Mid-2009 Round-Up: 10 Surprising Albums

As a nice follow-up to yesterday's Mid-2009 Round-Up post of 10 Disappointing Albums, today is a second list, this time titled 10 Surprising Albums. Similar to the way I explained the difference between "disappointing" and "worst" yesterday, let me tell you that "surprising" and "best" do not mean the same thing. The albums on this list are not (all) my favorites from the first half of the year, rather, they're just albums that surprised me in one way or another. That of course is surprised in a good way. So look at this as the positive polar opposite to yesterday's bout of negative. As was done yesterday as well, to avoid assigning any sort of numbers to these albums, be aware that everything is listed in alphabetical order on purpose. That said, I hope you've enjoyed my Mid-2009 Round-Up. Look for many of these albums to possibly make appearances once again in my year-end massive list of great things about the past 365 days.

Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavilion
I've had a whole lot of trouble loving Animal Collective. Liked them, yes. But love is something that has escaped me with their past albums. I had a strong artistic appreciation for what they were doing, so much so I included albums like "Feels" and "Sung Tongs" among my favorite records the years they were released. I count "Merriweather Post Pavilion" as the album that took my liking of Animal Collective into love territory. The band's wilder, more freak-folk tendencies are still present, but seemingly under control and used more sparingly. Instead what you get are gorgeous harmonies, attractive beats, hooks by the dozen, and songs that have echoes of some of the finest Beach Boys music. It was the first album released this year, and considering the amount of praise shoved on it since then, it may wind up the best album of 2009. I know it's on my short list, and that's something I completely wouldn't have expected to be saying this time last year. [Buy]

Condo Fucks - Fuckbook (Download: What Cha Gonna Do About It)
Of the more fun things I've come across recently has been the Condo Fucks, a band that's not really a band. See, Condo Fucks are actually Yo La Tengo in disguise and with all kinds of fake back story to contribute more towards its real-ness. They released "Fuckbook" as a way to do something a bit different from YLT and cover a whole bunch of old school tracks from bands like Slade, the Electric Eels and the Flamin' Groovies. These aren't your average covers, either. They take some vastly diverse artists and make them all sound like grimy punk rock, and that's quite impressive. So not only was I shocked to hear that the Condo Fucks weren't real (check out the long history mapped out by their label Matador Records), but I was also amazed to hear how well they did with some seriously different material. It inspired me emough to check out some music from the 60's and 70's I never thought I'd like and appreciate it on a whole new level. [Buy]

The Decemberists - The Hazards of Love
The Decemberists took a big risk in creating a full-on concept album that tells a story. Whereas their past records tended to have similar thematic elements (tales of the sea and the harsh living of the 1800's), they've never ventured into the territory and the challenges of the rock opera before. Many were against the idea from the start, mostly because modern-day rock operas just tend to be poor ideas in general. That, and they didn't think The Decemberists had the moxy to make something compelling and limited by a singular story. Count me among the doubters, but also count me among those very pleased with the final product. Clearly The Decemberists are a much more talented band than I had originally thought, though I did know Colin Meloy wouldn't have much trouble weaving a tale from a lyrical perspective. There's also some serious guitar shredding here as well, much moreso than anything The Decemberists have ever done before, and it all adds up to one impressive record that tells a story I'm ironically still trying to fully understand. But that doesn't matter so much as the music is good, which it definitely is. [Buy]

Dirty Projectors - Bitte Orca
Dave Longstreth is a strange and pretentious man. He goes around talking about obscurist literature and art that few people know about, and then claims these are the things that inspire his music. Well, I don't particularly care about the influences, but the actual songs themselves are brilliant. They weren't always that way, because back in the early 00's Longstreth released a few Dirty Projectors albums that were excessively strange and overreaching if you ask me. Basically the guy had the vision, but it just wasn't fully translating out on record and the band slightly suffered because of it. The real turning point was 2007's "Rise Above," in which the band attempted a re-interpretation of Black Flag's "Damaged". That was the first sign Longstreth wasn't just a crazy man with a plan. What "Bitte Orca" has now done is allow those odd ideas to come to fruition in what turns out to be one of the finest records 2009 has had to offer so far. Maybe you saw this incredible record coming, but I sure didn't. [Buy]

Franz Ferdinand - Tonight
After a tame and pretty lame sophmore effort, the boys in Franz Ferdinand took some serious time to figure out where they'd like to head on their third album. After all, the whole "dance rock" craze was going out the window, and they needed some fresh ideas to keep the band alive and kicking. There was talk of taking a more African-inspired, almost tribal vibe to the album, and that's sort of what singer Alex Kapranos was talking up in interviews prior to the record's release. Well, that assessment was somewhat true, but mostly "Tonight" saw the band breaking out some of their most progressive and inspired music since their debut. album standout "Lucid Dreams" evolves (or devolves) into an electro-freakout jam that blasts away for 7 minutes and represents one of the best things Franz Ferdinand has ever done. If you were at all like me and expecting another half-hearted attempt at a dance rock record much like Bloc Party has recently done, you may have been shocked to hear Franz making a pseudo-comeback on their third album. [Buy]

