Daveportivo's Cultural Evaluation Facility

Erykah Badu returned in 2010 with the slightly underwhelming New Amerykah Part Two (Return Of The Ankh), it was always going to be a struggle to live up to expectation but Badu did herself no favours by releasing "Window Seat" as the lead single. A wonderful piece of minimal soul that was perfectly poised to take on the pop charts without sacrificing any of its emotional integrity. The track's pacing is gorgeous as Badu seems to drift to one mood to the next as she stares out the window, sometimes despairingly and sometimes with softer more reflective tones. Badu's control of mood is so subtle you can never quite tell whether she's singing with a tear in her eye or with a coy shake of the head and a wry smile as she croons: "I Need You To Me Miss Me".

Some tracks just send a shiver down your spine. Even on my thirtieth or fortieth listen the distorted, fragmented, skipping vocal line that anchors "Angel Echoes" still manages to capture my imagination. "Angel Echoes's" opening is so nondescript you find yourself being lulled out of focus, you won't quite be able concentrate on such a flat arrangement, so when that ever so soft but piercing vocal sample begins to emerge you are immediately struck, as if caught by surprise. From then on in "Angel Echoes" never looks back marrying the hauntingly beautiful vocals to a fast evolving concurrent beat that feels disjointed at first but soon builds to a wonderfully understated and beautiful crescendo.

Alice Glass found herself reborn in 2010, well on record at least. Gone was the wild woman dripping in blood and swinging punches; in her place stood a sensitive and fragile songwriter. Of course on stage, the old Alice was back, and in the live arena that visceral chaos is essential, but on record this softer more human version of Alice was far more interesting. A confused, frustrating, flirtatious and genuinely lovable woman, one who softly whispers: "When It's Cold Outside Hold Me, Don't Hold, When I Choose To Rest My Eyes, Coax Me, Don't Coax Me." It proved a pivotal moment for a band who have never struggled to appear cool but have often failed to forge emotional connections. Of course behind Alice's tender fragility laid a suitably irresistible slice of ambient indie disco courtesying of Ethan Kath making "Celestica" the ideal lead single for the latest evolution of Crystal Castles.

Kanye has always had a knack for narration. While some have suggested that he lacks a sense of humour and that he takes himself far too seriously; they couldn't find themselves further from the truth. If My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy taught us anything it's that Kanye is keenly aware of himself, his image and the public's perception. Kanye uses these preconceptions to create space for artistic exploration; they serve as enablers for him to discuss whatever it is that he wants to. Therefore the choice to sample "21st Century Schzoid Man" was not only apt but incredibly witty. It was Kanye West telling the world that he gets the joke, and it was also the first warning that he was about to blow our collective minds. "Power" was bold, brash, addictive and incredibly inventive; and ironically, by letting his inner child run wild Kanye would conquer the world.

It may seem like an obvious statement but the Scissor Sisters have this incredible capacity to capture any one aspect of the G-A-Y scene and definitively crystallize it in sound. If "Filthy Gorgeous" was a moment of drug laden and entirely shameless sexual madness then "Invisible Light" is something bolder and more reflective. Like "Filthy Gorgeous" it takes the stereo-types of the genre; simultaneously transcending and redefining them. "Invisible Light" is bigger, bolder and more ridiculous than its peers and yet it is somehow more meaningful. It all sounds ludicrous; the lyrics are so overblown and Jake's delivery is suitably sexualized, but even though "Invisible Light" has all the hallmarks of parody it never feels anything but credible. Even when Ian McKellen emerges with the year's best cameo (sorry Robert and Mark E. Smith), it serves to add humour but it never detracts from "Invisible Lights" emotive pull or its dance floor credibility. After all, that is the point, that when your surrounded by all this excess, all this depravity and all this ridiculousness you can still be enticed forward, taken completely and entirely by lust. It's that one unique feeling that the Scissor Sisters have managed to soundtrack so perfectly; being struck by the "Invisible Light" in the midst of the grotesquely gorgeous depths.

It seems that between Robyn and Ceo they've established, as if we didn't know already, that Scandinavia owns pop. No matter how creative, quirky or abstract their inspiration or the their soundscapes, it seems you just can't keep our northern neighbours from stumbling across irresistible hooks. I'm sure Ceo would love us to talk about the creative arrangement, the subtle samples, those stunning strings or that gorgeous flourish of harp, but we can't. They are all merit praise and the arrangement shows amazing craft but they will always be secondary to those smooth as silk melodies. "Come With Me" is a track that just glides, and even when the bass pumps and the samples rattle, the track never loses it's heavenly demure as it floats effortlessly past the listener. "Come With Me" has a wonderful fleeting quality that makes you want to return again and again to try grasp this airy and weightless wonder.

