Whether obscure, criticized or just plain underrated, these are the albums 2013 forgot… almost.
To see more of our coverage of the year in music, head over to our 2013 in Lists section.
Top 10 Underappreciated Albums of 2013:
Autre Ne Veut
Anxiety
(Software)
Arthur Ashin's voice, all raw, flailing falsetto and strained wails, is an acquired taste, but gosh, is it worth acquiring. At a time when too many singers are donning a cool, detached air, Ashin imbues the grandiose R&B of Anxiety with enough anguish and sincerity that you don't just hear him; you feel him. (Stephen Carlick)
Mayer Hawthorne
Where Does This Door Go
(Universal Republic)
Robin Thicke and Justin Timberlake may have dominated our collective conscience, but it was Mayer Hawthorne who had the best alabaster R&B offering this year. With a poppy '80s yacht rock and Steely Dan vibe, Where Does This Door Go is strong and consistent from beginning to bonus tracks. But why only one single? (Michael Warren)
Valerie June
Pushin' Against A Stone
(Concord)
On this proper full-length debut, the Memphis native's fluency in country, blues, gospel and soul is simply stunning. With a voice that, at times, sounds almost ancient, and collaborations with Dan Auerbach on several tracks adding some current garage rock flavor, it seems June is capable of making any genre her own. (Jason Schneider)
Ka
The Night's Gambit
(Iron Works)
Brooklyn, NY's Ka released his debut last year at the age of 40. Now, he's making up for lost time with his sophomore. Self-produced, defiantly sparse and insular in the ADHD era, The Night's Gambit demands your attention with thoughtful, unglamorous tales of the street. This is perfect winter headphone music. (Aaron Matthews)
Tony Molina
Dissed and Dismissed
(Melters)
What do you do when you cut your teeth on hardcore but your heart is aching to write power pop tunes? You compromise. Milbrae, California's Tony Molina channeled his hardcore past (he fronted Caged Animal) and a fondness for '90s alt-pop hooks on his whirlwind debut album, which clocks 12 songs in as many minutes. Obvious reference points are Blue Album-era Weezer and Teenage Fanclub's Bandwagonesque, but Molina can't resist chunky riffs that border on power metal. With seven-inches cut for Matador and Slumberland, he'll get the appreciation he deserves in no time. (Cam Lindsay)
Roly Porter
Life Cycle of a Massive Star
(Subtext)
Although Porter's roots lie in dubstep, his solo work is characterized by grand gestures and heavily textured fields of malleable sound. This album, his sophomore outing, is undeniably gargantuan in scale; the aftershock should have been felt far and wide. Sadly, the incredible swirling mass of sonic matter was almost entirely swallowed up in a black hole and pretty much ignored. (Bryon Hayes)
Run the Jewels
Run the Jewels
(Fool's Gold)
Underground stalwart El-P and ex-Purple Ribbon All-Star Killer Mike, new partners in crime/rhyme, linked up this year for their speaker-shattering collab project Run The Jewels, which unjustly flew under the radar. Chock full of aggressive bars, El-P's Battlestar Galactica-meets-Bomb Squad production and a tight little guest spot by Big Boi on "Banana Clipper," this album kills. If the album art is any indication, you best tuck your chain in if you ain't feeling this one. (Mark Bozzer)
Sean Nicholas Savage
Other Life
(Arbutus)
Despite its crackling spiritual hearth, Other Life is the sound of homelessness. Rejecting symbolism, self-awareness and masculinity, its low-rent soul grooves and bleeding sincerity belong instead to a brighter future, where unironic self-expression is restored in the public eye as popular art's lifeblood, rather than its enemy. (Jazz Monroe)
Son Lux
Lanterns
(Joyful Noise)
Ryan Lott hit his creative stride on his third album as Son Lux. Lanterns is a surreal chamber hip-hopera, where organic orchestral instrumentation bonds with woozy beats and ethereal tweaks, the gravity of the compositions underscored by the morose poetry of the hypnotically processed vocals. This one deserved Sufjan Stevens-level praise. (Alan Ranta)
Unknown Mortal Orchestra
II
(Jagjaguwar)
Despite their signing with stalwart label Jagjaguwar and tours with Grizzly Bear and Foxygen, psych-rock trio Unknown Mortal Orchestra didn't manage to get the attention they deserved for their sophomore record, II. The album features technically impressive musicianship mixed with a playful attitude — the songs are funky and hooky enough to lodge themselves in the listener's ears without being too kitschy. (Matt Bobkin)
To see more of our coverage of the year in music, head over to our 2013 in Lists section.
