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Is it just me or was this the most exciting, or at least most sleeper-esque exciting quarter for new albums in my infantilely young heavy listening career? What makes me even more confident in the above question/declaration is that I was extremely distracted over the past three months, and played my new music listening shamefully close to the hay throwing tool vest, so gosh knows what I missed. I really can't wait to see if my enthusiasm for these albums holds up through the fall, for now however, I think my eardrum hammers are ringing true.
Free Energy - Stuck On Nothing 10/10
Normally I've afraid of hyperbolic praise ruining the uninitiated initial experience of the treasure in question, but I can't hold it in. This band has had me compromised for almost a year, and after listening to the album with actually decent headphones tonight this could easily end up being my number one of 2010. Free Energy "makes life worth living" or at least much much more fun; assuming of course that you at one time loved Thin Lizzy's boys being back in taaaowne.Beach House - Teen Dream 9/10
In 2008 I had nothing good to say about Beach House, and if I thought anything good about Devotion I was too busy taking acute umbrage over the fact that every band interviewed at the end of the year seemed to list that album as their favorite. Give Teen Dream three listens all the way through and and if you don't absolutely, I mean absolutely, love it's angle you must be stuck on nothing. Funny right? No? Okay.
jj - n° 3 9/10
Seeing as how n° 2 was my best album of 2009 you would think it would be impossible for n° 3 to sneak up on me. Somehow it did. My first times through one or two of the songs would catch, but I started to feel that they were "parodying themselves" and diluting their previous work, plus I was annoyed that "5 minuter med jj" wasn't included. Then the all at once the album hit me in the core and I extended my contract to be their butler in spirit for another five years.
Surfer Blood - Astro Coast 9/10
Jangly guitars, beachy TV watching lyrics, and singles that are as catchy as Sour Patch Kids are patchy might have you concluding, upon first listen, that this album must have the half life of darmstadtium. However with subsequent laps, a pleasant surprise would soon wash over you as each song became a rich favorite on its own terms. Throw in the fact that they throw an A-some in concert, trashed their first recording of the album, and that lead singer probably eats Wheaties while the rest of the band mows Kashi, and I'm staying intrigued.
In 2008 I had nothing good to say about Beach House, and if I thought anything good about Devotion I was too busy taking acute umbrage over the fact that every band interviewed at the end of the year seemed to list that album as their favorite. Give Teen Dream three listens all the way through and and if you don't absolutely, I mean absolutely, love it's angle you must be stuck on nothing. Funny right? No? Okay.
jj - n° 3 9/10
Seeing as how n° 2 was my best album of 2009 you would think it would be impossible for n° 3 to sneak up on me. Somehow it did. My first times through one or two of the songs would catch, but I started to feel that they were "parodying themselves" and diluting their previous work, plus I was annoyed that "5 minuter med jj" wasn't included. Then the all at once the album hit me in the core and I extended my contract to be their butler in spirit for another five years.
Surfer Blood - Astro Coast 9/10
Jangly guitars, beachy TV watching lyrics, and singles that are as catchy as Sour Patch Kids are patchy might have you concluding, upon first listen, that this album must have the half life of darmstadtium. However with subsequent laps, a pleasant surprise would soon wash over you as each song became a rich favorite on its own terms. Throw in the fact that they throw an A-some in concert, trashed their first recording of the album, and that lead singer probably eats Wheaties while the rest of the band mows Kashi, and I'm staying intrigued.
She & Him - In The Sun from Merge Records on Vimeo.
She & Him - Volume Two 9/10
I can't help it, I'm crazy about Zoe Dasch's singing and M. Ward's arrangements. They could keep cranking out what some might consider slosh every three years for the next thirty and I'd still back up the box truck to get my fill. My only note would be that Him's voice could have been more prominent throughout, and still left the cute bomb more than enough stage.
MGMT - Congratulations 8/10
Every time somebody tells me this isn't/wasn't their most anticipated album of the year I have to go in to a bathroom or closet and yell for five minutes. I used to wonder what Brett Favre was doing on random Tuesday afternoons, but since Oracular Spectacular happened Ben and Andrew have replaced #4. This album won't change that and if it was a couple songs longer or included Kids/Electric Feel renamed and played backwards my enjoyment would have rated it higher. It's streaming here.
Yeasayer - Odd Blood 8/10
The 2009 single Ambling Alp could be my favorite song of 2010, and O.N.E., among others on this disc, won't be far behind. Yeasayer is yet another band that I didn't get the first time around and now love. Maybe having proved their artistry with previous albums these bands are trying to challenge themselves by seeing if they can also succeed in funville or maybe I'm just daft, whatever the case, it proves I need to at least keep doing flybys.
Vampire Weekend - Contra 7/10
This thing is pretty friggin replayable.
Shout Out Louds - Work 7/10
No Our Ill Wills, but there are still some really heart swelling tracks.
No Our Ill Wills, but there are still some really heart swelling tracks.
The Magnetic Fields - Realism 7/10
Mumford & Sons - Sigh No More 7/10
Depending on your shore this may be new or from 2009. The album has at least three really enjoyable songs, but because the band always kept me at arms length I'd be game to argue this one up or down just to counter your opinion. That said, all decent banjo music should be unhesitatingly embraced.
Depending on your shore this may be new or from 2009. The album has at least three really enjoyable songs, but because the band always kept me at arms length I'd be game to argue this one up or down just to counter your opinion. That said, all decent banjo music should be unhesitatingly embraced.
Broken Bells - Broken Bells 7/10
Below are semi-recent also-rans that have been given thorough listens, but that as of today, didn't register at least a seven out of ten on my personal enjoyment gage.
Below are semi-recent also-rans that have been given thorough listens, but that as of today, didn't register at least a seven out of ten on my personal enjoyment gage.
Freelance Whales - Weathervanes
Fang Island - Fang Island
Four Tet - There Is Love in You
Gil Scott-Heron - The Best Of
The Besnard Lakes - Are The Dark Horse
Local Natives - Gorilla Manor
Hot Chip - One Life Stand
BLK JKS - After Robots
Los Campesinos! - Romance Is Boring
Gorillaz - Plastic Beach
Charlotte Gainsbourg - IRM
The Soft Pack - The Soft Pack
Fang Island - Fang Island
Four Tet - There Is Love in You
Gil Scott-Heron - The Best Of
The Besnard Lakes - Are The Dark Horse
Local Natives - Gorilla Manor
Hot Chip - One Life Stand
BLK JKS - After Robots
Los Campesinos! - Romance Is Boring
Gorillaz - Plastic Beach
Charlotte Gainsbourg - IRM
The Soft Pack - The Soft Pack
Non-rationalizable as 2010 ten albums and the Frighten Rabbits, Spoons, Forecasts and BRMCs which only got the afore-mention cursory flyby have been excluded.
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