My Top 50 Albums: 2000-2009

My peers and I are in a conspicuous position when it comes to reviewing the past decade in music: we began high school and likely completed college all within the confines of the decade. High school and college. Those are your prime musical-attachment years. Regardless of whether or not you are capable of keeping an objective eye throughout your life, the music that affects you strongly during those formative years will have a special impact that will most likely never be rivaled by any competition. As a testament to that statement, know that - when I first organized the list of candidates - nearly 200 albums made an appearance. That means that, for a solid decade, I considered an average of twenty albums per year worthy of note. That's a lot of music to digest, even for me. So while I could take two months to write 50,000 words in a list that no one would read, I'm going to cut back and try to keep it short and simple in the hopes that a few people will actually read this and - as always - in the hopes that this will incite some good, old fashioned, human-to-human interaction/debate on the subject. It is worth noting, as well, that I could barely decide which albums made the cut and that by tomorrow I'm sure there will be some albums that I'd like to shuffle around or add or subtract. Such is life.

Note: For my guidelines, I required that an album have at least six songs or that it be at least 30 minutes in duration (one or the other), eliminating most EPs (notably, Saosin's Translating the Name and Paper Route's Are We All Forgotten). Compilations, re-releases and live albums were also not up for consideration (goodbye to Jimmy Eat World's Clarity re-release, Peter Gabriel's Hit/Miss compilation, and Coheed & Cambria's Neverender live set).


STRONGLY RECOMMENDED

50. Almost Here by The Academy Is... (2005) Along with Acceptance's Phantoms and Cartel's Chroma this is one of the finer pop-rock albums of the decade and one that holds up over time, unlike some of it's contemporaries (I'm looking at you What It Is To Burn).

49. Leaving Through the Window by Something Corporate (2002) The album that brought piano-pop to the 80s-born masses, with equal success in up-tempo singles and slowed-down ballads.

48. In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3 by Coheed and Cambria (2004) A progressive-pop-rock staple, headlined by the insanely catch "A Favor House Atlantic" and the dynamite title-track.

47. The Ugly Organ by Cursive (2003) A haunting and dissonant walk through a twisted world filled with counterfeits and call-girls. "Our Father who art in Heaven, save me from this wreck I'm about to drown in."

46. The Earth Is Not A Cold Dead Place by Explosions In the Sky (2003) When I got this album my freshmen year of college it completely changed my opinion of what an instrumental album could be. EITS has since found considerable fame, but this may remain their finest effort to date.

45. In Motion by Copeland (2005) Catchy and strong, serene and powerful, In Motion is the alt-rock masterpiece that revealed what Copeland was capable of creating.

44. Rise or Die Trying by Four Year Strong (2007) The best driving album of all time. Hands down. Fast and catchy with harmonized vocals and riffs, blistering drum fills, and some serious chugging, when you put this in your car stereo, you'll be singing along and air-drumming within seconds.

43. Please Come Home by Dustin Kensrue (2007) An acoustic-folk release from Thrice's Kensrue who shows why he's one of the era's greatest lyricists and songwriters. The title track is incredible and "Blanket of Ghosts" is a lock to make anyone who's lost someone tear up at least a bit.

42. Picaresque by The Decemberists (2005) A pop-folk-rock concept album about the hard-knock life in an historical seaside town. Equal parts romance, mourning, cleverly phrased observations, and self-deprecating humor, it's hard not to love this one.

41. Like Vines by The Hush Sound (2006) A sublime pop album help up by strong piano and guitar work and the beautiful interplay of male and female voices. If you like pop-music, you owe it to yourself to at least hear Like Vines.


REQUIRED LISTENING

40. Lucy Gray by Envy On the Coast (2007) The last couple of tracks are dead weight. If the first eight songs of Lucy Gray had been released as an EP, it would have vaulted 15 spots up the list. Powerful guitars, unbelievable drumming, intriguing lyrics, and out of this world vocals and harmonies make this one a must-listen album.

39. Act I: The Lake South, The River North by The Dear Hunter (2006) The beginning of the unparalleled, genre-bending The Dear Hunter project. There is no way to classify any of these songs, you really just have to listen.

38. Interventions and Lullabies by The Format (2003) What sounds like a sugary pop album contains some incredible instrumentation and some of the wittiest lyrics of the decade. 'The thought of death, it scares me to death. It's just too much to never wake up."

37. Sound the Alarm by Saves the Day (2006) A riveting pseudo-punk album filled with speeding guitar riffs and wailing, double-tracked vocals; a mix of New Found Glory-esque pop-punk and a throwback NOFX-sound all glossed in Saves the Day's brilliant songwriting and musicianship.

36. Dog Problems by The Format (2006) A pure pop album filled with lush orchestral and vocal arrangements and completed by witty and contemporary lyrics.

35. Saosin by Saosin (2006) Not as innovative (or as good) as the aforementioned Translating the Name EP, Saosin's self-titled full-length is a perfectly blended pop-metal album with soaring vocals, intricately harmonized riffs, and a real sense of power that leaves you wanting to sing along while banging your head.

34. Bleed American by Jimmy Eat World (2001) The measuring stick by which all modern pop-rock albums are judged, this album mixes big, radio friendly hits and more intricate and introspective tracks and still blends into a beautiful whole.

33. Transatlanticism by Deathcab for Cutie (2003) This album has everything from piano ballads to rockin', indie anthems. The epic, sweeping title track says all the things that I can't.

