StaffReviews 445Soundoffs 425News Articles 74Band Edits + Tags 152Album Edits 786Album Ratings 2241Objectivity 80%Last Active 12-13-19 2:49 amJoined 07-07-08Forum Posts 3,206Review Comments 32,889
| Sowing's Decade List
I was originally going to pull out all the stops with another elaborate blog post, but eventually decided to craft a more straightforward offering. I revisited about 100 of my favorite records since June in order to make sure that this list was updated and accurate. This resultant list represents my Top 50 albums from 2010-2019. Due to time constraints on my part and a secret desire to build suspense, I will be gradually unveiling the list and writing the blurbs as I go. Enjoy, and see if you can predict what's next. (I'm betting you can't!) | | 50 |  | Sturgill Simpson
A Sailor's Guide To Earth
Simpson is everything that’s right with country music, and A Sailor's Guide to Earth is easily one of the best records that I’ve heard come out of the genre. It's a concept album whose lyrics are Simpson’s way of teaching his newborn son life lessons through music - a figurative "guide to Earth", if you will. While the experience is dominated by adventerous tracks like the grand birth announcement 'Welcome to Earth (Pollywog)' and the angry, political 'Call to Arms', there are also plenty of warm ballads sprinkled throughout, most notably the aqueous-sounding 'Breakers Roar', which contains one of my favorite pieces of advice from Simpson to his next-of-kin: "Shatter illusions that hold your spirit down / Open up your heart and you’ll find love all around." A Sailor’s Guide to Earth is an incredible album that I’d recommend specifically to non-fans of the genre because it’s so good that it’s capable of persuading even the staunchest of detractors. (2016) | | 49 |  | Phoebe Bridgers
Stranger In The Alps
Stranger In The Alps may end up being one of those albums we look back upon twenty years from now and hail as a trendsetter. In the wake of this record, we saw a slew of talented women rise seemingly out of nowhere - Haley Heynderickx, Soccer Mommy, Tomberlin, Madeline Kenney, Molly Burch - all espousing similar singer-songwriter philosophies that highlight vocal melodies and lyrical content above all else. Of course, Bridgers hardly invented the formula, she simply did it better than anyone else in her time. Stranger In The Alps combines indie-folk and country influences with bare, emotional lyrics that hit you right in the gut. The pervading aura of the experience may be forlorn, but Bridgers spellbindingly beautiful voice transcends that atmosphere and colors it with a tint of hopeful, forward-looking blue. When it comes to simple, sad folk records, Stranger In The Alps is damn near flawless. (2017) | | 48 |  | Tame Impala
Lonerism
I was late to the Tame Impala party, finally discovering them in 2017 through a co-worker who played ‘Elephant’ for me – and it blew my mind. Who were these modern Beatles, playing their psychedelic hearts out, only to an even more addicting rhythm? The sheer confidence and craftsmanship made me a fan immediately, and I proceeded to download all of their other albums without so much as even giving it another thought. Over time (and despite the amazing debut that Innerspeaker was) Lonerism emerged as my clear favorite of the bunch. It's a wholly addicting slice of psychedelia, with guitars and synthesizers coalescing into gorgeous, dizzying ambience. It feels far more immediate than their other releases too, bordering on brazenness, as they channel every eccentricity with unwavering confidence. Lonerism might be the best blend of accessibility and artistry that psychedelic rock has seen this past decade; the whole experience is astoundingly executed, and ever-so-dynamic. (2012) | | 47 |  | Taylor Swift
1989
At the time, 1989 was a complete reinvention of Swift’s empire. She easily could have dwelled in country-pop territory for decades on-end and sold millions of records, but her decision to start anew launched her to even more stratospheric heights – something that is borderline unfathomable when you consider the ridiculous extent to which she was already celebrated. For as strong of a foundation as her country albums built, 1989 was Swift's coming out party - triumphantly announcing her arrival as a pop superstar. Of course, Swift didn't miss a beat during the transition, as she sings on the opening track: “the lights are so bright, but they never blind me.” This is essentially an album full of Swift’s best pop moments ever: 'Blank Space', 'Style', 'Shake It Off', 'Wildest Dreams'...the list goes on, and one would be forgiven for mistaking it with a greatest hits compilation. It deserves accolades as one of the best and most influential pop albums of this decade. (2014) | | 46 |  | The Jezabels
Synthia
Synthia is a work of pure ambition. The Jezabels have never been a band to shy away from testing new waters, as their synth-infused 1980s throwback The Brink proved in 2014. Their third LP treks even farther down that path, only with greater imagination and confidence. The hooks are every bit as strong as they were on the group’s preceding records, but there is an added flair for the dramatic. “Stand and Deliver” exists on an almost Queen-like platform of grandiosity, while nearly every track has at least a few over-the-top aspirations – be it the frantic chorus to “My Love Is My Disease” or the whirling, ominous atmosphere of “Come Alive”. The colossal posturing of this entire record suits The Jezabels quite well considering the abundance of talent at vocals and their knack for crafting incredibly strong hooks and melodies. Even the sullen, forlorn balladry of tracks such as “Flowers In The Attic” feel larger than life, a credit to Hayley Mary’s versatile range. (2016) | | 45 |  | The War on Drugs
Lost in the Dream
The War on Drugs swept me away with Lost In The Dream: a hazy, hopeful blend of shoegaze and americana. Here, the legendary past meets modern brilliance: 'Red Eyes' burns with Springsteen levels of passion and ‘Eyes to the Wind’ sounds like Bob Dylan reincarnated, but 'Under the Pressure' and 'An Ocean In Between The Waves' are dinstinctly Adam Granduciel's brand of winding, effervescent, guitar-driven indie rock. Lost in the Dream is an an appropriate title for the atmosphere that he's engineered, as one can't help but feel transported. It's a sad record at its core but also one that is extremely cathartic, eventually gliding to a place of lucidity and acceptance. Any time I need an album to lose myself in, where I can mourn yet still pick myself back up by the end, I need not look further than this gem. (2014) | | 44 |  | Kevin Morby
Singing Saw
Kevin Morby’s Singing Saw is for the most part an intimate acoustic folk album that one might equate to an evening spent camping beneath the stars. It's elegant and deep-in-thought, as Morby strums his acoustic guitar and sings in his echoed, Dylan-esque inflections. However, each song also manages to accent that rural simplicity with forays into more ambitious territory and richer aesthetics. The best examples are when Morby launches into upbeat rock on ‘Dorothy', mariachi horns on 'I Have Been to the Mountain', or brass trumpet solos on ‘Destroyer.' It's this contrast that makes Singing Saw so appealing, because any time you might begin to suspect that Morby is hitting a lull, he adds a unique flair that most other songwriters wouldn't have the imagination to conjure. When you combine all of the clever twists with the vivid beauty of the album's acoustic-folk backbone and Morby's poetic lyrics, you have one of the best all-around indie-folk albums of the decade. (2016) | | 43 |  | The Republic of Wolves
Shrine
Now three albums into their career, The Republic of Wolves remain one of the best kept secrets in indie-rock. This is a band that had the (mis?)fortune of evolving under the much larger shadow of Brand New, when tracks from their 2009 debut EP were erroneously leaked as Daisy demos. They’ve come a long way since then, developing their production from the endearingly raw fuzz of Varuna whilst growing into even more talented musicians. This has never been more clearly displayed than on shrine, where the drumming alone is capable of instilling dark, chilling atmospheres and lengthy guitar solos course through the record’s peaks and valleys like long, winding rivers. When you factor in the duality of the sensitive croons/blood-curdling screams, shrine creates a realm separate from our own: one that’s intensely dark and mysterious, but also beautiful. (2018) | | 42 |  | Bon Iver
22, A Million
22, A Million catapults Vernon into the twenty-first century, layering deceptively complex electronic elements with Vernon’s unique methods of production. The result is some of the most pulsing, lively-sounding vocal distortion that we’ve ever heard used in the folk genre. Vernon’s falsetto cuts are capable of diving to shadowy depths, wobbling with endearing insecurity, and soaring to rich, impassioned heights. His limitless range on this record helps to explain the jumbled, unpredictable nature of his musical surroundings. The lumberjack brand of folk that he used to be pigeonholed into has its borders shattered a thousand different ways here, be it from the thumping, tribal mysteriousness of “10 d E A T h b R E a s T ⚄ ⚄” or from the robotic yet desperately human “715 – CRΣΣKS”. It’s an extremely complex puzzle, layering diverging sound effects atop one another in a way that is often indecipherable yet never fails to represent itself with jaw-dropping beauty. (2016) | | 41 |  | Queens of the Stone Age
