I know, right? FINALLY! The wait is over, and here are my 11 favorite albums from LAST YEAR, 2011. Now, this list really isn’t a surprise to me, because these are the albums that I listened to most throughout the year, and they are all stellar. However, for the first time, for me, there was a clear tie for first; I couldn’t pick one of them over the other, no matter how hard I tried. That being said, I hope you enjoy my picks for my favorite albums of 2011. I also listed several albums that were great, but just didn’t make the cut, because they weren’t up to the par of these special few. Now, on to the list!
(tie) 1. Adele – 21
I have loved Adele pretty much from the first moment I heard of her. I saw some blogs talking about this “up and coming” singer back in early 2008, and after hearing some live stuff, I was instantly on board. What came next was an amazing debut, 19, which was my number 4 album of 2008. Then, I saw her live at the Variety in March of 2009, and that concert solidified her as one of my favorite artists. Obviously, I was jazzed to here a new album was slated for early 2011, but I wasn’t prepared for this opus that she would release. This album doesn’t have a single bad track on it. It is immaculate. This is an album that is current, and one that will age well; it is a new classic. Adele is one of those singers that has such talent that it isn’t really being matched by many right now; and people are taking notice. This is one of those rare instances where there is something I love so very much that happens to make it on the radio, and gain the attention of the masses; this album made 2011 a huge year for Adele. Now, if she can just quit pushing herself so hard, take some breaks, and protect that amazing voice; I want to enjoy her for a lifetime.
Standout Tracks: Turning Tables, Set Fire To The Rain, Someone Like You, Take It All, Rolling In The Deep.
(tie) 1. City and Colour – Little Hell
This album being on top shouldn’t surprise anyone that reads this blog regularly; I adore Dallas Green, aka City and Colour. He is another one, like Adele, that when I first heard of him, I was instantly hooked, and I realized quickly that I had found an all time favorite artist in him. His most recent album, Little Hell, is raw, beautiful, dark, poignant, flawed, and still, damn near perfect. This album takes what he does best (making amazingly well written songs and setting them to hauntingly beautiful acoustic music), and builds it to a crescendo. This album captivated my attention from when it was released in June, and continues to be on heavy rotation for me now; this is a shining example of a supremely well made album by a truly amazing artist. Little Hell showed me that I chose well when I declared City and Colour as one of my favorite artists, because he does not disappoint. I was worried that it wouldn’t meet or exceed Bring Me Your Love (which is one of my favorite albums of all time), but he met the mark, and made an album that stands proudly along side it. Excellent, excellent music, here folks, and one of my favorites of the year by far.
Standout Tracks: Northern Wind, O’ Sister, Grand Optimist, We Found Each Other In The Dark, Little Hell.
3. William Fitzsimmons – Gold In The Shadow (Deluxe Edition)
I finally got to see him live earlier this year, and I KNOW that this influenced my decision to put his album this high; the album is amazing, but hearing it live made for one of the best concert experiences of my entire life. William is an incredibly folk musician, and his music is tender, and achingly beautiful. What pushed him higher on the list was the re-release of this album as a Deluxe Edition, because it contains some of his most beautiful songs to date (which are included in the standout tracks). Another great album by another amazing artist; are you sensing a trend here, people?
Standout Tracks: By My Side, Beautiful Girl, Ever Could, Blood And Bones, Bird of Winter Prey.
4. Jessie J – Who You Are
Initially, I was a bit turned off by her (not a huge fan of Price Tag), but I listened to the whole album, and man, I was blown away. This chick can SING!! She has some amazing songs, and her debut is nothing to scoff at; it’s brilliant. Definitely one of my biggest surprises of the year; glad I gave her a second chance! Also, the re-release with Domino was smart; Domino is such a fantastic addition to an already amazing album.
Standout Tracks: Who You Are, Do It Like A Dude, L.O.V.E., Domino, Abracadabra.
5. Lady GaGa – Born This Way
What can I say, IT’S GAGA. Seriously, haters beware; this is pop music people. GaGa is still killing it, several years into the game at this point, and clearly, has no intention of slowing down. Some of the tracks on this album are the best of her career; she clearly has a knack for what it takes to make a hit. This album is excellent from beginning to end, but the Deluxe version “extras” were just so-so. Overall, GaGa has never let me down, and this album was certainly one of my favorites this year.
Standout Tracks: Heavy Metal Lover, Born This Way, Marry The Night, Americano, The Edge of Glory.
