10. Broken Dreams Club - Girls
Yeah, it’s an EP but one of the most amazing EP’s of the year. Girls brings such an evolution to their music form their debut album that its amazing. From the introduction of horns to on point and spot on clarity of sound. Songs like Thee Oh So Protective One just give you that great sound while being so much more evolved.
9. Genuine Negro Jig - Carolina Chocolate Drops
String bands are a strange thing. Instruments like jugs and washboards appearing out of nowhere. What comes out of nowhere in this album at times are R & B styles and beatboxing making it stand out something special. Songs like Your Baby Ain’t Sweet Like Mine bring a that great string band feeling while Hit ‘Em Up Style and Trampled Rose keep you feeling at times modern and so different.
8. Before Today - Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti
Ghostly saxophone draws you in from the beginning in Hot Body Rub and before you know it you’re being hit with crazy lyrics, power guitar and rolling drums. The album takes you so many places feeling nostalgic and brand new at the same time.
7. The Age of Adz - Sufjan Stevens
The fifty states project is officially called off but that doesn’t mean you have to be angry that he didn’t get to your state’s history. Sufjan is still making amazing and dreamy music. Just think back to such greats as Seven Swans and be happy that his music is still beautiful and enough to steal your girlfriend away. The weird experimentation in the album can be strange but the lengths that Sufjan takes to create this album are amazing. And if that isn't enough for you just take a listen to his collaboration album with The National.
6. Crazy For You - Best Coast
The lofi surf rock feel and hooks reminiscent of The Beach Boys make dreamy band Best Coast’s album Crazy For You so enjoyable. Bethany Cosentino’s dreamy lyrics about love, loss and hooking up make you swoon from beginning to end.
5. Body Talk - Robyn
A combination of three albums released throughout the year Body talk is the final installment containing songs from the first two albums to create one of the best returns from a pop artist. Sampling some of the best beats from the year in electro and dubstep in songs like None of Dem and Dancehall Queen make this one of Robyn’s best projects.
4. Teen Dream- Beach House
Not much new can be said about Beach House. Their haunting sound and lyrics leave you in a place you never thought you could be after listening to an album. That magic is still not lost in Teen Dream an amazing and developed album by a band that feels like they have come of age and still rebel at the same time. Victoria Legrand still hooks you with her vocals and Alex Scallys instrumentation comes off cleaner and at times more defined starting with Zebra that you are stuck till the end being guided through sounds so amazing at times its scary.
3. Treats - Sleigh Bells
Treats is an album that just punches you in the gut fast and hard. That feeling is amazing as you see starts and sound goes in and out. Heavy guitar and bass push and shove you throughout the album while you are guided by the at times angelic voice of Alexis Krauss. Treats is by far the best debut album by a band in 2010 bringing what feels like a heavy love of the power and performance from bands like Metric. Coherency at times feels a bit off but each song is just so amazing on its own that it doesn’t really matter. Sleigh Bells proves that they are not to be messed with and meant to be watched with what they come up with next.
2. This is Happening - LCD Soundsytem
Announced as James Murphy’s last album under the title of LCD Soundystem, This is Happening, pull out stops and lets Murphy show off all the skills he has developed throughout his career as said artist. The power and intensity of the album through cues of bass make This is Happening such a joy to listen to. Its immediately palpable from its introductory song, Dance Yrself Clean, which just hits your with powerful bass halfway throughout the song. Murphy’s control of melody and tempo has also evolved so far in songs like You Wanted A Hit its unbelievable while his love of simple and fun party songs is still present in Drunk Girls. Whatever Murphy does next it is bound to be amazing.
1. My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy - Kanye West
You can say what you want about Kanye. Yes the man has proven himself crazy and intense and self centered many times. The thing is, he is still one of the best artists around and has yet to falter in that aspect. My Dark Twisted Fantasy is an album so honed and so well crafted that its very hard to nitpick. Yes, songs like Runaway may drag on a bit in their experimentation but that same exploration is what makes this album so powerful and at times so raw with its lyricism. With great appearances by artist like Pusha-T, RZA, Swizz Beatz and of course Nicki Minaj who steals the show in Monster, this album just cannot be beat. Kanye West is insane but that same insanity has wrought some amazing fruit.
