|
When CT's music critics had narrowed down the list of candidates for the year's best albums, a trend seemed to be emerging, prompting one of our critics to say, "We seem to be kind of a country bunch, don't we?" Well, it's certainly a country/bluegrass flavored list, but standing alone at the top is indie veteran Josh Garrels, who spent 18 months working on what would become CT's Album of the Year—only to end up giving it away. Find out why by reading his story here.
Here are our top 12 albums of 2011, with links to our original reviews.
- Josh Garrels, Love & War & the Sea In Between (Small Voice Records)
- Gillian Welch, The Harrow & the Harvest (Acony)
- Over the Rhine, The Long Surrender (Great Speckled Dog)
- Burlap to Cashmere, Burlap to Cashmere (Jive Records)
- Joe Henry, Reverie (Anti)
- Paul Simon, So Beautiful or So What (Hear Music)
- Alison Krauss & Union Station, Paper Airplane (Rounder)
- Emmylou Harris, Hard Bargain (Nonesuch Records)
- Sara Groves, Invisible Empires (Fair Trade Services)
- Mutemath, Odd Soul (Teleprompt/Warner Bros.)
- Laura Marling, A Creature I Don't Know (Ribbon Records)
- Gungor, Ghosts upon the Earth (Brash Music)
Honorable Mention (listed in alphabetical order)
Blind Boys of Alabama, Take the High Road; The Civil Wars, Barton Hollow; Amos Lee, Mission Bell; Bill Mallonee, The Power & The Glory; Buddy Miller, The Majestic Silver Strings; Jill Phillips, In this Hour; Aaron Strumpel, Birds; Switchfoot, Vice Verses; Phil Wickham, Response.
Go to ChristianityToday.com/ct/music to read full reviews of these albums.
Copyright © 2011 Christianity Today. Click for reprint information.
Annual & Monthly subscriptions available.
- Print & Digital Issues of CT magazine
- Complete access to every article on ChristianityToday.com
- Unlimited access to 65+ years of CT’s online archives
- Member-only special issues
- Learn more
Read These Next
- TrendingAmerican Christians Should Stand with Israel under AttackWhile we pray for peace, we need moral clarity about this war.
- From the MagazineI Cried Out to the Name Demons Fear MostHow Jesus rescued a New Age psychic from spiritual darkness.
- Editor's PickThe Miracle of the EarSpeech was not God’s only miracle at Pentecost. The Spirit also gave the gift of understanding, overcoming division and contempt.