Top 5 Albums of 2009... so far

This is more for my benefit than anyone else. At the end of every year, I try and think back to the music I loved at the start of the year and I can't remember! Calling it getting old or whatever, but it would be nice to have a ranked list that I can pull out of my ass at any time if necessary.
It's a little Hip-Hop heavy, which is either because I've been indulging in the nostalgia of my first musical love, or there have just been some great Hip-Hop releases this year. I'm more inclined to think the latter, because I haven't felt this much love for a bunch of new Hip-Hop since god knows when. Anyways, here it is...



1. The-Dream - Love VS Money
R&B has been in almost worse shape than Hip-Hop, so it was with a mixture of relief and disbelief that this sonically amazing piece of work found it's way out early this year. It raises the bar for the future of R&B, and I can't see anyone who's ready to step up to match it for quite a while.




2. Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
When '1901' blasted out of the bands website in all it's 320kbps glory, it signalled the culmination of this bands existence to this point. They were confident in their precision, in the message they were trying to get across. I wondered how the album could match it, but I needn't have worried. It was assured, there wasn't the genre-hopping confusion present on their earlier releases and it hit all the emotional points lyrically and musically while still finding the time to rock its ass off.




3. Mos Def - The Ecstatic
Ecstatic is the word. A melange of styles, bombastic and eclectic, the albums seeps a little more into your consciousness with each listen. A Street release with worldly ambition, that doesn't overdose on it's charms. Lyrically, Mos is engaged and clear, and throughly enjoying himself over some stellar beats.


4. J Dilla - Jay Stay Paid
Produced by Pete Rock as a way to find some cash for Dilla's still sick mother, it was lovingly put together. The cameo's are reverential and engaging, but not sickly sweet in their sympathy. Dilla's beats are one head-knocker after the other, and become increasingly so after repeated listens.





5. Kurupt and DJ Quik - Blaqout
Just beats out the Meth&Red album of the same name, but this one takes the prize for the boundary stretching beats of the legendary Quik. Kurupt nimbly attacks the music, while Quik jumps in smooth things out, it's a perfect complement. But it is the relentless changing up of styles that's impressive, especially from a producer so steeped in west coast folklore. Can't wait to see what he does next.