My Favorite 75 Albums Of 2009 — Dec. 13
Posted By Ben W. on December 13, 2009
The month is flying by. Today marks the halfway point in the Great 2009 Album Advent Calendar Countdown.
We’re also in the Top 40. So let’s get to it.
39. Merriweather Post Pavilion — Animal Collective
Here’s your consensus pick as Album of the Year, according to most magazines and Web sites out there. I have to say I hated this album upon early listens. The whole personality cast by the lyrics struck me as smug bohemian intellectual bullshit. But obviously the record wound up this high on my countdown, so something must have changed. It did. I realized that this music is really, really good. The melodies aren’t traditional, but catchy nonetheless. The beats and soundscapes shift and groove in constantly fascinating ways. And it’s consistent. There isn’t a bad song on this album.
That being said (hahaha, I love ‘Curb’)…
I still can’t get past those lyrics. I can’t embrace this album as anything more than a marginally interesting, if way-too-pretentious, musical curio. How could I when they sing: “Sometimes the sun will shine; Yes, I am feeling just fine; Sometimes I’m not aware where I am or what I care; Sometimes I am well to do; But I don’t know what to do; Sometimes I don’t agree with my thoughts on being free.”
Ugh.
38. Love 2 — Air
From a critical standpoint, it’s fair to complain that this record doesn’t really sound much different from the music Air has been making for more than a decade. But I don’t care. I really enjoy it. Air balances atmosphere and mood with pop hooks better than just about anyone else.
37. I’m Going Away — Fiery Furnaces
Fiery Furnaces have made such odd records lately that hearing them make fairly standard three-minute pop songs, as they do here, actually sounds like a strange, adventurous move for them. This is their most straightforward, accessible and rewarding release since 2005’s EP.
Check back tomorrow for Day 14 of the Advent calendar countdown. We’ll be listing three albums every day from now through Christmas when we get to No. 1.
Click DAY ONE to view Nos. 75-73.
Click DAY TWO to view Nos. 72-70.
Click DAY THREE to view Nos. 69-67.
Click DAY FOUR to view Nos. 66-64.
Click DAY FIVE to view Nos. 63-61.
Click DAY SIX to view Nos. 60-58.
Click DAY SEVEN to view Nos. 57-55.
Click DAY EIGHT to view Nos. 54-52.
Click DAY NINE to view Nos. 51-49.
Click DAY 10 to view Nos. 48-46.
Click DAY 11 to view Nos. 45-43.
Click DAY 12 to view Nos. 42-40.
MY FAVORITE 75 ALBUMS OF 2009 (THE LIST SO FAR)
75. Man Of Aran (Soundtrack) – British Sea Power
74. March Of The Zapotec/Holland EP – Beirut
73. Changing Horses – Ben Kweller
72. It’s Frightening – White Rabbits
71. Living Thing – Peter Bjorn And John
70. Working On A Dream – Bruce Springsteen
69. 21st Century Breakdown – Green Day
68. Grrr… – Bishop Allen
67. Let The Dominoes Fall – Rancid
66. Kingdom Of Rust – Doves
65. Get Guilty – A.C. Newman
64. Hands – Little Boots
63. Further Complications — Jarvis Cocker
62. Ray Guns Are Not Just The Future — The Bird And The Bee
61. The Love Language — The Love Language
60. The Crying Light — Antony And The Johnsons
59. Don’t Stop — Annie
58. My Way — Ian Brown
57. Post Electric Blues — Idlewild
56. Dragonslayer — Sunset Rubdown
55. Middle Cyclone — Neko Case
54. Tongue ‘N Cheek — Dizzee Rascal
53. Art Brut Vs. Satan — Art Brut
52. Tonight: Franz Ferdinand — Franz Ferdinand
51. Phrazes For The Young — Julian Casablancas
50. It’s Not Me, It’s You — Lily Allen
49. The Hazards Of Love — The Decemberists
48. Album — Girls
47. Manners — Passion Pit
46. Watch Me Fall — Jay Reatard
45. 200 Million Thousand – The Black Lips
44. Now We Can See – The Thermals
43. Scars – Basement Jaxx
42. Ghostdini The Wizard Of Poetry In The Emerald City — Ghostface Killah
41. Yesterday And Today — The Field
40. The Duckworth Lewis Method — The Duckworth Lewis Method
39. Merriweather Post Pavilion — Animal Collective
38. Love 2 — Air
37. I’m Going Away — Fiery Furnaces
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