Honorable Mentions
#25-#21
#20-#16
#15-#11
#10-#6
#5-#2
#1
Back
#9: White Flag by Shaun Groves-The Beatitudes of Jesus are not normally something that get covered on an entire album. An artist may, at times, be inspired by one, possibly even two, of the verses in this section of the Bible. But to create twelve songs on one part of Jesus' Sermon On The Mount? It doesn't seem like it would work. However, for Shaun Groves, it worked and worked extremely well in 2005. White Flag is of a rare breed; it is a disc that has a very specific theme, but still turns out excellent tracks throughout. Simpler songs like Bless The Lord and Amen have been single fodder, while one of the most upbeat tracks on the disc, What's Wrong With This World, has one of the most difficult messages to digest (That it's not someone else or society or something else that is wrong with the world...it's you; or, in my case, it's me). The tracks are edgy in one moment, like Only, and soft the next, like Heaven Hang On. But while the music is widely ranged in tempo and sound, the lyrics are hard-hitting throughout, which is what makes White Flag one of 2005's best.
#8: Why Should The Fire Die? by Nickel Creek-One of the disc's most critically acclaimed discs, Why Should The Fire Die? was definitely one of 2005's biggest shining moments. Nickel Creek has a unique sound in any genre, and it's different from most all country music that's out there right now. And it just works to perfection. When In Rome, the lead single, was a solid success, and the entire disc is chock full of even better tracks. Helena and the title track are two of the highlights of the disc, but it's tough to pick just one track as this disc's best. Each song is simply excellent, making for one amazing disc.
#7: The Imposter by Kevin Max-No, that's not a typo you see when you read Kevin Max's name on this list. Yeah, the guy seemingly disappeared after dc Talk called for an intermission and the first round of solo efforts came along. Kevin's Stereotype Be flopped in sales, and Max was let go from Forefront, the label which had him. After three years, Kevin returned on Northern Records with The Imposter, and quickly showed why people should be on the lookout for him. His disc can best be described as creative genius that can be understood, unlike the debut disc. The music is more straightforward than the debut, but the excellent lyrics and astounding Kevin Max vocals stay around. This is what makes songs like Confessional Booth, The Imposter's Song and Sanctuary (Just to name a few) excellent offerings from an absolutely superb disc.
#6: ...And The Rest Will Follow by Project 86-While the discs being pumped out by Project 86 have been consistently solid, this 2005 release reaches even higher than the previous stuff. The lead single, All Of Me, did great things on rock radio, and the disc is full of tracks that can do the same thing. It is creative, it is hard, it is excellent. Wordsmith Legacy, Sincerely, Ichabod and Doomsday Stomp are great indicators of the disc as a whole. They are superb tracks with great lyrics, solid music, and surprisingly good vocals for a band that does a lot of screaming. All in all, there was no doubt that this disc deserved to be recognized as one of 2005's top discs.