i've been inspired by my friend tim to reflect and offer my favorite albums of the decade. these aren't the best, the most poignant (although that does play a large part, what with my incessant need for idealistic reflection) or the critically acclaimed. these are albums that have meant more than the packaging and clever titles; they've become soundtracks to specific periods in my life, times when music was my best (and sometimes only) friend.
that being said, i'd like to present 7 albums from the 2000s, as opposed to the standard of 10, or in tim's case, 12. why 7? god's number. it's a nice round number, depending on your definition of round. what's wrong with a bit of kissing up to the divine?
david bazan 'fewer moving parts'
bazan moves me into the middle, a place between faith and doubt, of question and answer, of realizing my knowledge/experience of things isn't as clear as i'd like to think it is. his lyrical ability is compelling, witty and irreverent and on 'fewer moving aparts', he takes a crack at 5 tracks in acoustic/full band form, splitting the gap with a message of (un)knowingness. listening to "backwoods nation" for the first time was important in my political journey; the honesty and candor with which he speaks is something i took for my own personal narrative.
the cool kids 'the bake sale'
call it hipster-hop, call it a return to late '80s-early '90s hip-hop by a few dudes from chicago, call it whatever you want: 'the bake sale' was the sound of good times for me. the delivery slow, the verses cleverly arrogant, the fixation with pop culture, these tracks hit me...and hard.
delta spirit 'ode to sunshine'
absolutely brilliant debut lp. they have this ability to create finely composed tunes that are catchy yet musically experimental enough. lyrically, they deal with important issues without being too sentimental or preachy, something i appreciate with most bands failing at that. seeing them as soon as i got back from the UK was a brilliant welcome back party. it was even better because my best friends (and hillary duff! oMg!) were there to share in the experience. if you've never listened to "trashcan" full blast on the stereo and danced your heart out, you haven't lived.
bon iver 'for emma, forever ago'
justin vernon became my new favorite mountain man with this. completely epic and so minimalist. his falsetto makes me think i can sing and speaks to my soul. i can't imagine what seeing him live would be like. it reminds me of overcast, gray mornings, catching the bus to work in london and times spent reflecting on life in my room alone with a cup of french press.
justin vernon became my new favorite mountain man with this. completely epic and so minimalist. his falsetto makes me think i can sing and speaks to my soul. i can't imagine what seeing him live would be like. it reminds me of overcast, gray mornings, catching the bus to work in london and times spent reflecting on life in my room alone with a cup of french press.
the perishers 'let there be morning'
this is the most specific of the bunch. it takes me back to when relationships were in between, where the significant people in my life operated in a liminal space. while the tone and sound is positive on first listen, the album is lush with layers, sonically and lyrically. "weekends" and "pills" leave me speechless every time.
death cab for cutie 'plans'
possibly the most influential album i listened to in the last decade. i was given a previous effort 'the photo album' by a friend and thought it was pretty good. then i bought 'plans'. ben gibbard said so many things i didn't know how to and the band added excellent musicianship and creativity to create a perfect storm. the album has this almost cinematic quality to it, as if it's inviting you to come along and watch it unfold but also to participate in the story. it taught me to listen to music collectively; some of the best discussions i've had about music has been about 'plans'.
mewithoutYou "brother, sister"
equal parts spoken word delivery, equal parts experimental psychedelia with a penchant for minor chords, brother/sister was instrumental in highlighting the importance of analogy for me. it's ok to be wordy and mask a larger truth in a whimsical delivery and clever lyric. it reminds me of a time that my friends and i shared a brilliant summer and an unfortunate situation; we were brought together by the words, 'god is love and love is real'.
