Albums of the Year 2011, part I

Here we go again. This is the first part of my list. Hopefully, I'll write something more meaningful later on...

#23 You & I
The Pierces

I had never heard of this female indie duo before, but that doesn't matter at all, because honestly, their newest album blows everything else out of the water. The girls possess amazing voices. Add great melodies and rich production to the equation, and what you get is an irresistible indie pop beauty.
Best tracks: You'll Be Mine, It Will Not Be Forgotten, Glorious




#22 With Shivering Hearts We Wait
Blindside

The wait for Blindside's new album had been incredibly long. The guys had left everyone wondering whether there would ever be another record after the 2007's The Black Rose EP. Fortunately they came back and brought one hell of an album. Most fans were pleased, I was captivated. There is just something irresistibly Swedish about them.
Best tracks: Monster On the Radio, It's All I Have, Our Love Saves Us



#21 Fallen Empires
Snow Patrol

While Eyes Open will forever be my favourite Snow Patrol album, Fallen Empires still shouldn't have a problem finding its own honorable place in my collection. Snow Patrol returned to what they do best while ever so slightly revitalizing their sound and reminded me why I had fallen in love with their music in the first place.
Best tracks: The Weight of Love, New York, In The End



#20 I'm With You
Red Hot Chili Peppers

RHCP did get too much bad sh*t for their latest record, MOSTLY undeservedly. I'm With You features quite a usual set of songs, some are good, some are better, and in my eyes there's at least one instant classic. So what was really the problem? I guess most people would point out the new guitarist. I won't go into detail, but in my opinion, Josh Klingenhoffer did fill the hole left by John Fruciante's departure pretty well. His different approach, characteristic playing and by no means inferior skills resulted in a significant change of the band's sound. Not for the better, but not for the worse either.
Best tracks: Brendan's Death Song, Police Station, Even You, Brutus?



#19 Love, Part II
Angels & Airwaves

2011 has been a great year for Tom DeLonge. Along with releasing Neighborhoods with Blink to critical praise, he also finished the LOVE project, sort of his magnum opus. After a few failed attempts to change the history of music, it seems that AvA finally came to their senses, and only this time created a truly innovative rock record. However, what must please Tom DeLonge the most is, at last, gaining my respect for him as an artist. The whole band is now more than a mere Blink spin-off for me.
Best tracks: Saturday Love, Anxiety, Dry Your Eyes



#18 Wild Blessed Freedom
Carolina Liar

Coming to Terms, Carolina Liar's debut, was one of the most pleasant surprises of 2008 and I still treasure that album till this day and thank Sparkle deeply for recommending it to me. Sure, it didn't bring anything particularly new to the table, but all its parts were put together in such a skillful way it was nearly impossible to resist. The only question bothering me was, whether they were capable of repeating the spell the second time around. Fortunately, by the time the lead single Drown hit the airwaves, it started to be clear that they were. Well, at least partially. All in all, this is still the sound of a band I've grown to love and a few weaker songs cannot change the fact.
Best tracks: Miss America, Drown, Salvation¨



#17 In Gold Blood
Kids In Glass Houses

If we were to forget about Blink for a moment, then In Gold Blood would be the very best pop punk record of the year. The album is a roller coaster of extremely catchy tunes and a fittingly overblown production, a combination I simply couldn't resist.
Best tracks: Teenage Wonderland, The Florist, Black Crush



#16 Vices & Virtues
Panic! At the Disco

For me, with or without the exlamation mark, these guys had never been more than just Fall Out Boy wannabes. How big was my surprise when I listened to their newest record and subsequently gave a second chance to their older stuff. I had to entirely re-evaluate my attitude towards them...
Best tracks: The Ballad of Mona Lisa, Memmories, The Calendar



#15 Different Gear, Still Speeding
Beady Eye

Noel did produce a better record after all, and yes, Different Gear... rips Beatles and Oasis off big time, but that doesn't change the fact that the album is, for the most part, a very enjoyable listen, containing a bunch of songs that could even be considered Oasis classics.
Best tracks: The Roller, Kill for a Dream, The Beat Goes On



#14 Suck It and See
Arctic Monkeys

The Monkeys went a little more rock'n'roll on their fourth full-lentgh. After the heavy, experimental and slow-paced Humbug, it feels like a welcome refreshment. However, the immediacy and "wow effect" of their first two albums are gone, and the band still leaves us wondering where they'll go next.
Best tracks: Brick By Brick, The Hellcat Spangled Shalalala, Suck It And See