Favorite Albums of the 2000s, part 1

My K.i.S.A. got me hooked on the Steelehouse Podcast, and I've been listening to their 2-part list of best albums of the '00s. These two guys are pop culture experts, and I can't possibly claim to argue with them.

So, I've put together a list, not of what I think are the best albums made in this decade, but the ones that are my favorites. I did have a few rules:

1- I tried to stay away from "best-of" compilations, soundtracks, and Various Artists albums. I do break this rule a few times, but it's well worth it.

2- Each band can only be mentioned once in the final list. This rule gets broken twice.

3- I must have at least one entry from each year. This is the rule that, in part, made me break Rule 1, simply because a few years just didn't have many good albums to choose from.

4- And this is the biggest thing... I chose ONLY albums where I have listened to the whole album. If I didn't listen to the whole album, it didn't make the list. This may be the reason for the somewhat limited set I had to choose from.

Also, I didn't make this into a Top-Ten list. So don't expect ten entries, and here's the list:

2000: A Day Without Rain- Enya
Nostalgic memories accompany this choice. Remember 2000? It was my junior/senior year of high school and I was taking Physics. Since my Phys teacher loved giving us stuff to do in class instead of just talking at us, we had a lot of working time when he would play music in the classroom. This my my introduction to Enya. Her musical style is unique and she's arguably one of the most talented performers around. She does all her own backup vocals and plays all the instruments on the album (including some odd ones like the harpsichord and the lute).

2001: Amelie- Yann Tiersen

I wasn't introduced to this until several years after it came out. This is a soundtrack, from the movie of the same name, "Amelie", a French film about a young woman who falls in love with a man she's never met when she finds his album of strips from the discards of photo booths. The music is whimsical and classic, with some very Euro edges, and the occasional phonograph-type recording accompanied by sounds of music boxes and children's toys. This album was given to me in a time of deep depression by my French roommate in Kenya, who said, "When I feel sad, I listen to this and it helps me." She was right, and now I love this music.

2001: Josh Groban- Josh Groban

In contrast to the above, I was introduced to Josh Groban almost as soon as he debuted. He was an instant smash hit, and for good reason. With his classical/pop style and his pitch-perfect, almost operatic voice, he deserves all the fame he gets. His lyrics are great and the performances strong. "You're Still You" is my favorite song from this album, with its powerful phrases and keen wording.

2002: Songs About Jane- Maroon 5

When Maroon 5 first showed up on the scene in '02, they hit it big right away with songs like "Harder to Breathe" and "This Love". They continued to pump out the singles from this album with "She Will Be Loved" and "Sunday Morning". However, these are not my favorite songs from the album. As my K.i.S.A. so aptly put it, these are "Songs about sex with Jane". It's true. This is the first album where I remember listening and being actually shocked by the graphic innuendo (sometimes it's not even implied, either). However, it's musically strong and lyrically sound, with poignant phrases that still stick with me. My favorite songs from "Jane" are "Shiver", "Not Coming Home" "Through With You" and the very vulgar "Sweetest Goodbye".

2002: Waiting for My Rocket to Come- Jason Mraz

Mraz arrived on the music scene with his hit "The Remedy" and later somewhat lamented his success in his second album (see "Mr. A-Z" below). While it's a strong song and very fun to learn and sing along with, it's not the best on the album. Mraz is one of the best lyricists out there and has, over the past 7 years, caused me to question my thoughts about beauty and love.

2002: Last One Picked- Superchic[k]

Sophomore albums are tough. Superchic[k], the Christian band which debuted at an Audio Adrenaline concert, does a good job, however, and their second release is even better than their first, "Karaoke Superstars". Every song on this album made it onto my favorites list immediately, and I listened to it over and over without getting tired of it. I love their rock/pop/punk/rap/R&B mixtures. Their production is great, and their lyrics brilliant, like these from "Na Na":
"Oops, I did it again, I see
The person I'm talking about is me
Assuming you're the enemy
In the crosshairs of my verbal Uzi"

2003: The Essential Electric Light Orchestra- ELO

Meet the one "Best-of" album that made it onto my list. If you're not a child of the '70s, you've probably never heard of Electric Light Orchestra, which is a darn shame. Really. They're a symphonic rock band whose goal was to create modern rock and pop songs with classical overtones, and in my opinion they are the best at it. In any one of their songs you might hear synthesizer rhythms alongside violins and cellos. In addition, they hold the record for having the most top 40 hit songs, without ever going #1. Every song on this album is great, with some of the highlights being "Evil Woman", "Do Ya", "Telephone Line", "Strange Magic" and "Don't Bring Me Down". I still maintain that "Mr. Blue Sky" is one of the best songs ever written.

2003: Dierks Bentley- Dierks Bentley

From a list of several country albums from the 00s, the only holdout which made the final cut was this album by a Phoenix native who decided he was Country when he heard Alan Jackson's song "Man to Man". Both this album and the follow-up "Modern Day Drifter" (which almost made my list) went platinum because of the singer's deep voice, rumbling tunes, and fun, thoughtful, and melancholy lyrics. "What Was I Thinkin'?" was the big hit from this album, a song about a guy who fools around with a girl whose dad is well-armed. Better songs, though, include "In Anybody Loving You These Days", "How Am I Doin'", and the blissfully romantic "My Last Name" which makes me want to cry just thinking about it... The best song on this album, though, is "Distant Shore", no contest.

2003: Twentysomething- Jamie Cullum

Jazz is a tough genre. This album and Michael Buble's self-titled debut were vying for the top spot here, but Jamie Cullum won. "Twentysomething" is his third album, with a mix of jazz standards, contemporary tunes, and ballads. His cover of "I Get a Kick Out of You" is better than Sinatra's original version. "What a Difference a Day Made" is melancholy and pensive, and "Everlasting Love" is so good that I could listen to it any time, any day and still love it. Cullum's single from this album, "All At Sea" is a wonderful lament on the value of alone time. However, the best song, by far, is the title track, "Twentysomething". Cullum's lyrics are so true to the plight of his age-group that I can't figure out a better way to express what being in your twenties means, than by quoting him.

"After years of expensive education

A car full of books and anticipation
I'm an expert on Shakespeare and that's a hell of a lot
But the world don't need scholars as much as I thought"

2003: Beautiful Lumps of Coal- Plumb

Plumb is new to me, but it was love at first... er... listen. She's messy. She's real. She's gifted. The song "Real" brought me to tears, simply because it expresses my desire to be found beautiful so well, so perfectly.

"Aren't I lovely

And do you want me cause
I am hungry for something that will make me real
Can you see me and
Do you love me cause
I am desperately searching for something real"

Not to mention, the great song "Boys Don't Cry" is a brilliant lament of our culture's confusion about what masculinity means, and how men can't seem to understand the difference between vulnerability and wussiness.

"You sit there on the couch
Sipping your scotch and ice
You turn the TV on

And tune me out again

So what would you say to me

If you could talk to me
You could ask anything
I wouldn't lie
But you're okay with this
Damaging awkwardness
So I'll just play it safe
And keep it inside
'Cause boys don't cry"