Standout tracks: Night Air, Lady Luck, Shoulda, Middle, Spirits
#2 - FOSTER THE PEOPLE - TORCHES
This was definitely the soundtrack to my summer. Fact. This is one of those albums that when you go to the supermarket, sit in the bus, go on a road trip, etc., this album would suit any occasion without feeling all cheesed. In other words, this album is essentially cool, and funky. I'm happy they suddenly exploded out of nowhere, because their lead single, Pumped Up Kicks, is massive and has deserved a well response worldwide. It definitely is one of those tracks that really stood out amongst the Top 40 crowd, and to me, that is just sheer brilliance. I applaud this band for being different, because without this band, I wouldn't have explored more of the Indie scene. Not to think that I strive to be a wannabe hipster, it's never a goal I tend to achieve. I'm just thankful that this band has allowed me to explore a whole branch of new genres I could thoroughly enjoy.
Standout tracks: Pumped Up Kicks, Call It What You Want, Houdini, Life On The Nickel
#3 - CHRIS BROWN - F.A.M.E.
Who ever thought I would fall in love with this guy.... 's music. Still think he's a dick, with his blonde pubes sticking on top of his face, but this album has sold me over. And it was all thanks to Bennasi. If Brown hadn't made up 'Beautiful People' with him, there would be no way I could ever draw myself into listening this album in the first place. The song is filled with euphoric madness, I couldn't resist the thought of not liking this song because of him. As a whole, this album is pretty consistent. The only downfall is that the bonus tracks aren't that hot, but there are loads of party-hoppers and catchy slow R&B hooks that are good enough to overshadow his cocky personality in the corner.
Standout tracks: She Ain't You, Look At Me Now, Beautiful People, All Back, Deuces
#4 - KATY B - ON A MISSION
Possibly the best dance album, if not, the best dance album I have heard from this decade so far. You can tell this album is amazeballs by how well thought the album is collectively. This album had a concept and a certain vibe that reasoned the appeal to her success such as the likes of her dub-stomping anthem 'Katy On A Mission' and a wicked collab with the trio group, Magnetic Man with 'Perfect Stranger.' Not only that, her effortless, smooth and silky vocals will easily persuade you from falling in love with her. She has her own identity, she knows who she is, she isn't like any other skanky artists out there, which is why I'd take an arrow in the knee just to marry her.
Standout tracks: All of her singles.
#5 - ED SHEERAN - +
Apart from Torches being the soundtrack to my summer, this album kickstarted my journey throughout my first year of university. With all the endless hours of studying or either getting an assignment done, this album was there to keep me sane. Originality-wise, I can honestly say this would be an album where I could've heard it even ten years back. I guess the lyrics quality-wise and the melodic tunes make up for originality. This album is essentially a base of love and heartbreak really. Something I obviously can't relate to, but all I can say is. The more catchier the merrier.
Standout tracks: Lego House, You Need Me I Don't Need You, This City, Give Me Love, Small Bump, Autumn Leaves
#6 - THE POTBELLEEZ - DESTINATION NOW
Another solid dance album. Fluttered though these guys off of the Aussie's Ministry Of Sound albums. Wasn't that much of a fan until one of their recent singles, 'From The Music' came out this year. It's a massive party track that instantly had me moving the moment I first heard it. Just one of those tracks that does that for you, y'know. Anyway, this album also provided some additional hits from them such as 'Shake It' and 'Hello'. Great tunes. On a negative standpoint, there was only two tracks that didn't really hit off with me. I do appreciate the rock elements fused with dance pop that they provide on this album, but there was just some certain tracks that fell a bit short on my taste.
