Last Week's Album

At the end of each year, most people like to reflect on the past 365 days and remember the good times. We at Last Week’s Album are no different. So for our Top 10 Albums of 2011 list, we didn’t just pick all the albums we gave 5 out of 5 lighters. Instead, we selected the ones that haven’t just stood the test of time, but have gotten better with each listen. And just to keep things fair, 5 of them are from Kevin and 5 of them are from Derek. So without further ado, here are our Top 10 Albums of 2011.

Derek’s Top 5

5. Fight Less Win More by My Sad Captains

I only reviewed this album in mid-November, but My Sad Captains still find themselves in my regular iPod rotation. Their acute attention to detail and ability to meld guitars and other keys/synthesizers together into extremely pleasing melodies make for some fantastic tunes. Though Fight Less Win More has yet to be out for an entire month, limiting whatever marketing traction can be gained in such a short period of time, their tunes are absolutely solid, and should help the band continue its climb towards indie-rock success.

4. In the Mountain in the Cloud by Portugal. The Man

In my original review, I stated that I was “initially blown away by intricate array of sounds and melodies.” Three and a half months later, little has changed. The band’s first major label release allowed the fellas to spend some quality time on each track, tying up all possible loose ends, and creating a fantastic album. The vocals and vocal melodies are catchy as can be, and the added production value of a major label release really allowed Portugal. The Man to build on the strength of its vocal melodies. Further, expanded instrumentation, including synthesized strings on tracks such as “So American” and “Floating (Time Isn’t Working My Side)” allowed the band to reach new heights. One of my favorite road trips albums, I don’t see this one falling out of my playlist rotation any time soon.

3. Tripper by Fruit Bats

I had minimal expectations for this album before writing my review, yet this album has stuck with me more than most other albums I reviewed this year. Instrumentally solid front to back, Tripper really flexes its muscles in regards to the stories it tells. As noted in my original review, Fruit Bats’ frontman Eric D. Johnson wrote this album based on stories he might have encountered if he had stayed on a train with a vagrant he met. Each track tells a different tale about life on the road, against a rich folk/rock backdrop. Although this album did not reach the masses, I almost fell out of my chair when I heard “Shivering Fawn” during the credits of an episode of Weeds. After months of play on my iPod, I can definitely say that Tripper is a trip worth taking.

2. Helplessness Blues by Fleet Foxes

In my review, I claimed that this album would find its way into many Top Albums of the Year lists… and here it is! This band of bearded Oregonians released their sophomore full length with Helplessness Blues to much fanfare following the critical acclaim of their debut. I found Helplessness Blues to be a solid effort, far away from the fabled “sophomore slump.” Though Fleet Foxes did not stray far from their folk-heavy bread-and-butter sound, the album’s tracks were much more complex and in-depth than their indie-rock cohorts in the Pacific Northwest.

1. Bon Iver by Bon Iver

There was no doubt that a follow-up to For Emma, Forever Ago was going to be tough task for anyone, let alone Bon Iver genius Justin Vernon. However, Vernon showed that he was up to the task with the self-titled sophomore release under the moniker Bon Iver. Though Bon Iver presented many staggering differences from For Emma, ranging from the inclusion of drums, more distorted guitars and, at times, shockingly deep (read: non-falsetto) vocals from Vernon, it was still able to capture some of the intimacy that made For Emma as great as it was. Like I said in my review, Vernon’s expanded instrumentation also allows his songs to reach new emotional heights, as drums, distorted guitars and other instruments allowed Vernon to add a greater intensity to his already intimate music.

Kevin’s Top 5

5. Torches by Foster the People

On my original review, I called “Pumped Up Kicks” the “song of the summer for 2011.” But I was wrong –- this jam went on to become quite arguably the biggest pop hit of the entire year, and rightly so. “Don’t Stop” also made into the eardrums of almost everyone in the U.S. by way of those ubiquitous Nissan Versa TV ads (watch them here and here). Also including standout jams like “Helena Beat,” “Call It What You Want” and “Houdini,” Torches turned out to be much more than just another superficial pop album. It’s a mix of catchy hooks, dancefloor beats and subtly emotional lyrics. And even if the radio and TV made you sick of their biggest hits, you can’t deny that Foster the People can write and record some seriously contagious jams.

