This year’s nominees for Best Alternative Music Album range from the psychedelic vibes of Tame Impala’s “Lonerism” to the more upbeat, pop-like nonsense that is Vampire Weekend’s “Modern Vampires of the City”.  There’s certainly a large array of sounds for every indie listener, yet some albums may deserve the title more than others.

“The Worse Things Get, The Harder I Fight, The Harder I Fight, The More I Love You” by the up and coming Neko Case is definitely a departure from her old sound of somewhat country ambiances to a more indie, alternative approach. The 12 new songs take a total of about 38 minutes to listen to, making it equal to the length of old school vinyls. Because of this compressed time frame, Case allows no time for filler or disruptions. Each record is pure and has a pretty distinct purpose. However, the album is filled with often troubling songs that embody themes of isolation, remorse and the spoken and unspoken pressures brought by love. Case delivers the vocals with such intensity that it can either be endearing or difficult to listen to.  And yet, her overall performance is one of compassion and strong will, making it an album that’s definitely worth the listen.

The National’s “Trouble Will Find Me” has cemented their place at the forefront of indie rock bands, bringing with it a powerful sound that is highly credited to drummer Bryan Devendorf and front man Matt Berninger. The two bring a little something extra to this new album with Berninger’s rich lyrics and grandiose baritone vocals and Davendorf’s almost aggressive approach at timing and rhythm. With these two dynamic elements mixed in, The National has most definitely stood out amongst the current indie rock movement, coasting along with a natural groove that’s not the easiest to achieve for the genre. Absolutely worth a listen, but it’s not necessarily worth a Grammy.

“Hesitation Marks” is what some may call a departure for Nine Inch Nails and their familiar sound of anger. In fact, there’s almost a sense of musical optimism within this album that is essentially befuddling during the first listen. Although there is a hint of the band’s old sound featured in “The Downward Spiral,” the reverberations of this record seem to sort of slip away, leaving the listener with the whisper of singer Trent Reznor’s voice and a barely there cadence. Will old fans enjoy it? It’s a definite maybe, what with its parallels to “Pretty Haze Machine” and “The Downward Spiral,” but it may take a few listens to get a grip on its direction.

Vampire Weekend. They’ve become very well-known since their hit song “A Punk”. With its pop vibes and up beat sound, they have managed to capture the listener’s attention and as a result have gained a fairly large fan base. Their latest record, “Modern Vampires of the City,” is no exception. There’s a definite groove going on in each song, and it’s enough not only to maintain the loyal fans already established, but gain some new ones as well. However, even though the album has made a groovy atmosphere for the audience to get lost in, it lacks originality. Lead singer Ezra Koenig contributes vocals that add little to the sound, and songs like “Diane Young” seem to be crazily and unnecessarily auto-tuned. In fact, each song, although easy enough to jam to, sounds a little too similar to the previous. Is it worth hearing? Yes. Is it worthy of an award? Maybe not.

“Lonerism.” In one word, a masterpiece. Tame Impala has managed to create an atmosphere that is not only hard to achieve, but hard to describe. The psychedelic vibes present in each song whisk the listener away into a dream state full of chill beats and out-of-this-world synth. Their rad sound is majorly due to lead singer Kevin Parker. His voice is hypnotic and flows along with the music with an ease that leaves the audience in a state of awe. Their song “Why Won’t They Talk to Me” has such a profound sound as well as meaning that it’s almost overwhelming. It’s a definite jam session, and yet at the same time it has the most laid back sensations imaginable. “Apocalypse Dreams” and “Mind Mischief” achieve the same effect, and are both a complete wonder to listen to. This album is original, groovy, and oozing with talent. Not only is “Lonerism” worth the time, but it indeed deserves recognition and a Grammy to show it.