Standout tracks: From The Music, Hello, Midnight Midnight, 101 Reasons, Born Together, Standing Alone
#7 - WYNTER GORDON - WITH THE MUSIC I DIE
Wynter suddenly blew up out of nowhere, and I find it quite strange yet amazing at the same time. Dirty Talk has been released for quite sometime, and the fact that it finally blew up... Is quite amazing. Not only was her lead single amazing, her album, which I guess was only released in Australia since Dirty Talk was #1 there - (hence, more promotion for her) is outstanding. It's a sweet little dance pop album that consists of back to back full-throttling party hits that not only showcases her vocals, but her strong song-writing abilities as well. What irks me and it's not that huge of a deal is that I found the album a bit too short. Maybe some extended versions should come along for her next album, just as long as it doesn't surpass the 7-8 minute range otherwise I'd be fidgeting to skip and head on to the next track.
Standout tracks: Dirty Talk, Buy My Love, All My Life, In The Morning, Don't Stop Me
#8 - BRITNEY SPEARS - FEMME FATALE
Who knew I would listen to a Brit Brit album entirely after all these years? Well the story behind this was, I got a friend who lured me on to listen to this album. So I did. Went through it once and do boy I not regret having done so. This album is total guilty pleasure that it sometimes makes me feel odd just by having the thought of listening to it in the car with your entire family listening possibly jamming (or being baffled by it)... The album is fun, playful, surprisingly not as dirty, auto-tune madness which makes the album seem to forget that Brit Brit has ever even existed to have mad vocals. Again, it's one of those albums you'd need to hear just to feel good on a night out and have a great time with people (who appreciate Brit Brit's music).
Standout tracks: I Wanna Go, Till The World Ends, (Drop Dead) Beautiful, Trip To Your Heart, Criminal
#9 - COLDPLAY - MYLO XYLOTO
Coldplay has always been at a league of it's own, so there wouldn't be any other reason not to get this album. Yet did this album disappoint? Judging from loads of fans, it did. But for me, it absolutely did not. At first, I was a bit sceptic with their debut single of this album, Rhythm de la-Waterfall. It's just one of those tunes where it takes you 100 times just to finally get into the song. What made this track even sound better, was that it had its own backing / instrumental track before the song even begins - I believe is called M.M.I.X (which apparently doesn't stand for anything - O RLY?). Essentially, Coldplay is known for having emotional attached tracks, and if you are ever in search for something like that, this album does not disappoint. That pretty much is what they do best really, they hit us to the core with songs that could tell a story and it would stick to a person's life forever (see how grasping that was?).
Standout tracks: Hurts Like Heaven, Charlie Brown, Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall, Paradise, Princess Of China, Us Against The World
#10 - THE ASTON SHUFFLE - SEVENTEEN PAST MIDNIGHT
Another dance album. This album is insane, it's out of this world, these guys are extremely underrated (or shall I say this album) it saddens me. Great quality tracks, it's an abundance of electro-funk, indie-dance, and a whole flavour of goodness. I cannot say anymore because if I believe in something that is extremely good and let everybody know about it, I'd let them find out themselves and see the dead awesomeness they are yet to discover.
Standout tracks: Your Love, Amaze, Round N Round, Drop, The Surface
#11 - TAKE THAT - PROGRESSED
Although I am sick to death to see Gary Barlow and his voice and people mimicking his voice and hearing their cheesy 90's music everywhere in random TV shows, I still have my interests in this group. I'll admit this, earlier this year, I would literally rape (unintentionally) the living lights out of this band's music all because of how I couldn't get over the amazingness that is Progress. Now with this one, Progress(ed), with the addition of the Progress tracks which makes this album a two disc, there is the one disc that contains the newer and I guess you can say unreleased goods this five-piece has delivered to us. Although these new tracks are not in its full glory as Progress was, it was good enough to not let it pass by. These tracks are solid, but a bit stale in contrast to Progress. Hence, they weren't single material enough to give themselves another Top 10 hit, which Love Love almost did - but fell flat and ended up in #17. But what's great about this band is that they know how which kind of direction in music they can lead onto and yet make brilliant music out of it - from their days of contemporary pop to the current slight edge of electro, hard-edge music.
