5 Sparrows For 2 Cents by The Procussions: In a year where hip hop continued to peak, the Christian realm started catching on a little more. The Procussions got some exposure when the single, The Storm, was offered one week on iTunes for free as the single of the week. But this was no one-hit-wonder disc. 5 Sparrows For 2 Cents hit hard with some great offerings and solid collaboration (Including, but not limited to, Talib Kweli on Miss January). From the previously mentioned The Storm to the hard-hitting Anybody to Jiminy Cricket and so many more, 5 Sparrows For 2 Cents delivered one of the year's excellent hip hop discs.
Enjoy The Ride by Sugarland: Unlike 2005, 2006 was very light on good country music discs, as can be evidenced by the fact that this disc from Sugarland is one of only three that will be made mention of this year, and it isn't even the Top 25. Don't let that fool you, though. Enjoy The Ride is certainly nothing to scoff at. Many thought that the trio becoming a duo would lead to problems for one of country music's up-and-coming acts. Quite the contrary, the loss of one member made the other two stronger and actually made the music quite a bit better. Want To, the lead single, set the tone for the entire disc. However, tracks like Happy Ending and April Showers also showed how truly great this group can be. Enjoy The Ride showed clear improvement for Sugarland and allows definite promise for bigger and better things to come.
Vices by Dead Poetic: Good hard rock music is hard to come by. Few bands can really do it well without falling too far into the realm of the screaming. Worse, some hard rock bands fall too far to the other side of things and end up becoming alternative or even pop-rock. Dead Poetic is one of those bands that manages to fall right into that beautiful middle ground of hard rock. And they show that off on Vices. Cannibal VS Cunning leads the disc off and sets it in motion at a pulse-pounding pace. The lead single, Narcotic, does the same. And, with a slew of complimentary tracks, it is clear that this disc deserved to be on the Top 25. And it nearly made it. However, though it fell short, Vices definitely needed some recognition as one of the year's best discs.
The Open Door by Evanescence: In 2003, Evanescence became an overnight success when Bring Me To Life tore up to the top of pretty much every music chart out there. Fallen sales were huge, and lead singer Amy Lee became a very well-known name in music. In 2006, the band returned, minus one original member, and hoped to continue the success with The Open Door. The lead single, Call Me When You're Sober, certainly picked up steam quickly, and sales of the new disc were large as well. The Open Door seemed to be right on par with Fallen, which was certainly a good thing. Tracks like Lithium and All That I'm Living For highlight a disc full of exactly what Evanescence has become famous for: edgy lyrics, solid music, haunting melodies and the signature vocals of Amy Lee. The Open Door proved that Evanescence will not be a one-and-done band.
Daughtry by Daughtry: American Idol continues to produce some very hit-and-miss contestants. Chris Daughtry, the man many thought the heavy favorite to win Season 5, looks to be another hit. He was (Let the AI conspiracy theories begin) ousted in the final four this season. But, on Daughtry (Both the disc name and the band name), he proves that losing can sometimes be the better option. Daughtry is Chris' work. All but three tracks were at least partially written by Chris). Chris proves his rock chops on this discs, with tracks like the lead single, It's Not Over, leading the way. Other tracks, such as Home, Breakdown and What I Want (Which features a guest appearance in the from guitarist Slash) prove that Daughtry is made for the rock game. With a sound very reminiscent of 3 Doors Down, it is also clear that Chris has the potential to be incredibly popular in both the pop and rock realms. Daughtry was a disc that came so close to making the Top 25, but definitely deserved recognition.
And, an extra "Honorable Mention":
24 Seasons 4 And 5 by Sean Callery: The second release of original music from Fox's 24 was nothing short of spectacular. Sean Callery truly has a knack for creating great music, especially when it comes to 24, a show that uses the music so incredibly well (Cast and crew all label the music as "An extra cast member"). Moving tributes like Lynn McGill's Sacrifice flow seamlessly in and out of the disc, mixed in with some incredible action sequences like Jack Storms The Gas Plant. The mix of tenderness and total action makes the music (And the show) simply incredible.
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