The Best Albums of 2010
By moelarrycurly 12 Comments
THE BEST ALBUMS OF 2010
A “COMPREHENSIVE” ANALYSIS
HONORABLE MENTIONS
Album: Band of Joy
Artist: Robert Plant
Genre(s): folk, rock, bluegrass
Time: 47:32
Tracks: 12
Album: Contra
Artist: Vampire Weekend
Genre(s): indie rock, baroque pop, alternative
Time: 36:40
Tracks: 10
Album: High Violet
Artist: The National
Genre(s): indie rock
Time: 47:40
Tracks: 12
THE TOP TEN
#10
Album: This Is Happening
Artist: LCD Soundsystem
Genre(s): electronic, DJ, dance
Time: 65:31
Tracks: 9
Minimalist dance music may seem preposterous, but LCD Soundsystem’s potential swan song in This Is Happening revels in this theme, swiftly convincing you that it is indeed awesome. The album’s opener, “Dance Yrself Clean,” is nothing but very quiet claps, airy organs, and a singular bass notes for the first three minutes, which lulled me into almost a sleepy state the first time I listened through. However, at 3:07 the synthesizer gets cranked and the song pounds for another six minutes. This is the case with many of the songs (save for the straight ahead sarcastic rock of “Drunk Girls”); a slow buildup with an amazing center, and then slow, subtle deconstruction. LCD’s leading man James Murphy is a master at making seven plus minute songs seem like three, and this album is a sprawling testament to that ambition. Interestingly, he channels other musicians in his singing in several songs, with David Byrne (of Talking Heads) coming through in “Pow Pow” and “Home,” and Stephen Malkmus (of Pavement) on “You Wanted A Hit.” This Is Happening is supremely enjoyable, and LCD Soundsystem has gone out with a bang.
"Dance Yrself Clean": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OoA0cTC228M
"Pow Pow": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nRSYU4YSISA
"You Wanted A Hit": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZiFZ4P_foI
#9
Album: Cee Lo Green
Artist: The Lady Killer
Genre(s): soul, funk, R&B
Time: 45:49
Tracks: 14
A fat guy who sings pretty is, although true, far too shallow a synopsis for Cee Lo’s craftsmanship. He brings Motown and rhythm & blues back into the limelight with The Lady Killer, and this is nowhere more evident than in the album’s leading single. “Fuck You” is a not only a fantastic song musically, but the contrast between the sunny, 60’s beat (glorious backing vocals included) and the ludicrously profane lyrics is simply astounding, and no one but Cee Lo could have pulled it off. That being said, this album cannot be dismissed as padding around a masterful single. “Bright Lights Bigger City” is an 80’s dance tune of the finest sort, complete with synthesized strings and catchy guitar licks. “Old Fashioned” is soul done right – smooth, enjoyable, and classy as all hell. “Love Gun” (featuring Lauren Bennett) is as much of a James Bond theme as Tom Jones’ “Thunderball.”. The Lady Killer’s main writer Thomas Callaway serves Cee Lo Green up fine and dandy, replete with suit, tails, and plenty of panache. This album is a blast from the past with a modern flair, and is a rollicking good time for the whole ride.
"Fuck You": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pc0mxOXbWIU
"Old Fashioned": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gUAuZ2qWvsk
"Bright Lights Bigger City": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tee-PhZi03I
#8
Album: All Day
Artist: Girl Talk
Genre(s): mash-up, hip-hop
Time: 71:00
Tracks: 12 (1)
All Day could be a divisive beast, but if you find mash-up the slightest bit interesting, this is the pinnacle. It’s not a couple of riffs laid over another single song for four minutes: this is a non-stop, 71-minute marathon of fiery combinations that I cannot, for better or worse, get out of my head, and the songs involved have become inseparable. Listen to the first minute, and you will never again be able to hear Black Sabbath’s “War Pigs” without Ludacris yelling “Move Bitch.” There are tons of head-turning moments when all of a sudden you hear five seconds of Lady Gaga, the drum part of Radiohead’s “Idioteque,” Daft Punk’s “Digital Love,” Clapton’s “Layla,”… Gregg Gillis a.k.a Girl Talk knows no bounds. I nearly lost it when I heard Lil Wayne over Joe Jackson, but hey, that’s mash-up. (Also, it ends with a sample from John Lennon’s “Imagine.” Classy.) All Day can be broken up into 12 tracks for easier searching although it is seamless, and free from the Girl Talk website, so there is no good reason why this shouldn’t be on your hit list.
