Best of 2011: Albums: Haiku Edition

Okay, so I definitely fell behind this year when it came to album posts and reviews. But that's not going to stop me from subjecting you to yet another Best of 2011 list, which will be my favourite albums of 2011, in -- what else? -- haiku form. It's actually going to be less of a "best of" and more of a "personal favourite". I completely acknowledge that there may have been, technically, better albums this year; but some of those "better" ones I just couldn't get into for some reason *cough*Feist*cough*
So here it is. While the list is not numbered, it is in a vague order of "least-best" to "best", and I've included EPs as well as LPs because why not, that's why.

The King Is Dead by The Decemberists
Back down to basics
Strong songwriting from Meloy
As you would expect

Diaper Island by Chad VanGaalen
Refined and focused
Soaring vocals, instruments
On top of his game

Days Into Years by Elliott BROOD
Suitably toned down
War memorial inspired
Brilliant songwriting

Portage & Main by Portage & Main
A solid debut
Strong folk rock, heartfelt lyrics
Great blend of voices

Eureka by Mother Mother
Infectious and fun
But not without some darkness
Stellar shared vocals

Orchard by Jess Hill
Incredible voice
Beautiful and haunting songs
Mesmerizing folk

Michigan Left by Arkells
A bit more polished
But still more fun rock and roll
A strong follow-up

The Whole Love by Wilco
More adventurous
Bookended with two great songs
Their best in a while

Let's All March Back Into The Sea by The Liptonians
Cacophonous sound
A whole host of instruments
And clever lyrics

Summer of Lust by Library Voices
Energetic songs
Sharp, intelligent lyrics
Pop at its finest

No Bad Days by Wide Mouth Mason
Six years since their last
New bassist Gordie Johnson
Haven't missed a step

We're All Friends & Lovers Until It Falls Apart EP by Redbird
Strong, lovely voice
Coupled with great songwriting
Wonderful debut

Seeds by Hey Rosetta!
Heartbreaking lyrics
Symphonic and grandiose
Complex yet catchy

We're All Dying To Live by Rich Aucoin
Highly ambitious
Perfect, cinematic flow
Brilliantly unique

Apocalyptic Radio Cynic by Sidney York
Insanely catchy
Clever, sexy, sometimes dark
Power-pop with depth

Temporary Resident by Imaginary Cities
Take one stellar voice
One stupendeous musician
For near perfect pop

Kaputt by Destroyer
Rich, dense, and jazz-y
Lyrically ambiguous
Very beautiful

Oh Fortune by Dan Mangan
Darker and more dense
Rich music, poignant lyrics
Exponential growth

Take Care, Take Care, Take Care by Explosions in the Sky
Crashing crescendos
Breathtaking rises and falls
Far beyond "epic"

High School EP by We Are The City
More going on here
Than most have in a full length
Nearly perfection

Degeneration Street by The Dears
All-star Dears line-up
From the brink of destruction
Better than ever

Lights of Endangered Species by Matthew Good
Full of emotion
Amazingly orchestral
A career highlight

The 2011 Polaris Short List

It's that time again; the people at the Polaris Music Prize have announced the short list of the ten albums in contention for the "best full-length Canadian album based on artistic merit, regardless of genre, sales, or record label". This year the prize money has been bumped up to $30,000, and for the first time each of the other nine albums on the short list will receive $2,000. Any album (more than 30 minutes/8 tracks long) out from June 1st 2010 to May 31 2011 is eligible. 
Past winners have been Final Fantasy, He Poos Clouds (2006) Patrick Watson, Close to Paradise (2007) Caribou, Andorra (2008) Fucked Up, The Chemistry of Common Life (2009) and Karkwa, Les Chemins De Verre (2010) and the big gala announcing the winners goes down on September 19th.

So let's see how this year stacks up, shall we? Here they are, in a vague order of the ones I personally want to win least to most.

House of Balloons
The Weeknd
New History Warfare Vol 2: Judges
Colin Stetson
Tigre Et Diesel
Galaxie

Long Player Late Bloomer
Ron Sexsmith
Creep On Creepin On
Timber Timbre




Feel It Break
Austra
Native Speaker


The Suburbs


Seeds
Hey Rosetta!


Kaputt
Destroyer




I think this year I have only listened to half the albums in full, so I can't really give too many opinions so far. The Weeknd is the only one on the list that I have just not liked; "not my thing", maybe. Colin Stetson, I just don't get. I mean, I understand the musicianship behind it, and if there is indeed no looping, it is impressive, but I just can't get into it. Maybe if I listen to the full album I will appreciate it more. Both Timber Timbre and Austra I like okay, but need to listen to more. Braids I want to like a lot more than I actually do. Arcade Fire seems to be the "lock" to win, which is exactly why I think it won't. Polaris has never been predictable in the past, why start now. Hey Rosetta! and Destroyer have both been among my favourite albums this year, so those are my top two picks. It would be great if Hey Rosetta! won, but I would love to see Dan Bejar take it.
If nothing else, it is going to be an interesting couple of months, for debate and music listening. I may revisit this post closer to the date when I have more time to digest the list and listen more to the albums in question.