Top 10 albums of 2011

2011 was the year of Adele, the spicy British songstress who absolutely dominated the charts.

Every “Best Of” list is entirely subjective so keep that in mind when making your way through this compendium.

My No. 1 album of 2011 might not even be in your Top 10, which is why we hope to hear from you with your picks for the best new recordings you heard during the past year.

But to these years, it was the year of Adele, the spicy British songstress who absolutely dominated the charts for much of the year and decidedly so.

Here in order, is my list of the best albums of 2011:

1. Adele, “21” (Columbia).

This album, simply called “21,” is the follow-up to Adele’s 2008 debut smash “19,” which were both named after her age when she wrote the songs for the respective discs.

This sophomore set is earthy, soulful, filled with anguished torch songs delivered with authority and straight-to-the-gut production values that steer clear of the vocal gimmickry and studio craftsmanship that dominate so many discs by the so-called divas of this era.

Instead we’re treated to fire and passion, starting with the killer lead single “Rolling in the Deep” and carrying through tracks like the Philly soul styles of “He Won’t Go,” the Janis Joplin-like shredded roar of “One and Only,” or the driving dance fury from a jilted lover in “Rumor Has It.”

As we’ve all seen, a lot of teen singers hit it big and are forgotten fast. Adele hit it big in her teens, but the woman is in this for the long run. Absolutely no question about it.

Tracks to download: “Rolling in the Deep” “One and Only.”

2. Fleet Foxes, “Helplessness Blues” (Sub Pop).

Fleet Foxes had the audacity to make a debut indie album (“Fleet Foxes”) that became one of the most revered recordings of 2008, throwing them into a whirlwind of touring that took them deep into the following year.

Maintaining one’s street cred while being universally beloved can indeed be tough terrain to maneuver so it took awhile for the stereotypical “difficult second album” to finally surface.

It’s here at last and songwriter Robin Pecknold, together with Skyler Skjelset, Casey Wescott, Josh Tillman, Christian Wargo and Morgan Henderson turn in a very cohesive outing that despite its title is far from bluesy. Instead it is steeped in late ‘60s and early ‘70s echoes, and Pecknold has been refreshingly open in pointing to Van Morrison’s “Astral Weeks” in particular as a huge influence on the approach to recording the album.

The vocals throughout, starting with the exquisite “Montezuma” are rich, with melodies and instrumentation bathed in echo and harmonies that shimmer back to a time when such complex vocal arrangements were rightfully venerated.

For all those who think they can’t lock into any kind of new music since “Four Way Street,” you might want to check into “The Plains/Bitter Dancer,” which is ridiculously reminiscent of Crosby, Stills and Nash in its vocals; “Lorelai,” which features Brian Wilson-styled backing vocals; or the magnificent, very folk-flavored title track which is filled with rebellious, socially-conscious lyrics that are simultaneously traced in self-doubt.

Tracks to download: “The Plains/Bitter Dancer,” “Helplessness Blues.”

3. The Decemberists, “The King is Dead” (Capitol).

Decemberists’ frontman Colin Meloy has – at least temporarily - grown weary of artful and intricate narrative suites and multi-part compositions, while deciding to scale things back for the band’s sixth album “The King is Dead.”

They stay steady, offering a disciplined, well thought out collection of 10 straight ahead songs with a country-edge, inspired by the likes of Neil Young’s “Harvest,” especially on the earthy, harmonica-backed “Don’t Carry It All,” and the standout pedal-steel and piano-backed “Rise to Me.”

Among the guests corralled for the disc was R.E.M.’s Peter Buck who added his distinctive electric guitar work to the big beat of the gutsy “Down by the Water,” and the upbeat “Calamity Song,” (both of which are somewhat reminiscent of his band) while playing mandolin on “Don’t Carry it All.”

Tracks to download: “Rise to Me,” “Down by the Water.”

4. Garland Jeffreys, “The King of In Between,” (Luna Park).

The first thing one may notice about the first brand new album by Garland Jeffreys in 13 years is the way the raw freeze of the brutal Northeast weather comes blasting through the speakers in the gutsy opening track “Coney Island Winter.”

The second thing is how remarkably intact this veteran rocker sounds. New York hero, friend of Bob Marley, friend of Bruce Springsteen, Lou Reed and so many more, Jeffreys shouts out “I’m Alive” in the stellar second cut and there is a sense of joy pounding through this celebration of the man back where he belongs.

“’Til John Lee Hooker Calls Me,” has several references to mortality and it’s not the only one addressing that theme on the album. The drum-thumping, piano-pounding “Rock and Roll Music” and stark acoustic blues of “In God’s Waiting Room,” also have references to a life beyond this one, with Jeffreys singing in the latter, “The Staple Singers will be present/in my very last dream/Fingers at my funeral/On guitars turned up to sixteen.”

Definitely the comeback album of 2011.

Tracks to download: “Coney Island Winter,” “I’m Alive.”

5. Beyonce, “4,” (Parkwood Entertainment/Columbia).

The 16-time Grammy winner – that includes three for her work with Destiny’s Child – Beyonce actually comes out fairly softly toward the beginning of her new album “4,” the follow-up to the massively successful “I Am ... Sasha Fierce.”

Tracks like the album opening triad of “1 plus 1,” “I Care,” and the quietly anguished “I Miss You,” all have softer aspects to them, though the first two songs also feature a steady build and some arena-worthy guitar solos. It’s not that complacency has set in. She’s a self-assured woman and making that statement clearly when she growls “make love to me,” in the first song, even “when the world’s at war.”

The best thing about Beyonce and the new album is that there is consistency here, a steady maturation that has been reflected in each of her three previous solo albums and is clearly evident on “4.”

