1. The Hold Steady – Boys and Girls in America 
This isn’t quite up to the standards of the unheralded classic that was last year’s Separation Sunday, but Boys and Girls in America continues a streak of brilliance from Craig Finn and his New York-based band. It’s the stories that make the music here, as his vivid stories about sex and youth come to life overtop of good old fashioned classic rock guitars. I don’t know how a band puts out the best rock album two years in a row and still flies so far under the radar.
2. Jenny Lewis with the Watson Twins – Rabbit Fur Coat
Jenny Lewis is best known as the singer for indie rock group Rilo Kiley, but she might be the best young folk singer around. Lewis is lyrically dazzling throughout her solo debut, managing to be coy, sexy, strong, and above all else, intelligent all at the same time. (read our review)
3. Paul Simon – Surprise 
20 years after his career-defining work on Graceland, Simon shows he’s still one of the premiere songwriters in the world of pop music. Enlisting Brian Eno to help produce, Simon experiments with sound and creates some of the most thoughtful songs of the year. War protest songs are a dime a dozen these days, but Simon explores politics not just of the head, but of the heart. (read our review)
4. Regina Spektor – Begin to Hope
One of the most pleasant surprises of 2006. People freaked when the New York pixie turned towards a more pop-oriented sound for this major label debut, but the results are truly stunning. Spektor is all at once welcoming and intimidating – because you know she’s smarter than you. This is an artist that’s going to be fun to watch for a long time. (read our review)
5. The Decemberists – The Crane Wife
The Decemberists aren’t going to hold your hand and guide you through their first effort for a major label, The Crane Wife. If you can’t follow it, you aren’t alone, but that doesn’t take away from the sweeping melodies that carry this Colin Meloy brainchild. (read our review)
And the Worst … Lady Sovereign – Public Warning 
The most frustrating thing about being told to “make way for the S-O-V†7,324 times on Public Warning is that we were told to do so about two years ago. And after the debut album finally drops, what do we get? A petulant brat who tries so hard to convince us that she doesn’t care that it becomes painfully obvious that she does. That, and most of these songs have been floating around the internet for months. (read our review)
