Best Albums of 2009

In a few days a new decade will begin and we’ll have a whole new debate about what to call the decade, but first we must reflect on the final year of the zeroes/naughties. It seems like I talk every year about how surprised I am by the amount of new artists that show up on my end of the year list, but they’ve really outdone themselves this year with 2/5 of the albums represented on this list being debuts. It was also a year of being blown away by bands that I was never been able to fully invest in before like Grizzly Bear, Dirty Projectors, and Animal Collective. Overall, 2009 has brought an wealth of excellent albums and leaves us with huge potential for the next ten years of music.

As far as this blog goes, I added two new writers this summer, Matt and Cheryse, who each have made brilliant contributions to this site. Instead of each doing our own separate lists, we decided to combine our favorite albums lists together on one all-encompassing collaborative list extravanganza. Below is our top 25 albums of 2009 and below that we’ve each listed a few of our other favorites that couldn’t quite fit into this list. As always, make sure to leave a comment if you like what you see or have your own favorite albums to add. To the readers, thank you for continuing to support this blog and reading what we have to say. Have a wonderful new year/decade!

25. Islands – Vapours

Islands’ third album takes the band back to it’s quirky pop basics, which after an album of sprawling, over-the-top psych-rock, is probably the best move. Vapours is full of smart, stylish, and wickedly melodic tunes like “No You Don’t” and “Tender Torture” that show that Nick Thornburn’s melodic chops have not waned one bit. –Taylor

MP3 No You Don’t
MP3 Tender Torture

24. Camera Obscura – My Maudlin Career

Dream-pop like no other! My Maudlin Career is Camera Obscura’s most timeless album to date. Foot working melodies from the early sixties, Tracyanne Campbell seems to be some traversed combination of The Cranberries and The Beach Boys, invalidating those pitted phrases of a lost generation. Camera Obscura seems to have picked up right where there they left off as means to finish their story. This album is enchanting collection that will no doubt immortalize what some call an absent sensation. –Cheryse

MP3 French Navy
MP3 The Sweetest Thing

23. Miike Snow – Miike Snow

Miike Snow’s ubiquitous self-titled debut not only invaded the air waves, but is easily one of the most remixed albums of 2009. Andrew Wyatt’s understanding of “three people just messing about” has granted them more success and attention than they had ever imagined… and let’s not argue those ratings. Effortless successes are always well-earned. There isn’t a time of day that I’m not in the mood to listen to this band and that within itself, comes as no surprise. From a production standpoint, Bloodshy & Avant have given us a perfect record. With its dark undertones and pulsating rhythms, it plays all the way through and never without getting stuck in your head. –Cheryse

MP3 Animal
MP3 Silvia

22. Asobi Seksu – Hush

Hush sees Asobi Seksu making a slight shift of the band’s sound, still living in a shoegaze world but now incorporating more pop sensibility and in doing so they create an album full of lush, mesmerizing tunes with gorgeous textures and strong melodic songwriting. Yuki Chikudate’s vocals soar through the gorgeous dream-pop like “Transparence” and “Me & Mary” making Hush a breathtaking listening experience. –Taylor

MP3 Transparence
MP3 Me & Mary

21. jj – jj n° 2

jj n° 2 is an enchanting dance pop album built upon layers of carefree Caribbean beats and blissful electronica that was plucked from obscurity and released on Swedish label, Sincerely Yours. Everything about this album, from the sublime, dream-like quality of the music to the lovely harmonies and clever use of samples makes it one of 2009’s true under-the-radar triumphs. Tracks like “from africa to malaga” and the exceptionally pretty “masterplan” are nothing short of exhilarating. –Taylor

MP3 from africa to malaga
MP3 masterplan

20. Kings of Convenience – Declaration of Dependence

Lacking in any percussion, Declaration of Dependence really is just that — a lyrically sound album truly able to stand on its own. After a period of inactivity for nearly five years, Erlend Øye and Eirik Glambek Bø made the wait completely worth it. It is not just their signature inside-voices and intimate lyricism that brings this album to life, but also the beautiful string arrangement that strikes a lighter note on such heavy subjects. –Cheryse

