It’s always odd to revisit what you’ve reviewed over the course of a year. Sometimes, much can change – as after subsequent listenings, you realize that record you thought was pretty decent just blows (see The Killers’ Sam’s Town) or you come to love an album that you’d previously dismissed as mediocre (see “Into the Wild” soundtrack). The true test of a “best release of the year” is its stability, so I’ve tried to pick “long-haul” contenders—albums I’ll go to for months (or even years) to come, with no requirement for a set amount of finalists. Here’s what made the cut...
TOP ALBUMS:
- LCD Soundsystem: Sound of Silver (this one sits significantly higher than the rest)
- Interpol: Our Love to Admire
- The Shins: Wincing the Night Away
- Eddie Vedder: "Into the Wild" soundtrack
- Minus the Bear: Planet of Ice
- Aqueduct: Or Give Me Death
And, topping the list of what sadly wasn’t as good as I expected:
Modest Mouse: We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank
I’ll leave it at that. I can hardly fathom how disappointed I was by that output (mixing the quirky fire of Modest Mouse with legendary jangler Johnny Marr? How did it fall so flat?).
TOP NORTHWEST ALBUMS:
Not that NW artists don't count in overall, national polls! I just felt like making a separate list. To wit:
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Imaginary Mixtape: Shuffle Surprise!
Imaginary exclusive! More Than Shapes, starring John Roderick of the Long Winters
Imaginary Mixtape: Shuffle Surprise!
For the (whole) love of Wilco
For the (whole) love of Wilco
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Imaginary exclusive! More Than Shapes, starring John Roderick of the Long Winters
For the (whole) love of Wilco
Imaginary exclusive! More Than Shapes, starring John Roderick of the Long Winters
Imaginary exclusive! More Than Shapes, starring John Roderick of the Long Winters