Trying to compile the top albums of 2013 has probably been a lot more difficult than top album lists of previous years. Firstly trying to narrow it down to just 30 when 2013 has been chock with fantastic albums that have resonated with me is a task in itself. There are probably plenty of albums that I have forgotten to include but that would be equally worthy of being somewhere on the list. Secondly trying to figure out an order for the 30 is difficult and, no doubt, I will end up changing my mind at some point in the future as to the order I've put them in. Either way, 2013 has been great for brilliant albums and here my Top 30 (that I've not forgotten about. Sorry all those I loved but that have slipped my mind!)
30. Connan Mockasin - Caramel
The New Zealand folkster’s second album is a real batty
affair, which is why it’s so easy to fall in love with it. Mockasin has always
been a bit ‘off-kilter’ and it’s proudly displayed here, on an album influenced
by classic soul. With smooth rhythms and beautifully intricate guitars
juxtaposed with his often screechy vocals, it’s a mix that on paper shouldn’t
work at all but, in practise, brings a really interesting alternative to the
bass and baritone vocalists that dominate soul. It’s different and it’s proud
to wave that freak flag high.
29. AlunaGeorge – Body Music
While AlunaGeorge have put out some incredibly catchy
singles in the last year and a bit that have found their way burrowing into my
brain and refusing to leave, their debut album, Body Music, failed to strike that same chord with me. While the
tracks, on their own, are fantastic, with brilliant production from George Reid
and the saccharine R&B vocals of Aluna Francis, the album didn’t feel much
like an album, more like a ‘Greatest Hits’, not really giving us anything new
but still packed full of great tracks.
28. Autre Ne Veut - Anxiety
Anxiety is an
album that, admittedly, I wasn’t too keen on. But after repeated listens,
something struck. It’s a very distinct album, with a strong sense of
personality. Laced with exciting and slick production, it’s an ultimately
pop-centric album that feels much rawer and interesting than something likely
to hit the mainstream charts yet retains that accessibility of pop.
27. Franz Ferdinand – Right Thoughts, Right Words, Right
Actions
The fourth album from the Scottish foursome (even if only
one of them was actually born in Scotland) is a return to the Talking
Heads-esque, disco influenced rock that made their self-titled debut album so
exciting. With production from Todd Terje, and Joe Goddard/Alexis Taylor of Hot
Chip, everything bounds along with energy and charm. While Tonight didn’t really have that usual punch, Right Thoughts sees the band getting right back into the swing of
things with great aplomb.
26. Kanye West – Yeezus
Yeezus is
incredibly exciting and, upon its release, felt like a breath of fresh air in the
mainstream. Kanye was beginning to use his star status to try something
different, something challenging, instead of pandering to the whims of the
charts. When it worked, it really worked. ‘Black Skinhead’ and ‘New Slaves’
felt like powerhouses. But in amongst all these great bits of genius were some
real clunkers that really lets the record down as a whole. On the strength of
those few incredible tracks and the balls it took for Kanye to release
something as different as this, though, it definitely deserves a place.
25. David Bowie – The Next Day
2013 saw David Bowie completely misunderstand birthdays.
Instead of us giving him a gift on his 66th birthday, he gave us the
gift of his first single, ‘Where Are We Now?’ since around 2004. Admittedly, it
wasn’t the best, a track that would’ve just been seen as OK at any other point
is career (apart from Tin Machine era, because then it would’ve been a fucking
masterpiece compared to that drivel). Luckily, the rest of the album
surrounding it felt like an incredible tour through the career of Bowie. Shades
of Ziggy here, splashes of Berlin era there, it didn’t feel like the record of
a 66 year old man, it felt as fresh and young as his best work in the 70s. The Next Day is a comeback that, in a
year full of comebacks, actually managed to work out extremely well.
