Best Of 2010 28-25

28) LCD Soundsystem - All I Want

I really don’t care if All I Want sounds like James Murphy giving Bowie’s Heroes a 21^st century makeover.  It is one of the best things LCD Soundsystem have ever done, which is high praise indeed, as well as being one of Murphy’s best vocal performances of his whole career.  It starts quietly, with his vulnerable vocal crooning over a loopping guitar, bass and drum beat.  Eventually keys and synths are introduced to the mix, and it develops into a song just as epic and emotional as All My Friends or indeed Heroes for that matter.  There is a line in the Pitchfork review of this song that sums it up, far better than I ever could.  When dealing with the comparisons with Heroes “It's the ultimate tribute, finer than a million covers.” http://pitchfork.com/reviews/tracks/11881-all-i-want/.

27) Foals - Spanish Sahara

Although This Orient was the fist single released from Foals’ second album Total Life Forever.  It was Spanish Sahara that was the first song released to the public from the record and gave fans their first opportunity to hear what Yannis and co had been up to for the past couple of years.  I think I can speak for most when saying this is not what we were expecting.  It starts quietly with Yannis’ gentle vocals doing most of the work.  As the song progresses, it becomes less minimal.  The guitars and keyboards come to life and you begin to notice the drum beat.  It moves along beautifully, remaining emotionally raw, the many layers of the song gradually revealing themselves.  But it isn’t until just after the four minute mark when the song bursts into life, and becomes a totally different beast.  Yannis’ vocals erupt, the electronics come alive and the guitars take off in to a direction, that just like this comeback, no one saw coming.  Staggering.    

26) The Vaccines - If You Wanna’

Arriving out of nowhere during the summer, amidst a considerable amount of hype,  The Vaccines are four young chaps from London.  While hype does not of course guarantee quality (The Twang anyone?) these lads seem to have something rather promising about them.  Lead singer Justin Young used to make music as Jay Jay Pistolet but ditched his acoustic guitar and country/folky sound for something quite different.  If You Wanna’ is short, sweet, bold and exiting.  At just over 3 minutes it zips along at breakneck speed, sounding like Phil Spector era Ramones with a bit of The Beach Boys and The Jesus And The Mary Chain thrown in for good measure.  I have no idea if they will go on to fulfill the potential that is so obviously on show here, but maybe this once we should, if not believe the hype at least take notice of it.


The video is an excellent version of the track taken from Jools Holland.

25) Freddie Gibbs - National Anthem (Fuck The World)

Freddie Gibbs clearly has something to prove.  He was previously signed to Interscope Records before being dropped, without a single record released.  National Anthem is his literal ‘Fuck You’ to Interscope and pretty much everyone else who ever doubted his talents.  Lyrically it is what one would expect with such a title.  Major labels, radio DJ’s and industry politics are all on the receiving end of Gibbs’ wrath while he details his hometown, his dismissal from Interscope and the struggles he has endured since.  While LA Riots’ beat is great, it is Gibbs that shines.  Every single aspect of his rapping is technically, absolutely spot on.  He changes the pace of his delivery regularly during the track, but every single time it feels completely effortless.  A phrase from Gibbs himself, “nobody had a flow quite like mine” seems entirely apt, some of the rapping is technically astonishing.  Ah well Interscope’s loss.