Thursday, December 23, 2010

Top 20 Albums of 2010: 12-11

12. Yeasayer - Odd Blood



This was released very early in the year and became one of my first obsessions of 2010. The band�s previous release had been a dreamlike, aural collage of sounds and vocals that I found quite haunting, but with their follow-up they chose to fully embrace 80�s pop and go for big hooks. It was an utter success, containing some of the year�s strangest, most compelling pop songs. Ignore the experimental opening track. It�s a red herring of sorts, because what follows is a collection of tunes heavy on melody. It�s the album MGNT should have released this year.

Facebook

11. Bj�rn Johan Muri - Airwaves



Rarely is a Eurovision hopeful�s debut so engaging. The genius here lies with the material Muri was given. Instead of trendy, urban pop (which would have been the obvious way to go), this album�s filled with soft-around-the-edges, lightly electronic music that is tailored for radio without losing any of its artsy cool. It�s all carried through by Muri�s instantly recognizable vocals. Polished radio pop didn�t get much better this year. It takes the Norwegian "Donkeyboy" sound and augments it into something more youthful and interesting.

Facebook

No comments:

Post a Comment