Well here it is: The Sound Of Confusion's top 15 albums of the year! It should be noted that these are entirely my personal choices, but as I'm our only writer doing an albums list this makes it official! Check back for writers tracks of the year in the next couple of weeks. The rules are a bit complicated so please read carefully, I shall type this only once: The only albums that qualify are new studio albums released in the UK in 2011. Got that? Good. Be sure to check the little black arrows on the soundcloud links as some of the tracks posted are available to download free. So... let us begin...
15) Mirrors - Lights And Offerings
I had high hopes for the Brighton' classy synthpop kings this year. A string of excellent singles could only point to a great album. As it happens there were a couple of tracks included that were nothing more than filler and prevent 'Lights And Offerings' from appearing higher up on the list. Still, there's enough of the good stuff to warrant their inclusion and it's better than the entire careers of many 80s botherers. Read our full album review.
Pychedelic drone-rock specialists Wooden Ships gave us a new album this year, the immense sounding 'West'. If you're familiar with their previous work you'll find no surprises here, they stick to their blueprint and piss from a very great height onto their imitators. You're not supposed to be able to dance to drones but somehow Wooden Shjips make it possible. Read our full album review.
Taiwanese-Canadian Alex Zhang Hungtai, better known as Dirty Beaches, has already featured in a few end of year polls thanks to his lo-fi take on rock 'n' roll heroes. 'Badlands' was a gloriously messed up blend of Elvis, Roy Orbison, The Ronettes, Eddie Cochran and more, made to sound dark, sludgy and just plain old druggy. Read our full album review.
It was always going to be an impossible task for The Duke Spirit to match 2008's 'Neptune' but they very nearly did it with superb third effort 'Bruiser'. Liela Moss' sultry tones backed by such a rich, soulful rock band could never really fail, and with another incredibly strong batch of tunes they cemented their status as one of the best bands the UK has to offer. Read our full album review.
11) The Vaccines - What Did You Expect From The Vaccines?
They may have inspired as much hatred as they have love this year, but personally I'm of the opinion that they're a great little rock 'n' roll band. Nothing more, nothing less. Their sprightly debut album is full of excellent guitar-pop tunes; good simple pleasures and a keen ear for a melody. Ignore the hype but don't ingnore the band. You may find you end up liking them after all. Read our review of 'Wetsuit'.
Following the inundation of post-Mumfords banjo-toting groups, peddling inauthentic Top Shop folk, it was truly refreshing to hear a modern take on traditional storytelling done with authenticity and substance. The debut album from the Harp And A Monkey trio was made with a true understanding of the genre, and yet not being afraid to incorporate modern sounds. A very pleasant surprise. Read our full album review.
Brooklyn based experimentalists Parts & Labor may have lost a member prior to making this album but it hasn't hampered their sound, they still sound thunderingly robust and wilfully innovative. 'Constant Future' is probably their most complete album to date, despite containing nothing quite so powerful as 'Nowhere's Nigh' but the two tracks below come close . Read our full album review. 14 Rest - Parts and Labor by spanky808
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