2005: Sean's Lists

The rise of digital music in the past couple years has had me (and a lot of other folks who spend their free time thinking about music) wondering about the future of The Album. In the '60s and '70s, it rose to prominence as an art form, a collection of songs making a (sometimes) cohesive statement or providing an aural snapshot of where the artist was at during that moment in time. But iTunes and other services like it are changing the game, at least for now if not for good, and consumers are pushing popular music back to a singles market, the way it largely was pre-British Invasion. As it turns out, I needn't have worried about the album's demise in 2005. There still were way too many out there for me to purchase, and choosing a top 10 for the year still came down to making difficult cuts. Next year, who knows? Digital music will continue to claim more of the marketplace. And with the blessing of a new baby comes the realization that Daddy's consumerism is about to take a hit. So, at least for one more year, here are my top 10 albums and songs for 2005:

Top 10 Albums of 2005

10. "Get Behind Me Satan," The White Stripes � Although Jack White is looking more like Vincent Price's creepy kid brother every day, he and Meg White are with each successive release adding layers of cool to what started as a wildly successful two-piece, blues-rock formula. Marimba and electric piano are the most exotic colors on "Satan," which covers a lot of stylistic ground between the heavy, riff-rock flavored "Blue Orchid" and the vaguely old-timey "Little Ghost." Even scarier than specters or Mr. White's Urban Dracula look: the White Stripes' best music might be yet to come.

9. "Master of Disaster," John Hiatt � Ever since Hiatt found his niche with "Bring the Family" in 1987, he has released a string of well-crafted songs on albums ranging from solid to spectacular. "Master of Disaster," which was produced by Memphis luminary Jim Dickinson and features Dickinson's sons Luther and Cody and their band, North Mississippi Allstars, probably is more solid than spectacular. Nonetheless, the title track, "Cold River" and "When My Love Crosses Over" are all excellent examples of a master craftsman at his best. Hiatt is one of our finest songwriters, and at this point it would be hard to imagine him making a bad record.

8. "Cold Roses," Ryan Adams & The Cardinals � Of Adams' three releases in 2005, this one (the first) tended to score the highest marks on critics' year-end lists. There are some undeniably beautiful moments on it, such as "Let It Ride," "Dance All Night" and "If I Were a Stranger," but I took points off for the length. It's a single stretched into a double disc, and disc two is slightly stronger. It's also jammy but not excessively so. Obviously, the Grateful Dead did it better, but this is a reasonable and well-executed homage to that band's 1970s work.

7. "Jacksonville City Nights," Ryan Adams & The Cardinals � I preferred "Jacksonville" because it had a nice country/Gram Parsons vibe and was more cohesive than "Cold Roses." But I didn't like it enough to lift it more than one spot above its predecessor.

6. "Forever Hasn't Happened Yet," John Doe � A good example of a whole living up to the sum of its parts. The former X-man enlists help from Neko Case, Dave Alvin, Grant Lee Phillips, Kristin Hersh, Smokey Hormel and Cindy Lee Berryhill, and the result is a solid piece of work that's not afraid of being too short at 31 minutes and change. Doe's deep, at times haunting voice makes "Forever" sound like Jim Morrison is not only alive, but turning out lo-fi roots records that sound like dispatches from America's seamy underbelly.

5. "Rockabilly Riot! Vol. 1: A Tribute to Sun Records," Brian Setzer � I almost disqualified this disc on the grounds that it is composed entirely of covers but decided that wasn't an important consideration. Sure, Setzer didn't write the great material (though he got a co-writing credit for finishing one track), but he performed it perfectly. He holed up in Castle Studios in Franklin, Tenn., and turned out a gem of a tribute to the label that put rockabilly on the map. Setzer stayed true to the original versions of classics such as "Red Hot," "Flying Saucer Rock and Roll" and "Blue Suede Shoes" while still applying touches of his fiery guitar style.

4. "Okemah and the Melody of Riot," Son Volt � If every 7-year break for Son Volt will result in a disc this good, let the hiatus begin. Farrar has put out good if decreasingly accessible solo work since 1998's "Wide Swing Tremolo," so it was good to see him back in front of an honest-to-goodness rock band. While it's too bad that he couldn't work it out with the original Son Volt lineup, the new band acquits itself well on "Okemah." And let's face it: Son Volt always has been a vehicle for Farrar's music � and he's clearly driving the bus. The title's allusion to Woody Guthrie's birthplace is fitting, as Farrar's literate songs extend the protest tradition nicely. The tunes are smart but not too smart; you don't have to be, well, Jay Farrar, to figure out the intended target of "Bandages & Scars," "Jet Pilot" and "Endless War."

3. "Devils and Dust," Bruce Springsteen � Since I'm a big Boss fan, I had a feeling this disc would end up in my top 10. What I hadn't counted on was how it would move up in my estimation by the end of the year. What began as a bottom-five album picked up steam with each successive listen. When I was spinning it around Christmas, the songs just felt familiar to me. That's how I know an album is making an impression. In middle age, Springsteen is more adept than ever at sketching cinematic portraits of life and death. The subjects aren't always pretty, but this disc is. If you're a fan of "Nebraska" and "The Ghost of Tom Joad," then you already know what I mean. If you're not, give this one another listen.

