Lykke Li - Youth Novels
Discounting how in love with her I am, this is a beautiful collection of recorded songs. The two main things music I enjoy tends to make me want to do is cry or dance, and with Ms. Li I can always do both. The gorgeous track "Let It Fall" is a prime example of how Lykke Li's voice and Bjorn Yttling's production equates sadness with sex. "I like it soft, I like it wet, I like my make-up in a mess" could easily be describing both the act of making love and the act of "getting the sad out." There's a borderline twee innocence about her but its overshadowed by the sheer depth of emotion on display in these songs. There won't be an album this catchy, thoughtful or engaging all year.
Lil' Wayne - Tha Carter III
It wasn't the monster everyone wanted, but it's a damn solid rap album. A little front-loaded with killer tracks and a sagging third act like a Miramax film, Weezy still delivers one of the most satisfying hip-hop drops in a long time. Come for the pop stylings of "Lollipop" and the swagoliciousness (just made up a word, eat a dick) of "A Milli," but stay for the quiet, soulful ruminations of tracks like "Tie My Hands" and "Shoot Me Down." Do what I did and delete "La La" from your playlist entirely. I defy someone to make a more engrossing rap cd this year (do you hear me Nas & 3 Stacks?)
The Last Shadow Puppets - The Age of Understatement
Timeless. Intriguing. Endless replay value. Some of the most epic orchestration on a non-classical album in recent memory. Tales of love lost, found and remembered. Lush, cinematic music made by a bloke from Sheffield who got his start with songs with names like "Chun-Li's Spinning Bird Kick." What's not to love? The fact that there's only 12 tracks and they aren't touring in the U.S. yet. Otherwise? Nothing. Absolutely nothing at all.
The Wombats - A Guide To Love, Loss & Desperation
If you like the introverted musings of The Cure, or The Smiths or Pulp but you like to smile and dance your beta male romantic insecurities away with guitar-driven pop rock, herky-jerky jams, then The Wombats are for you. If a song called "Let's Dance To Joy Division" makes you chuckle by its title alone, The Wombats are for you. If a line like "I only meant to say farewell but I spilled more than my drink/I can't remember exactly what I said, but I remember being chased up the street." hits too close to home, The Wombats are for you. Tales of falling for strippers, doctors, girls in bars, brides. They're like T-Pain, with guitars and no auto-tune.
Girl Talk - Feed The Animals
I don't even have to explain why this album is killer dope. Mary J. Blige singing "Real Love" over The Guess Who's "These Eyes." Lil' Wayne rapping over "Nothing Compares 2 U" and "Under The Bridge." "Roc Boys" and "Paranoid Android." Pimp C (RIP) rapping over The Spencer Davis Group. "Renegade" turned into some sort of crazy party banger. Lil' Mama and Metallica? "Flashing Lights" and Blackstreet? Daft Punk may be playing at James Murphy's house, but Girl Talk is DJing my fucking wedding, and I'm single.
HONORABLE MENTION - WHY IT WASN'T PICKED
Death Cab For Cutie (Narrow Stairs) - Amazing, but too fucking sad.
N.E.R.D. (Seeing Sounds) - Also amazing, but I'm still digesting it
Beck (Modern Guilt) - Fantastic, but I downloaded it this morning. Too soonsies.
Coldplay (Viva La Vida) - I value people's opinion of me.
Wolf Parade (At Mount Zoomer) - I'm only feeling about half of it.
Madonna (Hard Candy) - I actually do want to include it, but I'm too lazy to re-write this post.
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