Top 10 CDs of 2009

So finally, after only a month of procrastination, I've reviewed all the albums I listened to in 2009 and can present to you my annual list of favorites.

10. Dan Auerbach, Keep it Hid: Some solid old-school rock from Ohio.

9. Captain Bogg & Salty, Emphatical Piratical: Aargh! Move up a few spots if you have kids. Move up a few more spots if your kids are into pirates.

8. The Soundtrack of Our Lives, Communion: If they put the best half of this on a single disc, it would have gotten an A.

7. Neko Case, Middle Cyclone: Still cryptic, still alluring, still a killer voice.

6. Týr, By the Light of the Northern Star: A fun mix of history, Norse legend, and hard rock.

5. White Rabbits, It's Frightening: Drum roll, please!

4. Kris Delmhorst, Shotgun Singer: A really artistic record that kept growing on me.

3. Rupa & The April Fishes, Este Mundo: Wildly eclectic, globally conscious, and fun.

2. Boot, Soot: The best Nordic CD since 2000.

1. Warsaw Village Band, Infinity: Superior musicianship combined with brazen experimentation.

I've discovered, among other things, that I really need to rework my grading system, especially where the B+ albums are concerned -- a few of them made the list, and a few might not have even deserved a B. Oh well, back to the drawing board in 2010...

Kris Delmhorst, Shotgun Singer (Signature Sounds, 2008)

While they've made their fair share of good music, contemporary American folk singer/songwriters are not generally known for their sense of experimentation. As Boston resident Kris Delmhorst's recent album Shotgun Singer shows, though, there are some exceptions. Shotgun Singer is largely a homemade work, recorded in a rural cabin with Delmhorst doing most of the producing and playing a large number of instruments (acoustic and electric guitars, keyboards, bass, even the cello) herself. The solitude helped Delmhorst create a very distinctive sound, often a bit dark but quietly intense and very effective on the whole.

From the eerie opening song "Blue Adeline," Delmhorst creates an atmosphere where things are never quite what they seem or what you'd expect. Sometimes, in the background, the guitar or piano hits a series of single notes that aren't quite in rhythm. Other times, like on the penultimate song "Freediver," Demhorst holds onto notes for a little long, letting the pitch drop off in a ghostly manner. Even on the very upbeat "1000 Reasons," the vocal harmonies strike a somewhat dissonant chord in the chorus. But the mood works, and when Delmhorst asks "If not for love, what are your for?" or achieves a soulful, bluesy catharsis on songs like "Riverwide" and "Kiss It Away," the emotion creeps under your skin and lingers there.

Carefully conceived, well performed, and immaculately produced, Shotgun Singer is the kind of album where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. There's no particularly brilliant standout track that will force its way onto people's iPods, but every song is effective in a subtle way. I definitely recommend multiple attentive listens for this one, as it will grow on you.

Overall grade: A-

reviewed by Scott

A solo live performance of "Blue Adeline"