My favourite albums of 2010
10. Allison Moorer - Crows
It's pretty clear on Allison's new album (unbelievably her seventh in all) that she's much more than your typical country singer, in fact this is more pure singer-songwriter fare than anything she's ever done before. Not that Allison has ever led us to believe that anyway, her albums up until now have been pretty diverse, starting with good old fashioned country twang, to beautifully melodic sunshine pop to angry, gusty rock and roll to thoughtful acoustic strummings. Here she's in a more mournful mode that is always as smart as it is moving and mature (definitely not a dirty word here) although the lead single Broken Girl sounds like a classic pop song, gorgeous with its girl group sha-la-las. There's something very elegant about Allison, it's not just her movie star good looks but her beautiful phrasing, powerful voice and intelligent lyrics. It's hard to believe Moorer is so under-appreciated these days, certainly moreso than her more famous and celebrated sister Shelby Lynne, maybe because she doesn't neatly fit into any genre but this album proves she deserves to be much more successful than she is.
9. John Grant - The Queen Of Denmark
I never listened much to John Grant's former band The Czars but his debut solo album is a thing of beauty. Touchingly personal and soulbearing (it details his struggles with drug addiction and coming out as gay) yet clever and darkly funny. It probably helps that he is sympathetically backed here by Midlake, again at their most tender, folkiest best with lush piano, strings and acoustic guitar. Plus it's hard not to love an album with a song called Sigourney Weaver that references both Winona Ryder and the Alien movies.
8. Superchunk - Majesty Shredding
When I was younger a friend at school lent me a whole bunch of Dinosaur Jr albums and I fell instantly in love (with the guy and the band). I loved the building, distortion-fuelled guitar hiding cool, heartfelt melodies. It was noisy but beautiful. This is what this album reminds me of. I must admit I never listened to Superchunk in their 90s heyday and only in the past few years discovered their classic album Foolish, but this easily lives up to that, full of energy, smart lyrics and deliciously fuzz-filled, J. Mascis-style guitar, it's fantastic stuff that takes me back to the hey day of 90s alternative but sounds utterly contemporary too.
7. Midlake - The Courage Of Others
You can tell whatever Midlake has been listening to with every album they release: Bamnan And Slivercork it was The Flaming Lips and Mercury Rev, The Trials Of Van Occupanther it was Fleetwood Mac and Crosby, Stills & Nash and their newest, The Courage Of Others, clearly seems to be British folk, in particular Fairport Convention. Thankfully every influence they have happens to be bands I love and Midlake's take on these styles is always beautifully done and uniquely them. It's spellbinding stuff with a hushed beauty and warmth. There's plenty of depth here, with little worlds you can escape into (my favourite kind of music, as any reader of this blog will know) but, while The Trials Of Van Occupanther was not only my favourite album of 2006 but one of my favourites of the past decade, this one doesn't quite reach those heights for me and I think some of that may be due to the absence of synthesizers, that made that record particularly special, and are sorely missed here, but it's still a great album even without them.
You can tell whatever Midlake has been listening to with every album they release: Bamnan And Slivercork it was The Flaming Lips and Mercury Rev, The Trials Of Van Occupanther it was Fleetwood Mac and Crosby, Stills & Nash and their newest, The Courage Of Others, clearly seems to be British folk, in particular Fairport Convention. Thankfully every influence they have happens to be bands I love and Midlake's take on these styles is always beautifully done and uniquely them. It's spellbinding stuff with a hushed beauty and warmth. There's plenty of depth here, with little worlds you can escape into (my favourite kind of music, as any reader of this blog will know) but, while The Trials Of Van Occupanther was not only my favourite album of 2006 but one of my favourites of the past decade, this one doesn't quite reach those heights for me and I think some of that may be due to the absence of synthesizers, that made that record particularly special, and are sorely missed here, but it's still a great album even without them.
6. Lissie - Catching A Tiger
I've heard people say that Lissie's debut album didn't live up to her first EP and that it felt overproduced in comparison to that and her live shows. There's probably an element of truth in that, as her live shows are more rocking, rawer, rootsy affairs but to me this album succeeds in its aim: to bring California rock, the kind that Linda Ronstadt specialised in, up to date for a new generation. Sheryl Crow tried to do something similar but has always been too concerned with the pop charts to successfully pull it off, often polishing her songs so much that they lose any distinctive or real qualities. To me Lissie has managed to record a well-produced, sunshine-filled album that mixes rock, country, blues and pop to joyous effect. The rawness and bluesiness of her voice, which is often reminscent of Stevie Nicks (always a good thing), counteracts anything that gets too shiny anyway and that cover, showing a tanned, bare-faced Lissie basking in the sunshine seems to me to sum up the album rather well.
