Some magazines did their albums of the year list back in November. Albums of the past 11 months, more like. We've decided to take our time, while aiming to be equally comprehensive in the manner of our poll - I asked the FG team for their list of albums of the year and the resulting posts exhibit democracy in action. Further parts are due shortly.
Consult these links for the rest of our albums of the year: 50-31 // 30-21 // 20-11 // 10-1
50) Youth Lagoon - 'The Year Of Hibernation' // ['Montana' video]
As powerful as it is magical, the Bon Iver comparison is both lazy and apt.
49) The Weeknd - 'House Of Balloons'
FREE DOWNLOAD: The Weeknd - Wicked Games by The_Weeknd
Free mixtape or debut album proper, either way this was breath-of-fresh-air R'n'B.
48) Braids - 'Native Speaker' // ['Plath Heart']
Beautiful dream-pop soundscapes with that dash of Animal Collective-esque experimentalism.
47) Fight Like Apes - 'The Body Of Christ And The Legs Of Tina Turner' // ['Jenny Kelly']
Another confident synth-pop-meets-punk offering from one of the most thrilling live acts working today.
46) Veronica Falls - 'Veronica Falls'
An album that actually fulfils its purpose as an album - that is, smoothly transitioning from one excellent song to another, with remarkable ease.
45) Nicolas Jaar - 'Space Is Only Noise' // ['Space Is Only Noise If You Can See']
One of the highlights of the year for electronic music aficionados.
44) Tune-Yards - 'WHOKILL' ['Bizness']
A dizzying mish-mash of everything from folk to R'n'B, with an underlying eye for a pop melody.
43) Austra - 'Feel It Break' // ['Lose It']
Pulsating synth-pop that managed to be compared to both Florence & The Machine and Fever Ray.
42) Boris - 'Heavy Rocks'
FREE DOWNLOAD: Boris - Riot Sugar
"Top drawer effort from prolific japanese noise-metal trio." (Simon Opie)
41) Cults - 'Cults' // ['Go Outside']
The Brooklyn boy-girl duo managed to successfully move from blog hype to major label debut.
40) Touche Amore - 'Parting The Sea Between Brightness And Me' // ['Tilde']
A visceral, shining beacon in the post-hardcore scene from this Los Angeles quintet.
39) WU LYF - 'Go Tell Fire To The Mountain'
With the ridiculous shrouding of identity now shorn, their epic "heavy pop" sound flourished.
38) TV On The Radio - 'Nine Types Of Light' // ['Will Do']
"Supercool, laid back effort sadly overshadowed by the subsequent death of bassist Gerard Smith." (Simon Opie, his full review here.)
37) Cat's Eyes - 'Cat's Eyes'
Sixties girl group nostalgia, with the twist of partly coming from Faris Badwan of The Horrors.
36) SBTRKT - 'SBTRKT' // ['Wildfire']
Still veiled in mystery but SBTRKT's self-titled debut cemented him as one of the upcoming kings of UK dance music.
35) Friendly Fires - 'Pala' // ['Hurting']
Once more bridging the gap between indie and dance in a hip-shaking manner, on the follow-up to their debut.
34) Smith Westerns - 'Dye It Blonde'
More glam-rock than garage-rock, the nostalgia of this record appealed to fans and critics alike.
33) Brainoil - 'Death Of This Dry Season' // ['Opaque Reflections']
"They defy their terrible name to produce psychotic sludge metal of the highest caliber"(Simon Opie, more words here)
32) Beirut - 'The Rip Tide'
"A beautiful album that sees Beirut find their own unique sound which is more American in flavour as opposed the Euro influences of earlier records, matching the lyrical narrative of returning to the security of home." (Rajan Lakhani, full review here)
31) Little Comets - 'In Search Of Elusive Little Comets' // ['One Night In October']
Juxtaposing a light-hearted nature against a wider theme of misanthropy, this wasn't just your average indie album. Full review here.
Our albums of the year posts will be concluded next week.
We're a collaborative British music, film and TV blog. "Trying to find the perfect match between pretentious and pop."
