Top albums of 2009

12:27 pm |

When I consider the year in music, my thoughts turn more to singles than albums, possibly because I’ve spent quite a bit of time foraging for songs that will make people go nuts on the dance floor in 2009. Nevertheless, I remain committed to the album as the primary vehicle for musical expression, and in 2009 there were plenty of good ones.

Here, then, are my personal picks for the 10 best albums of 2009, limited simply by what showed up on my radar this year. The usual disclaimer applies: If there is a terrific album I didn’t hear (such as, perhaps, Florence and the Machine’s Lungs or St. Vincent’s Actor), or became aware of too late to form a real opinion (as in the case of the debut from Them Crooked Vultures and The Thermals’ Now We Can See), it’s not on the list. Also, a few 2008 releases were in high rotation for me in 2009, like The Gaslight Anthem’s The ‘59 Sound. But please alert me to any blind spots, because I am nothing if not a sponge for great music.

10. Metric — Fantasies
A bit of a return to form for Metric after the inconsistent Live It Out from 2005, Fantasies was nominated for the 2009 Polaris Prize. Nothing complicated about the album, but it can be relied upon for steady rock with a slight snarl from Emily Haines. Key tracks: “Help I’m Alive,” “Sick Muse,” “Gimme Sympathy”
9. Yeah Yeah Yeahs — It’s Blitz!
A triumphant third album for the Karen O-led rockers, who demonstrated plenty of swagger and added electro-pop elements to their sound with resounding success. Also worth noting is how they filled in for the Beastie Boys at this summer’s Lollapalooza festival and practically stole the show. Key tracks: “Zero,” “Dull Life,” “Heads Will Roll”

8. Wilco — Wilco (The Album)
I will freely acknowledge that I am comfortably living in my Wilco years, a period in which everything Jeff Tweedy says, does or thinks speaks directly to my personal experience. Still, it’s reassuring that this record reintroduces the listener to the band’s sense of humour and whimsy. In showcasing the many sides of Wilco in 2009 (The Song, The Album, The Tour, even The Tote), Tweedy and company let their hair down in a way that wasn’t immediately apparent on 2007’s Sky Blue Sky. Even a tender duet with Feist, “You and I,” is a ballad with a lighter side. Key tracks: “Wilco (The Song),” “You and I,” “I’ll Fight”

7. M. Ward — Hold Time
Wise enough to recognize a partnership that hits the right notes, the man they call M. recruited Zooey Deschanel (the two of them released a standout album as She & Him in 2008) to add backing vocals to a couple of the tracks on this record (including “Rave On“). The tone they set is evocative of a sunny, warm and rich roots recording from the ’60s. That Ward is able to up the ante with textured instrumentation and production throughout Hold Time makes it an absolute delight. Key tracks: “For Beginners,” “Never Had Nobody Like You,” “Stars of Leo”
6. Jon-Rae Fletcher — Oh Maria
Oh Maria is a journey into the deepest part of the soul of Jon-Rae Fletcher, a Kelowna, B.C., native whose career has taken him to Toronto with gospel-tinged country act The River and back to B.C., where this album was born. Fletcher explores themes of love, loss and belonging using a deep and soulful singing voice and a desperately dark point of view, accompanied by a stripped-down band accented by a single trombone. Key tracks: “Maria,” “Downtown,” “Oh, Maria” (No YouTube videos of these songs, but here’s one from a recent performance in Victoria)

5. K’naan — Troubadour
Canadian by way of Somalia, rapper K’naan bared all by telling his story through Troubadour, a 14-song statement record that was short-listed for the Polaris Prize. Anecdotes about his homeland and direct references to the immigrant experience simply sparkle with the rhymes and lyrics of a poet, but K’naan also possesses an obvious passion for party music. With a song about relying on Western Union and one that was chosen as a theme song for the 2010 soccer World Cup, it’s as well-rounded an album as you’ll hear from all of 2009. Key tracks: “Bang Bang,” “Dreamer,” “Wavin’ Flag”

4. The xx — xx
It’s fair to call this an unspectacular debut album, until you really listen to it. Then it strikes a nerve with a direct hit. The rather plain girl-guy vocals become intense whispers aimed at the heart. The picked-guitar and bass dance together in a minimalist’s haunted, sensual dream. And overall, the writing and production make this feel not like a debut, but a return to form. And they’re all 20 years old. Key tracks: “Crystalized,” “Islands,” “Shelter”

3. Animal Collective — Merriweather Post Pavilion
Who would have believed at the start of their career that Animal Collective would chart in the Billboard top 20 in 2009? Certainly not many. But Merriweather Post Pavilion is the kind of album that created a lot of surprises. It features restless pop melodies packed tightly within a wrapping of samples and synth loops that sound as fantastic in earbuds as on the dancefloor. Trance-like vocals and tribal rhythms come standard, of course. Key tracks: “My Girls,” “Summertime Clothes,” “Bluish”

2. Gentleman Reg — Jet Black
It’s time now to expose the robbery of the year: Jet Black was not even long-listed for the Polaris Prize this year, even though it would be my pick for the winner. Gentleman Reg’s trademark is rock with an easy groove and the best falsetto you’ve ever heard. Jet Black is full of gems, from singalong straight-ahead rockers to aching ballads. There’s even one of the year’s best dancefloor anthems in “We’re In A Thunderstorm.” Key tracks: “You Can’t Get It Back,” “How We Exit,” “We’re In A Thunderstorm”

1. Miike Snow — Miike Snow
Another debut album cracks the top ten, and this time it was untouchable. Miike Snow will make you want to get on the dancefloor immediately, grabbing hold with an active rhythm section and seizing control with the strong tenor of singer Andrew Wyatt. But the real strength is in the songwriting, which makes sense: two of the trio’s members wrote the popular Britney Spears track “Toxic”. I dare you to resist the groove on this ultimately satisfying album. Key tracks: “Animal,” “Cult Logic,” “A Horse Is Not A Home”

Honourable Mentions: Grizzly Bear’s Veckatimest, Phoenix’s Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix, Parlour Steps’ The Hidden Names, Dark Was the Night (a compilation), White Rabbits’ It’s Frightening, Monsters of Folk’s self-titled album, Camera Obscura’s My Maudlin Career, Viva Vocce’s Rose City, Mos Def’s The Ecstatic

Comments

1 Comment so far

Matt Thompson on January 7, 2010 6:06 pm
“The Mountain” by the Heartless Bastards gets my vote for best album of the year. Check it out and tell me what you think!
http://www.emusic.com/album/Heartless-Bastards-The-Mountain-MP3-Download/11376795.html