6. Patrick Wolf – Lupercalia
I love how eccentric this guy is; he clearly has his own style, and flaunts it with such, well, style, that it begs for attention. I really enjoyed his previous work, and was excited to hear a new album from him this year. However, it was all shock and awe when, low and behold, this is the happiest I have heard him! There are so many wonderful love songs on this album, and it is definitely my favorite album he’s released to date. Do yourself and watch the video for House too; it is EPIC. I love artists that aren’t afraid to be themselves, and Patrick is the definition of unique. His talent is too wonderful not to explore and share.
Standout Tracks: House, The City, Bermondsey Street, Together, The Future.
7. Feist – Metals
I am a gigantic Feist fan; I have been since I saw her live on her tour for The Reminder. That album caught me by surprise and ended up being my number 2 album of 2007. I didn’t think I’d have to wait so many years to get another fantastic album from this Canadian chanteuse, but when she announced she’d follow up this year, I was thrilled. She didn’t disappoint, either; fantastic follow up to a fantastic previous album.
Standout Tracks: How Come You Never Go There, Bittersweet Melodies, Anti Pioneer, Graveyard, Caught A Long Wind.
8. Death Cab For Cutie – Codes and Keys
What can I say, Death Cab are one of my all time favorite bands, so obviously, I am going to be excited when they come out with new material. This time, they released some very happy and upbeat songs, and many of them channeled electronic elements of Gibbard’s seemingly abandoned side project from years ago, The Postal Service. I was more than happy to hear those influences on this album, and still hold out hope for another Postal Service album; but that’s a different story for a different time. The songs on this album are excellent, and it is yet another great album but one of my favorite bands… this seems to be the trend for 2011.
Standout Tracks: St. Peter’s Cathedral, Stay Young Go Dancing, You Are A Tourist, Unobstructed Views, Some Boys.
9. Florence + The Machines – Ceremonials
While her first album took me a little while to fully enjoy, I was waiting at the starting gate for this go ’round. Florence is truly an artist that crafts a song from the words, to their pronunciation, to the music, and the orchestration; all of these are her instruments, and the effect is a layered song that is unique and gorgeous. She uses her dynamic musical talent to craft yet another album that many people will continue to talk about for a while to come; she has proven she is truly an artist to watch, and listen to.
Standout Tracks: Shake It Out, Only If For A Night, No Light No Light, Remain Nameless, Never Let Me Go.
10. Mat Kearney – Young Love
Always a favorite of mine, Mat tries a few new things, while bringing the signature of his previous work on board, making yet another fantastic album. The blend of hip hop with pop-rock is unmistakably Mat’s signature, and he weaves more delightful music on this album, and makes some of his best music to date. While it didn’t quite wow me as much as his previous effort, it does stand out as one of my favorites of the year, and there really isn’t another negative thing I have to say about it.
Standout Tracks: Ships In The Night, Count On Me, Chasing The Light, Rochester, Hey Mama.
11. Britney Spears – Femme Fatale
Arguably, this is by and large, one of her strongest, and most cohesive albums to date. Some of the songs on this album made for some of her most dynamic, and interesting singles as well. Overall, this album will certainly be one that Britney can look back on one of her overall best. That being said, the inclusion of the complete throwaway track, Big Fat Bass, almost derails the entire effort for me, but I skip it each time I listen to the album, so I won’t let it ruin the pop masterpiece that soars throughout the rest of the record. It’s Britney, bitch, indeed.
Standout Tracks: Till The World Ends, Criminal, Seal It With A Kiss, I Wanna Go, Hold It Against Me.
Well, there you have it; my favorite 11 albums of 2011. I hope you found something you hadn’t heard, and give it a chance. I also hope that you enjoyed these albums as much as I did in 2011, and will continue to enjoy on into 2012 and for years to come.
Now, the rest… These are albums that were very good, but for whatever reason, missed the 5 star mark. Some of them just have fantastic singles, but a lot of throwaways dragging them down, and others were just good, but nothing stood out as fantastic. Either way, here’s a bunch of other music you should check out, as it was stuff I was digging in 2011:
Matt Alber – Constant Crows: Love this out crooner, he’s as easy on the eyes as he is on the ears. A great follow up to his debut, and the Madonna cover is amazing.
Beyonce – 4: Color me disppointed; some AMAZING singles, some really bad songs. All over the place.
Bjork – Biophilia: Kinda like above, an amazing lead single, the rest was weird, but interesting.
