I gave up reviewing records several years ago because while I love having and sharing opinions, it was never my intent to decree one album better or worse than another. Plus, I love musicians and the Nashville music community and I had no interest in distancing myself from them sufficiently to dispassionately rate or rank records made by these fine and good-hearted artists. But I do miss writing about recordings, so with the year coming to a close I thought I’d review (as in re-visit, not critically nitpick) my favorite albums of 2009. It’s not a Top Ten list because to do that I’d have had to listen to everything, and now more than ever, that's impossible. Instead, I’m liberated to write as a music fan rather than a music journalist. It’s the music that came my way and that found its way into my heart. Some of it comes from my clients at String Theory Media, and obviously that’s biased, but the great thing about working with artists who have new music is that I gain an intimacy with the albums that I rarely get as a grazing listener. No surprise then that they became favorites. So take it as intended -- a brisk tour to the music I thought worthy of your attention before we all go headlong into another year of the new.
Julian Lage – Sounding Point
With apologies to all the songwriters out there, this instrumental disc was my favorite album of the year. As a guitar player, it was an epiphany to be introduced to a new jazz virtuoso who’s not only skilled but who has as distinct a voice as any of my very favorites, from Montgomery to Frisell. Just 21, Lage has been groomed for greatness since his single digits. He said he waited to make his debut recording until he felt he had something to say as a composer, and this is where the disc is elevated to greatness. Working at the delicious boundary where traditional acoustic jazz meets chamber music, with more than a few gestures to newgrass (mando god Chris Thile is a guest), Lage finds my sweet spot between convention and experimentation, between consonance and dissonance, between groove and flow. I was happy to see this disc earn a jazz Grammy nomination, and I look forward to being a lifelong fan of this Bay Area genius.
Sarah Siskind – Say It Louder
She’s my old friend and I love her dearly, but that’s not why I must shout from the rooftops about Say It Louder. This is folk-pop perfection – the album that the immensely talented Siskind has been preparing for over her remarkable past decade of growth and success (several cuts by Alison Krauss among other honors). This CD was named Americana Album of the Year at the revived Nashville Music Awards last fall, and I dearly hope it shows up on national critics’ lists; if it doesn’t, they just didn’t listen to it. It’s got the bite and silk of Patty Griffin, the old world yearning of Gillian Welch plus a sharp pop seductiveness. Her melodies jump straight into the heart with their big leaps and curlicue warbles. Jason Lehning's production builds on her natural instrument with a moody soundscape that simmers with subtle grooves and cadences. Song of the year candidate is the lovely, elegiac "Getaway Girl." Highest recommendation imaginable.
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