I have recently been thinking to myself; 'Why can't I be Word magazine?' Well of course the answer to that would be; 'you're not cool enough, you don't listen to enough CDs, know enough obscure references or are made out of paper, silly child.'
But counting up how many albums released in 2005 I have bought, I figured I could amuse myself by compiling a top twenty albums of the year, and who can stop me? You? No, I don't think so. So here they are, from the bottom up.
20. Coldplay
X & Y - Too smug and overproduced but some incredibly catchy songs
19. The Tears
Here Come The Tears - It seemed like a good idea at the time but I wont be listening to this in 10 years time as I do Dog Man Star now
18. Magic Numbers
Magic Numbers - I should love this, but in the cold half-light of autumn it didn't follow up the summer's promise and now gives one the same sense of shame and weird itching as an ill-fated holiday romance
17. Editors
The Back Room - I sometimes judge albums by how much I listen to them after the initial euphoria of them entering my world. This hasn't been out of its case since August.
16. Bright Eyes
Digital Ash In A Digital Urn - I like this a lot more than other people I have spoken to, but it doesn't have the ongoing listenability of its sister album
15. Rufus Wainwright
Want Two - If this were its other half
Want One it would be Number 1, but this failed to live up to expectation and was too theatrical for its own good
14. Bright Eyes
I'm Wide Awake Its Morning - A fantastic opening song about a plane crashing into the Pacific is followed by bitter-sweet songs whose only crime is that they are not quite as good as the previous album
13. Hard Fi
Stars of CCTV - This album is nothng new and not intellectually gratifying but is great fun nonetheless
12. Doves
Some Cities - Again not as good as their wonderful previous work but solid and well crafted
11. British Sea Power
Open Season - A great 2nd album which showed they are here for the longterm
10. Mercury Rev
The Secret Migration - Beautiful concept album about nature in all her glory. Unfortunate that the single Secret for a Song, which is brilliant, was the best song on the album, meaning immediate disappointment
9. Gorillaz
Demon Days - Its playing now, it will be playing for years, an excellent return showing that they are much more than the sum of their parts
8. Martha Wainwright
Martha Wainwright - I may get over missing seeing her perform at some point, this album goes a good way to helping that. Much better than her more famous brother this year, this is everything folk should be.
7. Tom McRae
All Maps Welcome - His first album was hard to beat and although this doesn't suceed it is still a beautiful, majestic, mature piece of work which has been criminally overlooked this year
6. Bloc Party
Silent Alarm - Its hard to believe this was released in February it has such familiarity. If you want to jump around your house like an indie bafoon , you can't do much better than this.
5. Arcade Fire
Funeral - Everyone's album of the year but not quite mine, and thats only because of the quality of the albums above it than anything this kalidescopic masterpiece is lacking.
4. Elbow
Leaders of the Free World - After a dodgy second album they're back, and in what brilliant form. Just the right balance of power and beauty with Guy's wonderful voice tying it all together.
3. Richard Hawley
Coles Corner - My parents listened to this and thought they'd gone back in time which in this case is a good thing but at the same time incredibly contemporary - what the world was waiting for. Just close your eyes, let Hawley's black treacle voice envelop you and everyday is Christmas and the world is perfect.
2. Emiliana Torrini
Fishermans Woman - This should be at the top of all the best of lists but it was released in February and people have such short memories. Like Scandinavian fjords melting into the mediteranean sea, epic, wistful and unique.
1. Malcolm Middleton
Into the Woods - How you can use the words f**k and c**t in an album which still manages to be innocent and tender is beyond me but this pulls it off. Its superbly Scottish, dry, funny, angry and understated. This is 2005 for me.
And the Single of the Year is
Trains to Brazil by Guillemots. Sneaking in to 2005 by a mere three weeks, this song does what a good pre album single should do, which is make you vow to buy the album as soon as it is released even if you leave a trail of the dead in your wake. Its a huge song, backed up by a 40 piece orchestra, it makes you glad to be alive just because you can listen to this song.
Of course this chart could be different because it is made up of the albums I have bought this year but is quite a representative piece of 2005 in my opinion. However, I'm sure that if I had the means to buy them, albums by these artists would feature : Ben Folds, Neil Young, Rilo Kiley, Duke Spirit, Eels, Sigur Ros, Boards of Canada & Turin Brakes. This is of course my wish list, should anyone want to know!
