The boys of Animal Collective have mapped out some previously uncharted waters, producing a style of music that could belong to no one else; a distinctive, flawless fusion of the semi- automated and the wholly organic.
On Attention Deficit, Wale has put together a great debut full of excellent signs that there will be a bright future ahead.
With a combination of atmosphere and lyricism, The Antlers’ Hospice is one of the best albums of the year so far.
Horehound is just that: An enigmatic, original album that sounds as weird as its cast members would look sitting court side at a Bull’s game. It doesn’t always work, but when it does, look out.
This is pop music at its finest ... here, in its grandiosity, Grizzly Bear has found a perfect balance and created an album well worth investing in.
From its sharp cover to the very last note, the record never hits a dull moment ... In the end, I’d be shocked if there were a better album to come out this year.
The album’s mind-bending concept and intelligent lyrics ironically hold the thing well above water. This is a strong grouping of songs. Tracks refer back to one another, reinforcing the album’s continuously challenging themes, and make for a great listen.
In less than 40 minutes of music, The xx have managed to offer an unforgettable debut and an album that deserves recognition come time for 2009’s year-end lists.
This is one man’s quest for making sense out of chaos, hitting a wall, and accepting the immensity for what it is. In the end, Elverum proves that we don’t need an answer after all; all we really need is Wind’s Poem.
This is a big step for a guy who’s always been seen as “the frontman.” However, Phrazes for the Young changes all of that. Not only does it cement Casablancas’ as the driving force behind The Strokes, it presents him as the innovator: the guy willing to take chances.
The Ecstatic is artistic, in a time when the genre needs it more than ever.
Backspacer stands as an important footnote for a band whose initial genre has long since decomposed. They’re a rock ‘n’ roll band who loves what they’re doing, and as long as they’re smiling, so are we… and possibly chanting a few “Yeah, yeah, yeah”s, too.
Rather than being a band content to cover itself and pump out albums every year to increasingly lukewarm praise, Mastodon demonstrates on Crack the Skye not just a commitment to prog, but to progress.
It’s been a long time since you could come across an album made out of sheer intuition, and that is why Jewellery can be such a rewarding and genuinely compelling listen — just don’t get too into it.
Embryonic goes in a lot of new and interesting places but lands nowhere in particular.
Compared to In The Absence Of Truth, Isis have taken some major leaps forward in their expressive musical personalities as well as their concepts.
In closing, 21st Century Breakdown doesn’t have the surprises and left field advantage that saved American Idiot, but it’s one hell of an album that should satisfy even the worst of the pessimists. It’s highly unlikely anyone will call out Mike Dirnt after a show, either.
In its parts ... Farm shines, excelling over the middle tier of the band’s discography by capitalizing on this spunky, almost Pavement-like swagger that made Beyond such a success. What’s remarkable here is that these three continue to put out killer songs that never sound embarrassing.