MP3 Boat Behind
MP3 Mrs Cold

19. Bat for Lashes – Two Suns

Two Suns is a truly fantastic album, and I don’t just mean “fantastic” as a synonym for good. It’s an imaginative, fanciful, and extravagant record by an artist who is not content to follow any paths but her own. Considering this chimera is only Natasha Kahn’s second album, it will be interesting to see where her ambition takes her next. — Matt

MP3 Daniel
MP3 Glass

18. Junior Boys – Begone Dull Care

Begone Dull Care, the third from Canadian duo Junior Boys, is an exceptional produced and performed album, and one that’s constantly revealing more of itself to love. I was first attracted to the synth-heavy dance singles like “Hazel”, “Work”, and “Bits & Pieces” but it’s the masterfully structured, romantically-inclined ballads like “Dull To Pause”, “Sneak A Picture”, and “The Animator” that have kept me coming back. The combination of understated beauty with sunny electro-pop has made it one of my most listened albums of the year. –Taylor

MP3 Hazel
MP3 Dull To Pause

17. Yeah Yeah Yeahs – It’s Blitz!

Aside from working with Spike Jonze this year, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ third album has played an important role in the whole “Karen O” phenomena. Although some critics insist she and the guys have digressed from their title as a “garage rock revival band,” I feel as though they just took the honorable claim… literally… fusing those distorted riffs and four-chord song structures with more relevant styles of music. They’ve boldly embraced their pop-instincts and presented us an album that is dance-floor ready, yet at times, so personal and full of lyrical vulnerability you can’t help but admit the decision to have done so was pure genius. –Cheryse

MP3 Zero
MP3 Hysteric

16. Fever Ray – Fever Ray

On the surface, Karin Dreijer’s first album without brother Olof sounds quite a bit like the Knife, just more subdued. But while Fever Ray lacks the urgency of her other band, it has the atmosphere in spades. The songs here play like the soundtrack to a surreal nightmare, unfolding almost organically, each one seeming to have a writhing, unctuous life of its own. Of course, the wonderfully creepy videos that have been accompanying the singles do a great deal towards coloring the mood of the album. But even without those, it’s not hard to conjure up some macabre visions to accompany Dreijer’s songs. Like a good horror film, Fever Ray gets under your skin and stays with you after it’s over. — Matt

MP3 When I Grow Up
MP3 If I Had A Heart

15. Harlem Shakes – Technicolor Health

One of the biggest bummers this year was Harlem Shakes breaking up, but at least they left us with one amazing collection of exuberant guitar pop jams. It would be hard to find a more unabashedly jubilant and in-your-face catchy album this year than Harlem Shake’s debut. The spirited melodies and harmonies on Technicolor Health give the album an undeniable charm as the band uses an array of brisk instrumentation to thrust the infectious tunes forward. It was extremely refreshing to hear an album that exuded so much joy and hopefulness and it’s a shame that the band won’t be around to bring more of that effervescent that’s sorely lacking in much of today’s indie rock. –Taylor

MP3 Strictly Game
MP3 Sunlight

14. The Mountain Goats – The Life Of The World To Come

After 16 studio albums and dozens of singles and EPs, you would think that John Darnielle would be running out of ideas, but he continues to earn his place as one of the most prolific and immensely talented singer/songwriters of our time. The Life of the World to Come is one of his most fascinating collection of songs yet. Astute listeners know that spirituality and religion have found their way into The Mountain Goat’s lyrics in the past, but it’s never been so fully-realized as here. The album is never preachy or dogmatic, but rather takes you on an intimate, contemplative journey inspired by Biblical principles but actualized on a personal level. The result is an album that can be fragile and devastating on the chillingly stark “1 John 4:16”, bright and hopeful on the crisp folk-pop of “Romans 10:9”, and vivacious on the furiously triumphant “Psalm 40:2”. –Taylor