32. The Alchemy Index, Vols. III & IV: Air & Earth by Thrice (2008)
31. The Earth Sings Mi, Fa, Mi by The Receiving End of Sirens (2007) In retrospect, these two albums have a lot in common: they were followups to masterpieces (Vheissu and Between the Heart and the Synapse, respectively) and, as such, were generally underrated at the times of their release, but both were solid throughout, sprinkled with a few exceptional tracks, and have two most memorable closing tracks of the decade ("Child of Dust" and "Pale Blue Dot").

30. Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge by My Chemical Romance (2004) A breakthrough album in that it combined elements of pop, metal, and a comicbookian darkness that bordered on ridiculous. No matter what you think of MCR's image or their earlier or later work, there is no denying that this album is filled with amazing hooks and fun-as-all-get-out guitar riffs.


CAREER DEFINERS

29. Good Apollo, I'm Burning Star IV, Vol. I: Fear Through the Eyes of Madness by Coheed & Cambria (2005) The first eleven tracks of this opus would have made a decent enough album on their own, full of the same formula that made In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3 (No. 48) so great, but it's the final four tracks ("The Willing Well I-IV") that really make this album exceptional: the four songs total 30 minutes of play-time and constitute one of the finer examples of prog-rock this decade.

28. Tiger and the Duke by The Sound of Animals Fighting (2005) Speaking of prog-rock, TSOAF came along - a collective of musicians from various musical outfits - and created an astonishing concept album whose liner notes even included the story upon which the album was based as well as a detailed breakdown of the musical modes used throughout the album. No one had combined programming, excellent guitar playing and drumming, programming, a tinge of screamo, and brilliant composition so well before.

27. Rockin' the Suburbs by Ben Folds (2001) Unfortunately, it must be noted that this album had the odd misfortune of being released on Sept. 11, 2001 and, as such, wasn't really given it's due until a few years later when it had developed a cult following. Folds really exposes himself as a songwriter and performer here (he's nearly the only person involved with the album on any level) and he shines throughout in his modern day Elton John-meets-Billy Joel-only-wittier way.

26. The Hazards of Love by The Decemberists (2009) A brilliant concept album. I've said a lot elsewhere, but if you haven't read that, trust me: this album is more than you thought The Decemberists could be (even if you thought they could be great).

25. Illuminate by Lydia (2008) Over the last year or so, I've realized that I severely under-ranked this album in 2008. This is one of the most subtly melodic records in recent memory; it's truly beautiful in its own unique way. It takes more than a few listens to finally appreciate all the depth that's going on with Illuminate, but it's certainly worth it.

24. As Tall As Lions by As Tall As Lions (2006) Dan Nigro's voice is splendid, but it does take some getting used to, so don't be put off if this album doesn't immediately sink it's hooks into you. But the instrumentation and vocals are superb and this album provides flowing pop-rock songs in a way that few others can.

23. Emotion Is Dead by The Juliana Theory (2000) The oldest entry on this list is often credited as being one of the finest 'emo' records of all time (it has a name that certainly fits), but I think a more accurate description would be that it is one of the finest experimental-pop records of all time. The music is, at it's core, straight-up pop, but the presentation - which involves programming, intriguing arrangements, and unique voicing - is what really sets it apart.

22. Tell All Your Friends by Taking Back Sunday (2002) I'm sure I've ranked this album a lot lower than many of my readers would like, but - for some unknown reason - it never resonated with me like it did with my peers, even though I loved the album. The multiple-lead-vocalist arrangement has only been done better once (we'll get to that later) and the instrumentation is simple but incredibly well-arranged. This is one of the best albums that you could ever hope to sing to with your friends in the car.

21. Act III: Life and Death by The Dear Hunter (2009) The most cohesive release to date from The Dear Hunter, this album packs a tremendous amount of musical ideas into one hour-long package. You can read more here.


FLAWLESS ALBUMS

20. Postpartum Modesty. A Portrait of Skin by Evaline (2006) An oft overlooked EP, Evaline's 2006 release is the best of two worlds: it's heavy enough to warrant 'rocking out' and it's melodic enough to demand singing along. It's nearly impossible to listen to this one without wanting to start it up again when it finishes.

19. Come Now Sleep by As Cities Burn (2007) The magnum opus of this New Orleans-born band, Come Now Sleep is a melancholy tour de force. As an album written by devout Christians who find themselves questioning the existence of God, it's hard not to be moved by this album, and it's also tough to qualify the blues-influenced hard-rock sound that is so unique to ACB, so suffice to say that the opener ("Contact") and closer ("Timothy") are two of the finest songs of the decade, the latter of which has the capacity to bring anyone who has suffered a loss to tears.

18. Progress by RX Bandits (2001) One of the first successful prog-rock/ska crossover albums, the Bandits experiment with just about every sound at their disposal on this one and get it right every single time. There are still lots of ska roots here (think lots of brass arrangements) but while your listening, it's hard to think of Progress as anything but a masterful rock album.

17. The Moon Is Down by Further Seems Forever (2001)
16. How To Start A Fire by Further Seems Forever (2003) I had to lump these two together as they are so divisive to the FSF fan base, yet so intimately connected. The Moon Is Down is a masterpiece led by Chris Carrabba's (now of Dashboard Confessional fame) incredible lyrics and vocals but driven by unbelievable instrumentation. But I had to give the slight edge to How To Start A Fire which brings that instrumentation front and center and supplants the departed Carrabba with the howling Jason Gleason creating a raw and visceral prog-pop album unlike any other.

