BEST ALBUMS OF 2009

BEST OF 2009

Sometimes it is hard to pick a stand-out; sometimes there is just a whole heap of excellence. It is safe to say the diversity of selections from our expert team this year is indicative of this. Many thanks (and my ongoing admiration) go to Tim Ritchie, Nick Kennedy, Sam Moginie, Aidan Roberts, Paul McNeil, Martyn Green, Scott Rashleigh, Karen Flood and Billy Baxter for their appreciation of music and sharing their considered opinions with us. Viva la musica!

BEST LOCAL

The Necks – Sliverwater

Haunting, evocative, engrossing and astounding at each and every turn, Silverwater will defy any attempts at description but outstrip any expectation, a piece of improvised beauty that will be one of the recordings that people will covert in years to come. (TR/CP)

Sarah Blasko – As Day Follows Night
Blasko’s third record is groovy, warm, and her strongest yet. It might be familiar lyrically but her voice seems stronger, convinced of something. It’s backed up by some seriously funky production, and thus deserving of its titles: ‘Best Use of Baritone Saxophone 2009’ and ‘standout Aussie album’. (SM/CP)

BEST WORLD

Seun Kuti and Egypt 80– Many Thing

Younger son of the legendary Fela Kuti – the new Seun album is a very strong statement, both musically and politically. Think horns, African beats and politics. It might sound reminiscent of Fela’s work from the 80s and, while it is, Fela was a force that we seldom see or hear the like of and this son carries on the mighty legacy. (TR/CP)

Tinariwen – Imidiwan: Companions

Desert African blues at its finest. A mesmerisingly beautiful and compelling fourth album from Tinariwen. If Keith Richard’s was a nomadic Malian tribesman he would have joined this band. Essential. (CP)

Oumou Sangare – Senya

Writing all her own material and focusing on the lives and struggles of women in Mali and Africa today, Sangare has crafted another album of importance and produced sounds that are both sensuous and danceable, both seductive and jubilant. Her voice is one of the most important on the world’s oldest continent. (CP)

BEST BLUES

Jeff Lang – Chimeradour

The most diverse, challenging and complete blues/roots/folk album of the year by the most criminally neglected Australian artist of the last decade. From Neil Young to Richard Thompson, Jeff Lang holds his own in between. (CP)

BEST POP

Grizzly Bear – Veckatimest

Several years since their last well-received album, critics are lining up to heap praise. This is a cinematic stunner of a record, brimming with stomping soul undercurrents and their trademark choral explosions, lush arrangements and weird sounds. Keep an ear out for influences like the Beach Boys and Steely Dan.  (TR/AR)

Wilco – Wilco (The Album)
Although not as maniacally lauded as their earlier work, Wilco proved with this difficult 7th album that Tweedy’s spit-fire songs and the complex genius of their current line-up is a recipe for brilliant pop. It’s a warm and loveable affair, with the odd splash of blood and guts. (AR/CP/PMc)

Steve Earle – Townes

There are those, myself and Steve Earle included, who rated the songwriting of Townes Van Zandt at least the equal of Dylan. This album is a fitting tribute to one of the greatest song-writers by the master’s apprentice, now a master in his own right. (CP)

Buddy & Julie Miller – Written in Chalk

Husband and wife team who have aided the likes of  Emmy-Lou Harris and Patti Grifin have their friends return the flavor. This is the real roots deal, as authentic as a steaming apple-pie cooling on the window-still on a cold Appalachian afternoon. (CP)

The XX – XX

An almost unbelievably cool and gorgeous self-titled debut. Part Joy Division part The Cure, fronted by Romy Madley-Croft perfectly mimicked Hope Sandoval’s drop dead, sexy hushed tones. Delicious in its tease. (CP)
The Church – Untitled # 23

A beautiful, psychedelic and moving set of 10 killers. Certainly their best in 20 years and possibly ever. (NK)

Adam Franklin – Spent Bullets

Swervedriver frontman’s 2nd solo album full of hazy moods and catchy melodies. (NK)

Magnetic Morning – A.M.