24. Foals – Holy Fire
If ever there was a band who have proved, in 2013, that they
have matured, it’s Foals. Moving from the art school pretention of 2008’s Antitdotes, to 2010’s rather all over
the place Total Life Forever, to Holy Fire, it’s difficult to hear that same
fresh faced band that sent NME into a tizzy way back when. Holy Fire feels like an incredibly confident third album; singles ‘Inhaler’
and ‘My Number’ confirming that they do indeed deserve those big festival
billings. It’s brassy, interesting, and feels like the product of years of
getting things right but also getting things wrong, learning along the way and
evolving into a more assured product.
23. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds – Push The Sky Away
After a brief detour into the more garage rock area that
caused Mick Harvey to leave the band, Push
The Sky Away sees Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds returning to the more
melancholic and intricate songs they do so well. The stars of the show here, as
always, are the lyrics, wrestling everything from love, death, and pop culture,
all brought to life by Nick Cave’s gravelly vocals, which ride at the forefront
of the bubbling rhythms. It’s not the most accessible Bad Seeds album but it’s
a great example of what they do best, polished with a nice cinematic feel.
22. A$AP Rocky – Long. Live. A$AP.
With the usual names you might expect from someone making a
real scene in the hip hop game, and some you definitely wouldn’t expect, Long Live A$AP has a list of
collaborators longer than your arm. They all assist A$AP in creating one of the
most diverse hip hop albums of the year, deftly able to flick between styles
with relative ease. Even when he falls short, lyrically, the track is usually
saved by some fantastic production. It feels like an excellent exploration into
the vast array of things that influence A$AP’s style and a confident debut from
someone sure to make waves.
21. Ghostpoet – Some Say I So I Say Light
Some Say I So I Say
Light is an album with a very distinct sense of time and place. With a
surreal, dreamy quality to it, Ghostpoet’s second album is one designed for
that last bus home. Contemplative and nocturnal, Ghostpoet’s flow, while
reminiscent of Roots Manuva’s, is a lot dreamier, with sentences seeming to
blend into one, adding to that mysterious, sleepy quality. While his lyrics
might not as sharp and exciting as on the Mercury nominated Peanut Butter Blues & Melancholy Jam,
it’s the eerie production so suited for the night time that makes Some Say I such an interesting listen.
20. Blood Orange – Cupid Deluxe
Dev Hynes is a man that goes by many names. Having wet his
feet in the utterly ridiculous but brilliantly anarchic Test Icicles, he moved
to the opposite end of the spectrum with the folky Lightspeed Champion. Blood
Orange sees him sit more a in the pop area of things. Cupid Deluxe all sees him getting help from a couple of friends
including Friends’ Samantha Urbani and Chairlift’s Caroline Polachek, each
adding their own distinct mark to the album. It’s a very open and obvious
record about love, with nothing hidden behind metaphors, particularly on those
in which he shares vocal duties with girlfriend Urbani. It’s funky, full of
crooning and sexy brass, and might just be the best album he’s ever had a hand
in. Until this MKS album lands anyway…
19. Public Service Broadcasting – Inform Educate Entertain
An album almost entirely comprised of samples from old
British propaganda/public information films is not one I would’ve expected to
be putting in this list when 2013 began. And yet it works so well. Accompanied
by guitars, banjos, synths, various percussion instruments, the samples come to
life. Of course, PBS seem to be less of a band and more of an idea, making it
quite difficult for them to move forwards without becoming repetitive. For now,
however, Inform Educate Entertain
provides us with something entirely new and very interesting, a sort of history
lesson through music.
18. Factory Floor – Factory Floor
Factory Floor’s debut has been one fans have been waiting
for for what seems like years and years. Luckily, the wait seems to be worth
it. Their self-titled debut is a triumph in turning what is ostensibly noise
into something that you can dance along to, getting lost in an almost hypnotic
trance. What’s appealing about Factory
Floor is that, despite ultimately being an electronic album, it’s one that
feels very human albeit a little more polished than previous releases on their
live sets. It feels more like they’re allowing us to listen in to them making a
right noisy racket than it does an album, and this sense of exciting fun
permeates the entire album.
