TOP 20 TRACKS OF 2010 COUNTDOWN tracks 7 - 5

Heading towards the dizzy heights of the top five tracks of 2010 now. Anyone else feeling giddy?

7. FOALS 'spanish sahara'
A song that takes its own sweet time to reveal itself, 'Spanish Sahara' was the sound of Foals finally feeling comfortable in their own skin. It takes four atmospheric minutes for the song to fully surface, at which point Yannis Philippakis utters, "I'm the fury in your head, I'm the fury in your bed, I'm the ghost in the back of your head." Quietly unsettling and utterly compelling.
Listen to it here.

6. THE DRUMS 'let's go surfing'
At first, the idea of New Yorkers singing about surfing appears ridiculous. But then again, only one of The Beach Boys ever stepped on a surfboard, and it never stopped them. And anyway, The Drums are better judged on the merits of their songs (which are catchy and enjoyable) rather than their authenticity (most of their album was a rehash of Depeche Mode and The Smiths). 'Let's Go Surfing' was arguably the finest pop single of 2010. The challenge for them in future will be to build on the pop and experiment a bit...
Listen to it here.

5. VAMPIRE WEEKEND 'diplomat's son'
...which is exactly what Vampire Weekend did on their sophomore album, Contra, in 2010. Tucked away near the end of that record was a freaky little tune called 'Diplomat's Son'. Across six minutes, the music veers off into all sorts of odd little cul de sacs, while the lyrics recall a story from 1981 involving a tryst between two characters from vastly different social backgrounds. Both the music and the narrative are hazy, sometimes elusive and always fascinating.
Listen to it here.


Coming soon to ShoutAboutMusic: the top track of 2010 will be revealed. Stay tuned folks...