The 25 Best Albums of 2011 (So Far)

Halfway through the year, we take a look back at our favorite albums, mixtapes, and EPs.

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Image via Complex Original
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RELATED: The 50 Best Albums of 2016

RELATED: The Best Albums of 2017

Intro

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Goblin

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#25. Tyler, The Creator, Goblin

Released: May 10 (Click Here To Buy It Now On MP3)

Label: XL Recordings

Complex says: With Goblin, Tyler didn’t allow himself to take the easy way out and merely shock us until we were no longer amused. Instead he takes us through the peaks and valleys of being an emotional teenager filled with both talent and anger. Clever and entertaining, Tyler’s shock factor and fascination with violence appeals to his age group. However, his tales of self-consciousness and struggles with acceptance are what make Goblin relevant to audiences of all ages.

Dye It Blonde

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#24. Smith Westerns, Dye It Blonde

Released: January 18 (Click Here To Buy It Now On MP3)

Label: Fat Possum Records

Complex says: The Smith Westerns was one of our favorite bands of '09 when their original album came out and their second album is distinctly better. It's more fun, more glam, more big pop-influenced, and more awesome in almost every way. From the big band feel of “Weekend” and “End of the Night” to the more melancholy “All Die Young,” the record keeps its stadium sound rocking in Queen-like effervescence. It helps when you get in a studio with an actual producer. Even more when that person is Chris Coady ( of TV on the Radio fame). Let's not forget the John Lennon-inspired, “Imagine pt. 3.” Anyone who doesn't fall on their face after trying something like that has a considerable amount of talent and a damn good album.

Lasers

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#23. Lupe Fiasco, Lasers

Released: March 4 (Click Here To Buy It Now On MP3)

Label: Atlantic Records

Complex says: In juggling Atlantic Records' idea for a more commercially focused album, with his diehard fans' stubbornness for a follow-up to 2007’s The Cool, Lupe delivered against his greatest challenge yet. His wordplay and double and triple entendres were ever present, and masterfully scattered throughout. With Lasers, Lupe proved that he’s a multi-dimensional artist skilled enough to bend and produce what is wanted, while carefully filling it with his own prescription of exactly what is needed. Sure, Lu told us he hated the album. But then again, director Alan Parker once described Pink Floyd: The Wall as, "One of the most miserable experiences of my creative life." So it's just a reminder for us that maybe an artist isn't the best judge of their own work.

Give The Drummer Some

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#22. Travis Barker, Give the Drummer Some

Released: March 15 (Click Here To Buy It Now On MP3)

Label: Interscope

Complex says: These things usually don't work. A punk rocker with hip-hop friends gets together to record a rock/hop fusion thing with himself on the drums and the likes of the Game, Lil Wayne, Rza, Raekwon, Pharrell, and a whole host of others on vocals. The strange thing is that it all somehow comes together. After what he's been through with the plane crash that took the lives of four others and left he and DJ Am in critical condition, it's safe to say that Barker feels like he's been given a second chance at life. He doesn't waste it, playing his drums with a controlled rage that rivals his Blink 182 days. Songs like “Just Chill” and “Carry It” are wildly catchy and it just goes to show that Barker can never be counted out.

Fear of God

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#21. Pusha T, Fear Of God

Released: March 21

Label: N/A

Complex says: Fear Of God saw Pusha T showing us how potentially great he could be. His first project since signing with G.O.O.D. Music saw him attacking beats like Jay-Z's "Can I Live" and Lil Wayne's "Money On My Mind," and offering up new songs with Rick Ross, Kanye, and 50 Cent, while spewing his trademark tales about drug dealing and living the high life. It didn't break new ground, but his truthfulness and insight kept things intriguing, which is a testament to the skill that has made him one of hip-hop’s most respected lyricists.

Hot Sauce Committee Part 2

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#20. Beastie Boys, Hot Sauce Committee Part Two

Released: March 3 (Click Here To Buy It Now On MP3)

Label: Capitol Records

Complex says: On Hot Sauce Committee Part Two, the Beastie Boys demonstrated how to age well in hip-hop. Instead of being stuck trying to appeal to a younger audience, the trio continues to push the envelope in both production and subject matter. Their rhyme-schemes and delivery are on point as they insert their unique perspective on what hip-hop has become. HSCPT feels like an inspired rebirth for the gang, kickstarting a career that has already spanned over 20 years.

