by Gordon
10. CONGRATULATIONS by mgmt
Flash Delirium [LISTEN]
While not as altogether catchy as their breakthrough Oracular Spectacular, it’s every bit as weird, and ultimately, as daring. Though a letdown on certain levels, you have to give it to the band for their genre-bending approach.
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9. INFINITE ARMS by band of horses
On My Way Back Home [LISTEN]
It doesn’t knock you out on first listen. Infinite Arms grows on you, reminding you of what makes Band of Horses a great band, be it the soaring vocals of Ben Bridwell, their undeniable melodies, or, less tangibly, the subtle way the music takes you to a quiet place just between childhood and last night.
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8. ODD BLOOD by yeasayer
O.N.E. [LISTEN]
Part Animal Collective, part Of Montreal, brand new and yet somehow reminiscent of an era that’s passed, it’s all come to be what is unmistakably Yeasayer, and I welcomed a heavy dose this year.
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7. THIS IS HAPPENING by lcd soundsystem
I Can Change [LISTEN]
This universally acclaimed third and purportedly final album from Murphy serves as an upbeat celebration of the end of a decade, while still encapsulating the sometimes introverted thoughtfulness that’s stood out in the artist’s previous work as well. Let’s hope he has more to say in the years to come.
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6. CONTRA by vampire weekend
Giving Up The Gun [LISTEN]
Proving that the earlier success of these four young New York City lads was no fluke, Contra serves up another dose of of African pop-meets-Western culture, but this time with even more boldness and purpose in direction.
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5. THE AGE OF ADZ by sufjan stevens
I Walked [LISTEN]
Do I wish Stevens, who for almost a decade has remained one of the most inspiring and sometimes life-changing artists for my generation, had combined the best of Adz and his recent EP All Delighted People to create an even better new release? Yes. But Adz is still undeniably an amazing record, grander in scale, scope and sound than anything yet from the quiet young Michigan native with a banjo.
4. GO by jónsi
Boy Lilikoi [LISTEN]
It’s Sigur Rós on Four Loko. With tighter compositions, fuller soundscapes, and just as much imagination as ever, you need only close your eyes and imagine the other members to ease out of the feeling you’re committing adultery.
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3. TEEN DREAM by beach house
Walk In The Park [LISTEN]
It’s hard to believe how simple a song can be, or a band for that matter, and still make music magic. Amidst a broad pallette of pace and emotion, Legrand’s vocals leave the strongest aftertaste…soulful, confident, and even in a pop context, always a bit haunting.
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2. HIGH VIOLET by the national
Afraid Of Everyone [LISTEN]
It’s hard not giving this one the top spot. This is the third consecutive album from the band to be music gold, their instrumental style and lyrical intricasies too complex to merely describe on pen and paper. Singer Matt Berninger and the rest of The National continue to fill a void in contemporary music and culture, one that most of us, sadly, wouldn’t have even known even existed.
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1. THE SUBURBS by arcade fire
We Used To Wait [LISTEN]
I’m not surpised Arcade Fire would put out the best album of any year. I’m just surprised there’s a band as consistently good as Arcade Fire. Not every song may do it for you. When do they all? But the album’s strength is in its cohesive theme of the modern day, good and bad. And for modern music, it’s simply great.
Gordon
Sean
the music seen 