There are definite anthems, notably the militaristic lead single “Run the World (Girls),” which should rip the roof off most of the venues she plays, a perfect musical match to earlier Beyonce cuts like “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It).”

Tracks to download: “Run the World (Girls)” “Countdown”

6. The Civil Wars, “Barton Hollow” (Sensibility Music).

The buzz has been increasing steadily for two years regarding The Civil Wars, a duo based in East Nashville and comprised of John Paul White and Joy Williams.

Their musical chemistry and close harmonies are quite reminiscent of that of The Swell Season’s Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova who starred together in the 2006 film “Once.” Indeed, songs here such as the irresistible “I’ve Got this Friend,” and the hit “Poison & Wine,” are similar in feel to what The Swell Season captured on their Academy Award winning song “Falling Slowly.”

But while Hansard hails from Ireland and Irglova from the Czech Republic, The Civil Wars are pure Americana, whether heard in the traditional textures of “Forget Me Not,” or growling their way through the gripping hit single title track “Barton Hollow” a dead-man-walking-tale that’s got a harder edge than anything else on the primarily acoustic based set.

Tracks to download: “Barton Hollow,” “I’ve Got This Friend.”

7. Jennifer Hudson, “I Remember Me” (Arista).

As celebrity watchers know, after going through a series of tragic losses in 2008, Jennifer Hudson has lost a lot of weight and is looking mega-glamorous these days. She’s an engaged mother and will soon be playing Winnie Mandela in an upcoming film. And her latest album is a dazzling, uplifting and powerful sophomore set that should be required listening for anyone going through tough times.

From the inspirational “I Got This,” through her own poem set to music “I Remember Me,” straight to the maximum gospel power of the closer “Believe,” Hudson sings with a passion and a presence that radiates far beyond most of her contemporaries.

Though ballads dominate the disc, there are some uptempo gems here as well, such as “Everybody Needs Love.” And there is certainly no shortage of star power among the writers, with R. Kelly penning the Hudson vocal showcase and lead single “Where You At,” and Alicia Keyes contributing to three tracks, notably “Angel,” which features some delightful scat singing along with harmonies spicing up the retro-soul cut’s magnetic feel.
Tracks to download: “Believe” “Where You At.”

8. Robbie Robertson, “How to Become Clairvoyant” (429 Records/Bella Coola).

On his best solo album since his 1987 self-titled debut, Robbie Robertson reminds one and all that he can still do a lot more than just score music for films.

The Band’s former guitarist and songwriter’s new disc “How to Become Clairvoyant” is his first solo effort in more than a decade and one of only five he’s released since The Band’s famous 1976 farewell concert “The Last Waltz.”

Eric Clapton co-wrote three of the tracks here with Robertson and plays on seven of the 12 selections. Among numerous other guests are organ player Steve Winwood, drummer Jim Keltner, guitarist Tom Morello, pedal steel guitar master Robert Randolph and Trent Reznor who supplies “additional textures” to the mysteriously beautiful Clapton/Robertson instrumental “Madame X.”

Among the songs likely to attract attention is “This is Where I Get Off,” which finds Robertson directly addressing his still-controversial decision to leave The Band. Other standouts include the nostalgic look back at a generation “When the Night Was Young;” the spiritually-flavored opener “Straight Down the Line;” the tale of excess and self-destruction “He Don’t Live Here No More;” the vocal duet with Clapton on the easy breeze of “Fear of Falling;” and Robertson’s tribute to guitar heroes of the past “Axman,” which features some impressive guitar work from Morello.

Tracks to download: “This is Where I Get Off” “When the Night Was Young.”

9. Eilen Jewell, “Queen of the Minor Key,” (Signature Sounds).

Whether turning in a tribute to Loretta Lynn as she did on last year’s fine “Butcher Holler,” or releasing exceptional albums of her own like “Sea of Tears,” or “Letters from Sinners & Strangers,” Eilen Jewell’s still climbing career has been a model of consistency.

With an easy delivery that sometimes mixes with a sassy side, Jewell has turned into one of the brightest lights on the Americana music scene and there’s nothing stopping her on her latest album “Queen of the Minor Key.”

Mixing traces of rockabilly with jazz and country, Jewell delivers a more organic sounding offering than her previous efforts, in part thanks to the addition of several guest musicians accompanying her ever-steady band. Her lyrical approach is straight and she masters the economy of writing on songs like the cool-groove-riding “I Remember You,” the subterranean rockabilly of the title track and the lazy and lonely approach to the beautiful “Santa Fe.”

Tracks to download: “I Remember You” “Santa Fe”

10. Paul Simon, “So Beautiful or So What” (Hear/Concord).

Paul Simon’s 12th solo album fits snugly among the finer works in a career dating back to the 1950s.

“The Afterlife,” is classic Simon, a song whose central character has died and is awaiting the verdict on what awaits him now, before he’s told to fill out the necessary forms and wait in line for his heavenly answer, just like everyone else.

Elsewhere Simon offers fascinating character studies, like that in “Rewrite,” which details a Vietnam vet relegated to working in a car wash, while all the while he’s also crafting a novel; or the song that snuck on the airwaves and Internet in December of 2010 called “Getting Ready for Christmas Day.” The latter offers a twist on Christmas tales of the past, complete with a excerpts from a 1941 sermon by Rev. J.M. Gates, interspersed with the saga of a modern day soldier on his third tour of duty in Iraq, and the family that’s back home waiting for him.

One of the finest lyricists of this or any other era, Simon continues to weave words together wondrously, such as on “Love is Eternal Sacred Light ,” which is filled with visions of the thin line between love and evil and the perils of the modern day world.
Tracks to download: “The Afterlife” “Love is Eternal Sacred Light.”