2009 was a rough year in so many ways. Personal tragedies kept me from enjoying the things I normally do, including writing for this here blog. Unlike last year, I don't even have a full-length review to link to for all ten albums, but I still managed to pick out the ones I felt were worth your time. As I said last year, this is by no means a definitive list, but of the albums I listened to this year, it represents my personal favorites.
In order to choose my ten favorite albums of any given year, the CD must be released physically or digitally within the calendar year. Re-releases (10th Anniversary, remasters, catalog releases, etc.) are not eligible (thus previously released US albums are not eligible simply because they appear on iTunes in a given year), nor are remix albums, Best Of compilations, DJ mix CDs, or soundtracks unless they are scores recorded specifically for a film (as opposed to a collection of tracks from various artists that appear within a film). Only original compositions are eligible, in other words.
Unfortunately, some of this year's best records are ineligible due to various reasons. One of the rules I did not stipulate last year is that EPs are also ineligible, so though they are fantastic records, The Envy Corps' Kid Gloves and The Silent Years' Let Go cannot make the cut. In addition, promotional copies do not count, so All Thieves' stunning debut is not on the list due to that technicality.
Keeping that in mind, this year's winners are...
10.
1090 Club
Natural Selection
2009
Sidecho Records
One of the unexpected benefits of creating this blog has been the contact with record labels it has generated. When The Silent Years signed to Sidecho Records, representatives from the label stumbled across this blog and kindly introduced me to some of their other acts, including Montana's 1090 Club.
Combining harmonized pop hooks with rock guitars and violin, the band's sophomore LP is a refreshing change of pace from the usual angsty modern rock bands. I was initially apprehensive, thinking the label was simply trying to take advantage of free promotion, but I was pleasantly surprised to find a legitimately enjoyable record with some fabulous songs. It's not all perfect, but the strengths outweigh the minor flaws.
9.
Lymbyc Systym
Shutter Release
2009
Mush Records
Arizona's Michael and Jared Bell took a break from their almost non-stop touring schedule to record their second full-length album, announcing it to an unsuspecting public less than a month before it hit store shelves.
Building upon their established sound, a combination of post-rock and electronic, Shutter Release eclipses their first effort. Tracks such as "Ghost Clock" rank among the very best songs the year has had to offer, and the album itself is an emotional journey through beautiful soundscapes.
8.
Way Out West
We Love Machine
2009
Hope Recordings
Dance music pioneers Nick Warren and Jody Wisternoff, better known as Way Out West, return with their fourth full length CD. A tribute to every style of dance music including disco, house, progressive, ambient, downbeat, and breaks, WOW once again strike gold and solidify themselves as one of the most consistently brilliant acts in the electronic music scene.
Even the album's lone weak point doesn't stop the momentum. We Love Machine is a killer effort from a killer band. Though the world may never see another dance music CD as good as Way Out West's self-titled 1997 debut, you can rest assured that with each new release the duo puts out, you're going to get nothing but quality and this is no exception.
7.
Maxwell
BLACKsummer'snight
2009
Columbia
After a long eight year hiatus, R&B soulster Maxwell returns with the first in a planned trilogy of albums. Most importantly, Maxwell returns the genre to its roots with layers of horns, live instruments, and to-die-for multi-tracked vocal harmonies.
After the disappointing Now, it seemed Maxwell would be doomed to obscurity, but the commercial success of BLACKsummer'snight and the quality of its material proves that there is still a place in music for classic soul and R&B. There is nothing contrived about this album. This isn't Maxwell trying to imitate the greats - this is just him doing what he does best, returning to the sound more in the vein of his classic debut Urban Hang Suite. Though it still isn't as good as the grossly underappreciated Embrya, BLACKsummer'snight is soul music for everyone who grew up listening to Motown instead of the over-produced, computerized garbage of the 90s and 2000s.
6.
Loney, Dear
Dear John
2009
Polyvinyl Record Co.
