2009 is a tough year to judge. I’ve checked out more albums this year than any year in the past. Well over 1,000. And there have been quite a few great ones as well. When this list began, it had 110 albums. I abandoned my top 33 and 1/3 for 45, and then said “screw it” and upped the number to an even 50. These are the top notch albums of the year, all worthy of praise.

The Nightgowns are a Tacoma, WA band that creates synth heavy pop music. “Cosmic Clancy” off their LP Sing Something masterfully conveys the buoyancy of synth pop and combines it with mopey-yet-upbeat vocals. Contrasting nicely with “Cosmic Clancy” is “Pppps”. While maintaining the core elements known to the band, it is more a ballad than an upbeat pop tune.