5. Juliana Hatfield - Peace & Love
4. Arcade Fire - The Suburbs
3. Joanna Newsom - Have One On Me
2. Neil Young - Le Noise
I can't imagine this one will be a surprise to anyone who knows me as I pretty much worship Shakey and enjoy almost everything he does but, fangirling aside, this really has to be one of his greatest albums in years. Following, as a lot of Young's best work does, some personal tragedies in his life: the death of his friends and collaborators Larry "L.A." Johnson and Ben Keith, it's a reflective yet passionate piece of work, the tension somehow heightened by Daniel Lanois's sparse, drumless, feedback-filled production. I know some have said that listening to it they long for some bass and drums but to me it would ruin the atmosphere and the intimacy, the whole purpose of the album. This is an older and wiser man, alone in his bleakest, angriest and, importantly, most hopeful thoughts, musing about life, the world and his place in it. Plus, it's pretty amazing that he's made an album that is so intimate yet so loud and badass. I think it was a hugely positive thing that Neil reached out for an outside producer and created one of his most original works in years. Saying all that, I would now love to hear some of these tunes live with Crazy Horse but that's probably wishful thinking knowing Neil and his love of defying expectations. It's why we love him.
1. Caitlin Rose - Own Side Now
I've heard people say that Lissie's debut album didn't live up to her first EP and that it felt overproduced in comparison to that and her live shows. There's probably an element of truth in that, as her live shows are more rocking, rawer, rootsy affairs but to me this album succeeds in its aim: to bring California rock, the kind that Linda Ronstadt specialised in, up to date for a new generation. Sheryl Crow tried to do something similar but has always been too concerned with the pop charts to successfully pull it off, often polishing her songs so much that they lose any distinctive or real qualities. To me Lissie has managed to record a well-produced, sunshine-filled album that mixes rock, country, blues and pop to joyous effect. The rawness and bluesiness of her voice, which is often reminscent of Stevie Nicks (always a good thing), counteracts anything that gets too shiny anyway and that cover, showing a tanned, bare-faced Lissie basking in the sunshine seems to me to sum up the album rather well.5. Juliana Hatfield - Peace & Love
Although I've al
ways loved Juliana and bought everything she's ever done, after her mid-90s crisis when her record company refused to release her album and she left them for the uncertain world of the independent, her music had always seemed bleaker, dirtier and, while good, missing a certain spark her earlier more innocent work had. But last year's How To Walk Away changed all that, it's easily the equal of her best work, if not the best thing she's ever done, her songwriting and voice more assured than ever, still world weary but hopeful. While that was fairly critically acclaimed, its acoustic follow-up, Peace & Love, was rather underrated in my opinion, as it sees her stripped down and at her purest. It's often haunting, filled with confessional songs that feel personal, real yet ambigious - it's what Juliana does best afterall. Most heartbreaking of all is Evan, the title not bothering to conceal it's a letter to her old friend Evan Dando, revealing past events and present concerns and unresolved feelings, it's so honest and moving it gives me chills everytime I hear it. This may not be as poppy or direct as her previous album but it's powerful in its own way and shows Juliana has plenty left to give.
ways loved Juliana and bought everything she's ever done, after her mid-90s crisis when her record company refused to release her album and she left them for the uncertain world of the independent, her music had always seemed bleaker, dirtier and, while good, missing a certain spark her earlier more innocent work had. But last year's How To Walk Away changed all that, it's easily the equal of her best work, if not the best thing she's ever done, her songwriting and voice more assured than ever, still world weary but hopeful. While that was fairly critically acclaimed, its acoustic follow-up, Peace & Love, was rather underrated in my opinion, as it sees her stripped down and at her purest. It's often haunting, filled with confessional songs that feel personal, real yet ambigious - it's what Juliana does best afterall. Most heartbreaking of all is Evan, the title not bothering to conceal it's a letter to her old friend Evan Dando, revealing past events and present concerns and unresolved feelings, it's so honest and moving it gives me chills everytime I hear it. This may not be as poppy or direct as her previous album but it's powerful in its own way and shows Juliana has plenty left to give.4. Arcade Fire - The Suburbs
I have to admit I had kind
of written Arcade Fire off with their last album, which was good but didn't thrill me the way their debut had. I figured it may have been the uniqueness and originality of their first record that had won me over and, as often is the case with bands that have a very distinctive style, sometimes one album is all you need. But thankfully they pleasantly surprised me with their latest, The Suburbs. It's got that sometimes claustophobic feel of growing up, the feelings of frustration and dreams, of what might happen and could be and the desperation of seeing everything you are missing out on. Nothing for me sums it up as well as the jaunty yet sinister piano-led title track with its Bowie-esque feel and emotional vocals, it's the stuff of classics. Although I've always liked their music, I've often wondered why Arcade Fire broke through to such a big audience (they played two nights at the O2 arena recently, pretty impressive for what many consider a small indie band), but this album, more than any of their others, probably reveals why.
