My Top 20 Albums of 2005
Yes, another ‘Top blah blah‘ list with short(ish) reviews… hopefully this one is useful! Here we go, my top 20 releases of 2005:
- Surfjan Stevens Illinoise
The popular choice among critics and for once they are right. This album surprised me! Very good. - Bloc Party Silent Alarm
Solely because I listened to this album like 100 times straight when it came out. Eagerly waiting album #2. - The New Pornographers Twin Cinema
Probably one of the catchiest bands you’ll ever here. They pull out another masterpiece here. - Sleater-Kinney The Woods
Moved to Sub Pop from Kill Rock Stars, but they kept everything that made them good and improved on it. One of their best efforts, no doubt. - Common Be
One of my favorite hip hop albums of all time. Don’t listen to hip hop much, but when I do it’s because of albums like this one. - Ryan Adams Cold Roses
Mr. Adams is back! Loved Heartbreaker, but not so much with his other solo releases. He’s back and back strong! - Bright Eyes I’m Wide Awake, It’s Morning
Bright Eyes is hit or miss with me, but this alt-countryish version went down smooth. - Stephen Malkmus Face the Truth
Malkmus is back to his wacky self ala Pavement after a more subdued effort on Pig Lib. - Beck Guero
Beck is another hit or miss with me, but this album is great and one of my favorite major label albums of the year. - Thrice Vheissu
See my review here. - Coldplay X&Y
Not as good as their previous albums, but a very strong effort. - The Magic Numbers s/t
Totally surprised by their live set (saw them with Bright Eyes), but the album doesn’t come close to matching their live sound. Still a good album and set of songs, though. - Death Cab for Cutie Plans
Kind of disappointed at first, but it grew on me. A much more mature Death Cab, but still great songwriting. - Idlewild Warnings/Promises
Another disappointment at first, but after a few listens it grew on me. One of my favorite bands, so the expectations were very high. Another awesome live band. - Nada Surf The Weight is a Gift
The once one-hit wonders come back with a surprise hit on Death Cab’s old indie label. Very nice! - Elbow Leaders of the Free World
Many reviews point to Radiohead and Coldplay, but Elbow does their own thing with much success. - The Mars Volta Frances the Mute
A difficult listen at first, but the more you listen to it, the more you pick up in the music. Complex, interesting music, if nothing else. - Minus the Bear Menos El Oso
Seattle rockers hit the streets with their first full-length album. Not quite as good as the best songs from their EPs, but still a solid release. - Ryan Adams Jacksonville City Nights
Yes, Ryan Adams. Release #2 of 2005. And yes, two good releases in a row! Wait, there’s more… - Ryan Adams 29
You got it. Release #3 from Mr. Adams. All three good! Wow. 29 harkens back to Heartbreaker, which is a good thing for me!
