My Top Fives - Andrew Lambert's top tunes of the year

Music scribe Andrew Lambert has penned an article for us explaining (in painstaking detail!) his favourite songs and albums of the year, which you can see and listen to below. Andrew also has a blog called Heavy Metal Mouth and you can also find him on Facebook and Twitter.

TOP FIVE SONGS OF 2013

5. Justin Timberlake - Mirrors

JT's return to the music industry saw him produce his best ever work, as he expanded his repertoire in unexpected ways while maintaining the image and style that has seen him develop into one of the world's most popular artists today. ''Mirrors'' is the ultimate representation of ''The 20/20 Experience'', retaining Timberlake's pop sensibilities and radio/chart presence while also providing a textured, multi-layered electro love song that instantly stands among ''Cry Me A River'' and his other best works.

4. 1 Train- A$AP Rocky (Feat. Kendrick Lamar, Joey Bada$$, Yelawolf, Danny Brown, Action Bronson & Big K.R.I.T)

1 Train is one of the most significant songs of the year not only because of its immediate greatness- first second to last is an undiluted rap attack courtesy of some of the finest young talent in the world right now- but also for it's soon to be realized legacy, as the cast of thIS 6 minute heart stopper go on to achieve individual greatness over the next decade. A$AP Rocky assembled a crew of the finest young MC's in the game for ''1 Train'', and for evidence of each's skill you need look no further than the best straight up, old school hip hop song of the year.

3. I Wanna Be Yours- Arctic Monkeys

You'd probably be more likely to go automatically towards ''Do I Wanna Know?'' or ''R U Mine?'', the two obvious picks from Arctic Monkey's exceptional fifth effort AM, but the real beauty and craftsmanship of this album lies in its final track, as Alex Turner takes the mundanity of daily British life and turns it into something more beautiful and extraordinary, detailing his devotion to a potential love through a series of witty metophors. It's a fittingly wonderful closer to the album, and one of the most affecting pieces of songwriting that the frontman has ever put to paper.

2. Hold On, We're Going Home- Drake

Drake says ''Hold On'' is him and long-time producer 40 Shebib ''humbly attempting'' to channel Michael Jackson and Quincy Jones, as he crafted a song he wanted to be worthy of wedding dances a decade from now. Perhaps he need not be so humble in future, as the result was a stunning romantic ode that will surely stand the test of time. Probably the most popular song of 2013, ''Hold On'' is Aubrey Graham as his finest, and makes a strong case for the Canadian's continued dominance both in charts, on critics lists and with his legion of dedicated followers.

1. New Slaves- Kanye West

Yeezus contained any amount of jaw dropping moments that made you stop what you were doing and let the music take hold, right from the opening as a wall of what felt like a thousand filthy synthesizers crushed down upon you in ''On Sight'', to the soul sampling beauty of aforementioned closer ''Bound 2'', but none came as incredible, drop dead gorgeous and mesmerizing as the climax of ''New Slaves''. Following two verses of furious rapping from Ye (the second of which he declared to be ''the best rap verse of all time'' in typical fashion) the song explodes in a wave of bliss that's carried home by Frank Ocean's angelic, spellbinding vocal. A finer sound I haven't hear this year, or perhaps even since... Well, since the same guy dropped ''Runaway'' in 2010. There's just no escaping it; Kanye is king.

TOP FIVE ALBUMS OF 2013

5. Monomania- Deerhunter

Monomania finds Deerhunter and Brandon Cox in a strangely playful mood that’s executed in a series of lo-fi, retro style indie tracks, displaying the band at their most melodic and, as bizarre as it sounds, conventional. The bands usual wall of noise (for which they’ve found themselves branded somewhere between genres as distant as shoegaze and punk) has been demolished in favour of the melodies usually hidden behind, with pop/rock sensibilities unashamedly brought to the forefront.

The result is inexplicably successful as Cox conducts the band over a wave of irresistible alternative rock tunes that retain a sense of the underground, grunge styling the band is renowned for, while simultaneously showcasing an undeniable flair for pop songwriting that was deeply buried within Deerhunter records previously (see ‘’Strange Lights’’ from Cryptograms for evidence). The emergence of such talents, combined with the lo-fi aesthetics of the band’s sound, unmistakably recalls the work of Lou Barlow with Sebadoh near its finest, yet towards the finish line Cox and co. make a point of showcasing the fact that they’ve still got plenty of loud noise left inside, as the title track climaxes with the band making their instruments scream in a brief moment of madness that feels like it’s been longing to escape the entire time. In extreme contrast, seconds later the listener finds themselves coming down to the sound of Cox’s vocal and lone acoustic guitar on Nitebike, a hauntingly beautiful standout.

