…calling this a top ten albums of 2004 list yet, since I’ll almost certainly change my mind once a few more from my wishlist roll in (e.g. Jolie Holland, the soundtrack to Friday Night Lights), so let’s just say these 10 could very well be on contention:

• The Arcade Fire . Funeral
• Division Of Laura Lee . Das Not Compute
• Jimmy Eat World . Futures
• Kasabian . Kasabian
• Loretta Lynn . Van Lear Rose
• Neko Case . The Tigers Have Spoken
• Ted Leo . Shake The Streets
• A.C. Newman . The Slow Wonder
• The Von Bondies . Pawn Shoppe Heart
• The Walkmen . Bows And Arrows

Notice the absence of PJ Harvey and The Fiery Furnaces there? I want to love them, I want to think they’re brilliant (especially Blueberry Boat), but I just can’t get into them. They’re the biggest disappointments of the year for me. In fact, the whole lineup is rather uninspiring compared to last year’s haul.