MP3 Genesis 3:23
MP3 Psalm 40:2

13. Passion Pit – Manners

It’s safe to say Passion Pit left little to no room for Owl City’s pathetic attempts at synth-pop this year. Whether its social deportment is considered good or bad, Manners, with all due respect, has rightfully proven this geeky-cool electro group from Cambridge is more than just a hype-band crossing paths with falsetto-loving critics in the blogosphere. They were able to grow from the adolescent sound of their EP (Chunk of Change) without losing a thread of their youth, dropping an enthusiastic album filled with playful arrangements and sweeping bass lines that bring out the terribly bad dancer in all of us. –Cheryse

MP3 Little Secrets
MP3 Moth’s Wings

12. Wilco – Wilco (The Album)

The overwhelming appeal of Wilco may best be summed up in the whimsical, tongue-in-cheek opener “Wilco (The Song)”. As the song says if you “dabble in depression” and “times are getting tough”, you can put on headphones and “Wilco will love you, baby”. This album showcases a mature and thoughtful band who are comfortable with making easy-going, but still absolutely excellent music. On songs like “Deeper Down” and “One Wing” the band fully embrace their melodic, chamber pop qualities and show that after seven albums they can still stand up with the Fleet Foxes and Bon Ivers of the world (and even teach them a thing or two like on the whirlwind of raging, unhinged guitar during “Bull Black Nova”). –Taylor

MP3 Wilco (The Song)
MP3 Bull Black Nova

11. Fanfarlo – Reservoir

Forget the lazy comparisons to Arcade Fire or Beirut [Ed. Note: guilty on both accounts], Fanfarlo’s patient and self-releasing approach with Reservoir has earned them an instant-favorite spot on this year’s list. One couldn’t find a knife sharp enough to cut through the layers of acoustics perfected on this album. From start to finish, these multi-instrumentalists have created summery numbers that’ll warm your heart and get you through the coldest of winters. Their music is straight-forward, sincere, and plays with no other need than to be heard. Simon’s comforting vocals paired with such rich, pop melodies is far from any Venn diagram and is a sound that has become rightfully their own. –Cheryse

MP3 I’m A Pilot
MP3 The Walls Are Coming Down

10. Andrew Bird – Noble Beast

Noble Beast is a very generous album, not only in its play time, but also in terms of what Andrew has decidedly not held back from us. The disputably finicky songwriter seems a lot less concerned with the overall concept this time around, unveiling a calm and immensely creative man. Instead of an album cured in Andrew’s usual obscure usage of words, Noble Beast tips its hat to his overlooked agility as a solo instrumentalist. His nimble fingers and ability to multitask is sophisticatedly charming. I can’t help but sense that this was an exceptionally comfortable and congenial project for him. The album stands proudly as a full-length showcase of his musicianship and impeccable ear for instrumentation – a serious must-have. Organic and unhurried, it is as therapeutic for us as listeners as it is for him as an artist. –Cheryse

MP3 Oh No
MP3 Anonanimal

9. Japandroids – Post-Nothing

There was a lot written about all the day-glo pop music coming out over the summer, but for me nothing was a better soundtrack to the season than Post-Nothing. The rambunctious racket these two dudes crank out captures that youthful exuberance that comes with not having any meaningful responsibilities; driving aimlessly through the city, breaking into mausoleums at 2 a.m., stealing shovels out of yards just because they are there. All the energy in the world can only take you so far though, and Japandroids’ songs have proven they can last beyond a fleeting infatuation. Buried underneath all that in-the-red fuzz are some catchy-as-hell pop songs that get stuck in your head, leaving you no choice but to play them again and again. And maybe nab a few more shovels. — Matt

MP3 Young Hearts Spark Fire
MP3 Wet Hair

8. Dirty Projectors – Bitte Orca

Was a more divisive album released this year? Whether you love it or hate it though, you have to hand it to the band for making some of the most original and creative music of the year. While Bitte Orca wasn’t the easiest record to get into, those who stuck it out were treated to some maddeningly brilliant tunes. Blissed-out melodies butt heads with arrangements that sound like they could fall apart at any second in a whirlwind of an album that is hard to wrap your head around on the first, or even the second, listen. In an age where many songs try too hard to grab people right away, Dirty Projectors have created an album that not only does that, but one that is still revealing itself months after its release. — Matt

