Enjoy It While It Lasts
Project 365 here 365Pieces
Dec 31st, 2010 @ 4:28 pm
My Albums of the Year
So I just did a piece on my favourite songs so you can guess that most of the following albums will feature some of those songs. I amn’t particularly great at articulating how I feel about music so I’ll just write a small bit on each album.
They’re ordered in terms of preference (except like backwards, you know? 10 -1 like) but it’s a very rough order. For example: if I had listened to MBDTF a bit more it would probably be up higher in my list. And if Contra had been released later in the year it might not have been up as high. But we will make do. But first, some…
Honourable mentions: Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross’ score for The Social Network. The most original and interesting scores in a while. High Violet by The National. Heartland by Owen Pallet. The 3rd Glee album. The Drums by The Drums.
10. My Best Friend Is You | Kate Nash
While it didn’t have the wide-eyed playfulness of Made Of Bricks, Kate Nash proved that she wasn’t a one hit wonder with this album. It wasn’t exactly a commercial success but that makes the album all the more special. I have good memories of this album; seeing her live in April and having it on repeat in the gaeltach. She goes all 60s on some songs (Kiss That Grrrl, Paris), pure pop on others (Doo Wah Doo) and then just plain fucked up on others (Mansion Song). A great second album.
9. Becoming A Jackal | Villagers
I had heard whispers of Villagers in late 2009 and then a few of his songs. I was excited to say the least. Then there was that wonderful performance on Jools Holland in April and I couldn’t wait to hear the album. I was not disappointed; in fact, I was blown away. Villagers makes every song seem so effortless. He creates this eerie mystique with every strum of the guitar and his falsetto is something to be marvelled. Home and Becoming A Jackal are some of the best Irish songs to be released in a long while but so is this album. Why be embarrassed by Jedward when we have Villagers?
8. Treats | Sleigh Bells
Probably the most fun album of the year, Treats marked the coming of the loudest new band on the block; Sleigh Bells! Every song sounds the same as the one preceeding it, but this is not a bad thing. Each song has hooks by the dozen but still stays true to that trashy Sleigh Bells sound. Perfect music for any occasion, Treats is a treat (Oh yes, I am that good).
7. Teen Dream | Beach House
This album was lauded as one of the best of the year back in January and I have to say I was disappointed to begin with. I am all for languid, dreamy music but this just seemed to melt into one massive sigh. How wrong I was. This album is all I have already said - dreamy and languid - except it works wonderfully. The simplicity and beauty of all the songs is a marvel to behold (Zebra, Norway) and even when they go for a more catchy sound it works to great effect (Used To Be). It was the perfect soundtrack to a cold January and February, a boring May and a snowy December.
6. My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy | Kanye West
This album. This album right here. There is just so much to say but I don’t have the words to. No album contains as many mini-masterpieces of songs as MBDT. No album has as much to say as this album. It’s a character study if ever there was one and is one of the most interesting listens in a while. Yet it’s only number 6? Yeah, I just haven’t listened to it as much as I have the other five. This is Kanye’s masterpiece and he’ll have a hard time topping it next time around.
5. Crystal Castles | Crystal Castles
For those who thought Crystal Castles were a flash in the pan (like Sleigh Bells might become) you need to take a listen to their second self-titles album. They keep that sound that makes them Crystal Castles but refine it and take it to new places. I didn’t think they could beat their first album (and maybe they haven’t) but this album is definitely much more of an artistic achievement than their first. Celestica could be the best thing they have ever done and their cover of Not In Love made that crap song something much more than it ever could have been. They still have their brash and crass moments (Doe Deer, Fainting Spells) but this time there is a method to the madness. Like their first album, I won’t be forgetting about this one any time soon.
4. The ArchAndroid | Janelle Monáe
On The ArchAndroid, Janelle Monáe proved that even P-Diddy has some taste. She is a pop star, she is an R’nB queen and has funk to boot. On this album she goes from orchestral pop to rock and roll to R’n’B to electro-indie. There is so much on offer that after my proper first listen I was completely in awe of her. She takes us on a fantastic journey through a futuristic world of Androids and robots and unfair treatment. Locked Inside, Tightrope, Come Alive and Make The Bus could all have made it onto my choonz list (but that would be unfair) so it just goes to show how much is on offer here. Monáe is a star and she’ll be around for a long time.
3. Contra - Vampire Weekend
Like Crystal Castles, I didn’t think Vampire Weekend could top their first album. And for a long time I didn’t think they did. Once again I was proven wrong. Contra doesn’t have the bubbly urgency of their eponymous debut but there is a much more refined, yet still different, sound here. They haven’t ditched their optimistic sound (Cousins is one of the best on here) but they explore a slower sound on tracks like Diplomat’s Son and I Think Ur A Contra. It works wonderfully and puts Ezra Koenig’s voice to the forefront. He’s an underrated front-man in a time when they are sorely needed. They also delve into a more anthemic sound with Giving Up The Gun and Run. Contra is the perfect second album; a developed sound with hints of what made everyone fall in love with them in the first place.
2. The Suburbs | Arcade Fire
I’ve always been an Arcade Fire fan but The Suburbs made me really love them. I think I’m at the perfect age for The Suburbs listening which made it ring true to me even more. It’s about growing up and suburban life and all the feelings that these things entail. These have been themes in other Arcade Fire songs but by exploring them on the scale of an album, they prove that they can write about anything and make it amazing. Each song is so layered and this makes the Suburbs perfect for repeated listening. Sprawl II, The Suburbs, Ready To Start, We Used To Wait… The wonderful songs just don’t stop. I saw them in the O2 at the beginning of this month and my love for them was confirmed by that concert. It was amazing. People of all ages were mesmerized by this band from the first song and it stayed so until the final notes of Wake Up. It was the best concert of my life by probably the best band around now.
1. The Family Jewels | Marina and the Diamonds
This is a controversial choice. I have not seen this album on any list anywhere and it is beyond me why not. Basically, Marina was hyped to death, her album flopped and she was essentially forgotten. Not by me though. With The Family Jewels, Marina Diamandis has made the best debut album in a few years and one of most deceptively brilliant of the year. She explores many themes relevant to teenagers and adults alike; identity crisis, fame, hatred, guilt, OCDs and many many more. Each song is a treat and is a masterclass in song structure. She has the most recognisable new voices of the year and has shown some quality song-writing skills. She’ll make you laugh (Hermit the Frog), maybe cry (Obsessions, Numb), smile (Hollywood, Are You Satisfed?) and everything in between. This album has stayed with me since I got it in February and I can see myself listening to it for a long time. She’s a popstar for a new age of young people and one which should be ashamed for not embracing this masterpiece of a debut. This is the most overlooked album of the year definitely my favourite.
