Another year, another $365. (Don’t I wish.) So that was 2005: occasionally brilliant, but otherwise a bit of an underachiever. Compared to last year, it was a lot harder to pick albums I genuinely, wholeheartedly liked. In fact, if you put the 2004 and 2005 lists together, I think most of the top ten would be dominated by 2004 releases. I know what you’re going to tell me, though: “hey, I didn’t see Clap Your Hands Say Yeah / Sufjan Stevens / Antony and the Johnsons / Franz Ferdinand / etc. on your list!” Perhaps one day I’ll get around to listening to all of those albums (except Clap Your Hands Say Yeah; yes, there is a singer more annoying than the love child of Raine Maida and Billy Corgan, and guess what band he fronts!). But probably not.

[the best of the year]
Handsomeboy Technique – Adelie Land
Saint Etienne – Tales from Turnpike House
Mary Timony – Ex-Hex
50 Foot Wave – Golden Ocean
Broadcast – Tender Buttons
Joel Plaskett – La De Da
Petra Haden – Sings The Who Sell Out
Bullette – The Secrets
Ivy – In The Clear

[the honourable mentions]
Dressy Bessy – Electrified
Dirty Three – Cinder
Sleater-Kinney – The Woods
Goldfrapp – Supernature
Thievery Corporation – The Cosmic Game
Broken Social Scene – Broken Social Scene

[the disappointments]
Fiona Apple – Extraordinary Machine
Gemma Hayes – The Roads Don’t Love You
Need New Body – Where’s Black Ben?
Ladytron – The Witching Hour
Caribou – The Milk Of Human Kindness