17. Daughter – If You Leave
Daughter’s debut is a lesson in how to do wonderfully hypnotic
and enchanting music. Although Elena Tonra’s lyrics do often seem to be ripped
from a teenage girl’s diary, overwrought with clichés and unnecessary
metaphors, it’s hard not to be taken away, especially thanks to her beautifully
destructive vocals. If You Leave
feels like the Death Cab for Cutie of old; it almost feels suffocating in the amount of
emotions it throws at you, though it allows you time to catch your breath and
ultimately gather some semblance of hope towards the end that everything is
going to be OK.
16. Arcade Fire – Reflektor
Reflektor is the
sign of a band trying not to get caught into a musical rut while also trying to
shed any idea made by fans that they are gods. It’s an album that’s both
self-reflective and iconoclastic, trying to figure out what it is they are
wanting to do. As such, it’s a bit of a messy album. There are hints of disco
all over the place, with the old Arcade Fire still bubbling beneath the
surface, but it’s this mess that makes it quite endearing. It’s a step in a
huge direction for the band and they haven’t done a half bad job at it. It’s
not a masterpiece, and it’s certainly not perfect, but it’s a pleasure to listen
to a band try to rediscover themselves and try something wildly different to
what they’ve done before.
15. Pet Shop Boys – Electric
Who’d have thought that Pet Shop Boys would create one of
the best dance records of 2013. After having split from their old label
Parlophone, the synth duo decided to release their twelfth studio album on their
own label. The result is the sound of them taking their old retro style into
the future. Electric is an album that
retains that feel of the old Pet Shop Boys while still being a modern dance
record, something many thought they could no longer do. Electric also has the pleasure of being the only album that has
Example on it in any way to feature on a Best Of list. This is Pet Shop Boys
sounding like they give a shit once more, and they’re doing it in the most
fist-pumping, dance floor filling way possible.
14. Jon Hopkins – Immunity
Nominated for the Mercury Music Prize in 2013, Immunity was pretty much the rank
outsider. It’s not that it’s a difficult album, quite the opposite in fact; it’s
mainly that, despite being everywhere, Jon Hopkins still isn’t much of a
household name. But Immunity is by
far one of the most interesting albums to be nominated. Full of warmth and
emotion, it’s an album that needs to be listened to in full; the whole glorious
hour. Each track blends into the next as if soundtracking a night out. First
begins the excitement and anticipation, but also nervousness, for what the night
may have in store then comes, in the form of the absolutely fantastic ‘Collider’
the night itself, slightly disorientating and bewildering, but utterly
captivating. It’s easy to get drawn into Hopkins’ beautifully realised world
and it’s quite difficult to leave.
13. CHVRCHES – The Bones Of What You Believe
In a year pretty sparse of dark but incredibly catchy and
accessible synth-pop, CHVRCHES were the shining beacon of the year, stylised
name and all. With a heavy Depeche Mode influence riding at the top of
everything, but utilising the more modern technology available to them, it
became an album that has been near the top of my mind this year. With repeat
listens, it grew and grew and became even more infectious with every listen.
Packed full of joyously dark tunes, led by Lauren Mayberry’s delightfully sweet
vocals, The Bones of What You Believe
was an album that just sticks.
12. Rhye – Woman
Rhye began by shrouding themselves in anonymity, sending the
blogosphere into a fury because they love that kind of shit. With some utterly
stunning tracks under their belt, reminiscent of Sade, they pulled down the
curtain and released Woman, a
superbly hypnotic exploration and love and sex without the need for over
sexualisation. Here, both topics are treated in an incredibly mature and
disarmingly honest way. Michael Milosh’s falsetto coos its way through Robin
Hannibal’s superb production, both being surprisingly intimate with a hint of
shyness. It’s an endearing debut that is incredibly hard not to fall in love
with.
