Noteworthy Albums of 2009
Franz Ferdinand – Tonight
This album is going to be contagious. Everyone will be dancing to the first track, “Ulysses,” by summer. “Lucid Dreams” dips into a distorted electro bomb for the last third of the song, ending with a pulsing bass line to lure you back into reality. “Katherine Kiss Me” is acoustic goodness. “What She Came For” and “Twighlight Omens” are buzz-worthy too. But really it’s just the whole damn album. Oh Franz, how I’ve missed you so.
Andrew Bird – Noble Beast
New ground for Andrew, but it still feels familiar. So much is going on yet it never feels overwhelming. “Not a Robot, But a Ghost” has a such a mechanical feel to it, with enough strings to make it lift off the ground. It’s the best song on the album if you ask me, and I can’t stop listening to it. “Anonanimal” is another note-worthy track – it’s beautiful. And halfway thru the song breaks in half and violins sweep the song to a new level. This album will help you get thru the rest of the winter.
Animal Collective – Merriweather Post Pavilion
What can I say. Animal Collective gave us their own version of a stimulus package. This album is unbelievably good. Yes, I’m jumping on that train. But it’s undeniable. It’s just awesome to get something this good so early in the year. So thanks AC! “My Girls” is as big as Jupiter, “Brothersport” is a rocket ship and “Lion in a Coma” is a Saturday morning cartoon. This album makes me feel like being a kid.