Top 10 Underappreciated Albums of 2013:
Autre Ne Veut
Anxiety
(Software)
Arthur Ashin's voice, all raw, flailing falsetto and strained wails, is an acquired taste, but gosh, is it worth acquiring. At a time when too many singers are donning a cool, detached air, Ashin imbues the grandiose R&B of Anxiety with enough anguish and sincerity that you don't just hear him; you feel him. (Stephen Carlick)
Mayer Hawthorne
Where Does This Door Go
(Universal Republic)
Robin Thicke and Justin Timberlake may have dominated our collective conscience, but it was Mayer Hawthorne who had the best alabaster R&B offering this year. With a poppy '80s yacht rock and Steely Dan vibe, Where Does This Door Go is strong and consistent from beginning to bonus tracks. But why only one single? (Michael Warren)
Valerie June
Pushin' Against A Stone
(Concord)
On this proper full-length debut, the Memphis native's fluency in country, blues, gospel and soul is simply stunning. With a voice that, at times, sounds almost ancient, and collaborations with Dan Auerbach on several tracks adding some current garage rock flavor, it seems June is capable of making any genre her own. (Jason Schneider)
Ka
The Night's Gambit
(Iron Works)
Brooklyn, NY's Ka released his debut last year at the age of 40. Now, he's making up for lost time with his sophomore. Self-produced, defiantly sparse and insular in the ADHD era, The Night's Gambit demands your attention with thoughtful, unglamorous tales of the street. This is perfect winter headphone music. (Aaron Matthews)
Tony Molina
Dissed and Dismissed
(Melters)
What do you do when you cut your teeth on hardcore but your heart is aching to write power pop tunes? You compromise. Milbrae, California's Tony Molina channeled his hardcore past (he fronted Caged Animal) and a fondness for '90s alt-pop hooks on his whirlwind debut album, which clocks 12 songs in as many minutes. Obvious reference points are Blue Album-era Weezer and Teenage Fanclub's Bandwagonesque, but Molina can't resist chunky riffs that border on power metal. With seven-inches cut for Matador and Slumberland, he'll get the appreciation he deserves in no time. (Cam Lindsay)
Roly Porter
Life Cycle of a Massive Star
(Subtext)
Although Porter's roots lie in dubstep, his solo work is characterized by grand gestures and heavily textured fields of malleable sound. This album, his sophomore outing, is undeniably gargantuan in scale; the aftershock should have been felt far and wide. Sadly, the incredible swirling mass of sonic matter was almost entirely swallowed up in a black hole and pretty much ignored. (Bryon Hayes)
Run the Jewels
Run the Jewels
(Fool's Gold)
Underground stalwart El-P and ex-Purple Ribbon All-Star Killer Mike, new partners in crime/rhyme, linked up this year for their speaker-shattering collab project Run The Jewels, which unjustly flew under the radar. Chock full of aggressive bars, El-P's Battlestar Galactica-meets-Bomb Squad production and a tight little guest spot by Big Boi on "Banana Clipper," this album kills. If the album art is any indication, you best tuck your chain in if you ain't feeling this one. (Mark Bozzer)
Sean Nicholas Savage
Other Life
(Arbutus)
Despite its crackling spiritual hearth, Other Life is the sound of homelessness. Rejecting symbolism, self-awareness and masculinity, its low-rent soul grooves and bleeding sincerity belong instead to a brighter future, where unironic self-expression is restored in the public eye as popular art's lifeblood, rather than its enemy. (Jazz Monroe)
Son Lux
Lanterns
(Joyful Noise)
Ryan Lott hit his creative stride on his third album as Son Lux. Lanterns is a surreal chamber hip-hopera, where organic orchestral instrumentation bonds with woozy beats and ethereal tweaks, the gravity of the compositions underscored by the morose poetry of the hypnotically processed vocals. This one deserved Sufjan Stevens-level praise. (Alan Ranta)
Unknown Mortal Orchestra
II
(Jagjaguwar)
Despite their signing with stalwart label Jagjaguwar and tours with Grizzly Bear and Foxygen, psych-rock trio Unknown Mortal Orchestra didn't manage to get the attention they deserved for their sophomore record, II. The album features technically impressive musicianship mixed with a playful attitude — the songs are funky and hooky enough to lodge themselves in the listener's ears without being too kitschy. (Matt Bobkin)