2011 was a fine year for music (well done musicians, pats on the back for you all). To make sure we don't all forget how great it was, I'm going to bring you a series of posts over the next little while summing up the albums and tracks that meant something to me this year. To kick us off, I present to you part one of a two part installment of my favourite albums of the year: numbers ten through six!
10. Zola Jesus - Conatus [Sacred Bones Records]
On Conatus Nika Roza Danilova, the operatically trained, goth-inclined petite pop princess, has continued her transition from lo-fi distortion to polished, accessible and intelligent music. The album lacks some of the captivating drama and back-to-the-wall belting of her previous effort, Stridulum II, though there are moments (Vessel, Collapse) that hint at her true potential. One to keep an eye on, for sure.
9. Cut Copy - Zonoscope [Modular/UMA]
The deal was sealed for me with Zonoscope on Friday April 15 this year as I watched the boys from Melbourne do the nation proud by whipping the Mojave stage at the Coachella Music Festival into a dance frenzy at dusk. The tent overflowed with people clambering all over each other to let loose to Cut Copy’s brand of smooth electro. Need You Now is one of the songs of the year and Pharaohs & Pyramids peaks in all the right places. Cut Copy just seem to go from strength to strength, and it’s a pleasure to witness.
8. EMA - Past Life Martyred Saints [Souterrain Transmissions]
Past Life Martyred Saints has been the dark horse of 2011. One of two debut albums to crack my top ten this year, listening to its raw, emotional and direct songs make for compelling listening. EMA’s frontwoman Erika M. Anderson treats the album like a diary; one that’s been ripped, scrawled on and abused. Turning the album on is akin to watching a medical program on TV – at times it can be deeply unsettling yet impossible to look away. She also wins the award for lyric of the year – I can listen to California’s opening line (“Fuck California, you made me boring”) and the diatribe that follows any day of the week.
7. Beirut - The Rip Tide [Pompeii Records]
For a while there Zach Condon rode the tag that critics placed upon him, that of a gypsy folk wunderkind. But there’s only so long that sort of description can remain valid. It’s been five years since the release of his debut LP; Condon is married now and no longer the wide-eyed innocent troubadour we first met on the Balkan-inspired Gulag Orkestar (though it’s probably still fair to refer to him as baby-faced). The Rip Tide is a mature, polished effort and at just over half an hour in length, it gets straight to the point. It’s evidence that just because Condon has such a large arsenal of instruments at his disposal (the usual packed horn section, strings, ukuleles, accordions et al) not everything needs to be thrown in the mix to get the point across. Some songs are just simple numbers, held together by Condon’s swoon-inducing warbling. Highlights include East Harlem and the title track.
6. Feist - Metals [Universal]
How does one follow up a hugely successful, four-time Grammy award-nominated album? In the case of Leslie Feist, remove yourself from the spotlight for a few years and return in your own time with a brand new collection of silky smooth folk pop songs. One thing becomes quite clear after listening to Metals the first few times: Feist isn’t in the habit of repeating herself. There is no 1234 here; what you will find instead are songs with a more natural, unpolished and collaborative feel to them. She utilises long time collaborators Mocky and Gonzalez to great effect and the group vocals and foot stomping on personal favourites Undiscovered First and Comfort Me are sublime. The lyrics tend to focus quite heavily on nature, which is perhaps representative of the time she spent recording the album in Big Sur on California’s central coast. A pleasing addition to her already stunning back catalogue.
I know the suspense must be killing you, but sorry - you're just going to have to wait. The top five will be on its way tomorrow!
10. Zola Jesus - Conatus [Sacred Bones Records]
On Conatus Nika Roza Danilova, the operatically trained, goth-inclined petite pop princess, has continued her transition from lo-fi distortion to polished, accessible and intelligent music. The album lacks some of the captivating drama and back-to-the-wall belting of her previous effort, Stridulum II, though there are moments (Vessel, Collapse) that hint at her true potential. One to keep an eye on, for sure.
9. Cut Copy - Zonoscope [Modular/UMA]
The deal was sealed for me with Zonoscope on Friday April 15 this year as I watched the boys from Melbourne do the nation proud by whipping the Mojave stage at the Coachella Music Festival into a dance frenzy at dusk. The tent overflowed with people clambering all over each other to let loose to Cut Copy’s brand of smooth electro. Need You Now is one of the songs of the year and Pharaohs & Pyramids peaks in all the right places. Cut Copy just seem to go from strength to strength, and it’s a pleasure to witness.
8. EMA - Past Life Martyred Saints [Souterrain Transmissions]
Past Life Martyred Saints has been the dark horse of 2011. One of two debut albums to crack my top ten this year, listening to its raw, emotional and direct songs make for compelling listening. EMA’s frontwoman Erika M. Anderson treats the album like a diary; one that’s been ripped, scrawled on and abused. Turning the album on is akin to watching a medical program on TV – at times it can be deeply unsettling yet impossible to look away. She also wins the award for lyric of the year – I can listen to California’s opening line (“Fuck California, you made me boring”) and the diatribe that follows any day of the week.
7. Beirut - The Rip Tide [Pompeii Records]
For a while there Zach Condon rode the tag that critics placed upon him, that of a gypsy folk wunderkind. But there’s only so long that sort of description can remain valid. It’s been five years since the release of his debut LP; Condon is married now and no longer the wide-eyed innocent troubadour we first met on the Balkan-inspired Gulag Orkestar (though it’s probably still fair to refer to him as baby-faced). The Rip Tide is a mature, polished effort and at just over half an hour in length, it gets straight to the point. It’s evidence that just because Condon has such a large arsenal of instruments at his disposal (the usual packed horn section, strings, ukuleles, accordions et al) not everything needs to be thrown in the mix to get the point across. Some songs are just simple numbers, held together by Condon’s swoon-inducing warbling. Highlights include East Harlem and the title track.
6. Feist - Metals [Universal]
How does one follow up a hugely successful, four-time Grammy award-nominated album? In the case of Leslie Feist, remove yourself from the spotlight for a few years and return in your own time with a brand new collection of silky smooth folk pop songs. One thing becomes quite clear after listening to Metals the first few times: Feist isn’t in the habit of repeating herself. There is no 1234 here; what you will find instead are songs with a more natural, unpolished and collaborative feel to them. She utilises long time collaborators Mocky and Gonzalez to great effect and the group vocals and foot stomping on personal favourites Undiscovered First and Comfort Me are sublime. The lyrics tend to focus quite heavily on nature, which is perhaps representative of the time she spent recording the album in Big Sur on California’s central coast. A pleasing addition to her already stunning back catalogue.
I know the suspense must be killing you, but sorry - you're just going to have to wait. The top five will be on its way tomorrow!
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