Listed below are the best albums of the 2010s as calculated from their overall rankings in over 59,000 greatest album charts. (Chart last updated: 6 hours ago).
"This is a really fascinating album! Though I didn't care much for Chances Coloring Book, this one is somewhat less pop-oriented, but more importantly its a lot more free-form and experimental. Songs are strucutred in very unique ways for hip-hop albums, and there are even entirely non hip-hop par...""This is a really fascinating album! Though I didn't care much for Chances Coloring Book, this one is somewhat less pop-oriented, but more importantly its a lot more free-form and experimental. Songs are strucutred in very unique ways for hip-hop albums, and there are even entirely non hip-hop parts, such as jazz interludes and other pieces that approach ambient. It makes this album a really wonderful tapestry and one of those albums that must be digested as a whole, not in chunks, in order to fully appreciate it."[+]Reply
"The New Pornographers have largely recaptured the magic of their first 3 albums, pumping multiple hooks into the majority of these abnormal pop/rock tracks. The poppiest tracks still mostly emanate from AC, the loveliest from Neko and the strangest from Bejar (harmonica solo!), but the tracks are...""The New Pornographers have largely recaptured the magic of their first 3 albums, pumping multiple hooks into the majority of these abnormal pop/rock tracks. The poppiest tracks still mostly emanate from AC, the loveliest from Neko and the strangest from Bejar (harmonica solo!), but the tracks are tighter than they have been since Twin Cinema. If one article i read is true, this is in no small thanks to Kathryn Calder. Thank you, Kathryn. And thank you New Pornographers for once again bringing me an album more complex than simple pop but carrying all of the smiles. (And i still heavily heart Neko.)"[+]Reply
"Opeth have finally made the leap into full-on prog rock. Gone are the growled vocals; in with the flutes! I personally liked Opeth's transitional period, where they were slowly adding prog elements into their otherwise death metal sound. Heritage lacks the kick that those heavier elements provide...""Opeth have finally made the leap into full-on prog rock. Gone are the growled vocals; in with the flutes! I personally liked Opeth's transitional period, where they were slowly adding prog elements into their otherwise death metal sound. Heritage lacks the kick that those heavier elements provided. The album is still strong, and has some really nice guitar runs (for which I am always a sucker), but I'll be disappointed if they don't add some heft back into their sound going forward."[+]Reply
"No sophomore slump here for Hozier. Building upon the melancholy mood he brought to us in his debut "Take Me To Church" Hozier finds the proper balance between retro- Van Morrison aping Irish soul, and the 21st century. He's comfortable name-dropping James Brown and Curtis Mayfield in a nod to hi...""No sophomore slump here for Hozier. Building upon the melancholy mood he brought to us in his debut "Take Me To Church" Hozier finds the proper balance between retro- Van Morrison aping Irish soul, and the 21st century. He's comfortable name-dropping James Brown and Curtis Mayfield in a nod to his soul roots in first single "Nina Cried Power" and brings home the bacon and fries it up in a pan on the remainder of the album. He's gritty and smooth at the same time! Love this album!"[+]Reply
"This is a group with a lot of potential. Every song is about another person on the cover. I think the production is almost perfect across the album, however the songwriting could use some improvements. There are some flawless moments on here like Agnes, The Other Side of Paradise, and Youth. None...""This is a group with a lot of potential. Every song is about another person on the cover. I think the production is almost perfect across the album, however the songwriting could use some improvements. There are some flawless moments on here like Agnes, The Other Side of Paradise, and Youth. None of the songs are awful, but some could have been better.
Overall, definitely a highlight in the genre and Glass Animals show enough potential through two albums that I think they may release a masterpiece soon."[+]Reply
"It's little wonder that this album garnered so much attention - it's fecking great. For all its surf-rock tropes and bluesy-folksy borrowings, it's quite a one-off. I could quite happily live in this album. Best track: Bring Me Simple Men. Music to listen to when you're getting your revenge on a ...""It's little wonder that this album garnered so much attention - it's fecking great. For all its surf-rock tropes and bluesy-folksy borrowings, it's quite a one-off. I could quite happily live in this album.
