Who doesn’t love those end-of-year Best Of lists? I read them voraciously, checking if I’ve overlooked something, or – in all honestly – comparing my picks to what the critics have to say. For me, 2011 was a great year for albums – plenty of releases that were strong from start to finish. Mind you, I’m only talking about a half-dozen records out of hundreds of releases, but each record in my list here is consistently great and enjoyable. Check ‘em out!
1. The Civil Wars, Barton Hollow – my favorite album of the year comes from a folky, country-ish duo who don’t do anything new or spectacular. But what they do – honest heartbreak – they do incredibly well. The entire album is fantastic, but check out ‘Poison & Wine’ and ‘Birds of a Feather’ for a taste.
2. The Black Keys, El Camino – I’m late to the Key-party (Kevin, Sigourney?) but an ardent fan nonetheless. Man, this album is awesome. (send me a comment if you’ve caught the movie reference.)
3. Adele, 21 – when pop gets it exactly right. EO and I enjoy this together, though she can’t understand why I think ‘I’ll Be Waiting’ is the best song on the album.
4. Radiohead, The King of Limbs – still getting in to this (and still trying to think of ways to describe it), but am loving the minimalist seduction and the spaces.
5. My Morning Jacket, Circuital – a sneaky-good fully-realized album from these Southern rockers. Each track is unique, running the gamut from the trippy, slow ‘Victory Dance’ to the harder rock of ‘Holding On To Black Metal’. And yet every song makes me feel like I’m inside the mind of a battle-scarred soldier of the Civil War. I can’t explain it, but I found myself humming these tunes long after the record finished.
Let me know what you’re listening to these days – thanks for your support!
Happy New Year from therockmom!
