Favorite Albums of 2011

Unlike my favorite books list, to make this list it has to have been released in 2011 (or at least I heard it for the first time in 2011). You can see my favorite albums from 2010 and 2009 by clicking on the links.

And as of this posting, almost every album on this list is less than $5 on Amazon. Just click on the album name and download it (it also helps our adoption when you do that).

Honorable mentions

• Bright Eyes | The People’s Key. Different, not quite as moody as older albums, but still moody enough to be good.
• Ivan & Alyosha | Fathers be Kind. You should have this.
• Jesus Culture | Come Away. They just know how to write good worship songs.
• Matt Redman | 10,000 Reasons. Easily Matt Redman’s best album. I often say that Matt Redman’s songs are best written by him and recorded by someone else, well this album is like someone else recording all his songs.

While this year didn’t have the albums that last year had, it is hard to top a year with Mumford & Sons, The National, Stars & Arcade Fire. So while this year wasn’t great, it was good.

Here are my top 20 of the year:

20. The Hawk in Paris | His + Hers. I realize this involves a guy from Jars of Clay, which should keep it from this list. But, it doesn’t sound anything like Jars of Clay, hence, it is on this list.

19. Alexi Murdoch |Towards the Sun. More of what you’d expect from Alexi.

18. Sleeping at Last | The Yearbook EP’s. One EP released each month for the entire year, so good. Love the piano drivenness of this band.

17. The Decemberists | The King is Dead. Easily this band’s best album to date. You should have it.

16. Rise Against | Endgame. If you need something to pound the steering wheel to or something to workout to, this is the album. Wow.

15. Denison Witmer | The Ones Who Wait. Went to high school with Denison, still love his stuff. It just keeps getting better and better.

14. Switchfoot | Vice Verses. Not many good rock albums this year. This one and Rise Against were two of the best.

13. Wye Oak | Civilian. Moody, haunting, and a girl singer. A great combination.

12. The Civil Wars | Barton Hollow. If I just got this album, it would be higher on the list. Loved it the first time I heard it, just a little tired of it now.

11. Noah and the Whale | Last Night on Earth. A departure from their previous albums, this is not quite the acoustic style of the past. What you’d expect if an 80′s Brit pop band showed up today and did it well.

10. The Antlers | Burst Apart. A poppier version of The National.

9. Adele | 21. I’m embarrassed to admit that I discovered Adele this year, not sure how I missed her. But wow, her vocals are off the chart.

8. Coldplay | Mylo Xyloto. Very different from their other stuff, but oh so good.

7. Gungor | Ghosts Upon the Earth. Easily the best “worship” album in the last few years. Tells much of the biblical story in the order of the songs. So, so good.

6. Washed Out | Within and Without. An album from another era, but oh so good. It is definitely a good, kick back and chill on a romantic night album.

5. Fleet Foxes | Helplessness Blues. At first I didn’t like this album, took some time to grow on me, but now I can’t stop listening to it.

4. King Cresoto & Jon Hopkins | Diamond Mine. Just got this album last week and can’t stop listening to it. A little longer and this would move up the list.

3. Bon Iver | Bon Iver. Haunting, a great step forward from For Emma, Forever Ago. 

2. Blind Pilot | We are the Tide. Almost made this one #1. I think if I would’ve gotten this earlier in the year it might have made it to #1 as it is that good, so call this 1-A.

1. Josh Garrels | Love & War & the Sea Between. I am stunned that this album is still free online. I would pay $15 for this album and not feel like I wasted any money, it is that good. It is why it is #1 on my list this year.