15. Wonderland by Forgive Durden (2006) How this band never really caught on before 2008's Razia's Shadow: A Musical continues to astound me. Wonderland is a brilliant pop-rock masterpiece, each song brimming with incredibly creative instrumentation, vocals, and lyrics. There isn't a bad song on this album. Hell, there isn't even a good song because each track moves beyond that and is great.

14. Define the Great Line by Underoath (2006) The defining album of the screamo movement and an album that, ultimately, may never be surpassed within the genre. This album comes at you and hard, with tearing guitars and a wide array of screaming and singing arrangements that will get your heart pumping. Plus, this album is - in my opinion - the absolute high point of the digital recording age; the production on this album is the absolute finest that I have ever had the pleasure of hearing.

13. Act II: The Meaning Of, And All Things Regarding Ms. Leading by The Dear Hunter (2007) The album that really established The Dear Hunter as major players in the music scene. Act II has a little bit of everything in it - and I mean that quite literally. It really doesn't matter what kind of music you like, because you're bound to find something that pleases you here.

12. De-Loused In the Comatorium by The Mars Volta (2003) A groundbreaking prog-rock album that hearkens back to the days of Genesis' The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway. This album plays as the most organized and creative jam session you've ever heard with unbelievable melodies flying high above the mind-boggling instrumentation.

11. In the Land of Lost Monsters by Gatsbys American Dream (2004) Clocking in at seven tracks and eighteen and a half minutes, this is one short album. But boy, oh, boy does it give you your money's worth. A bitter mission statement, this album has an anger and edge unmatched by any other GAD album but never loses sight of the bands strengths: Nic Newsham's phenomenal vocals, highly literate lyrics, and breathtaking instrumentation. It's hard to get, but if you can find this one, hold on to it.


MASTERPIECES

10. Eat, Sleep, Repeat by Copeland (2006) A darkly beautiful wonderland of rolling guitars, intricate drum beats, gentle pianos, and Aaron Marsh's sensational voice flowing over everything. From beginning to end, this album is an emotive experience with the title track, "Love Affair", and "When You Thought You'd Never Stand Out" reaching a whole other plane of excellence.

9. Volcano by Gatsbys American Dream (2005) This album is not often given its proper due when discussing great works of the time because of GAD's numerous contributions to the conversation, but - I assure you - this album is fantastic. Containing some of the decades finest pop songs but having them also be some of the decades most progressive songs is not an easy task, but that's what happens on Volcano where "Shhhhh! I'm Listening to Reason" might be the textbook example of progressive-pop-rock.

8. ( ) by Sigur Ros (2002) A sprawling album divided into two halves with no actual lyrics (or song or album titles for that matter) which uses the voice simply as another instrument in the band's arsenal, ( ) is a landmark record. Its songs are epic ("Untitled 8") and gorgeous ("Untitled 4") with no song more noteworthy than "Untitled 1" which may be the single most beautiful composition I've ever heard.

7. The Resignation by RX Bandits (2003) The followup to Progress (No. 18), The Resignation was recorded almost entirely live in the studio and - considering the complexity of the material involved - I can't say much more in praise of the Bandits' talents. A prog-rock album far more than a ska album (which I dare say it isn't at all), The Resignation should appeal to a wide audience and is impressive on every front.

6. Up by Peter Gabriel (2002) Few of you reading this will have ever heard anything from this album. I cannot recommend that you seek out a song or two strongly enough (I'd recommend starting with "More Than This"). Gabriel has always been an innovator and he outdoes himself in every capacity with Up, by far his greatest work. Every song is intricately composed and arranged and one really gets the impression that Gabriel searched the world over to find the perfect sound for each and every second of this beyond-impressive work.

5. Stay What You Are by Saves the Day (2001) The finest pop-rock album on this list, Stay What You Are is an exercise in doing something and doing it well. Saves the Day didn't reinvent the wheel with this catchy wonder-work, they just made the best damn one available. You won't be able to stop listening to this album once you start.

4. Vheissu by Thrice (2005) A staggering album. Vheissu occurred in a perfect storm of conditions within a band and a studio and the result is an unforgettable album. Thrice try every style that they want here and nail each of them, from hard-rock, to spiritual chants, to piano ballads, to programmed epics. One of the few albums that, without fail, seems to get better and better with each listen.

3. The Devil and God Are Raging Inside Me by Brand New (2006) The absolute pinnacle of darkly melodic rock. Dark as it is, everything about this album is phenomenal, from the instrumentation to the melodies and lyrics. Brand New have a brooding cynicism about them on this album that infects the musical and lyrical tone and never relents creating an album that is deeply and darkly poignant: "And in the choir, I saw our sad Messiah. He was bored and tired of my laments. Said, 'I died for you one time, but never again. Never again.'"

2. Ribbons & Sugar by Gatsbys American Dream (2003) The defining progressive-pop-rock album. There isn't a down moment on this entire album and every song makes its own case for being the strongest of the bunch. The recording and production maximize every glorious guitar riff, snare hit, and background vocal. Every musician on this album is undeniably brilliant at what they do and it shows. A true masterpiece.

