Daveportivo's Cultural Evaluation Facility

Hot Chip got serious in 2010 with an album dominated by straight bare faced emotion. Of course being Hot Chip while consumed with pleading love and tearful reflection they still managed to pen some of the year's most infectious singles. No one track captured their talent for making the extremely sentimental not only cool but incredibly danceable more than "I Feel Better". It is one of those rare tracks whose vocals are constrained and downbeat but whose beat manages to shimmer, bounce and erupt joyously. They toe the line perfectly; creating a substantial work, that while weighty, never feels weighed down. The strings which punctuated what is essentially a minimalist beat add gravitas to the work while Alexis' vocals feel vital without being forceful. The end result is a unique feeling perfectly captured; a celebration of love and hope by protagonists so jaded that they can only tentatively embrace their new found happiness.

You just can't undervalue coolness. It may sound silly but you really can't. "Looking For What" sounds sexy from the word go as Christabelle delivers a cold but captivating performance on vocals. Switching between flat retorts and a sweet pre-chorus. At first "Looking For What" seems a little suspect. It is so slick, so cold, and so cool that you feel it must be a send up. You feel Lindstrom must be mocking hipsters world wide by creating an ironic lead single, but that track soon develops as Christabelle lets her hair down and Lindstrom's beat begins to fray at the edges. The track becomes human as Christabelle declares "Girl Kick Off Your Shoes And Feel Free" and Lindstrom allows thudding keys to break through the skipping synths as straight faced cool is replaced by a playful grin.

If you weren't convinced already "Monster" should have definitively proven that Kanye West is one of the greatest producers walking the face the of earth. The beat for "Monster" is sick to say the very least mixing incomplete skipping vocals with odd angular grooves Kanye created a varied beat that changes mood and pace at will without ever running the risk of feel disparate. Nicki Minaj of course steals the show away from her male counterparts with 32-bars of pure energy; allowing her over blown character to run wild devouring everything and everyone in its path. Kanye, while unable to match Minaj, lays down some choice lines of his own: "You Will Never Get On Top Of This, So Mummy My Best Advice Is Just To Get On Top Of This." Ultimately "Monster" triumphs because it captures some 2010's top talents having a good time and playing around with one of the year's silliest concepts and sickest beats, what's not to love?

Rolo Tomassi took bold strides forward in 2010. First they recruited M.I.A's super-producer Diplo and then they set about taking their Jazz influenced Hardcore to the next level. It was no secret that on their debut Hysteria the most discussed jazz elements were more complimentary flourishes than core structures, but on Comsology Rolo Tomassi set about forging a more mature and considered sound. "Kasia" was the end result a sprawling track that isn't in a hurry, it floats gorgeously before entering into a wirey electronic groove, teasing the listener, you know the pounding riffage is coming but they make you wait, they tease it out. This allows both "Kasia's" tender and more visceral moments to carry genuine weight. "Kasia" suggests that truly great things are to come from Rolo Tomassi.

It may have taken 32 years but "Because The Night", the pop masterpiece that Springsteen handed to Patti Smith on a plate, finally got an airing in its original form. It's a testament to Springsteen's talent and his commitment to artistic integrity that he gave away such a perfect pop song. In 1977 Springsteen wasn't in the mood for cheery pop he wanted to forge a dark and affecting LP and "Because The Night" didn't fit the bill so he began calling his friends. Patti Smith's version will always be the best, it just meant to more to her, but there is a real joy at being given this brief glimpse into music history and Springsteen's artistic process. Springsteen's version is earnest, tough and straight, it lacks the fragility of Smith's work but packs plenty of punch and is characterize by Springsteen determined drive. Ironically it was that quality that would lead him to spurn "Because The Night" to enhance Darkness On The Edge Of Town.

"Cousins" saw Vampire Weekend at their most energetic, full of bluster and pent up energy. It was a great taster, a warm up to the main event. "Giving Up The Gun" the second single from Contra showed Vampire Weekend at their best. A shuddering burbling groove propelled the track forward while quick injections of calypso guitar punctuated Erza's key lines before the synths oscillated into to one unwieldy beam of energy. While all this was going the track still manage to shimmer and sparkle around Erza perfectly pitched vocals. The melodies proved irresistible creating a charming and a surprisingly inventive whole; braver and more intricate than their critics would give them credit for, "Giving Up The Gun" is the kind of forward thinking pop that only Vampire Weekend can create.

Amazingly for a woman who relies almost entirely on sleazy sex rhymes the surprisingly subtle, if unsurprisingly infectious, "Cannibal" has a nursery rhyme like quality. Like all Ke$ha's best work the track layers shameless hooks ontop of one another, starting out as a cheeky sex rhyme it almost feels as though Ke$ha gets bored half way through the track and decides it's time for huge hands to the sky chorus and some dance floor synths. Of course this is all the product of meticulous design and Ke$ha and her co-writers are shrewd, and despite its brain dead facade so is "Cannibal". Ke$ha writes truly awful music, but she writes it better than anyone else, and this is the key to her success. Tracks like "Cannibal" are flithy and morose, and could be played for laughs, and while the jokes do come thick and fast, Ke$ha continues to keep a straight face putting the listener in a tricky position either be in on the joke or have the joke be on you. Most of course don't care, indeed thinking just kills the buzz.

High Violet was a masterpiece of perpetual gloom. The consistency of tone was remarkable; even when the mood was more upbeat Matt Beringer's vocals remained mournful. Despite dealing with such rich emotion and subtle textures it didn't stop The National from creating some moments of pop perfection in the form of some stand out singles. "Conversation 16" stood out instantly, you can almost hear Beringer taking a deep sorrowful intake of breath before he can muster the spirit to softly float through the opening verse. His vocals are gorgeous and you find yourself completely taken by his plight as he passes from one image and one experience to the next. The arrangement does a remarkable job of feeling poignant without crowding the track. The weight of regret and burden of belief may be heavy but "Conversation 16" manages to feel spacious and the track has a strolling quality. Allowing the track's sense of pity to become addictive rather than overwrought. "Conversation 16" simply feels low key, allowing its quiet self doubt to appear insurmountable.

"We Want War" the signature track from These New Puritans breakthrough sophomore effort Hidden has a real monolithic quality. Sure it has a quirky ramshackle charm but at its core we find a band willingly attempting to create a work of great scope. Pounding tribal rhythms and swirling woodwinds never allow the track to settle, it feels constantly on edge, constantly alive, and as a result the listener has to be alive to every possibility. Even after multiple listens you'll never be quite sure what's waiting around the next corner as addictive rhythms rumble in and out of view while multi-part harmonies elide together. The work is so disparate and varied it's a tribute to These New Puritan's skill as composers that "We Want War" hangs together so convincingly; held by its formidable sense of foreboding. This is evidence of a band entering a purple patch.

"Rude Boy" marks Rihanna's fourth entrant in this year list and that is no mean feat. Considering that I decided to exclude the superb "What's My Name?" it shows just how great a 2010 Rihanna has had. While other pop stars have penned better singles and assembled stronger albums over the years few will have penned a work as instantly credible as "Rude Boy". A great deal of praise must go to Stargate who is fast proving himself to be one of the most talented and versatile producer in pop music today. As a track "Rude Boy" remains constantly in your face. Rihanna's delivery is flat, serious, and yet brassy. There's no sass or cheek; it's straight, self assured resolution as Rihanna takes the role of sexual predator. A woman who gets it whenever she wants, from whoever she wants, always her own terms. Make no mistake this is premiere pop.