It’s been an amazing year for music, there’s no denying it. I’ve just finished Nick Hornby’s ‘High Fidelity’ for the first time and found it really funny to read about Rob Fleming’s obsession with making music-related lists – a very male thing to do, and also a common hobby for many a music fan, myself included (Sad, isn’t it…). So, it’s only fitting that as the year steadily draws to a close (only 27 days to go as a write this) that I indulge in this pastime and salute my favourite 10 albums of 2011. Like last year, it’s a list of the albums I most enjoyed. As much as I wish I could, I don’t have the time nor resources to listen to every single release of the year, but I’m open to comments from people sharing their favourite albums of the year!

10. Sophie Ellis-Bextor – Make a Scene

 2011 marked the long delayed release of Sophie Ellis-Bextor’s fourth album, ‘Make a Scene’ an absolute powerhouse of a pop record and certainly worth the wait. I’ve expressed my admiration for Ellis-Bextor’s more eclectic moments on this blog before (see my review of ‘Shoot From the Hip‘ or her debut with theaudience) so before you roll your eyes at this choice consider that Ellis-Bextor remains probably one of the most underrated and underestimated pop singer/songwriters to come out of the UK. ‘Make a Scene’ shows she really doesn’t give a shit though, and through collaboration with some of the leading producers of the pop world (think Freemasons, Calvin Harris, Metronomy, and Richard X) she creates an unrelentingly upbeat and exciting pop album that makes the listener question why shock mongers like Lady Gaga and Katy Perry are even allowed to step near a recording studio. Poised where others are bombastic, witty where others are obscene, Ellis-Bextor delivers pristine yet enigmatic pop gems with hooks that effortlessly drill into your brain and melodies that you can’t help but dance to. Described as her “danciest” record by the artist, it certainly is her most uptempo release but as with every Ellis-Bextor release there are moments of quiet solitude, when the melancholy sits alongside the euphoria and this mood beautifully permeates the two closing tracks ‘Synchronised’ and ‘Cut Straight to the Heart’. While at times feeling a bit like a singles collection (four of the tracks here ‘Bittersweet’, ‘Heartbreak (Make Me a Dancer)’, ‘Not Giving Up On Love’ and ‘Can’t Fight This Feeling’ were released over the two years before the album surfaced and as such may feel dated to anyone already familiar with them) the propulsiveness of the tracks makes up for its lack of perfect cohesion and the album proves that Ellis-Bextor will continue to be a force to reckon with in pop, even if she never gets noticed for it.

9. Feist – Metals

 ’Metals’ couldn’t come at a better time for Canadian singer/songwriter Leslie Feist. Just when she appeared to be at risk of becoming the next Dido thanks to iPod advertising and coffeehouse playlist hit ’1,2,3,4′ from previous album ‘The Reminder’ she releases this album, which couldn’t be more different than its predecessor. Sure, the ethereal vocals are still very much present and the production can at times recall the warmth and spaciousness of the previous album, but ‘Metals’ more than provides the energy that ‘Reminder’ didn’t have. Risks are taken with this record, and the trademark folky tracks (‘Cicadas and Gulls’, ‘Graveyard’, ‘The Circle Married the Line’) are well balanced alongside harsher and grittier tracks like ‘Comfort Me’, ‘How Come You Never Go There’ and ‘A Commotion’ often proving the more memorable moments from the album. If any record was going to make Feist a big name, this is the best one to do so as it gives the listener a great perspective of her career to this point. The more accessible aspects of records past are still present, and if anything they’re the best ones she’s done yet but there is also a glimpse of perhaps what might come next as ‘Metals’ expands the artist’s repertoire. To classify this as easy listening would be a disservice to the effort and creativity put into its composition and the album is incredibly rewarding upon repeated listenings. There are not may albums that can so effortlessly toe the line of both pop and alternative without being derivative or repetitive. ‘Metals’provides a perfect balance of sombre, melancholy, aggressive and hopeful and as such makes a very satisfying listen as well as giving an indication of what Feist may offer in years to come.

