Top 25 Albums of 2011

Amazingly enough, 2011 has already come and gone, but with it came a slew of glorious, captivating records. From the return of veterans Bright Eyes, Wilco, and Death Cab for Cutie, to sophomore explosions from The Antlers, Girls, Bon Iver, and Fleet Foxes, and jaw-dropping debuts from Youth Lagoon, James Blake, You Won’t, and Caveman, this has been one incredible year of music for us.

Say what you will about this year versus the last, but with the return of lush, hi-fi music from both bands we’ve loved for years and those that have just stolen our hearts, 2011 rivals some of the best music years in recent history. Below you will find our list of top albums of 2011; a completely subjective collection of amazing music as chosen by all of us here at The Wild Honey Pie.

What was your #1 album of 2011?  Tell us below in the comments.

25. North Highlands - Wild One: Ripe with intricately layered retro guitar riffs and perfectly blended vocals, Wild One from North Highlands was undoubtedly one of the catchiest releases this year. With the addition of subtle keys, strings, and occasional electronic elements, the band created a uniquely rich sound complimented by expertly-crafted melodies from singer Brenda Malvini. An impressive debut release, Wild One displays a band striving to capture a vision of jangly, aged tones while incorporating a wealth of individuality and a fresh sound. — Lauren McKinney [album review // buy // spotify]

24.  24. Devon Williams - Euphoria: A late addition to our year-end list, Devon Williams’ Euphoria is equal parts 60s and 80s sounds, intricately balanced to form a great record void of any filler tracks. Williams’ slightly nasally vocals are right up my alley, along with the lush pop melodies found throughout the album.  ”Right Direction” and “Revelations”, in particular, will impress the shit out of you.  – Eric Weiner [feature // feature // feature // feature // feature // feature // feature // feature // feature // feature // feature // feature // feature // feature // feature // feature // feature // feature // feature // feature // feature // feature // feature // feature // feature // feature // feature // feature // feature // feature // feature // feature // feature // feature // feature // feature // feature // feature // feature // feature // feature // feature // feature // feature // feature // feature // feature // feature // feature // feature // feature // feature // 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23. Wilco - The Whole Love: The Whole Love stitches together a batch of pop-single length songs that are exploratory but remain tightly knit by Jeff Tweedy’s alt-country leaning songwriting. With one of their most stable line-ups to date, Wilco has brought together an album that combines the wide-eyed amazement of Yankee Hotel Foxtrot and the crunch of A.M. Whimsical and delightful, The Whole Love will surely bring even more music lovers under the brightly waving Wilco banner and please those of us who have been standing there from the start.  – Ben Anshutz [album review // buy // spotify]

22. Youth Lagoon - The Year of Hibernation: Beautiful in its subdued simplicity, The Year Of Hibernation was heralded for the potential it displayed in young musician Trevor Powers. A champion of bedroom recorded gems, the songs here are soaked in nostalgia and introspection, capturing this intensity with Powers’ commanding lyrics and dream-like tones. — Caitlin Devlin  [album review // buy // spotify]

21. James Blake - James Blake: With his melancholic voice and crushing electronic pulses, James Blake has taken dub step to a place far away from the frat houses that were plaguing it before. His debut record is one of beauty, grace and force — every note counts and every song makes you feel something unique and significant. — Hannah Angst [album review // buy // spotify]

20. Yuck - Yuck: An album full of skillfully blended contrast, Yuck’s self-titled debut combines brash, gritty guitar tones with brighter riffs and melodies to create cohesive but diverse songs. Not only a display of the their ability to produce rock gems, though, Yuck is a firm declaration of the band’s capacity to artfully strip down their signature sound to the bareness of acoustic strumming, pedal steel, and emotive lyrics. Incorporating the same catchy guitar playing and character heard from the best 90s rock bands, Yuck brings that sound into this decade and layers it with an eclectic mix of new ideas. — Lauren McKinney [album review // buy // spotify]

19. Beirut – The Rip Tide: An exercise in precision and restraint, The Rip Tide displays a mature songwriter at the height of his power who shows no sign of stopping. Beirut created a beautiful record where the moments of quiet are as arresting as the moments of bombast. It’s an easy, confident album that only someone as singularly talented as Condon could pull off. – Hannah Angst [album review // buy // spotify]

18. Wild Flag – Wild Flag: A few years ago, Carrie Brownstein discussed on her NPR blog the  disappointment she felt with the gentle, sensitive music that was being passed off as “rock.” Instead of waiting around for someone else to shake things up, Brownstein went ahead and released Wild Flag, an album that certainly doesn’t shy away from true rock and roll. Brownstein’s guitar playing alone makes this album worthy of a “best of” title, but the shared vocals between Brownstein and Mary Timony make the songs ripe for dancing, truly solidifying Wild Flag’s position on this list.  – Caitlin Devlin [buy // spotify]

