Scott B. Bomar's 40 Favorite Albums of 2009

Below are my 40 favorite albums of 2009, each accompanied by a (roughly) one-sentence comment / review. 



1.  Harper Simon – Harper Simon (Vagrant)
Paul Simon’s son’s debut is an inviting and accessible collection of breezy melodies and simple, uncomplicated songwriting that’s steeped in retro folk-rock and features a great cast of veteran backup musicians.   



2.  Avett Brothers – I and Love and You (American)
This North Carolina trio’s major label debut was produced by Rick Rubin and is a perfectly balanced blend of pop and rootsy country-soul ala Elton John’s Tumbleweed Connection / Honky Chateau period.  



3.  Todd Snider – The Excitement Plan (Yep Roc)
Todd Snider might be my favorite songwriter and, with the help of producer Don Was, he’s put together another sharply observant and cleverly insightful collection of sly character-driven songs that complement his effortless laid-back slacker storyteller persona.  



4.  Buddy & Julie Miller – Written in Chalk (New West)
This husband-and-wife duo represent the best of the “other” Nashville music community – the one that’s rough around the edges and crafts  harmonious albums of gritty Americana roots music with heart (not to mention cool guest appearances by people like Patty Griffin, Robert Plant, and Emmylou Harris).  



5.  Elvis Costello – Secret, Profane & Sugarcane (Hear Music)
T Bone Burnett produced this excellently executed organic collection of country, bluegrass, and folk-inspired Costello originals.   



6.  Dawes - North Hills (ATO) 
These guys remind me of the second coming of The Band – with a little CSN&Y and rootsier elements of The Grateful Dead mixed in for good measure.



7.  Wilco – Wilco (The Album) (Nonesuch) 
This record focuses more on Wilco’s melodic sensibilities than their experimental impulses and, being somewhat of a non-hipster, I like it a lot.  



8.  Pearl Jam – Backspacer (Monkeywrench) 
For their first record on their own label, Pearl Jam – with the help of producer Brendan O’Brien – cranks out a collection of lean, mean, and hooky songs that easily stands up to their classic first two albums, Ten and Vs. 



9.  Lily Allen – It’s Not Me, It’s You (Capitol) 
Catchy, smart, and totally pop - in a good way.



10.  Mayer Hawthorne – A Strange Arrangement (Stones Throw) 
Hawthorne is a not a great singer, but, with its timeless retro Motown-drenched neo-soul vibe, this is a great record. 



11.  Norah Jones – The Fall (Blue Note) 
This personal and confessional “breakup album” finds Norah pushing her sonic boundaries with an edgier sensibility, but she’s still got that voice that makes everything she does sound so amazingly warm.    



12.  Ledisi – Turn Me Loose (Verve Forecast) 
Grittier than her earlier albums, Ledisi belts out R&B and neo-soul grooves with the help of an all star cast of producers, including the fantastic Raphael Saadiq.  


13.  Eli “Paperboy” Reed – Roll With You (Q Division) 
James Brown might have been reincarnated in a white dude’s body! 



14.  Melody Gardot – My One and Only Thrill (Verve) 
Gardot, still in her early twenties, does a slightly jazzier version of the early Norah Jones school of subdued, wistful jazz-pop. 



15.  Neko Case – Middle Cyclone (Anti) 
All her albums are good, but this eclectic collection of mostly original songs showcases her unique voice and features a handful of cool guest appearances by people like M. Ward, Garth Hudson, and others. 



16.  Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix (Glass Note) 
I haven’t found anyone who agrees with me about this, but – with their throwback 80’s guitar and synth-pop elements - Phoenix kind of reminds me of The Outfield (which is a very good thing to me).



17.  Lyle Lovett – Natural Forces (Lost Highway) 
For me, listening to Lyle Lovett is like taking a relaxing trip to Texas to rekindle a warmly familiar old friendship.



18.  Kitty, Daisy & Lewis – Kitty, Daisy & Lewis (Downtown) 
This rough-around-the-edges UK-based trio consists of two sisters and a brother who look and sound like they just stepped out of the 1950’s, bringing with them their rockabilly, boogie-woogie, jump blues, and every other influence that might have been recorded at Memphis’ legendary Sun Studio five decades ago.  



19.  Maxwell – BLACKsummers’night (Columbia) 
This album is too short, but I’m just glad that one of the best contemporary R&B singers has finally released a new album after eight years.



20.  Grizzly Bear – Veckatimest (Warp) 
The Beach Boys’ Pet Sounds album is just one of the epic ingredients mixed into this wide-ranging sonic stew of virtually every popular music influence you could imagine.



21.  U2 – No Line on the Horizon (Interscope) 
Despite a couple of missteps, I would put this album up there with All That You Can’t Leave Behind, Achtung Baby, and The Joshua Tree as one of U2’s best.



