Without spouting some crap about how 2010 has been “such an amazing year for music”, what follows is a list of my favourite albums of 2010. Most of the links open in Spotify, so if you don’t have Spotify, I sincerely apologise. Now, let’s dive in…

• InnerSpeaker — Tame Impala

  Modular Recordings

  In the best possible way, InnerSpeaker sounds more like it was recorded in 1967 than 2010. Chock full of dreamy melodies, spaced-out psychadelic fuzz and fat, pounding drums, it’s a trip back to an era of lo-fi production that modern music seems to have largely forgotten. Even calling it “lo-fi” seems unjust, given how rich and imaginative Dave Fridmann (multiple-time collaborator with The Flaming Lips, Mercury Rev and Mogwai) has been in his mixing of the album.

  Though occassionally directly referencing sixties groups like Cream, The Jimi Hendrix Experience (‘The Bold Arrow of Time’, ‘Island Walking’) and The Beatles (the very Lennon/McCartney-esque double-tracked vocals), I find it hard to put my finger on exactly what makes the albums best moments really work. It’s certainly not a reactionary record; these three young Aussie’s haven’t just sat down and worked through their parents’ vinyl collections over a fortnight. Everything from the songwriting approach, to the instrumentation and recording style has clearly been honed over a number of years. It sounds old, and I love it.

  Highlights

  • Alter Ego ·
  • It Is Not Meant To Be ·
  • Lucidity ·
  • Jeremy’s Storm

• One-Armed Bandit — Jaga Jazzist

  Ninja Tune

  One-Armed Bandit is a bit like Hot Rats for 2010. After the short introductory ‘The Thing Introduces…’, the title track picks up where Zappa’s 1969 breakthrough album left off. But despite the abundance of complex passages and frenetic time signature changes, Jaga Jazzist never seem to lose sight of the fact that strong melodies are central to everything. There’s an abundance of musical styles here, and an impressive array on chops to match. Aside from the aforementioned Zappa, there are more than a few nods to John Coltrane, Aphex Twin, King Crimson and even Squarepusher’s more instrument-led material.

  What I really love about this 10-strong Norweigan powerhouse is that they manage to do something really rare on One-Armed Bandit: credibly fuse elements of jazz and progressive rock with electronica. And if that remark doesn’t scare you off immediately, you’re probably in for a treat.

  Highlights

  • One-Armed Bandit ·
  • Banafleur Overalt ·
  • Prognissekongen

• This Great Pressure — Jogger

  Magical Properties

  As a general rule, Jogger seem to take perverse pleasure in denying the existence of anything as petty as rules. This Great Pressure is a strange but compelling listen that takes in elements of folk, math-rock, electro, IDM, breakcore, hip-hop, dubstep and… death metal.

  It was the relatively straightforward ‘Gorilla Meat’ that got me hooked on the album initially, but if you’ve got the patience to hear Jogger out you’ll be rewarded with an eclectic collection of songs that somehow seem to blend seamlessly.

  Highlights

  • Gorilla Meat ·
  • Master And Student ·
  • Champing At The Bit

• Astro Coast — Surfer Blood

  Kanine Records

  I saw this group of young Floridians play at the Pavement-curated All Tomorrow’s Parties festival in Minehead back in May. My immediate thought was: “they sound sound a bit like Weezer, if Weezer hadn’t gone shit after Pinkerton”.

  Astro Coast is good wholesome pop at it’s core, but with a few interesting twists and the occasional dip into shoegaze/glue-sniffing territory. Wads of reverb on the vocals and a few Dick Dale-esque guitar melodies lend a nice kind of “west coast” feel, and there are shades of The Pixies and Sonic Youth throughout too.

  Highlights

  • Take It Easy ·
  • Harmonix ·
  • Swim ·
  • Fast Jabroni

• Butterfly House — The Coral

  Deltasonic Records

  I’ve long respected The Coral, despite never really being a massive listener. They’ve always seemed like a “band’s band” — no frills, no drama, no make-up, just music. But their older albums never really grabbed me, for whatever reason. Butterfly House, however, is a brilliantly crafted record.

  The production (handled by John Leckie, producer of Radiohead’s The Bends and The Stone Roses’ debut) is lush and interesting, but without being flashy. The songs were written over a period of two years and thoroughly road-tested, so the writing and playing is polished and really well-rounded. The band sound confident and self-assured. And though they’ve retained many elements of their psych-pop roots, there are plenty of Beach Boys-esque harmonies and elements of the best Stone Roses material here too.

  Highlights

  • 1000 Years ·
  • Walking In The Winter ·
  • Butterfly House ·
  • Falling All Around You

Notable Mentions

Oh, and these lovely records have tickled my ears too…

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  SwimCaribou

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  The SuburbsArcade Fire

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  ModeratModerat