2010 Twitter Review Session #2

(16) It Was Easy - Title Tracks (Ernest Jenning)
Ex-Q and Not U drummer John Davis shows off his love for power pop, namely Elvis Costello, and succeeds. (7/10)

(17) Contra - Vampire Weekend (XL)
I'm surprised by how well these boys followed up their fantastic debut. Different enough, but Vamp Week enough. (8/10)

(18) Dear God, I Hate Myself - Xiu Xiu (Kill Rock Stars)
The poppiest and most accessible look into the disturbed mind of Jamie Stewart yet. Less noise, more catchy synths. (6.5/10)

(19) Odd Blood - Yeasayer (Secretly Canadian)
Trading in their bizarre, communal folk for MPP synths and rhythms. Not bad, not great. "Ambling Alp" is awesome. (6.5/10)

(20) A Chorus of Storytellers - The Album Leaf (Sub Pop)
The newest very pretty but very boring, mellow post-rock album from this pal of Sigur Ros. (4.5/10)

(21) The Besnard Lakes Are the Roaring Night - The Besnard Lakes (Jagjaguwar)
Impressive third album from this shoegazey, psychedelic and huge sounding Montreal atmospheric pop/rock band. (7/10)

(22) Dream Get Together - Citay (Dead Oceans)
Decent psychedelic rock 'n' roll with touches of folk, sort of like Led Zeppelin, only not memorable. (5.5/10)

(23) There is Love in You - Four Tet (Domino)
Smart, subtle and pretty interesting electronic jams, but few songs actually keep my attention. (6/10)

(24) One Life Stand - Hot Chip (Astralwerks)
Yet another mediocre electronic pop album from the critically acclaimed Hot Chip. "Alley Cats" is totes awes, tho. (5.5/10)

(25) Rain on the City - Freedy Johnston (Bar/None)
Dude who wrote "Bad Reputation," one of the best songs of the 90s. New album is lush, gorgeous, sappy pop/rock. (7/10)

(26) Realism - The Magnetic Fields (Nonesuch)
Stephin Merritt's latest, a completely unmemorable folk/pop record, is better than 2008's Distortion. (5/10)

(27) Work - Shout Out Louds (Merge)
Nice, unoffensive indie pop that doesn't really offer up anything interesting aside from a few solid jams. (6/10)

(28) Hidden - These New Puritans (Domino)
Dark, interesting and like nothing I've ever heard before, but I still couldn't really get into it. (5.5/10)

(29) The Monitor - Titus Andronicus (XL)
These guys are not nearly as good as all the music hype machines say they are, and this album proves it to me. (4.5/10)