each star's a pool of water

The Top 10 Albums of 2010

8. Johnny Cash - American VI: Ain’t No Grave (Swisslet)

What an amazing journey. Obviously for Cash, whose amazing journey would make an X-Factor judge’s eyes water; but also for the listener. We’ve been with Johnny Cash what seems like every step of his amazing journey from the cotton fields of the Deep South to a disembodied voice from beyond the grave. Cash died in 2003, and released some seven years after his death, this album was always going to be a step too far for many people.

But for me, the legacy is undamaged by the release of these tracks. When Cash recorded these lyrics, he was pretty close to death, and the listener might fancy that they can hear it in his voice; that reedy whisper is a ghost of the mighty bass it once was and every single note sounds like a struggle from a man literally at death’s door.

For some artists, that might prove to be more than the music can stand, but Cash somehow manages to rise above, and it almost seems that the weaker his voice becomes, the more authoritative his statements on life and upon death.

Make no mistake, this is probably the least impressive of all of the American Recordings that Cash made with Rick Rubin, but this still represents the culmination of a formidable body of work by an amazing, once-in-a-lifetime artist. A true one-off.

Listen to: Cool Water

8. For A Minor Reflection - Holdum I Att Ao Oreiou (NP)

For A Minor Reflection are a difficult band to explain. Hailing from Rekyavik, Iceland it is easy to lump them into the Icelandic/Sigur Ros category, particularly as the quartet supported Ros on their fifteen date European tour in 2008. Indeed, it was that tour and a fantastic performance at the Wolverhampton Civic Hall that got me into the band in the first place.

It was the one and only time that I have ever bought a band's CD at a gig and the amazing six track EP (although it is an hour long) Reistu þig við, sólin er komin á loft... remains one of the best investments I have ever made.

Holdum I Att Ao Oreiou is the band's first ever album and it is quite, quite brilliant. I suppose it is basically melodic rock but the surprising thing about it is that it is totally instrumental. It's hard to explain why a melodic guitar rock instrumental album might be so spellbinding (on the face of it, there sounds nothing worse) but it is terrifically engaging and beautifully written. The four band members are just 20 years old and so I have high expectations that they will continue to make more of these terrific records.

It's perhaps not the sort of album you could listen to in the car or on a summer's day in your back garden, but as a piece of work to chill out to or to have on in the background whilst you are busy with something else, there is seldom better. It really is a remarkably good record.

Listen to: A Moll

8. Interpol - Interpol (bedshaped)

I don't think there's much middle ground with these guys. You either like them....or you don't. And quite often, people who like them will say that they peaked with their debut album Turn On The Bright Lights and went downhill from there. I would agree that their debut album is by far their best, but I'm still fairly passionate about Antics too. But let's not mention too much about their third release, huh! And besides, this forth effort sounds miles better than that one, even on first listen.

Admittedly, it's not the easiest album to listen to. Paul Banks, the lead singer, mostly sings like he's in emotional turmoil. Not to mention his vocals still sound like they are being recorded from a room down the corridor and then played through a 1940's transistor radio with a slightly buzzing speaker cone. The drums are typically dampened on most of the tracks, but are much more interesting than on the previous album.

Interpol's bass has always been a driving force through their musical career, and even though it's still booming away, I have to say it's not quite as apparent on this release. Perhaps the bass player, who has since sadly left the band, already had his foot out of the door during the recording sessions. Fuzzy, almost climatic and rumbling guitars still show their rough-edged drones and there's even tinkles on the piano going on through some of the tracks. Of course, the collective Interpol hat is still firmly tipped in the direction of Joy Division's sound and style, or more-over, what their sound and style could have been, if it wasn't for their terrible and untimely demise.

The lyrics on this album seem much more twisted than usual. They are either terrible deep, unfathomably twisted, or perhaps intentional non-sense. And there are also tracks that don't follow any traditional formula, particularly with the chorus's. Or rather, lack of them. Not that there's anything wrong with that. In fact, for me, it's what makes it all the more interesting and enjoyable to listen to. But you have to have patience with this album. It's taken a while to grow on me. All I can say is, if you give it enough chance, the rewards will be there. That said, it's certainly not everybody's cup of tea.

The album is best listened to in full. That way the listener can fully appreciate the epic sounds, the melancholy feel, the anthemic production and the grandeur of such tracks as Memory Serves, the fantastic and meandering Always Malaise (The Man I Am), the typically Interpol sounding opening track Success, and the absolute perfect album closer The Undoing which is my essential track to listen to.

Sheer class. If you can take the pace.

Listen to: The Undoing