1. Between the Heart and the Synapse by The Receiving End of Sirens (2005) In the Tell All Your Friends section (No. 22), I mentioned that only one album better exemplified the 'multiple-lead-vocalist' arrangement and this is the one. With three lead singers seamlessly exchanging lead lines and gracefully singing counterpoint melodies over one another, this album has some of the finest vocal arrangements this side of John and Paul. But what really puts the album over the edge and into the number one seat, aside from the vocals and equally impressive musicianship, is the composition. This is one of the most well thought out and organized concept albums I've ever seen. The album exists completely within itself, with each song making reference to at least one other song on the album and with a fully functional "Prologue", "Intermission", and "Epilogue". This album is epic and perfect in just about every way. There's not much else I can say.



That's a lot of information and I think I'll leave it there for now. In a couple of days I plan on coming back and giving a brief analysis of all of this information.

Happy New Year everyone! I'll see you in 2010.

My Top Ten Albums of 2009

2009 was a solid (if unspectacular) year for music, marked by two masterful (if not transcendent) albums and a whole slew of decent-to-good records. For some reason unbeknownst to me, nearly every band that released an album in 2009 released some variety of pop-album, even bands that had never before ventured into those sugary waters (As Cities Burn, for instance), and - for the most part - this approach worked for the majority of the artists who tried it. In fact, a few albums with high expectations ended up falling flat because of the absence of pop-sensibilites. Does this mean experimentation and originality are dying? Far from it. They just weren't front and center this year, and there's nothing wrong with that.

After the year's pop-centrality, perhaps the most striking trend that kept cropping up as I reviewed the albums of 2009 was that most albums had moments of excellence and corresponding moments of lamentable music-making; indeed, only a couple of albums (at any level of quality) felt truly consistent throughout their duration¹. But while only a few albums stood out as being consistently great, a large number had at least one great song², which does not constitute a great album, but is at least (usually) an indicator of a good one.

That in mind, what I found most fascinating about this year in music was that, of all the entries in the huge body of 'good' albums, none really pulled away from the crowd. Most of the albums that I'll be talking about this year (with a few noted exceptions) are about as good as any other: some great songs here, some poor songs here; it's a very level playing field with most qualitative differences arising from the listener's stylistic choices on any given day. With so many albums of indistinct quality, it was very tough to choose only ten for this list, so a handful of honorable mentions will get a brief space once the List proper has finished.

As always, no one will agree with me on all fronts and some will inevitably agree on none, but regardless of your stance, I'd love to hear your thoughts. Without further ado (footnotes excluded, of course), The List...

1. I'm not suggesting that every album should be the same throughout in order to achieve 'consistency', but rather that the albums of 2009 were marked by their noteworthy highs and lows. For example, if you asked me to pick the best song from Gatsbys American Dream's Ribbons & Sugar (2003), I'd stare at you blankly for a while as I thought it over and would probably tell you that "We're Not Orphans" gets the nod, and then I'd amend that to "Cut the Strings" before claiming that the best track is actually "Apparition". The point is: every song on that album is great; if you asked me to pick the worst song from that same album, I'd tell you that there were no candidates because (what's that sound? Oh, it's the sound of my beating this dead horse) every song on the album was good. If you asked the same questions about fun.'s Aim & Ignite (2009), I'd tell you that "Take Your Time (Coming Home)" was the strongest track and that "Benson Hedges" was the worst, and if I debated either one of those choices in my head, I'd take equally long to debate the other. Ribbons & Sugar and Aim & Ignite both had great songs, but only one had notably poor songs. That's the point I'm driving at (possibly in circles).

2. I would be remiss if I didn't add my belief that this inability for bands to have continued quality over the course of a full-length is almost directly the result of the iTunes/single-track-a-time age. As consumers (and it's worth noting that artists are consumers of music, too), it's become too easy and - frankly - too expected that we'll only listen to the single tracks, that we'll be making playlists, and that we won't be listening to full albums anymore. It was inevitable that this musical culture would complete the cycle and stop being just our reaction to music and rather become a part of the creation of music. More bands are writing great songs than ever before. But fewer are writing great albums. It is a double edged sword, but I admit that I miss having new albums that completely enthrall me, and I don't think I'm alone in that sentiment.



THE TOP TEN

10. Daisy by Brand New The first few times I listened to Daisy I was confused (well, I was confused after I recovered from the surprising and face-shattering opening chords of "Vices"). Where were the slow-moving, powerful songs lamenting a world gone awry and the self-referential, sharper-than-a-knife witticisms from The Devil and God Are Raging Inside Me (2006) and Deja Entendu (2003)? Hell, where were the gorgeous, flowing melodies of 2007's "(Fork and Knife)" single? This was certainly not the Brand New that I thought I knew and, at first, I was disappointed. But over time Daisy started to make sense to me; the unrelenting moodiness, the subtle musical and lyrical intricacies, the brash wailings of guitar and voice³ - they all seemed to fit together somehow, even if I didn't seem to fit in among them. This is surely Brand New's heaviest (or most consistently heavy) album to date; that stylistic choice, combined with lyrics that rarely resonated in a profound way (it was - for me, at least - very strange to hear Jesse Lacey screaming, "where is...my marriage license?"), left me wanting. More specifically: wanting a sequel to The Devil and God. But that's not what Daisy is. And though it's not the Brand New album that I would have wanted, it is undoubtedly a strong album in its own right. Amongst the raucous screaming and wailing are great guitar licks ("Be Gone"), great melodies ("Noro"), occasionally great lyrics ("You Stole"), and one hauntingly compelling song ("Daisy"). All the elements are there, just not as I would have arranged them, but still: I couldn't bring myself to leave this album off this list.