22.  Rocco Deluca and the Burden – Mercy (Universal Republic) 
One of my favorite producers, Daniel Lanois (who also worked on U2’s album), helped create the ambient, lush, and sometimes bluesy tracks that complement Deluca’s unique gravelly falsetto.   



23.  The Black Crowes - Before the Frost…Until the Freeze (Silver Arrow) 
The Black Crowes are one of my favorite bands and, although this record can get a little too jam-heavy at times, it’s still a great snapshot of their Southern-fried hippy blues rock impulses.  



24.  Kris Kristofferson – Closer to the Bone (New West) 
Producer Don Was (who also produced Todd Snider’s album at #3 above) creates a sparse, intimate setting to highlight Kristofferson’s stark voice and incisive lyrics.     



25.  Son Volt – American Central Dust (Rounder) 
Son Volt’s 1995 debut album was one of the seminal releases that got me excited about alternative country and roots music and now, after a series of meandering solo releases by frontman Jay Farrar, they’ve recaptured my attention with this appealing return to their rustic roots.  



26.  Dan Auerbach – Keep It Hid (Nonesuch) 
The Black Keys singer/guitarist takes us on a tour of his uniquely American musical influences – from blues to folk to country to R&B to rock n’ roll – with a reverb drenched contemporary edge. 



27.  Them Crooked Vultures – Them Crooked Vultures (Interscope)
The songs aren’t fantastic, but that’s beside the point when this power trio (Josh Homme of Queens of the Stone Age, Dave Grohl of Foo Fighters and Nirvana, and John Paul Jones of Led Zepplin) rip into a set of irresistibly heavy riffs that are destined for an appearance on the next edition of Guitar Hero. 



28.  Bob Dylan – Together Through Life (Columbia) 
If you liked Dylan’s rollicking bluesy romps on his Modern Times release from 2006 you’ll like this, too.



29.  Ryan Bingham & The Dead Horses – Roadhouse Sun (Lost Highway) 
I first heard Ryan Bingham sing in the trailer for the Jeff Bridges film “Crazy Heart” and was not disappointed when I sought out more from this young Steve Earle styled troubadour.   



30.  Brandi Carlile – Give Up the Ghost (Columbia) 
Carlile is a fantastic singer-songwriter-guitarist powerhouse who blends pop and folk with excellent production courtesy of the fantastic Rick Rubin.



31.  Mos Def – The Ecstatic (Downtown) 
I don’t own a ton of hip hop albums, but this one meets both of my criteria for getting a “thumbs up” – it’s engaging and smart.  



32.  Jason Lytle – Yours Truly, The Commuter (Anti) 
This lo-fi singer/songwriter’s folky solo debut is a nice blend of acoustic guitars and atmospheric electronic elements.  



33.  Steve Martin – The Crow: New Songs for the Five-String Banjo (Rounder) 
Yeah, THAT Steve Martin -  and it turns out he’s pretty serious about the banjo, as he proves on this entertaining (but non-comedic) bluegrassy banjo bonanza of original songs.    



34.  Guy Clark – Some Days the Song Writes You (Dualtone) 
Guy Clark is an elder statesman of songwriting craftsmanship and this album is another fine showcase for his literate folk-country observations.  



35.  Justin Townes Earle – Midnight at the Movies (Bloodshot) 
The sophomore release from Steve Earle’s son owes as much to Hank Williams, string bands, and traditional folk elements as it does to the troubadour tradition that his last name suggests.  



36.  Alicia Keys – The Element of Freedom (J Records) 
Keys’ extraordinary mainstream success shouldn’t overshadow the fact that she is an amazingly talented singer, songwriter, and musician - as she proves once again on this release where she manages to keep her retro sensibilities intact while channeling Prince and embracing more electronic elements.



37.  Eels - Hombre Lobo: 12 Songs of Desire (Vagrant) 
Somehow this is the first Eels album I’ve ever heard, but I really like the balance of raw garagey pop rock and melancholy mid-tempo songs.  



38.  Rosanne Cash – The List (Manhattan) 
Inspired by a list of “100 Essential American Songs” that her father, Johnny Cash, created, Rosanne pairs up with the likes of Bruce Springsteen, Elvis Costello, Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy, and Rufus Wainwright to showcase a handful of cover song interpretations that range from pretty sucky to absolutely heavenly.  



39.  Andrew Bird – Noble Beast (Fat Possum)
Bird has a cool, airy acoustic vibe that reminds me of Simon and Garfunkel – but with more whistling (which, shockingly, actually works).



40.  Camera Obscura – My Maudlin Career (4AD) 
A lot of people thought this album was amazing, but I would call it solidly good in spite of the occasionally lazy rhymes and the overuse of the 1980’s “Under the Milky Way Tonight” reverb sound.