11. Lizzo – Lizzobangers
Lizzo has already made a splash in Minneapolis but, until
now, has stayed very much within that scene. Lizzobangers is probably the best introduction anyone could need to
what she is about. As with A$AP Rocky, Lizzo is able to change styles
seamlessly between tracks depending on the topic and the production on hand
yet, unlike Rocky, her lyrics hit the mark nearly every time as opposed to some
of the time. It’s honest, exciting, and more often than not raucous as
hell. She has a command over language that never ceases to impress and, put over some extremely tight beats, it
flourishes into something spectacular. The only album with "bangers" somewhere in the title you should care about!
10. Sky Ferreira – Night Time, My Time
Had the rest of the album been terrible, I still would’ve
been tempted to put this album on this list anyway, just for the absolutely
incredible ‘You’re Not The One’. Luckily, the rest of the album is pretty
brilliant too, although never quite reaches that high (it is a pretty big high
though!). Night Time, My Time is
Ferreira finally discovering what her voice is, and she’s done it some style.
Previous tracks and EPs have always felt a bit off to me, but here every single
track seems to work excellently at portraying the real Ferreira; one that isn’t
perfect and has plenty of faults. It’s a confident and defiant album with one
of the best pop singles of 2013 on board.
9. Julia Holter – Loud City Song
Whereas Holter’s breakthrough album, Ekstasis, was an incredible album, it was also not the easiest to
get into. Loud City Song has a real
pop feel to it without sacrificing the eccentricities behind Holter’s work that
makes it extremely accessible yet still distinctly her voice. Adding a band to
the proceedings allows the California Institute of Art graduate to play around
with things a little more, adding more jazz like elements which she, on her
own, could not provide. It’s still “weird” and outlandish, but it’s wild, exciting,
and oddly beautiful, like an otherworldly circus.
8. Beyoncé – Beyoncé
It’s almost a blessing that it took me so long to get around
to compiling my Best of list. While all those publications had sent their copy
off to be printed, Beyonce decided to make an ordinary Friday morning something
spectacular by dropping this self-titled piece of brilliance without any
warning whatsoever. I didn’t want to make a snap judgement on how great it was
but, after letting it sink in over the past few weeks, I’m still completely in
love with this album. It’s raw, it’s fierce, it’s Beyonce not giving a shit. It
feels like an album made for her, rather than pandering to anyone else. A
statement to pop music that she has still got it and can produce a wildly
exciting and altogether varied collection of tracks.
7. Chance The Rapper – Acid Rap
2013 is the year in which Chance really made himself known. Acid Rap is quite easily the most fun
and exciting hip-hop to come out of 2013, and, probably, to come out of Chicago
since Kanye West’s College Dropout.
Every track sees Chance pushing himself to the limits, trying something new,
testing himself, and showing that he definitely does have the talent. Just 2
years out of high school, released by himself for free with no label support,
this is what this young Chicagoan has produced. It’s an album/mixtape inspired
by Chicago, both the good and the bad, and by youth, but also the frailties of
it. There’s no messing around here. As with Kendrick Lamar’s Good Kid, M.A.A.D. City, Chance has a
very clear persona that shines through here, creating a transparency that draws
you in. This is clearly just the start for Chance.
6. The National – Trouble Will Find Me
While the album as a whole feels a little longer than it
should, mainly the fault of the congestion of the slower tracks all in the
second half of the album, Trouble Will
Find Me is still yet another stunning collection of melancholic rock tunes
from one of the most well-dressed bands of the moment. It’s the sound of a band
who are trying to get used to their move from being that cult band that everyone
used to talk about to prove they’re ahead of the curve to a band that is really
hitting the big time, and deservedly so. It’s awkward and a tad clunky but
tracks such as ‘Pink Rabbits’ and ‘Humiliation’ are just utterly beautiful in
their melancholy. The energy might be turned down a little from High Violet but the beauty is definitely
still there.
