Favorite Albums of 2011

Here they are, my 10 favorite albums of 2011.  Ask me again in a week and it may look different but that's the subjective nature of these lists.  Overall 2011 seemed like a solid year for music.  There were a lot of good albums but not one that stood head and shoulders above the others for me.  More then anything I always enjoy these lists because you can pick up on some quality music that you may have missed out on.

10:  El Camino by The Black Keys -

• It's still growing on me since it just came out a couple weeks ago.  A little more up-tempo then 'Brothers' which is good but the songwriting doesn't seem as deep.

9:  In Light by Givers -

• Great debut album with a very distinct sound.  Hopefully they can build and expand on it in the future.

8:  Torches by Foster the People -

• Despite 'Pumped Up Kicks' & 'Helena Beat' being played to death on the radio, it's a solid album that I listened to non-stop when I first heard it.

7:  The People's Key by Bright Eyes -

• It was great to see that Conor & Co. still have great music in them after a couple disappointing solo album attempts.  

6:  Middle Brother by Middle Brother -

• I liked this one a lot more then I expected.  It also introduced me to 3 other great bands: Dawes, Deer Tick, & Delta Spirit.

5:  Era Extrana by Neon Indian -

• Stumbled onto this almost accidentally and was hooked from the opening beats.

4:  Father, Son, and Holy Ghost by Girls -

• There always seems to be an album that I'll dismiss at first only to rediscover and appreciate it later on.  For 2011 it was this gem by Girls.  

3:  Zonoscope by Cut Copy -

• I definitely listened to Zonoscope more than any other album this year.  It was my go-to album for the gym or long drives at work.  

2:  Cults by Cults -

• This album seems timeless to me.  I feel like it would've fit in just was well 40-50 years ago as it does today.

1:  The Whole Love by Wilco -

• For the wide range of styles Wilco experiments with on this album all the songs blend together really well.  There have been great songs on their past few releases but for me this is the best 'album' they've had since 'A Ghost Is Born'.