2010 Albums of the Year :: Halfway Home

2010 is rapidly becoming one of those stupefying years where release after quality release comes stumbling towards us like a series of musically literate zombies. It's frankly overwhelming. Nearly halfway through the year, and almost immediately in the middle of the release schedule (nothing not by John Tesh gets released after December 10th), we decided to look backwards and evaluate. These are the 2010 release power rankings at the turn.

1) The National - High Violet
2) LCD Soundsystem - This Is Happening
3) Beach House - Teen Dream
4) Spoon - Transference
5) Frightened Rabbit - Winter of Mixed Drinks
6) Radio Department - Clinging to a Scheme
7) Wolf Parade - Expo 86
8) Vampire Weekend - Contra
9) The New Pornographers - Together
10)First Rate People - It's Never Not Happening


Honorable Mention: Mumford and Sons - Sigh No More, Yeasayer - Odd Blood, Stornoway - Beachcombers Windowsill, Sleigh Bells - Treats, Two Door Cinema Club - Tourist History, Band of Horses - Infinite Arms, Broken Social Scene - Forgiveness Rock Record, Small Black - Small Black EP, GROUPLOVE - GROUPLOVE EP, Twin Sister - Color Your Life, Free Energy - Free Energy, Ellie Goulding - Lights, Marina and the Diamonds - The Family Jewels, Blair - Die Young, Delorean - Subiza

To Come: Kele - The Boxer, The Strokes - (Untitled), Arcade Fire - (Untitled)

Listen :: The National - "Bloodbuzz Ohio"
Listen :: Beach House - "Zebra"
Listen :: Radio Department - "Heaven's On Fire"
Listen :: Wolf Parade - "Ghost Pressure"
Listen :: New Pornographers - "Your Hands (Together)"
Listen :: First Rate People - "Girls Night"

Teenage Fanclub :: "Baby Lee"

Perhaps the only band that can make a light, sing-song melody sound a little bit like a sinking ship, Teenage Fanclub are back with a new record, Shadows, and a new single, "Baby Lee." Sounding a touch more rural than their most recent gritty slow-burn, Man-Made, the band does their best rendition of very-nearly Jayhawks progression. The vocals have an edge of hush and the lyrics rely on candor and simple couplet. It is, however, the foundational reliance on acoustic guitar that changes the fundamentals of the sound, turning it away from the buzzing, hushing alt-rock of the band's previous albums. If you like Princeton, the chord progression is very nearly "Sadie and Andy," which was as bright a slice of pop as 2009 had to offer. Teenage Fanclub doesn't have it in their DNA to go soft, but this is certainly a sunnier version of the emotional anchor they drop through the bottom of their boat everytime the release a record. One supposes this is the song to hum as you sink to the bottom.

Listen :: Teenage Fanclub - "Baby Lee"
Listen :: Teenage Fanclub - "It's All In My Mind"
Listen :: Princeton - "Sadie and Andy"

New Pornographers :: "Your Hands (Together)"

The New Pornographers boast such a broad catalogue that a new record is like hearing from an old friend, still established in the same job, same city, same relationship with no major material changes. It's both nostalgic and familiar, like their return is really a "never-left." While this might not be the most exciting lede for a bit on their new record, Together, it's important to note that underneath all this familiarity is a standard of unsexy excellence that has been the hallmark of the band's career. With Carl Newman's vocals driving and Neko Case's explosive voice-box riding shotgun, "Your Hands," buzzes and hums with the 60s throwback power-pop that the band has both updated but largely just maintained since 1997. Or, put another way, those 13 years feel like they both did and didn't happen.

Listen :: The New Pornographers - "Your Hands (Together)"

Together is out May 4th in the US.

Northern Portrait :: "Favorite Moment"

Northern Portrait are guilty of being a little overdone as a band. Any lyric that presupposes to understand "your new favorite moment, your new favorite time," is stretching the limits of superlatives as we know them. This does not mention its presupposition that exaggeration for the sake of effect is acceptable, a cultural concept that went out of style sometime in 1996 when Alicia Silverstone had "the best time ever" in Clueless.

But perhaps we can be a little cynical. And in an increasingly relativist society, who I am to call anyone "overdone?" My criticism alone is overdone (see above, everywhere). I reflect. It precisely at this moment that the sonic love-child of The Cure and The Lucksmiths explodes out of the speakers and "Favorite Moment" becomes exactly that - your new favorite moment. Shimmering and ebullient, Northern Portrait have crafted something that explodes cynicism with all the regret of a safe-cracker blowing a safe. We are, for the moment, open and grateful for it.

Listen :: Northern Portrait - "Favorite Moment"