Handsome Furs - Face Control (Download: I'm Confused)
The first Handsome Furs album, "Plague Park," was notably difficult to like. The songs were mostly in your face and the hooks not necessarily the most grabbing things in the world. I had written the project off as a poor Wolf Parade substitute, given that Dan Boeckner is a member of both groups, and Handsome Furs is the one he does with his wife Alexei Perry. So I chalked it up to a young couple in love trying to make interesting music while Boeckner had some free time. Well, with the release of "Face Control," I was instantly proven wrong. Not only is the album a vast improvement on everything that came before it, but it definitely proves me wrong in thinking this was just some sort of throwaway band. Boeckner's songwriting is exceptionally good here, and the songs are effortlessly catchy. Suddenly I'm beginning to wonder if Wolf Parade really is the better band, and that's a good question to be asking. [Buy]

The Mars Volta - Octahedron (Download: Desperate Graves)
The Mars Volta have reined themselves in. After getting plenty schizoid and jamband-ish from the albums "Frances the Mute" through "Bedlam In Goliath," the band has finally matured to the point where their songs sound more structured and focused than ever. It's also a notably quieter affair than their past efforts, with a more distinctive focus on acoustic guitar arrangements on a few songs. After their great debut "De-Loused in the Comatorium," it's comforting to me to write nice things about The Mars Volta again and to see them finally utilizing their massive talents the right way. [Buy]

Metric - Fantasies
I'm predisposed to liking Metric, based on the connection of Emily Haines to Broken Social Scene. So whether it was their 2001 album "Grow Up and Blow Away" or their 2005 album "Live It Out," I've liked both, though by no means would I immediately call them essential albums. They were kind of throw away cool synth rock albums where Haines could let her hair down and have some fun. Since the last Metric album, Haines released a solo record filled with emotional piano ballads, and guitarist Jimmy Shaw spent some time playing with Broken Social Scene. They both clearly learned much from those experiences, and "Fantasies" plays out as the band's best yet thanks to a high energy approach that focuses on Haines' voice and guitar more than ever before. It's definitely a change of pace for the band, and something a bit unexpected given their past output. Metric have now become a band worth focusing on instead of feeling like something of a side project before. And that's a great thing. [Buy]

Sonic Youth - The Eternal (Download: Sacred Trickster)
Here comes yet another so-so Sonic Youth album, is what I told myself before listening to "The Eternal" for the first time. After the relatively boring "Sonic Nurse" and the more engaging but still bogged down style of "Rather Ripped," I had come to think that Sonic Youth really were in the twilight of their career. After all, they've been around for what's getting close to 30 years now, and nobody would blame them for gently fading into that good night. What "The Eternal" proves is that they're still out to kick ass and take names. Sounding more revitalized than ever, this is an album on par with much of their 90's heyday output, and I once again find myself excited by this band. Maybe the change had to do with Jim O'Rourke leaving the band and Mark Ibold joining it, or quite possibly it has to do with Sonic Youth changing labels from the major Geffen to the minor Matador. No matter what it was, change has been great for Sonic Youth in the end, and if their future releases all have the energy and compelling chops "The Eternal" does, I'd be more than willing to stay a fan of the band for the next 30 years. [Buy]

Sunset Rubdown - Dragonslayer (Download: Idiot Heart)
Spencer Krug, you do in fact slay me, even though I am not a dragon. I initially thought the Sunset Rubdown project was going to be a one-off, one time sort of thing to do between Wolf Parade albums, but now that there are more Sunset Rubdown records than there are Wolf Parade ones, it's relatively clear now where your priorities lie. And honestly, while I've always liked past Sunset Rubdown albums like "Shut Up I Am Dreaming" and "Random Spirit Lover," but at the same time they always felt a little unnecessarily difficult and lacking in commercial appeal. Not anymore, because "Dragonslayer" is the Sunset Rubdown album I've long been waiting and hoping for. The songs are accessible while the melodies remain complex and challenging. This is also the first Sunset Rubdown record that actually feels like the full band is working towards a singular goal rather than Spencer Krug just messing around. This is some excellent work on all counts, and it's gotten me way more into the band than I ever thought I would. [Buy]

Labels: animal collective, condo fucks, dirty projectors, Franz Ferdinand, handsome furs, metric, midyear roundup, sonic youth, sunset rubdown, the decemberists, the mars volta