Best track: Bring Me Simple Men. Music to listen to when you're getting your revenge on a cowboy."[+]Reply
"PSYCHODRAMA is the first album to completely deliver on the promise UK hip hop has shown in the past few years. There's been some good records in the grime scene, most prominently Skepta's 'Konnichiwa' and Wiley's 'Godfather', but for the most part even the best of these feel like a modern update...""PSYCHODRAMA is the first album to completely deliver on the promise UK hip hop has shown in the past few years. There's been some good records in the grime scene, most prominently Skepta's 'Konnichiwa' and Wiley's 'Godfather', but for the most part even the best of these feel like a modern update of a subgenre that was better 15 years ago. UK hip hop that doesn't fall under grime has provided some great singles but only Kojey Radical's 'In God's Body' really came together as an album. Dave has been one of those rappers who puts out hit and miss singles and there's been a pretty clear pattern of the serious tracks being great and the party tracks being forgettable.
Fortunately of the last two singles Dave released it's 'Black' that makes it onto PSYCHODRAMA, not 'Funky Friday'. 'Black' is an excellent political track that tackles institutional racism and is so necessary right now. There's no shortage of brilliant music from the US discussing race but it's staggering how little this conversation comes up in the UK where a post-racial myth has gone largely unchallenged by both sides of the political divide.
Other highlights on the album include 'Psycho' an uncomfortable but powerful expression of mental health and the circumstances surrounding it. J-Hus featuring 'Disaster' sees the two rappers go back and forth detailing the ways in which fame has changed their lives. Closing track 'Drama' is even more expressive and honest than 'Psycho' and is the perfect way to finish the project offering as much positivity and closure as you can get on an album this grim.
As good as these tracks are they pale in comparison to centrepiece 'Lesley'. It's one of the very best storytelling tracks I've heard in years and its success comes down to a combination of emotional connection and its necessary but overlooked subject matter. Changes in perspective also allow Dave to discuss the pain caused to several groups of people as a result of the track's subject. I won't go into the subject matter of the track here because the best way to get the full impact of the track is to just hear it instead of seeing it described first.
There are a couple of drawbacks. 'Purple Heart' is a pathetically corny track featuring some of the least sexy lines I've heard in a while. The star sign puns are also on another level of painful. 'Location' is nowhere near as bad but lags way behind the quality of surrounding tracks and becomes completely forgettable.
In spite of a few missteps PSYCHODRAMA is a fantastic album which shows Dave reaching new heights (worth keeping in mind that he's only 20). His gloomy delivery and subject matters are so reflecting of modern Britain and its multitudes of problems and injustices. The personal core of this record is particularly strong and really sets Dave apart from his peers, he's got a real talent at building an emotional connection to his more serious tracks. 'Lesley' in particular shows a talent that very few in the music scene have. All 11 minutes of it are viscerally written and emotionally draining. As depressing as a lot of PSYCHODRAMA is there's still an overwhelming feeling that when these subjects are expressed so competently it can start the conversations in society to help us do better."[+]Reply
"Tron plays on a rich seam of nightmarish fantasies about the gap between humanity and technology, and the threat of digital sentience. But this is no Terminator-style wrecking ball. On the evidence of this stunning piece of music, we’d all do well to give a bit more of ourselves over to the machine.""Tron plays on a rich seam of nightmarish fantasies about the gap between humanity and technology, and the threat of digital sentience. But this is no Terminator-style wrecking ball. On the evidence of this stunning piece of music, we’d all do well to give a bit more of ourselves over to the machine.
"[+]Reply
"Decidedly, Phoebe Bridgers is on fire right now. After a first solo album in 2017 named "Stranger In The Alps", the Californian re-offended with supertrio boygenius the following year with a first EP, now she presents her new side-project with Conor Oberst named "Better Oblivion Community Center ...""Decidedly, Phoebe Bridgers is on fire right now. After a first solo album in 2017 named "Stranger In The Alps", the Californian re-offended with supertrio boygenius the following year with a first EP, now she presents her new side-project with Conor Oberst named "Better Oblivion Community Center ". Yes, it's really the duet that nobody expected a week ago. "Better Oblivion Community Center" is obviously not attached to a single style. With the musical past of Conor Oberst, the duet manages to diversify itself with the electronic accents of "Exception To The Rule" or the noise-rock sounds of "Big Black Heart". The album is unexpected and enjoyable but there are some pretty forgettable moments, taking over the clichés of indie folk. With "Better Oblivion Community Center", Conor Oberst has been offering one of its best performances for a long time, thanks to the infallible charisma of Phoebe Bridgers.
6/10
Best track: "Dylan Thomas""[+]Reply