Key Tracks: "Daisy", "Sink", "In A Jar"

3. People (myself included) made a big deal about the 'screaming' on this record, but it turns out that the vocal presentation is not such a big change for Brand New after all. Each of their prior albums (well, I'm not sure about Your Favorite Weapon but I don't care for that album anyway) has at least a few minor instances of Lacey's screaming/shouting and, after further inspection, it's really only slightly more prevalent on Daisy than it has been in the past.



9. (M)orning by Mae This may be the single most surprising entry on this list (I was, at least, very surprised that this album turned out to be so good) as Mae's last effort, Singularity (2007), was so horrific that any hopes of the band releasing solid material once again were thrown out the window. But (M)orning is a uniquely great pop album. It's still Mae, so everything is somewhat light and cheery, but there is an undeniable depth to this album that past Mae releases have lacked. "The Fisherman Song (We All Need Love)" is a three part opus of a prog-pop song complete with a full narrative arc in the lyrics, "Two Birds" is a beautiful instrumental track led by a flute solo (yes, you read that correctly), and "A Melody, The Memory" might be the best straight-forward love song of the year. Mae has always had a slight affinity for the concept album (see 2005's The Everglow) but only with (M)orning is their ability to create a rock-solid concept realized. The album's tracks flow into one another, often carrying lyrical and musical themes from track to track, giving a sense of completeness of which I would never have suspected Mae to be capable. If you're a fan of major-key pop-rock then you should absolutely check out (M)orning and, most likely, keep an eye out for the upcoming (A)fternoon and (E)vening releases (why all the parentheticals on first letters, you ask? Because those first letters spell "MAE" - not an astonishing play on words, but just subtle and clever enough for me to enjoy it).

Key Tracks: "A Melody, The Memory", "Two Birds", "The Fisherman Song (We All Need Love)"



8. Birds & Cages by Deas Vail First things first: this album was only released digitally in 2009 and is scheduled to be released in early 2010 in hard copy. To use a horrible colloquialism, this bums me out. Not only will I end up buying the album twice, but one of the best things about a new album (at least to me) is that first time you pop it in your car and get to drive around surrounded by the sound of new music, an experience that a digital release kind of denies you. But that's really all the negativity that I could muster for this review. Picking up right where 2007's All the Houses Look the Same and 2008's Bright Lights EP left off, Birds & Cages is a beautiful pop-rock album. And I mean that literally. This album is truly beautiful. Deas Vail has a certain grace that is unlike any other band (Copeland was the closest, but even their sound was notably different - and darker - than Deas Vail's); they live in major-key glory in a way that very few acts can pull off. As with their previous releases, Wes Blaylock's soaring falsetto flies angelically above a rock solid band track filled with a healthy mix of various guitars and basses, a wide range of drum beats, and complementary keyboards. And just like on All the Houses Look the Same and Bright Lights, the lyrics are deceptively strong. Some progressive-concept-album tendencies even trickle into Birds & Cages with "Tell Me" being a beautiful vocal interlude that comes back for a reprise as the conclusion of "Dance In Perfect Time", while slightly darker (darker for Deas Vail, that is) songs like "Birds", "The Leaper", and "Atlantis" give this release a good amount of depth. Really, if you like pop music, there's a lot to love with Birds & Cages.

Key Tracks: "Atlantis", "The Things You Were", "Birds"



7. First Temple by Closure In Moscow The closest that I can come to a parallel album for First Temple is Saosin's self-titled full length (2006). Both bands put forth EPs that pushed the progressive/hard-rock/pop genre into new places with distinctly unique sounds. While Saosin rode Anthony Green's soaring vocal range and screaming ability along with harmonized riffs and powerful chugging (Translating the Name, 2004), Closure In Moscow's The Penance and the Patience (2008 - No. 5 on my Top 10 of 2008) was carried by Christopher de Cinque's soaring vocal melodies, his harmonies with guitarist Mansur Zennelli and their forward thinking, pop-affected, Mars Volta-influenced instrumentation. In both cases, the bands eventually released a full-length album (though more time passed for Saosin, who lost Green to a variety of projects) that met an array of responses, the mean of which could aptly be described as 'lukewarm'. As for this humble writer's opinion? I'm championing First Temple, just as I did with Saosin. The album is not a huge success on the progressive and foreward-thinking front - a side of the band that showed great promise - but, as was the case with Saosin, it is a huge success as a progressive-metal-pop album. The songs are monstrously catchy and the instrumentation, while not being groundbreaking, is still interesting with plenty of riffs and fills to hold your attention. As was the case with Closure's debut EP, there's still plenty that reminds of The Mars Volta ("Afterbirth"), but there's also enough sugary-sweetness ("Sweet#Hart") that you'll find yourself humming a First Temple tune long after the album's done. It's also worth noting that "Kissing Cousins" is maybe the summer song of 2009 while "Deluge" follows in the footsteps of last year's "Dulcinea" and provides one of the best choruses of the year.