...Like Clockwork
To anyone who says "rock is dead", I simply point them to ...Like Clockwork. The funky, groovy beat in ‘Smooth Sailing’ is virtually impossible not to strut to, as if you’re up to no good. “I Appear Missing” features a swelling chorus which grows in intensity, surrounded by addictive riffs and a mind-blowing drum-fill/piano interchange that culminates with a complicated, wiry riff while joined by a ghostly choral refrain. ‘Kalopsia’ and ‘Fairweather Friends’ are just flat-out infectious on a level that no other rock band lately has bothered aspiring to. 'My God is the Sun' is an anthem capable of packing arenas. Put simply,...Like Clockwork is an embarrassment of riches that has aged beautifully and become a high water mark for rock in the 2010’s. It’s a genre-defining masterpiece. (2013) | | 40 |  | Manchester Orchestra
Simple Math
Simple Math launched Manchester Orchestra's career to a new level. Replete with devestating strings, swelling synths, and a children's choir, it's the most theatrical/cinematic offering of their careers. Despite all of the breathtaking embellishments, it's still a very hard-hitting record - both sonically and emotionally. The second half of 'Mighty' has some of the album's best drumming and Hull's most emotional shouts. The title track questions everything we know. 'Pale Black Eye' sees Hull admit, openly, that he doesn't love his wife anymore. That's some heavy content that, when coupled with these sweeping compositions, makes for an experience that is as staggeringly poignant as it is aesthetically lush. Simple Math is an album that is impossible to come away from without feeling affected. (2011) | | 39 |  | Damien Rice
My Favourite Faded Fantasy
Damien Rice's main draw has always been his ability to sing about love and heartbreak with a level of earnestness that simply can't be feigned. We get that here, but we also see an expansion upon the sound that made his 2002 debut, O, such a success. While the title track and 'The Greatest Bastard' see Rice continuing upon the emotionally powerful and melodically sweeping formula that gave us 'The Blower's Daughter', we also get the nine and a half minute 'It Takes a Lot to Know a Man' - a monumental track that shifts from a downtempo piano ballad to sullen post-folk, and then transforms into a dynamically string-laden, classically composed tour de force. When reflecting upon the decade, I always seem to come back to Damien Rice when considering the greatest singer-songwriter types; My Favourite Faded Fantasy is a perfect set of eight shattered, desperate, and needy Irish troubadour ballads. (2014) | | 38 |  | Frank Turner
England Keep My Bones
England Keep My Bones was Frank Turner's high water mark, an absolute gem of an English folk-rock album that feels like a vital part of that nation's fabric. Turner is his usual upbeat and optimistic self (mind you, this was before his overbearing cheer wore out its welcome), pitching odes to his country and to humanity while encouraging us to pick ourselves up for the betterment of the human race. On 'I Still Believe', he waxes poetic about the virtues of rock n' roll's ability to unite civilization. 'Rivers' is a lush, beauteous homage to his homeland. My personal favorite, 'Glory Hallelujah', cheerily sings "there is no God, so clap your hands together" and encourages us to put excuses in the rear view mirror: "If we accept that there's an end game and we haven't got much time, then in the here and now then we can try and do things right." This album belongs in English musical lore; it's a classic. (2011) | | 37 |  | The World Is a Beautiful Place...
Harmlessness
The earth-bound warmth of The World is a Beautiful Place's Harmlessness is something I've always found enticing and welcoming. It's an emo/post-rock album at heart, but it is also infused with beautiful, shimmering indie-rock. The string-swept opener 'You Can't Live There Forever' is a perfect microcosm, gently swelling to the thought-provoking chorus "we are as harmless as the thoughts in our heads." 'January 10th, 2014' and 'Ra Patera Dance' remain to this day two of the most uplifting tracks I've heard, and the closing duo of 'I Can Be Afraid of Anything' and 'Mount Hum' - both towering at a combined fifteen-and-a-half minutes in length - add an epic flair to the album as it draws its curtains closed. When I listen to Harmlessness, I feel a perfect blend of calm and excitement, as if all is right in the world but there's still plenty of things to look forward to. Basically, this is my happy place and you're always welcome to join me here. (2015) | | 36 |  | Lorde
Melodrama
Lorde's Melodrama is art-pop perfected, taking the sweetest vocals/catchiest melodies and drenching them in depression - then projecting them onto a big-screen in vibrant neon lights. Fluorescent feels like the ideal descriptor for Melodrama; the album – like us – takes these mundane moments experienced by just about every human being on Earth and dramatizes them. If you’ve ever experienced a difficult breakup or felt on top of the world during a first kiss, and wondered how it would come off portrayed through the seemingly magical filter of a Hollywood screen, that’s essentially what Lorde pulls off here. Each lyrical passage is a page from her journal, and each song an award-winning dramatization of it. The result is a brazenly adventurous pop record that is equally as bare and candid, offering a glimpse into the adrenaline-inducing highs and soul-shattering lows of being a young twenty-something in today's social/romantic scene. (2017) | | 35 |  | The Antlers
Familiars
When I think of The Antlers, I can't escape the memory of my first time hearing Familiars. When Silberman's voice glides in angelically on "Palace" atop elegant, shimmering pianos, it immediately lifts you to a world that is downright otherworldly. The record is also infused with regal trumpets and jazzy brass horns that lend it a classy - almost regal - air, as 'Hotel' and 'Revisited' display beautifully. Familiars never truly vies for your attention - instead, it draws you in with its smooth, borderline ethereal compositions. The album feels weightless, inviting you to float off towards the horizon without a care in the world. Familiars is one of the prettiest, classiest albums that this decade has seen. (2014) | | 34 |  | Deftones
Diamond Eyes
Diamond Eyes sees Deftones combine all the best elements of their music. Chino's blood-curdling screams at the conclusion of 'Royal' rank among the most intense moments in Deftones' history. 'CMND/CTRL' feels like another variation of White Pony's 'Elite', ratcheting up the screaming to the point that it consumes the entire song. Tracks such as the title track, 'Beauty School', and 'You've Seen the Butcher' all possess a phenomenal blend of heavier and more atmospheric rock. 'Sextape' is so sublime that it borders on sensual. One would be hard pressed to find a dull moment on the album. For those who thought they couldn't top White Pony, here you go. (2010) | | 33 |  | mewithoutYou
Pale Horses
Pale Horses is an end-of-times account with one foot dangling in the Book of Revelation and the other foot planted squarely in reality. In a world where God punishes mankind with an atomic blast, we also see imperially-crowned demons ride forth from the sky. The urgency of this album is off the charts, and for the vast majority of its duration, it feels like the world really is about to end. There’s so much to delve into here, and with each successive experience, the brilliance of Pale Horses makes itself more apparent. On one listen, it might be the incredible imagery of “Rainbow Signs”, and on the next it could be a passage from “Dorothy” that makes you want to break down in tears. Somehow, effortlessly, Aaron Weiss threads all of this together seamlessly along with personal anecdotes about his deceased father, thus forming quite possibly the most emotionally climactic piece of music in the band’s history. (2015) | | 32 |  | Gang of Youths
Go Farther in Lightness
These Australian rockers seemingly came out of nowhere in 2017, boasting a brand of alternative music that recalls both the bustling rock-n-roll of Springsteen’s mid-1970s as well as the contemporary influence of stalwarts such as The National. Although Go Farther In Lightness wears its influences on its sleeve to an extent, there’s very little about the album that feels borrowed. Symphonic strings lift up Dave Le’aupepe’s most enlightened moments of soul-searching while successfully balancing what should be an impossible blend of inspirational grandeur and stark vulnerability. Le’aupepe is a lyrical magician here, welding together words in such a way that seems so fundamental and basic in premise that you’ll wonder why you didn’t think of them yourself: "Now I’m terrified of loving ’cause I’m terrified of pain", "All the things that I’ve run from / Are the things that completeness could come from." This album is truly an emotional rollercoaster. (2017) | | 31 |  | The Antlers
