YEAR IN REVIEW: Albums of 2011: 20-11

	20. Atlas Sound - Parallax After listening to Parallax, I think I've decided that Bradford Cox is one of those musicians I can always rely on, year in, year out, to deliver amazing musical experiences; be it while playing in Deerhunter or during his solo affairs as Atlas Sound. Parallax is a hazy, familiar affair that doesn't necessarily evolve the Atlas Sound formula, but when the foundations are set down so well, why change them? The record is another massive achievement from a musician who just seems to ooze song-writing ability. DOWNLOAD: Mona Lisa
	19. Deleted Scenes - Young People's Church of the Air I feel like I don't need to put a lot here, seeing as I only did a review recently, which you can read here. Young People's Church of the Air is a wonderful collection of songs with infectious melodies and pleasant vocals akin to The Shins. If you don't have a melody contained on this album running constantly through your head after listening, there might be something wrong. DOWNLOAD: Baltika 9
	18. TV on the Radio - Nine Types of Light The follow-up to 2008's Dear Science was a massive release for me, and it delivered on all fronts. TV on the Radio are a band that sound on top of their game with this record. 40 seconds into the album, the beat kicks in and you remember what you'd been missing for three years. No one does it quite like TV on the Radio, and their brand of soulful, trumpet-filled, frantic rock music is always welcome. Nine Types of Light is the epitome of what the band are all about. DOWNLOAD: Caffeinated Consciousness
	17. Drake - Take Care Drake's brand of smooth RnB mixed with some of the best-produced hip hop made Take Care an album that needs to be heard. Collaborations from Jamie xx, The Weeknd and Frank Ocean, to name a few, Take Care takes everything that was great about Drake's debut and adds more variety and polish to create a record that's a joy to listen to from start to finish. DOWNLOAD: Marvin's Room
	16. Active Child - You Are All I See Active Child's 2010 EP Curtis Lane showed a lot of promise, so I was anticipating his debut LP very highly. Heavenly harp notes join with synthesisers and thumping drum beats to create a unique sound punctuated by Pat Grossi's unique falsetto tones, the album leaves you feeling a strange sense of enlightenment. DOWNLOAD: Hanging On
	15. Beirut - The Rip Tide Zach Condon & Co's new album shows the most refined, complete collection of songs the band have put out to date. With delicate melodies spread across a modest 10-track, this album proves to be the easiest entry point for newcomers to Beirut's work, with all shades of their unique style on show for all to see.  DOWNLOAD: Vagabond
	14. M83 - Hurry Up, We're Dreaming When I try to think of any double albums that I listen to regularly or even at all, my mind comes to a blank. With Hurry Up, We're Dreaming, M83 were taking a big risk that ultimately paid off in dividends. This album provided a fascinating look at the world of M83 through an epic 22-track.  Gonzales is well experienced in his art, and this year's offering from him feels like the most complete, visualised and compelling work yet. Plus... Saxophones. DOWNLOAD: Midnight City
	13. Bright Eyes - The People's Key Personally, this was my most highly-anticipated album of the year, and it did not disappoint. After 2007's slightly underwhelming Cassadaga, The People's Key was Oberst's chance to prove that he still had what it takes to compete with other bands these days, and it proved it superbly. nonsensical ramblings from a priest introduce the album with a familiarly long winded spoken intro, and he closes it as well. Oberst is at the top of his game with this album, it really has all the key ingredients; whimsical lyrics that are perfectly constructed, a decidedly more upbeat instrumentation and hook after hook. One For You, One For Me is a testament to how bands should close out albums for future reference. It might just be Oberst's most well-realised, polished and complete collections of songs to date. DOWNLOAD: Triple Spiral
	12. Frank Ocean - Nostalgia, Ultra Frank Ocean is undoubtedly the best thing to come out of Odd Future, in my eyes. Nostalgia, ultra is a mixtape that showcases the limitless talent that Ocean possesses. The smooth pop-tinged R'n'B is so heart-felt and different to what the rest of the Odd Future crew are doing. Audio snippets from Kubrick's last film Eyes Wide Shut permeate throughout the record in an unsettling fashion, along with other little blemishes that give the album a distinguished feel. Ocean uses samples of the likes of Coldplay and MGMT but makes them his own with his imminently listening vocals. The fact that the album is free from the constraints of a label and was released DIY-style on the internet is an added bonus to this already brilliant debut. DOWNLOAD: Novacane
	11. Connan Mockasin - Forever Dolphin Love This re-issue of Connan Mockasin's delightfully weird 2010 debut is one of the most unusual records I've had the pleasure of listening to this year. His sound is definitely unique, showing hints of The Beatles at their most hallucinatory. Mockasin uses surreal lyricism and a psychedelic sound to build a collection of songs which have such an endearing atmosphere. The album has a decidedly laid-back pace which just lets you sit back in wonderment at the strangeness of the world Connan Mockasin has created. DOWNLOAD: It's Choade My Dear