You have to sit back and wonder where Sufjan Stevens would be if he gave up the ghost and decided to be a pop star. Honestly, listening to "I Walked" you just know that if he ever really wanted to conquer the world he could. The melodies on this track are so divine, the hooks so gorgeous and the lyricism so poignant that "I Walked" is simply impossible not to fall in love with. Musically it's just as strong; stylish scrapes, crystalline synths and the most wondrous harmonies of the year swell together to make "I Walked" an incredibly stirring listen. Yet for all of the track's layers and artistic depths its most touching and memorable moments are its most simplistic. The way Sujfan softly coos "Lover Don't Look At Me Now", and of course the gorgeously defiant cadence as he's sweetly grandstands: "For At Least I Deserve The Respect Of A Kiss Goodbye". Make no mistake, this is the most perfect pop music that next to nobody will hear. Just how Sufjan has managed to avoid releasing "I Walked" as a single remains an inexplicable mystery.

"They Heard Me Singing And They Told Me To Stop, Quit These Pretentious Things And Just Punch The Clock, These Days My Life I Feel It Has No Purpose, But At Late At Night The Feelings Swim To The Surface"; it's a simple sentiment but one that has rung so true for so many of us. Being told to fly straight, give up your silly fantasies and just get on with "life". It's frustrating and it sparks internal rebellion, you want to run away and indulge yourself with people who really "get you". Of course, as Regine finds out in "Mountains Beyond Mountains" the bright lights of the city aren't always what they seem, and the same pressures that plagued your life and your conscious at home will find a way of catching up with you.

It's heartbreaking stuff, but then again, "Mountains Beyond Mountains" is all about being caught in the moment and giving yourself over to an idea so completely that it drives and sustains you. Behind all this empathetic exploration is a glorious new wave disco synth line and a dancefloor stomp that just a year ago would have seemed incompatible with Arcade Fire's aesthetic, but today it feels natural. Evidence that Win and Regine will try anything to fully realize their artistic vision. "Mountains Beyond Mountains" is 2010's soundtrack to being completely and utterly lost in the moment.

"I Can Change" and "All I Want" marked the emotive low point of This Is Happening. After the thrills of "Drunk Girls" and "Dance Yrslf Cln" and before the chin up resolution of "Home", Murphy is reduced to a bitter, confused and pleading emotive state as he yearns for his lovers pain. "All I Want" is vicious but never feels malicious, these are the cold and unsentimental words of a lover spurned. Of course this is Murphy we're talking about and his resolve soon breaks and he once again finds himself pleading to be taken home.

"I Can Change" drops the Bowie references (well to an extent) and sounds like more joyous fare, yet while Murphy's sense of irony may return, his lyricism is no less poignant. Transitioning from the too cool for school lover who'll never change ("Bore Me, Hold Me, And Cling To My Arm") to the the knowing critic who is desperate to hold onto his lover while continuing to be the awkward know it all that alienated her in the first place ("Love Is A Curse, Shoved In A Hearse, Love Is An Open Book To A Verse Of Your Bad Poetry, And This Is Coming From Me"). The situations may be different, but Murphy still finds himself helpless and begging. Evidence that no matter how cutting, ironic and witty you may be, love is still fucking confusing.

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.

Drake almost got lost in 2010. He had so much hype coming into the year, and despite delivering a sublime album he found himself overshadowed by Kanye's pop masterpiece and Big Boi's master class in progressive hip hop. Regardless, Drake's contribution should not be over looked, and "Over" is a classic example of what he does best. The track is loaded with attitude, has plentiful style and light but still impressive production. Drake is left to take centre stage and he flourishes in the glare of spot life with a self assured verse and one of the coolest choruses of the year, after all who doesn't like snarling "who the fuck are y'all"?

The Final Frontier saw Madien trying to push forward and evolve without sacrificing their core song structure. The results were certainly mixed but the surprisingly contemporary "When The Wind Blows" caught Maiden at the top of their post-80s game with a tender ballad that possessed the waltzing quality of Dance Of Death but with thoroughly contemporary and meaningful lyricism. It was great to hear Maiden taking the role of spokes person for a generation; showing the benefit of age they manage to sound sage and yet still engaged. No folklore, no myth, no metaphor this was Bruce Dickenson speaking plainly and creating a rich and immediate narrative. More of the same please boys.

