transmission no language, just sound

25?

2005 End of Year Round-up (pt 2)

My top 25 albums of 2005 (in descending order)

Funeral - Arcade Fire
One of the most uplifting, life-affirming records I've ever heard. Every
track is great. This will be considered an all time classic in 10 years
time.

The Great Destroyer - Low
Louder than ever, but still beyond gorgeous. Lots of classic songs.

I Am A Bird Now - Antony & The Johnsons
Bizarre theme for an album to be about, but it is unflinching in it's
emotional honesty and intensity. Antony boasts an unique voiice that
works perfectly in his context. The Boy George duet is just exquisite.

Gimme Fiction - Spoon
Fantastic alternative rock with the most unusual and inventive guitar
work I've heard in a long time.

Into The Woods - Malcolm Middleton
Bleakly witty, full of self-deprecation. God knows why he still bothers
with Arab Strap - his solo stuff is leagues better.

On My Way To Absence - Damien Jurado
So many great songs. A beautifully sustained mood.

The Repulsion Box - Sons & Daughters
Percussive, driven, almost hypnotic. From somewhere altogether different.

Leaders Of The Free World - Elbow
Incredibly strong album, remarkable mood. You just have to forget that
the songs are about Edith Bowman.

Black Sheep Boy - Okkervil River
Achingly beautiful acoustic music with a couple of less wonderful full
band efforts

Picaresque - The Decemberists
More epic story telling, more mad instrumentation. A really good album.
I have to admit I like Her Majesty more.

In Pursuit Of Your Happiness - Mark Mulcahy
Overlong, too much going on, but when he hits it, by god it's brilliant.

Tiny Cities - Sun Kil Moon
Covers of Modest Mouse songs by Mark Kozelek. Works amazingly well.

The Back Room - Editors
Strong songs, hugely influenced by Joy Division. Just a bit too
unoriginal to be great, but still great stuff.

Alligator - The National
Catchy intelligent American left-field rock. Several really great songs
- a few very 'meh' ones.

Cripple Crow - Devendra Banhart
Half brilliant half annoying. The strong songs are just fantastic,
filled to the brim with humour and great melodies. The annoying stuff is
just too whimsical for it's own good. God knows what he could produce if
he ever gets it just right.

Pocket Revolution - Deus
Brilliant come back by the Belgians.

Veneer - Jose Gonzalez
Warm acoustic music, kind of reminiscent of a less depressed Mark
Kozelek. Quite beautiful in places. Only discovered this in the last
week of the year - I reckon it could have made the top ten if I'd had
longer with it.

Man-Made - Teenage Fanclub
Another great album by one of my all time favourite bands. Nothing new
here, just strong song-writing and brilliant hooks.

A Certain Trigger - Maximo Park
I'd made a valiant effort to ignore this band altogether this year,
reckoning that they were just another early 80's post punk rip off
thing. Then the earworm that is 'Apply Some Pressure' caught hold of me.

The Witching Hour - Ladytron
Some really great dance/rock crossover stuff. Pity it can't keep it up
over the whole album

Black Mountain - Black Mountain
An odd take on early 70's rock. The epics are the best thing about the album

Discover A Lovelier You - Pernice Brothers
Lovely smart pop. Great songs. Just not as good as the last full album.

Silent Alarm - Bloc Party
I like three songs on this one, and I like them a lot. I feel like I'm
missing something on the others. Maybe one day it will all fit together.

The Sunset Tree - Mountain Goats

Song cycle about Darnielle's youth. More polished musically than ever
before. For some reason it's both too slick and too personal for me to
fall in love with it.

Noah's Ark - CocoRosie
Quirky as fuck, sometimes beautiful. I waver between thinking it's
genius and that it's bollocks.