Top Albums of 2013

Yeah, I know I’m 12 months late on this (and 2014 will be my next post), but I have to post my long overdue best of 2013 list.  Going back over these this much after the fact actually provides some interesting perspectives on some of these choices.  I’m not sure that the list would have been the same if I had done it at the end of that year.  I’m not a professional, so I don’t hear everything that comes out. If there are great albums I missed, remember it’s just one man’s opinion. Sandwiched in between two truly stellar years of releases, 2013 doesn’t have as many memorable albums, but these are the best IMO.

10. Neko Case – The Worse Things Get, The Harder I Fight, The Harder I Fight, The More I Love You
Truth be told, I could listen to Neko Case sing the Yellow Pages, but this is her best record yet. She is showing off her full complement of song choices here, and her best songwriting. Repeated listening is encouraged, preferably with a picture of Neko to go along. And, she’s still one of the best twitter follows ever (@nekocase. (Listen to: “Night Still Comes”)

9. Houndmouth – From the Hills Below the City
Thanks to “Garden & Gun” magazine for first tipping me off on this band. This is Americana gold, featuring great vocal interplay among all four members of the band. The songs have great hooks too, and are ones that I find stuck in my head for days afterwards (that’s a good thing). Not a perfect record, but it has such a timeless feel and shows some great potential. (Listen to: “Ludlow”)

8. Paul McCartney – New
Perhaps my Beatles-bias is showing, but this first collection since 2007’s “Memory Almost Full” is a great old school pop record. You can ask why he’s still putting out new music, but why not? It’s clear he still has some great melodies left. This is his best in many years, by far. It’s interesting that he had four “star” producers enlisted here (Mark Ronson included), because the record has a very cohesive sound to it. I guess Paul knows what he’s doing. Since this has come out he has been everywhere, collaborating with everyone from Dave Grohl to Kanye, showing he has hit a new creative side in his 70’s. (Listen to: “New”)

 
 
7. The Civil Wars – The Civil Wars
The story of the Civil Wars is a strange one. The warm and beautiful harmonies of John Paul White and Joy Williams belie their relationship, one that deteriorated so badly after recording this album that White refused to do promote it or ever play with Williams again. This record, along with Barton Hollow from 2011, show off what the fantastic voices of both. While not as strong as Barton Hollow, there are some real standouts here, including the sing along “From This Valley” and darker, brooding songs like “Oh Henry” and “The One that Got Away”. (Listen to: “From This Valley”)

 
 
6. David Bowie – The Next Day
So this is what Bowie was doing for 10 years? This release came out of nowhere in 2013, released with almost no advance press. Like McCartney above, it’s hard to compare a release like The Next Day with the best of his career, but this album reminds me of the creative force that is Bowie. Produced by his longtime collaborator, Tony Visconti, this is latter day Bowie, with strong melodies and a stark sound. I hope this is not his swan song, but if so it certainly has it’s place among his better records.  (Listen to: “The Stars (Are Out Tonight”)

 
 
5. Haim – Days Are Gone
This is about as pop as I get, but I love this record. The Haim sisters have seemingly everywhere in the 18 months after this came out, but the music has been overlooked a little. This is a great debut album, and there’s a playful spirit that comes out in the music. “The Wire” was a fantastic first single, but songs like “Honey & I” and “Let Me Go” show that there’s a little more than pop in store for the future. Not that there’s anything wrong with pop: “Forever”, “Falling” and “If I Could Change Your Mind” sound like something off of “The Very Best of the 80’s”. (Listen to: “The Wire”)

 
 
4. Bob Dylan – The Bootleg Series, Vol. 10: Another Self Portrait (1969-1971)
There’s so much here, it’s hard to sum up. These songs were taken from the Self Portrait / Nashville Skyline era, and are presented here in a mostly untouched format. Stripping down these songs, they sound incredibly fresh and greatly improve upon those albums (not Dylan’s best). This contains many unreleased songs, with new arrangements of ones you already know. Throw in the complete remastered Isle of Wight show that Dylan and The Band performed in 1970 and you have one of the best reissues in a long time.  (Listen to: “This Evening So Soon”)

 
 
3. Elvis Costello & The Roots – Wise Up Ghost and Other Songs
Always one to experiment, Elvis Costello’s collaboration with The Roots was an album that somehow got lost in the mix of 2013.  The combination is not one many would expect, but the funkiness of The Roots brought out some great songs by Elvis. This was on permanent rotation for weeks after I got it, and re-listening to it now it is just as enjoyable. Not albums sound like they were fun to make, but this one surely does. (Listen to: “Refuse to Be Saved”)

2. Arctic Monkeys – AM
This is a band that seems to be hitting its stride, which is a welcomed thought in this age of “one and done” artists. They could have been another Franz Ferdinand after their debut, but the songs have matured while still retaining the sharp sense of humor from frontman Alex Turner. The sound here is much heavier than in the past on some of these tracks (“R U Mine?”, “Do I Wanna Know”), but there’s great balance too. This album is still getting airplay on the radio too (remember that thing in your car?).   (Listen to: “R U Mine?”)

 
 
1. Vampire Weekend – Modern Vampires of the City
Of all the albums here, this is the one that I think will go down as one of the all time greats. VW’s first two albums were both fantastic, but this album is a real step up in terms of songs, with not a bad one in the bunch. Some bands are great because you say “I could do that” (see The Ramones, or The Velvet Underground). Others, like VW, blow me away with their approach. This is a band that makes me want to be in college again just to sit and listen to this non-stop. (Listen to: “Step”)