2009. A.k.a the year of the Ox, a.k.a Animal Collective Vs. Grizzly Bear. 2009 was filled with albums teetering on the low nine mark. It’s been an almost perfect end to the decade, minus the sad, sad news about The Shins.
There might be random albums I haven't wrote about but I'm tired, bored and sick of this list now.
So here it is: Top Albums Of 2009. In Ol' Pitchfork fashion I've rated them, for your pleasure ;)
30.
Wild Beasts -
Two Dancers 8.1
The first of only two English artists on the entire list. Arh, well. First heard of these couple o' years back when they wasn't that good. Didn't expect they'd release an album like this. Outstanding.
29.
Camera Obscura -
My Maudlin Career 8.3
Catchy. As. Fuck. Is all I have to say about this album. Oh and it's probably their best album to date.
28.
St. Vincent -
Actor 8.1
This is such a godamn brilliant album, but I can't stress enough how much more amazing her debut is compared to this.
27.
Woods -
Songs Of Shame 8.2
Was put off by this album for a while after listening to
Wavves and hearing it was similar. But, Woods is good!
26.
Bibio -
Ambivalence Avenue 8.3
25.
Dodos-
Time To Die 8.0
24.
Taken By Trees -
East Of Eden 8.0
23.
Dan Deacon -
Bromst 8.2
22.
Built to Spill -
There Is No Enemy 8.2
21.
Bill Callahan -
Sometimes I wish We Were An Eagle 8.3
It’s always fun to make up words, that’s why Sometimes I Wish I Were An Eagle is so good. Callahan and his country, folky heart is on display from the very first song right to the very end.
20.
Bat for Lashes -
Two Suns 8.3
Disappointingly not as weird as you’d think in real life, Natasha Khan’s at the peak of her creativeness in Two Suns. The lead off song, Daniel is one of the greatest songs of the decade. The album flows naturally, from one potential single to the next.
19.
Dirty Projectors -
Bitte Orca 8.1
Admittedly, I find any pre-Bitte Orca DP album unlistenable, but both instrumentally and vocally, this is one of the most well crafted albums of 2009. Up there with Grizzly Bear’s Veckatimest, this is Dirty Projector’s breakthrough album.
18.
Mos Def -
The Ecstatic 8.2
Mos Def - Everyone’s favourite black guy, after Morgan Freeman, obviously. Ecstatically sample heavy, this album has already become my favourite rap album. Fuck you, Jay Z.
17.
Beirut -
March Of The Zapotec/Realpeople Holland 8.3
The guy with the most unfortunate name in music makes the list with another beautiful release. Here’s to hoping Zach Condon makes more music under the moniker of Realpeople.
16.
The Love Language -
The Love Language 8.5
New lo-fi band. But not just any lo-fi band. They don't purposefully make that annoying fuzzy noise that sounds like you're listening to an almost out of range radio station like dicks (looking at you
Wavves). Not just that but half of the songs on this, their debut album, are amazing.
15.
Fiery Furnaces -
I’m Going Away 8.4
Fiery Furnaces playing… non fucked up music? Huh? What’s up with that shit? This is the most down to earth Fiery Furnaces have ever been. And before listening to this I already knew it wouldn’t be better than their groundbreaking album Blueberry Boat (2004), which was a masterpiece. And how they were gonna follow up Widow City (2007) was beyond me. But this was the last thing I expected.
14. Various Artists -
Dark Was The Night 8.9
This beast of a compilation was produced by that National guy. Every track on the comp has the potential to be the listeners’ favourite song. My personal favourite is Tightrope by Yeasayer. No track from
Wavves though, unfortunately.
13.
Girls -
Album 8.5
Debut album by four guys from New York. They aren't girls so don't do what I did and expect some lush female vocals because you'll just be dissappionted when you hear a guy moan about not having a boyfriend, pizza
or wine. But then turned around 'cos it is actually pretty good. Then after a few more listens it'll be the only thing you'll be listening to. Mega, mega grower, much like that new
Wavves album.
12.
