Music to my ears

At the risk of writing exclusively about music on this blog, I am posting my 10 best CDs of 2006. I got so used to doing this every year in the Daily Trojan that I decided to continue it this year, if only for myself (because let's face it, no one reads this, right?) So, here they are:

10. 9, Damien Rice
Among what seems like a sea of folkie, sincere, slightly disheveled boys with acoustic guitars, Damien Rice manages to stand out -- mostly thanks to evocative songwriting and haunting vocals paired with only just enough piano and guitar accompaniment. Though the disc only has 10 songs, the final track, "Sleep Don't Weep," is a 20-minute opus that serves as an elegant resolution to the angst Rice wrestles with throughout the CD.

9. The Devil and God Are Raging Inside Me, Brand New
After a three-year break from the scene, this Long Island group is better than ever -- with an evolved sound and a sensible ability to layer instruments and vocals. The album deals mostly with isolation and loneliness, but rather than sounding overly sentimental, frontman Jesse Lacey sells it.

8. Kingdom Come, Jay-Z
No one is arguing that Jay-Z's back-from-retirement album is his best work. But like any great artist, even a mediocre effort from Jay is better than most of what's out there right now. On tracks like "Lost One" and "Oh My God," he proves he's still the master of delivery. It's that same delivery that allows Hova to sound introspective, remorseful and angry all in one breathless rant in songs like "Minority Report," where he admits "Sure I ponied up a mil/ but I didn't give my time/ So in reality I didn't give a dime, or a damn/ I just put my monies in the hands of the same people that left my people stranded/ Left them folks abandoned."

7. King, T.I.
Earlier this year, Rolling Stone posed the question "Is T.I. the Jay-Z of the South?" And while comparisons to Jay are certainly a compliment for any rapper -- this one might not be giving T.I. enough credit. With a healthy mix of danceable beats, street stories and thoughtful tracks, this not-so-subtly named CD proves T.I. is poised to make a run for the hip-hop throne. And a note to T.I. himself: I, for one, would be more than willing to come "kick it with a stand-up guy."

6. The Back Room, Editors
With subtle electronic touches and a sense of hard-hitting urgency, the Editors are able to make the type of stadium-sized music that Coldplay and the Killers both failed at in the past year. The barrage provided by the opening track, "Lights," is an incredible example of the band's strengths.

5. FutureSex/LoveSounds, Justin Timberlake
To most, Timberlake will forever be associated with the cookie-cutter boy band with which he leapt to fame. But this album could not be further from that -- with a wildly experimental and futuristic sound drenching every last song. With exuberant hip-hop beats and ambient electronica -- sometimes within the same track -- Timberlake has managed to craft probably the best pop disc in recent memory. The album is full of interesting dichotomies, the best example of which is the lush, pastoral lyrics of "My Love," which is set over cold, abrasive sounds. The best song on the album is the tense revenge symphony "What Goes Around …/Comes Around" -- a sequel to his last great song, "Cry Me a River."

4. Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not, Arctic Monkeys
It is pretty ironic, indeed, that the first words uttered by Alex Turner on this disc are "Anticipation has the habit to set you up/for disappointment," because the album is, surprisingly, every bit as good as I hoped it would be. Full of wit and humor, the Arctic Monkeys are kings of observation -- chronicling everyone from the sweet romantics who can't get a date to the guys who will take anyone home even though they "can't see through your fake tan."

3. St. Elsewhere, Gnarls Barkley
More than a year ago, I remember watching Cee-Lo spoiling his daughter in an episode of MTV's "My Super Sweet Sixteen" and thinking: "This is a man whose career is over." How wrong I was. With its irresistible hook, the single "Crazy" took off like nothing seen since Outkast's "Hey Ya." DJ Danger Mouse gives the album a weird but infectious soundscape that melds pop, rock, rap and soul.

2. Food and Liquor, Lupe Fiasco
Perhaps best described as alternative hip-hop, this album has all the elements of "thinking man's rap" -- Lupe is able to be thoughtful and authentic but avoids sounding over-the-top. The album is quite low-key and, for the most part, very positive, without seeming forced. His best lyrical performance is turned in on the track "Just Might Be OK."

1. Once Again, John Legend
Though he embraces an old-school sound, John Legend manages to sound remarkably current on this disc. Legend is at his best when he's being slow and seductive, which he does with ease on tracks like "Save Room" and "Each Day Gets Better." There is no hint of excess or overproduction on the album -- and Legend shows he's polished his skills and is willing to show some vulnerability in his songwriting.


* Image of Lupe Fiasco is from Vibe