Sorry it's late.
One word can sum up this year in music: disappointing. The majority of the releases I waited for fell short of my expectations, and indeed my expectations were the reason for my unhappiness. But in a pile of garbage I’ll forget about by this time next year, there were a few gems that will grace my CD collection for years to come. Not necessarily the ten on this list, but at least the top four. And so, a list of the top ten albums I liked the most (although, this could change, as I would probably completely change my list from last year if I were to write it again…what can I say? I’m a fickle creature.). Submitted for your approval:
10) Seven Swans-Sufjan Stevens
His voice is calming. His melodies beautiful. His instrumentation phenomenal. And when I’m feeling particularly depressed or when the whole world seems beautiful, this album accentuates my mood. My only complaint would be the sometimes overly thick Christian themes, but I even enjoy that sometimes.
Best Track: To Be Alone With You
9) Good News for People Who Love Bad News-Modest Mouse
I didn’t want to like this album. I mean, watching a room full of frat guys drunkenly sing "Float On" (followed by a rousing rendition of "Living on a Prayer") can almost permanently ruin a band for me. But this one was this year's train wreck album for me-the one I want to avoid, but I can't seem to tear my attention from. In fact, I get these really weird cravings to listen to it. So, this album is the entry on my list that I can't seem to get out of my head, though I may want to.
Best Track: Bukowski
8) Shake the Sheets-Ted Leo and the Pharmacists
Ok, this one is only on here for one song. Mostly, it's just a lot of the same old Ted Leo--fun to listen to, but nothing stands out as really special. That is, until you get near the end of the album to the song "Counting Down the Hours", a damned catchy ditty that just screams “Dance!”. This song was all I listened to in my car on the way to work for over a week. So while the rest of the album is merely good, this song is excellent, and since 2004 didn't offer too many contenders, Mr. Ted Leo, you make it to the list.
Best Track: Counting Down the Hours
7) More Adventurous-Rilo Kiley
Strange how I feel this album has become the most disputed one on the list. I heard a handful of the songs before the album was released and immediately fell in love with one of them, to the point I made all my sisters listen to it. Jenny managed to grasp the Paul Simon-ness of life into a perfect story-telling song reminiscent of “Slip Sliding Away”-one of my all-time favorite Simon tunes. But eventually all good things must end, and by the time the album was released, I was beginning to grow tired of the song. Despite that, I dutifully listened to the album in my car on my drive to work, waiting for songs to grow on me, and in the end, I would skip most of the songs on the album, just listening to the ones I really liked. This made me sad, as when listening to the previous albums, I would even sit through my lesser favorites since even they weren’t that bad. In September, I left for Chicago and attended the concert, where they did indeed manage to make me like even the bad songs a bit more, but today I find that while even The Initial Friend EP still gets play on my iTunes, I rarely play any songs off More Adventurous, even the songs I really loved when I first heard them. But I will not turn my back on this album. Just because it was far less spectacular than I hoped, it was still a great album in comparison to other bands. I do feel coming off of Execution of All Things, a veritable masterpiece as far as I’m concerned, it had big shoes to fill, and I’m sad it didn’t fit them better than it did. But still, it had tracks that I really like, so I feel it deserves a spot on my list, even if it doesn’t make my top five.
Best Track: TIE between “A Man/Me/Then Jim” and “More Adventurous”
6) From a Basement on the Hill-Elliott Smith
First of all, posthumous albums always seem to annoy me, as people usually make a big deal out of them, and the hype is hardly warranted. This album, however, is just beautiful. You can feel his heartbreak and it makes me want to hug him, but at the same time there is this underlying feeling of hope, even if it is a helpless hope. It’s not perfect, but it doesn’t need to be. I probably wouldn’t like it half as much had he not died while producing it, but when listened with the story of his ill fate in mind, it’s a lovely way to end a career.