Key Tracks: "Kissing Cousins", "Deluge", "Afterbirth"



6. Aim & Ignite by fun. The spiritual heir to The Format's Dog Problems (2006), Aim & Ignite sees ex-Format vocalist Nate Ruess (alongside Jack Antonoff and Andrew Dost - of Steel Train and Anathallo, respectively) explore some of his more well-worn lyrical themes (be forewarned, I loved the lyrics on this album, so you're about to read a lot about them): not being able to find love, feeling out of place, and generally being a witty and damn-clever malcontent all the way. But perhaps the best and most refreshing lyrics that Ruess has to offer are those that show him finding some actual happiness (gasp!) and satisfaction (no!) in his new life. The album's sound is an eclectic pop amalgamation of everything that the fun. boys (and producer and ex-Jellyfish⁴ member Roger Manning, Jr.) love; the ultimate result being that the album plays as a stage musical of Ruess's life. This is a good thing. The opening track, "Be Calm", is as remarkable as it is Broadway-esque; it's hard not to smile at the song's self-reflexivity as Ruess sings, "the theremin will lead us to a chorus where we all rejoice and sing," while that trademark B-Movie whir carries us back through the chorus and to a simply beautiful bridge (2:39-3:13). Songs like "At Least I'm Not As Sad (As I Used To Be)" and "Barlights"⁵ are exceptional summer-jams, but the area where I find Aim & Ignite to be strongest are those that seem most unique to the album. With "The Gambler" and "Take Your Time (Coming Home)", fun. takes a soothing and mellow approach to a subject rarely broached by The Format: happiness. A waltzing piano ballad, "The Gambler" looks at life through the eyes of Ruess's happily married parents and is as beautiful lyrically as it is melodically. Which brings me to "Take Your Time (Coming Home)", likely the strongest track on the album. This song succeeds on every major level, crushing it's lyrical, melodic, and compositional goals right out of the park. An epic exploration of Ruess finding peace with the new life that he's made for himself, this conclusive track is the picture of a happiness that is not all flowers and unicorns, but that has come on the heels of toil and hardship and is greater for the effort. Aim & Ignite is far from a perfect album though, as three or four tracks ("Benson Hedges" being the most egregious example) never seem to go anywhere and slog down an otherwise sensational collection of pop songs; but when three or four tracks of a ten-track album are weak, that doesn't speak very well for the album as a whole and this ultimately drags Aim & Ignite down a few spots in my rankings. It's not perfect, but the moments of brilliance that are scattered across Aim & Ignite's ten tracks make it a necessary addition to any pop-music lover's library.

Key Tracks: "Take Your Time (Coming Home)", "Be Calm", "At Least I'm Not As Sad (As I Used To Be)"

4. I cannot say enough about Jellyfish's 1992 album Bellybutton. It is simply one of the absolute finest pop albums ever recorded.

5. "Barlights" provides one of the year's most clever lyrics as Ruess sings, "I can't help but remember James Dean. See, we are part of the few who agree that, hey, he lived life fast, but he died. He died. He died. Me? I'm gonna live forever." Brilliant.



5. Hell or High Water by As Cities Burn One of the more consistent albums of 2009, the only song that really stands apart from the rest of the album is the (highly unfortunate) closer, "Capo" - a song so antithetical to the idea of As Cities Burn that I've removed it from my iPod. It's not a terrible song by any means (though it's certainly not a markedly good one) but it just doesn't belong on this particular record and, for a band as conceptual as ACB it's surprising to even find it here. But that's really the only negative point that I have to mention with this release. Sure, it's not as heart-wrenching and soulful as Come Now Sleep (2007) but of all the bands who released what were essentially pop albums in 2009, none were as surprising as Hell or High Water and few were as successful. As Cities Burn has really distanced themselves from the metal/screamo sound of their (still wonderful) debut (2005's Son, I Loved You At Your Darkest), and embraced a more relaxed, southern rock sound. Not all the tracks sound foreign though, as the opener, "'84 Sheepdog", is reminiscent of some of the more up-tempo songs on Come Now Sleep; meanwhile the album alternately serenades the listener with the sweepingly beautiful "Daughter"⁶ and inspires them with the stirring march of "Pirate Blues" that follows. Such a stylistic change was surprising in and of itself, but it's the grace and comfort with which ACB try such a new sound that really won me over. Always a band that suffered from below average vocals, Hell or High Water has some of the finer vocals of the year and certainly mark a high water mark (pun certainly intended) for the band (and the guest appearance of original ACB vocalist T.J. Bonnette is an excellent touch). It's not as soul-stirring as some of their previous releases ("Timothy", "Contact", "The Widow") but, to borrow descriptors from Aaron Marsh: if ACB's first two releases were meant to move you, Hell or High Water seems meant to make you move. And it succeeds. Gone are the turbulent screams and harmonized guitar solos that were so distinct from their early works and in their places are tighter harmonies and grungier bass-grooves. It's a release that could easily have borne another band's name. It's a release that deserves to be enjoyed in the early spring, on those first few days that you can drive with your windows down (trust me on this seemingly random recommendation). Sadly, As Cities Burn broke up shortly after this release, so this may be the last we hear from them and, if that is the case, they've left us with an album that should appeal to an audience much, much larger than any they could have hoped to have pleased before. As Cities Burn: requiescat in pace.