Ultimately, Monomania is a daring, illogical, and definitely surprising album that toes the line between excellence and absurdity at times but always comes out on the right side. Incredibly, we’re listening to the sound of a content, assured and most of all, happy Deerhunter. But while the band may have settled down they’ve also transcended the possibility of boredom or flatness, crafting a record of exceptional artistic merit while skilfully shifting into the next phase of their never dull career. Surely only Deerhunter themselves will know what their next step is going to be (it’ll probably be as unpredictable as Monomania), but this remarkable fusion could very well be the realization of the band’s true purpose.

4. Old- Danny Brown

''I made XXX with the aim of getting great reviews. And when I started making Old, I was trying to think of artists that came back from getting great reviews and made an album that was just as good– or better! The only group I could really come up with was Radiohead. So if XXX was my OK Computer, then I’d have to make my Kid A next.''

That's quite a statement, and it's telling of Danny Brown; apart from the hilarious comedic personality that comes across throughout interviews with the Detroit rapper, there's another aspect of his character buried underneath, namely his hunger for success. Brown is as ambitious as he is talented, two characteristics you may fail to notice if you're not overly familiar with the rising star due to his eccentric nature and open attitude towards drug abuse. Many heads were turned with the release of XXX back in 2011, a surprising, original and entirely unique hip hop fusion album that found its way towards the top end of many critics best of lists come the end of the year. A follow up was always going to be risky business, but the above quote will assure you of Brown's fearlessness if nothing else.

For the most part of Old, the type of comedic turns and eccentric club anthems found on XXX are overrun by a prevalent darkness, as songs like ''Torture'', ''Lonely'' and ''Gremlins'' showcase heavy electronic beats steeped in bleak imagery, deep contemplation and hard hitting lyrics with Danny recalling the second half of Old's predecessor but travelling further into the void. Brown is honest to the point of brutality, confronting his inner demons, issues with family and friends, depression and, most importantly, his drug habit. Throughout these 19 tracks the listener finds Brown in direct confrontation with his party image and grown up self, most effectively exemplified through the contrast between opposites such as ''Smokin & Drinkin'' and ''Clean Up'' or ''Lonely''.

It's not exactly unheard territory for an artist to place the spotlight on themselves for such trouble, but the crucial difference here is the perceived reality of it all; Brown sounds as though he is genuinely conflicted, ruthlessly examining his own identity, and struggling to figure himself out over the course of 56 minutes, with the experimental, trippy production (courtesy of DB cohorts SKYWLKR and Paul White) seemingly representing the fragility of the rapper's mind and his bipolar nature.

Ultimately, Old is a daring, exceptional album that outdoes XXX for its focus, energy, honesty, bravery and direction. Brown has ignored fans who would have been happy just to hear the funny man again and built on the talent he exposed to the public intially while drawing from the tormented soul that came before fame and fortune. The perception of Danny Brown as an outsider or wild card should now be over; he's the real deal, leading the field alongside rising modern rap stars like Kendrick, Tyler and co., and most crucially doing something in modern rap than few can match and absolutely none can emulate, making him undoubtedly one of the most exciting talents in the rap game, and music world, at this moment in time.

3. Reflektor- The Arcade Fire

The release of Arcade Fire’s 4th effort Reflektor was greeted with complaints of exceeding length; perhaps understandable given the extraordinary running time, but for true fans of the band these accusations will prove unfounded, with length acting as a gift rather than a curse as each sprawling piece is executed carefully and precisely with a measured pace to the very last beat. These songs may take time to build, but it's well spent time, and perhaps the biggest compliment you could pay Reflektor is the extraordinary fact that despite its epic length it's never overstated, bloated, or unnecessarily filled; every single moment is totally justified and masterfully executed.

The band owe a certain debt to The Cure's Disintegration for several reasons; from the strangely danceable arrangements and hollow, dark themes to the exceeding song length and skilful pacing, there are more than several telling features of Reflektor that point to Robert Smith's magnum opus as a strong comparison, while U2 are also easy to credit for the band's ability to retain their melodic sensibilities throughout the experimentation process.

