Quick Thoughts on 2010

Just thought I'd give a quick run-down of notable albums released this year. There should probably be a lot more here, but hey, I'm only human.

The Knife - Tomorrow in a Year: What could have easily been a cheap gimmick (an electro-opera based on the life and works of Charles Darwin) turns out to be a haunting and beautiful extension of the Knife's sound, a work that feels both profound and personal. There are moments on here (such as the Variation of Birds) that drive me pretty close to tears. Not from sadness, but from a vicious, ecstatic beauty that colors the album's best songs.

Most fans of the synth pop anthems from Deep Cuts and Silent Shout are likely disappointed with this one, as only three tracks have anything resembling a beat, and none of it was made for the dance floor. But those of us who also look to the Knife for their moods and textures will have much to savor here. This isn't an album of warped pitch-shifted vocals, but it does have the same fascinating contradictions of Silent Shout: the raw humanity woven from synthetic programming; the warmth emanating from sounds of dark, icy cold. Quite possibly my favorite release of the year.

Crystal Castles- Crystal Castles: Their second eponymous release finds this synth duo refining their sound a bit. Almost like the Doolittle to the first album's Surfer Rosa. The extremes are more extreme (as on Doe Deer), but the band's more accessible sensibilities are also indulged (see: Suffocation), making for a follow-up that could be considered diluted by some and schizophrenic by others. Me, I think the best moments of the first album (my favorite: Love and Caring) can't be topped, but overall, the second one is more consistently satisfying. More variety, more ambition, more staying power.

Cocorosie - Grey Oceans: The production is full and crisp, the arrangements are more subdued, and yet this is undeniably a Cocorosie album. Animal noises, plucked arpeggios, hip hop beats, and creepy vocals chanting creepy lyrics. I'm not sure why tastemakers like Pitchfork have chosen these gals as targets of unrelenting mockery and condescension; this one, like all of their albums, is fairly easy to listen to. Some are arresting in their beauty (opener Trinity is Crying), and some are simply catchy, like Lemonade. It's not as much a progression from their standard sound as I would have hoped for, but it's still quality stuff.

Janelle Monae - The ArchAndroid: Having written a post about Janelle, I will simply say here that her album's got so much going on, I still haven't totally soaked it all up. Not everything here works (why is Of Montreal anywhere near these songs?), but there are oodles of strong moments to keep me anxious for more.

Jonsi - Go: I was a bit hesitant to pick up this solo release by Sigur Ros' frontman, as I feared a shameless foray into pop narcissism. His solo album's actually not that different from the last few Sigur Ros releases: direct, sunny, jubilant. His unearthly voice sounds just as (if not more) inviting singing joyous major key melodies as the more well known somber side of SR. Lead track Go Do is just a rush of pleasure all the way, as is Boi Lilikoi. What can I say, but "Go Jonsi Go!"

The Roots - How I Got Over: Having recently released two phenomenally direct expressions of anger and frustration (Game Theory and Rising Down), the Roots have decided to take things down a notch for their newest LP. The songs seem permeated by the troubles of recent times, each adding to a general feel of melancholy. Despite the gloom, hope perseveres through the album, and strong melodies throughout make "How I Got Over" a stately, if bittersweet, affair.

M.I.A. - MAYA: Another victim of overcritical press (due, at least to some extent, by this NYT piece, and Maya's overdramatic reaction to it), M.I.A. turned in a solid album that will probably get more praise as time passes. It's not as ambitious, not as diverse, and not as energetic as her past work, but its noisy, insular sound works well as a mood piece, albeit one that sounds great at high volumes. Oh well, Haters gonna hate.

Liars - Sisterworld: Their last album, Liars, was a bit disappointing to me. Sure, it had some great songs (and no bad ones), but it all felt a little too rock for Liars, a band known to be obnoxious, but never bland. Sisterworld seems to me to be the proper sequel to Drums Not Dead; this is an intense tribal experience that borrows from rock's sonic palette without conforming to its ideology. Check out: Proud Evolution, Drop Dead.

