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Pretty self explanatory really. Like everyone man and his dog has done, here’s my favourite albums of 2009. Little mentions should go out to: The XX, 5 Years of Hyperdub, Bombay Bicycle Club, Atlas Sound, Fanfarlo….your albums are very good. But not top ten good.

10. White Denim- Fits

Fits, the follow up to White Denim’s stunning first effort Workout Holiday, built upon the foundations placed down on that first album and turned them into a much more intricate, sprawling collection of songs. From the devilish ‘Say What You Want’ through to the shimmering ‘Regina Holding Hands’, the band attacked a number of genres with great venom in their Texan tails to produce an album that is fun, sexy, emotional and often totally bonkers.

9. Arctic Monkeys- Humbug

For a band that is basically the biggest contemporary guitar act in the country, any new release is always going to be weighed down with the heavy load of very close scrutiny and expectation. The third album form the Arctic Monkeys got a mixed reception from fans and critics alike and, personally, I thought it was pretty much a sprawling mess of half baked ideas on first listen. However, given the chance, Humbug really gets under your skin and leaves the previous two albums by the band seeming slightly immature and one dimensional. The stylish little guitar lines know to place themselves on perfect occasions throughout the songs, the atmosphere of the whole affair is much darker and the sublime drumming of Matt Helders comes second only to Alex Turner’s consistently intriguing but vivid lyrics.

8. Jamie T- Kings and Queens

After nearly falling into a pit of obscurity with the barely noticed single ‘Fire Fire’, Jamie T seemed to pull his socks up and get his game on. The resulting album, Kings and Queens, is a fantastic piece of JT style pop which takes on a plethora of genres from Dylanesque folk to ska via rap (sometimes all in one song). This album has so many emotions and points of view in abundance- gritty, bitter, regretful in equal measures to upbeat, life affirming and light hearted. It could be easy to dislike Jamie T, but in reality he’s far too loveable for that and deserves every crumb of success that falls his way.

7. Grizzly Bear- Veckatimest

This is an absolutely fantastic album, I’ll let this do the talking.

6. The Maccabees- Wall of Arms

In a year when second albums quite consistently became the glorious step up they should be (rather than the confused messes they often turn out to be), The Maccabees shone as brightly as anyone. Developing their sound into something much bigger, bolder and often darker- Wall of Arms saw The Maccabees weave love songs in epic, heart swelling proportions while always swimming in sincerity and conviction. Beautiful stuff.

5. Micachu- Vulture

This album- by whizz kid Mica Levi- is one of thrilling opposites and contradictions. Simultaneously minimalistic and complex, equally ridden with “POP SENSIBILITY” as it is falling down Left field tangents and strangely familiar yet paving very new directions. Highlights such as ‘Golden Phone’ and ‘Calculator’ show Michachu’s impeccable sense of fun with the truly nutty structures and tangents never straying too far from the catchy core of the song.

4. Fuck Buttons- Tarrot Sport

The second album from the distinctively un-rock star duo Fuck Buttons is a masterpiece of droney, experimental noise. Each song builds gradually with rhythmic beats, darkly fuzzy synths and cutting screams of distortion all layered very carefully around each other. This otherworldly music perhaps isn’t for those with a short attention span or in need of instant gratification, but spend some quality time with this record and it will transport you far from the ups and downs of everyday life. Whether shuddering  and contorting in barely controlled panic (‘Rough Steez’), syncing the galloping beat into an earth shudderingly euphoric drop (‘The Lisbon Maru’) or gradually building up the force of a steam roller falling down a steep hill (‘Olympians’)- the songs on Tarrot Sport simultaneously expand and blow the listener’s mind.

3. The Horrors- Primary Colours

Not a lot can be said about this album that hasn’t already been mentioned a thousand times. Such is the massively overwhelming consensus that the second album by The Horrors is, often unexpectedly so, absolutely fantastic. With the heady guitars whirring around the kraut-esque synths and Farris Badwan’s nonchalantly delivered vocals and dark, smirking lyrics- the whole band pulled very firmly together in the same direction to create a fully rounded, brilliant album. From the opening waves of ‘Mirrors Image’ to the final shimmering, swirling psychedelia of ‘Sea Within A Sea’, Primary Colours never dips below excellence. For an album which has had so much said about it, maybe singer Faris Badwan should have the last word here. In an interview he likened ‘Sea Within A Sea’ to taking lots of good ecstasy and running down a hill really fast on a sunny day. That, as far as I can tell, seems to be as much of a perfect description for this album as any other.

2. Animal Collective- Merriweather Post Pavillion

Released at the very start of the year, this was almost instantly heralded as what would be one of the albums of the year. But back then I don’t think anyone quite knew how good this was. Although perhaps poppier than previous Animal Collective albums, MPP is most definitely a grower and, as time went on, this album soared in popularity, taking the name of Animal Collective with it. With African style rhythms, sing-song melodies, 60′s style pop filtered through for an electronic generation, moments of calm, points of pure exuberance, psychedelic plates of bass, many overlapping vocal parts and so much more besides, this album is like having unrestricted access to the fragmented consciousness of someone tripping balls on acid. Most importantly though, Merriweather Post Pavilion is an album painted with such rich detail and with so many textures, it leaves you discovering new things about it on the 200th listen just as much as you did after the 2nd.

1. Wild Beasts- Two Dancers

The second album by Wild Beasts saw them up their game considerably and, finally, get the credit they deserve. From the carefully constructed, heavy hearted opener of ‘Fun Powder Plot’ through to the glorious curtain closer ‘The Empty Nest’, Two Dancers is a consistently breathtaking album. What may have seemed initially like slightly duller moments of the album gradually revealed themselves to be most striking (the sad, scary lyrics about being gang raped in the title track springs to mind) and what were the most instantly accessible songs (‘All The King’s Men’, ‘Hooting and Howling’) only got better with time. This is an album of incredible strength where immense sadness, an unbeatable idea of fun, deep introspection, celebration and a wonderful sense of humour are all articulated with alarming precision. This is my album of the year because it is strikingly unique yet  often fun and always captivating. It is, quite simple, a beautiful and magical album.