With the advent of the i-Pod, singles have become more ubiquitous and accessible than albums. The following is an array of songs that helped make 2005 a great year in music. There are songs for every genre: the bittersweet orchestrations of Sufjan Stevens, the rock orientated British invasion, the electropop of Aussie’s Cut Copy and the pensive folk of presario Aimee Mann. All the songs on the list were picked on the criteria on being so good they required pressing repeat more than once and were entertaining enough to endure the entire year. These are the tracks to relish as the year comes to an end and the tracks to take with us into the burgeoning new year.
1. “Chicago,” Sufjan Stevens (Illinois)
Sufjan Stevens has come full circle this year with his brilliant breakthrough album Illinois. The entire album wavers between poignant portraits of the working class to more boisterous songs like “Chicago.” Most of the song has bold and mellifluous orchestrations with dizzying horns creating a sense of optimism, but there’s still an underlying feeling of remorse with the repetitive lyric: “I’ve made a lot of mistakes.” This humanizes the city and the life Stevens so proudly sings about.
2. “Apply Some Pressure,” Maximo Park (A Certain Trigger)
Brit pop made a huge comeback this year and Maximo Park contributed to the deluge with a rocking track off their debut, A Certain Trigger. Loud and unbridled in the beginning, the song plateaus at the chorus as lead singer Paul Smith offers advice: “What happens when you lose everything/you just start again/you start all over again.” A valid recommendation for the impending new year.
3. “I Summon You,” Spoon (Gimme Fiction)
Spoon made a much needed return this year with their impeccableGimme Fiction release. Half way through the album, this song appears with its simplistic strumming guitar and drum beats that pace the chords. The lyrics discuss: “Got the weight of the world/I summon you here my love” and instantly a feeling of calm and comfort is felt as Britt Daniel lets us know we are not alone. And it
