Best albums of 2010
Albeit a little belated, seeing as this is nearly the third week of February now, I thought I might offer the list of what, after reflection, I believe to be the strongest albums released in 2010. There are a couple of crowd pleasers in here, but I still managed to pepper in a few of my personal favorites.
10. Champ — Tokyo Police Club
Among my favorite bands throughout high school, in 2010 they offered their energetic and rewarding sophomore album (while I’d argue their 2005 EP, A Lesson In Crime, to be their first album, I digress). Standout tracks include “Breakneck Speed,” “Bambi” and “Favourite Food.”
9. Big Echo — The Morning Benders
If the single from this breakout record, “Excuses,” doesn’t completely floor you on your first listen, I have no idea what’s wrong with you. Other winners off this soothing and catchy album include “Cold War” and “Promises.” Below is a version of “Excuses” from YouTube of the band playing with the “Echo Chamber Orchestra.”
8. Forget — Twin Shadow
Coming out with a unique sound reminiscent of 1980s dance-pop, Twin Shadow really blew me away with his debut last year. I probably listened to this album all the way through some dozen times in a row, but standout favorites are “Castles In The Snow,” “Tyrant Destroyed” and, after a couple listens especially, “When We’re Dancing.”
7. Halcyon Digest — Deerhunter
The critically-acclaimed release from this shoe-gaze outfit rivals the quality of even their frontman Bradford Cox’s solo work as Atlas Sound, which really is saying a lot. Memorable songs are “Helicopter” and “He Could Have Laughed.”
6. All Delighted People EP — Sufjan Stevens
While it’s technically an EP, its hour-long length in my mind qualifies it for this list. I’m a longstanding fan of Sufjan, and this EP has proven to be among my favorites of his. Easily the strongest track is “All Delighted People (Original Version)” — coming in at around 12 minutes it’s an emotional odyssey nobody but Sufjan could have delivered. Below is the only full version of it available on YouTube.
5. My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy — Kanye West
It seems no list rehashing last year’s music can avoid mentioning Kanye’s opus, which holds the distinct honor of being among the only rap albums I actually enjoy. Perhaps it’s his genre-bending inclusion of Justin Verner from Bon Iver or even his surprisingly brilliant lyricism, but there’s something about this record I can’t seem to get enough of. Standout tracks are “Dark Fantasy,” “Monster,” “All Of The Lights,” “Runaway” and “Lost In The World” — yes, that’s half the album.
4. The Suburbs — Arcade Fire
Perhaps this post was indeed timely, seeing as Arcade Fire just last night won a Grammy for their nostalgic epic. Best tracks include “Rococo,” titular song “The Suburbs,” “Suburban War” and “We Used To Wait,” a single which incidentally was the inspiration for an interesting interactive “music video” making use of HTML5 and Google Maps data.
3. Contra — Vampire Weekend
It’s strange reviewing this album seeing as it was released over a year ago now, but preppy darlings Vampire Weekend pulled no punches in their sophomore release. Boasting a unique and playful sound, the standout tracks include “Horchata,” “White Sky,” “Holiday,” “Giving Up The Gun” and, my personal favorite, a ballad about shattered idealism called “I Think Ur A Contra.” Below is the hilarious official video for “Holiday.”
Let It Sway — Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin
For those of you scratching your heads, indie rockers SSLYBY have been a pet favorite of mine for six years now, since their debut album Broom — described as reminiscent of whispered conversations in your parents’ basement — blew my musical mind. In their third album, Yeltsin expands their sound to incorporate stronger tracks like “Sink/Let It Sway,” “All Hail Dracula!” and, a song which has become one of my all-time favorites from them, “Back In The Saddle.”
, lead singer and songwriter Matt Berninger earned his spot at the top of my list for 2010. Favorite tracks would include more than half the album, but the most important would be “Terrible Love,” “Bloodbuzz Ohio,” “Conversation 16,” “Lemonworld” and “Afraid of Everyone.” Below is the video for an alternate version of “Terrible Love,” showing some of their live performances and, at the beginning, a seldom-seen goofy side of usually downtrodden Matt Berninger.
Honorable Mentions
- Before Today — Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti
- Teen Dream — Beach House
- Crazy For You — Best Coast
- Cerulean — Baths
- Brothers — The Black Keys
- Swim — Caribou
- The Wild Hunt — The Tallest Man On Earth
- King Of The Beach — Wavves
- Boy — Young Man
Have I forgotten anything? Left your favorites out? Let me know what you think of what I did and didn’t include in the comments field below.