The whole album (with samples listed): http://alldaysamples.com/
#7
Album: Immersion
Artist: Pendulum
Genre(s): electronic, drum and bass, house, dance, dubstep, rock, alternative, heavy metal
Time: 67:14
Tracks: 15
Pendulum is a prime example of a band that has expanded its horizons, stretching into new genres and refining its sound with each subsequent album. Its first, 2005’s Hold Your Colour, is straight drum and bass, while its sophomore sibling, 2008’s In Silico, is modern rock with kicking bass and synthesizer. Immersion is the best parts of both of these older albums combined into a solid, unique piece. “Genesis / Salt in the Wounds” opens things up with a drum and bass explosion, followed by the more pop-oriented “Watercolour.” From there on out, things progress steadily, mixing beats, bass, and high powered electric blasts into a dance across the electronic/techno/rock landscape. My personal favorite is “The Island Part 2 (Dusk),” with its old-fashioned Daft Punk-like simplicity. It’s also worthy to note that the melodic death metal group In Flames is featured on “Self vs. Self,” providing a strange and amazing combination. Hard rock and electronic rave music had a baby, and it is Pendulum.
"Salt in the Wounds": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1iPbYfm80ts
"The Island Part 2 (Dusk)": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P7dYb27ssuQ
"Self vs. Self": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QtMqsZFVymA
#6
Album: Brothers
Artist: The Black Keys
Genre(s): rock, blues
Time: 55:24
Tracks: 15
This time around, The Black Keys have cleaned up. Brothers is less grunge than the band’s previous album (2008’s Attack & Release), bringing a higher level of organization and a much more accessible sound overall. Even when Danger Mouse (who produced Attack & Release) comes back for “Tighten Up,” it sounds much more like a standard Danger Mouse song, with precision drums and thumping bass. The Black Keys go hard and heavy, the variety of rock that exudes Cream and Black Sabbath, and right from the beginning with “Everlasting Light” the punching, gritty guitar riffs crunched my speakers. By the time I got to “Black Mud” (some quality instrumental blues), I was completely in love. This album may seem a little front-loaded at first, but the later tracks shine with each subsequent listen through. Brothers is a pure homage to rock’s days of yore.
"Everlasting Light": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2QzGvoUMBoA
"Tighten Up": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mpaPBCBjSVc
"Black Mud": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ymwLvyMHu18
#5
Album: The Orchard
Artist: Ra Ra Riot
Genre(s): indie rock, baroque pop
Time: 39:06
Tracks: 10
String overdose!? Nonsense I say! Give me some quality indie rock, axe the loud axes, string up some strings, and get a dude to sing as pretty as he can, and you’ve basically got it. Ra Ra Riot is addicting, and really not fair – as tough as you are, Wes Miles’ voice can make roses bloom in the dead of winter. That jerk. And you can’t blame him because it’s an impeccable formula, and I love every single song on this album, from the sweetness of “The Orchard,” the glowing pop of “Boy” and “Too Dramatic,” the thought-provoking nature of “Foolish” and “Massachusetts,” and… ah damn, I’m rambling. The Orchard is glorious, splendid, joyous, saddening, and all hyperbole aside, it’s an amazing piece of work.
"The Orchard": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1qvk2QabUL0
"Boy": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NKGfQCOyCCA&feature=related
"Foolish": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tVl_APRwxIA
#4
Album: Broken Bells
Artist: Broken Bells
Genre(s): indie rock, alternative
Time: 35:50
Tracks: 10
As a side-project between Danger Mouse (a.k.a. Brian Burton) and James Mercer (of The Shins), Broken Bells is a sum of exactly what each of its members represent. Danger Mouse brings great rhythm parts and pseudo-60’s production values, and Mercer brings stylish indie rock. Combined, you get a slick, compact album with plenty of dynamism. The opener, “The High Road,” is slow strum-along but is uncannily lovely, leading into the more intense “Vaporize.” These two songs set the stage perfectly for the rest of the album, which swings between sleepier, “classic” Shins material and groovier, edgier Gnarls Barkley-esque pop hits. All in all, Broken Bells is a perfect melding of unique tastes, and as a mere side-project is as important to Burton’s and Mercer’s catalogs as their main groups.
