PROGRESS: Winter ·
Spring ·
Summer ·
Fall ·
#40-36 ·
#35-31 ·
#30-26 · #25-21 · #20-16 · #15-11 · #10-6 · #5-1
I had to take a day off for my own sanity, but now I'm back and ready to continue my top 40 albums! Here's #30-26...
Last year at this time, none of us would've predicted the roller coaster year that Rihanna had.
Rated R could have and probably would have been something very different under normal circumstances. The fact remains, however, here we are and this is what we have. "Russian Roulette" seemed as if it was at the same time dominant and pensive, a chiller of a single that always left me with mixed feelings after listening to it. Beyond that, the darker, don't-mess-with-me Rihanna remains with us throughout most of the album. Tracks like the single "Hard" featuring Young Jeezy, "Rude Boy," and the rather strange collaboration with Slash of all people, "Rockstar 101," proved to be memorable for me. Still, once the dust settles, I'd like to see Rihanna's next album return to a brighter outlook with fewer troubles and more fun.
Probably the most difficult album to defend out of the entire 40, but you know, I'm trying to be honest here. After seeing Selena Gomez a couple times on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon (best show, by the way) I decided to check out her album. I'm not sure who or what exactly is "The Scene," but it sounds nice, so I'll take it... fair enough. The title track, "Kiss & Tell," is a pop powerhouse that I found myself playing again and again. Other key tracks like "As A Blonde" and "Falling Down" rock out the house about as much as you can expect from somebody in this stage of making music. Given the lyrics and Selena's voice, this album is pure pop, no doubt, but the music itself is very rock-infused. Maybe that's what all this "The Scene" stuff is about. I'm not here to say this album should win awards; I'm just saying if you give it a chance then you will enjoy listening to these tracks over and over again. That's a success. Nice work, Selena.
This is the third artist in a row that's younger than me. Man, that is ridiculous. Anyway, if you haven't heard of La Roux, here are the basics. Her name is Eleanor Jackson; she's from the UK; she makes that electro-pop, synth-pop, whatever kind of music that I tend to like a lot lately; and she brings with her a revolving door of supporting band members on her recordings and on tour. She just released her debut, self-titled album earlier this year. It's a pleasure to listen to. The most popular track and single, "Bulletproof," I discovered thanks to iTunes, much like a lot of other stuff this year. La Roux has been hugely popular in the UK already, and I can't wait to see if and when she takes the world by storm. She is another strong voice in the revival of this '80s style synth-heavy music, and I can't get enough of it.
Here we have the artist behind my #1 album of 2006, which of course was
Alright, Still. Three years ago we witnessed in Lily Allen such a fresh face on the scene of alternative pop music, someone who could craft these wonderful, cheery songs out of the most mundane and frustrating of topics. Her attitude and style were unmatched. On her follow-up album this year,
It's Not Me, It's You, I was waiting for more of the same, and I found some of it, but the rest of the album didn't quite hit the mark like her debut album did. No matter, much of it was still enjoyable, from the first leaked song "Everyone's At It" that I played into the ground probably due to its overpowering snyth backing track, to the unbeatable instant classic "**** You" that really captures the spirit of everything I've loved about Lily Allen. Instead of up and abandoning music like she's threatened, I hope Lily heads back into the studio and goes back to the drawing board for her next release, focusing more on her witty tongue-in-cheek style of expression that made us fall in love with her.
Many rock bands chose 2009 as the year of excess, going all out and way over the top with their albums, making them unnecessarily long and associated to some kind of abstract meaning that's supposed to be so "important" that we should feel obligated to sit back and figure out their grand philosophy on our life and times. I mean sheesh, just please,
not now. Pearl Jam went the completely opposite direction on their newest album,
Backspacer, and I think that's why I enjoyed the thing so much. Instead of all that ********, we got 36 minutes of no-nonsense, straightforward, solid and upbeat rock that actually
doesn't make you wish your life and the world was over. It's freakin' amazing. I loved the single "The Fixer" for just that reason; I also quite enjoyed "Gonna See My Friend" and "Supersonic" among other tracks. Thank you, Pearl Jam, for doing what was right for rock music this year. You gave us just what we needed.
Five more installments and then we're done. Can I get it all done by Sunday? I hope so! Stay tuned.
A pleasant surprise... OH YES at Rated R, La Roux, It's Not Me, It's You and Backspacer 
Those hard-ons, Rihanna, Lily and La Roux are THE BEST. Haven't heard Selena, nor do I have much desire to, honestly. 
, but really!? Kiss N Tell!? I just think it was a weak album.