The best of 2011 and 1 to watch

It has been an interesting music year for the Otago Daily Times reviewers. Today, Jeff Harford shares his top albums for 2011 and one to watch.

Wilco. The Whole Love

It's encouraging to see a band continue to shape and reshape its sound without jumping the shark. Wilco's eighth album emits a familiar warm glow but this time there are touches of processed beats and sparingly employed samples that lend proceedings a contemporary edge. But once again, it's the superb three-guitar interplay and masterful invention of the (very much organic) rhythm section that bring Jeff Tweedy's

understated songs to life, proving that this band is still some distance from the finish line.

PJ Harvey. Let England Shake

What an extraordinary album this is. With three songs directly referencing the Gallipoli campaign and most others evoking the bloody horrors of the Great War, you'd hardly expect to be seduced. But such is the allure of its misty, grey beauty that this ghostly tour through battlefield and bunker becomes fascinating and necessary. Harvey can only have attempted this in the full knowledge she faced being pilloried for overstretching her artiness, so more power to her for going where few dare tread.

Yuck. Yuck

This release from London four-piece Yuck gets a big tick for proving there is still joy to be found in grungy, overdriven guitars and delicious pop hooks.

Yes, almost every sound can be traced back to Sonic Youth, Dinosaur Jr, Pavement et al but the album captures the freewheeling spirit of a very good band on its debut, prepared to simply capture the oily essence of the great songs and jams that have been waiting in the wings. And there are plenty of signs that this cohesive unit will continue to mature, given its willingness to dial back the volume on a handful of gorgeous tracks.

ONE TO WATCH

Youth Lagoon

Youth Lagoon is the project of 22-year-old Boise, Idaho musician Trevor Powers. His home-recorded debut The Year Of Hibernation was released to generally favourable reviews in September following a typically frenetic buzz in the blogosphere after Powers put up a couple of songs on Bandcamp earlier in the year, but the true test will come as he adjusts to all this attention. Producing fragile, ethereal music somewhere on the continuum between Daniel Johnston and Spaceman 3, Powers hopefully has it in him to find inspiration outside the bedroom.