Top Songs of 2009: #2 Camera Obscura -- French Navy 

The second of the Scottish-related bands that made the extended list (We Were Promised Jetpacks being the other), Camera Obscura always seemed to me like they were a female-fronted Belle and Sebastian-lite. The same sorts of meandering chamber pop, but just not quite as good.

I've liked them, but there just wasn't anything about them that made them stick out.

Then I heard "French Navy".

With it's 60s Girl band sound, and production that wouldn't have been out of place in Motown, Camera Obscura may have eclipsed single song their forefathers of Belle and Sebastian created (well, maybe not "Boy With The Arab Strap"). It's also my second favorite song of the year, and likely could have been number one if you I wrote this a week ago or a week from now.