My Top 10 Albums of 2005: #10 - #6

#10: Queens of the Stone Age - Lullabies To Paralyze
Queens of the Stone Age again delivered their bizarre brand of rock, albeit a little more atmospheric than headbanging than I'm accustomed to. The whole album's given a nice touch that I thought could endear them to many new listeners, but perhaps the quirkiness or simply the band's experimental approach to music (they swap instruments around for basically every song) will leave them a little in the shadows. As with the other Queens records, I can't like it all as the styles vary so much, but it's packed with terrific tracks such as I Never Came, Little Sister and In My Head. It snuck into my top 10 because I've liked it for so long and expect that to continue to in 2006.

#9: The Futureheads - The Futureheads
There's something about the Futureheads that I really like but have difficulty defining. They're witty and often nonsensically enjoyable. Their music chops and changes, even in the 2 minute songs that line the album. The signatorial Queen-like harmonies are fantastic and their Northern English accents have become endearing. After initially finding their music a little difficult to listen to, this one has really grown on me, with great songs like Meantime, Carnival Kids and the awesome Decent Days And Nights, which I love even more after seeing Hot Hot Heat cover it. The Futureheads' pure originality (at least to my ears), plus it's a "grower", have secured it in my top 10.

#8: Coldplay - X & Y
Coldplay may have been lambasted by the critics, who claim they churned out another samey album full of cliches and have played it safe. The opening single Speed Of Sound didn't exactly help to dispell that argument either. However, as they've designed this album to be played to arenas packed with thousands, the songs are more epic and less innocent. It doesn't really muck about. It matches their status as one of the biggest bands in the world. I just so happen to really love amped up stadium rock, so White Shadows, Talk and Square One all hit the spot. If anything, I felt they could lose the 30 second piano slowdown endings on the rockier tracks as is done on another great track, Low. The little gem on the "Y-side" is The Hardest Part, which I think combines the piano and lead singer Chris Martin's vocal range best. Incorrectly harsh Internet reviews of this record (and Oasis' Don't Believe The Truth) have made me completely discount any Internet critic's opinion on music, particularly if I've already heard them before.

#7: End of Fashion - End of Fashion
I've followed End of Fashion from their earliest EP and they have done a tremendous job of getting out the album. The new tracks compare well with their old stuff and O Yeah proved to be a hit that might lead them offshore sometime. The album's production certainly hints at that goal. Other new tracks like In Denial and The Game are fantastic and the whole album is very well balanced. Yet I'm still left feeling a little disappointed. The EP tracks I heavily enjoyed have been rerecorded slower and deliver a different impact now. It's as if they haven't defined their style enough on the album and lost a bit of that rock punch that the old tracks delivered. The feeling is comparable to reading a book, then seeing the movie. It still is a great album though. It's one that I'll be listening to for a while and I'll continue to trumpet out the band's praises.

#6: Doves - Some Cities
In essence, Doves were the new Coldplay for me, with their own approaches and sensibilities without Chris Martin's overly political garbage lyrics. There's social commentary of living in industrial Manchester on the two opening (and best) tracks, Black and White Town and Some Cities, but it doesn't come across as heavy, just inspired. With much prompting from Triple J and Rage, I fell in love with Black and White Town. I love everything about that song: the vocals, piano, drum beats, effects, guitar lines and the solo. The rest of the album maintains their spark; if pressed I'd choose The Storm and Almost Forgot Myself as other favourites. I picked up their two older albums before the concert, so to find a band that had been around for over five years out of the blue is the musical discovery of the year for me.