Top 10 Albums of 2013 (So Far)

2012 is a tough musical act to follow, but so far, 2013 is holding its own. Here's a collection of my 10 favorite albums from the year's first half, sorted by artist. And the greatest thing about this list? There are nearly three times as many not listed that could each stake a claim near the top by year's end, and that's before the rest of the year even gets its turn.

Ain't music grand?


Everything Everything - Arc

A quartet of eccentric Englishmen got together and made an album that's got touches of modern British rock in its more pop-leaning hooks (a bit of everything from Arctic Monkeys to Muse). Singer Jonathan Higgs leans on his falsetto to carry the majority of the album's tracks, and once that style and your ears get acquainted, the album becomes a fun listen, especially through the first four songs.

Foxygen - We Are the 21st Century Ambassadors of Peace and Magic

If Everything Everything are a bit delightfully weird, Foxygen are...well, just sort of weird weird. There's definitely charm in there, but with Sam France's vocals reminding you more of Lou Reed than Alex Turner and odd lines like "the aliens and armory backboned her cigar store" sprinkled throughout, "We Are..." may resist your attempts to get familiar. But persistence pays off, especially with the closing flourishes like the ones on "Shuggie" and "Oh Yeah."

Local Natives - Hummingbird

A lot of what made Local Natives' 2009 "Gorilla Manor" so endearing was how much fun everyone involved seemed to be having on it. Tracks like "Sun Hands" and "Camera Talk," filled with joyous shouting and exuberant piano mashing over pounded drums, were immediately winning and captivating. It seems a bit of an odd choice, in that light, for Local Natives to dial things back and refine the more serious side of their music on "Hummingbird," a release just as strong as "Gorilla Manor" but for wholly different reasons. It's emotional and sincere, deprived of exuberance but shimmeringly pretty in its execution, thanks to strong vocal work from Taylor Rice and Kelcey Ayer.

Mikal Cronin - MCII

A collection of immediately accessible, poppy fuzz-rock tracks that sure sound like the exploits of a converted punk songwriter. There's enough to tap your toes to while still feeling you can bob your head and drum on your desk at the same time. Standouts "Weight" and "Shout It Out" will give you your pop fix; "Change" and "See It My Way" will indulge the more rocking side of things; and "Don't Let Me Go" balances things out with a more casual vibe.

The National - Trouble Will Find Me

Expectation is a difficult thing to conquer. It had been three years since The National released "High Violet," an excellent album that marked the beginning of the band's emergence into the "big time" and transcendence from indie act to Barclays Center headliner. It makes to look at this year's "Trouble Will Find Me" as one of the year's most hotly anticipated record's in my book, given my penchant for the band and the impossibly long three-year wait. The band draws criticism for being deliberate and being far from immediately accessible, but patience in uncovering each of Matt Berninger's lyrics and the complex construction of each song (even if delivered simply) pays off in spades. As it always has with this band.

Phosphorescent - Muchacho

Sometimes, imperfection is what makes a thing great. In this case, it's Matthew Houck's occasional vocal cracks that make some of the tracks on the wonderful "Muchacho" stick with you. They add emotional flair to "Song For Zula." Heck, even the very first vocal note on "Down To Go" is slightly cracked. Really, it almost sounds off-putting when described that simply, but Houck's tortured and weathered vocal style is what sets "Muchacho" apart and part of what makes it such a memorable record, and that's not even scratching the surface of the song construction and instrumentation, varying from bar-closing piano dirges to the spirit-raising "A Charm / A Blade" and wonderfully manic "The Quotidian Beasts."

Sigur Ros - Kveikur

The typical M.O. for Sigur Ros is to craft sweeping, gorgeously ambiance with their music, a familiar build that ran out of magic on their last release, 2012's "Valtari." Down to a trio from a quartet, Jonsi Birgisson and Co. have made a darker, more ominous album in "Kveikur." That said, the album isn't without its high points either - "Rafstraumur" is the best example - and it's something of a redemption in the face of "Valtari," far more reminiscent of the transcendant "Agaetis Byrjun" than anything more recent.

Tegan and Sara - Heartthrob

Crossing over from folk to dancepop isn't a journey you see many artists make. I mean, I sure don't, anyway. But we find ourselves here with sisterly duo Tegan and Sara Quin doing just that, releasing an album of synthy goodness that hails as a noticeable departure from their previous work. It comes as a bit of a surprise, then, that something out of the norm for a group seven releases in would sound so polished and confident, but the sisters pull it off with aplomb. Standouts include "Goodbye, Goodbye" and "I'm Not Your Hero."





Torres - Torres

I'm many, many listens deep in this self-made debut from Nashville singer/songwriter Mackenzie Scott and still can't figure out if she's actually 22 or someone well older. The themes and emotion with which she delivers the songs framing those themes belie her age; they make her seem wizened. In truth, given autobiographical songs like "Moon & Back" and "Don't Run Away, Emilie," you have little reason to doubt that weathered wisdom. This is one of the most assured debuts I've listened to in a long time; it's open-hearted and sad and touching and frightening and intimate and personal. Listen to it through headphones and let it envelop you.


Young Galaxy - Ultramarine

It's hard to start an album with three better songs than the trio that introduces "Ultramarine," a four-hit combo that sets the stage for a strong album, even if it peaks a little early. But it's not as if everything turns to sad after "New Summer," far from it. "What We Want," "Out the Gate Backwards," "In Fire" and the rest of the album hold all of their water just fine, thank you very much. "Ultramarine" is a very summery album, meant for the sun.





Don't see your favorite here? It may yet find its way atop the list by year's end. And take heart: there's still a whole half of the year left for things to change.