My Favorite Albums of 2009

Here it is, the end of the year!  2009 is done and 2010 is upon us.  Which means one thing…time for the the onslaught of generic lists of favorite and top ten whatever.  And so, without shame, here is my list of my top ten favorite albums of 2009.

*Note that this is only a list of my favorite albums and not necessarily a list of the best albums of the year.  The main deciding factor for making the list was which albums got the most play in my car stereo.

Number 10:  ”The Fall” by Norah Jones

This was Jones’ first album since breaking up with her boyfriend/bassist/main musical collaborator Lee Alexander, and while it is a different sound from her previous albums, more folk/rock and a little less jazzy, this album is no less enjoyable and not any less solid.  The core of the sound is still Norah Jones.  She experiments with new sounds, is a little more guitar driven, and pulls it off quite well.  She even co-writes a song with Ryan Adams, “Light As A Feather”.  ”Back To Manhattan” is another favorite of mine.  Most of the songs deal with her breakup with Alexander.  All in all, a great album.

Number 9:  ”Secret, Profane & Sugarcane” by Elvis Costello

A great album of extremely well written songs in the bluegrass, folk and americana traditions.  The musicianship and songwriting are topnotch.  Costello pulled in some amazing musicians, such as Jerry Douglas on the dobro.  This album made me excited for two main reasons.  One, because I love Elvis Costello.  He’s an amazing songwriter that has the ability to master any genre he wants to, whether it be punk, rock, folk, or even classical.  The second reason this album excited me was because Costello used one of my favorite producers.  The great T Bone Burnett  who has produced such amazing albums as  the “O Brother” and “Walk The Line” soundtracks as well as “Raising Sand” by Alison Kraus and Robert Plant, to name a few.  Between Elvis Costello and T Bone Burnett this album is a study in a perfect album, from songwriting to playing to producing.

Number 8:  ”Choosing Sides” by Andrew Osenga

Osenga is a total do-it-yourself independent artist.  You may know him from his first band The Normals, or also as the newest member of Caedmon’s Call.  This album kinda sneaked up on everyone.  In true d-i-y fashion, there was little publicity, mostly just word of mouth from a small core of fans.  This album was a lot more electric guitar driven, which was a pleasant surprise.  He’s got definite guitar chops.  Osenga writes well crafted melodies and lyrics that are often quite beautiful.  Check out the track “Early In The Morning” from Osenga’s earlier album entitled “The Morning”.

Number 7: “Together Through Life” by Bob Dylan

What can I say about Bob Dylan.  He’s a genius.  Most of the arrangements are seemingly simple blues songs (even though they are anything but simple) with perfect lyrics that only Dylan could write.  What always amazes me, is that even in his late 60′s his lyrics are still better than 99.99% of the rest of the songwriters out there.  He never seems to run out of material.  My favorite part of this album is the accordion playing by David Hidalgo (of the band Los Lobos) that runs throughout most of the album.  It’s a perfect fit.

A quick side note:  Dylan also released a Christmas album this year entitled “Christmas In The Heart”.  I have not bought the album yet, but I have heard most of the songs.  Dylan is catching quite a lot of flack for this album.  Many people are saying that it’s terrible, especially his singing, and that he needs to just give it in.  And I’ll admit that his singing does seem to be a bit rough, but keep this in mind with Dylan…everything he does, he does on purpose.  He knows what he wants and he knows what sounds good.  If he records an album, you can be certain that it will end up sounding exactly how he wants it to sound.  Part of the magic of listening to Dylan and part of his genius is trying to figure out what he’s trying to get across.  And note also, that not everything Dylan does is meant to be some sort of statement, political or otherwise.  But, all of that is a post for another time.

Number 6: “Monsters Of Folk” by Monsters of Folk

Monsters of Folk is an aptly named super group of sorts, consisting of Mike Mogis and Conor Oberst of Bright Eyes, Jim James of My Morning Jacket and M. Ward of She & Him.  Theses four guys wrote, recorded and played all the instruments on the album.  The great part of this album is that you can definitely hear each members influence in each song, yet the sound is very fluid and flows well and never seems disjointed.  Each member’s distinct sound blends quite well and creates a new unique sound.  The harmonies are really nice to hear, as well.  Super groups are hard to pull off well and can often be really lame (see Chickenfoot), but this one is great and even approaches Traveling Wilbury’s caliber.

