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| Best Albums Of 2009
Out of the dozens of albums i've listened to this
year, these are the
Top 20 that stood out in my mind. | | 1 |  | Dirty Projectors
Bitte Orca
#20 Straddling the line between strange and accessible, the Dirty
Projectors mixture of sounds seems to work, especially with the addition of
Amber Coffman and Angel Deeradoorian?s ethereal vocals. Stillness is the
Move is one of the best pop songs of the year. | | 2 |  | The Mars Volta
Octahedron
# 19 The Volta finally return to form and deliver an album that nearly
exceeds their debut. Song lengths have been trimmed, resulting in a far more
structured, straightforward album, and the result is another spectacular Volta
album that this time does not outstay its welcome. | | 3 |  | The Swell Season
Strict Joy
#18 Glen Hansard and Mark?ta Irglov??s follow-up to 2007?s Once features
far-more elaborate production, but the heartfelt lyrics and sincere conviction
in both their voices make this album another keeper. The same bodes true
for Something For Kate?s frontman Paul Dempsey?s first solo album
Everything Is True. Dempsey?s brilliant lyrics and raw vocal delivery make
this album very special. | | 4 |  | Paul Dempsey
Everything Is True
#17 (See Above) | | 5 |  | Mew
No More Stories
#16 Both these French bands have finally crated perfect albums. Much like
The Shins and The Strokes before them, their growth as a band reaches a
culmination in these respective albums. Each song is carefully crafted, with
clever lyrics and addictive harmonies. Love Like A Sunset Part 1 is Phoenix
in top-form. These are definitely some of the most complete albums of the
year. | | 6 |  | Phoenix
Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
#15 (See Above) | | 7 |  | The Rural Alberta Advantage
Hometowns
#14 These two bands have crafted the best indie rock albums of the year,
with songs that standout as much for their beautifully layered structures as
they do for their understated vocals. | | 8 |  | Ramona Falls
Intuit
#13 (See Above) | | 9 |  | Sholi
Sholi
#12 A band whose debut was sorely overlooked. This album is a definite
grower due to the melody that resonates beneath the progressive time-
structures, understated vocals, and brilliant drumming and lyrics | | 10 |  | Rodrigo y Gabriela
11:11
#11 A universally-appealing album if their ever was one, Rodrigo Y
Gabriela?s 11:11 succeeds due to a wildly inventive, varied song structure.
This is an album that everyone can appreciate for its sheer artistry. | | 11 |  | Bat For Lashes
Two Suns
#10 Further solidifying the experimentation variable for 2009, St. Vicent and
Bats For Leashes are triumphs of an accessible sound coupled with dark
lyrical content. Much like Bjork?s Post, while the catchy, expansive
arrangements make the albums instantly appealing, it?s Clark and Khan?s
clever lyrics and confident vocal delivery that fill the space in-between and
push these albums over the top. | | 12 |  | St. Vincent
Actor
#9 (See Above) | | 13 |  | The Antlers
Hospice
#8 The Antlers seem to have come out of left field to drop one of the most
daringly beautiful albums of the year. A concept album about a man falling
in love with a cancer patient, and the ensuing growth of that relationship,
the trials, and eventual separation is executed with such heartfelt intensity
that every moment left me mesmerized by its atmosphere, reflective by its
haunting lyrics, and moved by Peter Siberman?s poignant vocal delivery.
Hospice is brilliant from start to finish. | | 14 |  | Grizzly Bear
Veckatimest
#7 Much like last year?s debut by Fleet Foxes, Grizzly Bear crafts an
experimental folk-rock album that excels on its progressive time signatures
and layered harmonies. Where it differs, however, is in sheer virtuosity.
