I’m finally ready to do my annual post about my favorite songs and tracks of the previous year. I’ve had the list for a while; I just haven’t had time to write the post.

This year, however, I’m going to do it a little differently. Instead of listing the songs in some sort of order of preference (which in the past has only been a step above being random), I’ve decided to choose my favorite and then list the rest alphabetically. This seems a more honest way of presenting the songs that I’ve loved during 2011.

My favorite song of last year was “What the Water Gave Me” by Florence and the Machine:

I hadn’t really listened to Florence and the Machine’s first record, but I loved Ceremonials. This is my favorite of several tracks on the album. I appreciate this song’s allusions to Virginia Woolf and Frida Kahlo. It’s a smart, beautiful song that’s perfect for singing along with at the top of your lungs while driving!

I’ll post the rest of my list after the break.

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