Round Up 2009 : Top 5 Albums

A quick overview of the albums that made my year. Obviously, this list isn't exhaustive, and will probably change over time. But I'm just going to stick to now. Otherwise, I'm just thinking too much, no?

5. Little Boots - Hands
To be honest, I'm surprised that Little Boots' album Hands wasn't the success I expected. It's catchy, melodic pop, yet it wasn't catchy enough to catch on. Little Boots' vocals blend seamlessly with the synths, and, for pop, the lyrics aren't overly soppy or risque (though, admittedly, a few songs are). Regardless of it's lack of commercial success, Hands is still a fairly solid album, one that Victoria Hesketh should be proud of.

Little Boots - Remedy

4. Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
Ahh, Phoenix. Your songs have been misquoted by people all over the globe, and you should be proud of it. The key? Being wonderfully simple. In a time where Frenchmen are using more and more electronic trickery, and making their music increasingly more complex and layered, Phoenix said no. And for this, their music stands out. Phoenix is one of the few bands that have managed to be accessible to the populace, yet simultaneously retain their indie-cred, which is no mean feat.

Phoenix - Lisztomania

3. DatA - Skywriter
From the velvety vocals of Sebastien Grainger, and the impeccable smoothness of DatA's production, comes Skywriter. The album has the ability to make you stare up at the sky in wonder, or turn your eyes to the dancefloor. Every track is amazingly polished, and one has to wonder whether or not DatA has stolen his crafting skills from the Greek god Hephaestus (probably not).

DatA - Skywriter

2. Passion Pit - Manners
If there's one album here that can make me smile, it's Manners. Seemingly created exclusively for summer, it's wonderfully charming and youthful, thanks to the heavy use of children for backing vocals. Definitely one for summer.

Passion Pit - Folds In Your Hands

1. Shadow Dancer - Golden Traxe
Golden Traxe is your number one album? You better believe it. Sounding like it's been taken straight from a live mix, Golden Traxe is intricately detailed in a way that other artists could only dream of replicating. From the wide range of electronic music genres it takes influence from, to the incredibly consistent and varied synthwork and distortion going on, and the abundant number of microsamples and glitches, it's clear that Shadow Dancer knows their stuff, and, more importantly, how to pull it off. Top stuff. Top album.

Shadow Dancer - Soap