Bon Iver – Bon Iver: Love him, even though his voice is a bit weird to me.
Alex Clare – The Lateness Of The Hour: Dubstep meets soaring, chill inducing male vocals.
Kelly Clarkson – Stronger: Originally, I stated it was ‘meh’; well, it grew on me, some real stompers on here.
The Decemberists – The King Is Dead: Some of this is excellent, some just too twangy.
Fleet Foxes – Helplessness Blues: Gorgeous, but also a bit too ethereal for me.
David Guetta – Nothing But The Beat: An album full of floor filling dance singles, what’s not to love (well, a few of them, that’s what).
Jennifer Hudson – I Remember Me: I love this girl. Practically as good as her debut, with just a few slight missteps.
JLS – Jukebox: Overall, enjoyable, but nothing really stands out of the pack.
Cher Lloyd – Sticks + Stones: Excellent, almost made my year end list. Reminds me of the spunk of Lily Allen. Swagger Jagger is a deal breaker, though.
Jennifer Lopez – Love?: Color me surprised with this one! Some MAJOR singles, but the rest is filler.
M83 – Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming: Pretty, weird, pretty weird… but good!!!
Jon McLaughlin – Forever If Ever: Great songwriter, but some of them felt like half-hearted efforts. The stellar songs are stellar, though!
Matt Nathanson – Modern Love: Didn’t love it as much as his previous release, but still good nonetheless.
Noah and the Whale – Last Night On Earth: Very different than their previous album, which I loved; hard not to compare the two.
One Direction – Up All Night: Fun and poppy.
Peter Bjorn and John – Gimme Some: A bit more edgy and harder than their best album, Writer’s Block, but still good.
Nicole Scherzinger – Killer Love: Damn, this almost made my best of list; but the filler songs are bland. Where she shines, however, she is brighter than the sun!
Slow Runner – Damage Points: Saw them open for William Fitzsimmons; great band, great sound!
The Saturdays – On Your Radar: A little disappointing considering their previous work, but still great girl band pop.
Vanbot – Vanbot: Almost made my best of list; excellent, Swedish pop, reminiscent of fellow Swedish pop princess Robyn. Definitely one to keep your eye on.
The Wanted – Battleground: Kinda like JLS; overall, enjoyable, but nothing really stands out.
White Lies – Ritual: Quite excellent, and maybe with more listens, I’ll love it even more; it just didn’t capture my attention last year.
Will Young – Echoes: Oh how I had such high hopes for this album, and I tried, I tried so hard to love it. It has some AMAZING singles (Jealousy being my favorite song of the year, btw), but the rest of the album was a little more dance, and little less heart for me. Will’s previous album was perfection to me, so I was pretty sure this one couldn’t stand up to it, and unfortunately, it didn’t. That being said, I really love him, and he is one of my favorite artists, and despite only a luke warm feeling for me, it’s a great album nonetheless.
Young The Giant – Young The Giant: Some great singles, but the high points far outshine the low points.
Tonight, a good friend of mine and I will have the distinct pleasure of seeing the wonderful Missy Higgins live, so I thought it would be appropriate to post one of my favorite songs from her most recent album. I have posted about this Aussie before, and I can definitely say that I am looking forward to the show; her music is beautiful, and her voice is divine. The sincerity and tenderness in her lyrics and vocals is impressive. I can’t wait to see what she does live, and I really hope that she plays this magnificent song!
Okay, do me a favor with this song: listen to it a minimum of four times before you make ANY decisions about it. Why? Because the first time I heard this song, I saw something special, but I didn’t realize how special it was until about the 4th listen. I am a sucker for these tender ballads, and the story telling element is always a welcome plus. I was drawn in by the tenderness of this track, and after several listens of this wonderful song, I want to hear more from Angel Taylor. Her voice reminds me a little bit of Corinne Bailey Rae, and that is definitely a good thing. 
Wow, I just have to say, that when two of my all time favorite vocalists get together and do a song, I expect it to be perfect. Well, low and behold, this one is. This version is a remake of the Vashti Bunyan song of the same name, and was included on the recently released indie collection, Dark Was The Night. It really blends both the style of Feist and Death Cab beautifully, and their vocals have never been more beautiful. This song is an instant favorite.
I have been enjoying the A Camp album for a little while now, and I wanted to post one of my favorite songs from the album. Bear on the Beach shows just how strange and eclectic that Nina Persson is, but at the same time, beautiful and extremely talented. No wonder she is one of my favorite singers out there. This is one of those albums that most will probably overlook, which is sad, because it is very, very good. It might even make my year end list… stay tuned.
