A few albums that didn’t make it to the top of my list but are still noteworthy:

The A-Sides – Silver Storms
Air – Pocket Symphony
Dntel – Dumb Luck
The Good, the Bad, and the Queen
Gogol Bordello – Super Taranta!

Disappointments of the Year:

Against Me! – New Wave
Grizzly Bear – Friend EP
Minus the Bear – Planet of Ice
Okkervil River – The Stage Names
Rilo Kiley – Under the Blacklight