2005: A Year in Review, Part One

I have returned from oblivion to bring you a special update. I couldn't let 2005 end without putting my own two cents in about the best (and worst) albums of the year. Now a lot has happened since I fell off the face of the Earth, and a lot of albums have been released. Obviously I haven't taken the liberty to write about some of them, so maybe a few of my selections will be surprising to you. Nevertheless, I have attempted to compile a list spanning the entire twelve months of 2005, not just the last few months, so do pardon if I dig deep into the archives to pull out some you may have forgotten.

Alright, enough introduction. On with the show.

Well, let’s start with the best of the worst, my low five, the bottom feeders.

5. Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
Okay, hate me, all of you, but I really did give this album a shot. It's on my least favourite albums list not because it's a horrible record. The band is not inherently awful, but I believe the album has a very significant failure. It wears on me. The first time I listened to it, I really thought it was an album I'd grow to adore. Quite surprisingly, the exact opposite happened. The more I listened to it, the more I became annoyed by it. I find that it is a rather disorganized compilation of songs with very little substance holding them together. There doesn't seem to be a common thread, and therefore it loses my attention completely. It becomes irritating to me, and recently I thought I'd give them another shot since it had been a very long time since I had listened, but I still just couldn't enjoy it. So, I don't make any apologies for this one even though it may offend a few of you. It's just my opinion, so yeah... stuff it. Hah!

4. Sleater-Kinney - The Woods
This is another one of those albums that I almost feel bad about putting on the least favourites list, but I simply have to. Once again, we have a band that isn't terrible. They are actually quite talented musicians and I really respect them for that. My problem with them and this album is the vocals. If I could take the vocal tracks completely off the album and just listen to the instrumentals, I could easily see this album topping my list. They are phenomenal instrumentalists, I just can't stand the girl's voice. I think it's a waste that they're covering up this amazing music with a voice that lacks so much, in my opinion. It's disappointing, but maybe they will get better with time. I have hope for them, but right now, it's just not where I would want it to be.

3. The White Stripes - Get Behind Me Satan
I’m simply going to say that I file this album under “what the heck were they thinking?!” I can’t even listen to it. It’s just bad. Very, very bad.

2. Weezer - Make Believe
As if it weren’t already painfully obvious, the days of Pinkerton and Blue are long over. The Green Album was okay, and yeah, Maladroit had its moments, but this... this is just a disgrace. I decided after only one listen that I would forget I ever heard it so as to keep the memory of when all things were better still alive. Seriously, how many seconds did it take them to come up with the words to “Beverly Hills”? The song is terrible, and sadly, it’s the perfect single because it is just so damn catchy. Heck, even I get it stuck in my head and sing it when I hear it on the radio and don’t feel compelled to change the station. I’m just going to forget this album came out. It’s as simple as that.

1. Death Cab for Cutie - Plans
Man, I am sorry to make Ben Gibbard a bottom feeder in this list, but I just have to do it. Any album that sounds like it was written entirely for the purpose of using in the background of episodes of The O.C. deserves to be at the bottom. Now I don't mean to take anything that Mr. Gibbard or his fellow bandmates have done personally, but I distinctly remember them assuring fans that they wouldn't change as a result of their new contract with Atlantic. I had high hopes, too, because they had yet to fail me. I was very let down by this album. Part of Death Cab's charm to me was that it... how do I put this? It was like they were raw and unrefined underneath, but covered smoothly and delicately by Ben's fantastic voice. Plans, while still graced by the croons of said Gibbard, is instead a thin, poppy album, obviously recorded in the most expensive of studios with the best of equipment. Congratulations to them for having had the opportunity to make it when many have failed, but Plans makes me wonder the loss integrity is the price to pay for fame and fortune.

Alright, I also didn't want to leave today's post without a positive note, so I'll also give the award for best album that transcended from 2004 to 2005...

The Arcade Fire - Funeral
So many albums come out these days that we often forget last year's favourite albums when this year's come along. This album defies this general rule, still making waves in spite of its age. It is still so fresh in our minds that I've seen some even listing it under the best albums of 2005. Although clerically an error, this may not be far from the truth. The album has still influenced music this year with the release of singles like "Rebellion (Lies)," and since the album is still a lot better than some of the other albums that came out this year, I could easily see the album being on lists two years in a row. To keep things orderly, however, I've chosen to keep them off the 2005 list and instead create a new award especially for them. So, congrats to them for not even having to come out with a new album this year because their last one was so good.

Tomorrow, I bring you my top however many I decide to put on my list. I haven't decided yet. We'll see what I come up with. Enjoy your Wednesday.