8. Coldplay – Mylo Xyloto

 Don’t look at me like that. I honestly don’t get the whole Coldplay-hate thing, it’s not as if they’ve quite reached U2 levels of douchery – yet. Joking aside, Coldplay seem to be the group that you either love or hate. Fortunately, I already liked them and their 2003 album ‘Rush of Blood to the Head’ is one of my all time favourites. Since that album though, Coldplay haven’t always delivered the goods for me. ‘X&Y’ was a derivative and unoriginal mess, and while ‘Viva La Vida’ was definitely no disaster, it certainly pushed the boundaries of pretentiousness. Thankfully, ‘Mylo Xyloto’ sees the group return to what they do best – writing catchy, atmospheric pop-rock tracks that aren’t weighed down by concepts or heavy handed lyrics. In fact, lyrics are hardly a worry here since many of them make little to no sense (the somewhat esoteric-sounding title means nothing, having been made up by the band) or play second fiddle to the sound of the tracks. Straightforward pop gems like ‘Paradise’, ‘Hurts Like Heaven’, ‘Every Teardrop is a Waterfall’ and ‘Princess of China’ (featuring the ubiquitous Rihanna in a surprisingly suitable collaboration) show the group at their loosest and are the album’s best moments. Of course no Coldplay album would be complete without a downtempo track, and there are certainly some here (‘U.F.O’, ‘Us Against The World’, ‘Up With the Birds’). This album isn’t going to convert any Coldplay-haters – there isn’t enough of a shift in the group’s sound or dynamics to disassociate this album from the band. This album is great though because rather than try and be profound or lofty the group deliver an album that can be enjoyed as is. No concepts weighing it down, and no indication that the record was made to try and live up to the success of previous records. Just a cohesive record with great tracks and, thankfully, no sign of losing their creativity.

7. Sarah Slean – Land & Sea

 There always a risk releasing a double album. If there isn’t enough variety or a clear delineation between the two albums then such a project can seem an attempt to inflate the artist’s own ego as they showcase just how many songs they can pack into one project. Thankfully, Canadian singer/songwriter Sarah Slean’s ‘Land & Sea’ doesn’t feel bloated or like an attempt to draw attention to her output for output’s sake. Divided into albums ‘Land’ and ‘Sea’, both succeed in showcasing Slean’s two musical strengths, respectively: upbeat pop tunes and atmospheric, existential ballads. The former disc features the best pop of Slean’s career, such as the uplifting ‘Amen’, the quirky ‘Everybody’s on TV’ and opening track ‘Life’. ‘Land’ is a strong and propulsive disc, the extroverted yang to the introverted yin of ‘Sea’ which was recorded with a complete orchestra and features haunting ballads and philosophical lyrics. While Slean is no stranger to these weightier tracks, the songs on ‘Sea’ never feel forced or descend into navel gazing. The writing is insightful and Slean’s vocals elevate the tracks to a transcendence not present on the earthier ‘Land’ disc. The album isn’t perfect – a bit more variety on each disc wouldn’t have hurt, as the sounds of each are very clearly defined and don’t fluctuate much. Nevertheless, this album is quite likely Slean’s best and is a brilliant start to her independent recording career. There’s no doubt that Slean has more than pulled off the double album, each disc being a satisfying listen both as separate albums and as one project.

6. Bon Iver – Bon Iver, Bon Iver

 This album very nearly didn’t get considered and it was only because I reassessed it’s predecessor, ‘For Emma, Forever Ago’ that I came to even listen to it a couple of days ago. Needless to say, I’m glad I did because it immediately impressed me and earned a place in my best of list. Bon Iver came to critical attention with his first album, receiving rave reviews for the folky break-up record. There’s no doubt that ‘For Emma…’ is a great album, but this year’s ‘Bon Iver’ is on a whole different level. The folk influence still forms the backbone of the record’s sound but in place of more straightforward melodies are more complex and intricate soundscapes building up to crescendos of musical euphoria, almost synesthetic in their beauty. Justin Vernon’s vocals are often distorted or adjusted through various studio trickeries, however rather than detracting from the songs they add to the beguiling and idiosyncratic atmosphere of the album. Despite many of the tracks having geographically influenced titles (e.g. ‘Wash.’, ‘Lisbon, OH’, ‘Calgary’) they sound otherwordly and disconnected from reality, as if from some surreal environment like that depicted in the album cover. For an album to effect me so immediately is rare but the craftsmanship and adventurousness of this record makes it more than worthy of all the plaudits that it has received over the year and my only regret is that I didn’t bother to listen to it sooner! Hopefully, Bon Iver will continue to experiment and confound the expectations of their listeners as I can only see them becoming stronger and more original as time goes on.

