Favorite Albums of 2009 (Part 2)

Links to preview these wonderful albums are in the comments section.

(15) Mirah - (a)spera

(14) Future of the Left - Travels With Myself and Another(13) Fanfarlo - Reservoir

(12) The Appleseed Cast - Sagarmatha

(11) The Cribs - Ignore the Ignorant

Mirah’s album seems to have been received negatively by many fans, but I don’t think it is much of a departure from her best previous work. It’s poetic, folky, singer/songwriter music, which is very intelligent and features pleasant vocals and some gorgeous acoustic guitar playing and background sounds. (a)spera is an album for times of relaxation, when you can sit back and fully take the words and sounds in. Future of the Left’s second album, Travels With Myself and Another, picks up where their debut left off. The album is dominated by loud, distorted guitars and bass. The vocals are howled, but not in an obnoxious way. The result is an intense sounding record, with very good songwriting, and a sense of humor. The single, “The Hope That House Built” is one of my favorite songs to come out this year. Their live show is fantastic. Fanfarlo’s debut album is one of the most intelligent pop albums I’ve heard this year. They seem to have a very good sense of what works for them and what doesn’t. Note a single note sounds out of place on the album. It sounds very well developed, with strings in all the right places and every element works together to create something that sounds very professional and well crafted. Additionally, the vocals have a great deal of emotional depth to them. The Appleseed Cast’s album, Sagarmatha, is primarily instrumental. It features some beautiful guitar melodies, and is a welcome change from their previous rock-oriented sound. The songs that actually do have vocals have the same feel as their instrumental counterparts because the vocals are nondescript and very breathy, so they easily fade into the background. Ultimately, you’ll hear the guitars and that’s what will keep your attention, which is good, because they’re the highlight of the album. The Cribs’s fourth album, Ignore the Ignorant, is their first since Johnny Marr (The Smiths) joined the band. Their brand of indie rock is high energy, intelligently written, and catchy as hell. This album has a different feel to it than their past ones, due to Marr, who brings a shiny guitar tone to the trio’s energetic pop/rock.