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#1St. Vincent by St. Vincent (4AD)
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This album came out in February, and nothing quite hit me the same way. Possibly Annie Clark hitting her head on a drumkit during her performance at Pitchfork came close. With veracious guitars, alien vocals, and introspective lyrics, there's an urgency throughout that appeals to someone like myself, that is easily distracted. From rejecting how we archive every "moment" in "Digital Witness", to lyrical wit of independence in "Prince Johnny", she nearly meets the brilliance of 2011's Strange Mercy. Choice Track: Rattlesnake
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#2What is This Heart? by How to Dress Well (Domino)
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He may not be a Chicagoan anymore, but this album his all the heart that you could expect from his Chicago days. Most of the songs are very plainspoken, pulling inspiration from Beyonce, Diane Ross, and rejecting some of the pitfalls of being labeled "indie R &B". This is a soul album, in the highest order. Choice Track - Very Best Friend
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#3Food by Kelis (Ninja Tune)
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Oh, Kelis. One of my most anticipated albums of this year did not disappoint in the slightest. She rarely gets props for her chameleonic abilities, and while this album took on a lot of her recent struggles, a divorce and her parting with Interscope, her new, raspy and sultry vocals make this album filled with neo-soul and R&B the comeback album of the year. Choice Track - Rumble
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#4Sun Structures by Temples (Fat Possum)
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They might have gotten flack for borrowing too much from their predecessors like Oasis or the Byrds, but it's not for any lack of talent. The English quintet provided the only music that got me get through this past year's atrocious winter, and for that, I'm eternally grateful. Choice Track: Move With the Seasons
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#5Run the Jewels 2 by Run the Jewels (Productomart)
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This album, though. Damn. They made an effortless transition to album from mixtape, and left no survivors in their wind. Back to back albums, both unrelentingly dope. Killer Mike and El-P are so great on their own merits, but together, there's nothing they can't do. Best hip-hop album this year, hands down.Choice Track: Love Again
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#6Double EP: A Sea of Split Peas by Courtney Barnett (Mom + Pop)
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Yes, this actually came out in 2013, but an American release in April makes this a candidate for this year's list. While I'm eagerly awaiting her debut LP, (which she told me will be in March when I interviewed her in October), these songs of Melbourne, AU, transcend the cultural divide. Her lyricism is top-notch throughout, and her candor on her insecurities, relationships, and her fantasies made this the most approachable release of this year. Every time I played her for someone, they fell in love. If you haven't yet, it's only a matter of time. Choice Track: Lance Jr.
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#7Our Love by Caribou (Merge)
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Dan Snaith gave me the best song of the year, with his opening track "Can't Do Without You". I prefer the extended version, that goes on for nearly 7 minutes, and for all I care, it could go on and on and on. I have, on record, listened to it on repeat for hours, and it never stops being excellent. Fortunately, the rest of the album has just as many moments where you can hit pause, scroll back, and experience it, again and again. Choice Track: Can't Do Without You (Extended Version)
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#81989 by Taylor Swift (Big Machine)
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YES. It happened. I became a convert. I don't even care. This thing is, a part of could be more fascinated by its release and the mythology behind its inception, the vigorous promotional machine, and the event of first week's sales, but I'm not. There has been a bajillion thinkpieces on it, but behind it all, there's a really great album here. It's concise, thoughtful, and commanding. It's not an album to play in the background, because it quickly becomes the center of whatever you're doing. It's a pop album from someone that has been doing her best NOT to make one, finally embracing who she is at last. I do think "Welcome to New York" is not great, however "Blank Space" makes up for it, along with the rest of record. Choice Track: Blank Space
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#9Sylvan Esso by Sylvan Esso (Partisan)
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I've enjoyed Amelia Meath for years, loving her harmonies in Mountain Men, and was eager to hear her new project. I think what separates this release from the countless other recent electro-pop acts is the quality of the work underneath all bass and beats. What remains is still very lovely, endearing songs. "Play It Right" started as a remix, and eventually blossomed into an entire album. This method is most effective in the song, "Coffee", embracing participation instead of being in the crowd.Choice Track: Coffee
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#10LP1 by FKA twigs (Young Turks)
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When I listened to her EP, EP2, last year, I felt like I was voyeur. Her intimate songwriting continues in LP1, and while I often felt suffocated by some of its most personal moments, like in "Pendulum", I couldn't turn it off. Tahliah Barnett got her start as a dancer, so it's natural that she choreographed a moving portrait of the girl she wants to be seen as, one we can't ignore. Choice Track: Pendulum
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Honorable Mentions:
Todd Terje - It's Album Time with Todd Terje
The War On Drugs - Lost in the Dream
RATKING - So It Goes
Flying Lotus - You're Dead!
Weezer - Everything Will Be Alright in the End
Sharon van Etten - Are We There
Jessie Ware - Tough Love
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