Best albums of 2010
As much as bloggers labor over these type of lists, I have to remind myself that a year-end roundup is simply a reflection of taste and mood at a given point. With that disclaimer, here is All the Young Punk’s best albums of 2010. No countdown this year.
1. High Violet – The National: “Sorrow found me when I was young,” Matt Berninger sings on one of the more uplifting songs on High Violet. While Berninger and the National don’t reach the high-water mark set by Alligator, this album blew away almost everything else.
2. Halcyon Digest – Deerhunter: Bradford Cox is not only one of the most prolific musicians today, he’s one of the most consistently interesting. Deerhunter’s recent gig at the Metro was one of the best shows I saw all year.
3. Twin-Hand Movement – Lower Dens: If you like Velvet Underground and its spawn, chances are you’ll like Lower Dens. This is my pick for the best newcomer (though front woman Jana Hunter has performed solo and with other bands).
4. My Father Will Guide Me Up a Rope to the Sky – Swans: After a 14-year break, Swans definitely made one of the scariest and heaviest albums of the year. When I want to feel relaxed, I listen to Beach House. When I want to feel tense, I listen to Swans.
5. Everything In Between – No Age: By No Age standards, this is a fairly straightforward rock album. It created some detractors among fans of the duo’s earlier, noisier stuff, but I really dig it.
6. Heliogoland – Massive Attack: The coolest-sounding album I heard in 2010 was the first release in seven years from these pioneers of trip hop. Slow, dark and methodical until it explodes.
7. Expo 86 – Wolf Parade: Song writers Spencer Krug and Dan Boeckner make very good albums separately through their side projects, but they sound better as Wolf Parade. Expo 86 is another great slate of infectious rock and pop songs.
8. The Besnard Lakes are the Roaring Night – Besnard Lakes: Big and epic. One of the under-appreciated albums of the year.
9. Hippies – Harlem: There were a lot of garage, throwback bands with new albums this year. I just really liked this one.
10. Teen Dream – Beach House: Of all the chill albums released this year, this one towers (although Best Coast made a great one, too). Just close your eyes and float away on that inflatable pool raft.
Honorable mention: Best Coast, LCD Soundsystem, Caribou, Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti, Grinderman
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