Music successes and failures of 2010

Ian Sime

Instant Greatest Hits Collection of the Year
Katy Perry, Teenage Dream (Capitol): Mrs Russell Brand is a very happy young woman. Last Friday Night (TGIF), Firework, Teenage Dream and the summer-tastic California Gurls featuring Snoop Dog are the jewels on this positive, upbeat and perfect pop artefact.

We all thought it would never happen...
Take That, Progress (Polydor): Only two other bands have made the transition from boy band to acclaimed artists of cultural importance: The Beatles and The Bee Gees. Having reunited with Robbie Williams, Take That delivered a mature rock album worthy of The Muse.

Most prolific act of the year... and probably of all time
Glee, Volume 1-5 (Columbia): None of us had heard of Glee this time last year. Two TV series later, the cast have already unleashed five albums plus Madonna and Journey EPs. The bubble will soon burst, but in 2010 their exploits were essential viewing.

Diva of the Year
Alicia Keys, Element Of Freedom (J Records/Sony): On a par with Stevie Wonder at his best, this album includes Try Sleeping With A Broken Heart and Put It In A Love Song, Alicia’s duet with Beyonce. But Empire State Of Mind is now Ms Keys’ calling card.

Just released... but certainly one the best
Quincy Jones, Soul Bossa Nostra (Qwest): Mary J Blige, John Legend, Snoop Dog and Usher could not resist the chance to work with the maestro behind Michael Jackson. Amy Winehouse scores most attention with her cover of It’s My Party.

Robert Beaumont

Young Genius of the Year
Bob Dylan, The Bootleg Series Volume 9: The Witmark Demos 1962-1964 (Columbia): These 47 songs showcase the young Dylan’s growth from folk troubadour to creator of some of the most magical songs in modern music.

Old Hippie of the Year
Willie Nelson, Country Music (Rounder Records): While Willie Nelson never blazed the glorious trail of Gram Parsons and Gene Clark, he remains a key figure in country music. This under-rated album shows why.

Comeback of the Year
James, The Night Before and The Morning After (Mercury): These two complementary mini-albums, tacking those eternal themes of love and loss, confirm that Tim Booth’s genius remains undimmed.

Guitar Album of the Year
Neil Young, Le Noise (Reprise): And now for Neil Young’s next trick... an album featuring just himself on acoustic and electric guitar, with producer Daniel Lanois adding his trademark sonic textures. Cue Young’s most personal album in years, with the sublime Hitchhiker the jewel in this shimmering crown.

American Dream Seeker of the Year
Tom Petty, Mojo (Reprise): It’s 33 years since Tom Petty set off on his scorching journey into the heart of that elusive American dream. He’s still searching, but Mojo suggests he is having fun on the way. The Trip To Pirate’s Cove and No Reason To Cry are up there with Petty’s best.

Steve Carroll

Find of the year
Marina And The Diamonds, The Family Jewels (679): Hollywood’s catchy chorus wriggled into the brain, but this debut was about more than one hit. Marina has a magnificent vocal range and in Robots, Are You Satisfied? and Mowgli’s Road, she served up a wonderful start.

Best collaboration
Tired Pony, The Place We Ran From (Polydor): Any band featuring Gary Lightbody should fear Snow Patrol comparisons, given his distinctive voice, but Peter Buck (REM) and Richard Colburn (Belle & Sebastian) banish such fears. Buck’s guitar parts are exceptional and the addition of Editors’ Tom Smith and Zooey Deschanel made this one of the records of the year.

Most overrated
RPA & The United Nations Of Sound (Parlophone): Richard Ashcroft has never been one for modesty but in this self-titled record he takes it a step too far. Are You Ready? is brilliant but Ashcroft can’t keep up the pace. It’s one thing telling us how good you are, you have to prove it from time to time.

Where have they gone?
The Hoosiers, The Illusion Of Safety (RCA): THESE guys were everywhere a couple of years ago, but things have changed for Irwin Sparkes and friends. Choices, the opening single from this second record, was a match for Worried About Ray and Goodbye Mr A, but thereafter it lacked quality. Obscurity awaits.