Key Tracks: "Petty", "'84 Sheepdog", "Pirate Blues"

6. If the idea of a major-key, mellow As Cities Burn song turns you off, you owe it to yourself to at least listen to this song for it's incredible guitar solo which is brilliantly effective albeit simple.

4. Beggars by Thrice In the time it takes some artists (see: Gabriel, Peter) to write a handful of songs, Thrice have not only released 5 albums but in doing so have established themselves as some of the most versatile and crafty bands of this - or any - era. What strikes me about Thrice's work over the last half-decade or so (The Artist In the Ambulance, Vheissu, The Alchemy Index, Beggars) is that instead of feeling like a band that gets bored and constantly 're-invents' itself into an all-new organism completely unlike it's former incarnation, each of Thrice's releases have been distinctly Thrice-y, while being wholly different from one another. Beggars displays Thrice at their most stripped down and simplistic; gone are the whirlwind of production techniques and instrument changes found on their last few releases, instead leaving us with simply constructed songs (gone, too, are the multiple-time-signature-compositions of past records) that are chock full of emotional power and poignant arrangments. Rather than feeling empty from this voice-reduction, Beggars feels full in a different manner than previous Thrice records; it is, in many ways, a record that I would have expected more from Radiohead or Cold War Kids than from Thrice and yet it is clearly and distinctly a Thrice album. "The Weight" is one of the most viscerally intense love songs I've ever heard, "Wood & Wire" is one of the most soulful songs in recent memory, and "Beggars" is a raucous blues jam. Confused yet? Thrice have figured out that they are capable of writing and executing whatever type of music suits them and on Beggars they take full advantage. Lead singer and guitarist Dustin Kensrue has distinguished himself as perhaps the finest lyricist of our time⁷ and all of the other members of Thrice are equally adept at their trade (Ed Breckenridge provides an exceptional and noteworthy performance on bass). Every track is enthralling in its own manner and each song is unique from those around it; this is likely the Thrice album with the broadest appeal and should strike a proverbial chord with both long time fans and newcomers alike. If you are interested in soulful rock music, you'll be doing yourself a disservice not familiarizing yourself with Beggars.

Key Tracks: "In Exile", "Beggars", "All the World Is Mad"

7. Every song on Beggars has at least one great lyric, but perhaps the finest total piece is "The Great Escape" a song that sonically seems like it could have sat next to "2+2=5" on Radiohead's Hail to the Thief (2003) and is, on the surface, a brilliant story of a shipwrecked sailor with an even more brilliant Christian allegory beneath it all.

3. Mean Everything to Nothing by Manchester Orchestra If (M)orning was surprising because of Mae's last release then Mean Everything to Nothing is surprising because of the stigma surrounding Manchester Orchestra: they were, by all accounts, an indie band - usually a tell tale sign of fuzzy guitars and vocals that would make Yoko Ono blanch. But Manchester Orchestra has proven all those stereotypes wrong with this release. Mean Everything to Nothing is powerful in every respect. The lyrics are excellent⁸, the melodies are memorable, and - perhaps most unexpectedly - the guitars come at you hard when the occasion calls for it (see "Pride" and "Shake It Out"). Starting out with probably the weakest track on the whole album ("The Only One"), Mean Everything to Nothing seems to build and build and build until it finally explodes over the conclusion of the eponymous "Mean Everything to Nothing" and the epic "The River". Songs like "Shake It Out" and "Pride" bring the rock (so to speak), while tracks like "I've Got Friends" and "Tony the Tiger" are about as catchy as you could possibly ask any song to be (seriously, good luck listening to "Tony the Tiger" and not having it stuck in your head all day). In the end, I had a very difficult time ranking this album ahead of Beggars, and in a couple of drafts, their positions were switched, but in the end I had to go with Mean Everything to Nothing in the Three Spot because even though both albums are great throughout, Manchester Orchestra delivers the highest highs of the two. Both albums defy genres and if you enjoy rocking guitar riffs and catchy-but-thoughtful lyrics and melodies, you have to listen to Mean Everything to Nothing. Sometimes it's that simple.

Key Tracks: "Mean Everything to Nothing", "I Can Feel A Hot One", "Shake It Out"

8. If not the finest, then the most darkly poetic lyric of the year can be found in "I Can Feel A Hot One": "I prayed for what I thought were angels...ended up being ambulances."

2. The Hazards of Love by The Decemberists I have never doubted that Colin Meloy is a fantastic songwriter and a fabulous lyricist, what I did doubt, however, was that - having signed up with a major label prior to the release of 2006's The Crane Wife - he would ever have the freedom truly necessary to explore his gifts. Well, that was stupid of me, wasn't it? Along with the rest of The Decemberists, Meloy has put together the outfit's finest release to date, The Hazards of Love. The fairy-tale story of true, and ultimately doomed, love in a fantasy world replete with forest queens, shapeshifting boys, and malicious rivers, the narrative of The Hazards of Love is told in both wonderfully crafty lyrics⁹ and beautifully moving music. With all due respect to The Dear Hunter's Act III: Life and Death, this truly is the concept album of the year: the story is spelled out in brilliant prose, the music fits each scene, and all the while musical themes make multiple reprises for their respective characters, being modified at each new appearance to fit the new circumstances of the narrative. Given the fully poetic and story-advancing lyrics, as well as guest appearances that flush out multiple character-voices, it's hard to think of any aspect of concept-album-construction where The Hazards of Love could have been improved. It's a Greek tragedy in album form. Between the perfectly executed construction, incredible lyrics, melodies, and instrumentation - not too mention Shara Worden's mind-blowing guest appearance as the Queen - this album is stunning throughout.

