Starting next week, Kind of Bleu will be counting down our top 20 albums of the year. Before we do that, though, there are some albums that didn’t make the list that deserve some recognition:
Yo-Yo Ma, Stuart Duncan, Edgar Meyer & Chris Thile – The Goat Rodeo Sessions
I’ve never been a big classical music fan, but this must be a sign that I’m growing up. Honestly, this album was a surprise. With four big names on the front, I knew it would be good, but I didn’t know how much it would get to me.
Dawes – Nothing Is Wrong
Dawes isn’t afraid to show their love of Jackson Browne. Lead singer Taylor Goldsmith lays on hooks that could’ve been on Running on Empty and Browne himself even sings on “Fire Away.” The Laurel Canyon sound is as strong as ever 40 years after its heyday with bands like Crosby, Still & Nash.
I’m From Barcelona – Forever Today
Forever Today could easily be 2011’s catchiest album. Its irresistible opening track, “Charlie Parker,” is definitely one of my favorite songs of the year. The rest of the album is great as well. The 29-member band has given us their best to date.
Panda Bear – Tomboy
Whether in Animal Collective or as Panda Bear, Noah Lennox is a game-changer. His last Panda Bear album, Person Pitch, completely rewrote the rules, combining Beach Boys pop with psychedelic electronica in an astonishing musical achievement. Tomboy continues to explore what he created with a few new twists.
My Morning Jacket – Circuital
Circuital could only have been made by My Morning Jacket. For years, the band has been mixing their Southern rock melting pot full of classic R&B, psychedelia, and who knows what else to create what is definitively their own sound. No other band could take a song about black metal, add an all-girl choir and heavy brass and end up with what could be a James Bond theme. Three of the album’s songs were even originally written for the Muppet band Dr. Teeth and Electric Mayhem. Circuital is nothing but simply My Morning Jacket.
Kind of Bleu 