Burst Apart
Atmospherically, this is probably the prettiest Antlers record ever created. I can't think of a better way to describe the whole thing than "sparkly", but it's not in a bad way. It's a little less structured and far more polished than anything else they've done. 'Parentheses' is the most badass song they ever wrote; it's like curb-stomping someone to beautiful indie-rock. "Every Night My Teeth Are Falling Out" and "Putting The Dog To Sleep" are incredibly depressing and ethereal. The entire experience is akin to floating through space or sinking slowly to the bottom of the ocean. It is hands-down the best blend of vocal performance, instrumental contributions, and production in the Antlers' entire catalog. (2011) | | 30 |  | Beach House
Bloom
I’m not a diehard Beach House fan, but I’ll always have a soft spot for what I feel like is one of the top albums of the decade – Bloom. Each track is a gorgeously curated piece of dream-pop, and the album plays out like a collage of romantic nighttime settings. 'Myth' is a slow dance in a vacant parking lot, on a clear starry night. 'Lazuli' is a taxi drive through the city at 2am right after the bars closed, as the lit up streets blur together in an intoxicating haze. 'New Year' is watching the ball drop with the love of your life, kissing her at midnight, and feeling the butterflies in your stomach right as the chorus flourishes with that gorgeous melody. 'On The Sea' sits on the shoreline at dusk and watches ships slowly disappear into the night atop a serenade of buoyant, rhythmically uplifting pianos. This is an album that conjures dimly lit, picturesque romance, and it is also the best collection of songs in Beach House's entire discography. (2012) | | 29 |  | Foxing
Nearer My God
Nearer My God is so much more than just an album that throws caution to the wind. Anyone who has followed Foxing through The Albatross and Dealer will feel the impact of the band’s growth on what can only be described as a coming-of-age. They execute their first true guitar solo to absolute perfection on the supercharged “Lich Prince”. The unhinged screams midway through “Grand Paradise” are jarring; the kind of awakening that has defined some of indie’s most notable past acts. The record’s overarching concept is paranoid yet topical, injecting apocalyptic imagery into everything from the album title to the four horses gracing the cover art. This is Foxing embracing their wildest eccentricities and growing into those massive shoes at the same time. It’s a revelation. (2018) | | 28 |  | The Dear Hunter
Act IV: Rebirth in Reprise
Casey Crescenzo is an absolute madman, which is of course meant as a compliment. For as over-the-top as his ventures typically are, he possesses rare enough talent to make even the most wildly clashing concepts fit together in perfect, seamless harmony. Act IV might display that better than any other Dear Hunter album. Throughout the full-blown orchestral movements, poignant strings, and grandiose hooks that border on pop, there isn’t a single track that feels contrived or out of place. From the oceanic love metaphors found on “Waves” all the way through the charmingly self-indulgent “King of Swords”, it’s just one effortless and cohesive progression through some of the best material that The Dear Hunter have ever written. Even less obvious cuts, like the serene “Is There Anybody Here?”, demand to be heard due simply to the strength of the melodies. If progressive rock with catchy pop choruses is your thing, then Act IV will change your life. (2015) | | 27 |  | Father John Misty
I Love You, Honeybear
Honeybear is self-absorbed, cynical, insulting, and sometimes downright uncomfortable, but the fact that Father John Misty just makes you love him even more for it is exactly what allows it to be such an undeniable success. Tillman’s soulful accounts of the fucked up side of love are everything that is simultaneously attractive and off-putting about this record, as he puts forth narrations like “I obliged later on when you begged me to choke you” or “When you’re smiling and astride me / I can hardly believe I’ve found you.” These aren’t your typical PG candy-hearted lyrics; they're the opposite of such artificial emblems. It’s the fetishes we hide in our bedroom, the fucked up thoughts we keep to ourselves, and the narcissistic attitude that we suppress daily in order to keep our relationships functioning. It may also be the realest “love album” you’ll hear this decade. (2015) | | 26 |  | Low Roar
0
Ryan Karazijah’s Icelandic project Low Roar was born out of a desire to make music inspired by his surroundings. If Iceland is one-half as beautiful as his sophomore release 0, then it’s settled: I’m uprooting my entire life and moving there tomorrow. 0 manages to ebb and flow with magnificent contrast and subtle depth, all the while spanning a wide range of influences that don’t fall under the umbrella of your typical indie rock album. There’s the post-rock grandeur of “I’m Leaving”, the moody, electronically underscored “Easy Way Out”, and the sprightly acoustic folk ballad “In The Morning.” No matter what path 0 explores – and trust me, it leaves very few rocks unturned – it just seems to effortlessly succeed. The eighty-seven minute runtime may prove to be a daunting task for some, but those who allow themselves to be swept up in this diverse, genre-bending affair will find some of the most aesthetically pleasing, profoundly meaningful music that this decade has to offer. (2014) | | 25 |  | mewithoutYou
Ten Stories
Firmly entrenched in melodic indie-rock, mwY shows a clear departure from both the hardcore stylings of A:B Life/Catch For Us The Foxes as well as the all-out Sunday school blitzkrieg that was It’s All Crazy, It’s All False…. Despite their rocky navigation of genres, mewithoutYou have always remained relevant because of their lyrics, and that aspect of their music is perhaps never stronger than it is on Ten Stories. For avid enthusiasts of words and their impact, this album is practically essential – each song is a little piece of knowledge, expressed through a variety of literary devices that would make even your most dismissive inner philosopher pleased. In a decade like the 2010s, where it seems like everything that could possibly be said through music has already been penned, chancing upon a piece as enlightening as Ten Stories is refreshing. (2012) | | 24 |  | Jimmy Eat World
Integrity Blues
Integrity Blues marks a triumphant return to Jimmy Eat World's dreamy, emotionally-charged atomspheric emo rock - the likes of which we haven't seen since Futures. Backed by breathtaking melodies and intimate lyrics, Integrity Blues offers us music that sounds like it was written under the stars: ripe for late night drives or for sitting up on a balcony, overlooking the sea of city lights while trying to piece together exactly what life means to you at that precise moment. Jim Adkins manages to make you feel the equivalent of musical butterflies across all 11 tracks, namely on the breathtakingly romantic 'You With Me' and the ode-to-independence 'Pol Roger'. Each song is a bare emotional canvas, dressed up in the most shimmering, awe-inspiring atmospheres. Combined with the fact that the band continues to churn out subtle hooks that grow with time, Integrity Blues is basically the perfect Jimmy album. Personally, I think it's even better than Futures. (2016) | | 23 |  | Radiohead
A Moon Shaped Pool
A Moon Shaped Pool combines the cold, detached aura of Kid A with the warm, proximal beauty of In Rainbows. You will find yourself embraced by sweeping strings and acoustic guitars one moment only to be expelled into the cold, unfeeling depths of space the next. Detractors will point out that this album doesn't push as many experimental boundaries as Radiohead has in past ventures, but for what AMSP lacks in breadth, it more than makes up for in depth. This album is basically the quintessential Radiohead release; it contains bits and pieces of all their strongest traits. Whether it's the eerie, paranoid 'Burn the Witch', the ambient-rock cyclone 'Ful Stop', the dreamy 'Glass Eyes', the cathartically melodic release of 'Identikit', or raw, foresaken emotion of 'True Love Waits', there's simply too many instances of immaculate, perfected indie-rock here to consider this anything other than a top-25 decade release. (2016) | | 22 |  | Kanye West
My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
This is an iconic statement - not just for Kanye, but for all of hip-hop. It shows the heights to which the genre can aspire to with a creative genius behind the wheel; it's a monumental piece that pushes musical and lyrical boundaries simultaneously. Tracks like 'Dark Fantasy' and 'Power' show Kanye's unwavering handle on his rhythm and keen ear for dynamic experimentation. 'Runaway' is emotionally unhinged and self-deprecating, while musically skirting the line of rap/hip-hop by infusing the song with isolated piano notes and distorted vocals that sound like something Sufjan might have written for Age of Adz. My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy is overflowing with these types of brilliant departures - the kind of stuff that elevates an artist from just another successful rapper to a legend and statesman. This is a landmark release in every way. (2010) | | 21 |  | The National
