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Soundbytes: Top Albums Of 2013

West, Daft Punk, Deafheaven Top Compilation

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At the precipice of a new year, there’s only ever one important question to be asked at this moment in December: What will we remember?

When we think of 2013, will we recall it as a golden age of monster pop singles — Robin Thicke’s “Blurred Lines,” Daft Punk’s “Lucky” and Lorde’s “Royals” — duking it out for supremacy? Or, will 2013 be yet another in a succession of lost years in a musical landscape and industry being terraform-ed by evolving technologies?

A good list might help make that difficult determination. And in years past, I’d write a top 10 list of the best albums to synopsis all that was acheived. But, other tasks remain to be completed and matters are pressing. (Next year will be different.)

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So, here’s a Spotify playlist of my picks for 2013’s best records — in no particular order:

Editor’s Note: Only two of my selections aren’t currently available via Spotify. They include Bill Callahan’s “Dream River” and Beyonce’s self-titled album.

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