I have been wanting to compile this list for a while, but laziness or forgetfullness have usually gotten in the way and left me with an unorganized jumble of musical greatness in my head. No more. I sat down today over a cup of coffee (and at my cubicle) and decided it was time to hunker down and get my top 10 albums decided upon because, well, I don't exactly know why. I like the thinking and internal debating that goes along with making a list like this. It was a struggle, no doubt. What makes a great album? Do 6 phenomenal songs and 6 mediocre songs equate to 12 good songs? Do you place more importance on the flow and consistency of the album as a whole or do you look for those high points? For this list, I tended to error on the side of including an album that lacked weak spots and was good from start to finish. I want albums that pass the "record player test." What is this test, you ask? Let me enlighten you.
When you listen to an album on a record player, you're forced to listen to every song straight through without pausing, rewinding, skipping ahead or putting anything on repeat. This, in my opinion, is how an album should be consumed and it is how most artists would have you listen to their music. There is a rhyme and a reason to song order and including a short instrumental song in between a couple more classic, four-minute songs. This should not be ignored. So...if an album passes the "record player test," then it is one you would want to play from the beginning, listen through to the last second of the last song and not want to skip anything along the way.
As I look at the following list, they all pass the record player test with flying colors. The honorable mentions below the top 10 were ones that I wanted badly to include, but just didn't feel like they were strong enough from start to finish.
Two other notes about this list. One, it is in alphabetical order because I think it's almost silly to try to distinguish between what is your #6 and #7 album. In reality they are both awesome if they're in your top ten and from one day to the next the order might fluctuate. Two, I didn't want to include more than one album from any artist (apologies to The National and Sufjan, who each had a second album under consideration). Without further ado:
Top 10 Albums
Bullet by Mat Kearney
Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga by Spoon
Gorilla Manor by The Local Natives
High Violet by The National
The Age of Adz by Sufjan Stevens
The Flying Club Cup by Beirut
The Head and the Heart by The Head and the Heart
The Midnight Organ Fight by Frightened Rabbit
The Suburbs by Arcade Fire
The Wild Hunt by The Tallest Man on Earth
(Honorable mentions: Alligator by The National, Come On Feel The Illinoise by Sufjan Stevens, Fleet Foxes by Fleet Foxes, Sigh No More by Mumford and Sons)
