Top 10 Albums of ’09

So every year I compile a list of my favourite albums that were released over the previous 12 months. As with every other year narrowing down the choices was not easy. I have to say that 2009 was a pretty good year for music. Several new albums from big artists like John Mayer and Alicia Keys were released along with some solid entries from lesser known groups.

10. 30 Seconds To Mars – This Is War

I have to admit I heard about 30 Seconds To Mars quite some time ago but never really got into their music. In passing I heard one of the songs on the internet and had to find out what I was listening to. The song turned out to be Kings and Queens which would be a single off their upcoming album and one of my new favourite songs.

9. Owl City – Ocean Eyes

Almost everybody and their grandmother has now heard of the new sensation that is known as Owl City. Every tuesday I check the iTunes Store to see what new albums have been released and one week noticed a CD cover that featured one of my favourite architectural buildings.The album, Ocean Eyes, was only a week old at the time and from a group I had never heard of, but after listening to about 20 seconds I knew I needed the CD.

8. Lights – The Listening

Lights is a young and upcoming artist from the GTA with a lot to offer to the world of music. The albums is filled with well written songs that are packed with good lyrics and catchy hooks. The backing synthpop music will most definitely get stuck in your head after a listen but it never seems to feel like a bad thing.

7. Paramore – Brand New Eyes

Who said that girls can’t rock? Whoever they were, they were simply wrong. Brand New Eyes features plenty of great songs that I think could be released as singles and succeeded on their own. What I think is really great about the album is the variety. The album moves between more energetic songs and laid back tunes which, when listening to the album end-to-end, creates the feeling that the music is rolling along like a wave.

6. Passion Pit – Manners

Most would call this an “unconventional” album. The vocals aren’t particularly strong or beautiful by any means, but the music behind them is just so damn catchy. The electronic rifts just grab the attention and force you to keep listening. As with any album some of the tracks stand out more than others but almost every track has some little melody that will make you want to listen to the entire song.

5. Jets Overhead – No Nations

My first introduction to this group was when their song “Heading for Nowhere” was featured as the iTunes Single of the Week. After this I heard a few more songs but didn’t really get into the group until more recently. Jets Overhead was touring around with Lights and so attending that concert was a no brainer. Let me just say, this group is phenomenal live. I also found out a friend of mine personally knew the group and I got to meet them backstage following the concert and what a great bunch of people they are.

4. Norah Jones – The Fall

When I heard that Norah Jones’ new album would stray away from her traditional sound I was a little worried, but I have to say the result is superb. The jazz roots are still very much present but the overall sound has more edge and is very unique. If have heard some of her older material and didn’t like the laid back feel, don’t allow that to prevent you from listening to The Fall.

3. Metric – Fantasies

I have to say, what a great year for Canadian music, four artists managed to make my top 10 list and man more were added to my music library over the course of the year. Metric has been around the Canadian Indie scene for a while but this was my first indulgence into one of the bands works. This CD was really the catalyst that drove me further into the both the Canadian indie scene and electronic music. While I wouldn’t categorize this album as electronic it blends in elements from that genre to create a catchy sound.

2. John Mayer – Battle Studies

Now I have to admit that this choice comes with a fairly large bias. John Mayer is one of my favourite artists of all time so it was almost a guarantee that I would love anything he put out. What I love about Mayer is that he is not afraid to reinvent himself. Every album he has released is an evolution of his previous material but at the core of it all his songwriting talents always shine through.

1. Dave Matthews Band – Big Whiskey & the GrooGrux King

It’s really hard to go wrong with Dave Matthews Band. The group has been putting out awesome music for years and 2009 was no different. Big Whiskey opens with a laid back instrumental piece that made me think I would be listening to a slower paced album. Let me tell you that is not the case. The very next track explodes into a fury of energy that drives the rest of the album forward.

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