Another Adam Franklin project, this time with Interpol drummer Sam Fogerino. So you get Adam’s vibe with the best thing about Interpol. Franklin is one of the best songwriters to have come from Britain. Fact. (NK)

Bob Mould – Life & Times

A seamless break-up record full of melody and rhythmic energy courtesy of John from Superchunk. (NK)

Espers – III

If you’re in love with the folky dark corners of those Richard & Linda Thompson records this is an absolute must. Amazing guitar playing and production. Just gorgeous. (NK)

Rowland S. Howard – Pop Crimes

Only 2nd solo album in ten years for Melbourne’s freaky vampire, his guitar tone prevails over songs of love & loss. Ably assisted by the always reliable Mick Harvey. (NK)

Kurt Vile – Childish Prodigy

I know nothing about this guy but he drawls southern American witticisms over guitar-driven mid-fi pop with a distant-train kind of melancholia. A great discovery. (NK)

Them Crooked Vultures – Them Crooked Vultures

Josh Homme on guitar and vocals, John Paul Jones on bass and mellotron, Dave Grohl on drums with all having an audible say. ’nuff said. (NK)

Black Cab – Call Signs

Elusive Melbourne band create a psychedelic late night record. Catch them live if ever possible. (NK)

Polvo – In Prism

Carolina band reform with new and tuned instruments and prove themselves not so much part of the 90’s lo-fi indie rock scene but rather up there with Television’s “Marquee Moon”.(NK)

Joe Gideon & the Shark – Harum Scarum

UK bro & sis act that have a swampy southern blues/rock sound, but wait a minute, the songs aren’t sung, they are sort of talked… wait on that’s not even verse chorus, it’s a real story. These guys are the real deal, no question. Gritty stories set to dirty garage sounds. Lucky the sister hurt herself [was on the way to the Olympics as a gymnast] and he talked her into skins. (TR)

Various artists – Brand Neu!

It is amazing when you ask people what they think of Neu! That they answer that they were great, pity the sold very few albums, but many current [and past] acts cite them as a great influence. That’s fine, but what rocks is when you get a pile of new interesting acts together and tell them to do versions of Neu! tracks. The result is varied in sound, but consistent in quality. One of the best covers albums for quite some time, it features, Primal Scream, Foals, Cornelius, LCD Soundsystem, School Of Seven Bells, Fujiya & Miyagi and even starts from back them – La Dusseldorf and Michael Rother. (TR)

Lisa Mitchell – Wonder

Just because she was a contestant on a talent show doesn’t mean she has no talent. Now that that is out of the way, we can talk about the album rather than the past. This is a delicate recording with fragile vocal and precise production married to a perfect modern pop sensibility. The album will suffer the wraith of snobs, but play it to someone without letting on the history and you’ll see. (TR)

Portland Cello Project – The Thao and Justin Sessions

This one comes out of left field: a cello orchestra that plays by the motto ‘collaboration is the cornerstone of independence and artistic freedom’. They hail from what is often claimed to be the USA’s most interesting and diverse town, Portland. And they are just as likely to mix Salt’n’Pepa in with Bach as they are to play something by Arvo Part followed by a collaboration with a beat-boxer. If you go to their site and click on ‘Repertoire’, you’ll get the idea. (TR)

Seun Kuti and Egypt 80– Many Thing

Fela Kuti is a legend in African music. He is credited with creating Afro-Beat as a genre, and his musical legacy lives on with his sons Femi and the younger Seun. Femi had the jump on making his mark, but the new Seun album is a very strong statement, both musically and politically—he plays sax and sings of revolution (he does take after his father). In fact, Fela Kuti’s backing band, Egypt 80, is backing Seun on this great new album. Think horns, African beats and politics. It might sound reminiscent of Fela’s work from the 80s and, while it is, Fela was a force that we seldom see or hear the like of and this son carries on the mighty legacy. (TR)

Alela  Diane – To Be Still

I loved her first album, made with her Dad a few years back. Now this one is even better. The first one was a bit ‘rushed through’ and not polished and, while this lack of polish appealed to me, some thought it was more like a demo of what was to come. Well, it has arrived, and distinguishes Alela Diane as a voice for American folk that takes the form into the 21st century, not in a quirky way, but in an evolutionary way. (TR)

Grizzly Bear – Veckatimest

Four lads from Brooklyn with a very sweet hand at turning out perfect pop sounds make their third studio long-player, and it turned heads. Several years since their last well-received album, critics are lining up to heap praise. Keep an ear out for influences like the Beach Boys and Steely Dan. This will be heralded as the album of the year by many. (TR)