There are many songs that I should instantly love, but don’t. Then, I see the video, and I am all, “why was igoring this song, it’s pretty great!?”. Well, this is one of those songs. The lead singer is a cutie, and when I saw the video I instantly thought, “this is that song I have been ignoring for months now!”. No longer my friends, this song has found its way onto a 5SF, and it deserves to be heard. Do yourself a favor and check out the strangely violent video, that is almost campy in its presentation, which makes it even better. I’m glad I saw the video, because it has turned me onto this great song. My favorite part is the claps during the chorus; fun stuff!
While this song may have come out way back in 2007 (waaay back, eh… lol), I only recently heard it when the dance mix surfaced. After really digging the dance mix, I was intrigued to hear the original, mostly because the lyrics were so emotionally driven and completely heartfelt; not to mention how much I related to them. Well, shock me, because when I heard the original, I realized that I had just heard a song that I would come to count amongst my favorite songs I’ve ever heard. This song is beautiful and amazing. The lyrics speak of pain that has been endured, and a painful solution to deal with the future of family and the unknown. This song completely speaks to me, and I relate wholeheartedly. I read a review of this CD, however, and someone got snippy and insisted that LeAnn would be better off singing about how “good she had it”, and to that, I call bullshit; it’s insulting to someone who has legitimately been through something to insist that they just get over it and move on. LeAnn has made a daring testament to dealing with a less than desirable family situation, and she has done so in the most beautiful way imaginable; I for one applaud her putting this out there and showing us some of her vulnerability. Screw you, reviewer… bravo LeAnn, girl, I certainly relate. I have been playing this song, non-stop on massive repeat since I heard it. It is truly amazing.
Something that you may not know about me, is that I DETEST Christmas music. Seriously, hearing holly jolly Christmas is like nails on a chalk board to me, so the idea of a Christmas album is almost a complete NO from me. However, when I saw that Sara Bareilles has contributed, I had to take a listen; she has done a somewhat “Christmas-ish” song in the past that I loved; her live cover of River is amazing. Well, the 30 second clip on iTunes proved this to be another amazing Sara B track, so I had to snag it. I have to say, that I appreciate how many of you readers asked me if I had heard this song, because it really makes me appreciate the give and take with us sharing our music tastes!! I wanted to feature it, because even though Xmas has passed, this song is more of a “winter” song (ha!), and it is still winter, so why not, right?! This counts as one “Christmas” song I actually love! 
Wow. Can we say amazing?! It’s no surprise that I love Feist, and when she released a deluxe version of her amazing album, The Reminder, I was floored that this song was included. It is a brilliant remake of the original guilty pleasure made famous by Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers. Feist’s sweet vocals paired with the Constantines is a real treat, and I am nothing less that elated to pass this one on to you. I love a GREAT cover, and this is truly a great cover of a classic hit. I hope that this treat gets some real attention, because its greatness really cannot be ignored. This song makes me want to go sing karaoke; right now!
Finally today, I am pleased to announce another highly anticipated album of 2009! I love the sweet throwback sounds of the Bird and the Bee, and their last album was a complete and utter delight. Well, they are scheduled to release their next album later this month (January 27), and judging by this first single, it should be just as good as their debut; and possibly even better. The Bird and The Bee are another one to watch out for this year, because if they keep going strong with their amazing jazz/dance/pop style that I love so much, I am sure that their sophomore album will be on my year end list too. I love when my favorite artists release new stuff and it is great, and like this song, does everything to make me excited about the rest of the record!
As I said yesterday, it was really hard to rank the number 2 and 3 spots, because both records are so wonderful, that I really love them both about the same; however, Feist’s 
does have a sliver of an edge, which makes it number 2 on my list. Feist is one of those “obscure” artists that burst onto the scene this year, with a little (okay, a LOT) help from a small company called Apple, and one of their ads for the rarely sought after iPod. With Feist’s infectious pop hit 1234 blasting on every TV commercial for the mp3 player, and her music gaining more attention because of this exposure, it is no wonder that I took notice. Even after many people had suggested that I might like Feist, I’ll admit that it still took all of those ads for me to finally listen; and I am really glad that I finally did. What I got by paying attention was a brilliant album from a truly talented artist, and a record that I have listened to incessantly ever since I got it.