Spoon's "Transference" (2010)
Review:
Calmer and more expansive than what has come before, Transference is Spoon at their best — comfortable, cohesive, and at times, still capable of tight, outstanding alternative rock.
Top Two Tracks:
“Written in Reverse” – “Trouble Comes Running”
Editor’s note: this post was originally published before December 2015; the exact original date is uncertain.
Jakob Dylan's "Women & Country" (2010)
Review:
With the most compelling lyrics since his last Wallflowers album, Jakob Dylan continues to putter along with his return-to-roots approach; there are some flashes of brilliance here, yet I simply have to expect more from a man I consider to be one of the most outstanding songwriters of all time.
Top Two Tracks:
“Holy Rollers for Love” & “Standing Eight Count”
Editor’s note: this post was originally published before December 2015; the exact original date is uncertain.
Familial (Philip Selway, 2010)
There is a great deal of potential in these ten hauntingly emotive debut tracks, but Selway simply doesn’t make good on the promise their beautiful sublety suggests.
Top Two Tracks:
“By Some Miracle” & “Falling”
Editor’s note: this post was originally published before December 2015; the exact original date is uncertain.
The National's "High Violet" (2010)
(May 11, 2010)
Review:
Debuting higher on the charts than any previous album from the National, High Violet deserves the attention: these are some of the most pensive, most beautifully orchestrated tracks they’ve released (particularly on the second half of the album), even if they do threaten to lull you into a forlorn stupor by the end.
Top Two Tracks:
“Conversation 16” & “Lemonworld”
Editor’s note: this post was originally published before December 2015; the exact original date is uncertain.