1.Side Effects Of You – Fantasia – She has gone through a lot to get here, a nigh on perfect soul record, mixing dance and ballads to equal effect and sounding very much like the woman who has survived the life she has, indeed survived.
2. Shellshag Forever – A band that have survived and thrived by building a romance and a musical environment that suits them and here they manage to share it in perfect melody and harmony.
3.m b v – My Bloody Valentine – Decades later and this is nearly exactly the album you had hoped, guitar modulations and bruised melodies aplenty.
4. Paramore – Paramore – The great reunion album of 2013. The great return of 2013. A shockingly good album
5. Save Rock And Roll – As above only the second best.
6. Claire's Diary – Claire's Diary – A sonic surf and pop debut album so fresh and bitingly alive.
7. Based On A true Story – Blake Shelton – Astoundingly, consistently tuneful country album.
8. In Time – The Mavericks – 1990s country band add anything they damn well feel to the main ingredients and come out with near perfect country rock.
9. Without A Net – Wayne Shorter – It is, of course, all about the horn. But he plays it often and the music is unlike what we rockers are even slightly used to
10. Beautiful – Teena Marie – Ivory snow r&b old school. A magnificent album filled with strong songs, great vocals and, well, naff lyric kinda comes with the territory but a fine farewell from the great dance diva.
11. Fourth Corner – Trixie Whitley – Highly ambitious, somewhat polished, blues pop from a new master on her debut album.
12. Wakin On A Sunny Daze- Kurt Vile – Like Neil Young in mellow mode with a better guitarist but weaker songs.
13. My Shame Is True – Alkaline Trio – Not just the funniest album title, the smartest pop punk.
14. Reasons To Live – Hilly Eye – Another debut album, another soundscape folkie feminist masterpiece.
15. The 20/20 Experience – Justin Timberlake's worst solo effort is overstuffed in every imaginable way include length of songs, song suites and hooks.
16. Fade – Yo La Tengo – High melodic quotient stories of monogamy.
17. I Got A Boy – Girls Generation – Nice piece all girl band throws everything they've got at K-Pop and watch a lot of it stick.
18. Fidlar – Fidlar – Punky rock and roll from L.A.
19. Adam Ant is marrying The Gunner's daughter – Adam Ant – A sprawling mess of a rock and roll album.
20. My True Story – Aaron Neville – His back pages, produced by Keith Richards.
21. Cheaters Game – Kelly Willis And Bruce Robison – Songs for swinging married couples.
22. Honeys – Pissed Jeans – Way out there punks come noise merchants come hardcore guys.
23. Less Radio – The Normal Living – Spector meets Springsteen at Penn Station
24. One Big Particular Loop – Polysenso – Jazzy, experimental, obtuse, catchy. From the Mid-West.
25. Jamie Lidell – Jamie Lidill – Blue eyed soul goes hi-tech.
26. Face The Music – Avant – Classic r&b
27. Tinvulva – Tinvulva – Rioting grrrls
28. The Bronx IV – The Bronx – Hard rocking album.
29. Memphis – Boz Scaggs – Includes Mink de Ville' covers.
30. She – Alice Smith – Excellent old fashioned r&b except not rally old fashioned.
31. Afraid Of Height – Wavves – Eccentric surf punk experimental stuff.
32. Mosquito – Yeah Yeah Yeah – Their worst album is still pretty awesome
33. Wolf – Tyler, The Creator – Rich but still bumming
34. Same Trailer, Different Park – Kacey Musgrove -You can take the girl outta the trailer park…
35. A State Of Trance – BT – More melodic than the live DJs tend to play it.
36. Bankrupt – Phoenix – Not bad but a bit bland in the middle.
37. True Romance – Charlie XCX – Betetr pop than you imagine it will be
38. Right Place, Right Time – Bruno Mars – Right on
39. Strike Gently – The Virgins – It took awhile to kick in but moves forward from their Some Girls meets First Impressions vibe.
40. Vanishing Point – Mudhoney – They're back!
Best reissue:
Rumors (Super deluxe) – Fleetwood Mac.
Best Over 50
Without A Net – Wayne Shorter – It is, of course, all about the horn. But he plays it often and the music is unlike what we rockers are even slightly used to
Adam Ant is marrying The Gunner's daughter – Adam Ant – A sprawling mess of a rock and roll album.
My True Story – Aaron Neville – His back pages, produced by Keith Richards
Memphis – Boz Scaggs – R&B stuff from a past master.