Sleep Well Beast
Sleep Well Beast is adrift in a detached haze. It’s desperate and needy, like when Berninger mutters on the eponymous closer, “I'm at a loss, losing grip, the fabrics rip” in such a way that sounds apathetic to losing one’s sanity. It wonders where its adolescence disappeared to, pondering decaying relationships (“I barely ever see you anymore...And when I do it feels you're only halfway there”). It marvels at its own indifference to the deterioration of its social and familial relationships: “I'm the one doing this, there's no other way / I just got nothing, nothing left to say.” It grasps desperately at emotional connections, trying in vain not to lose what makes it human: “I'm just trying to stay in touch with anything I'm still in touch with.” The National have always hummed with a sense of middle-aged boredom, but this album offers a profound lyrical backbone while pairing that with subtle songwriting/melodies. This is low-key a top 3 National album. (2017) | | 20 |  | Kishi Bashi
Omoiyari
Omoiyari is Kaoru Ishibashi’s Carrie and Lowell. Centered around love stories of interned Japanese Americans during World War II, he weaves politics, violence, and romance together within a lush, flourishing folk record. Kishi Bashi sweeps us away with gorgeous acoustics, urgent violins, occasional verses in Japanese, and even a rare flash of Americana with a slight country twang. Above all, this is an album comprised of 10 nearly perfect songs – from front to end, each piece contributes just about equal value to the storyline and overarching musical aesthetic. Of course, tracks like ‘Marigolds’, ‘Summer of 42’, and ‘Annie’ are the most unforgettable; they’re career highlights that show how dynamic Ishibashi can be, especially when writing about something with so much personal and historical significance. Here, he doesn’t waste the opportunity presented to him. Omoiyari is both a worthy tribute to his ancestry as well as a decade stalwart. (2019) | | 19 |  | Trophy Scars
Holy Vacants
Trophy Scars have always been a ridiculous band for a wide array of reasons, ranging from insane concepts (Holy Vacants is about a couple who stalk and cannibalize angels after Hitler’s demise in World War II, thus keeping them young and in love forever) to the simple fact that Jones’ singing is, umm, an acquired taste. But the bottom line is that all the weirdness adds up to something spectacular and utterly unique, with Holy Vacants representing Trophy Scars’ peak ambition. Few songs rock harder than “Qeres”, which is driven by beefy electric guitars and thrusts Jones’ comically gruff voice against a harmonious, angelic backdrop – or are more melodically pleasing than ‘Crystallophobia’, which is just about the catchiest thing since the bubonic plague – or are as haunting as the penultimate ‘Everything Disappearing.’ Any ridiculously epic thing that you can think of seems to occur on Holy Vacants – the magnum opus of one of this decade’s most overlooked artists. (2014) | | 18 |  | Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds
Skeleton Tree
While I can’t begin to imagine how Nick Cave has felt since the horrific evening of his son’s death, Skeleton Tree is probably an accurate barometer of just how torturous it’s been. Nick mumbles through verses, sounding either grief-stricken or intoxicated; possibly both. At times, it’s as if his mind is on other things, and it often sounds as though a great deal of Nick’s effort on this album is spent merely fighting back tears. Towards the end of the record, Cave – known and documented as a religious man – essentially says there’s no God: “They told us our gods would outlive us / But they lied.” In that gorgeously sad duet with Else Torp, she closes out the song by singing, “This is not for our eyes.” One can’t help but feel that Skeleton Tree is not for our ears, either. This wasn’t made to be enjoyed or consumed, it was released by Cave as a coping mechanism. All we can do is stand by and empathize, hoping we’ll never have to go through the same thing. (2016) | | 17 |  | Ben Howard
Noonday Dream
“It’s so peaceful here, no one to fuck it up”, Howard quietly mutters on the closing ‘Murmurations’, before stamping the final verse with, “I could see through miles.” It feels like he is slowly being swept up into the ocean – fading, fading, until it sounds like his voice has vanished into the surrounding air. As an ending, it’s perfect. However, it’s even more indicative of Noonday Dream as a whole – a record that tends to shrink inward, fade, or retreat more than it bursts, peaks, or does anything that could be considered showy. Even at its most agitated – the cutting, electric riffs in the closing minutes of ‘A Boat to an Island on the Wall’ – the record seems to arrive at its moments in a state of acceptance and understanding. At its warmest, the album is melodic and vaguely romantic, like the echoed warbling on ‘Towing the Line’ can attest to. Noonday Dream unfurls like its title suggests, deftly yet unpredictably weaving between all things earthly and ethereal. (2018) | | 16 |  | The Dear Hunter
The Color Spectrum (Complete Collection)
The Color Spectrum is simply a testament of will, as The Dear Hunter crafts a 36 song, 9 EP collection that thematically covers an entire range of colors and corresponding genres to match. It takes your ears and your mind to destinations that you never thought The Dear Hunter was capable of going to before. The Black EP is gritty, electronically-underscored rock. Red burns with a feverish alt/indie passion, assisted by Andy Hull’s (of Manchester Orchestra) multiple cameos. Yellow brightens your day with sunny pop. Green puts you on the quiet hills of the countryside. Indigo plummets you into a digital sea, and ‘Violet’ puts you on a dramatic broadway stage. All of this may sound ridiculous in theory, but the end result is jaw-dropping. It’s an impressively consistent and shockingly varied album from a band that seems to know no creative limit. For every mood, every musical taste, and every person, there is something to like on The Color Spectrum.(2011) | | 15 |  | Fleet Foxes
Helplessness Blues
In a decade that has produced some absolutely blockbuster folk, Helplessness Blues is still a title that seems to come up more often than not when discussing the very best of the decade, and rightfully so. The natural, backwoods vibe evokes an appropriately calming response. Fleet Foxes harmonize their way through rivers, mountains, and oceans, carrying listeners on a mesmerizing journey. Helplessness Blues does this with little more than vocals and acoustic guitars, which is an impressive feat during an era when more (studio effects, orchestration, synths, electronics, etc) always seems to be better. By contrast, this is a bare bones indie-folk offering, and one that is all the more captivating for it. When success comes this easily with such little embellishment, it’s a sign of obvious talent. Fleet Foxes are synonymous with folk mastery, and Helplessness Blues is their primary calling card. (2011) | | 14 |  | Copeland
Blushing
Blushing is one of the most spellbinding, depressing, and romantic things I’ve ever laid ears upon. It combines a hazy, dream-like atmosphere with Marsh’s lovelorn/philosophical verses that could place him among the best lyrical penman in all of indie-rock. The appeal of the record is based largely around his heart-shattering poetry, of which there is plenty: “They say that love is for the young, well I'm getting older”…“Some nights he screams into the infinite, tries to write a line that will outlive him”…“These days I'm terrified of silence, my thoughts unbearable in the quiet.” Every verse is practically Shakespearean in its drama and intrigue, blurring the line between the dream world and reality; between romance and existence; between life and death. This might be the quintessential breakup record of the decade, but to anyone who listens to it and begins to dissect its many facets, it’s also so much more. (2019) | | 13 |  | The Tallest Man on Earth
The Wild Hunt
The Wild Hunt is like a spur of the moment road trip through the countryside. The deceptively complex fingerpicking, the skeletal guitar-and-vocals songwriting – it all feels like a refreshing breeze blowing through the open roof of a car. It’s as if that joyous spontaneity was captured in a bottle and then released in a recording studio. Matsson sings with tremendous passion, and every lyric he pens is tethered to his heart with invisible strings. When he mutters, practically unnoticeably, “love is fake so I get hurt”, I feel a pit in the bottom of my stomach. When he belts out, almost proudly, “I plan to be forgotten when I’m gone”, it makes me wonder if I’ve had the wrong idea about death all along. I may never pinpoint that one trait that makes The Wild Hunt an all-time classic in my mind. But when an album makes me feel this liberated, this empowered…this free, I don’t think there’s much point in trying. (2010) | | 12 |  | Lana Del Rey
Norman Fucking Rockwell!
