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FAVORITE ALBUMS OF 2003 (as written in 2003)

1. “Hail to the Thief” by Radiohead
2. “You Forgot it in People” by Broken Social Scene
3. “Chutes too Narrow” by The Shins
4. “Meadowlands” by The Wrens
5. (tie) “Logic Will Break Your Heart” by The Stills // “Transatlanticism” by Death Cab for Cutie

* listen to these 5 albums on Spotify in a P|M|W playlist.

Yeah, yeah - I chose Radiohead again as my album of the year. I was obsessed. Wait, I am obsessed. I stand by the Radiohead pick. The weird thing is that I don’t have a very strong recollection of being a huge fan of that album by The Stills. Sure, I was drunk a very large portion of the last quarter of 2003, but it’s my recollection that I was a way bigger fan (and still am) of Clearlake’s wonderful album, “Cedars”, which was released around the same time. But there, in my notes (written sometime in mid-December of 2003 after Michigan State had let out for holidays), is no mention of Clearlake’s album. Clearly, I was hammered at the time of writing those notes. 

As for the rest of the picks - I’m fine with them. I’m sure I could go back now and find plenty of under the radar indie gems that have since become cult favorites that I would rather have in the place of some of these, but these are all solid discs. “Meadowlands” in particular feels pretty much timeless at this point - as does the bulk of that Broken Social Scene album. “Transatlanticism”, i’m fine to say, was the first moment in which I could actually tolerate an entire album by Death Cab, and they absolutely owned me on that album. I liked the next couple, but have since lost interest again - but “Transatlanticism” as a whole, will remain one of my favorite albums. Especially taken in the context of my life at the time of consumption (despite not actually attending MSU, that was my college year and I was appropriately living as such, but instead was a decently paid, recently-single guy with a great place, but then again … in hindsight, i was pretty emotionally damaged at the time. EMO!).

All right - random nonsensical flashbacks aside, I’m pleased with this collection of albums and actually willing to agree with those younger picks for the most part. I’m just wondering where Clearlake and Songs: Ohia were at the time of these notes.