In the last 12 months (December 2010 – December 2011) I’ve reviewed exactly 40 albums for Bearcules. They’re not all necessarily new, some are a few years old, one a couple decades old, but one thing that they all have in common as a result is that they are all officially eligible for the 2011 Bearcules AWESOME Award (Which Exemplifies Special and Outstanding Musical Excellence) Awards! I know, Top ____ posts are a total copout, but I wanted to put something together in time for the holiday season so you would know exactly what to buy for people who have good taste in music, but not enough good taste to read Bearcules. Without further ado, here are my Top 5 albums for 2011.
#5 – Land of Talk – Cloak and Cipher
When I heard this release, I was confident it was a front-runner for one of my top albums of the year, and it continues to hold its own despite everything else I’ve listened to. A perfect mix of slow and fast, gentle and noisy, Cloak and Cipher continues the tradition of excellent albums by Land of Talk, and was the first to really make me feel like they could follow up their initial EP Applause Cheer Boo Hiss. “Goal Time Exposure” and “Colour Me Badd” have grown on me immensely, while “Quarry Hymn” and “The Hate I Won’t Commit” still remain favorites of mine. Solid from start to finish.
#4 – Hollerado – Record in a Bag
Recently coming to my attention and quickly becoming one of my favorites, Hollerado’s “Record In A Bag” evokes everything fun about rock music while still being emotionally honest no matter what. Self-produced but with all the professional trimmings, Hollerado pulls no punches delivering an album that is funny, intense, heartfelt, and powerful. The album loses a little steam during the interludes, and I’m still not really digging “Hard Love,” but “Walking the Sea,” “Juliette,” and “Got To Lose” are all amazing enough to elevate this album despite its few weaknesses.