Much can be inferred from the cover of Norman Fucking Rockwell. Grant, one arm outreached with an American flag hanging in the backdrop, sets a new course at sea as an orange haze burns in the distance. It could be a metaphor for Lana’s career; a middling and inconsistent affair across five albums. It could be symbolic of her beloved nation, a country seemingly rotting from the inside out and on the brink of collapsing. Whether Norman Fucking Rockwell‘s apocalypse is personal or political, LDR cooly sits back and watches as a passive observer – someone who resigns herself to her fate. Pop records so rarely capture a nation’s essence and freeze it in time, but that’s what Del Rey has done with this jaw-droppingly beautiful assessment of a world spiraling into chaos. For an artist who began a very hit-or-miss career in 2010, it’s all too fitting that she closed the book on the decade with her most daring, complete album – an instant classic in every sense of the word. (2019) | | 11 |  | Kendrick Lamar
good kid, m.A.A.d city
good kid, m.A.A.d city packs intricate storytelling, addicting song craft, and gang violence into its purview, depicting just how difficult it can be overcome stark socioeconomical disadvantage while attempting to learn and navigate the laws of the street to find a purpose and, ultimately, inner peace. Lamar builds an amazing concept album here that comes to him effortlessly because so much of it is based within his own reality and his actual past. Whereas many other artists stand on a pedestal and preach, this album is Kendrick Lamar knowing his roots and getting on his peers’ level to remember the struggle, empathize, and ultimately guide. good kid, m.A.A.d city is proof that hip-hop can be relevant in the mainstream yet entirely sincere/honest/”real”, and here it’s accomplished with a kind of fervor that only the greatest rapper of the last ten years could pull off. (2012) | | 10 |  | Fleet Foxes
Crack-Up
When someone says Fleet Foxes, the proper reaction is to recall Helplessness Blues and discuss how it’s the perfect indie-folk record. It’s not that I blame people for thinking that, because it is the perfect indie-folk record. I just feel as though they’re missing out, because they have yet to be enlightened by the more progressive, classically-infused Crack-Up, which is basically Helplessness Blues for people who want more out of life (yes – I realize how super fucking uppity that sounds). However, it’s true. Crack-Up is even more ambitious than its celebrated predecessor, liberating itself from backwoods acoustic folk with strings alongside cascading classical piano, far more unpredictable guitar progressions, pan flutes and other woodwinds, and a dazzling display of both mesmerizing ambience and pleasant cacophony. Crack-Up is the band’s most challenging creation, but for those who afford it the multiple immersive listens that it requires, it’s also their best. (2017) | | 9 |  | mewithoutYou
[Untitled]
[Untitled] unabashedly shatters the wildest of expectations, crafting the most intimidatingly intense, lusciously melodic experience in mewithoutYou’s canon while making it all look, feel, and sound effortless. There are times where Aaron Weiss totally loses his shit – and I mean almost beyond recognition – such as the in-your-face screams of opener ‘9:27a.m., 7/29’, the stream-of-consciousness-gone-terribly-awry ‘Wendy & Betsy’, or even more notably the dissociating wall of sound presented by ‘Michael, Row Your Boat Ashore.’ Thematic content starts with the end of the world, and concludes with a total loss of identity, or perhaps even sanity. It’s a huge record that blurs the religious and personal planes of existence – a swirling vortex of uncertainty and doubt that is sang and screamed about with cryptic intent and decisive finality. It’s unfiltered passion that evades qualification; something to which we’d be performing a disservice by assigning a title. (2018) | | 8 |  | Brand New
Science Fiction
It’s a shame that Brand New’s career ended in disgrace, because Science Fiction deserves more acclaim than it actually receives. The band made good on eight years of mounting hype and unrealistic expectations, delivering a career-enveloping masterpiece comprised of nearly every style they had ever employed. ‘Lit Me Up’ is a chilling incantation that unintentionally prophesizes the demise of the band; ‘Can’t Get It Out’ sounds like a lost Deja mega-hit; ‘In The Water’ shimmers with beautiful guitar solos and an eerie throwback to Daisy. There’s no shortage of highlights on what can only be considered a legend-making statement – the perfect curtain call for the perfect discography, an album that was meticulously pieced together for the better part of the decade. While I certainly acknowledge the ethical dilemma of listening to Science Fiction, there is almost nothing bad that I can say about it from a musical standpoint. (2017) | | 7 |  | Manchester Orchestra
A Black Mile to the Surface
Every time I think I’ve heard the best that Manchester Orchestra has to offer, they surprise me. I’m Like a Virgin Losing a Child floored me – the earnest vulnerability of “Colly Strings” sticking with me through many relationships. Then the tragic storytelling of “I Can Feel a Hot One” reduced me to tears. In 2011, it was the magnificence of Simple Math, its title track probing questions of faith and existence that I’d never pondered before. I never thought they’d top a moment of such profundity, but lo and behold, 2017’s A Black Mile to the Surface did exactly that. This is a devastating experience with multiple ways to interpret its meaning. It is both beautiful and intense, often featuring subtly shouted/screamed harmonies in the background of Hull’s laments that raise the emotional stakes on a nearly constant basis. The fact that this beat out Science Fiction for my 2017 AOTY should tell you everything you need to know. (2017) | | 6 |  | Bon Iver
Bon Iver, Bon Iver
For some time, I thought that either For Emma, Forever Ago or 22, A Million was the best Bon Iver record. One of the most surprising realizations during my almost year-long revisiting of decade favorites was just how well Vernon’s Bon Iver, Bon Iver held up by comparison. It unfurls with the natural beauty of For Emma, but sounds even better. It has the stunning production of 22, A Million, but without the glitchy beats and autotuned vocals that require a certain mood to appreciate. No matter where I am or what I’m doing, this version of Bon Iver transports me to a cabin in the woods. It feels like the best of both worlds and is appropriately situated between its comparative extremes in Vernon’s discography. There’s nothing more satisfying than that moment when the drums kick in on ‘Perth’, or when ‘Holocene’ melts you with love, or when ‘Beth/Rest’ slowly envelopes you in its dream world. Bon Iver, Bon Iver is the best album from one of the greatest folk artists of all-time. (2011) | | 5 |  | David Bowie
Blackstar
Before we learned of the cancer that ended Bowie’s life, some of Blackstar’s lyrical allusions to death didn’t immediately make sense – from the title track killing off Major Tom to pretty much all of ‘Lazarus.’ Once the strategically planted hints became obvious with his passing, the final piece of the puzzle was revealed. Suddenly, things that seemed ambiguous before came into focus: “I’ve got scars that can’t be seen / Oh, I’ll be free / Ain’t that just like me?” It’s unsettling the way that we were able to listen to Bowie’s farewell for days without realizing what it was. He was essentially writing his own eulogy; expressing to us through music a secret that he kept hidden for 18 months. As a fan of Bowie the person, it’s jarring, eerie, and depressing. As a fan of Bowie the artist, it’s downright brilliant. Blackstar will forever be tied to his legacy. A true artist in both life and death, Bowie earns this Top 10 decade spot without even warranting a second thought. (2016) | | 4 |  | The National
High Violet
Amid so many near-perfect National offerings, High Violet is the one that strikes me as their very best. It’s basically a flawless record, with 11 tracks that all contribute in unique ways to the buzzing, wintry-cold atmosphere. Matt Berninger lets his eccentricities fly, whether it’s the “doo doo doo doo…” verses on ‘Lemonworld’, or “I was afraid, I’d eat your brains…’cause I’m evil” from ‘Conversation 16.’ No one could possibly accuse the album of being cliché; what’s surprising is how these seemingly off-the-wall lines manage to hit you square in the gut every time. There’s no real way to explain it other than that Berninger is one of the very best in the business. Elsewhere, another best-in-the-biz – drummer Bryan Devendorf – absolutely owns the entire atmosphere. High Violet is a triumph in every way: guitars, drumming, vocals, lyrics, and every single dynamic in between. It solidifies The National as one of the best bands not just of the decade, but of our generation. (2010) | | 3 |  | Titus Andronicus
