10. ERAN JAMES - "Ten Songs About Love"(Heaven/Australia, 2007)
At the tender age of 15, with the well-honed voice of a man twice his age, he wowed Australia with an album of soul and R&B covers, leading none other than James Brown to exclaim, "Man, you're blacker than me!" He returned three years later with this album of twelve (no, not "ten") original songs which are not as lively, but show off his phenomenal voice just as well. He's at times breezy and refreshing, at other times passionate and soulful, but he's always goosebump-inducing. I've listened to a lot of music over the years, and I'm not afraid to call his the most amazing singing voice under 25 years old that I've ever heard.
9. FIVE - "Kingsize"(BMG/UK, 2001)
If there's one boyband that went out at the top of their game, it was Five. Not only were every one of this album's singles excellent -- "Let's Dance" is still one of the best dance songs around, "Closer To Me" was probably the most beautiful ballad they ever did, and "Rock The Party" had the greatest sampling of a classic tune ("Grease" by Frankie Valli) that I've ever heard -- but the rest of the album, even the filler, was fantastic ... the semi-folksy "Take Your Chances On Me", the soaring anthem "Feel The Love", and my personal favorite, the absolutely kick-ass "Hear Me Now". At least no one can say they didn't save their best for last.
8. TAKE THAT - "Beautiful World"(Polydor/UK, 2006)
Is there a better reunion album out there? I'm having a lot of trouble thinking of one. Take That proved they still had what it takes, ten years later and without Robbie Williams. Of course, it didn't hurt that they came back with an absolutely amazing batch of songs, equally balanced between uplifting anthems and subdued ballads. I love "Ain't No Sense In Love" and "Hold On", "Patience" still puts a lump in my throat, and "Reach Out" never fails to lift my spirits. It's really no wonder that it became the UK's second most popular album of the year, ended up selling over three million copies, and earned the gang four BRIT Award nominations.
7. McFLY - "Wonderland"(Universal/UK, 2005)
While their spirited debut certainly had plenty of great songs, there's something to be said for showing a mature side, especially when such skilled songwriting is part of the package. I could heap praise on just about every single tune here (because I never skip over any of them), but suffice to say I love the curve-ball tempo of "Nothing", the heartbreaking beauty of "All About You", the bouncy optimism of "I'll Be OK", and the fervent symphony of "I Wanna Hold You". Their first disc may have had a lighter and more carefree mood, but track-for-track this album is the more enriching and appreciable listen.
6. FERRAS - "Aliens & Rainbows"(Capitol, 2008)
Where the heck did this guy come from? Out of nowhere, seemingly, to win me over big-time with this near-perfect pop record. "Hollywood's Not America", the track that got the most attention, is in a way the most boring one on the album. Something like a cross between Elton John and Daniel Bedingfield, Ferras jammed his debut full of absurdly enjoyable piano-centric pop that makes you want to dance ("Something About You"), cry ("Rush"), and think ("Dear God"). I have no idea why his album wasn't a huge hit, because it undoubtedly deserved to be. I'm just glad to hear he's recording a follow-up!
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