Best Track: Pretty (Ugly Before)
5) A Ghost is Born-Wilco
Wilco has always been a band I enjoy, so I was very pleased when this album didn’t suck. Hell, I even liked the 11 minutes of “Spiders”. At this point in my list, I realize just how much I like boring music. But as most of my life is spent studying, boring music is alright by me, since I can tune it out if need be. This album is perfect for studying, and that’s good enough for me.
Best Track: Hummingbird
4) The Slow Wonder-AC Newman
My only complaint with this album is the middle tracks tend to run together with no real definition. But even that isn’t much of a problem, since that makes it an album I have on even if I have no intention of even listening to it. Even if I’m not paying attention, though, I find the songs stuck in my head for hours. It is true to the New Pornographers’ style without being entirely the same-catchy but still subtle and not overly-contrived.
Best Track: 35 in the Shade
3) Album of the Year-The Good Life
Regret. Lost Love. Apathy. Misplaced Passion. Drinking. What is not to love? This album makes me happy and angry and all other emotions that should accompany music. What’s more, it makes me want to drag out the previous Good Life albums and listen to my favorite tracks from them. Tim Kasher’s title was not that far off.
Best Track: Notes in His Pocket
2) Wild Like Children-Tilly and the Wall
First of all, I did not love Tilly when I first heard them. Liked, but did not love-I felt a lot of their appeal was based on novelty. After seeing them live, though, my feelings changed. Their energy is so infectious, that even though this album falls a bit flat in areas, the memories from seeing them perform make up for it. This album is what I put on when I dance my way through campus, and then I pity all those people staring at me because they don't know the wonder that is Tilly and the Wall's Wild Like Children.
Best Track: Let It Rain
1) Me First-The Elected
I've noticed that I seem to like the first track of most albums more than the other tracks. Sometimes it's because I don't listen to the rest of the album enough to pick a favorite among the later songs, but other times it's because the first track is really just the best. Thus is the story for Me First (Hey! "15 more 'til my birthday"-it's one day before mine!). This album, much anticipated since I first heard Blake from Rilo Kiley was working on a side project, did not let me down when it came out in early 2004, and it still has yet to disappoint me. The Elected's Me First is the album from 2004 that I will listen to for many years to come.
Best Track: 7 September 2003
10) Seven Swans-Sufjan Stevens
His voice is calming. His melodies beautiful. His instrumentation phenomenal. And when I’m feeling particularly depressed or when the whole world seems beautiful, this album accentuates my mood. My only complaint would be the sometimes overly thick Christian themes, but I even enjoy that sometimes.
Best Track: To Be Alone With You
9) Good News for People Who Love Bad News-Modest Mouse
I didn’t want to like this album. I mean, watching a room full of frat guys drunkenly sing "Float On" (followed by a rousing rendition of "Living on a Prayer") can almost permanently ruin a band for me. But this one was this year's train wreck album for me-the one I want to avoid, but I can't seem to tear my attention from. In fact, I get these really weird cravings to listen to it. So, this album is the entry on my list that I can't seem to get out of my head, though I may want to.
Best Track: Bukowski
8) Shake the Sheets-Ted Leo and the Pharmacists
Ok, this one is only on here for one song. Mostly, it's just a lot of the same old Ted Leo--fun to listen to, but nothing stands out as really special. That is, until you get near the end of the album to the song "Counting Down the Hours", a damned catchy ditty that just screams “Dance!”. This song was all I listened to in my car on the way to work for over a week. So while the rest of the album is merely good, this song is excellent, and since 2004 didn't offer too many contenders, Mr. Ted Leo, you make it to the list.