The Wildes – Ballad of a young Married Man

Here are four lads from Melbourne who share a common like for the realistic, darker end of music – Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash, Leonard Cohen, Hank Williams, Nick Cave. You get the idea. The marriage of country music and tales of loss, revenge and heartbreak aren’t new, but this album brings with it a refreshing glimpse into a wider casting of the net across the genre of country. Oh, there is one happier song about unrequited love on the album. (TR)

Alice Russell – Pot of Gold

Alice Russell has one of the finest ‘real’ voices at the moment. There is a sensibility about the reality of the sound of this white soul singer from Brighton in the UK that sends tingles up and down your spine…this is the real deal. She has guested on many other acts’ tracks and, for her fourth solo album, has written all the songs together with TM Juke (producer and player on the album). Being arrested by something has never felt this good. And just released is the remix double album – well worth a listen too. (TR)
Bat for Lashes – Two Suns
Atmospheric, dance-influenced singer-songwriter album. Breakout single Daniel extremely addictive. Nominated for Britain’s prestigious Mercury Prize. Natasha Khan’s voice. 80s vibe. Spooky alien themes. Topping it off, a cameo from Scott Walker of the Walker Brothers. These are the reasons you should listen to this album. You shouldn’t listen to it if any of that sounds weird to you. (SM)

Sarah Blasko – As Day Follows Night
Blasko’s third record is groovy, warm, and her strongest yet. It might be familiar lyrically (love’s highs, loss’s lows, the importance of faith and the wiles of conviction are her touchstones, natch), but her voice seems stronger, convinced of something. It’s backed up by some seriously funky production, and thus deserving of its titles: ‘Best Use of Baritone Saxophone 2009’ and ‘standout Aussie album’. (SM)

Bill Callahan – Sometimes I Wish We Were an Eagle
Sublime-bordering-on-spiritual album from the man once behind the moniker Smog. And yet, he seems to endorse the strange ins and outs of mundane, secular life, crooning ‘It’s time to give God away’ in his signature wavering baritone. No low-fi, DIY stuff here. It’s nylon string guitars, string arrangements and a set of reserved songs. It’s like poetry for your ears. (SM)

Dirty Projectors – Bitte Orca
Scratchy guitars and female voices! How did impressionistic abandon come to this? And yet it’s little surprise this album was the sleeper hit of 2009. More surprising perhaps is the fact that its lives up to its reputation. More surprising still is the fact that the Projectors is prog-rock you can dance to, care of the virtual R’n’B single Stillness Is The Move. Nice, nice, nice. (SM)

Fuck Buttons – Tarot Sport
A noisy, repetitive album; what else would you expect from the Buttons? And yet Tarot Sport is more accessible than any of their work to date. The dance is more danceable, the melodies are more melodic, and the album retains their signature punk energy. Also, it’s probably the loudest dance album of the year. Two thumbs up. (SM)

Illinois – The Adventures of Kid Catastrophe
Sporting too many songs and too many ideas, Kid Catastrophe is a high quality, low fidelity, alt-country experience. Originally released as six separate EPs, the album-length compilation lilts from emo synth jams to softly-sung folk songs and heartfelt ballads, held together by the band’s virtually teenage synthesis of naiveté and enthusiasm. Think Beck meets Elliott Smith, i.e. excellent stuff. (SM)

Lil Wayne – No Ceilings
Beats are murdered. Verses are slain. The subject matter never strays too far from sex, violence, drugs or swagger. And yet there’s astounding pathos in Wayne’s constant refrain of ‘no ceilings’, as if his meteoric rise to the top of rap could continue out the top, despite his substance abuse and self-hate. A complex offering, and easily the best mixtape of the year. (SM)

Spiral Stairs – The Real Feel
Pavement’s ‘other’ songwriter made his mark this year with his first solo album. The Real Feel showcases Kanneburg’s axe-work, oblique lyricism and plaintive yowling, but it’s his ‘pop’ song-writing on numbers like Cold Change and Maltese T that will have you tapping your feet. Slacker rock with equal amounts of groove and heart. Eat that, Malkmus. (SM)

Hope Sandoval – Through The Devil, Softly

An exercise in glorious restraint, this long-awaited LP from Hope Sandoval and Colm O Coisoig is a slow-burning killer. It’s a dark trip, exploring deadbeat characters, noisy folk landscapes, eerie melodies and of course, the outer reaches of that timeless, sleep-deprived voice, which has never sounded better. (AR)

