If you're in a band and you're wanting acclaim from reviewers,
our survey of the most critically-acclaimed albums of the first
half of 2011 would suggest that the fastest route to winning those
plaudits would be to disband immediately and go it alone.
Only three of our top 10 top-rated albums came from those
operating as conventional band formats: Wild Beasts, Earth and
Fleet Foxes. (PS I Love You could just about be regarded as a band,
but is a guitar/drums duo in any way conventional?)
Otherwise, solo artists rule the critical roost. Or nominally
solo, at least. Gillian Welch is partnered by her partner, Dave
Rawlings and Bon Iver now has a band with him. Shabazz Palaces is a
moot case: this is a vehicle for Ishmael Butler but is also an
anonymous collective.
This continues a trend established when Arcade Fire and The
National were the sole out-and-out regular bands who featured in
the highest-rated albums of 2010.
Why so? Possibly because critics are drawn to distinctive
character and originality, traits which are more easily found in
individual artists than joint enterprises. There's no question that
Welch, PJ Harvey, Merrill Garbus (tUnE-YaRdS), Iver and Josh T
Pearson are all singer-songwriters following singular musical
paths.
Yet again, rock appears to be a minority interest for critics,
with drone merchants Earth and noise popsters PS I Love You the
only representatives from the guitar-toting classes.
It's a pattern discernible throughout the following 40 names in
our ratings: groups - and particularly rock groups - are hugely
under-represented. Is this a harbinger of the demise of the
singer-guitar-bass-drums staple? We doubt it. There'll be a revival
along any minute now. That's why we love modern music.
* Only albums attracting more than 10 reviews are included.
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8.76
Gillian Welch
The Harrow & The Harvest
This is one of the most defiantly traditional, non-radical and
deceptively simple albums in recent memory.
music OMH
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8.73
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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8.47
Shabazz Palaces
Black Up
If there's been a better album, hip-hop or not, out this year, I
haven't heard it.
Prefix
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8.26
tUnE-YaRdS
whokill
Call her Madame Beefheart if you want, because in this inspired
and inspirational racket I detect the sound of a cult star being
born.
Independent On Sunday
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8.24
Bon Iver
Bon Iver
After the closeness and austerity of For Emma, Vernon has given
us a knotty record that resists easy interpretation but is no less
warm or welcoming.
Pitchfork
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8.23
Wild Beasts
Smother
Tinkles and twinkles like the classiest adult-alternative pop of
the 1980s.
Independent On Sunday
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8.21
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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8.14
PS I Love You
Meet Me At The Muster Station
This is a rare sort of album - a great rock record without
gimmickry.
Consequence Of Sound
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8.10
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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8.08
Fleet Foxes
Helplessness Blues
Wide-eyed self-searching is this record's predominant mode,
which Fleet Foxes do both lyrically and sonically, reveling in the
process of discovery.
A.V. Club
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And the next 40
11. Gang Gang Dance Eye Contact
12. Destroyer Kaputt
13. The Weeknd House Of Balloons
14. James Blake James Blake
15. Tim Hecker Ravedeath 1972
16. Fucked Up David Comes To Life
17. Lykke Li Wounded Rhymes
18. The Antlers Burst Apart
19. King Creosote & John Hopkins Diamond
Mine
20. Bill Callahan Apocalypse
21. Elbow Build A Rocket Boys!
22. Paul Simon So Beautiful So What
23. Nicolas Jaar Space Is Only Noise
24. Wire Red Barked Tree
25. Iron & Wine Kiss Each Other
Clean
26. Julianna Barwick The Magic Place
27. Dels Gob
28. TV On The Radio Nine Types Of
Light
29. Johann Johannsson The Miners'
Hymns
30. Connan Mockasin Forever Dolphin
Love
31. Low C'mon
32. White Denim D
33. Bill Wells & Aidan Moffat
Everything's Getting Older
34. Metronomy The English Riviera
35. Wye Oak Civilian
36. Okkervil River I Am Very Far
37. Marissa Nadler Marissa Nadler
38. EMA Past Life Martyred Saints
39. Austra Feel It Break
40. The Unthanks Last
41. Gil Scott-Heron and Jamie XX We're
New...
42. Black Lips Arabia Mountain
43. Akron/Family Akron/Family II: The
Cosmic...
44. The Joy Formidable The Big Roar
45. Anna Calvi Anna Calvi
46. Cat's Eyes Cat's Eyes
47. Vessels Helioscope
48. Explosions In The Sky Take Care, Take
Care, Take Care
49. Raphael Saadiq Stone Rollin'
50. Radiohead The King Of Limbs