Admittedly, there were several things that had me dubious about Reflektor upon first listen, whether it was the previous niggling critical voices I'd heard or the daunting time, but this is a record that unfolds and opens new levels with each listen, resonating deeper each time and allowing us to discover new meanings within, exactly the way which great albums and great music should be made. Crucially, the band have started to realize their own brilliance (there's a definite swagger on the album that wasn't here before) without letting it affect their enormous talent, and that is perhaps the most significant and impressive element of Reflektor.

2. My Bloody Valentine- m b v

22 years have passed since My Bloody Valentine changed the way music sounded to an entire generation of music fans in 1991 with Loveless, but this January the release of m b v made it sound like the past two decades had simply never happened. Time seems to have escaped Kevin Shields, whose unrelenting, overwhelming wall of noise returns on the bands incredible third album.

A chorus of guitars familiarly drains the listener immediately backed by Shields ghost like vocal droning on opener She Found Now, before m b v explodes into life with Only Tomorrow, a track acting as a modern day substitution for the classic Loveless opener Only Shallow. Who Sees You continues in the same vein with the majestic, unprecedented guitar sounds that Shields perfected in the early 1990’s, but before the possibility of criticizing the band for remaining unchanged enters your mind, it will be muted by Is This And Yes. Within the space of 5 minutes and 7 seconds, the band drop their guitars and utilize the synth in such a clear, shimmering beautiful and emotive way that’s total unexpected of them, marking a sound we’ve never heard from My Bloody Valentine before. It’s a perfect fit on them though, bringing the near lost genre of shoegaze into the 21st century in some style. Further on, If I Am mixes past and present with a gentle guitar wall backing and atmospheric vocals, but in a crisper, almost HD setting compared to their early work, a feature of the entire record; MBV have never sounded so close and in focus, yet they somehow retain their otherworldly, alien sense of being. New You is a softly executed lullaby but things get weird again on In Another Way, an obvious standout that recalls the very best of Isn’t Anything, their debut work. Nothing Is constantly builds on a nervous, intense loop that slowly climaxes in an anxious haze, perfectly assisting final track Wonder 2, a drum led, droning guitar comedown that owes something to The Beatles’ legendary Tomorrow Never Knows.

It’s a rare thing indeed for any band or artist to return after such a length and immediately fill the void, but to create a record of such quality that it can stand alongside an album like its predecessor is a near miracle. M b v welcomes fans back like an old friend with the so familiar sound of extreme, unique noise all the while unfolding into an unmistakably modern record, transitioning the band before our very eyes. For 22 years so many waited, hoping to hear another blank of Kevin Shields’ genius, and here, encapsulated in 46 minutes is everything they ever dreamed; an immersive, enthralling, hypnotic masterpiece. Typical My Bloody Valentine then.

1. Yeezus- Kanye West

Halfway through ‘’I Am A God’’ (the title is telling), Kanye West declares himself to be ‘’the only rapper that compares to Michael’’. He means Jackson of course, his repeatedly referenced idol. Outrageous? Arrogant? Egotistical beyond belief? Yep, all of those. Correct? Well, probably that too. You see, West has built his career on these outlandish statements but as he stands now, who is to say he hasn’t constantly backed them up? Yeezus blasts by in 40 minutes of mercilessly gripping noise that melts the brain and shocks the senses without apology, pinning you back against the hardcore wall of noise that serves as the backdrop to Kanye’s maddening raps, which have not only taken his ferocious ego to the next level but his rhyme skills and delivery too.

Five years ago, West’s next move was near impossible to predict following the problematic release of 808’s & Heartbreaks. Casting a bitter figure following several personal losses and public issues, West could easily have slipped into a downward spiral of releases, accepting an already legendary status for his original trio of albums. Instead he returned with his magnum opus and perhaps the greatest album of the 21st century, a perfected blend of pop, rock and hip-hop, in My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. Similarly, Yeezus is a stunningly unpredictable album that has once again confounded expectations of the rapper and seen him confirm himself as the most important figure in music today.

What Kanye West is going to do next is now as unpredictable as it ever has been, but you can be confident it will be extraordinary. In a now infamous interview with Zane Lowe earlier this year, West detailed his thoughts on hip-hop’s emerging prominence as the most productive genre in music, his perception of himself and his future. Listening to the show, it was hard not to believe every word: “If you’re taught you can’t do anything, you won’t do anything. I was taught I could do everything.’’

‘’And I’m Kanye West at age 36. So just watch the next ten years.”