Seeing as this piece is being exhumed for the sake of giving this location some context, we should do the like the professionals do and make this give this re-release some exclusive substance. So, here's a special PLUS for our old readers and our new ones too.
PLUSThe trouble with reviewing music on an annual scale is there's no way to get around the heaping ton of content there is to immerse yourself in. It's nothing to be ashamed of, but there's no way to hear all of it and still come up with a well reasoned judgement relating what you feel in comparison to each and every rating you have calculated in response to every other song and album (all of which have their own compounding relations to the rest of the music you've heard). The sheer volume and variety of music that is released each year, combined with the amount of time we have to consider each entry dictates that if we intended to compare all of it on the level needed to determine the best and the worst, not only would much of it be left out, the manner in which the result is calculated would not lead to an analysis that's worth a damn to anyone. And our self worth is based largely on how you feel about us (the other parts are made up of how well our belt matches our shoes and how long we can go without eating your Doritos).We don't review anything in a cumulative comparison. Too much untranslatable subjectivity goes into that process, and the results are likely to change in a month or two, or whenever we get more time with any of the entries. Instead, the only difference No. 10 and No. 9 on our lists is that one of them has less about it that could be improved. Obviously, these albums are the ten best of the year, so whatever need be improved is already fairly minute. But the "Best Album of the Year" is not the best because it's better than No. 2. It's the best because out of everything else we managed to listen to over the year, nothing else was so close to achieving the potential it set out to reach. In the case of our 2009 list, Wilco (the album) is so close to its own personal perfection that it was indisputably the best piece of music we listened to that year. And we feel that this kind of evaluation is something that more people will appreciate and hopefully get out of it something they can apply to their own tastes in the future. And achieving that, we've done what we set out to do.
Ten Best Albums of 2009
- 10. Bitte Orca - Dirty Projectors
Well this is a charming piece of work here. Really, it's very endearing to us. It has its own little quirks, like rapidly alternating beats and tempos. The vocals even regularly take a back-seat to the often strange compositions, riddled with clap-beats and synth. But when the vocals aren't holding back, they're calling and crying out anxiously over everything else. All of this together makes a very pleasant album that is sometimes tempered and sometimes raging, but never chaotic. Bitte Orca is just a nice little album. - 9. War Child Presents Heroes - Various Artists
In a perfect world, charity albums like Instant Karma and the like would be enjoyable, quality song collections of familiar tracks from talented artists. Instead, the only consistent factor involved with their production over the years has been that they're shit. So we might be prone to overreacting when War Child Present Heroes happens to not only to be charity album, but it's also good. The secret ingredient here appears to be that all the artists crammed in here were hand-picked to a collection of classic songs by the original artists themselves (ex: David Bowie/TV on the Radio, Bob Dylan/Beck, The Clash/Lily Allen). The result is not only a very fresh attitude towards a variety of excellent tracks, but also one that enhances their legacy instead of embarrassing it. - 8. Album - Girls
Loading up this album (ha!), we got the impression that the band was trying to pull something over on us by titling it the way they did. We also thought perhaps it had something to do with how ridiculously plain their band name was. Moving on, we listened to the first few tracks and stopped there. Something didn't seem right about it. The songs seemed as deceptive as the title of the album. A few days later we dived in again and tried to read more into it. We got as far as the track "Headache" when we sat up and said to ourselves, "I get it!" We don't want to spoil too much for you, it's worth your time to understand this one on your own. But we will say one thing: Simple is good. - 7. Red - Datarock
Yeah, these guys are back again. Reemerging after their 2007 album Datarock Datarock, this Norwegian electro duo is giving the earth another taste of their own brand of dance music. Only this time, their old-school influences (ex: DEVO and the Talking Heads) play a bigger part in their song styles. They still have plenty of completely absurd tracks to offer this time around (like "Molly" a song about Molly Ringwald, and "True Stories": a song made up entirely of titles to songs from the Talking Heads), but as a notable improvement, even the most ridiculous tracks are much easier to swallow. Everything about Red is still very farcical, but it's refreshingly upfront about it. These guys just want everyone to have a good time; have a good laugh and keep on dancing. - 6. Junior - Röyksopp
