Well, folks... All good things must come to an end, but that does not mean that new things will not spring up again. Earlier in 2010, I wrote about albums that had just been released, and in that article I wondered how the rest of the year would fare, and how it would compete with 2009. Looking back, this year has been nothing short of phenomenal. As you may have picked up by now, I am a very particular guy, so for this many album releases to have inspired me enough to write is truly amazing. Now, without further ado, I give you 2010’s final installment of noteworthy new records:
- Norwegian electro duo, Röyksopp, deliver an instrumental and introspective musical journey in Senior. The record boasts nine tracks of varying tempos, all of which set an amiable mood for your listening pleasure. My favourites on this album are “the Alcoholic,” “the Drug,” and “Coming Home.”
- Next up is an album by one of the most prolific bands today. Belle & Sebastian took four years to come up with this record, but it seems well worth the wait. Write About Love is reminiscent of older works by the band, which is fantastic! Check out “Calculating Bimbo,” “Little Lou, Ugly Jack, Prophet John,” and “Sunday’s Pretty Icons.”
- Emerging musical artist, George Lewis Jr., hits the stage under the name Twin Shadow and delivers a perfectly mixed concoction of synthetic and organic sounds in his debut album, Forget. The record is very catchy and endearing, and it draws an influence from 1980s pop music. The best songs from this album are “When We’re Dancing,” “Shooting Holes,” and “For Now.”
- Manchester’s I Am Kloot release their fifth studio album, and it is as good as they come. Sky At Night, to me, is a contender for the band’s greatest record, right up there with their debut, Natural History (2001). The ten songs comprising this new release are sad, beautiful, and heartwarming. You’ll hear sweeping strings, grandiose horns, melancholy guitar, and jazzy drum beats. My favourites are “To the Brink,” “Lately,” and “Same Shoes.”
- Fifteen years ago, DJ Mark Farina started a legacy of down tempo and trip hop artistry. Seven releases later, he continues to inspire with his jazzy and head-bopping selections that he mixes so smoothly and seamlessly. Mushroom Jazz 7 is the latest installment of this series, and it’s superb! It is difficult to pick favourites from a narrative set of funky tracks such as this one, but the ones that stand out for me are “It’s the Beat,” “Please Be Mine,” and “Stressin’.”
That concludes my list, but before I go, I should make a note of a couple of things that didn’t make it on there for one reason or another:
Daft Punk’s Tron Legacy is due to come out next Tuesday, but a leaked copy I got my hands on sounds amazing. Since it’s not really a full album (nor confirmed yet), I couldn’t regard it as a new release, so it didn’t make the list.
Also, Gorillaz have just re-released Plastic Beach to include a new song, featuring Daley. It’s called “Doncamatic,” and it’s very much worth listening to. With that, Plastic Beach went from being an incredible album to being more incredible than words can describe! At this point, I have to say that it is, by far, my favourite album of 2010. Here is the video:
