1 Arcade Fire – The Suburbs

It’s tough to champion a band that is already so hyped... but this was my favourite of the year and I won’t deny that just because a lot of others may or may not agree.  Where people may disagree is that to my mind this band has gotten better and better with every release.  Building on the themes of lost youth and innocence; and keeping an cohesive album theme as well as going off the map a bit sounding out of character: “Sprawl II” sounds like a “Blondie” track where as “Month Of May” sounds like a unreleased “Pixies” track from “Surfer Rosa”. As well as the lyrical content:  

So can you understand?, Why I want a daughter while I'm still young ? I wanna hold her hand, And show her some beauty; Before this damage is done, But if it's too much to ask. If it's too much to ask. Then send me a son

That makes me well up every time.  I also invented a drinking game for every time that “Suburbs (or Suburban), Sprawl is mentions you take a drink though you can’t include Rococo because that would be madness.

2 Beach House – Teenage Dream

This was a close second and it's an amazing album and every track is a great single on its own.  It was great to have them release a iTunes sessions to remind me how great they were: The heart is a stone and this is a stone that we throw; Put your hand on this stone, it's the stone of a home you know.  The whole album is pretty haunting.

3 The Black Keys – Brothers

Amazingly solid and timeless album through and through and like the Arcade Fire they keep getting better.  You can pretty much play this for anyone who likes music and they have to admit it’s amazing; if they don’t kick them in the nuts and walk away.  They aren’t worth talking to again.

4 Sufjan Stevens –The Age of Adz

Sufjan got some heat for ditching his signature style that he thought was “gimmicky”.  I have to admit when you have three Christmas albums with dense harmonies and loads of Phil Spector strings you may have to rethink your tool box and make a electronic album (Anyone here up for Neil Young’s Trans – Which I am prettier sure is the first mainstream use of vocoder- You're welcome Kanye).  Anyway Sufjan released: “You Are Blood” last year and signalled his new direction, but the ablum is compelling aside from a few off tracks (Now That I’m Older)

5 The National – High Violet

This album was made better seeing them play it live.  I was amazed how they have found there form as a band after Boxer which was amazing this was there push to get out of their niche indie.  I don't really have any insight into this album apart from tell you what you probably aready know... it's good.

6 Deerhunter – Halcyon Digest

This one came out of nowhere for me but it really I wasn’t really into their previous stuff, and it plays on a lot of different levels.  I will have to start paying more attention to Brafford Cox and now Deertick is my second Deer Band. 

7 Twin Shadow – Forget

I never liked Prince, but if I did I would say that Twin Shadow is his second coming.