“Top Ten Albums of 2004”

Here are my selections, very personal and opinionated, for the 10 best albums of the past year. I didn’t listen to everything that came out but I did try to listen to everything that I thought I should listen to or knew I might like. I hope there’s something here that you’ll like, too.

10. Sam Phillips, “A Boot and a Shoe.” The sound of this album is a marked departure from the Beatles-influenced, edgy pop that culminated in Phillips’ 1996 disc “Omnipop.” Maybe doing the instrumental music for “Gilmore Girls” has pointed her in this new direction. Nearly every instrument on the disc, starting with her guitar, is acoustic. The songs can venture into Kurt Weill territory both musically and lyrically and others are songs of love and longing. The album’s highlight is the gorgeous “Reflecting Light.”

9. Rufus Wainwright, “Want Two.” Sometimes only one song on an album will make that album a Top Ten contender and that’s pretty much the case with “Want Two.” This disc is the companion to last year’s marvelous “Want One” (number two on 2003’s Top Ten) but is nowhere near as terrific. There are a few good songs, notably “The Art Teacher,” but the standout, and the song that makes this album a keeper, is the lovely, fragile “Peach Trees.”

8. Finn Brothers, “Everyone Is Here.” The Finn Brothers is one of the many musical faces of Neil Finn. His work as the leader of Crowded House, his two solo albums, and a previous release with brother Tim, all have a separate identity but each has an undercurrent of melancholy. Neil is the draw here but the contributions of brother Tim, especially “Luckiest Man Alive,” are just as good.

7. Nellie McKay, “Get Out of My Way.” A dazzling debut album by a piano-thumping singer-songwriter who is still a teenager. The disc is a mix of musical styles from pseudo-rap to the take on Doris Day that is “I Wanna Get Married.” She’s angry at men and upset about politics and she’s also very funny and swears like a sailor. The album was smartly produced by Geoff Emerick, who ran tape and fetched tea for the Beatles.

6. Ron Sexsmith, “Retriever.” Even though Sexsmith’s melodies could have been written by Neil Finn and his phrasing recalls the less angry Elvis Costello, he is a distinctive talent. His lyrics are smart and, on occasion, his heart is on his sleeve. “Imaginary Friends” is about people who are only on your side when times are good, “Happiness” is reminiscent of “Sunny Afternoon”-era Kinks, and “How On Earth” is a wonderful love song in which he ponders how he could possibly have found the one.

5. Lloyd Cole, “Music in a Foreign Language.” Cole’s latest disc, his 7th solo effort, is mainly acoustic, an attempt to recreate in the studio what his solo concerts sound like (and if you saw his packed gig at Club Café last spring you’ll know what I mean). Cole has been around since the early 80s, first with the Commotions backing him up, and then on his own. His voice is world weary and his lyrics are intelligent without being obscure. Highlights of the CD include “Cutting Out” and “Today I’m Not So Sure” a song about the end of a marriage that is neither sappy nor mean spirited.

4. Suzzy and Maggie Roche, “Why the Long Face?” Suzzy and Maggie Roche, along with their sister Terre, were for many years know as The Roches. Their last album as a group came out in 1996 and I lost touch with them musically after Suzzy’s first solo effort in 1997. The new album recalls the best of the trios’ albums, with lovely harmonies and, in “The Long, Lonely Road To Nowhere,” smart, cynical lyrics. The duo re-record two Roches’ numbers, “Broken Places” and “One Season,” and they fit in perfectly with the new material.

3. Keane, “Hopes and Fears.” Keane is a piano-bass-and-drums trio from England that writes songs that are sad but beautiful. “She Has No Time” and “We Might As Well Be Strangers” are great examples of how this band’s music can break your heart. The keyboard work of Tim Rice-Oxley is an important element in the band’s success but the secret weapon is the go-for-broke vocals of Tom Chaplin.

2. Chris Difford, “I Didn’t Get Where I Am.” Difford was a founding member of Squeeze. He wrote the lyrics to all of the songs and, when he did sing, he mostly sang backing vocals. I didn’t expect much from this album and, as a result, I was knocked out by its sweetness. The disc was produced by Francis Dunnery, another favorite of mine, who also co-wrote most of the songs. Sung perfectly straight by Difford, “Cowboys Are My Weakness” is terrific.

1. David Mead, “Indiana.” This is Mead’s third album and the third time an album of his has ended up as the best album for that year (in my opinion). “Indiana” is a more striped down affair instrumentally than his previous CDs, but Mead’s lyrics and melodies continue to delight. Yes, he sings like a girl but his album has more good songs than any other album this year. The last song, “Queensboro Bridge,” is a heartbreaking song about leaving on a jet plane and is one of the best songs of the year.