We begin part three of our countdown with an up-and-coming Australian talent that our contributors were very vocal in ensuring made the our top 40 countdown…
Israel Cannan: Walk
Have you have ever just picked something up and thought….. wow, this just sounds so right. Well, today I had the pleasure of finding such an album. Walk, the sophomore album from Israel Cannan, simply took my breath away. From the opening bar of “Set Me Free”, you know you are in for something truly special. There is a maturity of voice and sound in this album that belies the fact that this is only Cannans’s second album and that Cannan himself is still just 25 years old. – Tony Lendrum
Massive Attack – Heligoland
While the new Massive Attack album didn’t bare the fruits rumoured in the 7 years since 100th Window (such as Tom Waits, David Bowie and Fiest), Heligoland (named after a German archipelago of the same name) didn’t disappoint. Tunde Adebimpe (TV On The Radio), Damon Albarn, Hope Sandoval, Mazzy Star, Guy Garvey (Elbow) and Martina Topley-Bird were among the featured vocalists, all collaborating on an album which remains high on our playlists from 2010. A sonically impressive undertaking. – Larry Heath
Washington – I Believe You Liar
What a year for Megan Washington, and what a record to back it up! It’s proved to be the gift that keeps on giving, packed to the brim full of quirky and intelligent pop songs. No wonder she scooped the ARIAs. – Josh Brown
Sufjan Stevens – The Age of Adz
Oh Sufjan, you keep us hanging for five years in a post-Illinoise daze and finally return with a crazy mixture of glitch, bombast and autotune. Equal parts risk and ambition, the indie wunderkind manages to pull off an incredible album once again. – Josh Brown
Freelance Whales – Weathervanes
A dreamy, indie-folk affair from a band set to ignite. Weathervanes offers gentle witticisms set alongside a delightfully delicate menagerie of sounds, beautiful in its subtle charms. A great debut. – Nick Mason
Nowadays it’s hard to define particular boundaries when it comes to making music, but there are a few that remain unspoken (and unbroken), until someone comes along and crosses them. Some people would say a band that was originally formed from a Craig’s List ad, wouldn’t be able to create a successful, and creative album. They might also say that a watering can can’t be used as an instrument, and that you shouldn’t play in haunted venues.
Well, Freelance Whales, have proved the naysayers wrong, and are here to do so again with their debut album Weathervanes.- Jennifer Morgan
Vampire Weekend – Contra
Vampire Weekend was a headlong rush of a debut, full of energy and vigour that produced some outstanding tracks (Oxford Comma, M79), but also had misfires like One (Blake’s Got a New Face). Contra, on the other hand, makes a virtue of consistency. In fact, it’s a closer relative of St Vincent’s Actor, or Grizzly Bear’s ‘While You Wait For the Others’, where the delicate, often lovely melodies act as Trojan Horses for the lyrical venom. Even as it’s targets change, Contra looks like it’ll be sharp and relevant as long as pretension and snobbery exist – that is to say, for a very long time. – Joel Turner
Jónsi – Go
Steering away from the ambient (and forgettable) turn he took with other Sigur Rós side project Jónsi & Alex, Go is an uplifting and inspired new direction for the angelic Icelandic singer. – Josh Brown
The Drums – The Drums
It’s a bit of a mix for me and I have to admit I haven’t listened to nearly enough albums this year. For me, The Drums takes the cake. It is fresh, a bit different, not too out there and impossible to sit still when it plays. Parts of your body move uncontrollably and that is good. It also reminds me of seeing them live… so much fun. My top three are extremely close, Tame Impala and Parades have each delivered something brilliant. Nevertheless, there must be one at the top and the guitar driven sounds of The Drums is the winner, by a nose. It is a self titled album that takes you from a sandy beach through a dramatic break up with your high school sweetheart, back to the parking lot for beers and a bonfire, into some sweet slacks and onto the dance floor… Everything is gonna be alright. Trust me. – James Hull
Band Of Horses – Infinite Arms
The album segues nicely into first single “Compliments”, another strong song. Sonically similar to the songs on their previous album, it’s a fun song, it’s upbeat and really is the perfect first single. While probably my favourite song on the album, it does face competition from track 3, “Laredo”, which is probably going to end up being my holiday driving song! It has a great rhythm and a nice Summer feel to it, perfect for forgetting that winter is setting in. – Simon Clark
Cloud Control – Bliss Release
The hotly anticipated debut from the New South Wales’ quartet met the hype with flying colours. Handclaps, harmonies and infectious melodies coming together with elements of folk, country and rock. Bliss indeed. – Nick Mason
Like The Triffids’ “Born Sandy Devotional” and The Go-Betweens’ “16 Lovers Lane” every Australian should own a copy of Cloud Control’s debut album, its just that good. Over the course of less than a year I’ve personally seen them go from playing to a handful of youngsters at the Annandale Hotel to victoriously selling out their Metro show. While the support slot for Vampire Weekend certainly helped, I believe the success is well deserved after the sheer quality on offer on “Bliss Release”. Even though the band left off some of their big EP tracks it still managed to be all killer, no filler pop that is spiritually uplifting and ever so shiny. Sweet. – Natalie Salvo
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Join us on Sunday when we bring you our top 10 albums!
Part 2: 30-21 | Part 1: 40-31
