Best Albums of 2011: Honourable Mentions

So 2011 saw some really good albums from almost every genre, some that missed my top 20 album list (out later this week) by mere technicalities. For whatever reason, I still go back to them, and would probably have made my list on any other year. Here they are in no particular preference or order.

Rihanna, Talk That Talk

A fun follow-up to Loud and an all-around danceable and raunchy pop effort that sees the pop princess revisiting the gritty dubstep sounds of Rated R and making some of the best music of her career.

Bjork, Biophilia

The most audacious and ambitious album of Bjork's career in which new instruments and iPad apps were created. But really what it was, was a return to an intimate sound, great song-writing, and less hit-or-miss results than her last record, Volta.

Feist, Metals

Less immediate and decidedly moodier than her commercial breakthrough The Reminder, but just as lush with, at times, even better results.

Tyler, the Creator, Goblin

The album that brought back shock-rap, and had the whole internet buzzing with one of the year's best singles, "Yonkers." It revels in narcissism and nihilism in equal measure and at times is extremely difficult to sit through or stomach. It's not for everybody, but if you take Tyler, the Creator a little less seriously, you hear other things too, like some of the best production the rap genre had to offer in 2011, and a method to all the madness.

Panda Bear, Tomboy

It doesn't bowl you over right away; hell, it didn't even bowl me over on the fifth listen, and it misses the mark a bit, but that's when "the mark" is an album that informed the zeitgeist like Person Pitch had. Spend some time with it, though, you'll be glad you did.

My Morning Jacket, Circuital

Admittedly, this is a front-loaded affair, but even with that said, this is still one killer album. My Morning Jacket is hollowed ground in alternative/indie-dom, and as much as it isn't an instant killer like Z, and yes, the criminally-underrated Evil Urges, this album is still a great addition to their discography.

The Rapture, In The Grace of Your Love

When this album was released, it split critics and listeners right down the middle with some saying it wasn't as good as their career best, Echoes, some thinking it sounded too "commercial" etc. Such arguments, I think are kinda pointless. What this record is is a great and not-so gentle reminder of why The Rapture rocks in the first place. To want to argue anything else is just dumb, really.

Foster the People, Torches

I'll admit that while "Pumped Up Kicks" remained on my playlists for most of the year, I got into this album a little late. With that said, whether you want to view it as indie or pop, it's a rewarding, hit-laden album from start to finish, drawing easy references to MGMT. The band can only go up from here.

Cults, Cults

Full of retro pop grooves and harmonies that don't relent over the course of  11 tracks. They didn't set the indie-world or blogosphere on fire, but with this their debut, they established themselves as a band to watch.

Coldplay, Mylo Xyloto

I've always thought hatred for Coldplay was elitist and lazy; after all, they've never aspired to be greater than the sum of their parts, neither are they pretentious like most of my fave rock bands are. But to even call Coldplay "rock" isn't even getting it either- they're a pop band in the truest sense, and with Mylo Xyloto, they've confirmed that, creating some of the best, most genre-shifting-est music of their career.

Peter, Bjorn and John, Gimme Some

I wasn't such a big fan of their first couple of releases, so imagine my surprise when I heard this and immediately loved everything I heard. It didn't make my official list, a fact I was a little saddened (and surprised by) but it's an album I still jam to. Def one of my faves released this year.

Fleet Foxes, Helplessness Blues

It's pretty much the same results here as their debut, but one can't deny that these songs possess some gorgeous melodies and instrumentation. Even if you're not into folk music, there's plenty to be enjoyed here.

Gil Scott-Heron and Jamie xx, We're New Here

It's a rule of thumb that remix albums aren't supposed to be this good, hell, they're not supposed to be good at all! What they're supposed to be is a money-earner for record labels and artists who obviously thought you didn't get enough of their over-exposed album to begin with. *cough cough* Lady Gaga *cough cough* But a cheap cash-in this is not. Touching on R&B, dubstep and UK garage, it's a labour of love, with most of these Gil Scott-Heron songs sounding like new beasts altogether.

J. Cole, Cole World: The Sideline Story

He's a little too serious for his own good, but on Best New Artist Grammy-nominee, J. Cole's debut album, it's evident negro has a lot to get off his chest. Critics have opined that the album bears resemblance to Kanye West's College Dropout, and while I feel it's really never as good as that watershed album, here's to hoping he'll relax a little more next time à la Late Registration.

Kurt Vile, Smoke Ring for My Halo

Former The War on Drugs lead singer had always gotten plenty buzz from his other solo albums, but I was slow on the come-up... until I listened to Smoke Ring For My Halo. Then I had an "Ah! I see..." moment. The influences on his sound are easy to spot- Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash, Bruce Springsteen- but his sound is so much more than pastiche. It's heart-wrenching, honest and full of soul.