MUSIC
The Top 10 Pop Albums of 2011
Conor Behan picks his top ten pop albums of 2011, including Lady Gaga, Azari & III, cocknbullkid, Washed Out and Britney Spears.
I've always found music lists so tricky to put together but having listened to a huge pile of albums this year it only seemed right to be put together my favourite ten albums of 2011. You may see names from other lists or ones missing that cropped up elsewhere but this list is the albums that I want back to as a music fan throughout the year. It's a list that leans heavy on the pop side but these are all albums that made a mark for me this year.
10: Stronger - Kelly Clarkson: in a big year for talent show contestants and their albums nobody handed up a better effort than American Idol's first winner Kelly Clarkson. Stronger hones the boyfriend-bashing, anger-soaked guitar pop of Kelly at her angriest with some of her freshest, most engaging choruses yet. A bubblegum pop album buoyed by one of the best voices in the charts, Stronger is a fizzy, upbeat cocktail.
9: Within and Without - Washed Out : this blissed, out synth pop had bloggers buzzing and throwing about the "chill wave" term with abandon. You don't have to be a music geek to appreciate this effort though, a glacial, moody electronic effort that creates a sense of space and ambience that never lets up.
8: Mirrorwriting - Jamie Woon : Much like James Blake, Jamie Woon emerged as a tastemaker's favourite. Unlike Blake though, who crossed over to the mainstream despite a willfully un-mainstream approach, this is a much more melodic and hook-driven album. An effort that owes as much to the Neptunes as it does Burial, Woon has production smarts and a silky smooth voice. An underrated but brilliant record. Think The XX if they produced an album for Maxwell.
7: Adulthood - cocknbullkid : Quirky, indie-pop songstress Anita Blay had a number of sparkly, inventive pop singles under her belt before unleashing her first album Adulthood this year. A delight from start to finish, Adulthood is laced with sharp, typically British humour and winsome choruses. Like a heady mix of 80s Madonna, The Smiths with a dab of Lily Allen, Adulthood is a charming, intelligent affair.
6: Cinderella's Eyes - Nicola Roberts: This solo effort from the flame-haired Girls Aloud star had pop fans and the fashion press panting with anticipation and thankfully delivered in spades. A feisty, attitude laden collection with a sense of wit and a brooding side it took on issues of bullying and insecurity and bristled with spark. Managing to set Nicola apart from her bandmates and also clearly owing a fair debt to Xenomania at their best, this is an instant cult classic that deserves a wide audience.
5: Azari & III - Azari & III : Set to be re-released on Universal in early 2012, Azari & III have already set tongues wagging and dancefloors ablaze. This first album sets out their stall, blending classic house with a fresh twist and smart dance pop hooks to create an album that's effortlessly cool and authentic but also instant and accessible.
4: You and I: The Pierces: After slowly gaining momentum in the US with soundtrack spots and failed record deals, singing sisters Catherine and Alison Pierce found chart success on this side of the pond with their fourth album. A hazy, 70s tinged pop affair this treads on the middle of the road side of things but with melodies this good and harmonies that lush it's hard to complain.
3: 4 - Beyonce : It may not have boasted a Sasha Fierce style smash single to assure Beyonce hit after hit on radio but 4 did boast a consistent tone and some of Beyonce's strongest moments yet. The slow burning I Miss You, the 80s R&B of Party and the Supremes throwback Love On Top are just some of the reasons that 4 showcases Beyonce at her best.
2: Born This Way - Lady Gaga: A demented, frenetic record that arrived on plenty of hype, Born This Way is still one of the year's best pop releases. There are bonkers floorfillers, saxophone solos, huge huge choruses and a willingness to do new things that seperates this from many other albums by Gaga's contemporaries released this year. A fitting testament to Gaga's sprawling, widescreen vision, Born This Way remains something of a triumph.
1: Femme Fatale - Britney Spears : Perfectly honing Britney's robotic, stadium sized pop, this is a breathless ride into thumping, subtlety free dance-pop beats and plenty of raspy crooning from Ms. Spears. There were undoubtedly more artists with more to say than Britney in 2011 but no other pop album this year took what made an artist work and buffed it up to a Nth degree like this one. A slick team of producers assemble a greatest hits - worthy level of chrouses on this effort cramming in Guetta style electro pop, dubstep and a panpipe intro (!) to make Femme Fatale the best all round pop album of 2011.