Gorillaz Demon Days
With Danger Mouse producing, it was certain that the new Gorillaz latest would go in a much different direction than the previous album, but the amount of growth and general musicianship from the group couldn't have been expected. Beyond the irresistibly catchy singles of "Feel Good, Inc.", "DARE", and "Dirty Harry" are a slew of darkly-tinged songs, that are as challenging as they are exceptional. MF Doom guest stars on the outstanding and trippy "November Has Come," while Dennis Hopper narrates what is easily one of the darkest tracks on the album, "Fire Coming Out of a Monkey's Head." While it might have been easy for many to dismiss Gorillaz originally as being a clever gimmick, Gorillaz proved this to be all but untrue with the release of Demon Days.
9.
Andrew Bird The Mysterious Production of Eggs
Chicago-native Andrew Bird has really been on a roll lately. His second solo release is another outstanding and incredibly intimate effort, with gorgeous tracks such as "Sovay" and "Masterfade." Lyrics are particularly well crafted as always, and show Andrew Bird's incredible versatility not only as a musician but also as a songwriter. Andrew Bird can still pull off a darn good alterna-pop song as well with catchy tracks such as "Fake Palindromes" and the exceptionally stylized "Skin Is, My." Ani DiFranco should be very pleased in picking up Andrew Bird onto her label, as he has more than made it worthwhile based on this album's release alone.
8.
The Go! Team Thunder, Lightning, Strike
Easily one of the most exciting groups to come out this year, this group hailing from Brighton, England have made themselves a hit with an unstoppable force of an album. From beginning to end, each and every track packs a punch rarely found in any genre of music today. Highlights include the summery "Ladyflash," "Get It Together," and the powerhouse "Junior Kickstart." While it may seem a bit like high school cheering squad practice at first, give these guys a chance. Their sound is completely unique and incredibly addicting and they deserve the utmost attention and praise for being so daring and so fun-- all at the same time.
7.
Broken Social Scene Broken Social Scene
Broken Social Scene have got quite a good thing going, as they've yet to really release a bad album. While it's hard for many to laud this album as every release they come up with will almost certainly pale in comparison (for many, anyway) to You Forgot It In People, I have to say BSS got it right here. From the opening "Our Faces Split the Coast in Half," you get a pretty good idea of what kind of sound is going on here, as BSS appears to be stuck in "jam out" mode, which is hardly a negative for them. "7/4 (Shoreline)" is easily one of the best songs this year, while "Swimmers" is another superb albeit slightly more derivative song. All in all this is another solid showing by Broken Social Scene, and easily one of the top albums of 2005.
6.
Bloc Party Silent Alarm
Bloc Party made a huge splash this year, thanks in part to a lot of exposure from all types of media from MTV2 to NME magazine to being named the Okayplayer artists of the month. Bloc Party proved to be well worth the hype as many people are still talking about them now even though their album was released very early on in the year. While it'll be hard from them to run away from comparisons to bands such as U2 (and consequently Coldplay), these guys are very capable of being in the same league as both groups (well, maybe not U2), and establishing their own sense of dominance internationally. The fantastic opener of "Like Eating Glass" leads into the incredible "Helicopter" which is in full force with swirling guitars that compete with the confident vocals. Also well worth noting is the single "Banquet" which was really a perfect single for them, as it represents their sound as a whole: rhythmically intricate with engulfing guitars and passionate but derivative vocals. This is an astounding effort from this group, as it's only their debut, and it'll be interesting to see where these guys go from here.
5.
Kanye West Late Registration
So Kanye proved just about everyone wrong with The College Dropout, and after the huge amount of success, everyone figured that he'd just ride off into the sunset and go back to producing for good right? Wrong, as a matter of fact, Kanye was just warming up on The College Dropout and really gets to work on this release. Overall, Late Regestration is a much stronger effort than the debut. Kanye was smart in seeking a helping hand in Jon Brion with production as the classical orchestration added a great amount of depth to what were already solid tracks. Also, the addition of Jamie Foxx and Adam Levine on "Gold Digger" and "Heard 'Em Say," respectively, added to the musicality to each of the tracks and, in the case of "Heard 'Em Say," smartly added to the intimacy and importance of the song and message that Kanye was delivering. The album is also much more focused than his previous effort, allowing for him to focus on a singular message (or grouping of messages) that he wants to focus on rather than being a little bit all over the place. Overall this is a superb album, not only in hip hop but in general, and is the best hip hop album to be released this year.
