Best Ten Albums of 2010

This nation undoubtedly had its share of suffering in 2010. The economy was in a horrible state, joblessness was reaching record numbers, and we were heavily engaged in two wars.

One of the few positive memories of the year regarded music. Several popular recording artists released new material, including the legendary Neil Young and new indie idols Arcade Fire. Oh, and this band called the Beatles finally had their music put on iTunes.

Here are my choices for the best ten albums of 2010.

10. Easy Wonderful by Guster: This long-awaited follow up to Ganging Up on the Sun contains nothing as impressive as "One Man Wrecking Machine," but the band's flair for pure pop still leaves you singing along with the lyrics. "Do You Love Me?" received the most airplay, but my favorite song here is "Bad Bad World."

9. Together by The New Pornographers: This band has the very talented songwriter A.C. Newman, so it would be nearly impossible for any of their albums to flop. The standout track on this set, though, is Dan Bejar's "Jenny Silver Dollar."

8. The Grand Theater by Old 97s: On "Champaign, Illinois," the band put its own words to the Dylan classic "Desolation Row," and it became one of the best songs of the year. The rest of the album is the artful alt country for which the band has become renown.

7. Tomorrow Morning by Eels: This album closes a trilogy the band began with last year's Hombre Lobo. Mark Everett's outlook is much more optimistic here, especially on the standout track "Spectacular Girl."

6. Good Old War: The band has a fresh folk-rock appeal to back well-crafted lyrics. "My Own Sinking Ship" deservedly received a lot of airplay, but I prefer the less pessimistic "That's Some Dream."

5. . Write About Love by Belle and Sebastian: The album did not come out until October, but it didn't take long for me to love it. It has more life and energy than most of the band's other material, and Stuart Murdoch manages an ironic ending for each song. The title track was an early single, but I cannot get "I'm Not Living in the Real World" out of my head.

4. Broken Bells: James Mercer, front man of the Shins, teamed with Danger Mouse to create one of the brightest albums of the year. The songs are all nearly equally good, but I can certainly understand why "The High Road" was a favorite on satellite radio.

3. End Times by Eels: The middle release of the indie band's trilogy is actually the best. Songwriter Mark Everett is always most appealing when he is depressed, and this album is reminiscent of the melancholy on the band's masterpiece Blinking Lights from earlier in the decade. The best track is the acoustic "Mansions of Los Feliz."

2. In the Court of the WrestlingLet's by Let's Wrestle: This trio makes catchy pop-punk with whimsical lyrics often sprinkled with self-depracating humor. "My Schedule" and "I Won't Lie to You" are just two of the gems on this sixteen-song set.

1. Transference by Spoon: I didn't think the band could top their last release, Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga, but I believe they did with this release from early in the year. Brit Daniels' lyrics are as elusive as ever, and the guitar work is even more brilliant. As for the best track, I can't decide between "Mystery Zone" and "Trouble Comes Running."