LTR’s 5 Favorite New CDs of 2004
December 15th, 20045. Funeral, by The Arcade Fire
Ecstatic and eccentric pop that took a while to get through to me. But when it did, it wormed its way into my brain and did not leave!
4. More Adventurous, by Rilo Kiley
Infectious, guitar-driven pop anchored by the sweet, sweet voice of Jenny Lewis.
3. Here Comes Everyone, by Aloha
An idiosyncratic choice, and one I’d hesitate to recommend to most, as its mixture of progressive and indie rock can be challenging at times. But the songs are great, the lyrics are smart, and the musicianship is technically solid without sacrificing heart. Definitely the most underrated album of the year.
2. Strange Bird, by Augie March
Haunting, powerful and dynamic.
1. A ghost is born, by Wilco
I might be the only one in the world who thinks this is the best Wilco album so far. At any rate, it rewards with each listen, manages to be intriguing without being pretentious, even when it is designed to be difficult. Not to mention that Jeff Tweedy’s guitar playing and lyric writing are incredible, by any standard.
Honorable mentions:
Has Been, by William Shatner
The Dirty South, by The Drive-By Truckers
Good News For People Who Love Bad News, by Modest Mouse
(”What? No Fiery Furnaces? Joanna Newsom? American Music Club???” I’ll follow up with another post about my favorite CDs of the year that I haven’t actually heard. You’ll see what I mean.)
December 15th, 2004 at 4:44 pm
I haven’t heard any Aloha and what I’ve heard of Augie March just hasn’t done it for me. However, I can’t argue with the other three - they will all be on my top ten list or just outside.