Finally Famous

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#19. Big Sean, Finally Famous: The Album

Released: June 28 (Click Here To Buy It Now On MP3)

Label: G.O.O.D Music, Def Jam

Complex says: Big Sean's debut LP showed that he has substance to match his ability to entertain. Lyrically, he was able to hold his own with heavyweights like Rick Ross and Pusha T. But he also showed that he can also stretch himself for mainstream viability on songs alongside Chris Brown and Wiz Khalifa. No I.D. held down the boards and Sean took advantage—aggressively stepping out of Kanye’s shadow and into the spotlight.

Bon Iver

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#18. Bon Iver, Bon Iver

Released: June 28 (Click Here To Buy It Now On MP3)

Label: Jagjajuwar

Complex says: Bon Iver was catapulted into the national spotlight last year after an invitation to work with Kanye West on My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. But many first came upon him with his 2007 album, For Emma, Forever Ago, which saw Iver fold himself into the recesses of a cabin in his native Wisconsin, where he made an album that sounded like the setting of a winter sunset. This self-titled second effort is not as free flowing and painful, but just as beautiful. Mood music to the fullest. If you ever need to soundtrack for a weekend in nature, or zone out and pretend like you're having one, this is it.

Return of 4eva

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#17. Big K.R.I.T., Return Of 4Eva

Released: March 28

Label: N/A

Complex says: Mixing soul samples with more modern sounding hard-hitters, Returnof4eva showcases growth in Krit’s song-making abilities. While his production is reminiscent of Organized Noize, his raps are characteristically new-school—chock-full of as much vulnerability as confidence. Melodic standouts like “Dreamin’” and “Highs And Lows” mix well with funkdafied cuts like “Sookie Now” and “Time Machine.” Taken as a whole, the release shows a calculated step forward for the Mississippi spitter.

Wounded Rhymes

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#16. Lykke Li, Wounded Rhymes

Released: March 1 (Click Here To Buy It Now On MP3)

Label: Atlantic

Complex says: Making hits seems to be a Swedish pop act's birthright and the fortress of solitude that is Sweden often inspires dark, wintry pop greatness. Add a bit of L.A. swagger and Lykke Li's new album is a bit heavier and oddball than her first, Youth Novels, while keeping with her Swedish pop roots. She still sounds as soft and wispy on her second effort, but her confidence on this record is supreme. Her voice sounds as robust as ever and there's now an element of danger there. A sad, sexy, significantly darker ode to love lost mixes with melodramatic girl pop and creates a significant change in mood. She's older and more reckless and songs like “Get Some” and “I Follow Rivers” prove it. On her last album, at 19, she would have never delved into the depths of lust and isolation that she does on those two records. It's fun to watch (and listen to) Lykke grow up.

Covert Coup

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#15. Curren$y & Alchemist, Covert Coup

Released: April 20

Label: N/A

Complex says: Curren$y's new deal with Warners Brothers Records and his heightened profile is no doubt "the end result of two albums in one year," as he proclaims. But Covert Coup is a pledge that Spitta has no plans to slow down or take it easy. Pulling in guest verses from Freddie Gibbs, Prodigy, and Fiend, Curren$y’s fly talk and mixture of humor and seriousness blends well with Alchemist’s assortment of soulful and grimy beats. Jet Life indeed.

Zonoscope

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#14. Cut Copy, Zonoscope

Released: February 8 (Click Here To Buy It Now On MP3)

Label: Modular Recordings

Complex says: We've been listening to Aussie band Cut Copy for a while and you can still catch us playing In Ghost Colours on the reg. But this year they came back with a new album styled with enough '80s-inspired, synth-pop rager-ness that we had to make room on the playlist. Revivalism alone isn't enough of a reason to like Zonoscope, but Cut Copy does their favorite decade so well. They added enough live instrumentation this time around that we can consider the album different from before, but we're glad they're riding the same wave we fell in love with from the beginning.

Rubba Band Business 2

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#13. Juicy J & Lex Luger, Rubba Band Business 2

Released: May 2

Label: N/A

Complex says: Juicy J's entirely Lex Luger-produced Rubba Band Business 2 is one of the best projects of 2011 and has given the Three 6 Mafia rapper a much-deserved boost in relevance. Lex keeps the sinister 808s-sound alive, and Juicy shows that he can still master those beats even after winning an Oscar. This is ignorant rap at its finest. Juicy goes on and on with graphic glorifications of hard drug use and risky sexual encounters, and we can't help but bounce. We trippy mane!

