Aside from a couple of records released by veteran acts achieving late-career creative peaks, most of the best albums of 2005 were made by newer faces.
Many of these artists and bands released first, second or third albums last year, bringing freshness to the airwaves, bodies to the dance floor and real vitality to various strains of rock, pop, rap and soul.
8. Coldplay, “X & Y” (Capitol)
“X & Y” found Coldplay showing real progress in 2005. The album is anthemic and atmospheric in equal parts, recalling the early work of U2 and Echo & the Bunnymen.
1. Antony and the Johnsons, “I am a Bird Now” (Secretly Canadian)
New York-based cabaret singer Antony’s voice proved to be an acquired taste for some in 2005, but there is no mistaking the haunting beauty of “I am a Bird Now.” His choice in collaborators is top-notch as well — Devendra Banhart, Boy George, Rufus Wainwright and Lou Reed all put in guest performances.
2. Low, “The Great Destroyer” (Sub Pop)
Low turned up the volume considerably for their Sub Pop debut, moving beyond the hushed “slowcore” of albums past. Credit goes to producer Dave Fridmann (Flaming Lips, Mercury Rev) for bringing out the Duluth three-piece’s inner rock band.
3. Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings, “Naturally” (Daptone)
Soul siren Jones and her Dap-Kings tore it up in 2005. “Naturally” is deep funk in the tradition of the JBs, and guaranteed to get the party started.
4. The White Stripes, “Get Behind Me Satan” (V2)
Jack and Meg turned out one of the strangest and most compelling major-label releases of the year in “Get Behind Me Satan.” Bluesy rockers bump up against baroque experiments, giving the record eccentric charm to spare.
5. The City on Film, “In Formal Introduction” (Grand Theft Autumn)
Bob Nanna of Braid and Hey Mercedes fame launched his newest project, The City on Film, during the summer of 2005. The debut LP, “In Formal Introduction,” is a winning and often brooding rumination on life and love in the tradition of Jeff Buckley’s “Grace” and Billy Bragg’s “Back to Basics.”
6. Echo & the Bunnymen, “Siberia” (Cooking Vinyl)
“Siberia” is an especially strong addition to the Bunnymen’s already sturdy canon. Album highlights “In the Margins” and “Scissors in the Sand” bring to mind the sweeping beauty of the Bunnymen at their best, namely the brilliant early releases “Heaven Up Here” and “Ocean Rain.”
7. Amusement Parks on Fire, “Amusement Parks on Fire” (Filter)
Amusement Parks on Fire is a great name for a band. It conjures up images of carousel horses baking in extreme heat; a dozen candy colors melted together; children fleeing in terror. The music on the self-titled debut does the name proud — the perfect soundtrack to carnival nightmares.
9. The Mountain Goats, “The Sunset Tree” (4AD)
“The Sunset Tree” pairs John Darnielle’s quirky, autobiographical lyrics to tasteful arrangements for acoustic guitar, piano and strings, making it one of the finest pieces of indie pop produced in the last year.
10. The Judy Green, “Bird in the Teeth” (Screwtape)
Bird in the Teeth nimbly combines elements of acid folk, underground rock and the darker shades of Americana, making it one of the most auspicious debuts released in 2005.
11. Ester Drang, “Rocinate” (Jade Tree)
Taking aural cues from Brian Eno, Spiritualized and The Flaming Lips, the production on “Rocinate” (credited to Scott Solter) favors atmosphere above all else. Standout cuts like “Come Back Alive,” “Smoke and Air” and “White Lies” positively shimmer with jangly guitars, warm synth lines and the occasional horn or piano part.
12. The Ponys, “Celebration Castle” (In the Red)
The Ponys side-stepped the sophomore slump in 2005 by releasing their stunning second long player, a winning combination of NY punk, British post-punk and ’60s garage.
13. Depeche Mode, “Playing the Angel” (Sire)
With its analog synths and dark lyrics, “Playing the Angel” recalls some of Depeche Mode’s finest moments, namely 1986’s “Black Celebration” and 1990’s “Violator.”
14. Sigur Ros, “Takk…” (Geffen)
Another year brought another gorgeous, other-worldly offering from Iceland’s Sigur Ros. With its woozy atmospherics and lulling production, “Takk…” is the perfect soundtrack to the final moments before sleep comes down.
15. M.I.A., “Arular” (XL)
An exciting mash-up of garage, dancehall and tribal new wave (Bow Wow Wow, Grace Jones, Adam and the Ants), Arular was the dance floor champ in 2005.
16. Gorillaz, “Demon Days” (Virgin)
Damon Albarn & Co. turned in a striking effort in “Demon Days,” ruling the dance floor and airwaves with songs brimming with political unrest, personal crisis and millennial dread.
17. Sleater-Kinney, “The Woods” (Sub Pop)
A noisy, uneasy exploration of a country in crisis, “The Woods” found Sleater-Kinney in fiery form in 2005, more than earning all those Clash comparisons that rock journos are so fond of making.
18. Common, “Be” (Geffen)
“Be” found the former Chicago M.C. hooking up with Kanye West for an informed bit of crate-digging in 2005. 1970s soul informs most of the record, which recalls Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder and Bill Withers at their creative peaks.
19. Louis XIV, “The Best Little Secrets are Kept” (Atlantic)
San Diego’s Louis XIV brought the glam in 2005, playing T.Rex-style hard pop with a Stones-like swagger.
20. “The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou” original soundtrack (Hollywood)
Released at the tail-end of 2004, the soundtrack to Wes Anderson’s spirited “The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou” brilliantly assembles ’60s avant-pop (David Bowie, The Zombies, Scott Walker), proto-punk/new wave (Iggy & the Stooges, Devo) and Seu Jorge transforming some of the aforementioned Thin White Duke’s best songs into Portuguese lullabies.
Recommended Comments
There are no comments to display.