Faves of the Aughts.

As the decade drew to a close, I began to ponder what my favorite albums of the 00's (more simply the "aughts") were. Here's what I came up with.

Morrissey – You Are The Quarry (2004)
Most pop stars have to be dead before they reach the iconic status Steven Patrick Morrissey has achieved within his lifetime. Morrissey sheds his enigmatic, sexually ambiguous Smiths persona on You Are The Quarry. His sumptuous baritone wells with intense emotion as he denounces Oliver Cromwell, the Tory Party and the repressive Catholic Church that turned his childhood into a living hell. Amidst sensitive balladry and cathartic stompers, swirling piano and serrated guitar, Morrissey steps into the spotlight as a human being complex and flawed, on an album that is complex and flawless.

Nickel Creek – Why Should The Fire Die (2005)
Since their 1993 debut, the progressive bluegrass group has been composing melodically masterful tunes complete with lush three-part harmonies and charming twang. But what differentiates Fire from their other albums? This album really rocks. The string band remained traditional in their use of acoustic-only instrumentation, but their sonic scope broadened dramatically. The chromatic lilt of “Jealous Of The Moon”” is more reminiscent of R.E.M. than Ralph Stanley. With Why Should The Fire Die, Nickel Creek carried the American tradition of bluegrass into the 21st century.

Arctic Monkeys – Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not (2006)
Alex Turner was a 16-year-old Brit with big ears, a thick Cockney accent and keen observational abilities. When Turner decided to pick up a guitar and put his stories – inspired by drunken teenagers, young prostitutes and North England nightclubs – to music, the result was a prolific punk outfit with a sound as raw as their message. In the span of thirteen songs, Turner and company encapsulate the gritty realities of an angry, exploited generation. Remember the teenage wasteland that The Who described in “Baba O’Reilly”? New generation, same wasteland.