5. Nerina Pallot – Year of the Wolf

2011 has been an incredible year for pop music amongst other genres, pushing boundaries but also seeing many established pop artists refine their art to near perfection. Nerina Pallot’s ‘Year of the Wolf’ is her fourth release and her strongest effort to date, even eclipsing her Gold selling BRIT nominated ‘Fires’ for which she is best known. On ‘Year of the Wolf’ Pallot, in conjunction with veteran producer Bernard Butler, creates an outstanding yet unabashedly pop record, brimming with 70s singer songwriter influences (the cover, reminiscent of Carly Simon’s ‘No Secrets’ being the first clue of its retro-ness) and BIG pop moments that leave a lasting impression above the other, less heartfelt moments in pop. Opener ‘Put Your Hands Up’ is infectious and immediately gets stuck in your head while ‘Turn Me On Again’ features the most sing-a-long moment of the album in its simple chorus. The energy continues throughout the record (‘I Do Not Want What I Do Not Have’, ‘I Think’) and is nicely tempered by Pallot’s divine voice on the album’s slower moments (‘Grace’, ‘All Bets Are Off’, ‘The History Boys’). Having written the record while pregnant with her son gives the lyrics an earnestness that some might cringe at, but to deny that this is an excellent album would be foolish and to say that it is not one of the best pop albums released this year would be a mistake. Rarely do pop albums seem as effortless and genuine as this one does, and rarely do pop albums transcend their radio friendliness and hooky accessibility to allow the listener insight into the artist’s state of mind and personality. Far from a generic attempt at a commercial album, ‘Year of the Wolf’ is an example of how good a pop album can really be without any gimmickry or unnecessary shock tactics.

4. Tycho – Dive

 Following a gap of seven years since Tycho’s (aka Scott Hansen) last full-length release, ‘Sunrise Projector’ (later re-released in 2006 as ‘Past is Prologue’), ‘Dive’ is a welcome release,  even if it’s not all brand new material. Some of the tracks on the electronic artist/graphic designer’s second album have been released over the past few years as singles (‘Coastal Brake’, ‘Daydream’, ‘Adrift’), nevertheless they feel like a part of the larger album and their relative gap in release ceases to matter once the electronic masterpiece that is ‘Dive’ is heard in its entirety. Hansen is a master at creating sun-drenched, nostalgic electronica seemingly influenced by a time since gone yet still emotionally relatable – all this without lyrics. Building on samples and loops, the tracks on ‘Dive’ feel somewhat more upbeat and optimistic that those on ‘Sunrise Projector/Past is Prologue’ as if imbued by the warm hues of the album cover. Where the last album was largely introspective and mellow in its lush, downtempo rhythms, ‘Dive’ expands on this sound bringing more sun to the layered synths and a more pastoral feel to the rhythms opening up the music to a wider atmosphere. Hansen’s attention to details is impeccable as always and there is no faulting the soundscapes that he presents, which are constantly engaging and charismatic avoiding the samey-ness that so often permeates ambient electronica. What the album lacks in risk taking and idiosyncrasy it makes up for in the richness of its musical textures and nuances, and promises to be an instrumental album that allows for multiple listens.

3. Gotye – Making Mirrors

 Anyone living in Australia will by now probably be sick of hearing Gotye’s ‘Somebody I Used to Know’ which has become the year’s ubiquitous radio staple, receiving play both on commercial and alternative stations and attaining an unforgettable status that only certain songs can really claim. The album that this juggernaut single lives on is just as memorable and well-crafted. ‘Making Mirrors’ is an effortlessly brilliant alt-pop record from Gotye (aka Wally De Backer), his third release and arguably his best. Ranging from quirky pop tracks (‘Somebody…’, ‘Save Me’, ‘I Feel Better’) to experimental moments (‘State of the Art’) to perfectly formed alt-pop (‘Eyes Wide Open’, ‘Bronte’, ‘Smoke and Mirrors’), ‘Making Mirrors’ represents an artistic vision fully realised, straddling that sometimes awkward divide between accessible pop and experimentation without pretentiousness or predictability. Gotye’s innovative use of samples and found sounds, while fewer in comparison to those found on his previous albums, inject a freshness into the tracks and create a unique canvas onto which Gotye paints his musical stories of heartbreak, apocalypse, technology and nostalgia. Despite the sometimes weighty subject matter, the album is never bogged down by heavy handedness of lyrics or instrumentation and the scenarios within each song feel like short films or impressionist paintings within the same gallery – all tell their own stories, but also fit together in the larger picture of the album. Echoes of Sting and Peter Gabriel abound in Gotye’s voice and his knack for lyrical narratives is reminiscent of Kate Bush but that shouldn’t phase anyone approaching this record. Gotye has created a landmark album in pop and ‘Making Mirrors’ should be approached very much as its own entity – a reflection of the artist and the listener.