Swedish singer/songwriter Emil Svanängen, under his recording name Loney, Dear, crafted one of the early contenders for Album of the Year with Dear John. Achingly beautiful melodies, electronics and traditional instruments blended together, and soft, melodic vocals create a wonderful listening experience, whether it's the uptempo "Airport Surroundings" or the somber ballad "Under A Silent Sea".
This is a record with more heart than all the more traditional pop releases of 2009 combined. Dear John is a stunning work - sort of like Bon Iver with a larger compliment of instruments.
5.
Moby
Wait For Me
2009
Little Idiot Records
After the dreadful dance oriented Last Night, Moby makes a welcome return to the sound that made him a household name. The quiet, introspective Wait For Me features plenty of Moby's trademark synthesized strings and sad melodies, and is one of his most personal works to date.
Recorded entirely in his home studio, Wait For Me has a vintage sound, but it doesn't fall into the same trap that Play's successor, 18, did. This is no sound-alike record or Moby trying to recapture the magic of Play. Wait For Me creates a magic all its own and though some fans want him to return to his strict dance roots, this record single handedly restored my faith in the electronic music pioneer.
4.
Doves
Kingdom of Rust
2009
Astralwerks
England's Doves were a band I'd always been meaning to check out, but it wasn't until the release of the critically acclaimed band's fourth canonical LP that I finally got around to doing so. Shortly after, I quickly went back and picked up their earlier works but Kingdom of Rust could still very well be their best work in a catalog filled with excellent releases.
Doves are a genuine rival to British pop-rock contemporaries Coldplay, and in many ways may be the better band, and certainly the more daring. Kingdom of Rust is not only one of the best albums of 2009, but one of my favorite rock albums of the last decade.
3.
Terry Callier
Hidden Conversations
2009
Mr. Bongo Records
From out of nowhere came Terry Callier's Hidden Conversations. The collaboration between Callier and Massive Attack's creative genius Robert Del Naja led me to the album, but the combination of blues, jazz, soul, ambient, R&B, and the poetic lyrics placed it firmly in the Top Three of the year.
2.
Jason Lytle
Yours Truly, The Commuter
2009
Anti-
Former Grandaddy frontman Jason Lytle returns with his solo debut, capturing nearly all the magic of his four full-length albums under the band's moniker. Yours Truly, The Commuter doesn't break the mold for Lytle, but it succeeds in continuing on what he began with his critically acclaimed band and ends up being a considerably stronger effort than their final album, Just Like The Fambly Cat.
Lytle's earnest and open lyrics are deeply affecting because they're easy to relate to, but there's still those funny, hippie-esque moments that permeated so much of Grandaddy's work. Released to almost nothing but rave reviews, Yours Truly, The Commuter is hopefully an indication that Lytle will have just as strong a solo career as he did recording under the Grandaddy name.
1.
The Summer Pledge
You Are You
2009
Woodbridge Records
Perhaps it is just coincidence that both this year's and last year's best records came from my hometown of Detroit, or perhaps it's a testament to the strength of the rock scene here, but like last year there was little doubt what album would top this list upon hearing The Summer Pledge perform their incredible debut live at the Quadruple Album Release Prom.
Since its release, You Are You has only continued to grow on me as I've discovered the complexities contained therein. Spacey post-rock with layers of scorching guitar work, thunderous drums, and thought-provoking lyrics about the drudgery of daily life could make You Are You the soundtrack for a disenfranchised generation.
Quite frankly, the band is so good throughout that it's hard to believe this is their first effort. The entire record sounds as though it were recorded live in one shot, much the same way it was performed in concert when I discovered it for myself. I may have been late to discover The Silent Years in 2008, but The Summer Pledge were 2009's big discovery and they left me every bit as excited and blown away. You Are You is nothing short of fantastic, brilliant, and every other similar adjective I could throw out there to describe it.
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