Best of 2010 24-21

24) Broken Social Scene - World Sick

World Sick is the opening track of Forgiveness Rock Record, which marked the very welcome return of the magnificent Broken Social Scene.  In the five years that have passed since the band’s last LP, a lot has changed.  However as this track highlights Broken Social Scene’s ability to create beautiful, melodic and uplifting pop music has not.  While this is unmistakably Broken Social Scene, World Sick like the rest of the record does sound a tad more focused and direct than previous efforts.  New producer John McEntire perhaps deserves a lot of this credit, assisting the band develop this more concise sound.  Regardless of where credit is due, World Sick is pretty much perfect and up there with the band’s very best material.

23) The Twilight Sad - The Wrong Car

At this juncture it is impossible to tell if The Wrong Car will be considered an important turning point in the career of The Twilight Sad.  While the pounding drums, and James Graham’s soaring Scottish brogue are exactly what we have come expect from the band, the addition of some fairly grand string arrangements does mark a departure for the band.  Whether this is the shape of things to come we as yet don’t know, but for the moment this slight deviation of the usual Twilight Sad formula will do me very nicely indeed.  Wonderful.

22) Gold Panda - Snow & Taxis

Despite being calmer and more minimal than previous Gold Panda efforts Snow & Taxis, just like previous material, is stunning.  Repetition of samples and loops is the order of the day, as bells, strings, soft synths and a heavy, stuttering drum beat are effortlessly played and messed about with, making it feel incredibly natural and organic.  Despite the repetition it is utterly uplifting and strangely hypnotic.  This is British dance music at it’s very best.

21) Yeasayer - O.N.E.

Yeasayer’s second record Odd Blood was pretty bloody good, and this is (nearly) the highlight of it.  Sounding like it was made at least two hundred years in the future, O.N.E. is totally unclassifiable, mad alien/future synth pop anyone?  Na me neither.  Whatever musical bracket it needs to be filed under, it’s unpredictable and uncoordinated but in a completely brilliant way, if that’s even possible.  Just when you think you have an idea where the track is going, it ends up going in completely the opposite direction.  Mad, energetic, charming and brilliant.  Goes without saying but the video is obviously totally mental as well.