The Monitor
The Monitor is perhaps the greatest punk album of our time. With an unkempt delivery and a bold, no-fucks-given attitude, Stickles waxes poetic about American ideals (“as a nation of free men, we will live forever or die by suicide”), then finds himself dragging his ass off the bar floor (“I know it won’t do much good, getting drunk and sad and singing…”) only to look for a fight immediately after (“…but I’m at the end of my rope and I feel like swinging.”). ‘The Battle of Hampton Roads’ sounds like a mission statement, culminating in the line “Is there a soul on this Earth that isn’t too frightened to move?” The underlying message is to be who you are, and go all out when you live your life. If you’re a drunk, “drink to excess.” If you smoke, “smoke gaping holes in your chest.” You determine the limits of your life; the only question is if you are willing to die at the risk of truly living. In a similar way, Titus Andronicus puts it all on the line here. (2010) | | 2 |  | Swans
The Seer
The Seer is the stuff nightmares are made of. From the witch-like incantations of “Lunacy” through the jarring discordance of “The Apostate”, it’s basically all dimensions of hell sprawled across an immersive two hour experience. The swirling drone passages of the 32 minute title track force listeners to become immersed in this dark, terrifying world, and such focused commitment is necessary for an album this massive. It’s what allows the comparatively miniscule minute-and-a-half ‘The Wolf’ – with its eerie hum and Gira’s demented laments – to have just as large of an impact, and it’s the only way you’ll stumble upon the gorgeous second half of ‘A Piece of the Sky.’ There is so much to discover within The Seer, from its smallest details to its grandest climaxes, that it couldn’t possibly be grasped after a mere few listens. This could be the best album of Michael Gira’s career. (2012) | | 1 |  | Sufjan Stevens
Carrie and Lowell
There are times when a release simply evades qualification. Pastoral, haunting, emotional – sure – but none of that does Carrie & Lowell justice. The album pays tribute to Stevens’ deceased/estranged mother, recounting specific instances in his childhood from abandonment to surrogate father figures. Throughout these biographical narrations, we learn an awful lot about a man who – up to this point – had purposefully remained an enigma. Stevens details drug abuse and struggles with depression – even to the point of suicidal fantasies. I’ve never had an album so delicate and softspoken evoke such a visceral response. Musically, it is immaculately produced, acoustically pristine, and utterly breathtaking. Carrie & Lowell deserves to be mentioned alongside all-time classics like Pink Moon and Either/Or, and it singlehandedly enshrines Stevens as a legendary, mythical icon in the genre of indie-folk. This is the best album released in the last ten years. (2015) | |
SowingSeason
12.05.19 | Let the countdown begin. I relistened to so many albums over the last 6 months, it's been a wild ride. I'd love to see people's guesses for my Top 10. | JohnnyoftheWell
12.05.19 | Hype ! I'm a little spooked; my draft list has QOTSA sitting within one place of their position here
"I'd love to see people's guesses for my Top 10"
Untitled, Sci Fi, Helplessness Blues, Good Kid Maad City, Carrie and Lowell and probably NFR are all gonna be there or else my radar's way off ;] | JohnnyoftheWell
12.05.19 | "‘Kalopsia’ [is] just flat-out infectious on a level that no other rock band lately has bothered aspiring to"
That track's magic is the way is plays out as a colossal downer but still sounds infectious as hell, lots of love for it | BigHans
12.05.19 | Gang of Youths has to be in the top 10 | BigHans
12.05.19 | For top 10, there will be Brand New, Yellowcard, Manchester Orchestra, and Surfjan for sure | JohnnyoftheWell
12.05.19 | Rule of thumb for Gang of Youths would be that it's either not on a list or in the top 10, so I'll second that for Sowing | tyman128
12.05.19 | and also mewithoutyou, BigHans | SowingSeason
12.05.19 | Up through #31 is completed. I see I've already spoiled some top 10 hopes with GoY ;-). Will add more to this tomorrow. | unclereich
12.05.19 | I wish there were 50 brand new albums | BigHans
12.05.19 | No Gang of Youths in top 10 = invalid list my friend :) | JohnnyoftheWell
12.05.19 | "thus forming quite possibly the most emotionally climactic piece of music in the band’s history"
That's my boi! | conesmoke
12.05.19 | Lonerism is shit | NorwichScene
12.05.19 | I agree with Hans and Johnny, Gang of Youths top 10 | JohnnyoftheWell
12.05.19 | I'm in the 'not on the list in the first place' camp haha but defs think it's go hard or go home as far as that one's concerned ;] | Gyromania
12.05.19 | so far everything here rules. especially synthia, that one's gonna rate high on my decade list, same as diamond eyes, burst apart, melodrama, and like clockwork | ripquill
12.05.19 | Looking forward to the list Sowing, lots of good picks already | SowingSeason
12.06.19 | Thanks! The best is yet to come!
"Lonerism is shit"
The 4.0 site average begs to differ | Divaman
12.06.19 | My favorites on the list so far are 36, 43 and 46. | mynameischan
12.06.19 | great work so far, love the descriptions. eager to see #1 and then make you explain why it isn't Speak Now | Morningrise767
12.06.19 | 41 and 34 are absolute classics... Two of my fav records ever | SowingSeason
12.06.19 | Thanks fellas! Chan, who says it isn't? ;-) | butt.
12.06.19 | Science Fiction, [untitled], Black Mile, Carrie and Lowell, and probably NFR will be in top 10. | SowingSeason
12.06.19 | Updated through #21! Hoping to do the remaining 20 this weekend so stay tuned for the grand unveiling of my album of the decade ;-) | JohnnyoftheWell
12.06.19 | Best TDH pick nice nice | SowingSeason
12.06.19 | Thanks Johnny. Definitely an amazing album. One of the catchiest things I've ever heard in my life, too. | luci
12.06.19 | no 2019 picks so far, hope this means you're controlling yourself! | SowingSeason
12.06.19 | I think going back and listening to so many of my decade favorites helped to keep this year in perspective. There will be some 2019 releases on this, though. | Divaman
12.06.19 | I like the Radiohead and the Beach House. | SowingSeason
12.07.19 | Beach House really grew on me the last couple years | Aberf
12.07.19 | "The album plays out like a collage of romantic nighttime settings."
Are we listening to the same album?
“'Myth' is a slow dance in a vacant parking lot, on a clear starry night. 'Lazuli' is a taxi drive through the city at 2 am right after the bars closed"
Nvm, it's quite accurate, actually. Except that you got hit by an ice cream truck during the taxi drive.
"'New Year' is watching the ball drop with the love of your life, kissing her at midnight"
This, except that she pukes in your mouth in the end.
"On The Sea' sits on the shoreline at dusk and watches ships slowly disappear into the night atop a serenade of bouyant,"
Or this, but the ship disappeared due to a tsunami. Also, you misspelled 'buoyant'. | Willie
12.07.19 | Nice format with the slowly unveiling thing. I have a feeling I'll have some Jezabels on my decade list, too. The rest, as you might assume, I either haven't heard or only kind of liked (that includes Deftones. Only White Pony is really enjoyable for me). | SowingSeason
12.07.19 | Aberf, you make it sound like Beach House spews out sludge metal or gritty punk, lol. The album is absolutely atmospheric and could be conceived as romantic. Not sure what your aim is.
Willie, thanks - this definitely is folk/indie/pop geared, although there is some genre variation. Unfortunately, just not a lot of metal or heavier rock. I love White Pony and Diamond Eyes, but the latter just hit me harder - possibly because I actively anticipated its release whereas with White Pony I just found out about it years later and backtracked. Every Jezabels album is amazing, too...Synthia is just so over-the-top which I love. | Lord(e)Po)))ts
12.07.19 | 31 is the closest thing to an alb id consider for the decade i guess | SowingSeason
12.07.19 | Nice selection - the Antlers are one of my all time favorites. | Lord(e)Po)))ts
12.07.19 | i considered it for my 2011 top 20 but it didnt end up makin the cut
rolled together and putting the dog to sleep are some tear jerkin beauties | SowingSeason
12.07.19 | Love those although my favorite is still Parentheses. Can't get enough of those crunchy electric riffs. | Aberf
12.07.19 | Beach House is definitely atmospheric and romantic. At least I hoped that it was the case. In the end it's just the worst dream pop band in my book that's relatively popular.