Cults

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#12. Cults, Cults

Released: June 7 (Click Here To Buy It Now On MP3)

Label: Columbia

Complex says: Cults released a few awesome songs and an EP on their BandCamp page last year and the Internet did the rest. They landed a deal with Columbia under Lily Allen's imprint In the Name Of. Their sound is '60s pop bathed in sugary synths as singers Madeline Follin (on vocals) and Brian Oblivion (on vocals and everything else) sing cheerily about regrets, hijacked love affairs, and the hauntings of childhood fears. The standout track on the album is “Abducted,” which is such an innocent vetting of a broken heart that we almost want to scream. "How could you!" goes the song, to the dumper. We're so glad cuffing season is over.

All 6's and 7's

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#11. Tech N9ne, All 6's and 7's

Released: June 7 (Click Here To Buy It Now On MP3)

Label: Strange Music

Complex says: With the mainstream finally starting to pay attention, Tech N9ne showed the ability to balance content for new listeners and longtime fans. The Mental Giant skillfully combines his brashness and shock factor with deep lyrical introspection that's still entertaining. With All 6’s And 7’s, he’s slowly but surely forcing radio to conform to Tech N9ne, rather than the other way around. For all the rap fans who complain that contemporary rappers haven't paid their dues, sing too much, can't rap that well, can't sell shit, or have a bunch of songs that sound exactly the same, here is your salvation.

21

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#10. Adele, 21

Released: January 20 (Click Here To Buy It Now On MP3)

Label: XL Recordings

Complex says: We've heard that for the longest time Adele's ex-boyfriend had no idea she was talking about him. When the light bulb finally went off, he preceded to demand some royalty money for being a dick “inspiration.” Now we see where the motivation to make two gut wrenching break-up albums came from and Adele does nothing, but deliver on her sophomore recording. This time around though she's a little bit tougher. Even “Rolling In The Deep” on which she belts “We could have had it all!” is slightly grittier than her last album's central tenet “Melt My Heart To Stone.” We say that she should keep him around because despite being supremely talented and hugely successful, what the hell will she have to write about if anyone ever makes her happy?

James Blake

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#9. James Blake, James Blake

Released: February 8 (Click Here To Buy It Now On MP3)

Label: Universal, Polymor

Complex says: London can often times be the capital of innovative rock and James Blake rises out of that tradition with his brilliant, self-titled album. Electro and dubstep dominate the rotting, seedy landscape of this LP, but not in an over-the-top, speaker-thumping way. Rather, the reverbs and Auto-Tune simply add to the soundscape of loss. The entirety of the album is one large lament with James repeating his lyrics over and over again on beats that sound like the place you go to pray in your brain. The most jarring of these is “I Never Learnt To Share” where he cries, “My brother and my sister don't speak to me...but I don't blame them.” A mainstay on many of last year's year-end lists with his EP, CMYK, he has made good on his potential with James Blake.

Random Axe

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#8. Random Axe, Random Axe

Released: June 14 (Click Here To Buy It Now On MP3)

Label: Duck Down

Complex says: Random Axe’s self-titled debut keeps it simple and sticks to the formula that has made the trio underground favorites. The album is exactly what people wanted—hardcore, often humorous lyrics, over soulful, fresh-sounding Black Milk beats. Everyone brings their A-game as Black Milk, Guilty Simpson, and Sean Price make a cohesive unit. This album is anti-pop and everything '90s fans love about hip-hop.

RELATED: CLICK HERE TO STREAM THE ENTIRE RANDOM AXE ALBUM

Yuck

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#7. Yuck, Yuck

Released: February 15 (Click Here To Buy It Now On MP3)

Label: Fat Possum Records

Complex says: Comparing a band to '90s indie favorites shouldn't be done lightly, but Yuck borrows from the best of those times. Members Daniel Blumberg and Max Bloom must have been fed a healthy diet of Sonic Youth and Dinosaur Jr. growing up because their sound is so effortlessly nostalgic. The angst-ridden records on Yuck give us enough personal insight into them, that the album is still uniquely theirs despite all of the influences.

Self Made

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#6. Maybach Music Group, Self Made: Vol. 1

Released: May 23 (Click Here To Buy It Now On MP3)

Label: Maybach Music Group

Complex says: With his team assembled, Rick Ross put together a posse album that let each member of his crew get their proper shine—a rare feat for a compilation. Production by esteemed producers like Just Blaze, Lex Luger, and The Inkredibles was carefully chosen to craft the Maybach Music Group's collective tone, built in the aesthetics of Ross' "B.M.F. (Blowing Money Fast)." Meek Mill, Pill, and Wale bring the heat as they adapt their styles to Ross' brand. Brandishing some certified bangers like "600 Benz" and "Tupac Back," Self Made should prove to be the perfect springboard for Rozay’s eager soldiers.

