Favourite albums of 2010 - 4th quarter (last)

So before I unveil my definite top 10 favourite albums of 2010* I'd like to share a few more albums that might or might not (I haven't decided yet) show up on that list.

*Yeah, I know, there will be an endless number of lists, who needs another one, blah, blah, blah...

Morte(s) Nee(s)

by Celeste
7.0/10

Nice black meta- I mean... nice screamo album. Could be stronger but there's a nice sludgy atmosphere going on. Former members from French punk band Mihai Edrisch came up with an intriguing mix of styles here. Worth a try if you're into black meta- I mean... emotive hardcore.

Lights

by Ellie Goulding
6.9/10

Oops, sorry about the sudden style change but I'm a sucker for well done and fun pop music (yay to Janelle Monáe). And I think sweet Ellie deserves a bit of my attention here. Yes, it's a very girly pop album but it looks way worse than it actually sounds. Lyrical themes are more or less what you expect them to be about, but by no means are they off putting and everything she sings about actually feels genuine. With that problem solved, the whole albums is quite catchy in a growing sort of way (if that makes any sense) and wins for having a good and tender production (please compare to Gaga's use of outdated Ibiza sounds).

So far I've been showcasing and rating albums I'm fond of without ever comparing to what I actually dislike or think is uninteresting. So for the sake of it and to understand better my standards (or maybe you'll just get more confused) here follows my short impression of one of the worst albums for 2010.

Crystal Castles (II)

by Crystal Castles
4.7/10

Annoying and underwhelming. But that has always been my impression of this band. I gave in to all the hype and decided to try the whole album though. I was shocked by how generic the beats are for such a popular electro band in our time and age. Where have I heard all this before? It could have been an interesting record if they kept things a bit more focused and not so randomly hysterical and overproduced. It comes off as a real mess, but hey, that might be the reason people are into this. And all these filler soundscapes really leave the impression that they are unskillful composers. HOWEVER Year of Silence is a REALLY good and gloomy track and an example of how the album could sound like if effects and production were kept to a minimum to have maximum impact. It's one of my favourite tracks of the year from one of the worst albums of the year.

2010 is almost done. For a few more goodies take a peek into the 3rd quarter, 2nd quarter and 1st quarter posts.