Top 25 Albums of 2010: 18-14

No.18
The Drums - S/T



A bit of The Smiths. A bit of the Beach Boys. And helluva lot of hype. Fortunately, meeting the hype seem to be the order-of-the-day this year and this album was no expcetion. With this album the band proved they had more in their repertoire than the surf pop of Let's Go Surfing. For every lull in the album there lies half a dozen moments of pop perfection

No.17
Yeasayer - Odd Blood




Odd Blood Rule No.1. Do not judge Odd Blood based on ONE. It may be one of the stand out tracks of the year, but the rest of the album is more subtle and reserved affair. The best thing about this album is the way it simmers for lengthy periods of time without become dull. Most dance-floor-filling acts try to create albums that go full steam ahead but Yeasayer provide us with intelligently constructed tracks. This is an album that truly does last the distance

No.16
Vampire Weekend- Contra



One of the very first major releases of 2010, there was always a chance that it would be lost amongst the countless other albums of the year. But you can't ignore or forget great music and that's exactly what Contra gave us. The band didn't depart too much from their brilliant debut effort, rather they matured their sound with a heightened level of musicianship and polished production. Don't be put off by the Auto-Tune experimentation or the left-field lyrics, this is indie-pop at its very best.

No.15
Parades - Foreign Tapes



Jonathan Boulet is Australia's response to Jack White. With 3 bands on the go, Boulet has a lot on his plate but he seems to have the Midas touch. After a great This may be a funny thing to say but this would possibly be the most interesting album of the year to listen to. It has that unique almost inexplicable vibe to it which takes a number of listens to appreciate. Much of that could be attributed to the complex rhythms and sublime harmonies featured throughout the record. I'm not sure what Jonathan's future plans are but I certainly hope Parades are a big part of them.

No.14
Interpol - S/T



Possibly the most hated, heavily critised and unjustly dismissed album of 2010. But I think people are missing something great. This year Interpol showed us that after 3 great albums they wanted to take the back seat for a little while and just cruise. This album depicts a band looking for a change of pace and instead of trying to go hell for leather, Interpol have given their fans an alternative to the guitar rock anthems they produced in the previous decade. With a more piano driven sound they have smoothed over their rough edges and created extra dimension to their music. Their first 3 offerings could be enjoyed from the driver's seat but this is one to consumed in the back seat.