The Best Albums of 2004

2004 was a decent year for music, with some great releases hitting the shelves this year. While not quite the top-heavy musical juggernaut that 2003 was, 2004 gave us some hits. This list isn't the end-all of lists in the slightest - in fact this list will 100% get changed in some sort or fashion as I either a) hear music released this year that I have not yet listened to or b) my opinion changes towards any of the ranked albums. This list will grow and morph with time, but it should stay in this location. And before you start complaining please note that this list is obviously slanted towards my musical tastes. It's an opinion piece created only to spark discussion or to give others some ideas for new music to listen to. So stop complaining and just enjoy!

Here's a finetune playlist of some of the songs mentioned in the list below, so you can listen while you read:




Without further ado, here's my top albums of 2004 list:



20. American Idiot - Green Day
Reflections: A decade removed from releasing one of the pillars of punk rock, 1994's Dookie, Green Day puts out possibly their most critically acclaimed album since that monumentous album. What do I think of it? Well, it's good. Is it as good as Dookie? Lord no. But it's a decent listen. Listen to "Boulevard of Broken Dreams" if you want to see flashes of past Green Day brilliance.
Best Tracks: Boulevard of Broken Dreams, Jesus of Suburbia, Holiday



19. Collision Course - Jay-Z and Linkin Park
Reflections: Six tracks long, this is a collaboration effort between Jay-Z and Linkin Park to try to "mash" their styles together. Some tracks work, some don't. The ones that do however are really pretty cool to listen to. The DVD that comes with this set is the real selling point of the album - getting to see Jay-Z and LP live is much better than the studio recordings.
Best Tracks: Numb/Encore, Big Pimpin'/Papercut



18. The Grey Album - DJ DangerMouse
Reflections: The idea of mixing an acapella version of Jay-Z's The Black Album over beats and samples from The Beatles' The White Album might sound odd, but expert mixer DJ DangerMouse creates something that's both familiar and new. The songs take on a completely different character and feel than they did on The Black Album, and a couple of the mixes are better than the original. Now, the Jay-Z's original is one hell of an album, so DM had some excellent ground to start on. Anyways, the music companies don't want you to listen to this album, SO GO DOWNLOAD IT RIGHT NOW.
Best Tracks: What More Can I Say?, Encore, Public Service Announcement



17. Modern Artillery - The Living End
Reflections: This album is squandered potential. The first half of this album blew me away and then - then it just faded into "yet another bland pop-punk album" much to my dismay. The first 5 tracks were incredible, tracks 6-8 were okay, and 9-14 were sleepers. If only this had been a 5 track EP it would've been one of the best pop-punk records of all time.
Best Tracks: End of the World, Tabloid Magazine, Who's Gonna Save Us, Jimmy



16. Franz Ferdinand - Franz Ferdinand
Reflections: This album got great reviews from most critics, but I honestly couldn't get into it. There are some great tracks, I will admit, but the album as a whole just didn't do much for me. The best album to come out of the UK since The Coral's selftitled debut though, in my opinion.
Best Tracks: Take Me Out, Jacqueline, The Dark of the Matinee



15. Me First - The Elected
Reflections: Rilo Kiley member Blake Sennett's side project, this is indie rock with a twang of country. Some songs are really, really good - some just didn't really do anything for me. This is a good album, and I still listen to it from time to time, but the twanginess and the fact that's its overly slow and melodic means that it usually only gets listened to late at night for me.
Best Tracks: A Response To Greed, Waves



14. Cee-Lo Green is the Soul Machine - Cee-Lo
Reflections: The latest album from Cee-Lo starts off rediculously strong (the first 8 songs are mindblowingly good) but from there the album really takes a nose dive. The first half of the album I'd put up against any other hip-hop album, but when the second half rolls around I end up losing interest. I HIGHLY recommend you listen to this album, or at least the first half of it. Look at this ranking I gave this album and understand that the first half of this record is basically good enough to rank with the best of the best.
Best Tracks: The One, The Art of Noise, Childz Play, I'll Be Around



13. Get Away From Me - Nellie McKay
Reflections: Easily the most ecletic album I've ever heard in my life, this 2-CD debut from a rediculously talented 19 year old really shines on so many levels. One music critic described her style as "Doris Day crossed with Eminem" and that's got some truth to it. Her musical ability is off the charts - stellar vocals, great songwriting, and provocative lyrics. Nellie's really got everything going for her - she's young, she's beautiful, and she's got more talent than most. I'm really intrigued by her, and I look forward to following her (hopefully) long career.
Best Tracks: Waiter, Sari, David, The Dog Song, I Wanna Get Married



12. Talkie Walkie - Air
Reflections: This possibly is the most beautiful album of the year from a sound perspective, though at times it can just get kinda boring. This is a headphones-only album, as it the stereo effects and other sound tricks really only come across well when you've got a good pair of headphones on (or a killer surround system). Don't get me wrong though, I really like this album - but I can't listen to it for extended periods of time.
Best Tracks: Cherry Blossom Girl, Venus, Mike Mills



11. Garden State Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
Reflections: I'm not normally huge on Soundtracks, but the soundtrack to Garden State simply blew me away. Possibly the best soundtrack since Magnolia, I really fell in love with the diverse tracks that director Zach Braff chose to use in his movie. This is possibly one of the best collections of "chill-out" songs that I've ever heard.
Best Tracks: New Slang by The Shins, Let Go by Frou Frou, Such Great Heights by Iron & Wine, Caring Is Creepy by The Shins, Don't Panic by Coldplay



10. Our Endless Numbered Days - Iron & Wine
Reflections: This album is soft, perhaps too soft for its own good (the amazing harmonies coupled with soft sounds can put you to sleep easily). But this album is no sleeper. One of the most musically incredible albums I've ever heard, this is basically a non-stop exercise on brilliant harmonies. You really should listen to this album. The only thing keeping it from being higher on this list is that from a repeated listenings standpoint, I haven't a) listened to it enough and b) it's really not upbeat enough to listen to on a daily basis for me.
Best Tracks: Cinders and Smoke, On Your Wings, Sodom South Georgia



9. Meltdown - Ash
Reflections: Irish rockers Ash were back in 2004 with Meltdown, which unfortunately never made it to the shores of the United States. This album is a really fun one though. Pop-punk isn't necessarily the best word to describe these guys, but I guess it's close enough. The songs on this album manage to create an atmosphere of carefree rock, one without heavy themes or other issues. It's not bubblegum pop-type music, but it is something great to have on when you're hanging out with friends.
Best Tracks: Orpheus, Evil Eye, Renegade Cavalcade, Vampire Love




8. Good News For People Who Like Bad News - Modest Mouse
Reflections: I'd heard of and heard songs by Modest Mouse for years, but never really paid them much attention. After hearing "Float On" earlier this year, I gave them another shot - and I really liked this album. Unorthodox vocals combined with great music might not be the most common combination in music, but nothing extraordinary was ever common. This is a very fun album, and the various moods presented in the songs takes you on a fun (albeit strange) musical journey. A good listen.
Best Tracks: Float On, Ocean Breathes Salty, Bukowski, The View



7. Chuck - Sum 41
Reflections: While not quite as good as 2002's spectacular Does This Look Infected?, Sum 41's latest album does leave me feeling very, very satisfied. This album rocks hard, just like the last one, and it proves that Sum 41 is still the best thing in punk-pop today. While there are a couple notable weak points on the album (the slower "Slipping Away" destroys the pace and character of the album, and I almost always skip it) for the most part this album stands up as one of the year's best. I still rock out to it.
Best Tracks: 88, Open Your Eyes, All To Blame



6. The Empire Strikes First - Bad Religion
Reflections: 2004 blessed us with yet another Bad Religion album, and like 2002's The Process of Belief one can see that Bad Religion truly has returned to their rocking ways. While this album isn't as good as Process, it still has some amazing tracks on it. Where does it stand in the Bad Religion pantheon? Pretty high up in my book. Still an example of punk rock at its finest.
Best Tracks: Atheist Peace, God's Love, All There Is, To Another Abyss



5. The College Dropout - Kanye West
Reflections: Every once in a while you hear a song that makes you think "holy shit, that's hot." This is basically an entire album of those songs. Easily the best hip-hop album of the year (and possibly of the last couple years) this disc represents all that is good about rap music. The hooks and samples are pure genius and Kanye's raps are solid and witty. He also does something that most rappers don't want to do - he raps about all sorts of topics [not just "bitches and ice" as he says on the disc.] After hearing "Jesus Walks" I knew I had to hear the rest of this disc, and all I got was one hell of a pleasant suprise. This is one you need to hear to believe. Only fault of this disc is too many skits, especially one stretch near the end of the album of "skit-worst song on the album-skit-skit" which is just awful. No need for crap-filler, Kanye. You've got enough talent.
Best Tracks: Jesus Walks, The New Workout Plan, Through The Wire, All Falls Down



4. Funeral - The Arcade Fire
Reflections: I found about this album through various music sites, so I gave it a whirl. I absolutely loved it. This album has such amazingly rich instrumentation that the songs just jump out at you and grab you - they sound like classics the first time you hear them. Add in vocals that I can only describe as Pixies-esque and you've got something new, something innovative, and something really good. Not the easiest album to jump right into, but really freaking good. This album reminds me a great deal of The Flaming Lips' Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots, and that's not a bad thing at all.
Best Tracks: Neighborhood #2 (Laika), Neighborhood #3 (Power Out), Haiti, Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels)



3. Album of the Year - The Good Life
Reflections: Tim Kasher follows up his band Cursive's 2003 masterpiece The Ugly Organ with this spectacular outing from his side project, The Good Life. Choosing between this album and the eventual #1 was quite a hard pick - almost a toss-up in my mind. This album is possibly the best specimen of coherent songwriting I've ever seen and Kasher brilliantly tells the story of a year in his life and the ups and downs of relationships. The album artwork is also brilliant, as the Album of the Year concept is carried out by assigning each of the 12 songs a month, and presenting the album art as a mini-calendar. Good stuff.
Best Tracks: Album of the Year, Night and Day, Notes In His Pockets



2. Wet From Birth - The Faint
Reflections: Yet another Saddle Creek representative near the top of the list. The Faint are hard to describe - a mixture of electronica with almost punk sensibilities. The end result is music that makes you feel alive. This is the most energetic album I've ever heard, and the first four tracks are a barrage of quality.
Best Tracks: I Disappeared, Southern Belles In London Sing, Desperate Guys, Birth




1. Three Cheers For Sweet Revenge
My Chemical Romance
Reflections: This album only takes the #1 slot because it's the rockingest album I've heard since AFI's Sing The Sorrow last year. The first track is a little weak, but then the three-track barrage of "Give 'Em Hell Kid", "To The End", and "You Know What They Do To Guys Like Us In Prison" kicks in and the album takes off at a blistering pace. Loud, dark, great music - simply put. The only bad thing about this album is that now the first single has hit MTV ["I'm Not Ok (I Promise)"] I'm afraid a lot of little goth shits will start liking MCR and a horrible stigma will be attached to the band. They took away Marilyn Manson and Linkin Park from me and damned if I will let MTV win this round. Bastards. Anyway, great album. The continuity and flow on this album is rediculous.
Best Tracks: Give 'Em Hell Kid, To The End, Hang 'Em High

I would list all the albums I listened to this year in considering this list, but honestly I don't feel like listing them - there are far too many.

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