Kevin Bronson on December 22nd, 2009

5

I have only to glance at Stereogum’s post on the most anticipated albums of 2010 to be assured that next year will be better than 2009, when my most-visited album was the Stone Roses’ reissue. [Heartfelt thanks again to the person who gifted me that; you know who you are.] That said, ’09 had some high moments. There were a lot of albums to which I matriculated like comfort food – at so many moments, only hooks would do – and there were others that seemed to stalk me, especially the haunting, synth-addled Fever Ray album and the gloriously noisy, deliriously melodic “Over and Over” by Swedish collective the Legends, who make their American fuzz-pop counterparts look, well, pained. Forthwith, and for what it’s worth, the supergroup-, grizzly-, antler-, girls-, animal- and crystal-free list of my favorite albums of 2009, with four-word reviews. I expect my blogging credentials to be revoked any time now:

1. Fever Ray, “Fever Ray” (Mute): Fever? The shakes too.
Download: “When I Grow Up.”

2. The Legends, “Over and Over” (Labrador): How Swede it is.
Download: “Always the Same”

3. Yeah Yeah Yeahs, “It’s Blitz” (Interscope): Undeniable, if anything is.
Watch: The video for “Zero.”

4.  The Thermals, “Now We Can See” (Kill Rock Stars): Make it look easy.
Download: “Now We Can See.”

5. The Features, “Some Kind of Salvation” (429): Don’t go missing this.
Watch: The video for “Lions.” Stream: “The Temporary Blues” on Lala.com.

6. Robert Francis, “Before Nightfall” (Atlantic): Worldly (world-weary?) at 22.
Download: “Junebug”

7. Thao With the Get Down Stay Down, “Know Better Learn Faster” (Kill Rock Stars): Smart, fast, fun, uncategorizable.
Stream: “The Clap” on Lala.com.

8. Telekinesis, “Telekinesis!” (Merge): Hooks, lines and singer.
Download: “Coast of Carolina”

9. The Happy Hollows, “Spells” (Autumn Tone): Bouncing off the walls.
Download: “Faces”

10. Silversun Pickups, “Swoon” (Dangerbird): Mainstream muscle, indie charm.
Watch: The video for “Substitution.”

After the jump, the next 10, as well as some other notable releases:

11: Cass McCombs, “Catacombs” (Domino): Jaw-dropping … and Karen Black?
Watch: The video for “Dreams Come True Girl”

12. Tegan and Sara, “Sainthood” (Sire): Simply sharper and sharper.
Must-see: Amanda Palmer and Michael Pope’s ninja video for “Hell.”

13. The Big Pink, “A Brief History of Love” (4AD): Everything I like, bigger.
Download: “Dominos,” my favorite song of the year.

14. Stellastarr*, “Civilized” (Bloated Wife): Likely I’ll be pogoing.
Download: “Freak Out.”

15. Fool’s Gold, “Fool’s Gold” (IAMSOUND): Prescribed for the doldrums.
Download: “Surprise Hotel.”

16. An Horse, “Rearrange Beds” (Mom & Pop): No varnish necessary here.
Download: “Postcards.”

17. Metric, “Fantasies” (Last Gang): Pleasantly sticky and sweet.
Watch: The video for “Gimme Sympathy.”

18. Art Brut, “Art Brut vs. Satan” (Downtown): Painfully funny, unnervingly astute.
Watch: The video for “Alcoholics Unanimous.”

19. The Whip, “X Marks Destination” (Razor & Tie): Trashing my own dancefloor.
Download: “Trash.”

20. Brakesbrakesbrakes, “Touchdown” (Fatcat): Nervy, jangly, instantly catchy.
Download: “Two Shocks”

Special mention

7 Worlds Collide, “The Sun Came Out” (Columbia/Sony). Conceived by Neil Finn and recorded in three weeks in New Zealand, “The Sun Came Out” is a two-CD charity album (benefiting Oxfam) featuring some stunning material from an equally stunning cast of contributors – including Jeff Tweedy, KT Tunstall, Bic Runga, Lisa Germano, Neil and Sharon Finn, Phil Selway and Ed O’Brien from Radiohead, Johnny Marr, Glenn Richards and Don McGlashan. Quite a project, and quite a result.

20 More I Was Also Smitten By:

Richard Swift, “The Atlantic Ocean” (Secretly Canadian)
Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros, “Up From Above” (Vagrant)
Fun., “Aim and Ignite” (Nettwerk)
The Veils, “Sun Gangs” (Rough Trade)
Super Furry Animals, “Dark Days / Light Years” (Rough Trade)
Mos Def, “The Ecstatic” (Downtown)
The High Strung, “Ode to the Inverse of the Dude” (Park the Van)
The Black Heart Procession, “Six” (Temporary Residence)
The Cribs, “Ignore the Ignorant” (Warner)
Maps, “Turning the Mind” (Mute)
The Postmarks, “Memoirs at the End of the World” (Unfiltered)
Headlights, “Wildlife” (Polyvinyl)
Built to Spill, “There Is No Enemy” (Warner)
The Raveonettes, “In and Out of Control” (Vice)
Jason Lytle, “Yours Truly, the Commuter” (Anti-)
The Horrors, “Primary Colours” (XL)
James Yuill, “Turning Down Water for Air” (Nettwerk)
Dinosaur Jr., “Farm” (Jagjaguwar)
Ryan Bingham & the Dead Horses, “Roadhouse Sun” (Lost Highway)
Hindi Guns, “Do or Die” (French Fan Club)