Top 50 albums of 2011

So I write almost the same disclaimer every year, but for what its worth I’m going to write it again.

At the current time I work full time and not in the radio or music industry. Don’t get me wrong I listen to a lot of new music, but there is only so much music I can listen to on an iPod at work.  Truthfully, I have not listened to all this years new releases, No Kate, No Bjork, I’ve not even managed to grab a listen to the Kurt Vile record. Whilst I would adore to, there simply hasn’t been the time. So people may disagree with me, or there will invariably be albums I discover from 2011 when i’ve already written my top albums list. There, disclaimer done!

The truth of the matter though, is I love sharing the music, and if you can discover one band that melts your heart or one band that gets you excited about seeing live bands and music, then my heart is warmed and It has been worth the effort.

It has not been an easy decision this year, despite people tweeting me saying they can barely find 5 great albums of the year, i’ve struggled to cut my list down to just 50.  Despite topping an array of lists elsewhere and winning the Mercury Music Prize, there could be no other winner than PJ Harvey – Let England Shake. Raw, emotional, inventive and soul destroying perfection. If you listen to one song from this post, make it this one:

My top 50 albums of 2011 are:

1. PJ Harvey – Let England Shake
2. Other Lives – Tamer Animals
3. Real Estate – Days
4. Cloud Control – Bliss Release
5. Black Keys – El Camino
6. Unknown Mortal Orchestra – Unknown Mortal Orchestra
7. Wye Oak – Civilian
8. Veronica Falls – Veronica Falls
9. I Break Horses – Hearts
10. Frankie & The Heartstrings – Hunger
11. Crystal Stilts – In Love With Oblivion
12. The Horrors – Skying
13. Dum Dum Girls – Only In Dreams
14. Wild Beasts – Smother
15. The Boxer Rebellion – The Cold Still
16. Cults – Cults
17. The Kills – Blood Pressures
18. Summer Camp – Welcome To Condale
19. The Antlers – Burst Apart
20. Metronomy – The English Riviera
21. The Joy Formidable – The Big Roar
22. Sarabeth Tucek – Get Well Soon
23. Little Barrie – King Of The Waves
24. Girls – Father, Son, Holy Ghost
25. Peggy Sue – Acrobats
26. Foster The People – Torches
27. Dutch Uncles – Cadenza
28. Memory Tapes – Player Piano
29. Doyle & The Fourfathers – Man Made
30. Ice Age – New Brigade
31. Gardens & Villa – Gardens & Villa
32. Colourmusic – My ______ Is Pink
33. Swimming – Ecstatics International
34. Tom Vek – Leisure Seizure
35. Spectrals – Bad Penny
36. Anna Calvi – Anna Calvi
37. Slow Club – Paradise
38. The Vaccines – What Did You Expect From The Vaccines?
39. The Crookes – Chasing After Ghosts
40. Wolf People – Steeple
41. Austra – Feel It Break
42. Hyde & Beast – Slow Down
43. Toro Y Moi – Underneath The Pine
44. Still Corners – Creatures Of An Hour
45. The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart – Belong
46. Pete & The Pirates – One Thousand Pictures
47. Little Dragon – Ritual Union
48. The Leisure Society – Into The Murky Water
49. M83 – Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming
50. Blood Orange – Coastal Grooves