#1 - Fiona Apple - Extraordinary Machine Leaked early in the year in its incomplete, Jon Brion-produced form, this album landed on top of my list. Later it was officially released and, to my surprise, sounded even better. Over the course of just three albums (in ten years!), Apple has established herself as one of the most talented singer-songwriters working today. And I must stress both sides of that equation -- her vocals are unmatched, impressive not so much because of her range but her ability to deliver a true performance in every song. She sings angry, resigned, wrecked, even happy... she knows when to whisper, laugh and scream. And her writing just gets better and better, tempos shifting on a dime, always taking you to unexpected but perfect places. Extraordinary Machine comes up just short of When the Pawn, but so does just about every album I've ever heard. This is another masterpiece.
#2 - Ben Folds - Songs for Silverman To the dismay of some fans, but to my delight, Ben Folds got serious on his second solo album, delivering a series of heartfelt songs about fatherhood, religious hypocrisy and the loss of a beloved peer. A line in Folds' tribute to the late Elliott Smith captures the essence of his greatness as a lyricist: "Elliott, man, you played a fine guitar, and some dirty basketball." I'd read plenty of articles about Smith's passing but none put a lump in my throat the way that line did... it strips away all the clichéd noise about a gifted artist's untimely end and makes you see the man behind the music. Folds nails every song on Silverman, in both words and music. My favorite has to be Gracie, a simple lullaby for his "little girl" that I love to share with mine.
#3 - Josh Rouse - Nashville Every few years I stumble upon an artist who's been flying under my radar and I basically fall in love. This year it was Josh Rouse, and I haven't fallen this hard for anybody since Ben Folds Five. It started with Nashville -- picked up for five bucks at the newspaper auction and as perfect a collection of pop songs as you can imagine. Since then I've sought out his five other albums and each is as flawlessly conceived and performed as this great work. The man is constitutionally incapable of writing a bad song, and hops between styles effortlessly. Nashville is a little more straight-forward than some of his genre exercises, but it's possibly his best album, though he has no fewer than three competing for the designation. Rouse, in the course of a few months, has vaulted into my top ten favorite artists.
#4 - Spoon - Gimme Fiction Gimme Fiction was my first exposure to this Austin, Texas band that sounds like they're from Liverpool. It's a heady mix of The Beatles, David Bowie, The Who, and, um, I don't know... Prince? Alternately funky, ominous and hand-clappingly fun, this album is as good a time as you can have in a pair of headphones. A slightly meandering final few songs (and some stellar competition) keep it from climbing even higher on this list.
#5 - Aimee Mann - The Forgotten Arm Continuing her winning streak, Mann delivers another collection of gorgeous melancholy. The Forgotten Arm is a concept record exploring the love life and chemical dependence of a '70s prizefighter. The music, too, channels that era, relying mostly on laid-back piano and acoustic guitar and calling to mind the best of Carly Simon and Carole King. Five albums into her solo career, Mann continues to surprise and delight.
#6 - White Stripes - Get Behind Me Satan This album was my first real exposure to this "it" band, and I can definitely understand the hype. Ironically, what got me interested in this hard rocking duo was Jack White's production of country legend Loretta Lynn's Van Lear Rose album a year ago. Get Behind Me Satan displays some of those hillbilly influences, but so much more, including a little doo-wop, lovely piano ballads, some scorching guitar ditties and a twist.
#7 - Kanye West - Late Registration The man with the biggest ego in show business mostly backs it up with this elegant album, fusing traditional rap with piano, R&B and orchestral flourishes honed by genius producer Jon Brion. West delivers the expected songs on cars, babes and bling but also moving work about his mother, conflict diamonds, family sickness and addiction. No individual track reaches the heights of Jesus Walks off his debut album, but overall it's a much stronger work.
#8 - Bruce Springsteen - Devils & Dust You know it was a good year for music when this superb album can't climb higher than #8. I guess I'm a sucker for the non-arena Springsteen, because I consider this his finest album since Nebraska. Lovely, atmospheric production frames these powerful songs about loneliness, regret and loss. This release, coupled with his excellent new cover album, has lifted Springsteen to a whole new level of artistry. Not bad for a 56-year-old.
#9 - Beck - Guero Beck continues his winning streak, following the heartbreaking Sea Change with a return to his R&B/funk roots. Guero plays sort of like a greatest hits record, touching on each of the styles Beck has perfected over his first five albums. What's remarkable is how nicely the summer-fun groove of Girl sits alongside the orchestral dirge of Broken Drum and the electro-pop of Hell Yes. It works so well because Beck has become his own genre.
#10 - The Wallflowers - Rebel, Sweetheart Jakob Dylan remains one of the most underrated songwriters working today. Perhaps its his inability to (impossibly) live up to his father's legend, or the fact that he writes the sort of straightforward rock-n-roll that doesn't call attention to itself. Anyway, here he delivers another batch of catchy, provocative, infectiously melodic tunes, including an addictive country rave-up and a couple of marvelous acoustic ballads.

11. Garbage - Bleed Like Me
12. Shelby Lynne - Suit Yourself
13. Coldplay - X&Y
14. Michale Penn - Mr. Hollywood, Jr. 1945
15. Fountains of Wayne - Out-of-State Plates
16. Ryan Adams & the Cardinals - Cold Roses
17. Lucinda Williams - Live at the Fillmore
18. Glen Phillips - Winter Pays for Summer