The Top 100 of the 10s, part 8

Today we continue with Wo's list of favourite albums of the 10s. We move towards the 70s, slowly counting down.






80. A Moon Shaped Pool. Radiohead (2016)
I have a sort of love hate relationship with a lot of Radiohead's albums. You will never find them among my top top albums and yet they sort of deserve a spot. I have been to one show in the 00s and had the same experience. Where all around me stood enthralled, I had mixed feelings. Radiohead does impress me regularly but does not reach me emotionally. So here A Moon Shaped Pool finds itself.

79. Oh, Mayhem! Bettie Serveert (2013)
The colourful album (cover) of The Netherlands' longest lasting and best alternative rock band. Every few years they come with a new good to great album, 'Damaged Good' only just fell of the 100 position. Oh, Mayhem! is no different. With drummer Joppe kicking the band forward in the most powerful of ways, there is a great second life in Bettie Serveert, something more people should appreciate, instead of moping over days gone by. Something to do with an album with a little dog on it. The band has really, truly become better since.

78. Open Water. The Fire Harvest (2019)
The wobbly album is one I keep returning to. Hesitating, halting, stop, starting, it holds a lot to discover and enjoy. Alternative rock, country rock, indie, folk, The Fire Harvest incorporates lots influences into its mix of fairly unique music. Unfortunately the band and I do not seem to be able to meet live. Perhaps in the 20s we'll fare better.

77. Tell Me How You Really Feel. Courtney Barnett (2018)
The third album of Australia's indie darling is the one I like best to date. Courtney Barnett is more direct than on the albums before this one and I simply like her better this way. Perhaps collaborating with Kurt Vile and Jen Cloher have opened new roads to explore musically and led to this fine album.

76. Visions Of A Life. Wolf Alice (2017)
One of the most impressive shows I was present at over the last years was at a packed Paradiso with Wolf Alice. Speaking of a band that is ready for great things. The album stands in the shadow of what the band can do on stage. Still, the place in this list is fully and totally deserved. This is one of the bands that I can't wait to hear what the next step will be. I simply hope for as much growth as it has shown so far.

75. Help Us Stranger. The Raconteurs (2019)
No nothing new, yet the cooperation between Mrss. Benson and White in 2019 produced The Raconteurs' best album to date, bar that fantastic, first single. That simply is too good. On several of the songs I hear the fun the two had singing and playing together again. The start of all good to great albums.

74.Up. Jupiter III. Blaudzun (2018)
Yes, the third Jupiter, that was not called Jupiter any more for some reason, is in the list as well. Although I have the idea this album could have been even better had Blaudzun taken a little more time (it had taken already from the originally outset tempo), Up shows that the concept of working on three albums in fast concession paid off in full. Three good albums in the space of one and a half year is a treat.

73. Something In The Air. The Maureens (2019)
The Utrecht band's third album is a treat to listen to. The search for the perfect pop song is never over with this band. Even when they have found it, the quest starts all over again. The addition of the Rickenbacker in the sound sets the album apart from the previous two.

72. Promises Of No Man's Land. Blaudzun (2014)
An album where Blaudzun flexed its muscles a bit more. The album contains a little more power and is the ideal in between album between what came before and the Jupiter trilogy. Containing several live staples, Blaudzun produced another fine album.

71. Oklahoma Lottery. Karen Jonas (2014)
The album containing the (title) song that made me write Karen Jonas deserved a statue in central Fredericksburg, Va., her home town. On her first solo album Karen Jonas set herself on a career that keeps promising more and better in the future. She will return one more time in this list, though not as a solo artist.

TBC.

Wo.