2. "Souls' Chapel," Marty Stuart and his Fabulous Superlatives � Until this year, I didn't even own a Marty Stuart disc. I liked his work, but I just never got inspired to shell out any cash-ola for it. Something about "Souls' Chapel," Stuart's first gospel album, convinced me to spend. Am I ever glad I did. It has all the twang of Saturday night coupled with four-part harmonies and material suited for Sunday morning. "The Gospel Story of Noah's Ark" is a Cash-like story song, and the influence of the Staple Singers � including covers of "Somebody Saved Me" and "Move Along Train" and an guest appearance by Mavis Staples � is all over the disc. If you're going to wear your influences on your sleeve, there's no reason to wear those two any way but proudly.

1. "Exploration," Sarah Lee Guthrie and Johnny Irion � Maybe it's because I miss the allegedly defunct Jayhawks, and head 'Hawk Gary Louris' stamp is all over this one (he co-produced with Ed Ackerman). Maybe I'm just a sucker for harmony singing. Whatever the reason, this was the disc I reached for most often this year. Guthrie, daughter of Arlo and granddaughter of Woody, teams with husband Irion and the result is a dozen mature, fully realized songs that should have you singing along in no time. The apple doesn't fall far from the family tree, as the album states its case against poverty, racism and injustice. That never stops it from being melodic. Aside from the Jayhawks influence, "Exploration" carries on in the spirit of the best folk traditions and even at times sounds like "Rumours"-era Fleetwood Mac ("Holdin' Back").

Honorable mention: "Mercy Now," Mary Gauthier; "I've Got My Own Hell to Raise," Bettye LaVette; "One Take Radio Sessions," Mark Knopfler; "The Duhks," The Duhks; "Back to Me," Kathleen Edwards; "Fair and Square," John Prine; "Cruel and Gentle Things," Charlie Sexton; "The Outsider," Rodney Crowell; "Cornbread Nation," Tim O'Brien; "Why Should The Fire Die?," Nickel Creek; "Route 23," Chatham County Line; "Chavez Ravine," Ry Cooder.

Top 10 Songs of 2005

10. "Gervais," Sarah Lee Guthrie and Johnny Irion � The hardest-rocking track on "Exploration." Perhaps because that's because it's about a topic that stirs passions on both sides of the debate � the Confederate flag controversy in South Carolina.

9. "Back To Me," Kathleen Edwards � Not content to rest on her critical acclaim garnered by 2003's "Failer," Edwards found her inner Tom Petty and rocked out on the title track of this year's release.

8. "I Drink," Mary Gauthier � Much of Gauthier's "Mercy Now" is half spoken, half sung in the style of Townes Van Zandt. Apparently Gauthier also shares Van Zandt's penchant for heartbreaking, brutally honest slice-of-life songwriting.

7. "6 String Belief," Son Volt � If this one had been written for "Trace," it would have been just one of a spate of classic Son Volt cuts. Among the songs on "Okemah and the Melody of Riot," it stands out as a decidedly anthemic mission statement: "Rock and roll around my head like a 6 string belief."

6. "Way Down," Marty Stuart and his Fabulous Superlatives � By appropriating the riff from "Baby Please Don't Go," Stuart encapsulates his successful melding of the sacred and the profane on "Souls' Chapel." You might be moved to pray or you might be moved to dance. Maybe it will be both. But you will be moved.

5. "4th of July," Shooter Jennings � Jennings, son of outlaw country giant Waylon Jennings, shows no fear of his daddy's long shadow. While his debut, "Put the O Back in Country," is a little too uneven for top-10 consideration, it still has plenty of high points. The highest of them is this track, which walks the line between power balladry and southern rock. A clip of George Jones' "He Stopped Loving Her Today" added for good measure is a nice touch on Jennings' bold debut.

4. "When My Love Crosses Over," John Hiatt � Hiatt's been at this for so long he makes it seem effortless. The melody is pretty, and the shimmering guitar strums don't hurt. Showing that he's earned his stripes in Americana songwriting, he deftly uses the Mississippi River and exploration of the West as a metaphor for taking a chance on love. All the best ones know river imagery like the back of their hands.

3. "My Doorbell," White Stripes � The White Stripes are no run-of-the-mill guitar-and-drums act. Not anymore. Exhibit A is this funky, electric-piano-driven ditty from "Get Behind Me Satan." Jack White certainly is pasty, but he's proving he's got soul.

2. "Devils & Dust," Bruce Springsteen � As he did in several tracks on "The Rising," Springsteen gets inside the head of a survivor. In this case, it's not a survivor of 9/11, but a survivor in the War on Terror left to contemplate the aftermath: "I got God on my side/I'm just trying to survive/What if what you do to survive/Kills the things you love." It's a good question, and there are no easy answers.

1. "Let It Ride," Ryan Adams & The Cardinals � Adams' ambitious three-release schedule for 2005 led to 41 songs on the discs, not including bonus tracks. This is head and shoulders above the other 40. Like John Hiatt, Adams is learning how to let the rivers take him where he's going: "Moving like the fog on the Cumberland River/I was leaving on the Delta Queen/And I wasn't ready to go/I'm never ready to go."