One of the best parts of having your own music review site (not just that, only the UKs favourite music review site called Flashlight. We think) are the unexpected gems that land at our door. Now, of course, a great many of the things that we are sent that we have never heard of tend to be bad. Unspeakably bad. If I was just that bit crueller I would do a name and shame of those people that really should not bother next time. What am I saying, I'm easily cruel enough, just also crushingly bone idle. However, this just makes it all the more heartwarming when something hitherto unheard of arrives that turns out to be brilliant. Therefore, I will start my fairly random look back at the year with my Unexpected Pleasures of 2009. They are, in no particular order:

Sad Day For Puppets - Unknown Colors

Sad Day for Puppets make the kind of cute, jangly, female fronted indie pop that used to be ten a penny in the days of Lush, Belly, Throwing Muses et al. However, in 2009, Unknown Colors seemed like a breath of fresh air. Plus, 'Cherry Blossom' should by now have become an indie disco staple. I haven't been to an indie disco in 2009, but my suspicion is that it hasn't. Shame on you all..

Andrew Thompson - I'm Not Likely to Change

Lewis Recordings, though most commonly associated with Edan (more of him later), have actually been putting out some eclectic, sometimes downright odd pop music for some time, so maybe the thought of their latest signing, Brooklyn singer songwriter Andrew Thompson, shouldn't have surprised me as much as it did. But hey, I'm easily surprised, so Thompson's quirky Costello as covered by the Super Furries songs surprised me greatly. I'm Not Likely to Change is at times extremely hit and miss, but is worthy of a place in my list for the bubblegum pop of 'Act Together' alone..

Bibio - Ambivalence Avenue

Now, Ambivalence Avenue came a whisker away from being in my favourite albums of the year. I stand by the review from June, it's an impressively varied mix that veers between sounding like all the usual Warp labelmates, and medieval folk music. It's occasionally a little twee for my tastes, but the winsome 'Haikuesque (When She Laughs)') is undoubtedly among the prettiest pieces of music that I heard this year..

Finally, having given up on them producing anything new to match their back catalogues years ago, I thought that the proposed Beastie Boys single 'Too Many Rappers' was exceptionally good. Not least because it contained an energised verse from Nas as well. Of course, with the sad news that MCA was diagnosed with cancer, this and the forthcoming LP Hotsauce Committee have been put back until next year. If it stacks up to 'Too Many Rappers' then it has the potential to be a highlight of 2010.

Right, onto my Albums of the Year:

Again, in no particular order:

Arctic Monkeys - Humbug

When I reviewed Humbug back in August, I did wonder whether I would still feel as strongly about the record in months to come. It turns out I would, and Humbug is still on regular rotation. What I find most impressive about the record is the way in which they've been able to make a record that reeks of a bunch of Josh Homme obsessives that got to live their dream and make an album with their idol, yet retained a uniquely Monkeys feel. The 9 and a half year old Alex Turner attempting Homme's lyrical sleaziness would seem laughable, so instead the lyrics are imbued with nudge nudge/wink wink English naughtiness. And, let's face it, Turner is an altogether cleverer songwriter than Josh Homme, and so Humbug is approximately 14 times better than the Them Crooked Vultures LP.

Raekwon - Only Built 4 Cuban Linx II

Via a complex system of pulleys, levers and general science, I would have to conclude that Only Built 4 Cuban Linx II is Flashlight's official Album of the Year; the complex system being that I am the third out of four to mention it in my end of year review. This suits me fine as, if pushed, I would say that it's my overall favourite anyway. Cuban Linx II is compelling, cinematic hip hop; articulate verses set to beats produced by an all star cast including Dilla, Pete Rock and Rza. To follow a work as seminal as the original Cuban Linx and make it all seem so effortless (when the truth is that nothing about the making of this record was easy) is a feat in itself.

Mayer Hawthorne - A Strange Arrangement

A Strange Arrangement has no right to work as well as it does. Californian multi instrumentalist produces retro, largely mid paced soul tribute. His vocals are far from strong in the traditional belt it out soul fashion, yet the genuine love for the genre is so apparent that not once does Hawthorne seem like he's taking the piss. He just gets it, and his enthusiasm is utterly infectious. If there was an award for Song that made me lurch drunkenly around my living room more than any other, Mayer, and 'Your Easy Lovin' Ain't Pleasin' Nothin'' in particular would be the undoubted recipient..