Underneath The Pine

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#5. Toro Y Moi, Underneath The Pine

Released: February 22 (Click Here To Buy It Now On MP3)

Label: Carpark Records

Complex says: Last year's king of “chillwave” returns to turn the genre that he helped pioneer on its ear. Causers of This was a hazy delight of an album with heavy electronic samples and lo-fi melodies, but Underneath the Pine reveals itself to be something else entirely. All live instrumentation was used this time to create a sound that is significantly lighter, breezier, and far less “chillwave” than we would have originally imagined. It works though and Chaz Bundick continues to up the ante on his competition and his audience. With tracks that range from the disco pop-inspired “New Beat” to the bellowy and romantic “Before I'm Done,” Chaz has proven that he's damn good at whatever genre he chooses to play.

Rolling Papers

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#4. Wiz Khalifa, Rolling Papers

Released: March 29 (Click Here To Buy It Now On MP3)

Label: Rostrum/Atlantic

Complex says: With a super-smash hit (“Black and Yellow”) under his belt—and a diehard fanbase on his back—Wiz Khalifa set out to make an album that lived up to the hype. The result was a record as breezy and carefree as his best mixtape, last year’s Kush and Orange Juice. It may have lacked the street edge that hardcore fans crave (for that, peep his pre-album mixtape, Cabin Fever), but it’s packed with summer anthems ("The Race") and top shelf production from the likes of Benny Blanco, Stargate, Jim Jonsin, and others. In other words, it's the perfect album to bump while you light one up on a warm, sunny day.

RELATED: THE MAKING OF WIZ KHALIFA'S "ROLLING PAPERS"

nostalgia,ULTRA

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#3. Frank Ocean, nostalgia,ULTRA

Released: March 24

Label: N/A

Complex says: R&B went through a transformation this year and it started when Odd Future’s crooner Frank Ocean released nostalgia,ULTRA on his Tumblr. Ocean’s song-writing style may be traditional at times (he’s written for everyone from Beyonce to Justin Bieber), but musically he’s exciting and inventive (see “There Will Be Tears”).

Ocean is at his best when he doesn’t take himself too seriously, like when he clowns his girl for bumping Drake and Trey Songz, but not him on “Songs For Women.” And he’s not afraid to take a stand either, on “We All Try” he reveals that he supports gay marriage and is pro-choice. Through it all, Ocean proves he’s not your typical R&B act and is a welcome change for a genre that’s been stagnant for some time.

RELATED: IN HIS OWN WORDS: WHO IS FRANK OCEAN?

House of Balloons

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#1. The Weeknd, House of Balloons

Released: March 21

Label: N/A

Complex says: Lush, enchanting, and flawlessly paced, House Of Balloons isn’t just the best album of the year so far, it’s also the most engrossing. Both musically and in its delivery, it's something we might not have seen coming, but was exactly what we wanted. It was ominously released on Weeknd’s Tumblr, caught the eye of critics, and took off from there. The songs on HOB are filled with sex, rampant drug use, and the type of crooning that's sure to put your girlfriend in the mood. Weeknd has yet to do an interview, but from the little that we do know (like his affiliation with Drake and 40), it’s obvious he’s got a flare for non-traditional presentation. Weeknd is gearing up to release another mixtape, Thursday, in the near future. While we’re certainly anticipating it, we know that the bar has been set.

RELATED: WHO IS THE WEEKND?

Hell The Sequel

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#2. Bad Meets Evil, Hell: The Sequel

Released: June 14 (Click Here To Buy It Now On MP3)

Label: Shady, Interscope

Complex says: Over a decade after their classic single “Nuthin’ To Do”/“Scary Movies,” rap fans finally got an Eminem and Royce Da 5’9” collaborative album. We were so excited we dedicated a whole week's worth of content to it. The timing couldn’t have been better for these two to hook up again. Nickel Nine is a better rapper today than he ever was before, and after dealing with the inherently heavy-handed topics of Recovery, Eminem is ready to have fun again as he jokes about Lady Gaga working at the post office because she's a "male lady" (Get it?). On Hell, we finally find out exactly what happens when Bad Meets Evil—they bring out the best of each other as they go bar for bar in an endless game of lyrical one-upmanship.

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