Number 5: “No Line On The Horizon” by U2

This album proves that U2 is still one of the greatest bands in the world.  I would not say that this is their best album, it’s no “Joshua Tree”, but it’s real solid, and an instant classic.  ”Magnificent” is one of those songs that you just have to sing at the top of your lungs.  I can only imagine that to hear that song live in concert would be a true worship experience.

Number 4:  ”Hold Time” by M. Ward

M. Ward is quickly becoming one of my favorite producers and singer/songwriters and he’s the only artist to make it on the list twice, here as a solo artist and also with Monsters Of Folk.  He writes great songs and has a hauntingly beautiful and unique voice, so much so that I don’t mind saying that about another dude.  His production style reminds you of how the great albums used to sound: analog.  You should also check out his collaboration with Zooey Deschanel, She & Him.

Number 3:  ”Wilco (the album)” by Wilco

After their last album, “Sky Blue Sky”, I wondered if Wilco would continue down the more straight ahead folk rock road, which harkened back to the band’s early days, or would they go more experimental like “Yankee Hotel Foxtrot”.  I feel like this album combines the best of both worlds.  Fairly straight ahead at parts, and yet they still continue to seek out new sonic textures.  Tweedy’s duet with Feist on the track “You and I” is a real treat to listen to.  You can definitely hear a George Harrison influence permeate throughout the whole album, especially on guitarist Nels Cline’s lap steel work.  Not my favorite Wilco album, but any Wilco album is going to be a great album and will always reach the top of any of my lists.

Number 2:  ”Stockholm Syndrome” by Derek Webb

The Bob Dylan of Christian music.  Always challenging and quite prophetic in the truest sense of the word.  This album is Webb’s “Sgt. Pepper’s”.  It catches you off guard and leaves you feeling uneasy, in that good way, and it requires you to listen over and over again.  Every person who considers themselves a follower of Christ (and even if you don’t) should buy this album and really listen.  Let down your guard and open your mind as Webb asks you to really question your offendedness.  I will say that, at times Webb comes real close to reaching that line of being too “experimental”, but he never seems to cross it.  An amazing album!!

And at number 1: “I and Love and You” by The Avett Brothers

I love this album!  The Avett Brothers were a relative unknown to most people (myself included) as of a few months ago, but they have always had a real strong fan base, which has been growing rapidly.  They caught the attention of famed producer Rick Rubin (Johnny Cash, Tom Petty, Metallica, to name a few), who agreed to produce this album.  The Avett’s can be tough to place in a genre.  They excellently combine punk, pop, and rock, with bluegrass and traditional folk instruments.  They write fun pop melodies that are easy to sing along with, they have a terrifically infectious energy, and are known to put on outstanding live shows, which is the reason for their strong and growing fan base.  This is one of the best albums of the year.  Go buy it now!!

Honorable Mentions:
“Hello Hurricane” by Switchfoot – This album sees Switchfoot rocking that much harder.  This band will always be near and dear to my heart.  See my previous post here.

“The Tide And The Current” by Telegraph Canyon – A local band out of Fort Worth, TX.  A great album!  Lead singer Chris Johnson has a way of pronouncing certain words that is very interesting, and at first listen is a little tough to take, but after a few listens becomes quite intriguing!

“The BQE” by Sufjan Stevens – This guy is super talented.  Stevens proves that he can successfully compose a “classical” album, borrowing heavily from minimalist composers like Philip Glass.  If you were expecting another “states” album, you won’t get it with this, but it is still worth getting.  Listening to this album while watching the accompanying DVD is an added treat and enhances the music.

Disappointments:
“Battle Studies” by John Mayer – I felt like this whole album was largely uninspired, but I’m still a fan!  See my previous post here.

“Fiction Family” by Fiction Family – When I heard that Jon Foreman of Switchfoot was teaming up with Sean Watkins of Nickel Creek I was expecting something a little more like Foreman’s season EP’s, but it ended up being a little more pop.  Not a terrible album, still quite good, just not what I was expecting.

So that’s it.  My favorite albums of 2009.  If you feel so inclined please check out these albums and let me know what you think.  And also feel free to let us know what your favorite albums of the year are.