The Obligatory ‘Top Ten Albums of 2009′.
I like to do this every year, but found myself shocked by the small number of new albums I’ve actually listened to this year.
1) The Twilight Sad – Forget the Night Ahead
Having seen them live as well this year, nothing was going to touch this. A departure from the post-rock/shoegaze of Fourteen Autumns and Fifteen Winters, the albums sees a more krautrock influenced feel with all of the body of James Graham’s voice which was to be found in all earlier work. I Became a Prostitute is a standout, and just resonates with an energy unbecoming of this earth.
2) We Were Promised Jetpacks – These Four Walls
Evidently, 2009 has been the year of my Scot fetish: The Twilight Sad and WWPJ fulfilling this categorisation. Again, energy to the hilt and a slight shoegaze-y twinge. It’s Thunder and it’s Lightning is archetypal of the band’s sound, instrumental and vocal dichotomies combining to form nothing short of miraculous melodies.
3) The Veils – Sun Gangs
Oh, how I love you Finn Andrews. Nothing short of love can describe what I feel for you. It burns in my loins and keeps me from sleep, you kind Kiwi gent. Your warm whining of epic vibrato without conscionable reason guides me to aural nirvana and keeps me in this one place despite its oscillatory warbling. The way you scream in Larkspur? Generation defining, if the kids today had any taste.
4) mewithoutYou – it’s all crazy! it’s all false! it’s all a dream! it’s alright
And so into another album they storm, talking of their personal relationship with God and not being preachy about it: to this, I lend them nothing but commendment. From the first song every thought a thought of You (which would lend itself so well to a song of distant admiration – or, in more common parlance, ’stalking’ – rather than this song of finding God) to the ending Allah, Allah, Allah, mewithoutYou never shy away from experimentation with instrumental themes as well as the lyrical.
5) Heaven in her Arms – Duplex Coated Obstruction
I have, historically, had a little bit of a Japanese thing too: more solid post-rock/screamo crossover, but now with a harder edge. I’ll admit, it’s more of the same from them, but they’ve always done what they do so well.
6) Emmy the Great – First Love
She’s a cute oriental (HK national, to be exact) girl: she was bound to end up here irrespective of music. Fortunately, her catchy rhythms and keen sense of rhyme and sense of humour in observations reserve her place here more solidly than a passing case of yellow fever on my part. 24’s parody of the godawful television show of the same name is simply delightful.
7) Cursive – Mama, I’m Swollen
Tim Kasher. Tim, Tim, Tim. Why can’t you ever get past the relationship drama which inspired Domestica? It’s OK, even if we are better off as animals, shooting From the Hips, your fans will love you unconditionally. Now, would a new Good Life album be too much to ask?
8 ) Brand New – Daisy
Jesse Lacey finds a voice all of his own and stops channelling Morrissey; and with good results.
9) Jesu – Opiate Sun
Fellow Brummie. Have to respect that leading to good metalgaze. Yes: good metalgaze.
10) MONO – Hymn to the Immortal Wind
Epic Japanese post-rock, beautifully arranged for a full orchestra.