Best Track: Counting Down the Hours
7) More Adventurous-Rilo Kiley
Strange how I feel this album has become the most disputed one on the list. I heard a handful of the songs before the album was released and immediately fell in love with one of them, to the point I made all my sisters listen to it. Jenny managed to grasp the Paul Simon-ness of life into a perfect story-telling song reminiscent of “Slip Sliding Away”-one of my all-time favorite Simon tunes. But eventually all good things must end, and by the time the album was released, I was beginning to grow tired of the song. Despite that, I dutifully listened to the album in my car on my drive to work, waiting for songs to grow on me, and in the end, I would skip most of the songs on the album, just listening to the ones I really liked. This made me sad, as when listening to the previous albums, I would even sit through my lesser favorites since even they weren’t that bad. In September, I left for Chicago and attended the concert, where they did indeed manage to make me like even the bad songs a bit more, but today I find that while even The Initial Friend EP still gets play on my iTunes, I rarely play any songs off More Adventurous, even the songs I really loved when I first heard them. But I will not turn my back on this album. Just because it was far less spectacular than I hoped, it was still a great album in comparison to other bands. I do feel coming off of Execution of All Things, a veritable masterpiece as far as I’m concerned, it had big shoes to fill, and I’m sad it didn’t fit them better than it did. But still, it had tracks that I really like, so I feel it deserves a spot on my list, even if it doesn’t make my top five.
Best Track: TIE between “A Man/Me/Then Jim” and “More Adventurous”
6) From a Basement on the Hill-Elliott Smith
First of all, posthumous albums always seem to annoy me, as people usually make a big deal out of them, and the hype is hardly warranted. This album, however, is just beautiful. You can feel his heartbreak and it makes me want to hug him, but at the same time there is this underlying feeling of hope, even if it is a helpless hope. It’s not perfect, but it doesn’t need to be. I probably wouldn’t like it half as much had he not died while producing it, but when listened with the story of his ill fate in mind, it’s a lovely way to end a career.
Best Track: Pretty (Ugly Before)
5) A Ghost is Born-Wilco
Wilco has always been a band I enjoy, so I was very pleased when this album didn’t suck. Hell, I even liked the 11 minutes of “Spiders”. At this point in my list, I realize just how much I like boring music. But as most of my life is spent studying, boring music is alright by me, since I can tune it out if need be. This album is perfect for studying, and that’s good enough for me.
Best Track: Hummingbird
4) The Slow Wonder-AC Newman
My only complaint with this album is the middle tracks tend to run together with no real definition. But even that isn’t much of a problem, since that makes it an album I have on even if I have no intention of even listening to it. Even if I’m not paying attention, though, I find the songs stuck in my head for hours. It is true to the New Pornographers’ style without being entirely the same-catchy but still subtle and not overly-contrived.
Best Track: 35 in the Shade
3) Album of the Year-The Good Life
Regret. Lost Love. Apathy. Misplaced Passion. Drinking. What is not to love? This album makes me happy and angry and all other emotions that should accompany music. What’s more, it makes me want to drag out the previous Good Life albums and listen to my favorite tracks from them. Tim Kasher’s title was not that far off.
Best Track: Notes in His Pocket
2) Wild Like Children-Tilly and the Wall
First of all, I did not love Tilly when I first heard them. Liked, but did not love-I felt a lot of their appeal was based on novelty. After seeing them live, though, my feelings changed. Their energy is so infectious, that even though this album falls a bit flat in areas, the memories from seeing them perform make up for it. This album is what I put on when I dance my way through campus, and then I pity all those people staring at me because they don't know the wonder that is Tilly and the Wall's Wild Like Children.
Best Track: Let It Rain
1) Me First-The Elected
I've noticed that I seem to like the first track of most albums more than the other tracks. Sometimes it's because I don't listen to the rest of the album enough to pick a favorite among the later songs, but other times it's because the first track is really just the best. Thus is the story for Me First (Hey! "15 more 'til my birthday"-it's one day before mine!). This album, much anticipated since I first heard Blake from Rilo Kiley was working on a side project, did not let me down when it came out in early 2004, and it still has yet to disappoint me. The Elected's Me First is the album from 2004 that I will listen to for many years to come.
Best Track: 7 September 2003