Albums of 2011 - The Top Ten : Numbers 8, 7 and 6

8 - Oh Land : Oh Land

Nanna Oland Fabricius gave us the best pure pop album of 2011, combining carefree solid-gold tunes with an indie approach to music making. So, while the songs on Oh Land are incredibly catchy, there's layers of instrumentation, gleaming production and an understanding of art shared with kindred spirits Lykke Li and Robyn. It was sad to realise that the mainstream music industry and media would come to ignore such classic pop music, focusing instead on the latest vapid "look at me, aren't I sexy?" yelpings from the likes of Rihanna. Still, you and I shared this record together, and it was quite uplifting, wasn't it?

7 - The War On Drugs : Slave Ambient

With Slave Ambient, Adam Granduciel and his boys combined the guitar power of Bruce Springsteen with the motorik Krautrock of Neu! and Harmonia to produce a record of hazy drones, Dylanesque country meanderings and pedal-to-the-metal indie rock classics. Whether it's the driving glory of 'Baby Missiles', the swagger of 'Come to the City' or the slo-mo comedown of 'Blackwater', Slave Ambient was always a thrilling listen, and a brilliant achievement from a young man who has still got plenty to give. The new Springsteen? Maybe, although old friend and ex-bandmate Kurt Vile might have something to say about that.

6 - M83 : Hurry Up, We're Dreaming

There's just not enough double albums made any more, but thanks to Anthony Gonzales' (and guests) ambition, M83 returned with their defining statement, an album that redefined the word "epic". As always, instrumentals and spoken word interludes peppered the record, but it's the moments when everything combines, as on the magnificent 'Steve McQueen', that you can truly understand Gonzales' vision. It's as if he threw the great moments from the last three records (Dead Cities, Red Seas & Lost Ghosts, Before the Dawn Heals Us and Saturdays = Youth) and came up with Hurry Up - a near perfect encapsulation of nostalgia, dreams and everyday life, spread across two discs of stunning music.