Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Playlist : Top 10 Albums of 2011


Hello and welcome to Work Tunes.

Well it's the last week of work for me before holidays, so it's that time again where I try to pick the best albums of the year for my final playlist.

It might just be me, but 2011 seemed to have a large number of high quality releases. It was certainly a lot harder to get my list down to just 10 albums. For that reason, as well as my Top 10, I'll list my next 10 and all.

Like last year, this is not the best albums of the year but rather my favourites. These are the records that have stuck with me, made me smile, made me think. And like last year, there's a mixtape of the best song from each of my 10 favourites. You'll find a link at the bottom of the post.
  • Gillian Welch - The Harrow and the Harvest : It was a long wait for Gillian Welch after 2003's Soul Journey. The reason it seems is Welch and partner David Rawlings just weren't feeling the songs they were writing in between. When the music did come, it came in a massive feast of ancient harmonies and the haunting bells of mountain guitar picking. This is an exceptional LP. The empty space around the sounds of Welch's sweet voice and Rawlings' resounding strings is filled with the ghosts of the Appalachians. It sounds like it's immaculately captured music from 100 years ago, but the lyrics are firmly grounded in the modern day. This is undeniably my favourite album of this year and probably the last couple of years as well.*****
  • The Roots - Undun : Last year, The Roots produced my very favourite album of 2010 with their  John Legend collaboration, Wake Up! for it's old time soul aesthetic. This time around, The Roots have released an album that harkens back to better days in Hip Hop, as well as points a new way forward for the music. Undun is a concept album about a young man, Redford Stephens and his demise from gang violence and drug culture. Songs such as I Remember and  the Sufjan Stevens composed Redford bring an exciting level of musicianship and soul to Hip Hop's ailing musical arm.  *****
  • Dolorean - The Unfazed : I'm an unashamed Dolorean advocate after discovering them a couple of years ago. This year's release The Unfazed is another superb set of folky alt country songs with a lot of heart. Stand out tracks for me are Fools Gold Ring and the bittersweet kiss off of Country Clutter.  If you don't know Dolorean, The Unfazed is as good a place as any to start, then work your way backwards to their sensational 2003 debut Not Exotic. ****
  • Blind Pilot - We Are The Tide : Blind Pilot's debut 3 Rounds and a Sound is a desert island disc of mine. The latest release from the bike riding Portland band will have to slip right in next to it. We Are The Tide is stylistically not too different from 3 Rounds, but that's just perfect for me. Sweetly crooned melodies like Keep You Right and the upbeat pop of Always make for another great set from Blind Pilot that I can't ever seem to get sick of. ****
  • Vetiver - The Errant Charm : Vetiver rounds out the holy trinity of great folky Americana bands I've kept going back to all this year (with Dolorean and Blind Pilot). I first heard of Vetiver from The Family Jams documentary and have since stocked up on their back catalogue. This release is a beautifully instrumented set of reflective and poetic songs. Stand outs for me are Worse For Wear and the sadness of Faint Praise. ****
  • Ryan Adams - Ashes & Fire : After the last Cardinals release, Cardinology, archival releases III/IV and the kooky space metal Orion dropped, it was good to have a new Ryan Adams solo set. Ashes & Fire was somewhat a return to finest form. From the honkytonk keys of the very Dylanesque title track, to the sweet pop ballad sensibilities of Lucky Now, Ashes & Fire is a solid and coherent output from the man who has been creatively all over the place since his previous studio release of new material. Adams' solo set at the Perth Concert Hall in February is one of the thing I'm most looking forward to in 2012. ****
  • The Rural Alberta Advantage - Departing : The crackled shine of Nils Edenloff's voice in the opening track, Two Lovers, instantly pulls me in to every story the band weaves from thereon in. There's something about the production of Departing that makes it sound like a bunch of your closest friends are playing in your loungeroom on songs they wrote for you. That fantastic opening track is among my favourite songs all year. Add to that the jaunty stomp of North Star and the homecrafted feel of Coldest Days, I just can't resist this album or this band. *****
  • The Decemberists - The King Is Dead : There's a heap of great music coming out of Portland these days, like it's the Seattle of the 21st century. The Decemberists' sixth LP was recorded in a barn on a farm in Portland and it sounds every bit as lush as the rural surrounds would suggest. There's something completely timeless about the memorable melody of June Hymn and the beautiful Rise To Me. It took a guest spot by Gillian Welch to have me pay attention to this band and I'm grateful I did.   *****
  • Radiohead - The King of Limbs : This inclusion is most likely going to be a bit contentious with a few people. Each to their own, but I found TKOL to be incredibly nuanced as far as arrangement and instrumentation goes. There are so many levels of sound and subtle atmospherics on the band's eighth album. I've read that they used vinyl simulators and DJ techniques to sample a whole heap of their own sounds and create loops and ambient sound. It sounds incredible on vinyl and that's likely why. Though it holds no obvious classics, as a whole I love the way it sounds and it's economical running time makes for an enjoyable listen over and again. *****
  • AA Bondy - Believers : Auguste Arthur Bondy was once the lead singer in a band I've never heard called Verbena. His solo debut American Hearts still rates among my most treasured albums. The same can be said for its follow-up, When The Devil's Loose. Imagine my surprise when the difficult third album came up trumps too. Releasing a killer album every two years is no mean feat. My hat's off to Bondy for another solid set of haunting and visceral Americana tunes. Immediate standout tracks are Skull & Bones, Drmz and the sprawling RTE. 28/Believers. ****
And there you have it. 10 albums that made a big difference to my year. I hope there's something among them that you might try for the first time, or even some you know well and have given you the same joy as they have me.

As I've said, it was hard to pick just 10, so #11 - #20 are listed here. There really wasn't much that kept these out.
As for the mixtape, here is the track list for the 10 songs, one from each of the top 10. 

Ryan Adams - Ashes & Fire
Blind Pilot - Keep You Right
The Rural Alberta Advantage - Two Lovers
Vetiver - Worse For Wear
Radiohead - Morning Mr Magpie
AA Bondy - Skull & Bones
The Roots - Sleep
Dolorean - Country Clutter
The Decemberists - June Hymn
Gillian Welch - Tennessee 

And that, my friends, is me for the year. I'm on leave from the 23rd, and I'll be back on the 9th, so no Work Tunes until work resumes. In the meantime, you'll probably catch me over at Make Films Not Movies.

I hope your break is amazing and all the untold little hassles of 2010 don't follow you into 2011. As always and forever - hasala malakim brothers and sisters. 


Peace (on Earth) man - Right on (to all men). 
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