Grizzly Bear – Veckatimest
Brooklyn’s favourite choirboys had a lot to live up to after the critical acclaim surrounding 2006’s Yellow House – and rose to the challenge with flying colours. This is a cinematic stunner of a record, brimming with stomping soul undercurrents and their trademark choral explosions, lush arrangements and weird sounds. (AR)

Grand Salvo – Soil Creatures
Australia’s quietly underrated songsmith Paddy Mann turns in a reflective album, musing on mortality and memory with his alarmingly beautiful folk songs. With its delicately arranged colonial laments and quirky biographical art-songs, Mann’s voice and songs shine brighter than ever. (AR)

Papercuts – You Can Have What You Want
If the over baked San Francisco psychedelic scene needed a savior, then lo-fi maestro Jason Quever is the man. Brazenly infectious, these dark oceanic pop gems are the kind that imbed themselves in memory and time forever. Rough round the edges, but slick as hell. (AR)

Sharon Van Etten – Because We Were In Love
Newcomers to the folk scene rarely stand out like this one. Self-released from her apartment, Sharon Van Etten writes confrontingly miserable but intensely enjoyable music, self-harmonizing her waifish voice with her insistent, haunting nylon-string guitar work. Brilliant. (AR)

James Blackshaw – The Glass Bead Game
England’s 12-string prodigy is only in his early 20’s, but his hands make sounds that appear to have gathered wisdom from centuries of exploration and deep musical knowledge. Romantic and the hypnotically minimal, this instrumentalist is one of a kind. (AR)

Dave Rawlings Machine – A Friend of a Friend
Who can resist the ennobling siren sounds of Dave Rawlings and Gillian Welch? It’s the same old format, but this time Dave gets the lead vocals and artistic direction, and treats us to more than a healthy dose of his bluegrass genius, and a truly inspired collection of covers. (AR)

Nick Cave & Warren Ellis – White Lunar
Cave and Ellis have always played the dark horses, and here in this collection of their film work both obscure and newly commercial, we get to revel in their peculiar genius away from the Bad Seeds and Dirty Three. Cave’s sure-footed piano and guitar work, and Ellis’ violin provide us with a breathtaking musical nightmare. (AR)

Wilco – Wilco (The Album)
Although not as maniacally lauded as their earlier work, Wilco proved with this difficult 7th album that Tweedy’s spit-fire songs and the complex genius of their current line-up is a recipe for brilliant pop. With a cameo from Feist, it’s a warm and loveable affair, with the odd splash of blood and guts. (AR)

Andrew Bird – Noble Beast
This album of deeply philosophical rants penned on an extended Australian holiday, is Bird’s most verbose and musically sophisticated to date. This time around his violin and whistling skills are displayed with spectacular candor, and his melodic lyricism reaches touches on high art. (AR)

Monsters of Folk – Monsters of Folk

Super group that has produced a super album. Collective talent of Jim James, Connor Oberst , M. Ward and another guy. If you¹re a fan of any of these people, buy this CD.! (PMc)

The Middle East – The Recordings of the Middle East

The Best Australian band to turn up in a long long time. And from Townsville no less! Never before have I heard so many people play so little and sound so complex and beautiful. This band will go far. (PMc)

Bill Callahan – Sometimes I wish I was an Eagle

Callahan (formerly SMOG) consistently produces albums of intense melancholy and minimal arrangements, but always hangs the whole thing around class song writing (in the Dylan sense). To me, his albums just get richer and darker with each new release, pretty rare to hear an artist get better and better over a 20 year period. Essential if sad music makes you happy. (PMc)

Dan Auerbach – Keep it Hid

Singer guitarist from the Black Keys Dan Aurbach added a new band (Hacienda) and pumped out one of the freshest/oldest sounding cds of 2009. Just ripping songs and hellish guitars. The stand-out act at this years Blues Festival. (PMc)

Black Roc

The Black Keys’ other project for the year “Blac Roc”. The band got together with the who’s who of MC’s including Mos Def, Raekwon, Ludacris, MOP and others …..YES! (PMc)

Neil Young – Archives Box Volume 1

Everything you need (until the next installment comes out) to know about Neil, pictures, movies, cool studio junk. Year’s worth of entertainment, but the greatest part of all is of course the music. The man is a genius (PMc)