Casiotone for the Painfully Alone -
Advanced Based Battery Life/ Vs. Children 8.8/7.9
Owen Ashworth - The King of Lo-Fi? No. That title blates belongs to
Wavves. But still, after releasing two terrific albums this year, you gotta hand it to CFTPA’s Owen Ashworth. Nothing ground breaking, just more genuine heartfelt ultra-indie. In my opinion Advanced Based Battery Life is his best collection of songs.
11.
YACHT -
See Mystery Lights 8.5
More trippy hippy madness. YACHT, now a duo as opposed to the moniker of single man, Jonathan Warren Bechtolt, have made the best dance album of the year.
10.
JJ -
JJ No.2 8.6
You just saw the cover, right? You’re gonna skip this one, right? Wait, wait, this one
isn’t about popping caps in bitches. Okay, it’s about drugs, but still. Despite clocking in at a lazy 26 minutes it‘s one of the most compelling albums of the year. It’s a mini masterpiece. DO NOT do what I did and judge this beautiful album by it’s cover and refuse to download it for several months until your friend has told you for the 100th time to stop being so stubborn and get it.
9.
Sunset Rubdown -
Dragonslayer 8.7
Spencer Krug’s “side project” is quickly becoming his main band, having released four Sunset Rubdown albums within the time of just two Wolf Parade albums. Not only that, but SR is arguably better than WP. With Dragonslayer, it picks up where Random Spirit Lover (2007) left off, only not as over-produced. The albums share the same themes and even have sequels. Personally, I think it improves upon Random Spirit Lover. Although not being as good as the Wolf Parade albums or the first two SR records, Dragonslayer is a terrific and captivating album.
8.
Gui Boratto -
Take My Breath Away 8.8
7.
Why? -
Eskimo Snow 9.1
So there’s no rapping whatsoever on the album. So what? Get over it. Although many Why? Fans would disagree, I think this is their best album and by far the most atmospheric. And is it just me or does anybody else think it sounds Christmassy?
6.
Grizzly Bear -
Veckatimest 8.8
No surprises here. A massive step up from 2006’s Yellow House (that’s not to say Yellow House wasn’t immense)
5.
Karen O and the Kids -
Where The Wild Things Are 9.0
A beautiful album to coincide a beautiful film. One of the greatest albums of the year to soundtrack one of the greatest films of the year. The best thing about this is that it doesn’t sound like just another film score, it sounds like a fully thought out album… and maybe what Fever To Tell (2003) would sound like if Yeah Yeah Yeahs weren’t so aggressive. The Kids include members from Liars, Atlas Sound, YYYs, The Dead Weather (Although TDW are shit if you ask me) and more.
4.
Fever Ray -
Fever Ray 9.0
Karin Dreijer Andersson has now totally dumped what made people notice her. Her sunny electronic bleeps and bloops with the knife were nowhere to be seen in Silent Shout (2006), And now her debut under the moniker Fever Ray isn’t only rid of summer anthems but shot of any real emotion. Okay, that sounds bleak and unlistenable but Fever Ray is a great, cohesive album and better than any album by The Knife excluding Silent Shout. And the music videos are incredible.
3.
Animal Collective -
Merriweather Post Pavilion 9.1
I could write about this album forever, the hype behind it, the haters, the lovers, why people consider it to be one of the best of the decade, but all I’m gonna say is - Listen to it! I’d probably class MPP as a masterpiece if the three albums preceding it weren’t better.
2.
The Flaming Lips -
Embryonic 9.3
Less commercial than their mega-disappointing last effort, three years later and they’ve returned with their third masterpiece. Granted, it comes in 3rd place awarding Yoshimi(2002) 2nd place and The Soft Bulletin 1st, but still, that’s a tremendous feat. Embryonic is a lot darker than anything they’ve done and a sound more deeper than anything else. You’ll be sucked in to the Flips universe yet again as soon as you hear the super catchy Convinced Of The Hex. Oh, and it’s a double CD. Wayne Coyne is God.
1.
Swan Lake -
Enemy Mine 9.4
Dan Bajar’s poetic verses, Spencer Krug’s haunting melodies and Carey Mercer’s majestic yelps all secure Enemy Mine as the finest album of 2009. A masterpiece that includes Bejar and Carey’s best work. Not only that but it’s also a huge surprise taking their shockingly unpleasant, all-over-the-place debut into consideration.
Mos Def
