Dec 312009
- Mass Romantic by The New Pornographers–The decade opened with a power pop chorus from this Canadian group. “Letter from an Occupant” showcases Neko Case’s full-throated vocal delivery and her bandmates’ pop virtuosity to stunning effect. The subsequent years would be filled with plenty of sonic darkness from various indie flavors of the month, but TNP demonstrated that music could be heady without losing its sense of fun and excitement.
- Untrue by Burial–British producer Burial weaved together a complex, haunting album that isn’t easily classified. Mixing elements of electronica and hip-hop, it sounds like a desperate, pleading love letter from an obsessed stalker in some parallel universe. In the world of Untrue, it’s always just after midnight and everyone has a broken heart, but they’re still in the mood to dance.
- In Rainbows by Radiohead–This is the album I’ve been waiting for since OK Computer. Plenty of critics fell in love with Kid A, their first album from the decade, but its atonal experimentalism left me cold. In Rainbows has the baroque grandeur and tunefulness that first made me a fan of their music, but it doesn’t sound like a retread of previous material. “House of Cards”, with its simple guitar bassline and Thom Yorke’s soaring vocals, is a good example of the band’s ability to craft a gorgeous song that sounds stripped down at the same time.
- Silent Alarm by Bloc Party–Bloc Party made an album of shimmering guitars and earnest vocals that is also completely sincere. It has echoes of Eighties New Wave in songs like “So Here We Are” and “This Modern Love” while “Banquet” has a more propulsive feel. The band generated huge buzz when this album came out, which led to the nearly inevitable sophomore slump. Still, this album stands out as one of the most brilliant debuts of the decade.
- Illinois by Sufjan Stevens–If every album in Stevens’ fifty-state music project sounds this good, he’ll be declared the greatest musical genius since Lennon and McCartney. I’m not sure he’ll ever fully realize his ambition, but Illinois is a testament to his vision. Each song tells a story that is somehow related to the state, but the tone shifts from breathy personal narrative to exuberant walls of sound. “Chicago” is particularly gorgeous, capturing the city’s vitality in a chorus of youthful voices. Stevens has an exceptional talent for capturing the voices of the characters in his songs, many of whom are throwbacks to a younger, more hopeful America.