Go back to what you know
Paul Smith, Margins, (Billingham Records): The Maximo Park frontman released this solo record claiming it was art that didn’t fit with the concept of the Newcastle band. Instead, it sounded exactly the same, without the bells and whistles.

Julian Cole

Surprising turnaround award
Antony And The Johnsons, Swanlights (Rough Trade): Antony sounds almost cheerful for once. Ghost and Violetta are true wonders, Thank You For Your Love is a lost soul classic, and Fletta, a duet with Bjork, is weirdly fantastic.

Marathon man of song award
Richard Thompson, Dream Attic (Proper Records): Thompson takes the unusual step of recording a new album live, and sings about the banking crisis, takes a swipe at Sting, and movingly summons up loss and mortality on A Brother Slips Away.

Biblical bombast award
Gil Scott-Heron, I’m New Here (XL Recordings): Scott-Heron’s Biblical baritone rattles your soul over 28 thunderous minutes; like nothing else around.

Uplifting noise nomination
The Hold Steady, Heaven Is Whenever (Rough Trade): The intelligent Brooklyn rockers start out muted and tasteful, but soon rediscover the power-chords to surging effect.

Zeppelin-free gong
Robert Plant, Band Of Joy (Decca): Plant displays excellent taste in a solo outing that segues neatly with his Alison Krauss collaboration, while also going its own fascinating way.

Highlights reviewed elsewhere
Bellowhead’s Hedonism and Plan B’s The Defamation Of Strickland Banks: the first is joyous, bestirring folk, delivered by the liveliest band around; the second a soul/rap modern classic from the surprisingly sweet-voiced Ben Drew.

Dan Bean

Album of the Year
Mitchell Museum, The Peters Port Memorial Service (Electra French Records): Giddy and exciting, the aural equivalent of a day at a funfair. Simply the happiest.

Most Disappointing Album of the Year
Sufjan Stevens, The Age Of Adz (Asthmatic Kitty): He’s obviously talented, but I couldn’t tell one track from the next. What is all the fuss about?

The Johnny Cash award for reinventing classic material
Flaming Lips and friends, The Dark Side Of the Moon (Warner): Unimpressive at first, but after a few listens it grows.

Album most likely to be heard on TV/Movie trailers in 2011
Everything, Everything, Man Alive (Geffen): Opening track MY KZ, UR BF will be used as often this year as the Requiem For A Dream soundtrack has been for the last ten. This year’s Hoppipolla by Sigur Ros.

The “Hey, remember us?” Comeback Award
Kula Shaker, Pilgrim’s Progress (Strangefolk Records): Nothing new, not going to set the world on fire, but a great album for a summer barbecue.

Honourable mentions…
The “This can’t be 15 years old!” Award... Cast, All Change (Universal): First released in 1995, this sucked me back to Britpop’s heyday. Not sure all 27 bonus tracks were needed, however.

The “I’m more than an actress” Award
The Pretty Reckless, Light Me Up (Interscope Records): Raunch-rock vanity project from Gossip Girl’s Taylor Momsen. Annoyingly, better than expected, but not as dark or serious as it thinks it is.

Mark Stead

Album of the year
The National, High Violet (4AD): An imaginative, fragile and ornate collection of anthems. Containing masterpieces of lost love and regret such as Sorrow, England and Lemonworld, it makes heartbreak sound beautiful.

Album of the year by a band with a daft name
New Young Pony Club, The Optimist (The Numbers): NYPC celebrated striking out on their own label by crafting an album of perfectly-structured, dark-hearted pop. Beguiling, sinister and chirpy without breaking sweat.

Let-down of the year
Arcade Fire, The Suburbs (Mercury): Good? Of course it is. This is Arcade Fire we’re talking about. But The Suburbs finally saw their reach exceed their grasp. All their vaulting talent can’t disguise an album which just doesn’t work hard enough.

Nice-to-know-you’re-still-here album of the year
Underworld, Barking (Cooking Vinyl): After three years off, Karl Hyde and Rick Smith returned with an assured slice of chilled-out electronica and lush tunes. No Born Slippys on this one. But there didn’t need to be.

