In addition to top 15 songs, I put together a list of the 5 best albums for the year. Here are 5 great albums worth picking up.

• Broken Bells - Broken Bells
  I dig this album and Broken Bells’ sound. It’s fantastic to find something unique, and I have nothing but great things to say about this collaboration album. Worth diving into, if you haven’t added it to your collection already.
  Try: The High Road, The Ghost Inside, Mongrel Heart
• Corinne Bailey Rae - The Sea
  Yeah. You read that right. Corinne Bailey Rae. Surprised me too. I just like it. Easy to listen to the whole album… multiple times in a row. Great for a lazy weekend day.
  Try: The Blackest Lily, Paper Dolls, Closer
• Down the Way - Angus & Julis Stone
  Very mellow album that needs a couple listens to stick. Once it does, it’ll firmly hold a spot in the CD changer for a month or two. There’s something about it. Maybe it’s Julia’s “softly rough” voice, maybe something else. It’s just good.
  Try: Hold On, Yellow Brick Road, Big Jet Plane
• God Willin’ & The Creek Don’t Rise - Ray LaMontagne
  Didn’t like it at first. At all. Now I like it. A lot. Solid. I am absolutely a Ray LaMontagne fan. I’ll buy anything he puts out.
  Try: Beg Steal or Borrow, Like Rock & Roll Radio, This Love is Over
• Brothers - The Black Keys
  Stripped-down, old-fashioned blues-rock. It evokes a feeling of being at a sunny music festival with a carefree attitude and a beer in hand. Great all the way through. Impossible to avoid tapping a toe and feeling the music take over.
  Try: Howlin’ for You, Ten Cent Pistol, Tighten Up

Pick ‘em up. Let me know what you think.