Best Albums of 2010
Before getting into the top 10, lets take a moment to pause and honor some of the albums that I loved in 2010, but didn't make it to the final list. So without further ado, the honorable mentions:
Big Boi - Sir Luscious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty
Broken Social Scene - Forgiveness Rock Record
Caribou - Swim
Crystal Castles - Crystal Castles II
Darkstar - North
MGMT - Congratulations
10. Surfer Blood - Astro Coast
This fast-rising Florida surf-rock quintet channels the careless easy-sounding flow of the Beach Boys through a lo-fi guitar crunch and witty, ironic (though still affecting) lyrics. The 3-chord composition of their songs somehow sounds fresh, like on 'Harmonix', a track based around the natural harmonic tones of a few guitar strings that admirably displays the transformative power these guys exert over seriously simple riffs.
9. Deerhunter - Halcyon Digest
8. Beach House - Teen Dream
7. Hot Chip - One Life Stand
6. Dr. Dog - Shame, Shame, Shame
The Philly legends return, with their, uh 12th? 14th? album, they've been at it a long time, and they know what they're doing. Not only that, but they seem to be getting better with age. Noted for their strict adherence to retro analog recording, the band has gone from collectors of vintage recording equipment to masters of hi-fi analog sound. Along with the incredible quality of the recording itself, the songs are well-balanced with rich vocal harmonies and the familiar heartfelt vocals.
5. LCD Soundsystem - This Is Happening
"You wanted a hit, But maybe we don't do hits," croons James Murphy in the middle of This Is Happening, hinting at the long form of most of the songs (8 tracks at over an hour), but there's a subtle irony at play here. By bucking the industry preference for 3-minute radio-friendly cuts, Murphy and LCD Soundsystem have created something of a masterpiece. Their attention to detail along with the patience and restraint necessary to expertly develop an 8 or 10 minute song have resulted in one of the most interesting albums of the year. The album opens with one of the year's best songs, "Dance Yrself Clean" that starts with a couple melancholy verses over a barely-there beat before exploding about 3 minutes in into a searing room-shaking synth line that impels Murphy to sing at the top of his lungs, illustrating what can lie behind his normally ironic and subdued delivery.
4. Major Lazer & La Roux - Lazerproof
Remixes of pop singles are a dime a dozen these days, so if you had heard that Major Lazer did a remix of 'Bulletproof', you might be understandably underwhelmed. If you then found out that they did a remix of La Roux's entire album, you might be a little more intrigued. In a culture where you can surf the web and play endless remixes in a short time, the concept of a remix album is appealing because it takes a certain time commitment on the part of the artist and the listener that gets ignored with a lot of new music. In this case, it allows ML to make 'Bulletproof' the stripped down piano and drum ballad it sounds like it was meant to be, and act as a prelude to the experience that is Lazerproof. Featuring collaborations from high-profile folks such as Drake and Gucci Mane, ML has taken a syrupy synth pop curio and injected it with a vitality reminiscent of someone else who has some experience re-presenting familiar music in a new light...
3. Girl Talk - All Day
The mash-up master is back! And with a giant that dwarfs his previous releases by sheer length and depth. Greg Gillis broke out in 2008 with Feed the Animals, his fourth album, to wild party shows where it seemed all hell broke loose. After spending much of the last two years on the road, developing new material for longer and longer sets, he went back into the lab and produced All Day. All Day combines the crazy party energy of his shows with all of his familiar mash-up skills and an ear for juxtaposition like no other. There's also something else here though, and that is artistic development. Girl Talk is serious about improving as an artist, and he has successfully committed himself to refining his craft in a genre where the company is quite thin.
2. Vampire Weekend - Contra
After a jubilant eponymous debut that seemed to get more popular by the day, VW returned with this slightly more refined offering, improving their composition skills, and stretching their playing and singing abilities, while still staying true to their college fun indie pop spirit. One of the most stunning things about this band is that each of its two albums clock in at about a half an hour, and they always leaving you thirsting for more. Its hard to say what makes a band great, besides having a unique and recognizable sound, but even with such a short repertoire that can be played in its entirety in a single concert, VW have proven they have it.
1. Flying Lotus - Cosmogramma
Simply put: this album is a game-changer. FlyLo breaks new ground while operating at a creative peak collaborating with Thom Yorke, Thundercat, and some jazz players like Ravi Coltrane, incorporating them all seamlessly into his conceptually tight breakthrough masterpiece. He leaves behind the stereotypes of his hip-hop production roots, and upends the foundations of a still young genre: dubstep. FlyLo has incorporated the most vital elements of jazz and free expression into an album that uses a palette of sounds unique to him, piling track after track into tightly knit compositions that are busy but never crowded. The range of styles and moods throughout the album also never strays from a singular conceptual thread: that of exploring new areas of the cosmos. Angelic harp strings and deep bubbling bass guide the way through black holes, nebulae and even history.
MGMT - Congratulations
10. Surfer Blood - Astro Coast
This fast-rising Florida surf-rock quintet channels the careless easy-sounding flow of the Beach Boys through a lo-fi guitar crunch and witty, ironic (though still affecting) lyrics. The 3-chord composition of their songs somehow sounds fresh, like on 'Harmonix', a track based around the natural harmonic tones of a few guitar strings that admirably displays the transformative power these guys exert over seriously simple riffs.
9. Deerhunter - Halcyon Digest
Nostalgic drugged-out indie rock is one way to describe the music of Deerhunter, but that might not do justice to all the subtle glory on Halcyon Digest, their latest album. The fuzzed-up retro grooves are plentiful, Bradford Cox's vocals are doleful yet winsome, and the band has become exceedingly adept at managing the relationship between space and noise in their playing. There are some new elements showing up here as well: the back end of the album showcases some new sounds like the soft airy electronics of 'Helicopter', the sultry sax playing on 'Coronado', and the surprising outro jam on "He Would Have Laughed", dedicated to the late Jay Reatard.
