Album of the year: Foals, Holy Fire (Transgressive)
The Oxford art-rockers got off their high horse and cracked the mainstream without compromising an inch.
They retained their ideas, binned the aloofness and unwrapped an album of power, style, intelligence and just the right amount of arrogance.
Inhaler, My Number, Bad Habit and Late Night make coming up with anthems sound effortless.
Have Foals peaked? Hopefully there’s much more where this came from, but Holy Fire will take some matching, let alone beating.
Most beautiful album of the year: Agnes Obel, Aventine (Play It Again Sam).
Least disappointing album of the year: The National, Trouble Will Find Me (4AD).
Album with the best attitude of the year: CHARLI XCX, True Romance (Asylum).
Class is permanent album of the year: John Grant, Pale Green Ghosts (Bella Union).
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