Critic's Notebook

And So It Begins: The End-Of-Year List Propaganda Arrives

It started last week. Not one, but two respected labels sent out email blasts containing all the records they've released in the past year. Y'know, just one of those "in case you were looking to get ahead in your homework" type emails to help get us in the mindset of...
Carbonatix Pre-Player Loader

Audio By Carbonatix

It started last week. Not one, but two respected labels sent out email blasts containing all the records they’ve released in the past year. Y’know, just one of those “in case you were looking to get ahead in your homework” type emails to help get us in the mindset of end-of-year lists and whatnot.

I was a little caught off-guard, really. But now that the seed’s been planted, I’m having some trouble not thinking about what albums might make the cut…

No guarantee that any of these make my final list, but off the top of my head, and just for kicks at this point, I’d say some heavy consideration goes the way of the records listed after the jump, as they’ve certainly earned the lion’s share of my listening hours this year…

Almost certainly gettin’ in there:
Oracular Spectacular by MGMT
Dear Science by TV on the Radio
Vampire Weekend by Vampire Weekend
Keep Your Eyes Ahead by Helio Sequence
You Have No Idea What You’re Getting Yourself Into by Does It Offend You, Yeah?

And a few other discs I remember really liking at various points throughout the year:
The Rhumb Line by Ra Ra Riot
Fleet Foxes by Fleet Foxes
Cold Fact by Rodriguez
Tha Carter III by Lil Wayne
Do You Like Rock Music? by British Sea Power
Hold On Now, Youngster by Los Campesinos!
New Amerykah, Part 1 by Erykah Badu
The Seldom Seen Kid by Elbow
Stay Positive by The Hold Steady
The Way I See It by Raphael Saadiq

…and I’m sure there are others I’m forgetting. Like, for one, I remember listening to a lot more hip-hop than this, but I’m blanking on any specific albums at the moment.

Anyway. What’s on your early consideration list? Or, perhaps as a better conversation starter, what sucks on mine?

(Meanwhile, none of this has anything to do with song of the year, which is a totally different beast entirely.) —Pete Freedman

Related

GET MORE COVERAGE LIKE THIS

Sign up for the Music newsletter to get the latest stories delivered to your inbox

Loading latest posts...