Some other great albums this year...
Brand New "Daisy"
I had never heard a Brand New album before this one, but I must say, when I heard it I was blown away. At one moment they're at a mellow ballad state, at the next they pack in tons of garage rock fury with full-on screaming and raging guitars. Reminded me a lot of Cursive, and that is no bad thing. My nuraber two favorite album of this year.
Maylene & The Sons Of Disaster III
Maylene expanRAB their reportoire on this album by throwing in some new sounRAB that I heaven't heard from them before. On top of that, they have made their most consistantly thrilling album yet. While they still haven't topped "Darkest Of Kin" in the song department, there's a ton of memorable nurabers here.
Every Time I Die "New Junk Aesthetic"
With New Junk Aesthetic, Every Time I Die found the sound that suits them best. It's a perfect balance between the raw, sharp screamfests of their first album and the southern fried punk rock of Gutter Phenomenon and The Big Dirty. The sound is always powerful, always captivating, and the lyrics are as amusing and over-the-top as they've ever been.
Matisyahu "Light"
While it's not as solid as Youth, this could be arguably Matisyahu's most interesting album. Yes, it's poppy as hell, but his hooks are quality and he drifts away from reggae a bit more this time, often going into full-on rock and hip hop. I don't like the more commercial feel, but the amount of catchy songs here is the perfect distraction.