I was going to list a “Top 15” of the year so far, but when I listed them I out I realized there were 27 albums I wanted to mention and three acclaimed ones that I felt should objectively make the list, so I went ahead and listed out thirty. This is a rough list, based more objectively than subjectively. I valued creativity, flow and general entertainment, with a slight emphasis on creativity. I might make a Top 10 subjective list, just for fun. There are a few acclaimed albums from the year, like releases from Boards of Canada and Eleanor Friedburger, that I have yet to hear. If you can’t tell, I tend to stray towards alternative.

Top 30 full-length albums* of the year so far, a totally unofficial list:

* – Had the “D.A.I.S.Y. Rage” EP from Kitty counted as a full album, it’d be hovering around #15

30. Baths – “Obsidian”

29. Dirty Beaches – “Drifters / Love is the Devil”

28. James Blake – “Overgrown”

27. Kurt Vile – Wakin’ on a Pretty Daze”

26. The Strokes – “Comedown Machine”

25. Disclosure – “Settle”

24. Chelsea Light Moving – “Chelsea Light Moving”

23. FIDLAR – “FIDLAR”

22. Pissed Jeans – “Honeys”

21. John Fogerty – “Wrote a Song For Everyone”

20. My Bloody Valentine – “m b v”

19. A$ap Rocky – “LONG.LIVE.A$AP”

18. Frightened Rabbit – “Pedestrian Verse”

17. Queens of the Stone Age – “…Like Clockwork”

16. Waxahatchee – “Cerulean Salt”

15. Foals – “Holy Fire”

14. Justin Timberlake – “The 20/20 Experience”

13. Laura Marling – “I Was an Eagle”

12. Phosphorescent – “Muchacho”

11. Daughter – “If You Leave”

10. Phoenix – “Bankrupt!”

9. Deafheaven – “Sunbather”

8. Kanye West – ‘Yeezus”

7. Savages – “Silence Yourself”

6. The Flaming Lips – “The Terror”

5. Daft Punk – “Random Access Memories”

4. Foxygen – “We Are the 21st Century Ambassadors of Peace & Magic”

3. David Bowie – “The Next Day”

2. The National – “Trouble Will Find Me”

1. Vampire Weekend – “Modern Vampires of the City”

 

Top 10 Debuts of 2013 (so far, an equally unofficial list):

10. Pyyramids – “Brightest Darkest Day”

9. I Kill Giants – “I Kill Giants”

8. Mwahaha – “Mwahaha”

7. The World is a Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid to Die – “Whenever, If Ever”

6. Disclosure – “Settle”  (#25 above)

5. Chelsea Light Moving – “Chelsea Light Moving”  (#24)

4. FIDLAR – “FIDLAR”  (#23)

3. A$ap Rocky – “LONG.LIVE.A$AP”  (#19)

2. Daughter – “If You Leave”  (#11)

1. Savages – “Silence Yourself”  (#7)

 

Finally, five disappointing albums of 2013:

5. Laura Stevenson – “Wheel”  Her previous album is among my top 10 of all-time, but she feels distant and disconnected here.

4. Dave Grohl & Friends – “Sound City – Reel to Reel”  Dave Grohl assembles huge name friends to record boring radio rock. Only three stand out tracks.

3. Eric Clapton – “Old Sock”  Clapton finally embraces his reggae influences, and could not be more boring about it.

2. The Front Bottoms – “Talon of the Hawk”  Painfully cheesy lyrics and rushed rhythms tainted one of my favorite bands.

1. The Yeah Yeah Yeahs – “Mosquito”  No real explanation here. It’s just really, unexpectedly bad.