In December, I thought a quick little project I could do would be to create a list of the best (by that I mean, the best I've had the pleasure of hearing) albums of the last 10 years. I figured this would easily be accomplished by early January, when you'd expect to see things like this. However, it's now late February, and I'm just now posting it. There's always another album to find, always a realization that I have to listen to this album or that one more time. But here it is--well, here's the first ten. This is my final list until next month when I realized I got it all wrong.
50. Gretchen Parlato, In a Dream 2009
A relatively new jazz singer, Gretchen Parlato has raised the bar of vocal jazz to a new level. Not content with typical 4/4 or even 3/4 song structures, she has played with numerous time signatures and vocal rhythms to make this a truly enchanting album.
49. St. Vincent, Marry Me 2007
I love the way her sweet voice is often pit against the harsher sound of her guitar. This is a great effort, and with a song title like "Jesus saves, I Spend," you just know it has to be good.
48. Kathleen Edwards, Asking for Flowers 2007
She writes with disarming honesty, there's a genuine sweetness to her voice and an edge to her songs, both musically and lyrically.
47. Don Byron, Ivey-Divey 2004
The clarinet is just not as popular today as it once was. I don't know why, but it seems to have fallen out of favor. Don Byron is probably the best clarinetist around today, and this is arguably likely his best album of the past decade, though Do the Boomerang will give it a run for its money. It's a little on the avant-guard side of Jazz, but very enjoyable.
46. Ray LaMongagne, 'Till the Sun Turns Black 2006
With this album, you may feel you've just heard what Joe Cocker and Van Morrison would sound like if you merged them into one person.
45. Missy Higgins, The Sound of White 2005
I'm not a huge fan of pop music, but Missy Higgins sings with honesty, integrity, and simplicity. As you might be able to tell from the title, this is a no-frills pop album by a great singer-songwriter.
44. Death Cab for Cutie, Transatlanticism 2003
This is their last album before they went on a big record label and adopted a more polished and produced sound. But I think their best sound was right here.
43. The Hold Steady, Boys and Girls in America 2006
Yet another group that channels Bruce Springsteen for nearly every song, they still have a great sound, and the guitar work on this album is pretty great.
42. Pete Yorn & Scarlett Johannson, Breakup 2009
This album has been overshadowed by She & Him, and since it was released after their album, it would be easy to conclude that this is another actress trying to cash in on Zooey Deschenel's success. But this album was actually recorded first and released later, and it's thoroughly enjoyable from beginning to end. Who would have thought that Johannson could sing like that?
41. Avishai Cohen Trio, Gently Disturbed 2008
Avishai Cohen is a master of rhythm. All of albums groove better than just about anything else you're going to hear, and this is no exception. Buy this, turn it up loud and watch your stuff fall off the walls.
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