Wilco – Wilco the album

Have Wilco ever put out a bad album? No. Get this one (PMc)
Richard Clapton – Goodbye Tiger
Enhanced, with bonus tracks. Wistful, melancholic, and at times surging collection of tracks which have endured and still define the period. And Kirk L’orange’s strident yet subtle guitar work laid the foundation stone for urban/surf axework as practiced by Binks, Moss, Moginie et al. (BB)

DownHills Home – Wolves in the Woods
Great arrangements and assured composition, DownHills Home construct and deliver in the timeless manner of the Band, with great slabs of churning melodic organ and layered rootsy guitar. (BB)

Luluc – Dear Hamlyn
Fragile, reflective and intimate, Zoe Randall’s songs and singing are simply beautiful, partner Steve Hassett’s harmonies and accompaniment spare and sympathetic. (Pronounced Lou-Luke) (BB)

Neko Case – Middle Cyclone
Aching, dark and organic, instrumentally more experimental than the poppier Fox Confessor Brings The Flood. (BB)

Susanna Hoffs & Matthew Sweet – Under the Cover Vol. 2
Impeccably chosen and rendered classics and obscurities plundered from 70s pop and rock. Hoffs turn on Yes’ I’ve Seen All Good People/Your Move is audacious brilliance. (BB)

The Little Stevies – Lover Your Band
Sunshine pop from Melbourne quartet featuring the homegrown sibling harmonies of Sybylla and Bethany Stephen. Feel-good without being coy or cloying. (BB)

Fiery Furnaces – I’m Going Away
As cryptic and oblique as ever, FF have wandered closer to more traditional song structures without losing their upbeat, abstract playfulness. (BB)

Blitzen Trapper – Black River Killer
Mini album of 6 new songs plus one from last years Furr. Lazy folkish-rock swinging happily between quirk and Kinks, (BB)

Drunken Trees – First Aid Kit
Teenaged Swedish sisters Johanna and Klara Soderberg mix amateur and articulate new folk originals with stripped back interpretations of indie rock – their take on Fleet Foxes’ Tiger Mountain Peasant Song drips charm. (BB)

La Roux – La Roux

Well, it’s not rocket science, and thank god for that!  La Roux have created an album of perfect synth-pop, a brew of steamy electro with attitude. If you enjoyed Empire of the Sun and Ladyhawke, then give this one a spin. (KF)

Camera Obscura – My Maudlin Career

If you’re looking for a sunny, Sunday morning album – this is it. With pure sunshine harmonies, and a sixties sound that brings back memories of all the best girl groups, My Maudlin Career is a retro gem. Dig a little deeper and lyrically the album unfolds some darker undertones, so you can enjoy it on any level. (KF)

Phoenix – Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix

French crew Phoenix absolutely hit the mark with an all-round fantastic album of perfectly crafted pop-rock gems. One listen is enough to get you hooked, and you’ll know why they’ve become rock stars!  It’s also available with a bonus disc of remixes that you actually want to listen to!! (MG)

International Observer – Felt

Tom Bailey (yes, the Thompson Twins one!) drops a finely crafted disc of warm & bubbly dub grooves. Felt gently walks a path between the modern soul-dub stylings of Fat Freddys Drop & the classic bass pressure sounds of King Tubby. Look out for the wonderful re-imagining of House Of The Rising Sun. (SR)

Tina Harrod – Temporary People

There hasn’t been anything not to like on any of Tina Harrods previous albums, but with Temporary People it really sounds like she has found her voice. And with a line-up of some of Australia finest jazz musicians the balance is perfectly set between deft musical skill and the feeling of being allowed into a personal journey.  You can’t help but feel privileged to listen. (KF)

Joseph Tawadros – The Prophet

The Prophet sees our very own local Oud master (and So Music regular) in solo mode, with an album inspired by the poetry of Kahlil Gibran.  These are stunning compositions, executed by a truly gifted musician and infused with so much passion they are a joy to listen to. (MG)

Dave Rawlings Machine – A Friend Of A Friend

Mr Gillian Welch steps up with a stunningly crafted album of sublime Americana. A languid & meandering affair, almost lazy but always beautiful – Rawlings quietly steps out of the shadow of his famous partner to deliver a document of gentle intent. (SR)