MP3 Stillness is the Move
MP3 Useful Chamber

7. Cymbals Eat Guitars – Why There Are Mountains

Growing up on a steady stream of bands like Sunny Day Real Estate and Modest Mouse, this album sounds like it was hand-crafted just for me. I was blown away by Cymbals Eat Guitar’s debut album from the very first listen and I’m still perpetually being captivated by the band’s explosive sound. Why There Are Mountains is a hugely ambitous and broad-reaching album full of epic, sweeping guitar and cathartic, angst-ridden vocals. It’s no surprise that shortly after being unleashed on the web this band found waves of fans like myself who had grown up on 90’s indie rock classics and were thrilled to have something that revived the passion and youthful energy of that sound and matched it with dynamic, powerful songwriting. What the band achieves here is a mind-boggling great collection of songs that is in no way a retread, but is both forward-looking and unpredictable. –Taylor

MP3 …And The Hazy Sea
MP3 Wind Phoenix

6. The xx – xx

It seems like every year there’s one record that comes out of nowhere and just dominates my stereo. 2007 had Boxer, 2008 had For Emma, Forever Ago, and 2009 has xx. In this era of music blogs, most bands try and pump out music quickly and then capitalize on any hype they get before it fades away. The xx, however, did it differently; after being picked up by Young Turks, the band carefully crafted its sound over two years before releasing their debut album. It shows, too; the record is marked by the kind of restraint that kids this young shouldn’t even possess, let alone practice this well. But don’t let its minimal sound throw you, xx is a hard record to shake once it gets its hooks in you. — Matt

MP3 Crystalised
MP3 Shelter

5. Sunset Rubdown – Dragonslayer

I’ve said it before and I will probably say it again many times, Spencer Krug is a musical genius. It’s freakishly amazing how incredibly talented of a songwriter he is and Dragonslayer is probably the man’s finest work yet. The album features a more fully realized Sunset Rubdown, completing the transition from a one-man show to a highly skilled band, capable of translating his mystical rock epics with thundering drums and masterful guitar solos. In typical Krug-ian fashion, this album straddles the line between beauty and chaos, always threatening to fall off the edge before reining in the mayhem to become something magnificent. He matches this dynamic musical prowess with some of his most wildly inventive lyrics and puts it all together to make electrifying songs like “Idiot Heart” and “You Go On Ahead” that plead to be listened again and again. –Taylor

MP3 Idiot Heart
MP3 You Go On Ahead

4. The Antlers – Hospice

A conceptually emotional album perfected by merciless introspection and one’s flat-out honesty. It’s not hard to recognize the agony of Peter Silberman’s lyricism over the somber and textured instrumentation of Hospice. Each track slowly fades into a mess of several different elements, creating a conflicted atmosphere that eventually explodes into every conceivable idea pain. The build-ups are heart-wrenching and truly glorious, enhancing Peter’s gnawing words of acceptance and creating moments that don’t pass without provoking a deep sense of sympathy. The Antlers have singlehandedly produced an album that can not only be heard, but truly felt… more than I can rightfully put into words–or would at least dare to. The only greater thing than producing such an amazing record is to produce one that tells an unforgettable story. Peter’s disclosure is one of substance, so personal and tragic it becomes… a work of heart. –Cheryse
MP3 Two
MP3 Bear

3. Animal Collective – Merriweather Post Pavillion

One of the things that is so exciting about a new Animal Collective record is that you never know what to expect. But I don’t think anyone was ready when “My Girls” hit a few months before Merriweather Post Pavilion came out. The band embraced their pop side on Sung Tongs and Feels found them getting back to weird a bit, but “My Girls” and the rest of the album found Animal Collective striking a flawless balance between difficulty and accessibility. The album is a perfection summation of Animal Collective until now. The melodies are gorgeous, but the album still has its abrasive parts. It’s psychedelic, noisy, blissful, wild, beatific and everything in-between. Remember we’re talking about Animal Collective, so this is still some challenging music, but Merriweather Post Pavilion continues to reward listeners almost a year after its release. It’s hard to imagine where the band will go from here, but I think people have said that after every album and the band always finds a way to surprise us with something wonderful. — Matt