Having much in common with Fleet Foxes as it does with Radiohead, The
Beatles, and The Beach Boys, Veckatimest is an alluring combination of
sounds, creating a deadly combination of mainstream acceptance and
gracious experimentation. | | 15 |  | Antony and the Johnsons
The Crying Light
#6 Antony and the Johnsons third studio-album sees them stripping down
their sound, with most tracks baring little more than piano and strings,
leaving Antony Hogart to showcase his soaring vocals and tender lyrics. The
album experience is akin to undergoing a spiritual cleansing, detailing the
progression of life from birth to death, with Hogart bearing his soul on each
song. The result is pure beauty, with Hogart crafting an album that feels
wholly relatable as a journey of the human experience, yet often unfamiliar
in the form of its subject matter. Nonetheless, this is a daring, beautiful
album that captivates your heart and moves your soul. Essential listening. | | 16 |  | Animal Collective
Merriweather Post Pavilion
#5 Animal Collective have been re-defining music for sometime now, with
each successive release inching closer to experimental perfection. With
Merriweather Post Pavillion, Animal crafts their most cohesive alum yet, with
a sound that is both alien yet familiar, whilst being wholly addictive. The
layered, repetitive vocals don?t help to stems the album?s manic
infectiousness. The lyrics are just as cryptic, with underlying meanings that
seem to be just as profound as they are bizarre. In short, Merriweather
Post Pavillion is the most captivating listen of the year. With the double-
whammy that is Fall Be Kind, Animal Collective have crafted two collections
of songs that almost run circles around anything else released this year.
Straddling the line between revolutionary and absurd, Animal Collective
show how far music has come as much as they re-define it. | | 17 |  | Shugo Tokumaru
Exit
#4 Though Exit was released last year, I stumbled upon Tokumaru through
the Rum Hee EP, released in 2009, and would like to acknowledge both
albums.
Much like Animal Collective, Shugo Tokumaru crafts catchy, experimental
pop. The only difference is that Shugo is one man, and his knack for melody
seems to be unmatched. Akin to Brian Wilson on acid, Shugo?s complex,
progressive arrangements make Exit & the EP Rum Hee?s whimsical, eclectic
works that consistently reach insanely addictive levels. Pair Shugo?s over-
enthusiastic production with clever lyrics and honest vocals, and Exit/Rum
Hee are absolutely brilliant. | | 18 |  | Mono
Hymn To The Immortal Wind
#3 In similar fashion, Mono?s fifth album, Hymn To The Immortal Wind is an
enchanting album that relies on its carefully crafted arrangements that blur
the distinction between rock and classical music. Hymn plays akin to life in
motion, with each song slowly blossoming into gorgeous walls of sound,
only to end and begin anew on the next track. Being long and wholly
instrumental, Hymn is a challenging listen, but like many of the releases
listed here, is more rewarding with every spin. This is brave, captivating,
beautiful music that deserves to be heard by everyone. | | 19 |  | DM Stith
Heavy Ghost
#2 A perfect mixture of Thom Yorke and Grizzly Bear? Maybe. The most
under-appreciated album of the year? Definitely. A haunting, perfect debut
from a true artist. Brilliant lyrics and vocals wrapped under layers of
textured sound. This is the kind of album you can get lost in for months. | | 20 |  | Atlas Sound
Logos
#1 Much like last year?s Microcastle/Weird Era Cont, Deerhunter frontman
Bradford Cox has released an album with that familiar ethereal wall of
sound, but taken the lyrics and vocals to a far more personal level. The
result is an album that excels on all levels, both challenging and nurturing
the listener at the same instant. Everything presented here is pure artistry,
and every track is no short of an absolute masterpiece. | |
shindip
12.29.09 | m3tal list | Prophet178
12.29.09 | 17 and 19 (numbers on the list, not descriptions) sound really cool, I'll have to check them out. | jingledeath
12.29.09 | 3,6,11,12 and 18 are all great. Still need to listen to 16 properly. | StreetlightRock
12.29.09 | Awesome List. | Dotcommy
12.29.09 | Good shiz. | Douglas
01.01.10 | 4 is win, list is win! |
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