Thursday, December 23, 2010

TOP 20 TRACKS OF 2010 the countdown continues, 15-11

Thanks to everyone for the Facebook posts, emails and messages in response to the first five tracks in the Countdown of the Top 20 Tracks of 2010. Here the countdown continues...

15. EDWARD DEER ‘tie up the birds’
‘Tie Up The Birds’ is the strongest track from this Sydney singer-songwriter’s debut EP. By turns warm, then stark (see opening line: “Home at last, but everything has changed”), this subtle, understated tune stays with you long after the first listen. If he can follow this track up with more of the same, 2011 could be an exciting year for Edward Deer. Pop trivia fact: When someone likened his facial features to a forest-dwelling creature, Edward decided to adopt that as his stage surname. ShoutAboutMusic reckons he looks more like thin-white-duke-era Bowie, but anyway...

14. TEENAGE FANCLUB ‘baby lee’
The days of consistently wonderful Fanclub albums are sadly long gone, but the lead single from Shadows was a reminder of the halcyon days when the foursome routinely delivered joyous power pop. Four minutes of jingle-jangle guitar, xylophone and strings blended with a celebratory, harmonious chorus. Simple? Yes. But effective too.

13. THE CHARLATANS ‘your pure soul’
Another band who released a pretty average album this year were The Charlatans. Who We Touch was a largely sterile wasteland, thanks in no small part to producer Flood’s over-zealous polishing treatment. But hidden amidst the wreckage was one absolute gem: ‘Your Pure Soul’. Reflective, honest and full of longing, this track’s rolling groove meant the song was also achingly hip at the same time. It suggests there’s life in the old dogs yet.

12. ARCADE FIRE ‘the suburbs’
An incredible opening to an incredible album, ‘The Suburbs’ hangs off lolloping bar room piano (conjuring up a feeling of primitive elation) and strings (reflecting the escapism in the lyric).  Anyone who has grown up in suburban inertia can relate to Win Butler’s desperate need for release, neatly summed up in the line: “Grab your mother’s keys, we’re leaving”.

11. RICHMOND FONTAINE ‘a letter to the patron saint of nurses’
Strictly speaking, this track was released in 2009, but it wasn’t launched in Australia properly until 2010, when singer Wily Vlautin toured here.  Like all the best Richmond Fontaine music, it’s unflinching from the truth (however raw that truth may be). The narrative is written from the point of view of a husband watching helplessly as his wife (a nurse) descends into depression. And yet, within the darkness, there is still a chink of light in the devotion the woman feels towards her patients, and the love this man has for his wife.

Coming soon to ShoutAboutMusic: the countdown leaps headlong in to the top ten. Stay tuned folks…

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