Top 10 Albums of 2010

2010 has come and gone, and I got to hear a healthy amount of quality music. The bottom half of this year's top 10 list was pretty hard to sort out, as there were more worthy candidates than available spots. I can't promise that I wouldn't change the list if I wrote it up again tomorrow. Anyway, Happy New Year, and let's hope for more good stuff in 2011.

10. Red Priest, Johann, I'm Only Dancing: I learned much less about the music of J. S. Bach in the music courses I took in high school and college than I did from listening to this CD.

9. Vilma Timonen Quartet, Forward: And they do move forward, thanks to more vocals.

8. Simon Fagan, Outside Looking In: This one gets bonus points for overall consistency.

7. Vampire Weekend, Contra: Another band gets better the second time around.

6. Amadou & Mariam, Welcome to Mali: It's the kind of album that will annoy a purist. But purists tend to miss out on a lot of good music.

5. The National, High Violet: The last two songs, "England" and "Vanderlyle Crybaby Geeks," really pushed this album up the list.

4. Ozomatli, Fire Away: Some people will complain that they've gotten more commercial, but they've also gotten more musical and still have the same energy.

3. Richard Thompson, Dream Attic: From the 60s to the 10s. That makes six decades during which he's made essential music.

2. Johnny Clegg, Human: Like Richard Thompson, he's aged well, and deserves a much bigger following.

1. Jesca Hoop, Hunting My Dress: Definitely the most original recording I've heard in a while, and she backs up her originality with some quality songwriting.

Vampire Weekend, Contra (XL Recordings, 2010)

They may be enjoying quite a bit of popularity these days -- their new album Contra debuted at #1 on the Billboard charts -- but Vampire Weekend remain something of an enigma. On one hand, their grasp of African and Caribbean rhythms is strong, and their ability to put these rhythms into a form that appeals to both pop and indie audiences is undeniable. On the other hand, when your image of white punk/reggae bands is defined by groups like The Clash, the multiple references in Vampire Weekend lyrics to their affluent Ivy League lifestyle seem jarring. The quartet are what they are, though, and Contra has more than enough quality to justify the attention of even the most militant listener.

Musically speaking, Contra picks up more or less where the band's self-titled debut left off. The new album has a bit more electronic effects and programming, but not in an intrusive way. Instead, Ezra Koenig, Rotsam Batmanglij, Chris Baio, and Christopher Tomson provide the same combination of tight musicianship and pop sensibility with a global perspective that made their first album work. The best track is the first single "Cousins," a sped-up, Africanized variant on Elvis Costello's "Pump It Up." "Holiday" and "Giving Up the Gun" are also strong upbeat numbers, and "Diplomat's Son" is some smooth reggae.

I could see why Contra could generate some sort of backlash, though. Some people accused Paul Simon of "cultural rape" when he recorded Graceland; I can only imagine what those people think about Vampire Weekend. This would be unfortunate, as the band are ultimately guilty of nothing more than creating catchy music with more imaginative (and arguably higher-quality) sources of inspiration than you generally hear on a pop recording. Vampire Weekend have a fun sound, and Contra improves on the band's first recording.

Overall grade: A-

reviewed by Scott

"Cousins"

Vampire Weekend (XL Recordings, 2008)

The members of Vampire Weekend met while studying at Columbia University in New York City, and took their name from a B-movie they all worked on. Describing their sound as "Upper West Side Soweto," Ezra Koenig (vocals and guitar), Rostam Batmanglij (keyboards, guitar, producer), Chris Baio (bass), and Chris Tomson (drums) combine rock and punk with reggae and township jive. It's an intriguing combination to say the least, and despite some reservations I have, they pull it off fairly well on their self-titled debut album.

Given lyrics making multiple references to Cape Cod, college life, designer clothes, and gourmet tea, it would be very easy to describe Vampire Weekend as punk reggae for preppies, with all the dismissiveness that implies. They redeem themselves, though, by demonstrating a firm understanding of the music they emulate. This is made particularly remarkable by the fact that their primary influences, from Bob Marley to bands like The Clash and The English Beat to even Paul Simon's Graceland, come from before the band members were even born. And they also do a good job of working world music influences into a mainstream rock and pop context, which is something I wish more bands would try to do. And it's produced some positive commercial results too, as the energetic single "A-Punk" has gotten substantial play on mainstream radio.

Youthful energy, combined with a willingness to venture into musical territory that most people their age know nothing about, give Vampire Weekend a sound that's a breath of fresh air in today's pop market. With a little bit of maturity, they could be major players in the music scene in the years to come.

Overall grade: B

reviewed by Scott