We continue our look back at the year in music with part two of our annual albums of the year countdown! We kick things off with one of the heroes of this year’s international electronic touring circuit…
Delphic – Acolyte
My early pick for album of the year has held strong from January to December. Fighting off a late, dark and twisted challenge from Mr West these Mancunian lads remained my favourite album for 2010. Borrowing more than a little of their sound from perennial favourites Bloc Party they delivered a cracking set at the OAF and were one of BBC’s picks for the Sound of 2010. Most importantly their songs sound fresh and eminently listenable 11 months after the album was released. Given the hype surrounding Kanyeezy’s album right now (and admittedly I’m thrashing it currently) I must admit I needed to take a step back and throw Acolyte on my iPhone playlist again to fully appreciate the depth and breadth of Delphic’s achievement. They delivered one of the best debuts in recent times and are my pick for theAUreview’s album of 2010. – Ashton Jones
Clare Bowditch – Modern Day Addiction
Interestingly, in creating what is arguably her most experimental album to date, Clare Bowditch has now delievered a trifecta on what has to be some of the catchiest pop tunes of her career. Following on from the sweeping brilliance of “The Start of War” and the two-chord glory of “Bigger Than the Money,” Bowditch has released the title track to the record. It might not seem like the obvious choice of single at first, with its simple piano and sparse, jazzy arrangement. After awhile, however, it all makes sense – the rapid-fire lyrics, the layered vocals, the syncopated handclaps… how did the brilliance of this song get lost? Once you’ve figured out the words to the chorus, you’re set for life. If this doesn’t convince you that Modern Day Addiction is one of the essential Australian albums of the year, nothing will. – David Young
The Besnard Lakes – The Besnard Lakes Are The Roaring Night
Not only does it manage to have several of the most fulfilling tracks I’ve ever heard, but it also manages to achieve a steady album-long crescendo. It has its lulls in mood, but it ultimately reaches the point of pure auditory perfection; you get that one extended moment of the sublime in ‘Light Up The Night.’ – Daniel Wittingslow
The shimmering guitars and cavernous vocals of And This Is What We Call Progress was my first taste of this amazing and ambitious record by Canadian indie-prog band The Besnard Lakes. Love at first listen. – Josh Brown
Robyn – Body Talk Pt. 1
Have you ever danced to heartache? Not only does Robyn make it possible, she makes it a must-do. On the surface, Body Talk Pt. 1 is a neatly packaged blend of classic pop sensibilities and futuristic beats, but dig a little deeper and you’ll find an album driven by complex layers, enthralling concepts and a vision that is years ahead of its time. Yeezy might just steal the top seat in many year-end listings, but Robyn stole my heart. – Marc Knevett
There’s so many great pop moments back to back here. A short and sweet release that invites multiple listens. Robyn’s Body Talk series has been a huge success and doesn’t take long to understand why. She’s the undisputed queen of electro-pop. – Nick Mason
Tame Impala – Innerspeaker
I’m not going to single out any other particular tracks, they all have their value and unless you’ve successfully avoided the radio over the past few months, you’ve heard some/most of them. With such huge sing-along potential and superb harmonies and melodies interacting with so many effects, InnerSpeaker is a very special collection of ideas from a very interesting Australian band that surely has some intriguing prospects future hence. If all of the above seemed superfluous, contradictory, pretentious, nonsensical or utter twat, then ignore it all and have a listen for yourself at your local music shop or through the wonders of the internet. Or better yet, buy the album, insert it into your personal music playing device and take your own journey. It will be worth it. – James Hull
Interpol – Interpol
I had been waiting for new stuff from Interpol for what seems like forever, and finally they land with this masterpiece. it is so good because no other band (that i know of yet) can make music quite like interpol. it is different to all the other indie rock crap that sounds the same as every other band on the radio…. AND Paul Banks voice is simply amazing. – Amy Lee Freshwater
Broken Bells – Broken Bells
Broken Bells is easily the standout album of the year. Combining Dangermouse’s phenomenally deep and layered songwriting and production skills with the beautiful voice of James Mercer, the self titled album was both genre bending and familiar at the same time. The album has great longevity, and in true Dangermouse style each song is short and contained while packing in an incredible amount. – Adam Monkhouse
Beach House – Teen Dream
Teen Dream, the latest effort by Beach House, is exactly as its name suggests. The album is a collection of chilled rock tracks that pluck from psychedelic and the energy of the recently woken. Every song feels almost hypnotic and benefits greatly from its mood. Each melody feel fanciful and wonderful at the same time, and it backed up by some excellent lyricism. – Daniel Wittingslow
I must admit my original reaction to hearing Norway was that it sounded way out of tune and horrible. Then something clicked and now I can’t get enough of this gorgeous and dreamy record. – Josh Brown
The Black Keys – Brothers
This is one band who simply know how to make good music – and despite only being a two piece, continue to surprise with albums full of depth and originality time and time again. Running off the back of the stellar lead single “Tighten Up”, which I would expect to see in our top tracks of 2010 list later this month, Brothers did just this – This is an album by The Black Keys. This is one of the best albums of the year. – Larry Heath
Surfer Blood – Astro Coast
I won’t lie, I bought this album on a whim! I was not disappointed; this is fun record. It’s joyful and catchy – it has a vitality brought about through jangly guitars and great rhythms. There is a definite psychedelic feel, as seems to be the case with a lot of records these days. What’s unusual about this album is that it sounds so familiar yet unique. This is a really strong debut album, a record which gives the sense of a band with potential. I fully expect Surfer Blood to get bigger over the coming year and beyond; and based on this album they fully deserve it. – Simon Clark
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See 40-31 – Rest of the Top 40 to come later this week!
