Here is the next installment, 6 hours early, because I don't know when I'll have internet access tomorrow. You'll see I'm quite a tease as you only get 5 and have to wait with bated breath for the top 5. I have highlighted my favorite track for my top 10 albums.
6-10
Best Track: Solitaire
Talent oozes out of this recording like strawberry preserves out of a well-made PB & J sandwich. It made me pause for a few seconds as it washed over me. “Solitaire”, “One Wing”, “You And I”, and “I’ll Fight” are wondrous tracks.
Best Track: (Tie) Babys and Woods
The follow up to the brilliant For Emma, Forever Ago, Justin Vernon awes me again. Every single track transports you to a magical land. His music has an other-worldly aura to it. Much like the dish of ratatouille that impacted Anton Ego so much. Bon Iver’s music reminds us of simpler times. I eagerly await his next full-length release.
82-The Avett Brothers-I And Love And You
Best Track: I And Love And You
I only discovered the Avett Brothers this year, and was won over by their performance on the Letterman Show. They just have so much fun on the stage, and their songwriting is magnificent. Occasionally the bluegrass sound wins me over and this is one of those times. I’ve already begun listening to their older stuff, and it is simply fantastic. The title track is hard to beat. From “When at first I learned to speak. I used all my words to fight. With him and her and you and me” To “Three words that became hard to say. I and Love and You” the lyrics to this first song display the genius of the Avett Brothers.
81-Phoenix-Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
Best Track: 1901
Phoenix was one of my absolute favorites from 2009. They’re music is different, happy, and makes you want to dance. And there’s just something about dancing. 500 Days of Summer and Slumdog Millionaire taught us that again this year. “Lisztomania”, “1901” “Lasso” , and “Rome” are my favorites, but every single song on this disc is a winner. I hope I get to see them in concert soon.
77-Ben Harper & Relentless 7-White Lies For Dark Times
Best Track: Fly One Time
The instant I first heard this CD, in a yet-to-be-moved-into bedroom in Holland, Michigan, I knew it was going to be one of my favorites from the entire year. “Up To You Now” is a great track; “Skin Thin” is a haunting and brutally honest track: “Fly One Time” is one of the best tracks of the year; “Faithfully Remain” is just another of the intimate tracks where Ben Harper pours himself in front of you. That level of vulnerability wins me over instantly. The disc as a whole falls down a bit, but the sheer brilliance of those few tracks boosts it up.
You mean bated breath, not baited.
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