5. Arctic Monkeys – AM
AM is a strange
mix of hip-hop influences, the LA sun, and the darker side of the Sheffield
lads. Like Foals, it’s hard to even imagine that these are the same fresh faced
boys who were once writing songs about getting chucked out of clubs or trying
to get a taxi home at 4am. It’s not as wildly different as it might sound, but
it’s an album that is a definite thrill to listen to each and every time. It’s
a bit saucy, retaining that cheek of Whatever
People Say I Am, mixing in a more Velvet Underground style; something
rooted a little bit in nostalgia that wears its influences on its sleeve whilst
being distinctively Arctic Monkeys. While the previous two albums felt like
they were taking themselves too seriously, dipping into pretensions that didn’t
feel like them, AM goes back to the
fun-loving, easy going Arctic Monkeys we fell in love with so long ago, except
now they’re sunning themselves in LA.
4. Disclosure – Settle
Disclosure brought with them a debate of where they actually
fit, genre wise. Are they deep house? What even is deep house? Are they garage?
My only comment on this debate is who cares, when they’re producing such
fantastic dance music. Clearly influenced by house and 90s garage, Settle is one of the best dance records
of the year. The album has a whos-who list of exciting collaborators, yet these
big names, including Jamie Woon and Jessie Ware, never manage to overshadow the
two brothers. Instead, these names manage to weave themselves seamlessly into
the overall fabric of the album. 2013 has generally been a year of intelligent
dance music, be that hitting the mainstream or sticking to the underground.
Disclosure have been the finest example of this, providing tracks that can not
only work perfectly on any dancefloor in any club, but also on the radio.
3. Darkside – Psychic
Psychic feels like
something completely otherworldly. The entire album feels like you’re falling
into a dream; a minimalist, futuristic dream directed by David Lynch and
scripted by Haruki Murakami. It sounds completely pretentious, and in most
respects it is, but it’s an album that makes you want to accept that pretention
and just dive in, head first, to explore everything on offer. It’s definitely
not one to stick on in the background, it really shines when you fully pay
attention to what is on offer, but when you do explore it, it’s incredibly
rewarding with so much to love and respect that it’s easy to overlook that it’s
really just Nicolas Jaar and Dave Harrington showing off a bit, though they definitely have a right to.
2. HAIM – Days Are Gone
I know a fair number of people that don’t like HAIM, and I
find it terribly difficult to understand why. Sure, they’re not all that original;
feeling like a blend of Destiny’s Child and Fleetwood Mac, but there’s
something undeniably refreshing about a band like this making it big in the pop
charts. To each their own, I suppose. Siblings brought up on rock and roll, while also living as kids through
the heady days of 90s pop, Days Are Gone
feels like a mission statement to what HAIM are all about. It’s slick, it’s
fun, it is pop, but with the intricacies of, say, Fleetwood Mac’s Tango In The Night. The enthusiasm and
the sassiness rub off on you extremely easily. It’s definitely not the most
revolutionary album of the year but, my goodness, if I didn’t have a lot of fun
listening to this album.
1. Janelle Monae – The Electric Lady
With The Electric Lady,
the third release in her Metropolis inspired series, Janelle Monae has undoubtedly
secured her rightful place as the current Queen of Pop. The album is jam packed
full of different styles, yet each one is done to such perfection that it’s
impossible to not sit there, slack jawed, wondering how the hell she actually
did this. Actually, that’s a lie. Listening to The Electric Lady, it’s actually impossible to sit still enough to
do that, each track just making you want to boogie, or sway, or just generally
move your body. From the extraordinarily smooth ‘Primetime’ to the explosively
sassy ‘Q.U.E.E.N.’, there will be at least one track everyone will love, if not
several. It’s whip-smart, it’s exciting, it’s original, and it’s exactly what
pop should be. Plus, it also has one of the most gorgeous pieces of album art in a long while courtesy of one of my favourite pop culture artists, Sam Spratt. Janelle Monae continues to surprise even though, by now, I
should know that anything with her stamp of approval on it is going to be
brilliant. Music needs more Janelle Monaes.