In conclusion, album and, in extension, the band suck imho. | SowingSeason
12.07.19 | Ah gotcha. I didn't like them at first but they really grew on me. Also have a lot of memories attached which never hurts. | Aberf
12.07.19 | Anyhow, list is cool aside of 30th and 48th. | SowingSeason
12.08.19 | Added #20-#11. Only the top 10 remain shrouded. Let me know what you think so far! | Egarran
12.08.19 | I think you're a treasure. | SowingSeason
12.08.19 | ...right back at ya? lol | mynameischan
12.08.19 | there were so many albums this year i wanted to get to but didn't, and blushing is one of them. i've gotta sit down with it at some point. | Rowan5215
12.08.19 | lovin the Familiars love on this list, finally that album isn't insanely underrated
also lovin that Ten Stories is above Pale Horses, as god intended | SowingSeason
12.08.19 | Chan, if you like bands like Mae or even Death Cab, Copeland will be for you. It's indie pop with a dreamy glaze and awesome emotion/ lyrics | JohnnyoftheWell
12.08.19 | Ouch, two of my top 10 guesses at 11 and 12. Pressure's on :O Didn't expect to see Kishi Bashi this high (or here in the first place tbf) but this sparks joy. Still trying to figure out if I prefer that or Light but the man's a wonder
"also lovin that Ten Stories is above Pale Horses, as god intended"
Rowan I love you and I love Ten Stories but don't you make me cry like this | SowingSeason
12.08.19 | Rowan, Familiars is amazing but I could never decide if it belongs above or below Burst Apart. And I waffle on Ten Stories/Pale Horses as well, but TS' melodies ultimately win me over | Rowan5215
12.08.19 | Johnny prepare to cry: Ten Stories is my second favourite mwY release, and the untitled EP is first
Familiars wins out imo, mostly because of the bold musical choices and brevity. like half of Burst Apart is some of my favourite stuff they ever did, the rest is filler-y stuff like French Exit | SowingSeason
12.08.19 | Johnny you were damn close with those picks. My top 10 is probably fairly predictable with maybe a couple surprises. And yeah, Omoiyari developed into a top 3 album of 2019 for me... | SowingSeason
12.08.19 | And there we have it, folks. Top 10 are now posted as well, hope you enjoyed this unveiling! | luci
12.08.19 | you're very loud about your favorites so there are no surprises at all there lol. will read in a bit
Ctrl+F folk: 21 results | JohnnyoftheWell
12.08.19 | "Johnny prepare to cry: Ten Stories is my second favourite mwY release, and the untitled EP is first"
Ten Stories is my joint second favourite mwY, but you just had to go and knock the top one :'[ :'[
Nice stuff, a few slight surprises in the top 10 - didn't have see the Seer (lol) coming that high. Carrie and Lowell is a v comfy fit for Sowing #1, list wouldn't have made half as much sense otherwise ;]
"from the title track killing off Major Tom"
mega pedantic but didn't Major Tom die back on Scary Monsters?
| dmathias52
12.08.19 | Still have to dive so much into the decade, but I can't see Sufjan being displaced as my number 1. Beautiful write ups and I can't wait to dive in to a whole lot of this! | JohnnyoftheWell
12.08.19 | You had a really good 2017 dude ngl | CalculatingInfinity
12.08.19 | 1 is what it should be. | americanohno
12.08.19 | Little early for this list right still got 13 months left in the decade lol. Also 2010 albums were last decade. | JohnnyoftheWell
12.08.19 | Now that's what I call a hot take | luci
12.08.19 | nope, convention is that the decade is up to the 9th year. it's arbitrary but that's how the culture rolls | JohnnyoftheWell
12.08.19 | *the 9th year cardinal, but still 10th year ordinal | americanohno
12.08.19 | No man you miss the point TTHERE WAS NO YEAR ZERO man | luci
12.08.19 | okay but no one is making decade lists for 1 to 10 A.D. | americanohno
12.08.19 | There was one dude who was man best plays he saw or Jews he killed or whatever and we've gotta respect that man's legacy by making our decades lists 1 to 10 RETURN TO TRADITION | NorwichScene
12.08.19 | Where is There Will Be Fireworks? I like 7, 32, 38, 40 and 49 | klap
12.08.19 | lot of work in this, nice job dude | Observer
12.08.19 | Yeah 2nd Klap. Glad High Violet and Carrie made it to Top 10. | SowingSeason
12.09.19 | Thanks! There was plenty of switching around in my top 10 for a while but after relistening to them all this is how it shook out. C&L is fucking flawless. | mynameischan
12.09.19 | great work, must be a relief to have it all submitted. i'm dreading making mine. so much i still want to listen to thoroughly (including your #1, which i've heard but not enough) | Green Baron
12.09.19 | My gears. Grinded | klap
12.09.19 | high violet is def the correct national choice for this decade | Observer
12.09.19 | Given all this band's bumps for today, if there was one album from this decade that I could rec you, sowing, that im almost positive you'd fall for, it's Anathema's Weather Systems (2012). Has your name all over it. | SowingSeason
12.09.19 | Ooh yes thanks Observer. December is the perfect month for recs, too. Will definitely have time to check it. | neekafat
12.09.19 | I've heard all but 2 of your top 20, very proud
Anyway I still don't get the universal adoration for 1 but I'm glad y'all love it so much | SowingSeason
12.09.19 | You should be proud neek, those are some high quality albums. :-) | SowingSeason
12.09.19 | For anyone curious, here's my distribution of top-50 decade albums by year. I'm sure a lot of it has to do with my involvement here; for example I went MIA in 2013 and it shows:
2019 - 3
2018 - 4
2017 - 7
2016 - 8
2015 - 5
2014 - 6
2013 - 1
2012 - 5
2011 - 6
2010 - 5 | oltnabrick
12.09.19 | barf | JohnnyoftheWell
12.09.19 | 2016 was a gud year but holy shit Sowing why'd you pick by far the best year of the decade to disappear | SowingSeason
12.09.19 | I got engaged and was also starting a really demanding job. Asked to be emeritized. | SowingSeason
12.09.19 | All I remember about 2013 is QOTSA, Justin Timberlake, One Republic, Steven Wilson, and Laura Stevenson. | JohnnyoftheWell
12.09.19 | Those are ofc excellent reasons, but you missed some stunners :[
Glad to see 2015 below average though. That year blew | SowingSeason
12.09.19 | It blew but at least it had my AOTD. It'd be neat to do some kind of score for each year based upon where the albums fell. For example #50 is 1 pt, #1 is 50 pts, etc. | Lucman
12.09.19 | Amazing list, Sow. Beautiful picks (though I was certain Southern Air will be here! What happened?). Plenty of these will be on my own, whenever I get around to writing it haha. | JohnnyoftheWell
12.09.19 | Had my #2 so can't complain
That would be an obsessive violation of well-meaning, passive data. Do it. I wanna compare notes ;] | conesmoke
12.09.19 | This list lacks metal........... | SowingSeason
12.09.19 | Southern Air probably would have been my #51 or #52. For as much as I love YC I've always viewed them (and most pop-punk) as an indulgence more than actually prestigious. Of course a lot of this list isn't prestigious so whatever lol. And @Johnny, I might have to tally it for the lols when I have the time. | Gyromania
12.09.19 | Top 10 is so damn good. Props for putting good kid above butterfly, also big ups for that mwY blurb, agreed wholeheartedly. Also black mile, fuck yes | JohnnyoftheWell
12.09.19 | "And @Johnny, I might have to tally it for the lols when I have the time"
Hmu if you do lol, am intrigued | SowingSeason
12.09.19 | Thanks Gyro, always nice to see your stamp of approval :-) I worked pretty damn hard on this list so I definitely appreciate it! | Lucman
12.09.19 | It's in my top 5 of the decade so I just had to ask ;) Your top ten is fantastic too. Great to see Crack-Up and High Violet so high. | SowingSeason
12.09.19 | It's definitely a top 5, maybe top 3, sentimental album for me. Came out the week I started dating my wife. :-) | Lucman
12.09.19 | Yep, it means so much to me too. That's probably how my list is going to go, least sentimental record to the most lol. I don't personally care for things like cultural significance or how it changed a genre or introduced a new trend, it's ALL about how it moves me, how much I enjoy it, and just what it means to me. That's why Surviving is my AOTY :) | Lucman
12.09.19 | With Carrie and Lowell, for example, I can absolutely see it as the best album of the decade. It hits real deeply too, but I listen to it maybe twice a year? Each time it brings tears out of me but I don't really enjoy it, if you know what I mean. | SowingSeason
12.09.19 | Oh I absolutely know what you mean. This list is probably a blend of both for me. Southern Air easily could have taken the place of one of my #45-50 albums. I enjoy C&L just as much as I admire it, weirdly. | SowingSeason
12.09.19 | Also re: good kid > tpab - it was never even close. From the moment tpab dropped I did not understand the hype, and I really like KL. It feels like it tries way too hard to elevate itself into some art-rap type of status while also preaching politics, whereas good kid is just a masterful rap album and accomplishes the latter by simply telling his story. It's so much more subtle and honest feeling. | luci
12.09.19 | Agreed, TPAB always felt didactic to me, like an African American studies college seminar in album form. Albums that are self-knowingly “important” rub me the wrong way. At least he got it out of his system, it was always an inevitable record for Lamar. | butt.
