1. Drake - Nothing Was The Same (Deluxe)
I've not listened to an album this obsessively since I was 15 and heavily into metal. Neither has any other album has had me so unashamedly singing along in the car. It's got the right mix between Drake telling it how it is and pretending to be gansta. Some of the vocal hooks will still be creeping into my head for years to come. It's a straight classic and it didn't take much more than a song length journey home to get a few friends hooked too.
Despite showing everybody how completely out of touch he is with reality and trying desperately to convince people that his problems should matter to YOU, he still puts out bangers. There's clearly more to Kanye than he'll ever let on and getting together some of the finest producers in the rap game together to produce your album shows some degree of humility and awareness, two words not often associated with him after an interview appearance. If there's one thing this album succeeds in, it's empowering the listener. Yes Kanye, "I AM A GOD!"
3. Holden - The Inheritors
Disappointed to only see this on RA top spot for album of 2013, it was virtually non-existent everywhere else. Some of the tracks are pretty overwhelming, with so many weird and wonderful sounds being thrown on top of you, it can all get very intense. Constantly exploiting the ambiguity of electronic music to its fullest, each track pulled out an array of mixed emotions. As a boomkat review might say, "Tip!"
Unbeatable breaks, I could listen to Crimson on repeat for hours. The real star of the show is the title track though. Those perfectly arranged Formula 1 car sounds never fail to send shivers down my spine.
5. Blood Orange - Cupid Deluxe
Listened to the opening track on repeat for days, it's pop song writing at its best. A heart wrenching and self-defeating album (basically the Yeezus antithesis) with a Skepta feature being a nice surprise and one of the best things he's done all year.
Kowton / Beneath / Luke Benjamin / Karizma / Juicy J / Alex Coulton
Every Brackles show and by extension, Murlo, for keeping UK Funky (barely) alive.
Noah "40" Shebib is producer of the year.
Beyoncé put out an album I could actually listen watch to all the way through.
All that deep, dark, brooding and dread techno I discovered. More in 2014 please.
Where is my hard copy of Fire & Smoke?
Where is Stranger Returns?
Where is Rise of the Lengman? Have I pre-ordered a CD that doesn't exist?
Why did I only reach 1 proper dance this year?
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