Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Top 5 albums of the year is always a love/hate list to write for me. First of all, I love going back through the posts I've written through the year and seeing what albums "stuck," and which ones didn't quite have the lasting power that I predicted. But I also have a ridiculously hard time choosing and then ordering the albums based on some kind of nebulous criteria. I feel fairly certain that these 5 represented those that I personally enjoyed the most, and the ones that I listened to the most. But the ordering is often susceptible to change. So let's just say, if I were loading up my card CD player for a long roadtrip, here's what I'd put in:

John Michael's 2009 Top 5 List

5. Neon Indian - Psychic Chasms

Alright, let me just say it. I really liked this Neon Indian album. Apparently that makes me one of a million others swayed entirely by the Chicago-based brainwashing conglomerate, Pitchfork. Well, that may be the case, but I have a feeling that maybe I liked this album because it was actually pretty good. Unlike the other "vintage" album out there, Psychic Chasms incorporates some great 80s-ish influences in a subtle, organic way, to generate a sound that's enjoyable without knocking you over the head with how "smart" it is. So yeah, I like it. And I wish people would make more albums that didn't treat me like a child. And Neon Indian is from Austin. Is that so wrong?

:Neon Indian - Terminally Chill:


4. Balmorhea - All Is Wild, All Is Silent

All Is Wild, All Is Silent is a soft, seemingly infinite masterpiece. The instrumental arrangements breathe with an intense energy that underlines the entire album, and not one of the 40 minutes seems to rely on repetition. I've always had difficultly telling people exactly what this album is all about, but I think that's a telling quality. With mostly instrumental tracks, there's no one "subject" that can be put into words, and honestly, if the album were something I could put into words, what would be the point of putting it to music instead? No, Balmorhea capture some indescribable feeling with their music, and that feeling, whatever it is, comes through perfectly on All Is Wild, All Is Silent.

:Balmorhea - Remembrance:


3. Jude/Ross - Jude/Ross

The Jude/Ross debut album was one of the simplest and most effective albums I heard the entire year, on both a national and local stage. Produced by one of my local favorites, Leatherbag, the album is literally the sound of a band playing songs, no more, no less. Genius unassuming guitar hooks, quiet but powerful lyrics ("Be who you are, and you can be born again, and again."), everything I want to hear after a long day, or in the middle of a long trip.

:Jude/Ross - The Knife:


2. Kat Edmonson - Take To The Sky

This jazz covers album absolutely blew me away this summer. In the battle to create the most original new music, I'll honestly take these reworkings of old jazz standards (and a few pop songs too) over most of that other garbage any day. As some of the most original material I've heard all year, I can't recommend Edmonson's Take To The Sky enough. Listen to it for her voice, or the solos, or just the great arrangements. I don't care, just listen to it, you'll be doing yourself a huge favor.

:Kat Edmonson - Summertime:


1. Brazos - Phosphorescent Blues

I devoted a huge post to Brazos' album back in October, so if you need more convincing as to why this album is the best local album of the year, I suggest you read it. But suffice it to say, the album gets to the core of what it is to live in Austin, interlacing masterful lyrics with near-perfect arrangements that highlight Brazos' keen awareness of texture. Yet despite all of the "artistic" qualities that make the album so successful, in no way do they detract from the album's surface listenability. So come for the great beats and catchy melodies, and stay for a very long time digging into the album's core.

:Brazos - Tell:
 

- John Michael Cassetta -

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