It is wholly appropriate that the artist who sits at the top of
our list of the most highly-rated contemporary music of the first
quarter of 2011 is PJ Harvey, a singer-songwriter who for years has
confounded expectations by switching styles from one album to
the next.
Her First World War-inspired avant-garde rock album, Let England
Shake, is by some distance the most critically-acclaimed LP to be
released since January 1 (ranked by our aggregated reviews system
from 50 sources in the US, UK, Canada, Australia and Ireland).
And it's fitting that an artist who epitomises eclecticism
should be at the head of a top 10 that is notable primarily for its
eclectic, leftfield nature.
Of the 10 artists only one, Lykke Li, could be described as
mainstream (although such has been the wide appeal of James Blake's
post-dubstep / soul that he could be argued to have achieved
crossover success).
Elsewhere we have a disparate collection of unconventional
styles: harrowing alt.folk (Josh T Pearson), doom drone (Earth),
electronica and acid-jazz (Destroyer), experimental ambient dub
(Demdike Stare), indie-folk and electronica collaboration (King
Creosote and Jon Hopkins), pipe organ drone (Tim Hecker) and
experimental dance (Nicolas Jaar).
Notable for their absence anywhere near the upper reaches of our
barometer of critical taste are bands such as The Strokes, The
Vaccines or Beady Eye, who released the most anticipated and/or
hyped albums of the first quarter.
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8.7
PJ Harvey
Let England Shake
A richly inventive album that's unlike anything else in Harvey's
back catalogue.
The Guardian
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8.3
Josh T Pearson
Last Of The Country Gentlemen
One of the greatest and most compelling albums to emerge from
this decade so far.
The Line Of Best Fit
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8.3
Earth
Angels Of Darkness Demons Of Light 1
A beautiful, slow-burning jewel of an album, proof that Earth's
continued march is unmissable.
AU Magazine
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8.1
Destroyer
Kaputt
A rare work of historical interpretation and pop artistry, full
of beauty and wonder.
Tiny Mix Tapes
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8.0
James Blake
James Blake
Gorgeous, indelible tunes that are as generous in content as
they are restrained in delivery.
Pitchfork
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8.0
Demdike Stare
Tryptych
Expansive and unsettling sound collages of swarming drones,
rattling techno, and threatening tribal percussion.
All Music
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7.9
King Creosote and Jon Hopkins
Diamond Mine
The final results are of such subtle beauty they take the breath
clean away.
music OMH
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7.9
Tim Hecker
Ravedeath 1972
Draws upon the grandeur of the past but refuses to crumble its
bones into sonic dust.
Drowned In Sound
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7.9
Lykke Li
Wounded Rhymes
You can't help but allow Wounded Rhymes to provoke and
manipulate your emotions, with an inviting melodic gloom and an
outstretched hand.
No Ripcord
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7.9
Nicolas Jaar
Space Is Only Noise
Quietly pushes and challenges the listener while simultaneously
making it an utterly captivating and nearly uncategorisable
experience that surprises and excites with every listen.
The Quietus
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And the next 40
11. Elbow Build A Rocket Boys!
12. Wire Red Barked Tree
13. Iron & Wine Kiss Each Other
Clean
14. Vessels Helioscope
15. Julianna Barwick The Magic Place
16. Smith Westerns Dye It Blonde
17. Anna Calvi Anna Calvi
18. Gil Scott-Heron and Jamie XX We're
New...
19. The Joy Formidable The Big Roar
20. Saigon The Greatest Story Never
Told
21. Akron/Family Akron/Family II: The
Cosmic...
22. The Unthanks Last
23. Wye Oak Civilian
24. Radiohead The King of Limbs
25. Kurt Vile Smoke Ring for My Halo
26. Ghostface Killah Apollo Kids
27. Sic Alps Napa Asylum
28. Braids Native Speaker
29. Metronomy The English Riviera
30. Dodos No Color
31. Lucinda Williams Blessed
32. Hannah Peel The Broken Wave
33. The Luyas Too Beautiful to Work
34. Parts & Labor Constant Future
35. June Tabor Ashore
36. Deerhoof Vs. Evil
37. Connan Mockasin Forever Dolphin
Love
38. Six Organs of Admittance Asleep on
the...
39. Yuck Yuck
40. The Decemberists The King Is Dead
41. Found Factorycraft
42. Abigail Washburn City Of Refuge
43. Joan As Police Woman The Deep
Field
44. Rival Schools Pedals
45. Dustin O'Halloran Lumiere
46. Cornershop Cornershop & The Double
O...
47. Doug Paisley Constant Companion
48. Cold Cave Cherish The Light Years
49. Diddy-Dirty Money Last Train to
Paris
50. Toro Y Moi Underneath the Pine