Passion Pit: Courtesy Elizabeth Weinberg / myspace.com/passionpitjams
[Ed. Note: This list is part of Play's roundup of the best of '09. Checkout Play online and in print this Friday to read more of our picks.]

The further we move into the digital age, the more creative and accessible music is getting. With the close of the decade upon us we're being left with an upswing in terms of innovation and pure musicality, and fans of all genres are reaping the benefits. It doesn't matter what you listen to - hip hop, indie, electronic music, reggae groups fronted by fictional cartoon Jamaican soldiers, whatever - 2009 had something for you. Here are my top five albums of the year.

1. Passion Pit – “Manners”

Rarely do I listen to an album that elicits a response like this one did. It felt as if it was made specifically for me. The 11 tracks on this album are upbeat, uplifting, and filled with soaring vocals perfect for that car ride singalong. While it may be simple of me to love an album for being just being more enjoyable than everything else that was released this year, I’m OK with that.

2. Portugal. The Man – “The Satanic Satanist”

Alaska’s favorite sons find themselves at the peak of their game here, releasing their fourth album in four years. This one is an amalgam of the best elements of the previous three albums infused with more soul and better production. While it may be their most mainstream album, it also is their best release to date and feels like the natural progression of their sound.

3. The Thermals – “Now We Can See”

I’ve long liked this Portland band, crafters of lyrical power pop that isn’t fearful of actually saying something of merit. For the first time with this album, they managed to really bring out their sound and translate the power of their live shows to recorded material with superb production. Lead singer Hutch Harris created “The Thermals guide to better dying” with this album, a focus on the trivial nature of things people focus on by way of soaring choruses and driving musicality. Rarely has life advice sounded so fantastic.

4. The xx – “Xx”

I’d never heard of this band before 2009, yet they managed to create one of the most surprisingly powerful albums I heard all year long. Moody, atmospheric and deeply personal, The xx’s debut infuses raw emotion into the tiniest of cracks of music. The male and female vocals intertwine and combine to craft a conversational narrative that forms the power base of this intensely beautiful album.

5. Animal Collective – “Merriweather Post Pavilion” / ”Fall Be Kind” EP

Animal Collective had one of the biggest years in music, “Merriweather Post Pavilion” earned them “album of the decade” cheers from bloggers before its release. It was touted as “a record that no one else could have made” by Pitchfork, and deservedly so. Its rich textures and layer upon layer of sound create something unlike anything I’d ever heard before. Their “Fall Be Kind” EP followed it with further moves into experimentalism and pop, and helped establish 2009 as the year of Animal Collective.

-- David Harper

For an expanded Best of 2009 list, check out David's blog A Slice of Fried Gold. He's counting down his 30 favorite albums of the year this week.