A followup to yesterday's list. These are nine more good albums that didn't quite make the cut but are nevertheless worth hearing. They are in no specific order.
Johnny Cash: Ain't No Grave. Despite having been deceased for several years, Johnny Cash's leftover recordings have consistently made for some engaging listens. The one original song (“1 Cor. 15:55”) is one of Cash's greatest, and the covers are expertly chosen and tenderly sung. [Since this is technically not a 2010 album, I have relegated it to “honorable mention.”]
Sufjan Stevens: The Age of Adz. Pretty great, once you get over the fact that this is really just Sufjan giving himself a 70-minute pep talk.
Arcade Fire: Suburbs. Sometimes Arcade Fire try to tackle too much, which is why I preferred the more modest social commentary of Neon Bible to Funeral, that extended ode to the terrifying architecture of youth. This album is somewhere between the two, with dazzling moments and draggy parts. Personally, I wish Win's wife would sing more if only because she doesn't sound like she's on fire.
Grinderman: Grinderman 2. Part two of Nick Cave's midlife crisis/side project finds him referring to himself variously as “the Abominable Snowman” and “Mickey Mouse” and coming on to housewives with lines like “I stick my fingers in your biscuit jar / And I crush all your gingerbread men.” Listener discretion is advised.
Flying Lotus: Cosmogramma. Conceptually and musically thicker than Los Angeles but somewhat less inventive. Also, it loses points for having the whiney-voiced Thom Yorke on a song.
LCD Soundsystem: This is Happening. I think I prefer it to Sound of Silver.
Madlib: Miles Away. Not quite as brilliant as Madlib's other jazz album this year, though if you prefer Miles to Ornette, you might like it better.
The Roots: How I Got Over. One of the Roots' finest efforts. It's shorter, more focused, and more cohesive than much of their recent works with some of their sharpest social commentary.
Shugo Tokumaru: Port Entropy. Not on the same level as Exit or even Night Piece, but it's still a delightful treat from a deliriously inventive artist.
