In just over a week, I have to submit my ballot for the first round of voting in the 2009 Polaris Music Prize. I've spent the year listening to dozens of eligible albums and compiling a list of my favourites. At this point, I have narrowed it down to about 11 albums, but I only get to vote for five. Making matters worse, there are a few albums kicking around that I know I need to listen to before making up my mind.

Anyhow, I want to spend some time collecting my thoughts and putting them down on paper (so to speak) and I thought it would be a cool way to christen my new FFLOG, so here you go. Today I'm going to go over the first 5 of 11 main contenders. Watch for Part 2 some time this weekend.

Bell Orchestre - As Seen Through Windows

Although I'd hesitate to call it "classical," this certainly has the feel of chamber music played by capable, classically trained musicians. At some points, it swells to absolutely huge heights, especially on songs like the title track or the finishing-with-a-bang closer Air Lines/Land Lines. Also, it features an unreal cover of Aphex Twin's high-BPM classic Bucephalus Bouncing Ball.

Bruce Peninsula - A Mountain is a Mouth

This release is about as indie rock as you can get, but I've come back to it over and over since it was suggested to me by another juror several months ago. It has a great consistency of tone throughout the album. I think its only weak point is the interlude of Weave Myself a Dress, which is unfortunately placed between the stronger first and weaker second halves. Still, I think it would be cool to see a completely independent, unsigned band on the Long List.

Chad VanGaalen - Soft Airplane

I don't think I need to dwell too much on this one. My feeling is that it's basically a lock for the Long and Short Lists whether I vote for it or not and it probably has a better chance of bagging the prize than any individual album. It's Chad's most coherent effort to date by far, but it still manages a remarkable range of styles, from the gently plucked Willow Tree to rockers like Bare Feet on Wet Griptape or City of Electric Light to electro-spaz-outs like TMNT Mask. And I still think Rabid Bits of Time is a heartbreakingly gorgeous song.

Clues - Clues

This album is a rocking good time, conjuring memories of the best parts of the Unicorns that Nick Diamonds has approached but never quite hit with Islands. With a great mix of mellow vibes and fist-pumping anthems, Clues has a great sense of musical timing that never slips or stutters. It's a relatively late-period release in terms of Polaris eligibility, but I'm hoping it will gain enough traction to make the Long List.

Handsome Furs - Face Control

It comes as a huge surprise to me that of the three Swanwolf Rubeyes albums that came out this year, Handsome Furs turns out to be the one that's stuck with me the most. Its simple, austere pop is superbly listenable and songs like All We Want, Baby, Is Everything and Radio Kaliningrad somehow stuck with me days after the first time I heard them. I thought Plague Park was total crap, but this one has turned me right around.

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That's all I've got for today. On deck for the next post:

Jay Crocker - Below the Ocean Over

Julie Doiron - I Can Wonder What You Did With Your Day

One Hundred Dollars - Forest of Tears

Quest for Fire - Quest for Fire

Rae Spoon - Superioryouareinferior

Women - Women

... and on my must-be-heard-before-voting list:

Barzin - Notes to an Absent Lover

Dog Day - Concentration

Shotgun Jimmie - Still Jimmie

Think About Life - Family

Have I made any huge oversights? Is anything super-crucial missing from my list? Srsly, you guys, let me know.