The Top 3 Rock Albums of 2010

2010 was a great year for rock, any kind of rock. Alternative rock, indie rock, even the long forgotten rock & roll returned to capture the hearts of audiences around the globe. According to NME, "Hidden" by These New Puritans is the best albums of 2010.Based on 2010 Grammy nominations, Vampire Weekend with "Contra" and The Black Keys with "Brothers" are nominated, among other great albums, for the Best Alternative Music Album. Muse, Pearl Jam, Neil Young, Jeff Beck, Alice In Chains, Ozzy Osbourne, all are present in a year that was full of music.

There are many groups that could really make it to that list, but only a few, including The Arcade Fire, Interpol, and The Drums, managed, not only to achieve momentum sales, but mostly - and most importantly - to add value to music as we know it today.

To my view, the top 3 rock albums of 2010 are the following:

Arcade Fire, "The Suburbs"

Since their debut album "Funeral" (2004) and their second album "Neon Bible" (2007), Arcade Fire returns with "The Suburbs" (2010), possibly their best album so far. Featuring their personal experiences and images, the band aims at capitalizing on the smash success of "Funeral" (in a good sense).

Actually, "The Suburbs" is a concept album. The band gathers all their previous themes and presents it in this third release. The isolation of modern living, the desolation of suburban life, a critique of the hipster lifestyle, all mingle in a metrical section anchored by drums, basslines, hanging violins and heavy punk rhythms. Besides, Arcade Fire use for the first time synth sweeps in "Ready To Start", creating more atmospheric echoes that are really attractive. As the track goes on, the crescendo ending is almost asked for.

Some of the best tracks of the album are, besides "Ready to Start", "We Used To Wait", the second single of the album, "The Suburbs", "Modern Man", "Half Light I" "Half Light II" and "Spraw I". In any case, "The Suburbs" is a strikingly talented album and therefore choosing several tracks out of it is purely a matter of personal taste.

Released in August 2010, "The Suburbs" peaked #1 on the Billboard 200, while "Ready To Start" peaked #16 on the Billboard 200 hitting immediate commercial success. Moreover, "The Suburbs" are nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Alternative Album and for Album of the Year.

Interpol, "Interpol"

Interpol has rightly earned its place in the highest ranks of the neo post-punk groups. They are not what one would call "an easy listening" band and their everlasting presence since 2002 proves that Interpol is one of the most important alternative bands of the late 90s. Easy listening bands are quickly trashed, yet Interpol are still here selling their records, supporting great bands like U2 or The Cure, and selling out their own shows.

Their latest release "Interpol" is one of their greatest works. Released on September 7, 2010 , "Interpol" is the group's fourth studio album that abundantly features the established prescription of Paul Banks' idiosyncratic baritone supported by metrical guitars and grumpy melodies. However, this time, Interpol seems a bit more creative producing pure, post-punk sounds of the 80s.

"Success", the album's opening track, is a strong, semi-joyful, and expressive song with emotional bassline that seems to be the best choice for opening "Interpol." With the exception of "Always Malaise (The Man I Am)", all other tracks of the album are over six or even seven minutes. Besides, the majority of the album tracks are moody, yet impressive and powerful. Other tracks that are worth listening to are "Memory Serves", "Try It On", "Lights" and "The Undoing".

Without a doubt, "Interpol" is one of the best independent albums of 2010 because it reflects the maturity of a great band that has been greatly misunderstood.

The Drums, "The Drums"

After The Killers, Kaiser Chiefs, and Bloc Party, here come The Drums to feature a crispy New York sound in the UK scene. And unlike Kaiser Chiefs and Bloc Party who are British bands, The Drums have captured a large market share of the British music scene with their simple, straightforward melodies that equally reminds of The Cure in their era of "Just Like Heaven" (1987).

Released on June 7, 2010 , "The Drums" features beautifully perspiring vocals with minimal instrumentation. The group sounds carefree and exhilarating, full of a youthful energy that derives from their age. Although they are experimenting with beeps and synths, they are clearly influenced by the post-punk guitar-playing of The Smiths, the distorted melancholy of Joy Division, the bass lines and keyboards of The Cure, but also the lazy strings of Psychedelic Furs, the garage rock of The Strokes, the surfy lines of The Beach Boys and the vigor of Echo & The Bunnymen.

What makes The Drums potentially one of the most successful bands of 2011 is their theatricality and overall freshness. Their lyrics are plain and straightforward and there is no one on this planet that wouldn't sweep the hips or at least smile with "Let's Go Surfing" - the first single of the album. "Wake up, It's a beautiful morning, Honey, while the sun is still shining...Oh, mama, I wanna go surfing, Oh, mama, I don't care about nothing..." Jonathan Pierce sings.

Tracks that are more than worth noticing in the album are "Let's Go Surfing", "Best Friend", "Forever and Ever Amen", and "I Need Fun In My Life." But, overall the album is great and highly recommended. "The Drums" went silver in the UK peaking #16 on the UK charts.

Sources:

http://www.amazon.com/Funeral-Arcade-Fire/dp/B0002IVN9W

http://www.amazon.com/Neon-Bible-Arcade-Fire/dp/B000MGUZM0

http://www.amazon.com/The-Suburbs/dp/B003X73QA8

http://www.amazon.com/Interpol/dp/B003UDBSW8

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Drums/dp/B003EELV1Q