My Ten Best Albums Of the Decade
As you may have noticed if you’ve been following along this year, I really enjoy making lists of personal favorites. Whether that be pizza, beer, food in general, I always find it interesting to get individual perspectives on things that they enjoy; so I throw my thoughts in there too. As we come to the end of the decade (how flippin insane is that?) I listened to a whole bunch of music while doing my usual work and decided to throw together a list of my favorite albums from this decade. With all the busyness of life, the craziness of the world right now, and how hectic everything can be in general, music feels like the one safe space where you can just sorta enjoy being in the moment that you’re in and not have to worry about what is next on your to-do list. And with the advancement of streaming capabilities and technology that puts any song ever released merely seconds away, music is one of the most relatable things that we all have in common as humans. So, as an obvious preface- this is my personal list. I am very far from a musical expert or even someone of unbelievable taste. I get that everyone reading this will probably have different tastes across the spectrum, but hopefully you find something new on this list that becomes a new favorite for you as well. And other than “Southeastern” being number one on the list, there isn’t really an order of ascendancy for the albums.
Jason Isbell, “Southeastern” 2013
I met Hillary in early October of 2014. On our second date, she told me that she had an extra ticket for Isbell’s show at the end of the month. Having never heard of him, and wanting to hang out with/impress this new girl that I was already falling in love with, I immediately downloaded the album on Spotify and it became the only thing I listened to for the next few weeks. Our first concert aside, the album is spectacular and every song is an absolute hit. “Cover Me Up” is my favorite song of the decade; a love song that goes through Jason’s struggles with addiction and eventual redemption through his lover’s impact on his sobriety and ability to bring himself back. “Elephant” is a haunting acoustic melody from a bystanders’ perspective of someone going through cancer at a young age and the effect someone’s illness has on others around them; the line “no one dies with dignity, we just try to ignore the elephant somehow” is the most harrowing of the album, and is one that sticks in my mind when I think about Southeastern. On the other side of the spectrum, “Super 8” is straight up Led Zeppelin vibes of “Gimme Two Steps”; it’s a southern rock hit that rocks even harder live (it’s on his most recent live album release if you want to check it out). The album is 100% a 10/10 and will be for a long time.
Bleachers, “Gone Now” 2017
In May of 2017, I was surprisingly laid off from my first job. We were under contract on our first home that was being built, had just gone to Europe for two weeks, were moving into a new short-term apartment, knew that we would be shortly considering starting to have a child (or two). In other words, I was sorta financially freaking out. Needed a pick me up. Insert Bleachers “Gone Now” record. I had always been a fan of the band Fun. and I found out that their drummer was the front man for Bleachers. A mix of electronic, sax, trumpet, and pop, “Gone Now” is full of songs that are worthy of cranking the volume to 11 and jamming out. I spent that whole summer listening to “I Miss Those Days”, “Dreams of Mickey Mantle”, “Foreign Girls”. The album has a pretty heavy 80’s vibe, which seems to be a pretty common theme of new music over the past decade. No complaints here; there isn’t a second of this album that doesn’t put me in a better mood. Now I just need some more music from them. Gimme all the horns on the next album, too.
Adele, “21” 2011
“21” was my first introduction to Adele, really. Highschool Drew wasn’t really feeling what Adele was putting out on “19”. However, the first time “Rolling In the Deep” came on the radio, everyone knew that she was the talent of the decade. In my meager opinion, no one’s vocal talent comes close to Adele. She can be in a deep bass run and transition to a falsetto the way that Tiger Woods can flop a shot from any lie and put it two feet from the pin. Yes- her voice is being compared by me to the most dominant athlete of all time. “Set Fire To the Rain” is an iconic song that does a masterful job at utilizing the melody of the instruments building to a chorus of Adele once again using her ridiculous pipes that has become an anthem for her career. While her music isn’t something I listen to often, I can definitely appreciate her as an extremely talented artist that allows her personal experiences to flow through her music instead of just using her popularity to carry her albums without having to actually talk about anything real.
