My Favorite Albums Of 2011: Part 2

It's time for part two of my "Favorite Albums Of 2011" list.  The last post featured ten (plus one bonus) albums that didn't quite make it into my top twenty.  My top twenty is mostly unranked, aside from the final three records.  The way I see it, is there really that big of a difference between my twelfth and eleventh favorite albums of the year?  For that reason, I've kept specific numbers out of the game until three, two, and one.  Let's get into it... 

Penguin Prison - Self Titled

After collecting a variety of Chris Glover's singles and remixes over the past two years, I anticipated this album for months.  Penguin Prison's self-titled debut is one of the most upbeat and fun records I heard all year.  It's pop, but not your usual club bangers.  There's just this sound that he has, and you can hear it on his remixes too.  The "Penguin Prison" sound.  I love it.

Cults - Self Titled

I was initially attracted to this album purely for aesthetic reasons.  While browsing new through some new releases, I stumbled upon Cults' debut.  It just looked like something I would be into.  As randomly predicted, I found it to be an amazing album.  "You Know What I Mean" is the album's centerpiece.  That song perfectly demonstrates Cults' ability to mix the old with the new.

Glasvegas - EUPHORIC /// HEARTBREAK \\\

I feel like the order of songs on EUPHORIC /// HEARTBREAK \\\ could be reversed and you would have a completely different album.  Instead of a decline, the album would progress from the lows of "Change" and "I Feel Wrong (Homosexuality Pt. 1)", finally ending with their anthem of a single, "The World Is Yours".  This record couldn't have a more appropriate name.  It pulls at you with oddly comforting themes of longing and loneliness, but the production is so massive and truly euphoric.

Björk - Biophilia

My feelings on Biophilia are constantly changing.  It seems to have a polarizing effect.  The majority of the album consists of harps, bells, and any other twinkling instrument.  Sure, there are some beat driven moments, such as "Mutual Core".  But for the most part, Björk is howling about her extraterrestrial days of collecting minerals on Venus.  It's a strange concept that had me wondering what goes on in this Icelandic singer's mind.

Girls - Father, Son, Holy Ghost

I'm actually late to the Girls party.  Around the release of Father, Son, Holy Ghost, I also started listening to their debut.  "Lust For Life" is on my regular playlist and I blast it more than one would like to admit.  With that said, they quickly became one of my most listened to acts of 2011.  If I were to make a list that combined the concept of NME's "Cool" list and Barbara Walters' "Most Fascinating People" list, Christopher Owens would most definitely be a headliner.

Kimbra - Vows

After the "Kimbra weekend" feature earlier this year, this singer from New Zealand is a common sight on The Soundtrack Of My Life.  Her debut album hasn't been released in the US yet, but I predict good things for Kimbra when that day arrives.  Vows manages to create a pop sound without giving into any of today's gimmicks or trends.  Add in her jazzy stylings and a vocal range to kill for, and you have an outstanding record.

CSS - La Liberación

After two albums, it finally seems like CSS found an appropriate balance between the danceable sound of their debut and the more rock oriented sound of Donkey.  You may still have trouble taking them seriously, but that's the best part.  Plus, any album with a Mike Garson piano solo automatically gets bonus points in my book.

Feist - Metals

I love "1234" just as much as the next person, but I feel like Feist thrives the most when she slows down the tempo a bit.  She did just that on Metals.  It's still a powerful album, just not in the big band sing-along way.  The closing track, "Get It Wrong, Get It Right", is possibly one of the best songs in her catalog.

Florence + The Machine - Ceremonials

From the first song to the final note, Ceremonials is a bellowing album with enough hooks to satisfy the most restless of listeners.  Florence Welch kept her winning formula of Lungs and expanded it to twice the size.  She sounds like a choir and remains one of the biggest voices in pop music. 

The Black Keys - El Camino

Can we just take a moment to appreciate the genius that is the "Lonely Boy" music video?  If that doesn't convince you to give the album a listen, then I'm not sure what will do the trick.  There are tributes to Led Zeppelin on "Little Black Submarines" and I hear Bowie on "Sister".  I bet you'll never be able to listen to "Lonely Boy" without having a mental image of that dancing man.

Check back soon for the third and final installment including my top three albums of 2011.

Björk - Biophilia

Björk tends to reinvent herself with every album she creates.  You can flip through the Icelandic singer's discography and find that every record has a definite sound, style, and image.  Vespertine was the breezy snow flurry of 2001, with chimes and bells around every corner.  In 2004, Medúlla was her dark vocal centerpiece.  Each album created an easily recognizable era in her career, "Oh, that's Volta Björk!".  With that in mind, Biophilia continues the pattern.

Biophilia is very much a concept album.  The music has been infused with technology, the iPad in particular.  Every track on the album is connected to a corresponding app.  The apps take things one step further by introducing individual games and musical scores for each song.  It's definitely a sign of the times, but the technology aspect can be stripped away from Biophilia and there's still a piece of music that can hold its own.

One element of Biophilia, that is apparent from the first track, is the excess amount of empty space.  Every song has room to breathe.  It's very cosmic and alien-like at times. The production seems slightly skewed every so often, "Moon" being the biggest culprit, but overall it's fairly equal.  Musically, the album is somewhere between Vespertine and Volta.  There are harps and bells that make you think back to "Frosti", but there's also a few moments of in-your-face heavy hitting Björk.  You'll hear potential influences from the classical sounds of Stanley Kubrick's "2001: A Space Odyssey" on "Cosmogony", while "Thunderbolt" is as eerie as a Charles Bernstein score.

While Biophilia is vastly innovative musically, melodically there seems to be a lack of structure.  Björk has always been abstract in at least one sense, but the melodies on this record are extremely loose and free flowing.  Those hoping to find easy sing-along tunes should look elsewhere.  On the other hand, the lack of a backbone in her melodies really captures the astrological theme of life that Biophilia was aiming for.

"Crystalline", the lead single, takes a different shape on the record.  The track has been remixed and altered quite heavily.  If you've heard the single version, then you may notice that something is off.  No more is the sudden explosion of percussion.  Instead, the drums gradually build into a climax.  The single edit packed more of a punch and really just felt cleaner.  I'm not sure what motivated the change, but it's an unsettling choice to anyone who grew to love the single as it used to be.

Whether you're on your first or tenth listen of the album, one song always stands out from the crowd.  "Mutual Core" starts with an organ and ends with a bang.  The pure energy during the final chorus is one of Biophilia's most refreshing surprises.  You may start to discover yourself returning to "Mutual Core" at an alarming rate, and that's perfectly understandable.

Like much of her work, Biophilia may be a hit or miss record for many.  If you loved the lyrical work of Post and Homogenic, then it's possible that you'll struggle with parts of this album.  Fans of Vespertine and Medúlla... rejoice.  Either way, you should definitely give the album at least one listen.  It's an interesting experience with many twists and turns.  One thing is certain, though.  Biophilia is, and can only be, Björk.

Download: Björk - "Biophilia"

Björk - Crystalline

Björk, the Icelandic musician extraordinaire, has revealed the first single from her upcoming album, Biophilia.  "Crystalline" is something between Vespertine and "Hyperballad".  The cold chimes are as present as ever, along with the unforgettable melodies.  The track has an electronic beat, but it's quite different from the sounds of Volta.  A massive chaotic beat drops in right as the song ends, categorizing the single into "amazing".  Biophilia is expected to be released later this year.

Listen to "Crystalline" on Disco Naïveté.