It's only September so I know there might be some real challengers coming down the road but, so far, the best two albums I've heard released this year are "Boys & Girls" by Alabama Shakes and "The Bloom and the Blight" by Two Gallants.

I feel like a hipster because I had never heard of them and you might not have either.  But both groups kick ass and deserve a listen on your part.

"Boys and Girls" is a gritty rocking album that features a lead vocalist, Brittany Howard, with a powerful and soulful voice.  Sometimes she sounds like Al Green and sometimes she sounds like Janis Joplin but all the time she sounds great.  I really can't recommend this album enough.  While the entirety of the album is excellent a couple songs do stand out such as "I Found You", "You Ain't Alone", and "I Ain't The Same"

Where Boys & Girls is a rocking soulful mix "The Bloom and the Blight" is more of a folk-rock hybrid.  It also kicks ass.  The lead track, "Halcyon Days" starts off slow and for the first 10 seconds or so I was suspicious of the album - but then it instantly picks up and never looks back.  When "Boys & Girls" came out this year I didn't think I'd hear another album that I liked even remotely as much.  But "The Bloom and the Blight" comes pretty darn close.  I'm not sure it surpasses or equals the Alabama Shakes - I love Ms. Howards voice - but these guys know how to bring it.

For instance, going back to Halcyon Days - once it finds its groove it reminds me of Wolfmother - which reminded me of classic rock legends like Led Zepplin.  The guitar distortion, the voice, it's all there but it's got a freshness that I can't quite pin down.   I ended up liking the first song so much I bought the album before I listend to the rest of it.  It rocks that much.

Some of the tracks slow it down a bit and have a folk feel more than a rock one - such as "Broken Eyes" which features a harmonica but the Two Gallants crew doesn't let you relax for too long and you're instantly rocking again with tracks like "Ride Away" which has a grunge feel straight out of the early 90's.

I hope the last third of the year is as good as the first two because if I can get one more album on par with these two it will end up being a very merry Christmas for me indeed.