Sounds Like...

With fall approaching, 2010 is entering the home stretch.

Sure, there are the usual aspects of life to worry about, like school, but fall also means it’s time for music enthusiasts to get prepared for what looks to be a very good run of album releases, starting with this week’s “The Suburbs” from Arcade Fire.

Before the fall releases displace this year’s earlier works to the back of our consciousness, though, I wanted to look at the best music the year has brought us so far.

10. “Avi Buffalo,” Avi Buffalo — Headed by a 19-year-old, Avi Buffalo has a distinct surfer-derived shoegaze sound that can be pensive, romantic or downright dirty. Lead singer Avigdor Zahner-Isenberg’s versatile vocals lead an impressive debut.

9. “Kush & Orange Juice,” Wiz Khalifa — Wiz’s Internet fame was evident when “Kush & OJ” became Twitter’s top trending topic the day of the mixtape’s release. The near-adolescent star further sculpted his place in the game with this variety of off-the-wall samples, goofy swag and party life lyrics.

8. “Go,” Jonsi — Jonsi is better known for his work with Sigur Ros, but his first solo venture recaptured some of the grand magic that marked Sigur Ros in the band’s earlier years.

Jonsi’s penchant for careful construction and incredible instrumental variety transformed “Go” into musical artwork.

7. “High Violet,” The National — The National got it right with “High Violet,” finding new ways to utilize Matt Berninger’s baritone and maintain the identity that had helped its fan base grow to already impressive numbers. Single “Bloodbuzz Ohio” is one of my favorite songs of the year.

6. “Plastic Beach,” Gorillaz — For a collection of virtual characters, Gorillaz can really make music.

Using well-placed guest spots from names like Snoop Dogg and Lou Reed, the album has a clear core feel that manifests itself in different ways on every track.
Some are elaborate, some are incredibly simple — but in its entirety, the album is a marvel.

5. “Congratulations,” MGMT — An album I still take a lot of heat for enjoying, MGMT’s follow-up to “Oracular Spectacular” was incredibly different from its predecessor. It was far more deliberate, more experimental and much less catchy than the debut.
However, the duo made it work, creating great continuity and a challenging collection of music and lyrics.

4. “Crazy for You,” Best Coast — It might seem a little early to have this album so high on the list, but the singles from this album have long been available, composing almost the majority of what is a very short album.

Another case of less-is-more, Best Coast’s lo-fi West Coast sound coupled with some disarmingly blunt love lyrics is a breath of fresh air and then some.

3. “Thank Me Later,” Drake — Somehow, “Thank Me Later” has lived up to the hype, attaining both commercial and critical success despite spacious beats and at times one of the slower flows we’ve ever heard.

The guests are well-placed, but what really stands out is how Drake has grown into the shoes Weezy left behind for him.

2. “Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty,” Big Boi — Finally stepping out of the Outkast spotlight and into his own, Big Boi shows that he can stand toe-to-toe with his counterpart — and for that matter, to any other in the game — with this collection of buoyant beats that only serve as superfluous reinforcement for some very impressive, all-encompassing lyrical material.

1. “This is Happening,” LCD Soundsystem — After “Sound of Silver,” it was hard to imagine that James Murphy’s alleged swan song could live up to that legacy. But the perpetually uncomfortable lead man recreated the same everyman magic in his lyrics and what some might call an improved collection of dance-derived melodies.

“This is Happening” resonates as very real and beautiful and just might prove to be 2010’s crown jewel.