8. Beach House - Teen Dream
Not since Fleet Foxes has an album come out that can grow on you with such insouciant persistence. The sweet silvery dream pop on Teen Dream will get under your skin. The more you listen to it, the more you will like it. There is a soothing quality to the songs that can relieve stress and leave you feeling like you've just had a power nap. Its as if Beach House have harnessed a somnolent thaumaturgy on this record. The lyrics sometimes seem strange, but the surreal dream-logic the album creates shimmers and calls you back to listen some more. Definitely a big sleeper album of 2010.
7. Hot Chip - One Life Stand
Hot Chip is a band that has always pushed the envelope, evolving from the sardonic subdued Coming On Strong, to the ebullient breakthrough The Warning, to the dance floor-ready Made in the Dark, not to mention all the EPs and easter eggs over the years (including collaborations with Peter Gabriel & Robert Wyatt, as well as a Marvin Gaye cover). On One Life Stand the group has surprised its fans once again, and not by breaking into the mainstream as one might have expected after 'Ready For the Floor'. OLS is a sincere tightly packed series of mostly ballads, with a focus on being heartfelt and sincere. It pays off, and there is a lyrical poignancy present only hinted at on their previous work. The maturity in the lyrics is apparent, especially on the friendship ballad 'Brothers' and the title track where lead singer Alexis Taylor tenderly croons right before the chorus:
"I offered you my temper
with the hope that you would tame me
we built ourselves a shelter
you will always be my baby"
6. Dr. Dog - Shame, Shame, Shame
The Philly legends return, with their, uh 12th? 14th? album, they've been at it a long time, and they know what they're doing. Not only that, but they seem to be getting better with age. Noted for their strict adherence to retro analog recording, the band has gone from collectors of vintage recording equipment to masters of hi-fi analog sound. Along with the incredible quality of the recording itself, the songs are well-balanced with rich vocal harmonies and the familiar heartfelt vocals.
5. LCD Soundsystem - This Is Happening
"You wanted a hit, But maybe we don't do hits," croons James Murphy in the middle of This Is Happening, hinting at the long form of most of the songs (8 tracks at over an hour), but there's a subtle irony at play here. By bucking the industry preference for 3-minute radio-friendly cuts, Murphy and LCD Soundsystem have created something of a masterpiece. Their attention to detail along with the patience and restraint necessary to expertly develop an 8 or 10 minute song have resulted in one of the most interesting albums of the year. The album opens with one of the year's best songs, "Dance Yrself Clean" that starts with a couple melancholy verses over a barely-there beat before exploding about 3 minutes in into a searing room-shaking synth line that impels Murphy to sing at the top of his lungs, illustrating what can lie behind his normally ironic and subdued delivery.
4. Major Lazer & La Roux - Lazerproof
Remixes of pop singles are a dime a dozen these days, so if you had heard that Major Lazer did a remix of 'Bulletproof', you might be understandably underwhelmed. If you then found out that they did a remix of La Roux's entire album, you might be a little more intrigued. In a culture where you can surf the web and play endless remixes in a short time, the concept of a remix album is appealing because it takes a certain time commitment on the part of the artist and the listener that gets ignored with a lot of new music. In this case, it allows ML to make 'Bulletproof' the stripped down piano and drum ballad it sounds like it was meant to be, and act as a prelude to the experience that is Lazerproof. Featuring collaborations from high-profile folks such as Drake and Gucci Mane, ML has taken a syrupy synth pop curio and injected it with a vitality reminiscent of someone else who has some experience re-presenting familiar music in a new light...
3. Girl Talk - All Day
The mash-up master is back! And with a giant that dwarfs his previous releases by sheer length and depth. Greg Gillis broke out in 2008 with Feed the Animals, his fourth album, to wild party shows where it seemed all hell broke loose. After spending much of the last two years on the road, developing new material for longer and longer sets, he went back into the lab and produced All Day. All Day combines the crazy party energy of his shows with all of his familiar mash-up skills and an ear for juxtaposition like no other. There's also something else here though, and that is artistic development. Girl Talk is serious about improving as an artist, and he has successfully committed himself to refining his craft in a genre where the company is quite thin.
2. Vampire Weekend - Contra
After a jubilant eponymous debut that seemed to get more popular by the day, VW returned with this slightly more refined offering, improving their composition skills, and stretching their playing and singing abilities, while still staying true to their college fun indie pop spirit. One of the most stunning things about this band is that each of its two albums clock in at about a half an hour, and they always leaving you thirsting for more. Its hard to say what makes a band great, besides having a unique and recognizable sound, but even with such a short repertoire that can be played in its entirety in a single concert, VW have proven they have it.
1. Flying Lotus - Cosmogramma
Simply put: this album is a game-changer. FlyLo breaks new ground while operating at a creative peak collaborating with Thom Yorke, Thundercat, and some jazz players like Ravi Coltrane, incorporating them all seamlessly into his conceptually tight breakthrough masterpiece. He leaves behind the stereotypes of his hip-hop production roots, and upends the foundations of a still young genre: dubstep. FlyLo has incorporated the most vital elements of jazz and free expression into an album that uses a palette of sounds unique to him, piling track after track into tightly knit compositions that are busy but never crowded. The range of styles and moods throughout the album also never strays from a singular conceptual thread: that of exploring new areas of the cosmos. Angelic harp strings and deep bubbling bass guide the way through black holes, nebulae and even history.
posted by Christopher @ 14:10
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