4.
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah Clap Your Hands Say YeahClap Your Hands Say Yeah was the DIY success story of 2005. Without ever being signed to a major label, they managed to create enough attention through word of mouth to become one of the best selling indie albums this year, not to mention the most critically acclaimed. Adding one more favorable review to the pile, I did a full length review of their album back in October and haven't really stopped listening to them since. Inspiring and beautiful, there's something for everyone in this album. In particular, "Over and Over Again (Lost and Found)," "The Skin of My Yellow Country Teeth," and "Is This Home On Ice" are all instant classics. Clap Your Hands Say Yeah are the story of the year for their incredible success based on little to no promotion, and also debut of the year for their great release. An outstanding effort.
3.
Sufjan Stevens Illinois
No album this year has been as grandiose as Stevens' Illinois and between that, his immense creativity and craft of writing, Sufjan Stevens' second of his proposed 50 state releases finds itself #3 on my top 40 list. While always recognized as a very talented singer/songwriter, it seems that Stevens really shines on this album through his pseudo-silliness yet poignant songwriting displayed throughout this album. His songs are just as important as always, with such sincerely touching tracks as the beautiful opener of "Concerning The UFO Sighting Near Highland, Illinois." Stevens really gets going however on "Come On! Feel The Illinoise!" a piece so dynamic, it could almost serve as a number to a musical. "Chicago" is an equally vibrant piece, with outstanding storytelling. The most powerful aspect of this album is the way in which Stevens engrosses himself and also the listener in every track, you almost feel as if you've spent the duration of the song in every single moment listed in the album. A very praiseworthy effort, and while Stevens may not manage to get all 50 states done, if he continues to churn out albums such as this one and the previous ode to Michigan, he still has quite a legacy to be proud of.
2.
Spoon Gimme Fiction
Despite a few popular singles, Spoon is one of the few alternative rock bands that, unfortunately, has yet to really hit it big. This is really a shame because quite frankly, Spoon has been one of the most consistent bands this decade, and that trend continues with Gimme Fiction. While the overall texture is grittier than any of their previous releases, Spoon has managed to fine-tune even further their seemingly perfected guitar pop craft. There isn't a second of filler on this album, and as good as individual songs such as "Sister Jack," "I Turn My Camera On," and "I Summon You" are, the album is all the more enjoyable when listened to straight through. Immensely clever and fulfilling, Spoon's latest is the kind of album that you immediately like and then begins to grow on you as you listen to it more before you finally find yourself humming to each and every tune. It's just that good.
1.
My Morning Jacket Z
Despite losing two band members, this Louisville, KY group just keeps on rocking. Their second release on Dave Matthews' ATO label is the one we've all been waiting for. While It Still Moves was easily one of the best albums of 2003, there still appeared to be some untapped potential in the band, and here on Z they've gone far beyond the expectations of many, including myself. The opener "Wordless Chorus" is easily the best song of the year, if for no other reason but Jim James' amazingly high vocals over the fun and bouncy baseline. What My Morning Jacket does best here is approach their love for country/rock and atmospheric sound in a completely different manner, including allowing themselves to have some fun with it, as exemplified on "What a Wonderful Man." Another incredible track is "Off the Record," particularly on the jammed out ending which breaks it down like no other band has done in a very long time. To be honest, I didn't know they made albums this good anymore, there really hasn't been this big a wow factor in an album since The White Stripes' Elephant in 2003. A triumph and a masterpiece through and through, Z is as good as it gets.
I hope you all enjoyed the list, and since this will be the last post of 2005 here's wishing you all a happy and safe New Year's! See you all in 2006!
No comments:
Post a Comment