Albums of 2010
Been a year where I’ve really dipped back into soundtracks more than anything else, been some really good stuff on that front this year, but also some good indie rock (my usual flavour).
Top Picks
The National: High Violet
The first National album that’s truly resonated with me, ironic that it coincides with Interpol taking a step backward musically as the two are often compared for their moody reflective rock stylings. The lyrical journeys this album takes you on are unlike anything I’ve ever listened to, to hear the struggle of celebrity played off against the normalcy of middle aged ennui described as zombification is really something I have to take my hat off to (that’s my interpretation anyway).
Top Tracks: Conversation 16, Anyone’s Ghost, Afraid of Everyone, Lemonworld
Daft Punk: Tron Legacy OST
A fusion of string orchestral sensibility and serious electro creates a unique hybrid soundscape that I’m interested to see mesh against the interesting visuals of an otherwise terrible looking movie. Pity it’s not silent. Nice to see the Daft Punk boys confidently trying a new style of music, some people seemed miffed this wasn’t full-on electro but I think the helmeted duo found an excellent balance.
Top Tracks: The Game Has Changed, Adagio for TRON, Outlands, Derezzed
The Morning Benders: Big Echo
I listened to this album a lot in the past 12 months, a more mellowed out and upbeat sound comparable to the Grizzly Bear set but still with a fair bit to say.
Top Tracks: Hand Me Downs, All Day Day Light, Promises
Vampire Weekend: Contra
The sophomore release got so much airplay in the early half of this year that I’m somehow amazed I nearly forgot about it - an eclectic mix of great songs that are very replayable. I think the first album’s probably still got the edge in that it was newer and fresher and they didn’t expand that sound overly much.
Top Tracks: Cousins, Diplomat’s Son, Californian English
Hans Zimmer: Inception OST
BRAAAAAAAAAAAAHM BRAAAAAAAAAAAAHM became the sound of summer for me as I plugged myself into the soundtrack for Nolan’s latest, the quieter themes don’t really stick with me the same way as the bombastic pieces but that’s probably reflective of the movie’s highlights.
Top Tracks: Dream is Collapsing, 528491, Dream Within a Dream, Radical Notion
The Rest
Interpol: Interpol
A self-titled album seems to me a sign of one of two things, an introduction of sorts or purposeful reinvention. The two are not mutually exclusive of course, because reinvention could just be reintroducing everyone to the sound that once defined you. I think that’s what every Interpol fan secretly hoped for here, as every album since TOTBL has progressively weakened some aspect of their initial release of atmospheric and introspective rock. And, to be controversial, the best tracks of this album do just that in my opinion. Therein lies the rub, these tracks are so few and far between, peppered throughout an album that contains some of the worst songs of Interpol’s career.
Top Tracks: The Undoing, All the Ways, Success, Lights
Hot Chip: One Life Stand - The first half of this electro-dance album rocks my world, but after that it kind of disintegrates and there are songs I flat-out dislike, but that first half- whoo-boy.
Top Tracks: I Feel Better, One Life Stand, Hand Me Down Your Love
The Black Keys: Brothers - An overly long effort from the bluesy rockers, as a result the output is of variable tone and quality. The best efforts take their sound to a pulpy and cartoonish level with lots of exaggerated riffs and grunts from the singers.
Top Tracks: Ten Cent Pistol, Tighten Up, Sinister Kid, I’m Not the One
Trent Reznor: The Social Network OST - This is one of those scores that works perfectly on the screen but only functions in isolated segments played singularly. The tracks that do play well are dripping with intensity, a curious mix of orchestral, distorted guitars and electronic cues.
Top Tracks: In Motion, Intriguing Possibilities, In Motion, Painted Sun in Abstract
The Roots: How I Got Over - A mixed album for me, I find a lot of the songs to be lazy and repetitive, I like a lot of the beats and the mixing but it just doesn’t hang together in the same way that some of their previous did for me.
Top Tracks: Dear God 2.0, Walk Alone
A few I’m still getting my teeth into (Deerhunter, LCD Soundsystem), a few I’ve not heard yet (Arcade Fire, New Pornographers, Royksopp). And I need to look up the guys below on the basis of that:
Bonus - Awesome Music Video Ok Go: This Too Shall Pass
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