12.09.19 | for some reason that approach is okay for most genres, but with rap it becomes didactic? I'm hard pressed to think of any rap albums that dare to be more than just rap albums. Good kid was great, but literally all of it had been done before. TPAB is monumental to me. It is so much more vast and diverse and impressive. He finally utilized jazz and funk to a meaningful level. The lyrics dove so much deeper. I could write a thesis about that album. Which, I realize, is why you guys don't prefer it. | butt.
12.09.19 | "whereas [insert album here] is just a masterful rap album and accomplishes the latter by simply telling his story"
^ this sentence could apply to so. many. hip hop. albums. | mynameischan
12.09.19 | nothing about tpab feels patronizing, so i wouldn't call it didactic. certainly has morals to teach, but that is what makes it so good. it seems to me that some people (not necessarily you guys, but some) who prefer Good Kid want a rapper who talks about "the streets" but doesn't want them to connect that to anything in a larger, systemic way. once they do that, it becomes "preaching" | SowingSeason
12.09.19 | It's a matter of preference like everything. No one said it's ok for every genre except rap (@butt). I dislike that approach across the board regardless of genre. There was a time where obviously preachy politics appealed to me in music (see American Idiot), but now it irks me for some reason. Chan made a good point though - and I think it's important for rappers to voice their political beliefs in a way that connects it to things other than "daily life on the streets." I think in this case I just feel that you can read into good kid's storytelling and connect the dots yourself, whereas TPAB has arrows between each dot saying, "hey, look, these things go together!" On a much simpler level, I just don't like the actual songs as much. Wesley's Theory is still awesome, though. | dedex
12.09.19 | I wanted to defend TPAB so hard but butt. did it perfectly.
Also, great list as always Sowing. Will read it thoroughly asap. | theBoneyKing
12.09.19 | 1 is a surprise to no one ;-P | DoofDoof
12.09.19 | C&L and High Violet in the top 5 I’m in total agreement with
I also rate Good Kid above Pimp | theBoneyKing
12.09.19 | Anyway, I’ve heard exactly half of these which is pretty good. Many here will feature in my top 50-100 as well. | SowingSeason
12.09.19 | Thanks all. And yeah Doof, HV and C&L are no brainer top-10's/top-5's. I felt like my #1 needed to have that iconic/legend factor, which I feel C&L has. | DDDeftoneDDD
12.09.19 | Great Work Sow. | dedex
12.09.19 | Reading the High Violet blurb make me realize I have it at 4.7 for almost 10 years. Should 5 that mofo. | nightbringer
12.09.19 | Lots here I already love, a few I'll check out. Great effort as always Sowing. | SowingSeason
12.09.19 | Thanks! =) and yes, you should definitely 5 HV! | theBoneyKing
12.09.19 | Fuck I really need to get into the Antlers. So much music... | luci
12.09.19 | i'll try to guess the albums that almost made the cut (51-55):
yellowcard - yellowcard
lisel - angels on the slope
joanna newsom - divers
julia holter - have you in my wilderness
nick cave and the bad seeds - ghosteen
| SowingSeason
12.09.19 | Pretty solid but swap Yellowcard's S/T with Southern Air and Lisel with Laura Stevenson's Wheel. I actually didn't bother with order after #50 but I like your take. | SowingSeason
12.09.19 | @Boney if you've never heard The Antlers I really recommend In the Attic of the Universe. It's overlooked around these parts but a top 25 ALL-TIME album for me personally. | Lucman
12.09.19 | I'm gonna check the Seer sometime today. Finally got around to listening to Swans with To Be Kind last night and goodness, that is a monolithic record. | Atari
12.09.19 | nicely done Sowing. not as much overlap as I was hoping for but pleased to see Phoebe Bridgers and Titus Andronicus here ;) | SowingSeason
12.09.19 | The Seer is by far the best Swans album I've heard @Lucman so I'd say if you enjoyed TBK then definitely continue on with The Seer. | SowingSeason
12.09.19 | Atari weird to think we don't have a lot of overlap. We usually listen to the same stuff. What am I missing? I'm glad you share my love for The Monitor. | tectactoe
12.09.19 | Damn Sowing, never pegged you for a Swans fan (in any capacity) (and I don't mean that pejoratively, at all), but I'm pleasantly surprised to not only see THE SEER here, but so high as well.
"Mother of the World" is a best-of-decade caliber song for me. | Willie
12.09.19 | I really expected to see "Prisoner" by Jezabels on here. That is far and away my favorite from them, so I thought for sure it would be here since their other one was. Mind Blown ;) | SowingSeason
12.09.19 | Ha, I know it doesn't fit within my usual schtick but I adored Swans ever since they returned from hiatus in 2010. I reviewed their comeback album and The Seer at a 4.5 and 5 :-) | SowingSeason
12.09.19 | Willie for whatever reason I never got into the debut as much as their other stuff. Might be because I listened to it years after release, backtracking after their sophomore album. I always seem to appreciate albums I backtrack for less, which I know makes no sense. Must have something to do with first impression bias. But even then that doesn't explain how Synthia wound up here over the others. *shoulder shrug* | Willie
12.09.19 | Oh. I started with their debut, so it's their other releases that are 'lacking' for me. Ha ha. | butt.
12.09.19 | going back to TPAB real quick...
It's definitely fair to say it's 'political' in a sense, but it's far more personal than anything. Hell, the recurring quote that connects all the songs together: "I remember you was conflicted. Misusing your influence. Sometimes I did the same. Abusing my power, full of resentment. Resentment that turned into a deep depression. Found myself screaming in the hotel room. I didn't wanna self destruct. The evils of Lucy was all around me. So I went running for answers...until I came home"
This isn't some blatant American Idiot "I hate authority, fuck America" album. It takes issues that have become politicized but illuminates them in an extremely personal and intimate way.
Anyway, point is, given how much you love diving into concept albums and thick, heavy-handed lyrical themes I guess it just surprises me that when it comes to kdot you prefer the simple bangers lol. Different strokes tho | IncurablyInane
12.09.19 | @Sowing, thought I might see Bad Books III here somewhere -- was that close to crackin the top 50? | Atari
12.09.19 | @Sowing, well I haven't technically made my list yet (a ways off honestly) but you're definitely missing the album of the decade by The Hotelier ;)
Captain, We're Sinking and Smith Street Band will be on my list too. are you gonna post a 51-100 by any chance? surprised not to see Southern Air on here (or another YC album)
| SowingSeason
12.09.19 | Oh...THEM lol. Never got into any Hotelier record. Vocals always put me off. Never really gave Smith Street Band or Captain a dedicated listen. I may do a 51-100 sans descriptions :-) | SowingSeason
12.09.19 | @IncurablyInane it was damn close. Had it in the 45-50 range a few times and kept adding/ removing. Ultimately decided to go with the time-tested over a 2019 release. | Atari
12.09.19 | smh Sowing | luci
12.09.19 | did you finally hear sunbather? lol | SowingSeason
12.09.19 | Still no lol
I should make a list of all the recs I ignored this decade and then listen to them all in chronological order | Atari
12.10.19 | I rec you PUP if you haven’t heard them | butt.
12.10.19 | sunbather is probably one of the more overrated releases of the decade. snoooooze | JohnnyoftheWell
12.10.19 | snoozebather
Hard [2] to both Anathema and PUP | butt.
12.10.19 | PUP [3]
If the year 2019 ends and you still never heard PUP, you did something wrong. | SowingSeason
12.10.19 | Heard of them and liked the new album. Sound like a way better Sum 41. | Lucman
12.10.19 | The Seer is just awesome. I think I prefer TBK ever so slightly, if only because I LOVE the bluesy grooves on that record, but in terms of mood and atmosphere, Seer is something else. Will definitely make room on my decade list for it. | Lucman
12.10.19 | The new PUP is good but it won't make the top 50 for me. | SowingSeason
12.10.19 | I think The Seer is miles better but there's a huge camp of people who like TBK better for the exact reason you said. I just love how evil The Seer sounds. It's like a soundtrack to the apocalypse. | JohnnyoftheWell
12.10.19 | So if I claimed the most evil part of the Seer is the bluesy groove on The Seer Returns, how would you compute ;] | SowingSeason
12.10.19 | I mean that's sort of a fair point, but at the same time TBK doesn't have a Lunacy, or a creepy short song like The Wolf; or anything approaching the magnitude of The Seer's t/t. I should revisit TBK either way, it's been several years. |
|
