The 15 Best Albums Of 2013 So Far

We've polled our editorial staff and come up with the 15 records we consider to be the most engaging of 2013 so far and now that the year is officially half way done, we're ready to settle on our list.

The results show it has been a big year for comebacks, a great year for Melbourne and, frankly, a pretty great year for music overall.

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Of course there's no guarantee that any of these albums will still be in our lists at the end of the year, and no guarantee that they won't jump to higher positions. But as far as a snapshot of what we've been digging this year, we're pretty happy with it.

And, remember, you can always tell us where we went wrong in the comments.

15. GHOSTFACE KILLAH – Twelve Reasons To Die

“Younge revels in the old school Wu-Tang leader's production styles, fucks it up and mixes it with some really classic soul and funk style live instrumentation, and spits out something incredible.”

One of the Wu-Tang Clan's most lauded voices, Ghostface Killah has delivered his best LP is years with the help of producer Adrian Younge. Sometimes it takes more than great production to make a hip hop LP shine, Younge triumphs here thanks to his clear love of Wu-Tang and respect for their '90s productions makes Twelve Reasons To Die an absolute triumph.

What's just as exciting as this fresh producer nailing what a Ghostface LP ought to sound like is the continued brilliance of the rapper's flow and lyricism and makes us that little bit more excited for a new Wu-Tang Clan LP. Check out our review and catch up on other Wu-Tang related releases here.

14. CHARLI XCX – True Romance

One of the better examples on shimmering electro pop released so far this year, this long-awaited debut LP from the – still very young – British indietronica artist lived up to expectations for plenty of our staff after her killer shows at Parklife towards the end of last year.

What's perhaps most exciting about this LP is that it doesn't compromise on quality throughout; while she has released a fair amount of music over the past seven years, this is the most promising piece of work that she has unleashed. Forget the shakiness of some of her mixtapes and have faith in the glorious pop that those big singles have seemed to promise for so long.

13. THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN – One Of Us Is The Killer

“It shouldn't be doubted that the creation of One Of Us Is The Killer took years off the collective lives of all involved, and that The Dillinger Escape Plan is a band that should be revered and feared by all.”

From go to whoa, this is a seriously intense assault on the ears and minds of those who listen to it and has seen the Dillinger Escape Plan once again find themselves on the lips of plenty of self-respecting heavy music fans. Our reviewers had been waiting for this LP with baited breath – it's been a long time since Option Paralysis but thankfully the wait was worth it.

The mind-boggling musicality and seemingly schizophrenic execution of all manner of disparate but hugely successful ideas make this a record that is truly not for the faint of heart. This is certainly the most intense LP to make it onto our list of 15 records of the past six months.

12. BEACHES – She Beats

“She Beats remains a surging monstrosity of precision, dynamism and considerable, brutal beauty.”

The long overdue return of the Melbourne quintet was met with almost universal acclaim earlier this year, with both their second record She Beats and the live performances that went along with it given a big gold star by those who missed the band and newcomers alike.

One of the most lauded Aussie albums of the year was certainly praised by our writers across the country, each of them making a point that She Beats saw them build on what was already a strong musical foundation. It's a pleasure to have them back…

11. QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE – …Like Clockwork

“...Like Clockwork shows that Queens are still depraved and drug-drenched. It's just that these days the boys are taking their hits from a batch far more pure.”

You can't do much better than debuting at number one on the charts, so we're pretty sure that Queens Of The Stone Age are more than happy with the Australian response to their sixth LP and first in almost six years. We certainly enjoyed what they brought to the table for their first record on the great Matador Records, though one reviewer couldn't help comparing it to past efforts.

Indeed, the slow-burning record doesn't have quite the same immediacy of some of their earlier LPs, but therein lies a great deal of its beauty, it tends to open up upon repeat listens and is going to be one rock'n'roll record that we take great comfort in all the way through the winter months.

10. JAMES BLAKE – Overgrown

“Overgrown is a lush, blossoming album.”

It was never going to be easy to live up to such a widely praised debut, but British young gun James Blake has managed to impress us greatly with Overgrown. The release of first single Retrograde just about set the internet on fire when it dropped and, while it's probably the most immediately impressive track on the set, it really is just a piece of a stunning overall picture.

After some intimate, buzz-building dates early this year, Blake will be back for bigger shows – including Splendour – at the end of this month. It will be exciting to see how some of these downbeat ditties go over in that kind of environment.

9. PARQUET COURTS – Light Up Gold

“A rare beast that works equally well as light-hearted background fare as it does when being examined under a microscope, Light Up Gold is a fine introduction to a bunch of intelligent dudes living it large and dissecting the ensuing carnage for our listening pleasure, a classic win-win.”

One of the finest garage rock finds of the year thus far, the catchy brilliance of Brooklyn-via-Texas band Parquet Courts first caught our attention among the SxSW hype and after hearing their Light Up Gold LP had scored a local release, we were pretty excited.

Said LP is great fun, but that's not where it ends – there's certainly a great deal of substance to these songs as well. The way the guitars work off of each other and the variety of different, often quite inventive, vocal hooks all amount to a really impressive cut of garage rock in a scene that has recently become inundated with bands of little substance. It's really very, very enjoyable.

