As 2011 draws to a close, the end-of-year lists that attempt to summarise and rank the year in music are beginning to surface, which has had me thinking about what my favourite albums of the year are.
In my mind there are two types of best-of-the-year albums.
There is the musically groundbreaking release that pushes boundaries and then there is the solid-as-a-rock release, an album that has been there for you throughout the year when you needed it, like a trusted friend.
Two of my trusted musical friends in 2011 have come from two songwriters from Philadelphia — Kurt Vile and Adam Granduciel.
The two met in 2003 when Granduciel moved to Philadelphia and they immediately began playing the guitar together and writing songs, which resulted in the formation of the band, The War on Drugs, in 2005.
In 2007, The War on Drugs were signed to the Secretly Canadian record label and released their Barrel of Batteries EP, which was followed by the Wagonwheel Blues album in 2008.
At the same time, Vile released his debut solo album, Constant Hitmaker, under a small independent label, Gulcher Records.
Fast forward to 2011 and Vile is no longer a full-time member of The War on Drugs, instead releasing music with his own band, The Violators, under his new label, the independent giant Matador Records.
The new album in question is titled Smoke Ring for My Halo and, judging by the critics’ reviews so far, it is expected to be close to the top of the 2011 end of year lists.
Meanwhile, Granduciel has released his new album, Slave Ambient, under The War on Drugs moniker on Secretly Canadian, and is also doubling up as a guitarist in the Violators.
Clearly the bond between these two songwriters is strong and their respective albums in 2011 make great companion pieces.
Smoke Ring for My Halo is easily Vile’s best album yet and sees him channelling influences from classic American rock artists such as Bob Dylan, Tom Petty and Pete Seeger, with hints of psychedelia and British folk music thrown into the mix.
Slave Ambient ploughs similar territory to Vile’s album in terms of the classic rock influences, with only the mention of Bruce Springsteen needed.
However, beneath these classic American rock songs is a deluge of ambient drone that Granduciel has built up over the past few years, reminiscent of shoegazers My Bloody Valentine at times.
Both are without a doubt top-10 albums in 2011 and have been rocking my car stereo, home stereo and iPod since they were released.