My top albums of the decade

The 2010’s are almost over. The twenties’ are back.

Spotify’s yearly Wrapped feature has been rolled out and is doing the rounds. As a marketing campaign it’s so successful because it recognises an interesting phenomenon.

We love music and want people to know that we love it. Sure, we enjoy listening to it and seeing it performed but our tastes are also a big part of our identity so in a way we’re sharing a big part of who we are.

Anyway… Before the wrapped thing came out I thought it would be fun to do a round up of my favourite albums… of the decade.

Now I’ve got pretty varied tastes and I listen to a fair amount of music, new and old, but there’s plenty of stuff I haven’t listened to. If something amazing isn’t here it’s not necessarily intentional. Maybe in 5 years I’ll look back and wish I put that album in.

Here’s my Top 10 in no particular order. Any of yours here?

(Interestingly my favourite artist of the decade according to Spotify is Foals, which is probably true but more because of individual tracks than complete records. My favourite album of theirs is Antidotes, which came out in 2008.)

The Kills – Ash + Ice

Blues. Beats. Fuzzy riffs. Slow laid-back moody grooves. The stripped back poppy hits at the beginning mix perfectly with cool guitar numbers that make going for a walk feel badass. Layered above it all are Mosshart’s incredible vocals. Killer record. What can I say.

Alt-J – An Awesome Wave

What. A. Debut. Fresh indie sound. Squeaky voice and subdued claps. Muted snare beats. Throbbing baselines and epic choral voices. Folky guitars and simple riffs. A total joy to listen to. No dud tracks (could take or leave interludes I suppose). Some all-time indie greats. Mostly have no idea what they’re talking about but you sing along anyway.

Alabama Shakes – Sound + Colour

Smooth soulful opener. Big blues riffs and epic solos. Expansive soulful numbers. Disco. This album has it all. Brittany Howard makes this album what it is. That voice. Dance along, bop your head, rock out and let it wash over you. One of my all-time favourites.

Bon Iver – Bon Iver

Justin stepped up on this second album. Layers upon layers of instrumentation. Soundscapes big and small. More strings. More brass. More sounds. Folk 2.0. Still chilled, subtle and never overdone. Tracks paint landscapes of emotion each with their own character and personality. A great album from one of the greatest artists of his generation.

Everything Everything – Get To Heaven and A Fever Dream

Cheating here. Two for the price of one. Hard to review these guys. Utterly unique. Experimental. Poetic and uncompromising lyrics delivered by falsetto vocals which just seem to match perfectly. Big sounds. Catchy hooks. Groovy choruses. Postmodern epics. Each album, novel like in its emotional capacity and cultural commentary. Expertly crafted from start to finish.

Kanye West – Yeezus

An undeniably different Kanye to the one we have now. Dark, moody and slightly dystopian. Unrelenting electronic beats that explode and squelch without invitation. Kanye plays around and creates sounds that though disorienting seems to work. Grand themes dissected. A stripped back but wild tapestry that has a beauty of its own.

Idles – Joy As An Act Of Resistance

Most exciting band of the decade. Ferocious headbanging rock with heart, for a time such as this. Violent riffs. Big stomping drums. Whining guitars. Growling vocals. Lyrics that search for meaning and love in a broken world. Angry. For many of the right reasons. Catchy songs with singalong choruses. Joy and unity. If only I’d gone to see them in Hull when I had the chance, before they got big…

Jamie xx – In Colour

Electronic bangers and complex landscapes created with an eclectic mix of instruments and sounds. Dance along. Bop your head and tap your fingers. Many foreign sounds. Steal drums. Eastern strings. A rich painting in which you discover something new upon each listen. Full of colour. Just like the cover. The XX man creates a masterpiece.

Mumford and Sons – Sigh No More.

Controversial perhaps but I don’t really see why. Deep earthy tones and joyful melodies. Folk anthems with warmth and heart. Epic songs with a spiritual tint. An undeniably influential band who ignited wave of folky imitators and compatriots. Their best, most complete work with many memorable songs.

The Black Keys - Brothers 

The ultimate modern garage blues record. More depth perhaps than The White Stripes. Cleaner too. Get lost in the smooth smoky scents of a smouldering rock album full of laments and dance along grooves. More than just guitar and drums here but they still form a solid backbone to this album full of everlasting tunes.

Best of the rest

Michael Kiwanuka - Love and Hate 🔥

Run The Jewels - Run the Jewels 2 🔥

Queens of the Stone Age - Like Clockwork… 🔥

Foals - What Went Down

Arctic Monkeys - AM

Hozier - Hozier

London Grammar - Truth Is a Beautiful Thing

Bombay Bicycle Club - So Long, See You Tomorrow

Florence and The Machine - How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful