THE TOP 50 ALBUMS OF ‘09

Whether you’re into 80s-pilfering synth-slenderness, shoegazey wall of sounds, south London wordsmith wonders, banjo-playing folk retrogrades, large-lunged red-haired mystiques, falsetto- voiced pompousness, Holy Bible sequels or just really like the name Fuck Buttons, albums in 2009 had it all. Here, after a really quite braincell-bombing poll between our esteemed writers, we give you The Fly’s Top 50 Albums Of 2009…

50

Chairlift
‘Does You Inspire You’
(Columbia)

Originally released at the tail end of ’08, and therefore missing our Albums Of ’08 feature, a re-release earlier this year means ‘Does You Inspire You’ finally gets a deserved place in an end-of-year poll. Rightly so, too, ‘Bruises’, ‘Planet Health’ and ‘Earwig Town’ are the sound of an electro band working on a more intimately intricate level than their synth-wielding NY peers.

ND

49

Girls
‘Album’
(Turnstile)

It’s rare that a band delivers on their hype but if anything, Girls exceeded expectation. Woozy opener ‘Lust For Life’ sets the scene for a hazy road-trip of loneliness, loss and love on a debut that never, ever runs out of gas. Amazing.

SK

48

Golden Silvers
‘True Romance’
(XL)

A collection of equally diverse and elating pop songs, ‘True Romance’ dabbles in Barbershop harmonising, Ian Dury & The Blockheads cockney ramblings and charming Mystery Jets-esque singalong choruses. Golden Silvers’ album was a jubilantly cherished highlight of 2009.

HG

47

Speech Debelle
‘Speech Therapy’
(Big Dada)

Forget the Mercury prize win and just spin the record: it’s a massively confident, self-aware set of modern hip-hop songs with live jazz, nu-beats and cracking backings to the street poetry of Corynne Elliott, a spiky and skilful
character.

JS

46

HEALTH
‘Get Color’
(Cityslang)

‘Colour’, or, for yank’s sake, ‘color’, isn’t a word most would associate with HEALTH; Jake Duszik’s hazy vocals feel like they’re being sung to by a ghost and the band’s sound comprises of industrial texturing. Aptly titled or not, ‘Get Color’s metallic swathes are utterly sublime.

ST

45

La Roux
‘La Roux’
(Polydor)

2009 was the year Elly Jackson stepped up to fill the androgynous pop boots of Annie Lennox and Robyn. The synths in ‘Bulletproof’ were snapped up by every advertising campaign going, sounding like the future and the 80’s simultaneously. A shimmering debut.

JH

44

Franz Ferdinand
‘Tonight: Franz Ferdinand’
(Domino)

Bloc Party, Kaiser Chiefs, Razorlight; in terms of albums 2008 was a dire year for the mid-noughties indie-to-arena revolution. But then 2009 opened with ‘Tonight…’, an incredible funk-fuelled riot that thrills from start to finish. It was surely all downhill from here…

SK

43

Fuck Buttons
‘Tarot Sport’
(ATP)

The result of a team-up with respected techno-twiddler Andrew Weatherall, Fuck Buttons already unique brand of beautifully sculpted noise took a hit of 90s dance nostalgia, and morphed into an incongruously of-the-moment slab of exhilaration.

SJC

42

PJ Harvey & John Parish
‘A Woman, A Man Walked By’
(Island)

A wailing banshee has come for your soul; don’t bother resisting. At times pastoral, at others frightening, PJ Harvey
has fun hollering while John Parish brilliantly elects not to over egg the pudding. When not barking like a dog, Harvey insists she “wants your fucking ass”. Thrilling.

ED

41

The Boxer Rebellion
‘Union’
(Self-Released)

The Boxer Rebellion’s rise from dumped coulda-beens to self-made founders of their own destiny showed
the world that grit, determination and a smattering of talent really can get you places. ‘Union’ was a coming together of elements that defied all odds, a virtual masterpiece.

SB