Top 10 Albums of the 2000's

Yes, I adore music. Yes, I play music. Yes, my perspective on what the "10 Best Albums of the 2000's" is inescapably biased. I've attempted to take subjectivity out of the equation, but I can't guarantee this list is flawless.

10.) Almost Killed Me by The Hold Steady (2004): Curiously compelling and wholly unique, this record is pure energy incarnate. Expect bombastic percussion, gregarious bass-playing, a lead guitar crackling with electric vitality, and slipshod vocals spit viciously with gravel finality. It's awesome.




 
 
9.) Where the Light Is: John Mayer Live in Los Angeles by John Mayer (2008): Blues, folk, pop, and rock delivered with such ease and expertise as to render the eclecticism all but invisible, this is definitely the best live album of the last decade. Mayer's melodies (whether vocal or instrumental) dance about your ears, both toe-tapping frothiness and heart-blazing soul flourish. What a concert.

8.) Sea Change by Beck (2002): Never have purity of spirit and integrity of musical expression weaved together so harmoniously, so effortlessly. Here Beck has crafted a beautiful album, dripping with melancholia and aching with dejection. The arrangements (ranging from the verbose to the lonely), paired with haunting melodies and lamenting vocals, are captivating. You'll be enchanted with this simple, and lovely, expression of sorrow.

7.) Elephant Eyelash by WHY? (2005): Somehow by abandoning melody and embracing nebulous chord structures (with a dash of hip-hop), Elephant Eyelash manages to achieve the impossible - it communicates a totally original style without pretension or alienation. Allow yourself to get caught up in the inventive rhythms, the quirky instrumentation, and the unusual lyrics laced with imagery, and you won't be disappointed.

6.) Back to Black by Amy Winehouse (2006): By blending 21st century cynicism with traditional R&B songwriting, Winehouse gives listeners a spellbinding reinvention of Motown - complete with playful hooks, comfortable arrangements, and stunning genius. Other than our songstress's smoky vocals, which heat and cool in equal measure, the album's real success is its total lack of irony - the style is genuine, resonating with unpolluted sincerity - something we need more of in contemporary pop music.

5.) The College Dropout by Kanye West (2004): Without question or doubt, this is hip hop's best record of the 2000's. With lively flow (which, unexpectedly, is devoted to musicality instead of lyricism), engaging themes, grabbing beats, and incredible hooks, it's an extraordinary debut for West and a high note for fans of the genre.

4.) Stadium Arcadium by Red Hot Chili Peppers (2006): The individual records in this double album are named "Jupiter" and "Mars," and truly they each communicate worlds. Stadium Arcadium is a musical powerhouse that delivers everything from momentous rock to sing-song folk, from bottomless funk to trickling lullabies. Each member of the band performs at his musical zenith, and the chemistry they share together is kindred. The result is the best rock album of the decade, and perhaps one of the best ever recorded.

3.) Illinois by Sufjan Stevens (2005): This incredible concept album (which focuses on, you guessed it, the state of Illinois) has an unavoidable way of redefining musical sensibilities and shaping pop expectations for those curious enough to listen. Stevens entrances you with hypnotic stories and intricate arrangements, ones that lace softly atop each other with a naturalism unrivaled in the decade. Its lilting melodic flirtatiousness, coupled with a slick production, borders on the sublime. If you have no reservations about an album that dares to take chances, and then dares to commit to those chances, then look no further. 

2.) American IV: The Man Comes Around by Johnny Cash (2002): A perilously dusky examination of an old man's soul, this uncompromising collection of songs exposes the tragedy of a life near its end, and the latent horror of a realization thereof. Cash's craggy vocal performance will imprint itself on your heart, his sickly sweet arrangements will percolate in your brain. This is a stunning record, one of loss, love, and hopeful redemption.

1.) Classical Brubeck by Dave Brubeck and the London Symphony Orchestra (2003): In this, my pick for the best album of the last decade, we find jazz icon Dave Brubeck composing a transcendent collection of symphonies and recording them with the always-incomparable London Symphony Orchestra. This multifaceted compilation is marked by its rhythmic innovation, its melodic irony, and its overall breadth of musicality. You'll marvel at Brubeck's ability to construct chorales into kingdoms, and then realize you're only just scratching the surface. There's so much going on in these pieces - each one feels like a thriving ecosystem, teeming with life and possibility and wonder. It's hard to put into words how wonderful this album is, so I'll simply encourage you to give it a listen, and become enraptured.