Sterfish's Favorite Albums of 2009

Another year has ended which means it's time for my annual Favorite Albums list. These are the albums that never stayed too far away from my ears in 2009. Of the twelve albums on my list, three of them are debut albums, three of them are "sequels" to great hip-hop albums, two of them weren't heard by me until late in the year, and one is a mixtape.

The albums aren't ranked but instead are arranged alphabetically by artist.

Animal Collective – Merriweather Post Pavilion:  Animal Collective's music is an acquired taste but this album made it a little more palatable. This doesn't mean that their sound is suddenly conventional. That's not the case in the slightest. It just means that it's easier to enjoy the underlying sweetness beneath the upbeat “My Girls” or the unbridled joy that ends “Brother Sport.” Things still get a bit odd like the didgeridoo on “Lion in A Coma” or the way “Daily Routine” spends much of its running time threatening to drift away. There's no telling what direction this group will go on their next full-length but I'm pretty sure it won't be anywhere near boring.

Chester French – Love The Future:  The debut album by pop duo Chester French (aka D.A. Wallach & Max Drummey) is an overlooked gem. The duo condenses influences far and wide into an album that's inventive and ambitious. The production is more lush than you would expect and the music keeps you guessing. The country feel of “Beneath The Veil” is immediately followed by the bounce of “Neal,” which almost sounds like a lost track from The Love Below. “The Jimmy Choos” turns dark towards the end while “Sleep” gets really strange. The “Country Interlude” is, in reality, neither country nor a real interlude. I can't wait to hear what these guys do next.

Drake – So Far Gone Mixtape:   As someone who used to watch Degrassi: The Next Generation, I never imagined that the guy who played Jimmy Brooks would become 2009's hip-hop wunderkind. However, this mixtape erased any doubts and showcased Drake's boundless talent. While it's surprising that this originally free mixtape spawned two hit singles, what's more surprising to me is how self-assured it is. With its moody, enigmatic feel, it seems less like a mixtape and more like an album. Even when rapping over others' beats, they are from the likes of Peter Bjorn & John, Lykke Li, and Santigold. It makes sense that Drake is taking a long time to prepare his proper debut. This mixtape is a hard act to follow.

Article Author: Sterfish

From music to manga and television to comics, Sterfish enjoys it all. He's older than you think and younger than you expect.

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