Cross-the-road-to-avoid album of the year
Linkin Park, A Thousand Suns (Mercury): On the evidence of this supposed call-to-arms, it’d be a miracle if Linkin Park could change their socks, never mind change the world. Next time they make a concept album, maybe the concept could be “stop posturing and write some actual songs”.

Maxine Gordon

CD of the year award
Groove Armada, Black Light (Ministry of Pies/Cooking Vinyl): London duo Andy Cato and Tom Findlay flirt with the Eighties for their sixth album, with a knowing nod to The Cure, late New Order and even Bronksi Beat.

Solo turn of the year award
Cee Lo Green, The Lady Killer (Warner Bros): As part of Gnarls Barkley, he scored the hit of 2006 with Crazy. Four years on, he hooked us all again with the insanely catchy Forget You, this time flying solo.

Peaked, but still trying award
David Gray, Foundling (Polydor): Gray said of this, his ninth studio album, that it was “as strong a statement as White Ladder”. Well, no – but half of the tracks aren’t half bad, particularly the filmic lament of When I Was In Your Heart.

Musical marmite award
Zero 7, Record (Atlantic): The first CD features some of Zero 7’s worthy highs: Destiny, Home, and Distractions, but the second CD is nothing short of a sonic assault on these same hits. Earmuffs please.

Disappointment of the year
Goldfrapp, Head First (Mute): Alison Goldfrapp heads back to the Eighties, but it’s all a bit cheesy, with a sickly overdose of bubbling synth and sugary vocals. Sadly, more lame than Fame.

Paul Rhodes

Best Genes award – newcomer category
Dylan Leblanc, Pauper’s Field (Rough Trade): A Texan with the Muscle Shoals recording studio in his DNA, Leblanc transformed his loner upbringing into some of the most promising, and downbeat songs of the year.

Perfect pastiche award
She & Him, Volume 2 (Double Six): Flyweight perhaps, but this lovingly crafted Sixties pastiche is perfect for January doldrums. The alternatively glamorous M Ward and the actress Zooey Deschanel hark back to a lost golden age of melody on their second record.

Out to grass but not forgotten
A-ha, 25, The Very Best of (Rhino): While the pop trio bowed out in 2010 after 25 years, this double album of memories is the ideal keepsake. Will The Sun Always Shines On TV ever be topped?

Zero to three minutes award
I Am Arrows, Hurricanes (Mercury): Upbeat, cheerful songs with a hummable tune should never go out of fashion. Former Razorlight drummer Andy Burrows’ comprehensive review of pop hooks was the standout in this category.

Slow burner of 2010
Damien Jurado, Saint Bartlett (Secretly Canadian): The glummest of bards found an inspired choice of producer in Richard Swift. The strengths of Saint Bartlett takes a long time to seep in, and the pair’s house concert in York in September underlined the talent bubbling under for those that care to look.

Matt Clark

Rollick and Roll
Bellowhead, Hedonism (Navigator Records): A unique big band take on traditional classics. Think Spiritualized meets Martin Carthy and you’re not far off the mark. In reviewing Hedonism, I gave it four stars, which was a mistake. On each listen it just gets better. Brilliant stuff; five stars and more.

Not singing the blues
The Coal Porters, Durango (Prima): Coal Porters leader Sid Griffin calls his band bluegrass for people who hate bluegrass and this CD tells stories that are witty, poignant and deep, and always accompanied by a tune.

Orchestral manoeuvring
Woodpigeon, Die Stadt Muzikanten (Boompa): Primary songwriter Mark Hamilton is in reflective mood, with lush arrangements loosely based on traditional music. Like Bellowhead, this is a big band but the end result here is almost orchestral. Beautiful and haunting are words too often used; not in this case.

Rodent reflections
Mice Parade, What It Means To Be Left-Handed (FatCat Records): West African koras accompany Flamenco guitars in a maelstrom of leftfield rock. A curious, fresh and inventive album with an all too rare commodity – originality.

Bottom of the pile
Chris de Burgh, Mooonfleet And Other Stories (Ferryman): Folk influences don’t always work; witness this turgid offering. Maybe De Burgh should listen to the four albums above and work out where he’s going wrong.

