Concluding a countdown of my favorite albums of 2005…
#1 – Nashville – Josh Rouse
Two years ago I was all set to name this album my #1 of 2004 when I realized I had mis-dated it. I ended up posting Taylor Swift’s latest single as a placeholder instead.
Well, during that time I made it through ’75, ’85, and ’95, and now I’m back to finally sing the praises of Josh Rouse’s Nashville — the best album of this or pretty much any year.
Continuing a countdown of my favorite albums of 2005…
#2 – Extraordinary Machine – Fiona Apple
Here’s an album that could have been on this list twice.
Fiona Apple’s long-awaited follow-up to 1999’s When the Pawn… was initially recorded with producer Jon Brion before being shelved (either by the record label, the artist herself, or some combination of the two, depending on which version of events you choose to believe).
That “bootleg” version was later leaked in full to rapturous reviews, causing fans to lobby for an official release that never happened.
Continuing a countdown of my favorite albums of 2005…
#3 – Kerosene – Miranda Lambert
In 2004, Miranda Lambert was a 20-year-old aspiring musician who had just finished third on the reality show Nashville Star. She recorded her first album, Kerosene, and released it the following year to positive reviews but little fanfare.
Nineteen years later, she has won more Country Music Association awards than any other artist in history, with 14 celebrated albums under her belt and a certain spot in the Country (and Rock?) Hall of Fame.
Continuing a countdown of my favorite albums of 2005…
#4 – Songs for Silverman – Ben Folds
Ben Folds’ second solo album dropped the tongue-in-cheek, juvenile elements of his previous work in favor of a more mature, thoughtful song cycle. Some fans were disappointed in the direction, but I was delighted.
Don’t get me wrong… I love many of Folds’ silly songs. But I also love to see artists evolve and explore new territory, especially when they are as talented musically and lyrically as Ben Folds.
Continuing a countdown of my favorite albums of 2005…
#5 – Devils & Dust – Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Springsteen’s 13th studio album, Devils & Dust, came three years after the celebrated The Rising but was more in the style of the album that preceded that one, 1995’s The Ghost of Tom Joad.
The other touchpoint would be 1982’s Nebraska, suggesting that Springsteen has one of these somber acoustic albums in him every decade.
Meet Me In Montauk 