1. FRANK OCEAN Channel Orange
The Odd Future member turns R&B on its head with an introspective, brave and inventive debut driven by his free-form flow and falsetto.
2. A.C. NEWMAN Shut Down The Streets
The clever New Pornographer goes for poignancy and subtlety here, but his classic-pop songwriting standards stay as high as ever.
3. YAMANTAKA//SONIC TITAN – YT//ST
A strange and otherworldly metal- and noh-wave-influenced album worth listening to all day and night.
4. MIGUEL Kaleidoscope Dream
Psychedelic and orchestral touches (plus incredibly funky bass lines) make this far more than your average R&B album.
5. RAE SPOON – I Can’t Keep All Of Our Secrets
A delicate but powerful and insanely melodic electro-pop meditation on grief.
6. ALT-J – An Awesome Wave
Seriously loopy vocals weave through layers of folky guitar-picking, electronic sputterings and art-rock tangents.
7. ROSE COUSINS – We Have Made A Spark
A sadder than sad, startlingly beautiful, emotionally naked album from a masterful singer/songwriter.
8. CAT POWER – Sun
Chan Marshall goes electronic and turns out a soulful, optimistic standout.
9. DAPHNI – Jiaolong
The ever-creative Dan Snaith delivers a sparse yet ecstatic dance-floor electronic album.
10. BEACH HOUSE – Bloom
A dream-pop album soaked in a radiant nostalgia that unfurls to sky-reaching heights on every tune.
