Albums of 2010

Dear Year-2000 me, you know you were really cynical about the whole album thing - making Mini Disc’s of the best tunes downloaded from Napster, thinking “In the future. There Will Be No Albums”.  Here’s my top ten albums of the year.

10. The National – High Violet

While lacking the anthemic bombast of ‘Alligator’ and the atmosphere of ‘Boxer’, The National’s fifth album excels in its variety - from Terrible Love’s noisy conclusion through to the whispered-intimacy of ‘Vanderlye’. See also: Deerhunter’s Halcyon Digest.

9. Twin Shadow – Forget

A delightfully playful debut album from Brooklyn’s Twin Shadow. Full of imagination, variety and bags of melody.

8. LCD Soundsystem – This is Happening.

We expected the perfect production, we expected the vocals and we expected the beats. What must be given credit on LCD’s third and apparently final album is the well-crafted songs and the way that his band of DFA all-stars recreated the album live.

7. Oneohtrix Point Never – Returnal

OPN and Emeralds soundtracked the quieter hours of 2010.

6. Darkstar – North

The perfect winter album. Falling somewhere between an 80s pop album and slow-paced post-Dilla hip-hop, this is the album that Massive Attack should have made to follow up Mezzanine.

5. Mount Kimbie – Crooks and Lovers.

Repeat listens of Crooks and Lovers resulted in the understated, little sketches of melody bubbling up to the surface. A complete joy.

4. Sleigh Bells – Treats

With a lack of guitar heroes bothering my iPod, Sleigh Bells are exactly what this year needed. Ridiculously loud, silly, brash and very pop.

3.   Forest Swords – Dagger Paths

A consuming and brooding treat for the ears. Forest Sword’s debut release is a record so considered and focussed that it could only be the work of one artist, where every sound is important and weaves to create the whole piece.

2. Caribou – Swim

This follow up to the sunshine-pop of Andorra was an unexpected joy. One of those truly great electronic albums that sound equally good on the couch, in the club, or played by Caribou’s full-live band.

1. Flying Lotus - Cosmogramma

This was the defining album of 2010, Cosmogramma - the moment that FlyLo stepped far away from the Dilla template that he followed on ‘Los Angeles’ and made a completely nuts, banger of an album - a real journey, and the best hip-hop/psychedelic/jazz album released in years.