Standout tracks: When We Were Young, Man, Love Love, Don't Say Goodbye
#12 - ADELE - 21
Hear thee, hear thee. Yes I have jumped on the Adele bandwagon so A-dele with it. When I first heard Rolling In The Deep, around early January or so, I knew this song was going to be an instant classic. Also, Adele has already achieved herself well with her album 19, which cross fingers that 23 will as well. This album is basically vocal class, and if you have ever seen or heard Adele live on Youtube or wherever, you will know that she is legit and is now a national treasure. In forty years, that is if she lays off the drugs, she probably might be as powerful as Oprah. I am not kidding. This album starts off strong with of course, Rolling In The Deep. Then towards halfway near the ending, not gonna lie, I started to lose interest. Maybe if I would ever commit to a serious relationship to the point where the person dumps me, then I'd maybe find my way bawling to 'One and Only' and 'Someone Like You'. But for now, her singing range solely is fair enough to judge how class this album is.
Standout tracks: Rolling In The Deep, Rumour Has It, Turning Tables, Someone Like You, Set Fire To The Rain
#13 - NERO - WELCOME REALITY
As much as I still have a muck taste of dubstep (which will heal eventually because it won't go away until the next two years and I might as well get used to it now), I am THANKFUL that Nero exists. This album is dubstep heaven. If the entire album was just dubstep, and no vocals, I'd probably pass, but thank god this album has vocals on dubstep!! No wonder they've chosen their singles that has vocals on it so far (
Standout tracks: All their singles, Fugue State, Scorpions
#14 - WILL YOUNG - ECHOES
Yes, this is another solid album. I wish I had more time to engage to this one but since there was way too many stacks of music to hear this year there is always time! Will Young is our modern age of Darren Hayes... Well this album reminds me a lot of Savage Garden (used to love them as a kid lol) and am not ashamed to say it! As a guy, I swoon over this guy's voice because it's so smooth and calm, I get so jealous how it's so easy for him to control those vocals of his. The single, Jealousy, is probably a track that no one I think in today's music could ever touch doing. It's just one of those singles that makes it right for one person, and Jealousy fits Will Young. With all the dance and pop hoopla's going on, I am glad I found an album I could relax into. Will Young I guess you can say is a pop artist, but more contemporary and a not such typical one.
Standout tracks: Jealousy, Lie Next To Me, I Just Want A Lover, Outsider, Silent Valentine
#15 - THE SATURDAYS - ON YOUR RADAR
I love The Sats, but just because I love them doesn't mean I won't be going easy on this album - because it wasn't worth it's hype at all. To sum up in one word, this album was... Good. Not outstanding, but good. They could do better, Wordshaker I thought was their best and in their prime (not Chasing Lights - sorry Sat fans). One of the key elements that makes an entire album work is consistency (take note on Katy B's album), and this album was zilch with the term. So then, what gives the reason why this album is being mentioned as in my 'Best Albums of 2011' post? Well, I can say is there's plenty enough to see the good in this album. Surprisingly, they took a risk on a brilliant song that is called 'Do What You Want With Me' which covers a blend and mixture of some d'n'b and wub-step. If The Sats went on with less cheesy, amateur dance tracks and added in more of 'DWYWWM', this album would have been a massive highlight of not only for my pleasure, but their career as well. Also, if 'All Fired Up' wouldn't have existed, this album by the slightest chance would have not earned it's spot. Yet, most of these tracks on the album were as safe and predictable that anyone could work out 'Promise Me' in their sleep because of how mainstream is all centralized on this type of music nowadays.
Standout tracks: All Fired Up, Notorious, Faster, Do What You Want With Me, Move On U
Honourable mentions:
Mia Martina - Devotion
Above & Beyond - Group Therapy
PNAU - Soft Universe
Friendly Fires - Pala
Gypsy & The Cat - Gilgamesh
The Wanted - Battleground
James Morrison - The Awakening
James Blake - James Blake
Frankmusik - Do It In The AM
Sebastian - Total
UP NEXT: Juku's Worst Albums Of 2011
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