My Top 5 Albums Of 2009

I haven’t posted anything for a while because I’ve been busy (read lazy) so as it’s the end of the year I thought I’d share my favourite albums of 2009 with you. Picking 5 releases was practically impossible so I have limited myself to full lengths only, and trying to put them in any sort of order has given me a headache I plan to drink my way through as soon as possible. 2009 has been an incredible year for music with fresh offerings from old favourites, new arrivals and more than a few surprises along the way. After careful deliberation, here are my top 5 albums of the year…

5. Julian Plenti Is… Skyscraper

When the news first circulated that Interpol vocalist Paul Banks would be releasing a solo album I was incredibly excited. I’m a huge fan of Interpol (Turn On The Bright Lights is one of my favourite albums of the decade) and when bootleg recordings of Banks playing acoustic shows (under his solo moniker Julian Plenti) began to circulate I couldn’t wait for the album’s release.
A considerable departure from the Interpol sound, yet instantly recognisable, Julian Plenti Is… Skyscraper moves from angular songs like Fun That We Have and Games For Days to haunting acoustic guitar and string section numbers such as Skyscraper and On The Esplanade with Banks’ distinctive voice on form from start to finish.

4. Them Crooked Vultures – Them Crooked Vultures

One of the most talked-about albums of the year, the amalgamation of Josh Homme (QOTSA), Dave Grohl (Foo Fighters) and John Paul Jones (Led Zeppelin) sounded like a match made in musical heaven, and the resulting album was even better than expected.

Although initially TCV sound not too dissimilar to QOTSA, on closer inspection they are so much more. Aside from the obvious comparisons to the 3 member’s main bands, this album incorporates elements reminiscent of (among others) David Bowie, Fantomas, Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Wonder and King Crimson. Huge songs with jagged, a-tonal guitars and Josh Homme’s incredibly versatile vocal style make this a simply stunning album. If for some unknown reason TCV have slipped past your radar, go buy the album when your hangover subsides.

3. Sufjan Stevens – The BQE

Sufjan Stevens, creator of, in my opinion, one of the greatest albums of all time (Illinois) is no stranger to odd concepts. Having already stated an ambition to write an album for each one of the 50 US states (how he will manage an album about Iowa will be interesting), in 2007 Stevens wrote and performed a “symphonic and cinematic exploration of New York City’s infamous Brooklyn-Queens Expressway”. An album of classical music about a road…

Finally earlier this year the project was released on CD (along with a DVD of the footage that accompanied the original performance) and I was instantly blown away. Building on the sweeping strings, fluttering woodwind and commanding brass that made Illinois so special, The BQE is beautiful, uplifting and charming. The synth-tastic wonderland that is Movement IV is worth buying the album for alone.

2. Blakfish – Champions

Birmingham’s premier noise-mongers have been floating about for a fair few years now developing a considerable fan base and maturing noticeably with each EP release. 2009 was the year we finally got to hear a Blakfish full-length.

And what a debut album, a bold and confident effort that belies their age with songs tackling such subjects as the banking crisis (Economics), the sorry state of the UK music scene (Ringo Starr, 2nd Best Drummer In The Beatles) and the cultural wasteland that is television (Scotland’s Worst Invention). Huge riffs and challenging shifts in time signature punctuated with beautiful vocal harmonies (especially on Randy Sage, True American Hero) form deceptively complex songs that both soar and bulldoze. Above all, this is the sound of 4 guys having a great time playing music. My debut of the year and very nearly my album of the year, if it wasn’t for…

1. RX Bandits – Mandala

I reviewed this album earlier this year, and although I liked it at the time I though the album had its faults. I was very wrong. As the excellent The Resignation had done before, Mandala grew on me with each listen. I forgot about the missing brass section and the often challenging new style because with time I realised this album is almost perfect. Without a doubt this is RX Bandits’ greatest album yet, and my pick for album of the year.

Here’s a little mixtape of tracks from these albums, happy new year!

Marko