4. Bright Lights EP by Gary Clark, Jr.

Yeah, I know, it’s only an EP and not a full-length album. So what? Carrying on in the spirit of Stevie Ray Vaughan and others, Gary Clark, Jr. is the next big Texas blues man. Bright Lights only included four tracks, but it still encapsulates this young gun’s deft guitar playing, expansive breadth of emotions and original style. One song he’s rocking your ass off, and the next he’s ripping your heart out. The title track was so killer, it made it onto a Jack Daniels commercial. So even though Bright Lights is short and sweet, Clark has the chops to keep me coming back time and again, long after my review. He also puts on a phenomenal show at his concerts, and he’s as humble as they come. I know it’s just an EP, but Gary Clark, Jr. is definitely ready for the bright lights. 

3. Circuital by My Morning Jacket

With five albums under their belt, My Morning Jacket honed their sound as well as they ever have on Circuital. As stated in my review, they dropped the lengthy barnburners but still found ways to follow jams where they led in a tighter fashion. “Victory Dance’s” random voice-and-trumpet hook gives way to a groovy track, “Circuital” displays all five players equal time in the spotlight with its everybody-together-now bounce, and “Holdin On To Black Metal” rocks out in silly style with horns and a girl-choir backing. The album as a whole proves that My Morning Jacket haven’t lost their imaginations with age and their ability to bridge unfamiliar sounds has deepened with time. Rock on, brothers.

2. Screws Get Loose by Those Darlins

These girls (and one guy) really blew me away when I reviewed them this year. Not only can they write smart, catchy quips, but they can tear their instruments to shreds (proof of that here). And although Screws Get Loose is just their second album, they’ve somehow already mastered a signature country/garage sound and a palpable group chemistry. Their sophomore effort contained well-crafted Southern indie-rock gems like “Be Your Bro,” “Let U Down,” “Tina Said” and “Boy.” The album as a whole helped them craft their sound and gained them enough notoriety to get “Red Light Love” on a Kia Sorrento commercial. I can’t wait to hear more outta these talented ladies (and dude).

1. GB City by Bass Drum of Death

I wish I could go back to the day I gave this album just 2 out of 5 lighters and give myself a swift kick in the nuts. GB City has easily become my favorite album of 2011, mainly due to Bass Drum of Death’s uncanny ability to fuse garage rock with old-school doo-wop. It’s left their jams ringing in my ears, pulsing through my veins and blaring through my speakers ever since I got my hands on the album. “Nerve Jamming” rocks with beating drums, fuzzy guitar and effected vocals; “Get Found” has sick guitar hooks and punching percussion; and “Young Pros” boasts snarling lyrics and falsetto backing vocals that harp pack to Motown’s formative years. Even the tracks I found difficult to listen to at first have found their way into my regular listening repertoire (“Velvet Itch,” “High School Roaches,” “Spare Room” and “Leaves”). I sure didn’t call this one in my review, but I now take a trip to GB City anytime I can.

So there you have it, kids. We hope you’ve had as much fun reading out albums as we’ve had reviewing them, and we look forward to another year of even more. If you’ve really dug an album this year, we recommend showing the band some love by buying said album as a gift for someone else. After all, what better way to spread some cheer than spreading the music you dig?

What’s your favorite album of 2011? Let us know in the comments section below, our on our Facebook or Twitter.

Helplessness Blues is the Fleet Foxes’ sophomore effort, following their self-titled debut, released in 2008. Fleet Foxes was received to critical and commercial acclaim, putting pressure on the Seattle-based six-piece to deliver a solid follow-up, and not fall trap to the “sophomore slump” that has afflicted so many others.

