Favorite Music of 2009.

I liked a lot of music this year. This really isn't different from most years, except for a lot of the music I fell in love with wasn't new - I am just not on the cutting edge like I used to be. As far as new albums go, here are my favorites of the year.

10) Neko Case - Middle Cyclone. In terms of the lyrics, they are average for Case - good, witty, metaphorical. But what carries this album more than before is her voice, a fantastic instrument that can fill a room without being overwhelming. Only downside: that 30+ minute recording of frogs.
(Songs to check out: The Pharaohs, People Got A Lotta Nerve)

9) The Swell Season - Strict Joy. The world may have moved on to other dreamy musical stories (Susan Boyle), but the surprise musical duo from 2007's 'Once' movie came back with a great album. The Frames' frontman Glen Hansard delivers his usual gritty and passionate vocals, but it's the few selections carried by the second fiddle, Marketa Irglova, that really shine.
(Songs to check out: The Verb, I Have Loved You Wrong)

8) Andrew Bird - Noble Beast. Sometimes I can look at a cover of an album and know I will like it (see #4). Folk singer and violin virtuoso Andrew Bird is back with yet another album, where he waxes poetically and whistles his way through delightful songs that will have you tapping your feet and wishing that you could whistle.
(Songs to check out: Natural Disaster, Tenuousness)

7) Zero 7 - Yeah Ghost. With their lead singers seemingly going through a revolving door, Zero 7 shakes it up a little bit and delivers a pop-centered record that's a huge leap forward from the neutral 'Garden' CD. New singer Eska Mtungwazi brings a soulful touch to Zero 7 that they've never had before.
(Songs to check out: The Road, Sleeper)

6) Maxwell - BLACKsummers'night. It only took him eight years, but Maxwell returns with a soulful album that far outshines the offerings from his R&B contemporaries R. Kelly and Chris Brown. Like always, Maxwell's voice complements fantastic instrumentation, making for quite an enjoyable listen. Hopefully we won't need to wait another eight years.
(Songs to check out: Fistful of Tears, Bad Habits)

5) Alicia Keys - The Element of Freedom. Oh, Alicia Keys. To say that this album is disappointing is inaccurate. But 'Freedom' doesn't come close to showcasing Keys' raw talent, something her past CD's were progressing towards. That being said, even when she's not at her best, she still blows her competition out of the water. Keys has shifted from 70's motown and soul to an 80's synth-pop, meaning she sounds less like Aretha and more like Prince. We'll take it.
(Songs to check out: Try Sleeping With A Broken Heart, This Bed, Love is Blind)

4) The Flaming Lips - Embryonic. Psychedelic rock never sounded so fresh. I'm not terribly familiar with their past efforts, but Embryonic certainly dazzles and emotes unlike anything I have heard this year. Plus, collaborations with MGMT and Karen O can only make things better.
(Songs to check out: Gemini Syringes, Evil, Aquarius Sabotage)

3) Norah Jones - The Fall. We all loved when she crooned Hoagy Carmichael and Tom Waits songs, and we liked her added lyrics to the previously-instrumental Duke Ellington songs. But you have to wonder how long Norah Jones was going to stay behind the piano, doing generally the same, albeit delightful, thing. Her new album isn't so much a departure as it is a logical, progressive step in a great direction. Jones plays Wurlitzer, she plays guitar. Jones recruited indie staples Ryan Adams and Okkervil River and neo-soul keyboardist James Poyser to contribute to a fresh new sound for such a talented musician.
(Songs to check out: It's Gonna Be, Chasing Pirates, You've Ruined Me)

2) Regina Spektor - Far. Some say she sold out, but true fans will quickly point out the dolphin barks, the meat market, the song about a lost wallet, the scenario of God at a cocktail party. Spektor is still very much in control of her crystal clear voice, which bellows and soars in all the right spots. Spektor's music is still quirky and original, but has a new accessibility assisted by a full band, synthesizers and producers from all over the musical spectrum. Plus, Regina truly is at her best when she's performing, and her live adaptations of these songs are a treat.
(Songs to check out: Dance Anthem of the 80's, Two Birds, Genius Next Door, Laughing With, Blue Lips)

1) Brandi Carlile - Give Up The Ghost. I've never heard an incredible song where the singers' voice cracks twice, which only improve the song. Such is 'The Story' from Brandi Carlile, an almost-country, almost-indie guitar rocker, who followed up last year's breakthrough album with 'Give Up The Ghost'. Carlile sings with such emotion and conviction that the sometimes-chiche lyrics are drowned out by the feeling that seeps through the stereo speakers. Carlile is one of the only musicians who can invest equal emotion in an upbeat rocker as she can in an acoustic song about a friend who committed suicide. Plus, she duets with Elton John. There truly are no weak points on this album, its only downside being that it only has 11 songs. Carlile's just making a good thing better.
(Songs to check out: Pride and Joy, Looking Out, Last Year, Before it Breaks, Caroline)