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The Top 10 Albums of 2010

5. Weezer - Hurley (Swisslet)

There’s a Facebook campaign trying to raise $10m to persuade Weezer to retire from music because “Every year, Rivers Cuomo swears that he's changed, and that their new album is the best thing that he's done since Pinkerton, and what happens? Another pile of crap like Beverly Hills or I'm Your Daddy. This is an abusive relationship, and it needs to stop now.”

Well, it’s certainly true that 1996s Pinkerton remains Weezer’s critical highpoint, but it’s a little harsh to suggest that they’ve done nothing worth listening to since then. Not even Islands in the Sun? Anyway, whisper it quietly, but Hurley may just be the best thing they’ve done since Pinkerton. The cover glories in a picture of Jorge Garcia, Hurley from Lost, and the album pretty quickly settles down into what Weezer do best: quick, punchy power-pop that can all be timed at something less than 3 minutes. So, maybe the lyrics aren’t as good as we know the band are capable of, but this is a fantastic, fun sounding record. Hell, we even get a passable cover of Coldplay’s Viva La Vida as a bonus track at the end of the album. What’s not to like?

The Facebook campaign, incidentally, has raised about $100. Weezer, true to form, have offered – if a target of $20m is reached – to do the “deluxe” breakup. I don’t think we have to worry too much.

Listen to: Memories

5. Erik Hassle - Pieces (NP)

An artist who would struggle to be recognised outside his native Sweden (or neighbouring Denmark where he has so far enjoyed his only top ten hit), you would be forgiven if Erik Hassle has flown well under your musical radar.

In fact, I only became aware of the 22 year old after hearing his brilliant single Hurtful recommended by Jo Whiley, and even with Radio 1 approval the single only made #59 on the UK charts. Still, Hurtful remains one of my singles of 2010 and I was delighted to discover that the album, Pieces, was even better.

Pieces is essentially a pop album - Hassle went to the same Stockholm school as Robyn - although it's the sort of record which would work as well if the talented singer sat down with an acoustic guitar and reeled off an album's worth of tracks. Upbeat songs such as Isn't It Obvious, Don't Bring Flowers and Standing Where You Left Me are excellent Scandinavian pop and, as I have already mentioned, single Hurtful is one of the records of 2010.

However, I particularly like Hassle when he shows down the tempo. Co-writing all the songs on Pieces, Hassle has a great knack of being able to write a quality pop tune and the relaxed Bitter End, The Thanks I Get and album closer Amelia are all great chilled tracks.

I wouldn't argue that Hassle is particularly pushing any musical boundaries, but as great quality singer/songwriter albums go, Pieces is the most likeable, melodic and endearing pop record of 2010.

Listen to: Hurtful

5. Linkin Park - A Thousand Suns (bedshaped)

One of the main reasons I really like these guys is because they aren't afraid to push the boundaries of their sound. Mention Linkin Park to many people and their reaction is likely to be, "Oh, they were great before they changed their sound and style", or "Meteora was their best album, with great songs like Somewhere I Belong and Numb, since then they've lost their direction and gone downhill". You only have to look at some 'fan' reactions and comments to their last two albums to see scores of "Linkin Park are shit now" or "R.I.P Linkin Park" or "This album is crap! Why don't they make records like their older, much better stuff!"

To them, I say what a bunch of narrow minded fools you are! I'm a firm believer that each to their own, everybody is entitled to their own opinion, etc etc, but why do people cling onto something that was so five years ago, and then criticize and even hate bands and artists for growing. That, I just don't understand. I don't want to listen to albums by artists that sound like the same thing they were producing five, six or even ten years ago. Where the fun or enjoyment in that?!?!

So, after that mini- rant from me, if you like artists to keep releasing music in the same style and 'pigeon hole' as they were two or three albums ago, then this album isn't for you!

This album has a very forward thinking, almost futuristic sound and approach. Listened to from beginning to end, it's almost like an electronic, experimental clash of musical sounds, wrapped up like a rock-opera concept album and then mixed by somebody five years from now.

In typical Linkin Park style, there are loud, grungy guitars, booming drums, the occasional piano-led-ballad, scratching and beat-mixing, great use of harmonies, Chester screaming his lungs out and Mike adding his usual 'toasting' and rap style. Incidentally, Mike is all over this album. Much more than previous releases. Maybe that's what 'the kids' don't like anymore, the fools! But then they've advanced with a much more broad and experimental feel to the tracks; adding much more sampling and mixing, dirtier keyboard sounds, digital jiggery pokery voice and vocal enhancements, copious amounts of programmed beats and various other cataclysmic sounds that I have no idea what they are, but they sound great.

The conclusive music and production pushes their previous boundaries ten-fold and delivers a huge wall of noise in an almost apocalyptic density that leaves the listener breathless and exhausted by the end of album closer, The Messenger. That said, it's not all rocking-out noisy stuff. Dotted around here and there are short segue tracks; mixing instrumental sounds, speech samples and much less intense and urgent tempos. Oh and a fair bit of vocoder usage. There are also some gorgeous piano led ballads and quieter, more mellow songs, such as Robot Boy and Iridescent, although once that track gets in full swing it becomes more of an anthemic monster that will no doubt be (indeed, already is, judging by their recent gig) a huge crowd pleaser.

A difficult album to summarize, so maybe that's best left up to anybody willing to give them a listen. My essential track to listen to is Wretches and Kings. A perfect example of Mike taking more of the lead, leaving Chester to pick up the pieces. Chocked with samples and scratching, it's then down to business with the Beastie Boys meets Metallica meets System Of The Down. Awesome!

Listen to: Wretches and Kings