"The High Road": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-mkr19RSG6k
"Vaporize": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5tstDvkpDlw
"Mongrel Heart": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HkmW1m9lIPI
#3
Album: Plastic Beach
Artist: Gorillaz
Genre(s): alternative, hip-hop, pop
Time: 56:46
Tracks: 16
Damon Albarn and his new band of merry men have done it again with Plastic Beach, a synth-laden symphony of rapping, rhythm, and “Rhinestone Eyes” that comes close to peerless, pristine purity of 2005’s Demon Days. The new Gorillaz features a multitude of guests including Mos Def, Snoop Dogg, Bobby Womack, Little Dragon, and half of The Clash in Mick Jones and Paul Simonon, among others. This is a much more pop-oriented album than the band’s previous forays, and listening to the original Gorillaz (2001) album is like listening to a completely different band (which is true on a number of levels, musically and physically). Plastic Beach is potentially a good direction though; Albarn manages to keep the Gorillaz image valid even after a five year hiatus, and even summons a fantastic single out of “Stylo,” although it does not approach the immensity of Demon Days’ “Feel Good Inc.” Other noteworthy songs include “Superfast Jellyfish,” a pot-shot at fast food and breakfast cereals, “Sweepstakes,” a syncopated, Mos Def-ified, otherworldly rap bonanza, and “Welcome to Plastic Beach” in which Snoop Dogg lets you know right off the bat what’s up. Quality stuff all-around, and at this point I am interested in pretty much anything Damon Albarn puts together, because he is simply the best at corralling other musical celebrities into the studio in the name of the art form.
"Stylo": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-SxlD74hvRk
"Superfast Jellyfish": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C4UtbrbsrjY
"Sweepstakes": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GjQLhj4kzR4
#2
Album: How I Got Over
Artist: The Roots
Genre(s): hip-hop, R&B, neo soul
Time: 42:25
Tracks: 14
Despite toiling away with Jimmy Fallon on a regular basis, The Roots have come into the studio to concoct an old-school rap album sprinkled with enough soul flavor to keep your musical palate assuredly engaged. How I Got Over is an aural delight, and is definitely something you don’t get to hear every day in our current hip-hop climate. Let’s be real here: the vast majority of the album is based around strict, moody piano and a sampled chorus, with tight rhymes betwixt and between. It starts slow and gradually builds to a peak in “How I Got Over” before venturing off into far weirder terrain, concluding in “Hustla,” which features an auto-tuned baby crying as its main rhythm (on top of drums and bass, of course). Which reminds me: hip-hop with a real drummer!? In 2010!? And those snare hits are HOT. ?uestlove represents. (Also, The Roots album with John Legend called Wake Up!, which also came out this year, is definitely worth a listen.)
"How I Got Over": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9nDKTxjKK9k
"Hustla": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nWgrlLIlse8
"Radio Daze": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j35M1aTaGa4
#1
Album: The Suburbs
Artist: Arcade Fire
Genre(s): indie rock, alternative
Time: 64:07
Tracks: 16
How do I begin with The Suburbs? Arcade Fire’s third album is a monster, with expert organization and top-notch songwriting. Every single song is excellent, and they flow into each other, somehow making such a large set of music consistent. And yet, there is a huge amount of variety, from the acoustic, string-fueled opener “The Suburbs,” the zen-inducing “Rococo,” the slow-burn anthem “City With No Children,” the arena blast “Half-Light II (No Celebration),” the semi-punk guitars of “Month of May,” the beach rock of “Wasted Hours,” the Elliott Smith-like “Deep Blue,” the new wave, Blondie-ness of “Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)”… this album is golden. Some albums require a specific mindset before listening, but The Suburbs is great at any time of day, for any mood, for… well, damn near anything. This is as close to perfection as I’ve heard in a long time, and I should shut up before I start evangelizing.
"The Suburbs": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XAitZuh4ueg
"Month of May": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OqBTL-HWPvA
"Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rH_7_XRfTMs