Key Tracks: "The Wanting Comes In Waves/Repaid", "The Hazards of Love 4 (The Drowned)", "The Rake's Song"

9. Proof that Colin Meloy is a superbly intellectual individual: when he sings "here we died our little deaths" in the song "Isn't It A Lovely Night?" Meloy references the French phrase "la petite mort". That's a far reaching reference for a lyric - and I love it.

1. Act III: Life and Death by The Dear Hunter Odds are, if you knew me then you guessed that this would be Number One. It turns out that I had a pretty difficult time giving Act III the Number One spot ahead of Hazards but in the end I came to this realization: even The Decemberists' breakthrough album, the one that may go down as their masterpiece, was not as incredible as a very, very good (but not once-in-a-lifetime) The Dear Hunter album. TDH is just too well equipped to be beat. They are in their musical prime, with all cylinders firing. Act III is admittedly not as earth-shattering as Act II (2007) was, but the main reason for this 'disappointment' is that...well, we already have heard Act II. Smoother and more continuous than its predecessor, Act III is the first full-length The Dear Hunter album that was composed with the intent of being a full-length album¹⁰ and it shows. There is a continuous mood on this album that was somewhat absent on the prior TDH releases and the album really establishes an identity that its forefathers did not. That is not to say that the genre-mixing styles of prior TDH releases are gone: they are not. A wide array of styles are still employed on Act III, but they are more gracefully (and subtly) combined this time around. The progressive elements of this album are also much more subtle than on previous releases. Instead of clearly echoing movements from song to song, the thematic ties between tracks are almost hidden on Act III, but they're still there: the piano outro of "Life and Death" fits over the same chord progression as "Father" while mirroring the melody of "The River North" (Act I, 2006), "Father" begins with the melody from "Vital Vessels Vindicate" (Act II), and the central riff of "In Cauda Venenum" is essentially the main riff of "City Escape" (Act I) played backwards. That's impressive. And the progressive-pop-rock base that made me love TDH so much in the first place? It's still there, too: "Mustard Gas" is the most epic song of the year, the snare drum in "The Tank" rattles like the machine gun fire described in the song, "Go Get Your Gun" is as bubble-gum-sweet as "Smiling Swine" (Act II) if more adult, the outro of "The Poison Woman" has an incredible free-wheeling vocal line, "Saved" is a textbook-perfect harmonized ballad, and "In Cauda Venenum" may just be the finest song of the year. Again: that's impressive¹¹. And that's the thing about Act III: it's so subtle that, on first listen, you might not realize how truly great it is, but it's that subtle brilliance that begins to stand out over time, leaving no doubt in my mind as to which album was the finest that 2009 had to offer.

Key Tracks: "In Cauda Venenum", "The Tank", "Mustard Gas"

10. Act I was an eight-song EP and a third of Act II had been released (in some form) with the Dear Ms. Leading demos (2005).

11. This isn't even taking into account the bonus track "Untitled 1" from the Deluxe Edition of the album - an unparalleled summer-jam.



HONORABLE MENTION (in alphabetical order)

Absence by Paper Route Not as dark as their EPs, which is a shame, but there are still some rock solid programmed-pop songs on here. A dancier, darker Give Up (The Postal Service, 2003).

Brand New Eyes by Paramore A poor man's Bleed American (Jimmy Eat World, 2001), with "The Only Exception" even playing the "Hear You Me" part to (lesser-)perfection.

Common Existence by Thursday Their most imaginative work yet; hindered by atrocious production.

Cycles by Cartel It's not Chroma but it's a fun pop album.

Grammatics by Grammatics The breakdown in "Relentless Fours" is one of the finest of the year with a beautiful harmony, a "Stockholm Syndrome"-esque (from Muse's 2004 release Absolution) punch, and Daniel Johns'-esque (Silverchair) screaming/singing. A handful of other great songs ("Murderer" which could have fit in on Paper Route's incredible Are We All Forgotten EP [2008], "Inkjet Lakes", and "Polar Swelling" come to mind) made this a tough exemption from the list.

Mandala by RX Bandits It was tough for me to leave a Bandits album off of my list, but the hooks are ostensibly missing from this album which sounds more like a highly structured jam session (I don't love this album, but - my God - can these guys play instruments; they might be the most talented band alive).

Octahedron by The Mars Volta An acoustic Mars Volta album? Well, it works somehow. A nice reboot for Omar and Cedric.

You Can't Take It With You by As Tall As Lions The musicianship on this album (like Mandala) is incredible, but Dan Nigro's incredible voice isn't maximized and the melodies leave me wanting something more.



DISHONORABLE MENTION (in alphabetical order)

The Resistance by Muse A horrifically bland album by one of the more talented (live and in the studio) bands around; a group that, sadly, seems to be becoming more overwhelmed by expectations with each and every release.

Two Tongues by Two Tongues A seemingly brilliant combination of songwriters (Saves the Day's Chris Conley and Say Anything's Max Bemis) join forces to make...nothing worth remembering.

That's it for this year, folks. I'm sure you disagreed with me for most of this, so I'd love to hear what you've got to say and I'll see you next year to break down the best of 2010 (though I'm sure I'll have plenty to say before then).