With their last album released in 2005, The Understanding, we were beginning to wonder when we would have our next opportunity to get mesmerized by Röyksopp's next feat of electronic brilliance. Yet another couple of chaps from Norway, the band has put together their latest album, Junior, with the counterpart, Senior (a more "withdrawn and introspective" album), in mind for early 2010. So while we wait patiently for the follow-up to come our way, we can safely sing the praises of what we've got. If you're already familiar with Röyksopp, you shouldn't hesitate to enjoy Junior. It's a well-polished, candy-coated treat for things with ears; an audible delicacy of synth-pop delight. - 5. Bromst - Dan Deacon
We don't really know why Dan Deacon does the things that he does. We throw up our hands in defeat, baffled by the workings of some of the most simultaneously absurd and instantly likable electronica out there. For his sake, it seems like he toned down some of the less digestible tracks found in his last album in favor of more genuinely catchy melodies that, depending on your ear, compliment or forgive the sing-a-long style nonsense that weaves in and out of the tune. And that's really all we can say; it's wacky, brilliant, and you've never heard anything like it. - 4. Working On A Dream - Bruce Springsteen
There's an overwhelming opinion among people that miserable artists create the best music. Combined with this, there are large quantities of miserable people out there that require the music they listen to be as miserable as they are. There is a lot of overlap between these groups, and as far as we can tell, the majority of both are idiots. Nevertheless, we're not going to argue whether or not sad bastards write the best tunes. But here we'd like to make a case for one positive album, one coming from a regularly somber fellow. Working on a Dream is Bruce Springsteen's follow up to 2007's Magic, and while it may not reach the same heights as that noticeably less upbeat entry, he has a certain charm and energy when he doesn't sound so down on his luck. So if a diehard sad-song singer can make a turnaround like this, we encourage you to take after his lead and enjoy the fruits of a happy album. - 3. Actor - St. Vincent
It was hard to quantify what makes Actor such a great album at first. There's certainly enough quality in almost every element of the music. The lyrics are creative and supplement the beat. Each song seems to have its own style, from the heated "Marrow" to relaxing "Just The Same But Brand New". But even in the dichotomy, there's a lot of unity, letting Annie Clark's elastic voice pull everything together neatly, while spicing up the already sublimely poetic lyrics. Yet it's none of these things uniquely that makes Actor so good. It's the web that stretches over all of those qualities and makes them work together well. Simply said, Actor is the smartest album of the year. - 2. xx - The xx
It seems difficult to believe that when an independent English band releases their self-titled debut album, and the name of that band is The xx, that it wouldn't be a nose-in-the-air, impenetrable block of unreasonably long indie trash-jams. That was what we were expecting going into to this album for the first time. Needless to say, we couldn't have been more wrong. Yet it wasn't even the shock of our assumptions being so far off that had us coming back to this one over and over again. xx is one of the most accessible and sensibly arranged indie rock albums you can find. Each track is rich and strangely satisfying, boasting little more than a well harmonized duo and some modest guitar/bass. There's no excess to be trimmed away here, just lean, striking music with a lot of heart. - 1. Wilco (The Album) - Wilco
Wilco unhinged and unsteady and under-produced is better than nearly any other band — including Wilco. That was Being There. This is thirteen years after that release, and Wilco has changed, morphed and evolved half a dozen times over that span. It's for this reason that Wilco is one of the most consistently interesting bands out there. Described as "alternative country" or "alternative rock", there always seems to be more talk about what Wilco is, and not if Wilco is worth listening to. The truth is, Wilco (The Album) is not any better than they already are. That being said, they unquestionably produced the best album of the year. So don't think so hard about it. Wilco is music for the sheer joy of listening to music.
Now the...
Ten Best Songs of 2009
- 10. Outlaw Pete
Working On A Dream - Bruce Springsteen
Because we needed someone to remind us how to sing a story -- all of us. - 9. Stillness Is The Move
Bitte Orca - Dirty Projectors
Because you won't get a better excuse than this to participate with your music in mixed company. - 8. My Girls.
Merriweather Post Pavillion - Animal Collective
Because it has nothing to do with being a father, and everything to do with it --simultaneously. - 7. Snookered
Bromst - Dan Deacon
Because the words don't have to make sense if you're this good. - 6. Love Like A Sunset
Wolfgang Amedaus Phoenix - Phoenix
Because it does seven minutes and thirty-eight seconds the right way (and the last two minutes could be its own track). - 5. Powerless
Embryonic - The Flaming Lips
Because we can't shake the feeling that this song is much better than we think it is (and also for that guitar solo two minutes in). - 4. Hellhole Ratrace
Album - Girls
Because sadness never sounded so hopeful. - 3. True Stories
Red - Datarock
Because they made their biggest influence into the lyrics of a song, and made it great. - 2. I'll Fight
Wilco (the album) - Wilco
Because you've never felt this kind of passion, but you wish you have. - 1. Help Yourself
N/A - Sad Brad Smith
Because if Brad Smith can care about you this hard, you should too.
BEST SONG OF '09 BONUS SENTENCE: Because it outshines the best movie of the year, and it's still ineligible for an Oscar.
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