REVIEW: Deleted Scenes - Young People's Church of the Air

Since Deleted Scenes' inception in 2005, the Maryland band have produced an EP and LP which have garnered a lot of attention among the music press and fans alike. Following the release of 2009's Birdseed Shirt, Deleted Scenes have supported the likes of Wild Nothing, Cursive, and The Antlers. Known for their excellent live shows and infectious hooks, the band have released their second LP, Young People's Church of the Air.

Straight away, you notice that this album feels a bit more refined than Birdseed Shirt. It seems like Deleted Scenes have a clearer idea of what they want to accomplish with their music than they did in 2009. Young People's Church of the Air mixes industrial production qualities with frontman Dan Scheuerman's airy vocals in a way that feels almost Animal Collective-esque.

Vocally, think of Scheuerman as a cross between The Shins' James Mercer and Brian Wilson. His voice shows the same vocal range as his contemporaries, while shrouded in a muffled mist that compliments the music greatly.  The rhythm to the album is a high-point, with percussion used to its advantage as much as possible, industrial drums pervade most of the tracks and give it a feel akin to the latter half of The Postal Service's 'This Place is a Prison'.

Young People's Church of the Air carries on the theme of love and angelic bliss, but also seems to be held down by regret throughout. Even in 'Bedbedbedbedbed' the words "I did some shit that I can't deny / but you are my merciful girl" signify the regret that the narrator has built up inside, but he wants to make amends through this album. The album's title is a hint at the content, with lots of serene imagery used throughout.

The thing that Deleted Scenes seem to be best at doing with this album is providing hooks on almost every song that make the songs so enjoyable to listen to. Although this isn't true on absolutely every song, 'Nassau' sees the pace slow down and the hooks disappear, with just vocals and an acoustic guitar to hold it up, but that change of pace is welcome and shows a more emotional tone to the music.

As an introduction to the album, 'A Litany For Mrs. T' paints a vivid picture of what to expect. With a slow build-up of drums and vocals that reach breaking point before chants of "Hallelujah", harp tones and a relentless drum beat fills the air. Second track Days of Adderall is a flurry of Battles-like rhythms and tribal drums floating around dreamy melodies, with a trademark hook. "You've got a magical illusion" sings Scheuerman in a muffled tone while harps guide the way. It sounds almost... heavenly.

Lead single, 'Bedbedbedbedbed' follows on from 'The Days of Adderall' with the same vocal style and pace, but straight away we're greeted with military-style drums giving the song a distinct rhythm. Lyrically, the song carries on a heavenly theme. It's like its being sung to an angel, "you are an immaculate girl /sent from above / you are everything that I want / my love." It may sounds overly romanticised but the way its delivered feels so light and charming that it just slides by and feels genuine.

Album highlight 'English as a Second Language' is a multi-layered delight that uses synths and vocals to create a wonderfully bouncy, up-beat song. The second half takes a more fast and directed approach before fading off to the repetition of "well you told me you weren't in love" that sounds heart-breaking in the context.

With Young People's Church of the Air, Deleted Scenes have created an excellent collection of songs that really are a joy to listen to. Addictive hooks? Check. Poignant lyrics? Check. One of my favourite albums in quite a while?... Check.

9/10