Not surprisingly, 2013 was a challenging year to catalogue and rank. Unlike previous “Year End List” outings where many of us agreed that certain releases were topped with a few excellent songs and decent filler, this year brought a greater spectrum of  full albums that deserved repeated and respected listens. From the debut full lengths of Daughter, Lady Lamb the Beekeeper and St. Lucia following a trail of impressive singles and EPs, to the raw power of Yeezus and Silence Yourself, the albums on this list were complete experiences rather than a succession of singles. Whether the tracks were transportive and contemplativelike those on Arcade Fire’s Afterlife or were perfectly, meticulously crafted pop like those on Lucius’ Wildewoman, each one took us through different places, brought us through rough times or provided the soundtracks we needed. The illustration for this playlist was created by Miro Denck with type by Brandt Imhoff.

25. Phosphorescent - Muchacho
24. Neko Case – The Worse Things Get, The Harder I Fight, The More I Love You
23. Daughter – If You Leave
22. St. Lucia – When The Night
21. Kanye West - Yeezus
20. King Krule – 6 Feet Beneath The Moon
19. TORRES - Torres
18. Wilsen - Sirens
17. James Blake – Overgrown
16. Darkside - Psychic
15. Kurt Vile – Wakin On A Pretty Daze
14. Foxygen – We Are the 21st Century Ambassadors of Peace & Magic
13. Autre Ne Veut – Anxiety
12. Arcade Fire - Reflektor
11. The National – Trouble Will Find Me
10. Savages – Silence Yourself
9. Lorde – Pure Heroine
8. On An On – Give In
7. CHVRCHES - The Bones Of What You Believe
6. Caveman - Caveman
5. Local Natives - Hummingbird
4. Lady Lamb – Ripely Pine
3. Lucius - Wildewoman
2. Vampire Weekend – Modern Vampires of the City
1. HAIM – Days Are Gone