2. Tori Amos – Night of Hunters

 Questionable album cover aside, ‘Night of Hunters’ is something of an achievement for Tori Amos – without doubt, her most consistent and fully realised release since her 2002 release ‘Scarlet’s Walk’. Since that album, Amos’ catalogue has been characteristically prolific yet middling in quality, showing signs of complacency where experimentation should have abounded. ‘Night of Hunters’ thankfully breaks this pattern, injecting new life into Amos’ compositional skills. Classically influenced and in the form of a “21st century song cycle”, ‘Hunters’ sees Amos appropriate the work of classical composers such as Bach, Granados and Satie and give them her own unique spin complete with a tale of a dying relationship. Refreshingly insightful (if not as obtuse as usual) lyrically, the song cycle becomes less important when considering the relish with which Amos has clearly taken to such a project. Her idiosyncrasies permeate the material without dishonouring its origins as she skilfully crafts a sonic story worthy of losing yourself in. Opening track ‘Shattering Sea’ sets the mood with tense, pizzicato strings while ‘Snowblind’ introduces Amos’ daughter Natashya playing the character Annabelle. Longer tracks ‘Star Whisperer’ and ‘Battle of Trees’ are adventurous and ambitious, featuring multiple movements and showcasing Amos’ piano chops to full effect. ‘Edge of the Moon’, ‘Nautical Twilight’, ‘Fearlessness’ and ‘Your Ghost’ feel like familiar Amos territory in their themes yet she injects them with a ferocity and melancholy that feel impressively fresh given the number of times that she has touched on similar material in past albums. While ‘Night of Hunters’ may not win back all of the fans that Amos has managed to alienate with her many musical shifts, it is without doubt a beautifully constructed work and one worthy of attention from a wider audience despite its classical influence.

1. Kate Bush – 50 Words for Snow

 It’s unlikely that anyone saw it coming, least of all her fans – two Kate Bush albums in one year, a phenomenon unheard of since her beginnings in 1978. Nevertheless, here we are at the end of 2011 and all the better thanks to Bush’s sudden burst of creativity. Following the odd and somewhat self-indulgent ‘Director’s Cut’, which saw Bush re-record select tracks from ‘The Sensual World’ and ‘The Red Shoes’, ’50 Words for Snow’ is her first album of original material in six years. ‘Snow’ is a worthy wintry counterpart to it’s spacious, bucolic predecessor ‘Aerial’, while also expanding on the ‘less-is-more’ sound that permeated the soundscapes of ‘Director’s Cut’. The result is a devastatingly beautiful album that sees Bush break out of the confines of the traditional pop song in order to work with longer song-forms (the album features seven tracks that add up to a total of 65 minutes). Giving herself the freedom to compose within these longer forms has seemingly re-invigorated Bush’s creativity as evidenced through the densely packed tales on offer. Opener ‘Snowflake’ is a sparse, atmospheric track with Bush’s son Albert on lead vocals. Her sole vocal line of ‘The world is so loud/Keep falling/I’ll find you’ is simultaneously haunting and touching and this theme of isolation and alienation is one that recurs throughout the record. ‘Lake Tahoe’ tells of a ghostly woman searching for her long lost dog and the epic jazz-infused ‘Misty’ is a disturbing yet heartbreaking tale of a woman’s affair with a snowman who melts away by the morning leaving only soaking sheets. Bush’s unique ability to convey emotion to otherwise odd scenarios is in tact and she injects these tracks with a mournful sensibility that perfectly fits the mood without being absurd. The tracks are largely composed of Bush’s piano and vocals, with Steve Gadd providing accompaniment on drums, the record being appropriately sparse yet also atmospheric, Gadd’s drums weaving around Bush’s lyrics and playing without drawing attention away from the stories. ‘Wild Man’ is the most upbeat and rhythmic of the tracks, providing a sympathetic view of the Yeti. Collaborations with Elton John (‘Snowed in at Wheeler Street’) and Steven Fry (’50 Words for Snow’) follow, the latter being notable for its very Kate Bush balance of the absurd and the atmospheric as Fry recites increasingly ridiculous words for snow (‘faloop’njoompoola’, ‘phlegm de neige’, ‘sorbetdeluge’) over an insistent trip-hop beat and Bush urging Fry on (‘Come on Joe, just 22 to go’). Closing track ‘Among Angels’, while not really snow-related is nonetheless a gorgeous ballad and worthy of acclaim all its on own. No doubt, ’50 Words for Snow’ is one of Bush’s strongest efforts and a promising indication of what is to come.

Obviously, there were some albums that I enjoyed this year, that didn’t make my Top 10. An honourable mention goes to the following albums:

  • Radiohead – King of Limbs
  • Peter Gabriel – New Blood
  • Patrick Wolf – Lupercalia
  • Oh Land – Oh Land
  • Nicola Roberts – Cinderella’s Eyes
  • Lykke Li – Wounded Rhymes
  • Kimbra – Vows
  • James Blake – James Blake
  • Florence + the Machine – Ceremonials
  • Charlotte Martin – Dancing on Needles
  • Bjork – Biophilia

And of course, some records that disappointed:

  • Kate Bush – Director’s Cut
  • PJ Harvey – Let England Shake (frankly, the jury’s still out on this one, but something about it is putting me off)
  • Lady Gaga – Born This Way (I wish I could take back the 20 minutes I spent trying to listen to this)
  • The Sounds – Something to Die For