Top 10 of 2005
I put off doing this post because I had a reallly hard time narrowing down this list. And still, as of writing this my list feels unfinished. I think part of the problem is I don't feel strongly about giving any of these albums the title of best album of the year. And some of the ones I had to leave off were no better, no worse than those that did make this list. What this list represents is the ten albums I liked a lot and listened to most this past year.
1. Bright Eyes - I'm Wide Awake It's Morning
I've listened to this album more than any other album this year. Maybe more than any other album in the past few years. I think, of all the albums released last year, it will remind me most of 2005.
2. The New Pornographers - Twin Cinema
This definately the most solid album of 2005. Every song is absolutely incredible. After Mass Romantic came out in 2001, I was like, no way is this a real band. No band is this good. Their follow up, The Electric Version, proved it was no fluke. And Twin Cinema was proof that this band is this on all the time.
3. Sufjan Stevens - Illinois
I wasn't that into this CD when it first came out, but recently, I was reminded just how good it is. My immediate impressions were that it was much better than the Michigan album, but was still too long. It came off as sounding over indulgent. Still, anyone who tackles the project of recording albums for every state in the union is going to come off as sounding maybe just a little indulgent.
4. M.I.A. - Arular
At her show this summer in Philadelphia, M.I.A. called the speakers Wal-Mart and refused to play. No wait. She totally rocked the house and put on one of the hottest shows ever in every sense of the word.
5. Bloc Party - Silent Alarm
This is another CD that grew on me. I had written them off early as just another hype band, but slowly I began reading them more as the next Blur than the U2 comparisons would suggest. A band that can be both a rock band and a dance band without riding the dancepunk wave is enough for me, but on top of that they technically tight and socially relevant.
6. Spoon - Gimme Fiction
I always thought this band should be more popular and way more obscure than they already are. They are influenced by the Beatles but not in an obvious way. Listen to their song Sister Jack and tell me that song was not written to be played on the radio. Stephen King called my favorite Spoon song the best song of the year. Who knew we had the same taste in music?
7. M. Ward - Transistor Radio
M. Ward's Transistor Radio is a concept album, reimagining a time when radio was a diverse landscape, when you could change the station and hear something different. How on long drives late at night there is a connection between the driver and the voice coming through the speakers. M. Ward recreates this feeling through intimiate songs that change style as if you were changing a dial. Not a high concept album, but one that thought went into.
Aimee Mann - The Forgotten Arm
Nick Hornby details the disappointing career of Aimee Mann in Songbook. He calls her just a good songwriter. As if she needs to be anything more. The amazing consistancy to which Aimee Mann has made a living writing and recording music should be the blueprint to sustain the music industry. Allow a talented artist the freedom to create something beautiful and you might get something as good as the Magnolia Soundtrack. Its so worth all the Nicklebacks and Los Lonely Boys.
The Mountain Goats - The Sunset Tree
The Sunset Tree is John Darnielle's most personal album. At first his directness was hard to get used to, but I really think it's his best album. "I am going to make it through this year if it kills me." It somehow works that the more personal a story you tell the more universal those experiences become. You'd think being vague would allow people to identify more by putting in their own details to your story, but somehow it doesn't.
Ryan Adams & The Cardinals - Cold Roses
Ryan Adams is crazy. He records and records and records and sometimes he is able to get to what he did on Heartbreaker. But most times he misses the mark. Every interview or new story on him reveals so much, because I doubt he keeps anything in, anything hidden. Everything gets recorded. Everything. 2005 saw 3 Ryan Adams records released including 1 double album Cold Roses. Cold Roses marked Ryan Adams first outing with his backing band The Cardinals. Or who I like to call The Quality Controllers. I think Adams needs more people around him giving him input. Maybe they saved Adams from releasing 12 albums.
1. Bright Eyes - I'm Wide Awake It's Morning
I've listened to this album more than any other album this year. Maybe more than any other album in the past few years. I think, of all the albums released last year, it will remind me most of 2005.
2. The New Pornographers - Twin Cinema
This definately the most solid album of 2005. Every song is absolutely incredible. After Mass Romantic came out in 2001, I was like, no way is this a real band. No band is this good. Their follow up, The Electric Version, proved it was no fluke. And Twin Cinema was proof that this band is this on all the time.
3. Sufjan Stevens - Illinois
I wasn't that into this CD when it first came out, but recently, I was reminded just how good it is. My immediate impressions were that it was much better than the Michigan album, but was still too long. It came off as sounding over indulgent. Still, anyone who tackles the project of recording albums for every state in the union is going to come off as sounding maybe just a little indulgent.
4. M.I.A. - Arular
At her show this summer in Philadelphia, M.I.A. called the speakers Wal-Mart and refused to play. No wait. She totally rocked the house and put on one of the hottest shows ever in every sense of the word.
5. Bloc Party - Silent Alarm
This is another CD that grew on me. I had written them off early as just another hype band, but slowly I began reading them more as the next Blur than the U2 comparisons would suggest. A band that can be both a rock band and a dance band without riding the dancepunk wave is enough for me, but on top of that they technically tight and socially relevant.
6. Spoon - Gimme Fiction
I always thought this band should be more popular and way more obscure than they already are. They are influenced by the Beatles but not in an obvious way. Listen to their song Sister Jack and tell me that song was not written to be played on the radio. Stephen King called my favorite Spoon song the best song of the year. Who knew we had the same taste in music?
7. M. Ward - Transistor Radio
M. Ward's Transistor Radio is a concept album, reimagining a time when radio was a diverse landscape, when you could change the station and hear something different. How on long drives late at night there is a connection between the driver and the voice coming through the speakers. M. Ward recreates this feeling through intimiate songs that change style as if you were changing a dial. Not a high concept album, but one that thought went into.
Aimee Mann - The Forgotten Arm
Nick Hornby details the disappointing career of Aimee Mann in Songbook. He calls her just a good songwriter. As if she needs to be anything more. The amazing consistancy to which Aimee Mann has made a living writing and recording music should be the blueprint to sustain the music industry. Allow a talented artist the freedom to create something beautiful and you might get something as good as the Magnolia Soundtrack. Its so worth all the Nicklebacks and Los Lonely Boys.
The Mountain Goats - The Sunset Tree
The Sunset Tree is John Darnielle's most personal album. At first his directness was hard to get used to, but I really think it's his best album. "I am going to make it through this year if it kills me." It somehow works that the more personal a story you tell the more universal those experiences become. You'd think being vague would allow people to identify more by putting in their own details to your story, but somehow it doesn't.
Ryan Adams & The Cardinals - Cold Roses
Ryan Adams is crazy. He records and records and records and sometimes he is able to get to what he did on Heartbreaker. But most times he misses the mark. Every interview or new story on him reveals so much, because I doubt he keeps anything in, anything hidden. Everything gets recorded. Everything. 2005 saw 3 Ryan Adams records released including 1 double album Cold Roses. Cold Roses marked Ryan Adams first outing with his backing band The Cardinals. Or who I like to call The Quality Controllers. I think Adams needs more people around him giving him input. Maybe they saved Adams from releasing 12 albums.
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