Top 5 Albums of 2009 : Music News

As the end of 2009 approaches, it’s time to reflect on some of the most important things that have happened throughout.

Firstly, people didn’t bore us with incessant whinging about the release date of Guns & Roses Chinese Democracy. Secondly, we now have irrefutable evidence that Britney Spears has about as much vocal and aerobic capacity as a bag of jaffle irons. And most importantly we were once again shown, that despite all the crap that pollutes the airwaves and gains far too much media attention, that there is good music out there being made by artists who deserve to be making it.

As such, now appears to be as good a time as any to wind back the clock eleven-and-a-half months ago and recount the top five albums that have prompted us to utter the phrase ‘This is definately one of my favourite album of the year!’

In no particular order, here are the albums I, Chris Wood on behalf of the WEB WOMBAT | MUSIC team, believe to be most deserving of the ‘Top 5 Albums’ trophy at this particular point in time…

1. Ben Kweller : Changing Horses

Fantastic 4th album from the pocket-sized Texan with the Yankee drawl. He copped a bit of criticism for his apparent change  in direction to the cool alt-country sound, but in my opinion he  appears to have found his sound after finally embracing his country roots. Highlights here are the quirky antics of Sawdust Man, the honest Wantin’ Her Again, and the beautiful Hurtin’ You.

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2. The Dead Weather : Horehound

The Dead Weather signalled the coming together of Jack White (The White Stripes, The Racontuers/Sabotuers) and Alison Mosshart (The Kills). There was much to hype about this supergroup, which also included Queens of The Stoneage’s Dean Ferita and White’s old friend Jack Lawrence. Yes, the stars had aligned, and The Dead Weather did not disappoint, with their debut Horehound showing us that Jack White is capable of sitting in the shadows and contributing to what is a dark and brooding album of fierce guitar riffs and haunting broken vocals. There are not so many individual standouts because the album works so well as a whole, but Hang You From The Heavens is certainly a powerfull song, while 3 Bones is an all encompassing raw instrumental that really has you wondering where they are heading to musically.

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3. Wolf & Cub : Science & Sorcery

This progressive and psychedelic Adelaide band’s second release promised so much based on their first album Vessels, and it delivered. From the opening of the freakishly catchy Seven Sevens to the excellent high-end riffage of Loose as a Goose, there are wonderful  moments in between of low-tempoed prowling that show us that Wolf & Cub have refined the art of making a cohesive album. Look out for them in this column next year!

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4. Girls : Album

There has been somewhat of a ’sneak-up’ element to San Fransisco’s Girls (you can read our review of the album here) inception into the Australian audience. The duo made up of Christopher Owens and JR White came together after years of indulgence and exploration, which only makes this album all the more interesting. Considered to be their punk interpretation of DIY pop, Album is made of a fine collection of rough pop songs that are immediately likeable, and only become more appealing. It has Beach Boy’s inspired Big Bad Mean Motherfucker, the lo-fi gem God Damned, and arguably the best song of the year Hellhole Ratrace.

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5. Pete Doherty : Grace/Wastelands

Pete Doherty’s first official LP of solo material was exactly what we thought it would be – an absolute masterpiece. As objective as I can be when discussing anything Pete Doherty related, Grace/Wastelands oozes with same charm and brilliant songwriting we have come to expect from him. From the quaint Arcady to the impressive A Little Death Around The Eyes, Grace Wastelands puts Doherty as a permanent fixture in the greatest songwriters of all time column. Nothing more needs to be said, really.

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In the spirit of telling other people what you think for the benefit of the wider community, or if you just want to criticize my selections for 2009’s top five albums, please feel free to comment bellow and/or tell us what your top 5 albums of the year were.