MP3 My Girls
MP3 Brother Sport

2. Grizzly Bear – Veckatimest

The time and care Grizzly Bear put in to their work is unrivaled, and they perfected their craft on Veckatimest. The compositions are complex and elegant, filled with flourishes that sound like they might be unnecessary at first, but you quickly realize that everything is exactly where it should be. Sure, they didn’t need a youth choir on some of the songs, but it’s impossible to imagine “Cheerleader” without it. Same goes for those little orchestral stabs on “Ready, Able” and the percussion at the end of “Two Weeks”. Everything has a purpose and the band knows exactly how everything should fit, even if it isn’t obvious to us right away. But for all the detail Grizzly Bear put into their music, they never lose focus; every song here is a gorgeous blast of brilliance. It really shouldn’t surprise anyone that Veckatimest debuted at number eight on the Billboard Top 200 album chart, and we all know that even Jay-Z has jumped on board. In an age were the boundaries between genres are razor thin, if they even exist at all, Grizzly Bear are out there breaking down walls and changing the idea of what “indie” music really means. — Matt

MP3 Two Weeks
MP3 While You Wait For The Others

1. Phoenix – Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix

It may seem a bit presumptuous for Phoenix to insert their name into that of history’s most famous classical composer and child prodigy, but on Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix the band proves they can live up to even the highest of expectations. Although there were other bands that put out some fantastic music this year, no single band completely owned 2009 in every way like Phoenix did. Sold out concerts worldwide, songs on movie trailers and commercials galore, performances on every single late night TV show (including the ever-prestigous SNL spot), over 200K albums sold, and a Grammy nod just for kicks. Even without the accololades though that come with a huge breakthrough album, the fact still stands that with this release, these French pop revivalists have made the most euphoric and universal album of the year.

Wolfgang Amadeus Pheonix is what all pop albums should aspire to, a collection of brilliantly engaging songs with gloriously crisp production and never any shortage of hooks. These songs beg to be poured over, squeezing out all the rich pop goodness. This is undoubtedly the best sounding album of the year, the vibrant, full-bodied compositions and ultra-tight performances are invigorating. The songs skip around genres making the album suitable for anywhere from dance clubs to rock arenas, the constant being an uncanny sense of melody and pop aesthetic. There’s literally not one dull moment in the under 40 minute running time. With their endless playability, tracks like “Lisztomania”, “1901″, and “Girlfriend” sound both nostalgic and timeless. One hopes that this masterful album, like it’s namesake, will be remembered for years as one of the most quintessential pop albums ever created. –Taylor

MP3 Lisztomania
MP3 1901

Taylor’s Honorable Mention:
Neko Case – Middle Cyclone
The Very Best – Warm Heart of Africa
God Help The Girl – God Help The Girl
The Thermals – Now We Can See
fun. – Aim & Ignite
M. Ward – Hold Time
Patrick Wolf – The Bachelor
Slow Club – Yeah So

Matt’s Honorable Mention
Raekwon – Built for Cuban Lynx II
Wild Beasts – Two Dancers
The Pains of Being Pure at Heart – s/t
The Flaming Lips – Embryonic
Noah and the Whale – The First Days of Spring
A Place to Bury Strangers – Exploding Head

Cheryse’s Honorable Mention:
The Dodos – Time To Die
Florence and the Machine – Lungs
Peter Bjorn and John – Living Thing
MSTRKRFT – Fist of God
Lushlife – Cassette City
Mayer Hawthorne – A Strange Arrangement
Drake – So Far Gone
Bibio – Ambivalence Avenue

Thanks again to everyone for reading! I will be back in 2010…