My first annual top 10 albums list. I'm planning on this being a Christmas Eve tradition for music by day. While this blog has been around since early 2007 I've never done the whole "top ten albums" end of the year thing until this year because I find it very hard to rank albums. I like all of these albums, I know that much. But placing them in some sort of order? That's where I find it gets difficult. Anyway; This is my best effort:
# 01 Sufjan Stevens - the age of Adz
I like Michigan and Illinois but they are not among my favorite albums. They seem to drag and they have never fully invited me in to their world. To me the age of Adz is a huge leap forward. While I don't of usually like really long albums I do love ambition especially when it's tied to interesting arrangements and production. And of course if there are some great songs to tie it all together then that helps and that's definitely the case here. This is a great triumph in every way. Everything about it I find very interesting. The arrangements, the production, the lyrics, the melodies. Everything's here.
The closing track, the 25 minute "impossible soul," would make an incredible album on it's own. In fact; to make this album a bit easier to chew I like to listen to the first 10 tracks in one sitting and "impossible soul" in another.
# 02 Caribou - swim
This one really works for me and because it's a bit tighter (9 tracks and 43 minutes) than the age of Adz I think I may end up listening to it more than my # 1 choice. I love the mix of pop sensibility (there's bits in this album lots of great catchy) with tripped out electronic music. As you'll probably gather from my list I'm a big a fan of the "production as an instrument" aesthetic. Yes, I think the Beatles peaked in 1967 (although somewhat contradictorily I do pick the white album as my favorite Beatles album.) Yeah the whole Steve Albini "you must capture the real band playing as it is!" thing. I don't get that. Why? Why constrain yourself like that? There's nothing "natural" about any recorded music really so why put some arbitrary restraints on your art (which is the recording in it's final state)?
I guess this blurb has gotten off the point: I really love this album and I seem to enjoy it more each time I hear it it's like the neon Indian of 2010 (psychic chasms what one of my favorites of 2009.)
# 03 Yeasayer - odd blood
For a while I thought this would be my album of the year but then I fell in love with swim and the age of Adz came out. This is actually the album I've listened to the most times this year so in this way, it is still my # 1 album of 2010. I think I may have actually listened to it a bit too much because it doesn't sound quite as fresh to me at this point. But I still love it I guess when it comes down to it I'm a bit of a sucker for a catchy tune because to me this album is better than anything animal collective have put out. I think that's what I love most about this album. It's really unashamedly poppy in places.
# 04 - Vampire Weekend - contra
Sounds like Graceland and I love Graceland. This is the type of band that I think just about anyone could get into if they gave them a chance and I think sometimes that sort of universally positive sound can be off putting to people (including myself) but this album works for me both inspite of and because of how it is catchy.
# 05 LCD Soundsystem - this is happening
Too repetitious. The songs are too long. The album is too too long. Yes I think this album is flawed but I think it's awesome too. I like all of the songs (except maybe "drunk girls") and it seems to still be growing on me (rather than me getting tired of it) after having listened to it many times.
# 06 MGMT - congratulations
This is an improvement on oracular spectacular which I thought what kind of uneven and slightly overrated. Yeah the hits from that album were great but I didn't care that much for the other songs. In comparison I think this album is really strong throughout. No it doesn't have any megahits on it like "Time to Pretend" but it's got some awesome songs that get better each time I hear them.
# 07 Brian Eno - small craft on A sea milk
This is a more interesting list than four Tet and flying Lotus in my opinion. Yes, flying Lotus is more "difficult" but that doesn't necessarily mean it's better. This album has a nice mix face melting type tracks of spacey ambient type tracks and more.
# 08 Janelle Monae - ArchAndroid
Crazy ambitious and can dance to it nice combination. I really dislike the track with Kevin Barnes on it though, that one just doesn't work. I think at some point my ears just snapped and that guy decided they couldn't (no offense to the of Montreal fans out there) handle
# 09 - Ariel Pink's haunted graffiti - before today
I'm not actually sure I like this album except for "Round and Round" but I like that song so much that I'm putting it on my anyway list. I think the rest of it is growing on me.
# 10 Gonjasufi - A Sufi and A killer
I don't of know what the hell this is but it trips me out. It makes me feel like I'm some other world. A bit of a bad trip but those can be the most interesting. I'm not usually a sucker for the lo-fi thing but on occasion it works (see the Olivia Tremor Control) and I think it does here. The lo-fi production somehow adds to mystery of the album which I really think is an essential ingredient.
Honorable mention
Jonsi - go
The black keys - brothers
Four Tet - there is love in you
Kanye West - my beautiful dark twisted fantasy
Gorillaz - plastic beach
Joanna Newsom - have one on me
Broken bells - broken bells
Erykah Badu - new AmErykah part two
The Chemical Brothers - further
Philip Selway - by some miracle
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