Ron Burnett

Contemporary piano trio
Eyes Tight Shut, Evolution (paulbaxtermusic.com): Impressive overview of bass player Paul Baxter’s compositions over recent years, some classical influences, deeply rewarding improvisations and a tour-de-force of strong melodies.

Classy post-bop
Ian Chalk Quartet, First Days (info@ianchalk.net): Thirteen tracks, mainly originals by group members Chalkie, Ed Jackson and George Hall, finely polished at weekly gigs at the Phoenix Inn, York.

Youthful Pizzazz
Tradtastic (Tradtastic.co.uk): A Lancaster family dynasty with Daddy James (trumpet), son Charlie (trombone) and daughter Grace doubling on reeds and astonishingly poised vocals; a fresh take on tunes their grandparents boogied to.

Hip-shaking soul jazz
James Morton’s Porkchop, Don’t You Worry ‘Bout That (Freshground Records): Bristol alto saxophonist Morton side-steps the Snake Davis/David Sanborn route to follow the booting Hank Crawford trail to recall classic 1960s sax/Hammond organ combos.

Best re-issue
Sinatra at the Sands (Reprise): Partnered by prime Basie Band, 20 blissful Sinatra favourites arranged by young Quincy Jones. The jokey stand-up sequence is enjoyable, if non-PC, but 1966 America still had civil rights issues to resolve.

Tony Kelly

Golden oldie no. 1
Ray Davies, See My Friends (Universal): The king Kinkster revisits his classic almanac in the company of illustrious and diverse friends, who accord fresh twists to Lola, Waterloo Sunset, Dead End Street et al. Simple and stunning.

Golden oldie no. 2
Leonard Cohen, Songs From The Road (Sony): Canada’s poet/songsmith belies all that myth of miserableness with startlingly live renditions of his back catalogue delivered like an upbeat undertaker. Elegant and energising.

Knights of bold
The Coral, Butterfly House (Deltasonic): Scallies no more. The Merseysiders’ inherent talent comes to tsunami flow on this, their fifth studio album. Twelve tracks of captivating brilliance as album of the year. Rich and restorative.

Blues bother
Grinderman, Grinderman 2 (Mute): Even more than their debut release, this is more visceral than a wolf ripping at a virgin’s carcass. You would not think Nick Cave could exceed being a bad seed, but this is muscular mayhem. Shocking and sublime.

New show antics
Lawrence Arabia, Chant Darling (Bella Union): New Zealander who deserves far more airtime after a dreamy debut of shimmering melodies and songs with more hooks than found in an angler’s lair. Nuanced and nifty.

Martin Dreyer

Baroque
Handel, Trio Sonatas, Opp 2 & 5. Academy of Ancient Music/Richard Egarr (harpsichord). Harmonia Mundi HMU90 7467/8: Continuing his sparkling direction of the AAM, former York Minster chorister Egarr rediscovers Handel’s wit and joie de vivre, conducting from the keyboard. Two mouth-watering discs.

Concerto
Beethoven, Piano Concertos No 4 & 5. Till Fellner (piano), Montreal Symphony Orchestra / Kent Nagano. ECM New Series 476 3315: Austrian-born and a pupil of Alfred Brendel, Fellner has these concertos right in his bloodstream. Having heard the MSO on home turf live in October, under Nagano, I can confirm its freshness and good health, everywhere apparent here.

Choral/Early Music
Byrd, Infelix ego (Byrd Edition, Vol 13). The Cardinall’s Musick / Andrew Carwood. Hyperion CDA67779: The culmination of a marathon project, covering all Byrd’s choral music, this marvellous disc shows a tight-knit group never playing safe, but revelling in the treasures of England’s musical Shakespeare. Beautifully recorded, too.

Chamber
Schubert, String Quintet; String Quartets Nos 14 & 15. Belcea Quartet; Valentin Erben (cello). EMI 967025-2: A young quartet that is going from strength to strength, the Belceas and Erben explore all the drama of the quintet, while uncovering plenty of delights in the quartets.

Opera/ DVD
Purcell, The Fairy Queen. Glyndebourne Festival Opera/William Christie, directed by Jonathan Kent. Opus Arte OA1031D: A brilliant attempt to match Purcell’s vivid score with parts of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Not really opera, but acting and singing perfectly melded.