of written Arcade Fire off with their last album, which was good but didn't thrill me the way their debut had. I figured it may have been the uniqueness and originality of their first record that had won me over and, as often is the case with bands that have a very distinctive style, sometimes one album is all you need. But thankfully they pleasantly surprised me with their latest, The Suburbs. It's got that sometimes claustophobic feel of growing up, the feelings of frustration and dreams, of what might happen and could be and the desperation of seeing everything you are missing out on. Nothing for me sums it up as well as the jaunty yet sinister piano-led title track with its Bowie-esque feel and emotional vocals, it's the stuff of classics. Although I've always liked their music, I've often wondered why Arcade Fire broke through to such a big audience (they played two nights at the O2 arena recently, pretty impressive for what many consider a small indie band), but this album, more than any of their others, probably reveals why.3. Joanna Newsom - Have One On Me
It's funny the 
extreme reactions people seem to have to Joanna Newsom's music, they either seem to find it long, tedious and irritating or just completely fall in love with her. I'm of the latter persuasion because I find something otherworldly and magical about her music. I'm reminded when I saw her perform at the Royal Festival Hall earlier this year, how I was completely transported to another place and time when I closed my eyes and let the music take hold of me. Her songs twist and turn and go into wonderful, unexpected places and her lyrics are so evocative and beautiful, every phrase seeming to be perfectly tied with the music. It's a lovely, perfect combination, as often one is better than the other, but with Newsom the music and lyrics are always as good as each other. This album, three CDs long no less, was as ambitious and big as ever, but to me Newsom seemed softer and, dare I say it, more mature, her voice having lost its childlike tones and mellowed in a beautiful way. I hate to bring up the often-used Joni Mitchell comparison but here it really is true and while Mitchell is often scathing in her opinions of her female successors, I can't imagine how she couldn't be won over by the innovation and spirit shown by Newsom and her heavenly harp on this album.
extreme reactions people seem to have to Joanna Newsom's music, they either seem to find it long, tedious and irritating or just completely fall in love with her. I'm of the latter persuasion because I find something otherworldly and magical about her music. I'm reminded when I saw her perform at the Royal Festival Hall earlier this year, how I was completely transported to another place and time when I closed my eyes and let the music take hold of me. Her songs twist and turn and go into wonderful, unexpected places and her lyrics are so evocative and beautiful, every phrase seeming to be perfectly tied with the music. It's a lovely, perfect combination, as often one is better than the other, but with Newsom the music and lyrics are always as good as each other. This album, three CDs long no less, was as ambitious and big as ever, but to me Newsom seemed softer and, dare I say it, more mature, her voice having lost its childlike tones and mellowed in a beautiful way. I hate to bring up the often-used Joni Mitchell comparison but here it really is true and while Mitchell is often scathing in her opinions of her female successors, I can't imagine how she couldn't be won over by the innovation and spirit shown by Newsom and her heavenly harp on this album.2. Neil Young - Le Noise
I can't imagine this one will be a surprise to anyone who knows me as I pretty much worship Shakey and enjoy almost everything he does but, fangirling aside, this really has to be one of his greatest albums in years. Following, as a lot of Young's best work does, some personal tragedies in his life: the death of his friends and collaborators Larry "L.A." Johnson and Ben Keith, it's a reflective yet passionate piece of work, the tension somehow heightened by Daniel Lanois's sparse, drumless, feedback-filled production. I know some have said that listening to it they long for some bass and drums but to me it would ruin the atmosphere and the intimacy, the whole purpose of the album. This is an older and wiser man, alone in his bleakest, angriest and, importantly, most hopeful thoughts, musing about life, the world and his place in it. Plus, it's pretty amazing that he's made an album that is so intimate yet so loud and badass. I think it was a hugely positive thing that Neil reached out for an outside producer and created one of his most original works in years. Saying all that, I would now love to hear some of these tunes live with Crazy Horse but that's probably wishful thinking knowing Neil and his love of defying expectations. It's why we love him.1. Caitlin Rose - Own Side Now
Something completely charmed me about Nashville singer-songwriter Caitlin Rose's debut album. When I spoke to her earlier this year she told me she didn't think her music was country but I think it is, it's country music at its most purest, without the sheen and gloss of big production, it's Patsy Cline before she embraced the Nashville sound, back when she wore cowgirl suits and her records weren't embellished with strings. And there's more of a connection to Patsy Cline than that, her voice and phrasing often remind me of a young Patsy, albeit one with the gutsy attitude and songwriting of a young Loretta Lynn. And what a combination that is. When you first hear the yearning, heartfelt songs of Own Side Now it certainly won't shatter your world - it's not a groundbreaking, genre defying album, it won't make you sit up with how different or unique it is - but the songs will slowly seep into your heart and head in the most lovely way and become part of your life and there's a lot to be said for that, good, solid songwriting. It's why it's my album of the year. I actually told her so when I met her and she seemed surprised and touched but I can't imagine anyone hearing it not eventually being won over by its charm.
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