the cream of the musical crop: top 5 records of 2010
2010 was an outstanding year in music. We really were spoilt with an array of unparalleled albums from all over this wide world of ours. That’s why when I was asked to select my top 5 picks of the year I genuinely struggled to cull my list of at least 27 great records to a measly five. To help me carry out this difficult task I decided to employ some basic criteria; albums that I listened to from start to finish, at least 10 times and would happily sell my soul in exchange for the promise that they’d be forever treasured and triumphant.
Without further adieu, and in no particular order, here are my top 5 picks of 2010…
Innerspeaker, Tame Impala
I was beginning to lose faith in all Australian-grown music in 2010, but with the miraculous release of this mind-bending album, I quickly realized that all hope was not lost. Tame Impala have tapped into a kaleidoscopic realm of dreamy pop psychedelia with Innerspeaker, leaving a permanent mark on the psyche of indie music lovers worldwide. They’ve crafted a phenomenal album with spacey guitar cascades, eerie vocals, hallucinogenic vibes and patches of 60s pastoral pop. If you call yourself an aficionado of homegrown music and are foolishly yet to tune in to Tame Impala, I strongly advise you start with this record.
Standout tracks: Lucidity, Why Won’t You Make Up Your Mind, Solitude Is Bliss
Beat The Devil’s Tattoo, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club
I simply cannot pick a fault with this underrated masterwork. It’s been on high rotation in my ears for months now and unquestionably deserves a spot on this list. On this 6th studio album, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club pull an array of idiosyncratic elements from their prior offerings; combining tender folk balladry, gritty rock, stripped back blues and snarling vocals. The tempestuous energy that pervades BRMC’s music is flawlessly transferred onto the large-scale stage. Their live performance is as volatile, defined and wonderfully wrenching as their sound suggests. If you do get the opportunity to catch them live, I certainly recommend you do!
Standout tracks: Conscience Killer, Bad Blood, Mama Taught Me Better
The Fool, Warpaint
This is an imposing debut album. Wistful, haunting and serenely sultry; the web of ethereal sounds spun by all-girl quartet Warpaint has set them distinctly apart from other shoegaze/post-punk outfits currently on the market. With the blend of succulent vocals and sinister guitar play, The Fool carries forth the hypnotic legacy of the Exquisite Corpse EP whilst still injecting new-fangled elements and inspirations into the melding pot. They’ve earned themselves quite a reputation in the live circuit, and I for one, cannot wait to witness the spellbinding show with my own eyes.
Standout tracks: Undertow, Bees, Composure
Grinderman 2, Grinderman
Humour and swaggering brilliance are two things you wouldn’t usually expect to find coexisting in a hard rock album. But they’re like a married couple with Nick Cave’s latest inventive beast, which employs a dirty-minded eccentricity I can only elucidate by pasting some lyrics here; “Well my baby calls me the Loch Ness Monster, Two great big humps and then I’m gone, But actually I am the Abominable Snowman, I guess that I’ve loved you for too long”.
Grinderman 2 is filthy, thrilling and sophisticated and Cave’s renowned love for gothic blues and garage swamp rock reverberates through the entire album. Honestly, I never thought four bearded, late middle-aged men could produce something so rousing and chaotically fun.
Standout tracks: Heathen Child, Mickey Mouse And The Goodbye Man, Worm Tamer
The Rubbergum E.P (Vol. 3), Kassidy
Perhaps not as eminent and lengthy as other records, but certainly still worthy of a spot in the Fab Five, is Kassidy’s The Rubbergum EP (Vol 3). The harmonious blend of four part vocals layered over the country-strewn, infectious bluesy-pop tunes on this record make for an atmospheric and addictive hearing. At the vocal spearhead of each song is a different band member infusing his own influences and individuality and climatically revealing the bands’ undeniable flair and originality. The only real criticism I can make is that 5 tracks are simply not enough to satisfy; it leaves listeners craving more! Kassidy have featured in plenty of “Ones to watch in 2011” lists so keep your eyes and ears peeled for these Scottish lads.
Standout tracks: That Old Song, Oh My God, Heart