Leon Bridges, “Coming Home” 2015
Everyone that isn’t a millennial or a Gen X’er wants to claim that their decade of music is superior and that no music coming out “these days” is any good or wholesome. While I think that there is some premise to that argument, I don’t think it’s entirely true. Enter stage right, Leon Bridges. If you told someone that had never heard of Bridges that this album came out in the late 60s or 70s, they’d most likely believe you. Heck, maybe even 50s. One of the most soulful albums of the decade, “Coming Home” is the vocal equivalent of sitting on a porch swing with your grandma and listening to her old records with a glass of sweet tea while you snap some peas or peel corn stalks before dinner. “River” is an acoustic, raw melody of Leon asking for forgiveness while also recognizing the human emotion of feeling too dirty for the redemption. “Smooth Sailin’” starts off with the horns that are so recognizable of older times, while slipping into Leon’s sultry voice beckoning to a woman that he sees on the street that he just wants to tag along with, promising not to weigh her down while she conquers what he knows she’s capable of. The whole album is a story of two elements: his desire for his soul to be redeemed, intermingled with the element of human love and the desire for companionship. He strikes true on both. I’m stoked for whatever is on the horizon for Leon Bridges.
John Mayer, “Born and Raised” 2012
When your first album that really skyrockets your career is “Continuum”, it’s pretty much impossible to go anywhere but down for the rest of your career. Unless you’re John Mayer, who is not only a top three lyricist of our generation, but he’s a fantastic guitar player (and owns over two hundred guitars himself) that also plays every instrument in the production of his albums. If there is someone that you want to write down in sharpie as someone that is still going to be talked about a generation from now because of their music, it is John Mayer. On to the album…this one isn’t the prototypical “full of hits” record that has been customary of his career, but rather it’s an album full of songs that gravitate you towards the lyrics; songs that speak of the hardships of life, the busyness that makes life feel like it’s going by too fast and we spend too many of our days not even living. “Walt Grace’s Submarine Test, January 1967” is one of the best written songs of the decade, telling an entire story in the span of four minutes that will leave you trying to decipher it’s meaning after listening. His love ballad “A Face to Call Home” speaks on his issues of commitment and feeling like he needs to keep himself available, but meeting someone that makes him feel like they’re worth settling down and melding lives together. The title track “Born and Raised” is full of gut-punching lines going through his experiences of being raised in a life that moves quickly, where you seem to age without even noticing it all going by. And in the end, it’s such a waste to grow up lonely. John Mayer is a treasure to this generation’s music catalog, and his career tops anyone in the folk/indie/pop genre right now.
The War On Drugs, “A Deeper Understanding” 2017
This one is interesting, because TWOD was a band that I hadn’t really listened to other than a song here or there on an indie Spotify station probably. And I wouldn’t have checked it out until Brad Parker mentioned it to me in my end of 2017 album list. The album is littered with different electronic sounding vibes, songs that are higher pitched and more focused on the guitar rhythms, and others that are more melodic. My first impression on Adam Granduciel’s voice was Bob Dylan, with the syrupy pitch that he’s able to use throughout different ranges. My appreciation for this album definitely leans more towards the music production compared to the actual lyrics, but there are some songs that hit real hard. My favorite song on the album “In Chains” sounds like something you’d hear on a Bruce Springsteen album in his prime. The lyrics lament about someone being so tied up in someone while being helpless to the other losing interest and moving on; something that most people have felt at some point in their lives. On “Up All Night” Adam laments about the affect that love can have on people, something hidden and kept away and the feeling of stepping out and letting then letting their feelings come in to the light for the other to see and the risk of feeling vulnerable. And every great line is accentuated by the music. Many people feel that their 2014 record “Lost In The Dream” is their best to date, but I lean towards “A Deeper Understanding”.
