Best albums of 2011…so far

We are more than halfway through this year and 2011 has no shortage of amazing music. Here are our picks for the top albums of 2011 so far:

BON IVER by Bon Iver
Bon Iver's eponymous second studio album exceeds all expectations. Seemingly a new musical departure from the old Bon Iver sound of the debut album For Emma , Forever Ago, and the incandescent EP, Blood Bank, this album showcases broader horizons musically for Bon Iver. With the tracks appropriately titled as geographical places, listening to this album is definitely akin to taking a mini holiday.
The Filter Picks: "Holocene", "Michicant", "Wash.", "Calgary"

BURST APART by The Antlers
Hands down one of my top three favorite albums of the year. With Burst Apart, The Antlers brought musicality to a whole new level. Not as searing as their debut album, Hospice, but in effect, more musically breathtaking. I believe that this album will garner The Antlers a bigger following. Burst Apart is to The Antlers as to The Suburbs is to The Arcade Fire, bringing them out to the consciousness of the masses.
The Filter Picks: "I Don't Want Love", "Parentheses", "No Widows", "Every Night My Teeth Are Falling Out"

JAMES BLAKE by James Blake
2011 seem to be a year for superb eponymous albums. James Blake's self-tited debut album received both commercial and critical success. Reminiscent of Thom Yorke and Justin Vernon, Blake's sound is a combo of electronic glitches, dubstep, plaintive ballads, with a mix of classical music and pop. No matter how you may classify his music, these eleven gorgeous tracks are just amazing and unforgettable.
The Filter Picks: "Unluck", "Wilhelm's Scream", "Limit To Your Love", "Measurements"

WOUNDED RHYMES by Lykke Li
The charismatic Swedish singer-songwriter's second studio album lost all the girlish cuteness of Youth Novels. Wounded Rhymes has a darker, more skeptical, tormented sound reminiscent of old-school torch songs. Which is ironic, considering the fact that she wrote and recorded the album is sunny Los Angeles. The album, however, is still steeped in catchy melodies and addictive indie-pop sound Lykke Li is known for.
The Filter Picks: "I Follow Rivers", "Get Some", "Rich Kids Blues", "I Know Places"


More top albums in Part 2...