1. Hurry Up We're Dreaming by M83

In the world of musical fantasies and synthesizer dreams, Anthony Gonzalez, mastermind behind electro-pop group M83, is king. In over six studio albums, Gonzalez has cultivated his ability to take visions and sensations once reserved only for our REM cycles and create with them the most breathtaking of sounds. On Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming, Gonzalez has succeeded in his quest to create something “very, very epic,” combining expansive vocals, crashing blasts of percussion and soaring keyboard riffs for an end result that is as gorgeous as it is awe-inspiring.

The accumulation of three years of devoted love and attention, over the course of the album’s two discs and 22 songs Gonzalez never settles for anything even resembling a half-measure. From the magnificent guest appearance of Zola Jesus’ Nika Danilova on “Intro”, the more subdued vocal flourishes of “Wait” to the joyous yet commanding authority of “Midnight City,” each of the tracks on Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming coalesces into an immersive universe while still offering something of their own. With his eyes incessantly pointed upwards towards the sky, one can only ponder what new heights Gonzalez will conquer next.  

2. w h o k i l l by tUnE-yArDs

One can’t help but roll their eyes at the formatting utilized by tUnE-yArDs — back in the pre-teen days of AOL Instant Messanger, alternating capitalization was amongst the most frivolous of trends. Somehow though, when combined with the entirety of the band’s quirks, from the spaced-out album title to Merrill Garbus’ peculiar vocals and outlandish performances, the bizarre amalgamation results an enjoyable, albiet unusual, experience. Melding elements of folk, Afro-pop, funk, R&B and rock with a lo-fi aesthetic, Garbus incorporates noises from everyday life to create an eclectic, unpredictable sound all her own. On w h o k i l l, tUnE-yArDs solidifies their place as one of the most innovative acts in music, giving us danceable head-scratchers such as “Gangsta” and “Bizness.”

3. James Blake by James Blake

I prefer to be optimistic and vote James Blake’s music as the New Sound rather than the shamelessly successful devolution of such acts as LMFAO. He shares the same genre — that accepted but nonetheless ambiguous term “dubstep” — of other projects like Skrillex but breaks apart in soul. Blake’s delicate, vocoder-filtered croon is a form of neosoul. “The Wilhelm Scream,” with a name any film nerd will love, embodies this sentiment as he contemplates falling into an abyss. The haunting soundscape of “I Mind,” with its looping, stacking layers, is supported by Blake’s voice more than by electronic accompaniments. And there is just a delicate wobble and beat behind his piano cover of Feist’s “Limit to Your Love” that makes for a raw, minimalist confessional in a genre of those salaciously kicking it to the max. 

4. Strange Mercy by St. Vincent

Annie Clark, otherwise known as St. Vincent, finds herself in a funk on her third musical outing, Strange Mercy. While it’s unfortunate that Clark has apparently suffered in her personal life, listeners got her best, fullest and most honest work out of her personal misgivings. On the closing single “Year of the Tiger,” Clark growls, “Oh America, can I owe you one?” But after listening to this record, all we can do is bow down and thank Clark for her glorious work. Standout tracks like “Chloe in the Afternoon,” “Cheerleader” and “Dilettante” unveil Clark’s vocal and musical range, as she does with her guitar what no musician today has the guts to do. Take note of the cathartic “Surgeon,” with its twisting, effortlessly complex guitar line proving that she’s one of the best guitarists of her generation.

5. Bon Iver by Bon Iver

Justin Vernon has been so aggressively embraced by the indie community that it is easy to forget how unlike them he really is. While other groups stay so firmly ensconced in the indie aesthetic, Bon Iver’s latest features bass saxophones, pedal-steel guitars and Korg M1 synthesizers on its closing number, “Beth/Rest”; the watery chords sound more at home in an 80s power ballad than in the genre so hostile towards that era of excess. There’s no discernible influence or consistency. The crashing electric guitars in opener “Perth,” the twilight dreamscapes of “Hinnom, TX,” and the bare sincerity of “Holocene” differ in sound but complete a roadmap through one man’s isolated state of being, independent from fads or pretension and content to nestle in a cabin in the woods, warmed by his own thoughts and strength of will. 

6. 21 by Adele

21 is the best selling album of the year and the greatest selling digital album of all time in the U.S., and it deserves all the recognition it receives. With 21, Adele created the ultimate heartbreaking pop album. From the vengeful “Rolling in the Deep” to the relationship ending “Set Fire to The Rain” to the heartbreaking “Someone Like You,” 21 is an emotional rollercoaster. Due to the subject matter, the album is geared towards ballads, but Adele’s exquisite vocal performance and magnificent songwriting keeps the album fresh from start to finish. For Adele’s music to resonate with so many across the world when club dominates the industry, there must be something magical about her music. Indeed, 21 is one of the best pop albums in recent years, and will likely be considered a classic in years to come. 

7. Looping State of Mind by The Field

Swedish techno artist Axel Willner, recording as The Field, makes the otherwise daunting task of listening to an experimental, loop-based album of ambient electronic an absolute pleasure for even the most pop-oriented of listeners. Looping State of Mind does not win converts, though, by employing immediately gratifying pop tropes. The album succeeds by creating beautiful, detail-obsessed soundscapes that transform organically and subtly into worthwhile conclusions. Pulsating synths create a fluid undercurrent in opener “Is This Power” and the busy percussion of the title track ratchets up the anticipation for the song’s eventual resolution. A manifesto on maximalism, repetition and patience, Looping State of Mind may seem a difficult study, but it rewards its listeners generously.

8. Bad As Me by Tom Waits

For some reason, 2011 saw many releases by our parents’ favorite aging rockers. Some were good (see R.E.M. or Paul Simon) while others failed miserably (Lou Reed and Metallica, anyone?). But this year’s most welcome return came from Tom Waits, who brilliantly managed to surpass any gimmick or attention to his age (61, in case you were wondering) by putting out an album that’s so simultaneously weird and beautiful that it only could have been made by Waits. Bad As Me has Waits in prime form; his smoke-drenched growl has never been more menacing and his lyrics hark back to his Rain Dogs days. Thanks to contributions from fellow rock icons like Flea and Keith Richards, Waits has put out one of the best records of the year, or of many years, for that matter. 

9. Camp by Childish Gambino

Donald Glover, a.k.a. Childish Gambino, is an ambitious artist. Like many musical up-and-comers he’s fueled by angst and sense of entitlement; however, as an established comedic actor/writer, he has a good reason to believe that he’s not merely overzealous. His first commecial release, Camp, (which he produced himself) is a genre-bender. The production, which is all over the place, flys under the banner of “what sounds good.” The writing, which covers everything from yellow fever to urban social awareness, flys under the banner of “what Donald Glover means, right now.” Camp comes at the listener aggressively from all directions, pulls no punches and is first and foremost an experience. Rappers have always felt that the stakes are high for their art. Glover isn’t intimidated.

10. Helplessness Blues by Fleet Foxes

Because breakout bands tend to follow up their acclaimed debuts with records that are mediocre at best, the phrase “sophomore slump” has become a cliche of music criticism. But on Helplessness Blues, Fleet Foxes are better than ever, crafting a collection of folk tunes that are, in short, simply beautiful. They kick things off with the ambient “Montezuma,” on which lead singer Robin Pecknold ponders his role in this world over a vast array of strings and background chanting from his bandmates. The standout track of the album is the title track, which is powerful enough to incite a campfire singalong (if only we could harmonize as well as these guys). Helplessness Blues is, plain and simple, a gorgeous album from start to finish, and is yet more proof of the talent and brazenness of Fleet Foxes.