1. Kendrick Lamar
To Pimp A Butterfly
The runaway winner, without a doubt, was Kendrick Lamar’s masterful To Pimp A Butterfly. It has arrived into a world barely ready for it, equal parts rallying cry and self-evisceration. Yet somehow, he has broken down every barrier of accessibility to reveal himself as one of the most insightful and talented storytellers of his generation, and it helps that the music is drenched in loving reverence for the soul, funk and hip-hop titans of the past. The comparisons to Biggie and Nas aren’t out of place. We’re watching the birth of a true legend, and he’s only getting started.

2. Tame Impala
Currents
A day-glo explosion of full spectrum noise and colour – Tame Impala havegraduated from their precise and twisted brand of psych rock to make a record of explosive pop music. From the supercharged drums, through the yawning basslines to the expansive, clean harmony, Kevin Parker has dragged his genre up to date and into the glorious sunshine. Just put on ‘Let It Happen’ and fall into its overwhelming sound.

3. Foals
What Went Down
Some of the British indie kid bias is starting to shine through, but that’s no bad thing when scene icons Foals are putting out brutal, visceral rock music like this. A top tier live act, they exude an infectious confidence starting with frontman and heartthrob Yannis Philippakis who remains a magnetic prescence. They’ll be blasting all that confidence in arenas across the world over the coming months; an old-school rock juggernaut.

4. Jamie xx
In Colour
Ever since his emergence as a solo producer back in the early 2000s, it has been obvious that a big project has been lurking inside him: the smart but muted tones of We’re New Here and his Young Turks singles undersold both Jamie xx’s singular talent and his undoubted ambition. In Colour delivers both in spades, presenting a warm and affectionate glide through decades of dance music, with his trademark melancholy hanging in the background all the while.

5. Sufjan Stevens
Carrie & Lowell
If melancholy peers through the closed shutters on In Colour, it’s leaking through the ceiling and drenching the inhabitants in Sufjan Stevens’ Carrie & Lowell. He descends from the intricate, fantastical worlds of his state-albums (Illinois being the most celebrated) to tell a deeply personal and gutwrenching story. In fact, the arc of Sufjan’s relationship with his mother is told by her marked absence; she haunts the album, in every lyric, every narrative point, every production decision. There has never been any doubt that he is a stupidly talented songwriter, but never before has he put his efforts towards such arresting material.

6. Vince Staples
Summertime ‘06
The flipside of Kendrick in a hugely successful year for West Coast rap is the debut of Long Beach native Vince Staples. Summertime ‘06 is a retelling of one long, traumatic summer for Staples, sweeping between escapist substance abuse, the death of close friends, the violence of the police in the deathly ‘Norf Norf’ and, most brutally, the apathetic gaze of the outside world in ‘Señorita’. All tied together with a taut, fizzing flow and the typical lowslung West Coast sound, Summertime presents an image of life with a genuinely unique energy and cynical anger. An artist to watch very closely indeed.

7. Deerhunter
Fading Frontier
Deerhunter defy simplification. After a decade of thrillingly offkilter rock, the band seem to have mellowed out and lost the punk misanthropy that pervaded previous outing Monomania. In its place is a collection of sparkling pop from the astral ‘Take Care’ to the clockwork ‘Breaker’. It is the sound of demons finally being confronted; of Bradford Cox finally becoming “domestic”. That’s not to say the queerness and spite have disappeared. It means they’re under control and being used to stunning effect.

8. Kurt Vile
b’lieve I’m goin down...
The latest refinement of a well worn and well loved formula, Kurt Vile’s latest has him putting together a quiet storm of immaculate retro indie music. A throwback to the days when musicians had big hair and even bigger piles of emotional baggage to share.

   

   

9. Father John Misty
I Love You, Honeybear
The former Fleet Fox emerged this year as a mean and talented folk musician. That said, his sex appeal, pervasive sarcasm and the poignant clarity of his songwriting have elevated him to a cult hero. Check out his Taylor Swift covers if you aren’t convinced.

    

   

10. Björk
Vulnicura
The warrior-queen of art pop descended from the heavens and blessed us with one of the most devastatingly heartbreaking albums ever heard, minutely detailing the end of her marriage. A harrowing listen for its brutal lyrics, it it held together by its cathartic instrumentation and production. Her combination with production superstar Arca paid off hugely, with glorious moments whenever elastic voice, teasing strings and glassy synth collide.