8. UNDERGROUND LOVERS – Weekend

“The original five-piece (augmented by Emma Bortignon's inclusion) have crafted ten tracks that cross the multiple genres the band has dabbled in over the course of their six-album discography, while offering a panache and verve that surpasses most of their modern day contemporaries.”

It may have taken over 12 years to get them to release a new LP, but when it was announced that Underground Lovers would have a new record on shelves this year, people were very excited indeed. It's a good thing they managed to channel a lot of what made them so great back in the day, then. Their varied take on indie rock had our reviewers just about falling over themselves.

Perhaps the timing is just right for a new Underground Lovers LP, or maybe we're just happy to have them back on our stereos; whatever it is, they're well-deserved top-ten placegetters at this juncture and here's hoping they can hold on for the end of year poll.

7. STEVE EARLE & THE DUKES (AND DUCHESSES) – The Low Highway

“Everyone knows that he is one of the best songwriters on the planet, but this record suggests he's not content, he's still striving to hit new and exciting heights.”

The quality of Steve Earle's 14th studio actually took us a little by surprise, if we're honest. While he's continued to write brilliant songs the whole way through his career, it has been a while since an entire record of his has been this unbelievably good. Chilling tales of torching department stores, good old fashioned road songs and introspective laments all sit alongside each other with ease here.

He has The Dukes behind him again for The Low Highway and has augmented that band with some assistance from his wife Allison Moorer and Eleanor Whitmore – thus the expanded band name this time around. It's going to be hard to top for the Americana/country/roots album of the year, we reckon.

6. DAFT PUNK – Random Access Memories

“The only boundaries are those set by The Robots.”

Well we didn't quite become victims of “the Daftermath” but we also haven't considered it to be the defining album of 2013. Well, not musically anyway.

We're not about to go into a diatribe about the hype that surrounded it, but we will say that we were mostly pretty pleased with the first album from the acclaimed French duo in eight years. A bunch of special guests and a more “real” sound makes this a more than solid funk record that ought to be remembered well after the marketing campaign has been forgotten.

5. SAVAGES – Silence Yourself

“It's refreshing to hear a band that commits to its influences but twists them into something vibrating with life.”

Silence Yourself is certainly one of the most talked about indie records of the year and we weren't immune to getting caught up in all the noise that has been made about this debut from the young London post-punk group.

We don't know if it's the obvious influences, the raw energy that pumps through the songs or just that unspeakable something that makes this LP so endearing, but it's an exciting piece of work from a band who are no doubt on a very steep ascent.

4. DICK DIVER – Calendar Days

“A restrained and at times wistful album that's rife with melodic hooks, lyrical inventiveness and welcoming tones.”

After making their ways into the hearts of indie rock lovers around the country with their New Start Again debut back in 2011, it's so exciting to hear that Dick Diver have been able to capitalise on this new attention by dropping another blinder of a record.

Things haven't changed all that much, the band are still taking cues from similar places, but their awkward charm keeps them pretty much right at the top of the pile. What happens next? If this record is anything to go by we'll just get more of the same from the band as they progress and, frankly, we're more than okay with that.

3. PRIMAL SCREAM – More Light

“It's hard to not get into the album's opening tune, 2013. The nine-minute rocker is held together by a groovy, jazz punk saxophone riff and wah-drenched guitar licks. The Kevin Shields' production shines through and it's easily the best song they've released in years.”

It's hard to believe, but album number ten might have seen Primal Scream reach a new apex. Yep, the Scottish rockers have written a stunning set of tunes for More Light and it has all come together in a way that's nothing short of brilliant. Though not everyone felt that way…

It's a lengthy record and has certainly given us something to sink our teeth into over the past couple of months that we've had it, and both the sheer number of ideas and the way in which they are executed make this a really inspiring example of how truly great bands can continue more than successfully for a sustained period of time.

2. DISCLOSURE – Settle

“Beam this shit out to the far reaches; it's next level stuff.”

Are we just too excited? Has the novelty not worn off? Or has the record missed top spot due it being so new? The true brilliance of the record will become more apparent after we've had a little while longer to sit on it, but for now it's pretty much completely blown our minds.

A stack of brilliant collaborators add their voices to the forward thinking electronic dance music of the young Lawrence brothers to culminate in what is, at the moment, feeling like it will be the best electronic album we've heard in years. It's so good that it feels defining; it has the pop nous but it's never bland. Stunning stuff.

1. NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS – Push The Sky Away

“An understated gem that revels in Cave's dark lyrical frivolity, gutter-courting mirth and instrumental gymnastics, all coalescing into a man's laconic post-script as he looks back on an age of hedonism and banality.”

He finally got to the top of the charts with this record earlier this year and Nick Cave's most recent charms have retained their power since Push The Sky Away's February release. Another triumph for one of our country's most treasured musical icons, this album is a wholly engrossing showcase of Cave's brilliant, still unmatched lyrical prowess and could be one of the most unique number one albums of the year.

It certainly doesn't have the punishing qualities that make Grinderman what they are, nor is it as bombastic an affair as the last Bad Seeds LP, Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!! but Push The Sky Away is just further proof that this band – no matter their personnel – will continue to be an mportant part of our musical landscape for a long time to come.