Eleven Through Fifteen for 2005

I promised a list of my favorite fifteen albums for 2005. Here’s 33.3%.

  1. Anna Nalick – Wreck Of The Day – It looks like just another release from another girl with another voice just like what you’ve already heard. Looks can be deceiving. In spite of efforts to do otherwise, I found myself queueing up this album day after day for about a month. This might just be one of those guilty pleasure finds, but I don’t think so. The lyrics are engaging like a found diary and the sound is surrounding, almost comforting. Best Songs: “Breathe (2 AM)” and “Wreck Of The Day.”
  2. Common – Be – Common has enough talent on his own. He needs no help. Even without the influence of producer/collaborator Kanye West, Be would’ve been noteworthy. As it turned out, Be is an album I’ll still be enjoying long into next year. And as an added bonus, Common invited proto-pioneers The Last Poets along for the ride on a brief history of rap called “The Corner.” Be is better than good. Best Songs: “Faithful” and “Go (with Kanye West)”
  3. Kasabian – Kasabian – They’re a bit like Supergrass without the chemical distraction. Or Oasis without the obvious in-fighting. Or any number of other Brit bands that rock in a manner straddling the world of riffs and the world of beats. The difference here is a marked consistency across the course of their self-titled debut album. There isn’t an out-of-place track in the lot, nothing to send you scrambling for a fast-forward button. And the little instrumental string-alongs make me think of Martin Gore’s interludes on Violator. Best Songs: “Club Foot” and “Reason Is Treason.”
  4. Ok Go – Oh, No – They sound so British! They wear paisley! They remind me of The Strokes / Jet / The Hives / The … Actually, they’re quite a bit better than their comparisons allow. It was a hard decision to make, determining whether to list this album (overly-dramatic vocals and rockin’ from wall-to-wall) or One Way Ticket To Hell (And Back) from The Darkness (overly-dramatic vocals and retro-rockin’ from wall-to-wall), but in the end I determined that I bought The Darkness only because I really miss Queen.
  5. Bright Eyes – I’m Wide Awake, It’s Morning – A fellow at work bought this on accident during his lunch break. Upon his return to the office, he sent around an email. “Free CD.” I took it. I really liked it, but I don’t expect everyone to feel the same.

Agree? Disagree? Let me know.

December 22, 2005 – 1:50 pm | By Thomas | Posted in Listening | Comments (0)