you can see they came from three different minds. I’m guessing that may be a big reason it didn’t show up on many critics’ “Best of” lists. However, I felt that the somewhat eclectic vibe just made the quality of the song writing stand out even more. With that said, it’s hard to pick one representative track so try “Wilderness,” “Blue Eyes” or the title track.
Come Back to Us – Release the Sunbird
This album came out of nowhere for me. I wasn’t familiar with Zack Rogue’s previous band, Rogue Wave, and knew nothing about this album until it started streaming on NPR’s First Listen. First time through I thought, “That’s kind of nice,” but wasn’t floored. Then I found myself hitting play again. And again. And again. I just kept playing it and it never got old. (Which is something few albums can do for me.) Instead, it broke in like a favorite pair of sneakers. It may not be the most cutting edge album, but it’s comfortable and it makes me happy. Listen to the title track “Come Back to Us.”
Undone – The Roots
There were a lot of big hip-hop/rap albums released this year and although there were several I liked (I’ll admit I like the sound of the Jay-Z/Kanye West album a lot, but the lyrics were just so stereotypical and boring) but this album immediately struck me as something with the potential to be a “classic.” They took the challenge of a concept album and pulled it off with style. They took a story that could easily be cliche, but made it powerful. And as with most of The Roots past albums, they don’t fall into that common hip-hop trap of forgetting about the musicality and the melody in an effort to just use new samples. Listen to “Kool On.”
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