Joanna Newsom - Have One on Me: It's nice to hear our elven mistress of the harp allowing her sound to mature. I found her first album to be fine, but ultimately too cloyingly whimsical to truly enjoy. Her follow-up, Ys, is challenging and well worth repeated listens, but it too can be a bit stuffy sometimes. This new double-album reins in much of Newsom's more grating tendencies, and boasts a largely subdued, relaxed sound. Admittedly, I haven't fully absorbed this massive, sprawling opus, but Easy, Kingfisher, and No Provenance are my current favorites.

Xiu Xiu - Dear God, I Hate Myself: With each successive release, Xiu Xiu has grown a bit more user friendly in their approach. This is only relative to their past work, of course, and so their lead single (and extremely hard to watch video) is unlikely to top the charts. Jamie Stewart will always be a polarizing force in music. His vocals are like an unnerving fusion of Ian Curtis' ghost and an insufferable Valley queen (this being a compliment, to me at least). His band always loves to mix seemingly unmixable sounds and moods---synth pop & folk, melody & shrieking noise, terror & hilarity---and, despite some additional clarity, this one fits pretty well in their canon. Meaning, you'll either love it and hate it, or you'll fucking despise it and burn it from your memory.

Big Boi - Sir Lucious Leftfoot, Son of Chico Dusty: I just got this one last week, but I'm already in love. Big Boi gets a lot of flack, even from Outkast fans, who feel that Andre 3000 is the true source of the group's talent and charm. This release puts all that shit to rest. Dre isn't anywhere on "Leftfoot", and it's one of the best Outkast-related albums I've heard. From the intro to the end, it's just really tight, funky, fun pop music. While not as conceptually ambitious as his protege Janelle, Big Boi offers some powerful competition in his ability to bum rush you with weird and wonderful sounds that move you physically, if not emotionally.

The Arcade Fire - The Suburbs: The album can largely be summed up in six words: At Least It's Not Neon Bible. Arcade Fire's Funeral wasn't perfect, but at least 2/3s of it was a burst of raw, urgent feeling that was also damn good art rock. With Neon Bible, their sense of drama turned into melodrama, and their passion fizzled into world-weary introspection. Needless to say, I was pleasantly surprised to hear the levity in songs like Month of May and the Suburbs when they leaked. The rest of the album is about as good as these songs, it's pretty consistently listenable, although I can't decide if the lyrics to Rococo are ingeniously dippy or a complete embarrassment. The problem is, they never got that sense of urgency back. So while it's nice that they're no longer mopey arena rock, they do sound a bit like...conventional arena rock. I dig Springsteen and all, but even he had more intensity than this! Baby steps, I guess...


Sufjan Stevens - The Age of Adz (not yet released): I haven't heard the EP that he put out recently (what do I look like, a fan?), but this new cut from his upcoming LP shows some promise. It's nice that he's finally given up that damn Church Band Plays Vince Guaraldi style that makes his music almost sickeningly twee. He's gone back to electronic music, and some of the beats are pretty interesting. His voice remains the same, though, and in this context, he sounds like a more respectable version of Death Cab for Cutie. So that means that I'll probably like this stuff more than his cutesy folk and Death Cab, but I won't, you know, actually like it.

Panda Bear: Tomboy (not yet released): Panda Bear's first solo LP was a tender and life-affirming (not to mention underrated) modification of the Animal Collective sound. His follow-up was a pleasantly hazy, if homogeneous (not to mention overrated) affair. From the sound of his new single and its superior B-Side, his upcoming album is going to sound more like the latter than the former. A touch darker, perhaps, but the hypnotic swirl of Person Pitch is definitely still there. I guess at best, it'll be a modest improvement over his last effort, but at this point, I'm a little more curious as to how Avey Tare's solo release is going to sound.

Antony & the Johnsons - The Swanlights (not yet released): God Dammit, Antony! What the hell happened to you?? I know I only have this one song to go on, but it leaves much to be desired. First off, it's derivative. The off-kilter drums sound like those on Kiss My Name, and the chords sound like (the much, much better) Fistful of Love. It's nice that you're exploring moods outside of your typical negative ones, but what happened to your artistry? Your sense of danger? Please don't let me down on this one! You could be the new Scott Walker, but it's like you want to be the next Melissa Etheridge....

That's it for now. My opinions on these albums could change as I spend more time with them, and perhaps later they will require more extensive exegesis. If anyone has a recommendation (or warning) for me regarding new music, let me know!