17. Lykke Li - Wounded Rhymes: Truly mature pop songs aren’t easy to deliver, but Wounded Rhymes can only be described as both established and self-possessed. Li, who showed great potential on her debut, stepped out with a collection of phenomenal, catchy, dark songs that capture a singer at the height of her ability. — Hannah Angst [album review // buy // spotify]

16. Wye Oak - Civilian: With mumbled vocals and a darkly lush sound, Civilian is a record destined to get under your skin and stay there. It alternates between blistering and soft, euphoric and melancholic, and Wye Oak is never better when they combine the two. It’s a spectacular record that holds you in rapt attention from beginning to end. — Hannah Angst [buy // spotify]

15. M83 - Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming: Nothing this year soared quite as high as M83’s long anticipated double album Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming. Combining the dreamy electronic sounds of Teen Angst with the infectious pop of Saturdays=Youth, M83 has mastered a sound entirely unique to him. It’s easily M83’s most ambitious record, and likely his best. — Hannah Angst [album review // feature // buy // spotify]

14.  tUnE-YarDs - whokill: tUnE-YarDs doesn’t sound like anything else — she is unique in almost every way. Her complicated vocal loops and rhythms are only heightened by her powerful and magnetic voice. whokill is the perfect blend of pop, R&B and art house music wrapped into one absolutely fascinating package. — Hannah Angst [album review // buy // spotify]

13. Ryan Adams - Ashes & Fire: Ashes & Fire marks Ryan Adams’ triumphant solo return to the realm of beautifully-crafted country and folk. With a stripped, acoustic sound, the true splendor of the album lies in Adams’ ability to pack an enormous emotional punch into the searing, heartfelt lyrics and unobtrusive song structure — overly-complex, bombastic delivery just isn’t necessary when honeyed vocals convey so much with so little. With Ashes & Fire, Ryan Adams has proven that he can still write on the level of albums such as Heartbreaker and Demolition – something fans have long hoped for.  — Lauren McKinney   [buy // spotify]

12. Caveman – CoCo Beware: Caveman was relatively unknown to the indie music world for most of the year, but after 10 performances during 4 days at New York’s CMJ, they exploded onto the scene. This album is gorgeous and dense, oozing with indie pop/folk goodness. Each and every track on this record is incredible, but “Old Friend” stands out as one of the best songs released by anyone this year. — Eric Weiner [album review // buy // spotify]

11. Adele - 21: Any artist working in music today wishes they could accomplish what Adele did with her best-selling, critically acclaimed 21. Proving there is no better unifying element than a girl with a good voice, not to mention beautifully emotive piano and excellent production, people of varying musical tastes had this album on repeat for the better part of 2011. The universal theme of heartbreak pretty much guarantees that everyone will sympathize, and it seems like everyone has. — Caitlin Devlin [buy // spotify]

10. You Won’t – Skeptic Goodbye:  You Won’t released the most surprising record of 2011.  Though they have yet to pick up the sort of attention their debut LP, Skeptic Goodbye, deserves, the Boston-based duo of Josh Arnoudse and Raky Sastri was recently signed to well-respected New York indie label Old Flame (Cloud Nothings, Dead Confederate, Mathieu Santos, Total Babes). Skeptic Goodbye pairs gritty, scratchy vocals and honest lyrics from Arnoudse with layered, intricate percussion and production from Sastri. This album is truly a stunning piece of work.  – Eric Weiner [album review // buy // honey i'm home session // spotify]

9. Pepper Rabbit - Red Velvet Snow Ball: Pepper Rabbit has taken our year-end lists by storm with Red Velvet Snow Ball, an album that’s layered to perfection with retro-inspired harmonies, bouncy melodies, and concise percussion. Funny to think that the album is named after lead singer Xander Singh’s favorite snow cone flavor. — Eric Weiner [album review // buy // honey i'm home session // spotify]

8. The Dodos – No Color: Filled with frantic, impressive guitar picking, shifts in percussion, and a knack for the unexpected, The Dodos’ No Color was one of the more distinctive releases this year. Each track stands alone with individual tones, modifications, and sounds, creating an album of unique experiences that stay fresh with multiple listens. With organic production qualities and a ton of energy, this album feels almost like a live recording from a small club — the minute details and imperfections are actually what make the experience memorable and worthwhile. If only more acts would rely on their natural sound rather than filtering their recordings for over-complicated perfection. — Lauren McKinney [review // buy]