Justin Timberlake, “The 20/20 Experience- Part One” 2013
Justin Timberlake is right in the conversation for the most overall talented individual on the planet; other contestants include Jamie Foxx, Jennifer Lopez, and Steve Martin. But out of them all, JT is my guy. Can act decently well, might be the best male dancer in music (woman beater Chris Brown, you don’t get to count), and has a pretty decent voice. You’re not going to listen to one of his albums and come away thinking about how deep and thoughtful his lyrics are, most likely. You’re going to come away thinking, “That’s baby making music.” Just calling it how I see it. There is a huge instrumental spectrum to this two part album, from acoustic guitar to big band horns that intermingle throughout each individual song. As I said, a huge part of JT’s repertoire is his dancing ability, so it makes sense that his album’s give him the ability to put on a killer show performance on tour, and from everything I’ve heard he did just that on this tour. “Suit and Tie” was the iconic hit of the album, and pushed itself up toward the top of the list of JT’s all-time hit list. The music, the subtle hits of the horns, and the music video all combine to provide an instant classic. My favorite song on the album, “That Girl” is my favorite lyrical song that he put on the album, with catchy little lines like “So what, you’re from the other side of the tracks, so what, the world don’t think we match, I’ll put it down like my love’s on wax.” As I said, not the deepest, but it’s catchy, and the whole album is chock full of catchy lines and excellent production that made it an instant Timberlake classic. I’m not a huge fan the second part of 20/20 as it’s more explicit and not what I customarily listen to, but it’s easy to see why JT’s has built the career and talent empire that he has.
Alabama Shakes, “Boys & Girls” 2013
There are certain albums that just become ear worms and are ones that you’ll probably return to forever. For me, “Boys & Girls” happens to be one of those. Not entirely sure why, but I loved it the first time I heard it and find myself going back and revisiting every couple of months. Brittany Howard has a ridiculous vocal range, and can let it rip with the best of them. “Hold On” is the single that really helped this record take off on the radio, and it’s obvious why. The slow build with the lyrics as well as the music of the song build up to a chorus that amplifies the instruments into an anthem of a chorus that you can’t help but belt out in the car, shower, wherever you happen to be when you hear it. I’m hoping that Alabama Shakes makes it back together after Howard’s solo album, because they put out solid rock music consistently with everything they do.
My next two albums are from 2019. I figured I wouldn’t get any in here due to recency bias and wanted to focus on some “older stuff”, but these are two records I will definitely come back to often.
Maggie Rogers, “Heard It In A Past Life” 2019
A few years ago, Maggie Rogers had a bit of a viral moment when Pharell heard her song, “Alaska” for the first time. He cried while listening to it, which was obviously a pretty impactful moment for a fairly unknown artist. Unfortunately, we had to wait a few years to get a full debut album from her. Fortunately, it’s freaking spectacular. It’s a contender for album of the year for me, and this has been a really good year for music. Not only does Maggie have a great, fluid voice, she has the best vocal production of any artist around right now (obviously just my opinion). Whether it’s how her back-up vocals (that are all her own) are placed and layered throughout the song, or the electronics that go along with the lyrics, it’s all perfectly done. On the track “Burning” it immediately starts off with a catchy chime/drum/synth combo that gets your head bopping along. The song is about someone guiding you back to who you are after getting stuck in the rut of your every day life that can bog you down in complacency. “Back In My Body” is the album’s last song and proverbial anthem, where she says about the meaning behind the song, “ Being back in my body means being able to do the things I love, but do them in the way I love, and in my way, and in my time, giving myself the opportunity to just be me.” In my opinion, it’s going to be really difficult to reach the level of excellence this album carries for her subsequent albums.
The Head and the Heart, “Living Mirage” 2019
As I’ve highlighted a few times in going through these personal favorites, I really like when bands are able to show a broad range of musical ability across the spectrum. The Head and the Heart’s early music is pretty muted, emotional lyrical ballads that had you focusing a lot more on the solemnness of the lyrics compared to their instrumental prowess. “Living Mirage”, however, is what I consider one of the best musical albums in recent memory. On “People Need A Melody”, the song starts off as a low level acoustic balance, merging the voices of Charity Thielen and the male leads of Josiah Johnson and Jonathan Russell where the three show the great vocal chemistry they have built over their four albums. At the other side of the spectrum, “Brenda” carries a heavy electronic vibe, with pop-style vocals that help raise the pace of the song throughout. The main single from the album, “Missing Connection” is a fast-paced, The Killers style hit that once again highlights the harmony that the lead vocalists have. Most albums that come out from bands that I seem to enjoy these days, there are a few songs that I like and then some that I can just skip over every time. This is one of the only albums from the year that I feel like consistently delivers from the first second to the last.
