These are the best albums of 2013

One of only three records to make multiple Cult MTL Top 10 Albums lists
 
While it may not have been a hugely momentous year for music, 2013 produced an abundance of strong debut albums across genres, impressive mid-career material and surprisingly solid comebacks. Here are six Top 10 Albums lists by the music writers at Cult MTL.
 

Lorraine Carpenter

 

1. Arcade Fire, Reflektor (Merge/Universal)

2. Chvrches, The Bones of What You Believe (Glassnote)

3. Savages, Silence Yourself (Matador)

4. Janelle Monae, Electric Lady (Bad Boy)

5. My Bloody Valentine, MBV (independent)

6. AlunaGeorge, Body Music (Island)

7. Colin Stetson, New History Warfare Vol. 3: To See More Light (Constellation)

8. Suuns, Images du Futur (Secret City)

9. Atoms for Peace, Amok (XL)

10. Murray A. Lightburn, MASS:Light (independent)
 

Johnson Cummins

 

1. Natural Snow Buildings, Daughter of Darkness (Ba Da Bing)

2. Locrian, Return to Annihilation (Relapse)

3. Chrome, Half Machine from the Sun (King of Spades)

4. Thee Silver Mt. Zion Memorial Orchestra, Fuck Off Get Free We Pour Light on Everything (Constellation)

5. Acid Mother’s Temple & the Melting Paraiso UFO, In Search of the Lost Divine Arc (Important)

6. Low, The Invisible Way (Sub Pop)

7. Colin Stetson, New History Warfare Vol. 3: To See More Light (Constellation)

8. Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Allelujah! Don’t Bend, Ascend (Constellation)

9. Gunter Schickert, Samtvogel (Important)

10. Kwaidan, Make All of the Hell of Dark Metal Bright (Bathetic)
 

Olivier Lalande

 

1. Mark Lannegan, Imitations (Vagrant)

2. Howe Gelb, Dust Bowl (Independent)

3. Boards of Canada, Tomorrow’s Harvest (Warp)

4. Avec pas d’casque, Dommage que tu sois pris EP (Grosse boîte)

5. The Sadies, Internal Sounds (Yep Roc)

6. Lost Animal, Ex-Tropical (Hardly Art)

7. She & Him, Volume 3 (Merge)

8. Daniel Romano, Come Cry With Me (Normaltown)

9. David Lynch, The Big Dream (Sacred Bones)

10. The Pastels, Slow Summits (Domino)
 

Erik Leijon

 

1. Toro y Moi, Anything in Return (Carpark)

2. Vampire Weekend, Modern Vampires of the City (XL)

3. Blood Orange, Cupid Deluxe (Domino)

4. Disclosure, Settle (Universal Island)

5. Moonface, Julia With Blue Jeans On (Paper Bag)

6. Jai Paul, Jai Paul (independent)

7. Dead Obies, Montréal $ud (Bonsound)

8. John Wizards, John Wizards (Planet Mu)

9. Pusha T, My Name Is My Name (Island Def Jam)

10. James Blake, Overgrown (Polydor/Universal)
 

Darcy MacDonald

 

1. Danny Brown, Old (Fool’s Gold)

2. Dead Obies, Montréal $ud (Bonsound)

3. The Uncluded, Hokey Fright (Rhymesayers)

4. Eminem, MMLP2 (Aftermath/Shady)

5. Alaclair Ensemble, Les Maigres Blancs d’Amérique du Noir (independent)

6. Boundary, Boundary (independent)

7. Kaytranada, Kaytra Todo (independent)

8. Poets of Rhythm, Anthology 1992 – 2003 (Daptone)

9. L.E.S., The Genesis (independent)

10. Fat Tony, Smart Ass Black Boy (independent)
 

Mike Sallot

 

1. DJ Koze, Amygdala (Pampa)

2. El-P & Killer Mike, Run the Jewels (Fool’s Gold)

3. Jessy Lanza, Pull My Hair Back (Hyperdub)

4. Daniel Avery, Drone Logic (Phantasy)

5. The Field, Cupid’s Head (Kompakt)

6. Various, After Dark 2 (Italians Do It Better)

7. Four Tet, Beautiful Rewind (Text)

8. Darkside, Random Access Memories Memories (independent)

9. Thundercat, Apocalypse (Brainfeeder)

10. Blood Orange, Cupid Deluxe (Domino)