Destroyer's Kaputt, as I'm sure most of you know, is far and away my favourite album this year. Seriously it is so far ahead it feels like a shame to put another album at #2. The horns were what attracted me to the album at first, and then after about three or so listens, the rubbery bass lines, Dan's lilting vocals, the very interesting and at times humourous lyrics, the synths, the drums, the ambient discos for one, had become ensconced in my mind. I listen to it a few times a week and my favourite song from it changes every day. Nothing that even comes close to being a bad track - I can't even say that about my two absolute loves from last year, This is Happening and Romance is Boring. It may even have etched its way into my top 25 or so all time. Discovering albums like this is an example of the times when having over 20,000 posts on a fucking internet forum doesn't bother me in the slightest.
Lance is wrong, this is easily the best video of the year:
YouTube - Destroyer - Kaputt
Among the other releases this year, I love the second half of King of Limbs, and Bloom too. Codex > Give Up the Ghost > Separator in particular is an impressive stretch. The Decemberists' King is Dead is a really good record. Urgently need to revisit Nine Types of Light. James Blake's s/t is great. Zonoscope is good. Elbow's new one is the worst I've heard this year, though many here love it I found it incredibly boring. For the hip hop purists
wink
Talib Kweli's Gutter Rainbows has some great songs, as does Goblin, but I've got many more to check out.
In terms of albums not released this year that I'm getting around to, I'd say Wu-Tang's 36 Chambers is the highlight. 12 tracks, and I don't think any of them are bad, which is remarkable for a hip-hop record. All of the clan rap on various songs and I am almost turned on by tracks like Protect Ya Neck, which features about nine of them, and it's just one killer verse after another. Outkast's Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik and ATLiens are obviously destined to be two of my non-2011-release favourites, and both are outstanding though they're very different records. Idlewild sucks. Destroyer's Rubies is a great album. There have been others but they slip my mind at the moment.