Top 10 Albums of 2005

1. Hayes Carll, Little Rock — Still in his 20s, Hayes Carll has already attained the whiskey-drenched, world-weary sound of someone who's battled a lifetime of demons. His second album, Little Rock, is an Americana tour de force that confirms Carll's status among the state's most promising young artists.

• Hayes Carll interview (mp3)

2. Collin Herring, The Other Side of Kindness — I've listened to this album literally dozens of times, from spring to winter, and yet it's almost as though it was too intimidatingly good to review. I need to rectify that before the end of the year. The Other Side of Kindness is just too damn good to overlook.

• The Other Side of Kindness review (added January 2006)

3. Robyn Ludwick, For So Long — Robyn Ludwick's For So Long is a remarkable debut that melds heartfelt country and Appalachian folk with one of the most distinctive voices in Texas music today. It's the rare album that sounds better every time I listen to it.

4. Eliza Gilkyson, Paradise Hotel — From deceit to disaster, romance to rumination, Paradise Hotel is an album of stunning emotional depth. Gilkyson is so adept at crafting heartfelt lyrics, and she is surrounded by so many talented musicians, it's no surprise that there's not a weak song among the 10 tracks.

5. Jimmy LaFave, Blue Nightfall — Jimmy LaFave has one of the most beautifully plaintive voices in Texas. Blue Nightfall, his first alubm in four years, is an atmospheric blend of blues, folk, and barrelhouse rock.

6. Milton Mapes, The Blacklight Trap — Whatever comparisons one makes, there likely are few bands out there who can put together something as solid as Westernaire and then up the ante with a masterpiece like The Blacklight Trap.

7. Reckless Kelly, Wicked Twisted Road — Another album that gets better over time, Reckless Kelly's Wicked Twisted Road pairs outstanding musicianship with impassioned lyrics.

8. South Austin Jug Band, Dark and Weary World — The gorgeous yet playful Dark and Weary World vaults the South Austin Jug Band toward the head of the progressive bluegrass pack.

9. Brian Keane, I Ain't Even Lonely — The voice of Brian Keane recalls a young Willis Alan Ramsey … in a good way. I Ain't Even Lonely is a brilliantly self-assured debut.

10. The Greencards, Weather and Water — While we lost the band to Nashville early this year, perhaps the move was necessary. Weather and Water represents an evolutionary leap forward for The Greencards.

10 honorable mentions, in alphabetic order:

Buster Jiggs. Buster Jiggs
Danny Barnes, Get Myself Together
Deadman, Our Eternal Ghosts
Graham Weber, Beggar's Blues
Guy Forsyth, Love Songs: For and Against
Macon Greyson, Translate
Mando Saenz, Watertown
Robert Earl Keen, What I Really Mean
Rodney Crowell, The Outsider
Roky Erickson, I Have Always Been Here Before

December 18, 2005