Edan - Echo Party

I found this odd mix/new piece of music difficult enough to classify/describe at the time, so I'm buggered if I'm going to find a second way to do it. Instead, here's the original review, as well as a snippet from what is surely the most unique thing I heard all year.

Beastie Boys - Paul's Boutique (20th Anniversary remastered edition)

It may seem something of a jip to include a reissue, but the beefing up of an already classic work was done so sensitively (and indeed so well) that at times it sounded like a new record. Never have the beats sounded phatter. In fact, with hindsight, never had the beats sounded phat. The basslines are altogether crisper, the myriad samples more identifiable. Put it this way, I certainly don't resent buying it. I do, however, resent the olive oil I seem to have spilt on the rather natty t-shirt that I got with it. And, for that reason, I'm afraid Raekwon still wins album of the year.

DOOM - Born Like This

Strangely, for an album that seemed to represent DOOM's grab for the mainstream, with its polished artwork and occasional forays into more professional production, Born Like This seems to have been largely ignored. This is a shame, for on tracks like 'Yessir!' (featuring Raekwon), he sounds better than ever. However, when I claimed that all these albums are in a random order, I lied slightly. DOOM is last so that I can adopt a cunning segue into my next section; 2009's suckiest bits.

Yep, first up is the fact that DOOM, on a track 'Batty Boyz' from his aforementioned Born Like This, showed himself up to be every inch the stereotypically homophobic rapper. His subsequent defence: "I'm not homophobic, I got friends that's homo. I'd say to the homos it's no big deal, I'm just teasing," was somewhat unconvincing, as much as we're desperate to believe that one of our heroes is a complete and utter twat.

Musically speaking, a couple of my biggest disappointments involve me apologising for inaccuracies in my reviews. Sometimes, as the months go by, opinions on records change. I now realise, for example, that Kingdom of Rust by Doves was, save for three or four exceptional songs, probably the weakest album of their career. 'House of Mirrors', though, is still ace:

Also, it turns out that upon closer inspection the remaster of The Stone Roses was truly horrible, with previously warm (if a little quiet and fuzzy) basslines now cleaned up to the point of sounding clinical, jarring even. I've gone back to the original. So sorry about that. Nice box though..

Also disappointing was Jay Z's awful third instalment in his Blueprint series. I very nearly reviewed this, and was going to end with a clever line about him needing to go back to the drawing board ('drawing board', 'blueprint', get it?) and make an album using all indie producers that isn't so concerned with providing him with yet another number one record. I abandoned it when Jay Z said that he was going to make an album using all indie producers that would not be a number one record. He's always one step ahead, that pesky Mr Carter.

My colleagues don't appear to agree, but I think that overall Mos Def's The Ecstatic was really disappointing considering the amount of vocal and production talent on display. I can listen to Mos' flow all day, but I just don't think that The Ecstatic had the tunes to justify the acclaim.

Oh yeah, and Michael Jackson died. That sucked. As does the fact that all his clips are un-imbeddable, if that is anything approaching a word. Therefore, we have to include a different type of tribute..I'd never seen this until two minutes ago, and I have to say that though Bo Selecta outstayed its welcome by about four years, I did just actually snort a little tea out of my nose at Michael's 'singing'.

Very quickly, I'd like to end with a few things that I'm looking forward to in 2010. As 2008 seemed to be the year that the indie heavyweights returned, with largely disappointing results, 2010 looks set to be the year of the hip hop comeback. I'm genuinely hopeful that some of these may prove more fruitful. As previously mentioned, the Beasties sound hungry, and if I wasn't already buoyed by Raekwon's solo effort, a track from the forthcoming Wu album has convinced me that they may be back in business:

Rakim and Souls of Mischief also make their comebacks soon, and Madvillainy 2 has now been confirmed, so 2010 really could be a vintage rap year. Indie wise, I'm looking forward to Steve Mason (ex-Beta Band)'s forthcoming solo LP. I still believe he has it in him to make a classic modern pop album. Sticking with the Beta Band, North Atlantic Oscillation sound a bit like them, and sound hugely promising..

Oh, there's only one way for me to end this..Pavement are back! Yeah, yeah, they've probably reformed for the money, they're not going to play/record any new material, you're not going to stop me being excited beyond belief about their forthcoming All Tomorrow's Parties gig, which promises to be one of the highlights of a 2010 that I have genuine hope will be a bit legendary. See you there..