7. Fleet Foxes – Helplessness Blues: All at once, this Seattle-based group squashed their hater’s chatter, calmed their greatest fans’ worries, and gained an entirely new audience by creating one of the most downright pretty albums of 2011. Each track on Helplessness Blues was meticulously produced, resulting in a smooth, orchestral masterpiece. — Eric Weiner [review // buy // spotify]

6. St. Vincent – Strange Mercy: We already knew Annie Clark (aka St. Vincent) was a phenomenal guitarist, lyricist and singer, but she has never demonstrated this quiet as brightly as on Strange Mercy. It’s an uncompromisingly dark record that’s unafraid to explore unexpected places. Its dissonant yet relentlessly listenable — a spectacular record and easily the best effort from this incredibly talented artist.  – Hannah Angst [

5. Fucked Up – David Comes to Life could easily have earned a spot on this list simply for the incredibly complicated and operatic story it portrays. Thankfully, Fucked Up continued their streak of making complicated and artistic punk with not only story, but billowy guitars, harmonies and instrumental breaks to match their epic tale. Like the greatest punk records, it takes the genre and adds seemingly disparate elements, making something completely different and completely memorable. — Hannah Angst [album review // buy // spotify]

4. The Antlers – Burst Apart: Creating an equally gorgeous follow-up to their 2009 debut LP, Hospice, was quite a daunting task, yet The Antlers came about as close as one could have hoped.  Burst Apart is a stunning record that’s only gotten better as the year has worn on. — Eric Weiner [album review // buy // spotify]

3. Death Cab for Cutie - Codes and Keys: Despite my initial skepticism after the release of “You Are a Tourist”, Codes and Keys proved to be an absolutely stunning album, bringing back many of the elements that originally made me fall in love with Death Cab for Cutie and introducing me to amazing new sounds. The songs range from lush production and heavy build to pure, acoustic gems, each with Death Cab’s signature, intricate percussion. All the while, Ben Gibbard’s honest lyrics craft stories and mold scenarios that are at once heartbreaking and heartening. Even his effected vocals, which at first seemed unnecessary, took on additional meaning with multiple listens and made the songs richer. — Lauren McKinney [album review // buy // spotify]

2. Girls – Father, Son, Holy Ghost: After releasing last year’s blooming, 50s-inspired EP Broken Dreams Club, it wasn’t much of a surprise that Girls put out the most amazing rock album of the year.  Father, Son, Holy Ghost is packed with gems “Honey Bunny”, “Vomit” and “Alex”, among others, cementing them as one of the best rock and roll bands of the past few years.

Like Connor Oberst of Bright Eyes and Isaac Brock of Modest Mouse before him, Girls’ Christopher Owens possesses a one-of-a-kind, distinct vocal style that sticks with you; his is the type of voice that you either love or hate. Whether his tale is laced with love-sickness or heartbreak, Owens’ words strike with a conviction that leaves me speechless again and again throughout Father, Son, Holy Ghost.  For those of you who thought their 2009 aptly named debut Album was too rough for your liking, give this one a listen.  You’re in for an amazing treat.  – Eric Weiner [album review // buy // spotify]

1. Bon Iver – Bon Iver: Though choosing the year’s top album is always a daunting task, when all was said and done, there was only one that we believed had truly earned the title. While most other albums required multiple listens to achieve their effect, Bon Iver was instantaneous — every note, lyric, tone, and bit of falsetto magic was perfectly blended into nothing short of a transcendent experience.

There was no real way for Justin Vernon to release a follow up to For Emma, Forever Ago. That album represents a brief moment in time that can’t be recreated, duplicated, or simulated. His only option here was to construct something very different — to rethink the creative process and alter his sound in a way that would give the audience something more. With the help of Greg Leisz on pedal-steel, Colin Stetson on saxophone, C.J. Camerieri on horns, and Rob Moose on strings, he was able to accomplish just that. Bon Iver is a lush, layered collection of songs that still manages to sustain the emotional charge from the debut.

With hopeful tones and redemptive themes, Bon Iver has certainly come a long way from the isolation of a cabin. Following massive success and collaborations with Kanye West and Gayngs, loneliness simply doesn’t play the role in his music that it used to, nor should it. Regardless of this shift, though, his poignant delivery and songwriting techniques remain as powerful as ever. When Justin Vernon sings, you simply believe him. Though his lyrics are somewhat enigmatic, each person can interpret them individually, making his music exceptionally commanding and personal. There’s simply no denying his talent and ability to transform scenarios into music. — Lauren McKinney [album review // buy // spotify]