Various Artists: Dark Was the Night - Far and away the best album of 2009 right now, this compilation has the luxury of having a whole buncha talented musicians contributing both originals and covers. It's another stellar release from the Red Hot Organization which has put out a number of albums recruiting contemporary musicians to support their non-profit foundation for HIV/AIDS awareness such as Red Hot and Rio, and Red Hot & Riot, the former centering on songs from Brazil, while the latter a Fela Kuti tribute (who died of AIDS). In this one, they bring in artists from the world of "Indie" rock and the lineup is eye-popping; Yo La Tengo, New Pornographers, Spoon, Feist, Ben Gibbard (Death Cab for Cutie), The Decemberists, Sufjan Stevens, Iron & Wine, My Morning Jacket, Arcade Fire and on and on. The lineup is jaw-dropping but expectations are high. Some of the performances are pedestrian, such as Arcade Fire's lackluster contribution or My Morning Jacket's charming, but uninspiring Tex-mex waltz. But there are some stunners. David Byrne teams up Brooklyn-based band Dirty Projectors on the lead-off track and it is marvelous. Other gems include the haunting "Deep Blue Sea" by Grizzly Bear, Stuart Murdoch (Belle & Sebastian)'s take on an old Scottish folk melody "Another Saturday" and Sufjan Stevens' 10-minute sonic experiment. This 2-cd set has so much good stuff on it that it far surpasses anything else that's been put out in awhile. It's gonna take something special to supplant this one at the top of the list for 2009.
The Decemberists:The Hazards of Love - A 17-track concept album about Margaret and her fantastical romantic adventures using hard rock elements interspersed with chamber orchestra, and acoustic folk. This is pretty ambitious stuff but it actually works, as the more bombastic musical elements serve to emphasize and dramatize the story. It has depth and beauty. Also, the contributions of Shara Worden (My Brightest Diamond) and Becky Stark cannot be understated. Shara Worden especially adds otherworldly vocals to give voice to the female character in the story. Colin Meloy is showing us something special here.
M. Ward: Hold Time - Although his style does not evolve much, it still satisfies. He maintains the old-timey sound that he is well-known for and his raspy, understated voice. This is good stuff to put on and just mellow out to. His musicianship and songwriting skills are top-notch and one of a kind.
Animal Collective: Merriweather Post Pavilion - This one has garnered rave reviews and is the critic's darling so far in '09 for their special brand of harmonic weirdness and off-kilter rhythms and progressions. While I can understand the critics' enthusiasm, this is a sound that is completely unique and innovative, for the life of me I just can't get into it. It is so quirky, and so out there that I can't find the groove. As they take the "Pet Sounds" experimentation further and further out, I am left further and further away. Definitely not for everyone.
Gomez: A New Tide - Gomez continue their migration into more straight-ahead radio-friendly rock in their latest release A New Tide. Longtime Gomez fans will be disappointed, but this is still a very good album in my view. If they are making a calculated move into the mainstream, then the mainstream is all the better for it.
Loney, Dear: Dear John - Loney, Dear is Swedish songwriter Emil Svanängen whose self-made demo recordings were discovered in 2006 by record label Sub Pop. Dear John is his second release on the label and like the debut it is pretty all Svanängen playing the instruments and producing. Having an Indie Pop sound reminiscent of Belle and Sebastian, with the addition of some electronic elements, the album has some great moments. Worth checking out.
U2: No Line on the Horizon - The latest release from the boys from Dublin hearkens back to an earlier, rawer sound. While satisfying on a surface level, with the exception of one song ("Get On Your Boots"), the regression is just that, a step backward. This is run-of-the-mill U2.
Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs: It's Blitz! - The latest release from New York band Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs takes the sound even further away from their garage rock roots. Using synth and electronic drums they have a much more poppy sound, but still maintain an edge. This is not an easy trick but they do an impressive job at pulling it off. If 80s New Wave really was related to Punk than this is what it should've sounded like.
Various Artists: War Child - This one looks pretty good on paper. Legendary songwriters choose a song and a band to perform it. Bob Dylan selects Beck, Bruce Springsteen picks The Hold Steady, David Bowie selects TV on the Radio, you'd think this was gonna be good huh? It's not. Most of the performances are drab at best. I think the problem here is the typical cover song dilemma. When a band covers a song it is ultimately going to compare it to the original. When you have originals as good as this, how can you improve it? Why would you try? There are some successes. Lily Allen's take on "Straight to Hell" (The Clash) is epic. But then she cheated (original Clash guitarist/vocalist Mick Jones was involved in the recording). Adam Cohen does a wonderful take on his dad's (Leonard Cohen) song "Take This Waltz [Tomar Este Waltz]". But the rest is mostly ho-hum and some is almost unlistenable.
