Roberto's Top 20 Albums of the Year

I expected to have a lot of trouble ranking these, and in the end I did struggle to sort through the top half of this list. Once I picked a favorite, though, the rest fell into place surprisingly easily. What it came down to is that I regularly listen to music in a few different settings: through headphones on the bus and walking around town, through somewhat crummy speakers in the car, and through a solid system at home. I’ve started to realize recently that while some albums may really strike me as amazing at times, few hold up across all moods and scenes. And over the course of the year, there was one album that never seemed to miss the moment.

1. The xx - xx


Is this minimalistic self-titled debut defensible as my #1 album of the year? I think so. I’ve probably enjoyed it more than any other across the board. Driving on a rainy night; driving on a sunny day; strolling down Strawberry Way in the snow; laying in bed; even sitting on the floor playing Super Mario Bros. 3, this album always strikes me as perfect. I keep my player in random/shuffle mode much of the time, and xx is the one album on this list whose songs I can’t recall ever skipping when one pops up. And so, though I’ve probably listened more this year to Farm, Hold Time and MPP, xx stands out as my go-to favorite.


2. Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavilion

It’s not groundbreaking exactly, but its one-of-a-kind in a familiar way. Updated Beach Boys nostalgia and refined electronic dronings work perfectly to keep this one on repeat in my head every time I turn it off.

3. Dinosaur Jr. - Farm

Nothing new or surprising here, and that’s just fine. Mascis in particular is at his best in 15 years or more.


4. Dirty Projectors - Bitte Orca

Probably the most unexpected success of the year in my mind. The contrast between songs like “Stillness is the Move” and “Two Doves” is startlingly beautiful and, with only 9 tracks, the execution is superb all the way through.


5. Yeah Yeah Yeahs - It's Blitz

I have to admit to disappointment when I first heard “Zero” and didn’t get the fill of Nick Zinner’s raw distortion I had hoped for, and when I heard the rest of the album it took me a few listens to get over that. Eventually, though, Karen O’s convincing melodies managed to slide this album into my top 5 for the year.

And now for the rest:

6. The Antlers - Hospice

7. M. Ward - Hold Time

8. Jason Lytle - Yours Truly, the Commuter


9. Grizzly Bear – Veckatimest

10. Washed Out - Life of Leisure

11. Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix

12. Wilco - Wilco (The Album)

13. Handsome Furs - Face Control


14. Girls - Album

15. Monsters of Folk - Monsters of Folk


16. Lily Allen - It's Not Me, It's You

17. Heartless Bastards - The Mountain

18. The Wiyos - Broken Land Bell

19. Rodrigo y Gabriela - 11:11

20. Flaming Lips - Embryonic