Beck - Guero - Touted as Beck's return to his more funk-rockin' roots, this album plays less like Midnite Vultures and it's take on hip-hop and funk with funny lyrics, and more like Sea Change with dance music. Is Beck still a sad sack? Listen to "Girl," "Missing" and "Broken Drum" and you tell me. Still, from the "na na na" of the fist-pumping "E-Pro" to the "na na na" of the laid back bluesy hand-clapper "Go it Alone," Beck has produced another fine album worthy of praise. Recommended track: "E-Pro"
The New Pornographers - Twin Cinema - The words "great album" and "The New Pornographers" have appeared in sentences together ever since these Canucks dropped Mass Romantic on us some years ago. So, it was no surprise that this album was good. The surprise was just how good it was. Despite burning the candle at both ends with a multitude of solo releases between it's members, the Pornographers were able to pull off their best album yet and the best album of the year. Does their genius know any bounds? From where I'm sitting the answer looks to be no. If you check out only one album on this list, make it this one. Recommended track: "Use It"
The 5 most Over-rated/Underwhelming Records of 2005 (in no particular order)
Weezer - Make Believe - Fans hoped, wanted and demanded another Pinkerton. What they got was, well...it wasn't good. While this did sport some decent tracks, it's hard to listen to "My Best Friend" and honestly believe these are the same people who recorded "Tired of Sex." And while Weezer did want to return to that sort of depth with their songs, they were unwilling to mine those depths to get there. Result? Underwhelming.
Bloc Party - Silent Alarm - New-wave revivalism has been going on for far too long now. However, that just doesn't stop some people from heaping praise on a band, be it Hot Hot Heat, The Killers or Bloc Party for finally being "the ones" to revive the scene. Bloc Party were the darlings this year and Silent Alarm drew praise from all corners. Listening to it, I have one question: why? Result? Over-rated.
Death Cab for Cutie - Plans - Growing up is hard to do. Bands mature either naturally as the song writing becomes more precise and composed or through self-imposed moratoriums to sound more mature. I'm thinking Death Cab tried the latter. Gone is the joy and energy of pure pop goodness like "The Sound of Settling" from Transatlanticism, replaced instead with a clunky piano and a record that's as dead as mid-winter. Result? Underwhelming.
Article comments
1 - DJRadiohead
I agree with you on Beck and Coldplay. The Beck album is fabulous and will easily be near the top of my list (to be podcast and written early next year).
The Coldplay... very disappointing. And I say this as someone considering himself a Coldplay fan. I wanted this to be THE album. It's not. It is well behind either of their first two albums.
2 - GoHah
especially agreed that New Pornographers is up there (I reserve top spot for America's Sweetheart, Fiona "Go With Yourself" Apple). And this is the clincher for Sufjan Stevens--haven't heard it, but it's shown up on so many best-of I'll need to succumb to some extent.
And Coldplay? I'm convinced that the reason such a piss-poor band like this has been so embraced is somehow linked to Gwyneth, the anti-Sweetheart of America, sour Apple and all. You have no powers here, Gwyn!
3 - Scott
I just realized that there's 8 records on my "best of" list and 5 on the "over-rated" list. Kinda sad in a way. I guess I should have also said that there were a few honorable mentions that are good records but simply didn't make the "best of" list. The Clientele, Low and The Magic Numbers all made pretty solid records.
4 - Darren
Ditto on the Weezer debacle. I've never listened to a record that made me cringe quite so much as "My Best Friend". Painfully embarrassing. Makes the Green Album look pretty good; which in hindsight, it actually is. Think you've heard the riff from Coldplay's second single "Talk" before? You have - in numerous Big Country songs. Why such the big whoop about this band??? They're OK, but there's a lot better out there.
Anyone like the new Depeche Mode album? All I've heard is the first single, "Precious", and I like it - atmospheric and hooky, along the lines of "Policy of Truth" from Violator. worth a shot, it gets good critical reviews. I actually heard this on --- get this --- the radio! Remember that thing? Little box -- dial -- used to be worth listening to?
I'm going to listen to the rest of the stuff on this list, as I'm painfully out of touch at nearly 40. I would like to be proven wrong, that all the best music has already been recorded.