Uncertainty, both global and personal, produces the two best albums of the first half of 2005

There have been a barrage of new albums in the first half of the year by both well established artists and by the most up and coming artists. It seemed every week there was a new must-have album, and alternative and indie fans bank accounts suffered accordingly. Out of such a blaze, two albums have stood out to me, and they both have a certain air of mystery and unpredictability. And while Beck, the Mars Volta, British Sea Power, and the Fiery Furnaces have all produced outstanding albums, they don't have as fulfilling of a flair as Gorilliaz's Demon Days and the White Stripes' Get Behind Me Satan.

Gorillaz, which seemed to be a one-and-done effort after their demonically earnest self-titled album, have surprised the music community by producing an even better follow-up album that has taken their relevance to contemporary pop music to the next level. Ex-Blur star Damon Albarn has taken care not to treat Gorillaz as a gimmicky side-project, and the effort has produced an album with more scintillating relevance than even Green Day's magnum opus American Idiot. Demon Days, with such masterful tracks as "Kids With Guns," "Every Planet We Reach is Dead" and "November Has Come" produces a deep frustration with how the world of the 21st century has developed, and s fear for the worst for the near and distant future (which has a startling relevance to the recent bombing of Albarn's native London). It surpasses any Radiohead album in this regard, and somehow manages to remain a catchy, light-hearted sound as well. That's not to say the music takes away from the eerie sentiment. Albarn made an incredibly wise mood in enlisting mash-up king DJ Danger Mouse to produce the album, and Danger Mouse, no stranger to mixing atmospheres, has created a suprising open production. It seems like nothing he could throw in would tarnish the album, a welcome change from the often unneccessarily murky production of Gorillaz's first album. The album has all the characteristics of lasting to listeners; it can be played in the background as well as be closely examined, and gets more complex after more listens.

This contrasts sharply with The White Stripes' Get Behind Me Satan. The production of Jack White's latest album is terse and to the point. It seems every track has one foot out the door, and considering the album was recorded in three weeks, that's not entirely an exaggeration. Yet, the sparcity of the albums production don't do much to detract from Jack's restless innovation. In fact, the minimalist production is the only thing similar on this album to anything the White Stripes have done previously (although not to their previous album, the glossy Elephant). Jack White is not shy to declare his hatred of celebrity, and seems to have tried to throw off his listeners by creating an unusual mix of song styles using instruments with which he's unfamiliar. In actuality, he has produced the most effectively eclectic album since Odelay. Each track adds a new dimension to the White Stripes' abilities, and while some are not as successful as others, it's always exciting to watch Jack White's experimentation unfold. After the weird metal of "Blue Orchid" the haunting marimbas of "The Nurse" the stark piano of "My Doorbell" and the intriguing country tinge of "Little Ghost" it seems like Jack is capable of doing anything. Jack hints at the uncertain air of Gorillaz's recent album, but he takes more of a personal, selfish stance, not knowing where he wants to go or how far he wants his music to take him. It just so happense that he is gifted enough to leave a masterpiece from his struggle.