Tom's Best of 2005: Runners Up

The countdown starts tomorrow with #10. For now, here are some, in no particular order, that I liked that didn't quite make the cut:

Autechre - Untilted - I listen to a lot of music that could be labeled "difficult," but few confound me as much as Autechre do. Hell, I'm still not entirely sure how to pronounce their name. If they sowed the seeds of what became known as "IDM" over a decade ago, their music now has few characteristics that would merit the "D" in "IDM" (that being "Dance"), as they've delved further and further into clinical excercises in beatmaking, and rhythm as texture. I can't fully explain why I like it, but it's a fascinating listen, experimental in the truest sense of the word, and one that rewards attention to detail.

Doves - Some Cities - Not nearly the ecstatic tour de force of The Last Broadcast, Some Cities is still another fine outing of guitar-based pop. Doves may be a trio, but they rarely sound like it, showing a gift for texture that far outshines most of their contemporaries.

M83 - Before the Dawn Heals Us - "Cinematic" is an overused word to describe music, but that's exactly what this is, except this is Peter Jackson-style cinematic, where even the smallest detail is made huge and epic. Car crashes, car chases, teen angst, wounded angels smiling, nuclear sunrises. "Raise your arms the highest you can, so the whole universe will glow!"

Four Tet - Everything Ecstatic - Four Tet, a.k.a. Kieran Hebden, continues his experiment with organic and accessible electronic music, although this time opting for more electronic and less organic. The result is still on par with his earlier outings: electronic music with a sense of melody and humanity. If it lacks the subtle charm of Rounds, at least it's more fun.

Vashti Bunyan - Lookaftering - Rare is the artist who could take a 35 year break from music and come back sounding almost exactly the same. Such is the nature of folk music, I suppose, but Vashti Bunyan's improbable comeback album is a delightful listen. Some will find it to be a 35-minute sleeping pill, but as far as I'm concerned, there's always room for a nice dose of pretty and uncomplicated folk tunes.

Devendra Banhart - Cripple Crow - As soon as Devendra Banhart learns the concept of quality control, he could make some seriously great stuff. For now, we're stuck with wading through a 75 minute album (or, like last year, two in one year) to find the outstanding songs like "Now That I Know" and "Inaniel" in between the pointless throwaway songs like "Chinese Children" and "Little Boys." The best of it, however, is good enough to merit inclusion here. Plus he gets bonus points for being pals with both Espers and Vashti Bunyan (see above).

Kanye West - Late Registration - Pop or rap or both? Obviously both to me, but really, who cares? It's so refreshing to hear a hip hop artist and a mainstream pop artist who is actually fun to listen to without being completely disposable.