Sounds Like:
Fleet Foxes focus on strengths, continue honing 60s folk/rock/psychadelic sound and signature harmonies

Though there are numerous reasons promising bands fall victim to the sophomore slump (writing to a different audience, being too adventurous/not enough, etc.), Fleet Foxes stick to, and improve on, their initial strengths, while still creating an album distinctly different from its predecessor. While front man Robin Pecknold seemed more like the first-chair of a chorus on Fleet Foxes, Pecknold’s vocals take even more precedence on Helplessness Blues (though not diminishing the roles of the other vocalists). This is not too surprising, as many of the songs on this album were written by Pecknold for his solo appearances while touring with Joanna Newsome. Helplessness Blues also showcases the band’s growth musically; while the band’s use of complex harmonies remains strong, more of the album’s songs are driven instrumentally, allowing for unique moments, such as the dueling guitar and mandolin on “Sim Sala Bim.”

Key Tracks:
Montezuma, Sim Sala Bim, Battery Kinzie, Helplessness Blues, Lorelai, Grown Ocean

An undulating electric guitar and Pecknold’s lone voice greet the listener on “Montezuma,” the album’s opener. Lyrically, Pecknold takes no time cutting to the chase of one of the album’s themes of questioning oneself compared to one’s expectations (“So now I am older than my mother and father / when they had their daughter / now what does that say about me”). The very name of the track, “Montezuma,” conjures up thoughts of the past, ancient beliefs, etc., which is interesting, considering this track could be considered the most Fleet Foxes-sounding track on the album. Pecknold & Co. harmonize like a gospel choir over minimal instrumentation, even a capella for a verse or two. “Bedouin Dress,” driven by a lively strummed acoustic guitar and funky fiddle hook, is as as fun as the title would apply. “Sim Sala Bim,” which tells the dark story of a man’s life crumbling before him, starts with a soft acoustic guitar riff and builds into a raucous, body-shaking guitar-mandolin duel. “Battery Kinzie” is an upbeat sounding song, while Pecknold & Co. sing about a “wide eye wanderer” creeping around the neighborhood. “The Plains / Bitter Dancer,” plays out in three parts and proves again the vocal talents of the Fleet Foxes: initially painting a dark, bleak picture, only to completely shake things up as the song shifts gears to driving, bright vocals to close the song.

Best Lyric:
I was raised up believing / I was somehow unique / like a snowflake, distinct among / snowflakes. Unique in each way / You’d conceive. - “Helplessness Blues”

The album’s title track, “Helplessness Blues,” is a standout. Playing out in two parts, Pecknold first questions finding one’s function and place in a complex society over a frantically building frenzy of heavily strummed guitars and harmonized vocals. This wave inevitably crashes into a cascade of heavily reverbed guitar arpegios, while Pecknold & Co. sing an elegiac tune, fantasizing a life on an orchard. “The Cascades” is a two-minute instrumental, featuring a variety of string and wind instruments. “Lorelai” is driven by J. Tillman’s percussion work, while the numerous guitars, and church-bell-mimicking vocals create an all around solid song. “Someone You’d Admire” takes a more minimalist approach, as the song features the vocalists accompanied by a lone acoustic guitar. “The Shrine / An Agreement” is another multi-part song (clocking in at over eight minutes), but is no less enjoyable. “Blue Spotted Tail” is much more subdued compared to the rest of the album, featuring only Pecknold’s vocals over lightly picked acoustic guitar. The album closes with “Grown Ocean,” another epic song, ranging from aggressive, driving guitars, eventually closing on a cappella vocals, a metaphorical stamp of the band.

                                          Music Video for “Grown Ocean”

Helplessness Blues is Fleet Foxes’ declaration of victory over the “sophomore slump” boogie man. This album will more than likely appear on numerous “Best of 2011” lists, and deservedly so. Pecknold’s improved songwriting, combined with the band’s musical strengths, creates some great moments. Fleet Foxes are able to create numerous unique sounds that never feel tired or fall short. This is a great album for fans of the first album, or anyone else for that matter.

Overall Rating: