It’s always fun for a musical look back across the decades. I have remembered 1994 (Through a 30-Year Lense: Best Albums of 1994:) and 1984 (1984: Top Ten Albums From 40 Years Ago) so far this year. But I’ve never gone back 20 years, so here’s the album highlights from 2004:
10. Contraband by Velvet Revolver/Now Here is Nowhere by Secret Machines: Hey, what’s wrong with a guilty pleasure? Velvet Revolver may come off as a manufactured supergroup of Guns N’ Roses and Stone Temple Pilots. But the rockers rock, especially the propulsive single “Slither,” and the ballads shine, particularly the soaring “Fall to Pieces.” I witnessed a rock star night at the Santa Barbara Bowl in April 2005. The album may be a little polished, but in ’04 it sure beat waiting around for Chinese Democracy.
I’ve previously acknowledged the cool Secret Machines band (Six Overlooked Bands for You to Check Out). Their debut album, with brothers Benjamin and Brandon Curtis at the helm, introduced this spacey, tight trio. They counter the pounding rhythm of “Sad and Lonely” with delicate keys on “Leaves Are Gone.” Benjamin left the band in 2007 for the School of Seven Bells and died of lymphoma in 2013. The Secret Machines released The Moth, The Lizard, and the Secret Machines in 2023 and continue today as a duo.
9. Future Perfect by Autolux: The debut by these relatively unknown Angelenos is a treat. I discovered them as the opening act for Nine Inch Nails in 2005. The hazy reverb and distortion in the hands of surprising producer T-Bone Burnett makes for an inviting house of shoegaze. It’s an album made to listen to in its entirety, but if you want to check out a couple songs try “Blanket” and “Here Comes Everybody.”
8. The Cure by The Cure: As I continue to wait for the “new” Cure album (4 years and running), it was good to revisit this again. While there are a few upbeat tracks (“Before Three,” “Taking Off,” and “The End of the World”) overall, The Cure is bleak, harsh, and dense. Songs like “Lost,” “The Promise,” and “Us or Them” are full of angst.
7. Antics by Interpol: Interpol was facing high expectations for the follow-up to its impressive debut, Turn on the Bright Lights. No sophomore slump here. Antics is throbbing and stark. Despite the jarring darkness, there are lighter moments, even sing-along songs. As I witnessed first-hand at the Vina Robles Amphitheater in 2022, “Evil” (“Rosemary…Heaven restores you in light”) and “Slow Hands” (“We spies, We slow hands, You put the weights all around yourself”) can bring the house down.
6. Hot Fuss by The Killers: The Vegas band had a huge first album with Hot Fuss. Three big singles – “Mr. Brightside,” “Somebody Told Me,” and “Smile Like You Mean It” – were hard not to hear. It’s unabashedly commercial and ready made for arenas. But it’s worthy of commendation when the rock is infectious like these songs. I don’t think they’ve been able to reach these heights again.
5. American Idiot by Green Day: After the commercial disappointment of 2000’s Warning, Green Day took a big swing with an ambitious punk rock opera. The story of an American adolescent anti-hero, American Idiot combines smashing guitar riffs with socio-political commentary. The title song, “Jesus of Suburbia,” “Holiday,” “Wake Me Up When September Ends,” and “The Boulevard of Broken Dreams” took the record to #1 on the Billboard 200 and 6x Platinum certified.
4. How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb by U2: “Unos, dos, tres, catorce,” the Edge’s slamming guitar while shouting “Hola!” to Bono’s retort “Hello, Hello.” If there’s a more irresistible opening track than “Vertigo,” let me know. The mixture of rockers and ballads addresses life, death, love, war, faith, and family. “City of Blinding Lights” is uplifting with its soaring piano and chorus, “Oh, you look so beautiful tonight.” The album won all eight categories it was nominated for at the Grammys.
3. Franz Ferdinand by Franz Ferdinand: The Glasgow quartet made a splash with its self-titled debut. Songs like “The Dark Side of the Matinee,” “This Fire,” and “Michael” exhibit the band’s funky punk. But “Take Me Out” is the highlight of the album and a song for the decade. Its mid-song tempo switch with the dueling guitar riff and vocal melody is simply fantastic.
2. You Are the Quarry by Morrissey: Morrissey ended a seven-year hiatus with this entertaining collection of songs. It’s his living-in-America statement. No one is safe from Morrissey’s cutting wit. But lovely melodies prevail in such songs as “I’m Not Sorry,” “I Like You,” and “Come Back to Camden.”
1. Funeral by Arcade Fire: Montreal’s Arcade Fire had recently lost several family members. You could expect their debut album to be solemn and sad. Instead, it’s empowering and healing. Art rock wrapped in emotional ambiance. The strings on “Rebellion (Lies)” make it the album’s anthem. “With my lightin’ bolts a glowin’, I can see where I’m goin’ says the life-affirming “Wake Up.” Funeral purrs and hollers, all in a euphoric bubble.
As usual, coming up with this list was a toss-up, not the top 10 so much, but the order. On another day, it would probably come out differently.
Other noteworthy albums of 2004 include Wilco’s A Ghost is Born, Patti Smith’s Trampin’, and PJ Harvey’s Uh Huh Her. This might be the only year where a R.E.M. album doesn’t make the top 10, but Around the Sun is the weakest of their career.
Top songs of 2004? “Vertigo” and “Take Me Out” are my top two along with this one by Interpol, “Slow Hands.”