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THE TOP 31 LP’S OF ’11 > #9. RIHANNA – TALK THAT TALK

Posted by Adem on Dec 27, 2011 in Albums of the Year 2011, Rihanna

#9. RIHANNA – TALK THAT TALK

I’ve always been a casual fan of Rihanna’s over the years but aside from Good Girl Gone Bad, I’d never really gone on record as saying I enjoyed any of her albums. A firm believer that my favourite Rihanna album would be one released in the future titled “Greatest Hits”, I wrote Rated R off as a tragic mess. But in hindsight it was actually not only quite ahead of its time but also her greatest album. Then there’s last years Loud which admittedly did not resonate with me until earlier this year. And if you’re going to ask me about the first two albums all I’m going to say is that I am only here for their singles, nothing more.

Knowing full well that Talk That Talk was going to be somewhat of a rush-job I still threw myself onto the Rihanna Stanwagon well before we’d even heard a second song from the record... Talk That Talk plays out with as much confidence (if not more) than last years Loud and whilst it may not be as classic an album as Rated R, it very nearly gets there.

There is no denying that the opening five tracks are a burst of excitement which easily take this record into legendary territory... “You Da One”, “Where Have You Been”, “We Found Love”, “Talk That Talk”, “Cockiness (I Love It)”... The “Birthday Cake” fiasco is one of the most confusing moves in pop this year.

After the blink-and-you’ll-miss-it disappointment of “Birthday Cake”, Talk That Talk is gradually salvaged by slow-burning, heartfelt and sincere ballads like “We All Want Love” and “Drunk On Love”... Rihanna’s got at least another three singles from this album... There is no such thing as a bad Rihanna album either.

THE TOP 31 LP’S OF ’11 > #10. LADY GAGA – BORN THIS WAY

Posted by Adem on Dec 26, 2011 in Albums of the Year 2011, Lady Gaga

#10. LADY GAGA – BORN THIS WAY

As ‘controversial’ a move as people may think placing Gaga’s Born This Way at Number 10 may be, believe me when I say that it was a hard decision... Born This Way is precisely four songs too long.

The brilliance of title track “Born This Way”... “Judas”, “Marry The Night”, “Bloody Mary”, “SchieBe”, “Heavy Metal Lover”, “The Edge of Glory”... I may not consider myself to be a “little monster” anymore but she is one of the most talented pop acts in the game.

THE TOP 31 LP’S OF ’11 > #11. ADELE – 21

Posted by Adem on Dec 26, 2011 in Albums of the Year 2011, Adele

#11. ADELE – 21

I know that this album has probably been talked about on blogs and music sites more than any other record this year... 21 features 13 songs that made me howl like a newborn baby each time I heard them. A truly spectacular and amazing record.

Best songs: “Someone Like You”, “I’ll Be Waiting”, “Rumour Has It”, “Rolling In The Deep”, “Set Fire To The Rain”, “One & Only” and “He Won’t Go.”

THE TOP 31 LP’S OF ’11 > #12. THE SOUND OF ARROWS – VOYAGE

Posted by Adem on Dec 21, 2011 in Album of the year, The Sound of Arrows

#12. THE SOUND OF ARROWS – VOYAGE

Sweden’s The Sound Of Arrows have been an Internet favourite since their first single... This incredibly long-awaited debut Voyage is saturated with fresh and vibrant sun-kissed pop music... Each songs peak is helped along by strong, melancholic harmonies... “Into The Clouds”, “Wonders”, “Nova”, “There Is Still Hope”, “Magic”, “Conquest”... Voyage is a triumph of truly epic proportions.

THE TOP 31 LP’S OF ’11 > #13. DARREN HAYES – SECRET CODES & BATTLESHIPS

Posted by Adem on Dec 21, 2011 in Albums of the Year 2011, Darren Hayes

#13. DARREN HAYES – SECRET CODES AND BATTLESHIPS

Of all the previous Darren Hayes releases none has captured my imagination quite as vehemently as Secret Codes and Battleships... “Bloodstained Heart”, “God Walking Into The Room”, “Talk Talk Talk”, “Glorious”, “Explode”... For me, this is his brightest, most immediate collection of songs to date.

THE TOP 31 LP’S OF ’11 > #14. SEPTEMBER – LOVE CPR

Posted by Adem on Dec 21, 2011 in Album of the year, September

#14. SEPTEMBER – LOVE CPR

When you combine the pop goodness of Sweden’s September... Love CPR is full of pop hits that may never earn their rightful places atop of the singles charts. There’s stuff on here that is as commercially instant as September’s biggest hit “Cry For You”.

THE TOP 31 LP’S OF ’11 > #15. FRIENDLY FIRES – PALA

Posted by Adem on Dec 20, 2011 in Albums of the Year 2011, Friendly Fires

#15. FRIENDLY FIRES – PALA

Three years after their impressive self-titled debut, Friendly Fires return with an album bursting with confidence and intricate growth... Pala may not be as perfect as their debut but that doesn’t stop it from being one of 2011’s best records.