M.I.A. –Kala
Thank the Lord for the paranoid U.S. border control, the one that forced this killer tiny lady to stay outside of the egg-crate walls of Timbaland’s hit making factory. A global sonic experience, this album brings a new world of fresh hitz.
Arcade Fire –Neon Bible
Praise be the Butler-Chassagne family, with their impeccable funeral fashion sense and their ability to craft beautiful track after awe-inspiring track. Leaving some of the dirth-like gloom of 2004’s Funeral behind, Neon Bible is a revelation of big-band sound matched with a lyrical landscape that conjures images of a modern-day agnostic Pentecostal traveling church group.
Battles – Mirrored
Cold-fusion explosions of totally unique musical creation. Battles’ sound is unlike any other –– an amalgamation of digitized vocals, swooping loops and a constant beat that’s lead on by a dynamo drummer who crashes on a 6-foot-high cymbal. Just too cool.
Dr. Dog –We All Belong
Much like the city from which they hail, these Philadelphians are often handed the short end of the critical acclaim stick. Yet, one must look beyond these pretexts to the beautiful harmonies, soulful vocals and crescendos that flourish into absolutely sweet retroactive rock.
Animal Collective –Strawberry Jam
A magical journey into solid song structure, Strawberry Jam is Animal Collective’s major leap, their first strong step towards a world that seemed so foreign to their previous work. Yet they manage to hold onto the free-falling fantasy of their howling vocals and their wonderfully simplistic chord progressions. Jam is as delicious as its name.