1. m b v – My Bloody Valentine – Decades later and this is nearly exactly the album you had hoped, guitar modulations and bruised melodies aplenty.
2. Claire's Diary – Claire's Diary – A sonic surf and pop debut album so fresh and bitingly alive.
3. Based On A true Story – Blake Shelton – Astoundingly, consistently tuneful country album.
4. 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.
5. 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
6 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.
7. Fourth Corner – Trixie Whitley – Highly ambitious, somewhat polished, blues pop from a new master on her debut album.
8.. Reasons To Live – Hilly Eye – Another debut album, another soundscape folkie feminist masterpiece.
9. The 20/20 Experience – Justin Timberlake's worst solo effort is overstuffed in every imaginable way include length of songs, song suites and hooks.
10. Fade – Yo La Tengo – High melodic quotient stories of monogamy.
11. 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.
12. . Fidlar – Fidlar – Punky rock and roll from L.A.
13. Adam Ant is marrying The Gunner's daughter – Adam Ant – A sprawling mess of a rock and roll album.
14. My True Story – Aaron Neville – His back pages, produced by Keith Richards.
15. Cheaters Game – Kelly Willis And Bruce Robison – Songs for swinging married couples.
16. Honeys – Pissed Jeans – Way out there punks come noise merchants come hardcore guys.
17. Less Radio – The Normal Living – Spector meets Springsteen at Penn Station
18.. One Big Particular Loop – Polysenso – Jazzy, experimental, obtuse, catchy. From the Mid-West.
19. Jamie Lidell – Jamie Lidill – Blue eyed soul goes hi-tech.
20. Face The Music – Avant – Classic r&b
21. Tinvulva – Tinvulva – Rioting grrrls
22. The Bronx IV – The Bronx – Hard rocking album.
23. Memphis – Boz Scaggs – Includes Mink de Ville' covers.
24. She – Alice Smith – Excellent old fashioned r&b except not rally old fashioned.
25. Afraid Of Height – Wavves – Eccentric surf punk experimental stuff.
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.
Comment: A quarter of the year through 2013 and it is a bit of a loser. Music has been on a slow but constant trickle down ward since Black Eyed Peas failed to change EDM with The END. So many big bands have brought out bad albums over the past two years and if bad is too strong, just say whatever albums, let downs, nothing you will remember in three months from now. Some of them (Hi Justin Timberlake!) may well be on this very list.