Will Russo’s Top 10 Albums of 2011
Editorials, Features — By Will Russo on January 8, 2012 at 3:59 pm10. Strange Mercy – St. Vincent
St. Vincent’s third album delves into new lyrical territory and takes her usual psychedelic sound one step further. The music coupled with her beautiful, soft voice creates a comfortable atmosphere that contrasts the rather serious and confusing nature of the words she sings.
9. Rolling Blackouts – The Go! Team
The Go! Team consistently puts out records that are equally jaunty as they are awe-inspiring, and Rolling Blackouts is no exception. Through a combination of original in-studio composition and pre-recorded pep rally cheers and television theme songs, they create perfectly danceable tunes with a nostalgic vintage sound.
8. Thursday – The Weeknd
It’s been a very ambitious year for The Weeknd, a Canadian artist who released his first three mixtapes within the span of nine months. Blazing his way into the music scene with his critically acclaimed debut House of Balloons, I personally believe The Weeknd outdid himself with his middle album, Thursday. His distinct style combines elements of R&B, house music, and progressive rock, resulting in a truly surreal listening experience. The trippy sound sets the mood for the album’s “story,” which tells of a girl who becomes addicted to drugs and partying past the point of no return.
7. The Year of Hibernation – Youth Lagoon
The one-man band of Youth Lagoon crafts incredibly soothing melodies over calming accompaniment as the singer bares his soul through the lyrics. Each song is utterly heartfelt and honest that it’s hard not to be saddened by the otherwise beautiful music.
6. 21 – ADELE
Adele examines the phenomenon of love from every perspective in her sophomore album, 21. Her strong, husky voice carries the listener through tales of newfound love and heartbreak in a contemporary jazz and blues style.
5. Wounded Rhymes – Lykke Li
Swedish artist Lykke Li branches out from her traditional style with her second album, but still clings to those important, distinguishing elements. Her almost tribal beats are still ever present in the backbones of several songs, and her echoey voice continues to permeate each track. However, the general mood of the album is less somber and saddening compared to her debut. The songs are more upbeat and have a happier tone, even though the subject matter is sometimes equally bleak.
4. Angles – The Strokes
Angles is the fourth album from The Strokes and ushers in a new but welcome change in their musical style. Shifting from lo-fi, guitar-heavy punk trends, cleaner and more produced tracks allow their usual upbeat and lively songs to be perceived in a different light. There is evidence of maturation in the composition as they push their own limits and produce more intricate songs.
3. Camp – Childish Gambino
His first studio album to date, Camp is Childish Gambino’s honest account of his troubled past and present. His lyrics are still as clever and piercing as they were on his mixtapes; however, indie rock song samples make way for original backing tracks and choral arrangements. Gambino has a clear message for his listeners: obstacles in his past do not affect his performance and will not hold him back from his ambition.
2. w h o k i l l – tUnE-yArDs
A great transformation from her home-recorded debut album, Merrill Garbus’s follow-up, under the moniker tUnE-yArDs, is entirely studio-produced and exposes a different side of her personality. Garbus combines elements of different genres she has encountered in her life experiences, most notably her rhythms from her time spent in Africa. Her fearless experimentation with music creates a fully unique record, which she uses as a medium to express her strong social commentary. But at the same time, you can tell she’s just having fun with it.
1. El Camino – The Black Keys
The Black Keys have kept a distinct and consistent sound throughout all seven of their albums, and El Camino does not disappoint. Rather than getting stale, their blues-rock sound is revamped in their latest album with new and creative rhythms and arrangements. Time and time again, The Black Keys have proven themselves to be an incredibly adaptable duo while still managing to stay true to themselves and create completely original music.
Some that didn’t quite make the cut:
The Rip Tide – Beirut
Showroom of Compassion – CAKE
Cults – Cults
The King Is Dead – The Decemberists
Audio, Video, Disco. – Justice
Blood Pressures – The Kills
Middle Brother – Middle Brother
The King of Limbs – Radiohead
12 Desperate Straight Lines – Telekinesis
Goblin – Tyler, the Creator
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