The Suburbs was always going to be one of the years most anticipated releases and to wet our appetites Win unleashed a double A-side single. "Month Of May" was a snarling assault on scenesters that saw Arcade Fire offering their take on the Ramones and the riff heavy rock of QOSTA. Of course, they're take was a little quirky but it added a short, sharp and almost lo-fi edge to their big band arsenal. While "The Suburbs" set the scene for the forthcoming album. A charming suburban waltz layered with overwrought emotion (check the "send me a son" verse if you don't believe me). It plinks and it plonks as Win marries reflection to depression via brief bursts of escapism as he revisits his past and the lives of so many others. The track has a soothing mythical air and as a one two punch "The Suburbs/Month Of May" proved irresistible.

MCR gave up the ghost in 2010 and just decided to have a damn good time and the handclap filled, Sweet meets the Ramones stomp of "Vampire Money" characterized their new riotous and gloriously camp approach. "Well...3...2...1...We Came To Fuck, Let's All Party Till The Gas Man Comes" sums the whole affair; shameless thrills delivered with an ironic wink and a blown kiss. Chaos will undoubtedly ensue when they unleash this blast of frivolous punk bombast on next summer's festival crowds whether they're reluctant or not.

Picking just one track to represent Sleigh Bell's incredible art house bluster and their 2010 run of storming singles was nearly impossible; but when push came to shove I threw my weight behind "Tell 'em". It has all the Sleigh Bells trade marks; a sky scraper sized beat, a soaring riff, thunderous hand claps, a intoxicating cheerleader style string of vocals and a juddering sea soaring final riff. Then of course just when you think they've pulled out every trick in their arsenal an arpegiated synth line comes floating in. All these elements shouldn't work, it should be a nightmare but it's not, to put it as succinctly as possible: it's fucking cool.

Halcyon Digest was a sublime start to finish work and it feels wrong pulling a single track way from among its album mates but alas I had to make a choice and "Basement Scene" felt like the perfect representative. Chilled, dreamy, infinitely hummable and full of pithy endearing lyricism it captures Bradford Cox at his best. Creating music that shimmers and intoxicates the listener by creating an atmosphere and a sonic landscape for his audience to get lost within. "Basement Scene" may just be the most soothing melancholy ever committed to record. This is a record that transports you onto it's dreamlike plane, and that takes a special kind of talent.

If you haven't gathered by now, then I'll just have to tell you, Rihanna owned pop music in 2010. Not just with insanely catchy beats, but with brave arrangements, sassy character and a genuine charm. "S&M" saw Rihanna put slick R'n'B to one side and offer up a slice of driving, tub thumping power pop. The track just trusts forward relentlessly, and by being slightly retrospective and picking the best bits of electro-pop in the last decade she avoids feeling tired and scene like so many of her contemporaries. Oh and it of course it helps when you have a divinely sexy chorus: "I May Be Bad, But I'm Perfectly Good At It, Sex In The Air, I Love The Smell Of It, Sticks And Stones May Break My Bones But Chains And Whips Exite Me."

2010 saw Interpol giving up the pop ghost and returning to grim faced emotive gloom. While at times it felt tired in other moments it ignited as on the haunting lead single "Lights". Paul Banks stands out alone against a spacious soundscape and delivers a rich and stirring lead vocal performance punctuated by heart breaking cries of "That's Why I Hold You Dear". It may have felt too late in the day but it recalled the mood and emotion first approach of their stunning debut Turn On The Bright Lights. The track spirals away, it doesn't aim to please, it doesn't aim for the charts it simply immersed in it's own deeply personal moment.

Question: How do you make a great track even greater?

Answer: Add Robert Smith.

Robert Smith was initially impressed by Alice Glass and Ethan Kath when they supported the Cure on their NME awards show big gig at the O2 Arena. They seemed like an unlikely pairing sonically, but the aesthetic connection was always there. That being said I doubt anyone expected their collaboration would work this well; creating one of the winter's biggest indie disco hits and giving Crystal Castles the smooth emotive face they've always lacked (even if they didn't necessarily need one). A wonderful example of what can happen when two distinct but infinitely creative generations come together.

"Tightrope" saw the collision of two of 2010's biggest creative forces, but let's face it, for all his talents Janelle totally blew Big Boi out of the water. Monae is relentless it feels as though she is hunting down the beat, staying insatiably on edge, always driving forward. Big Boi for his part is smooth as silk providing a slower change of pace. That statement alone should give you an idea of just how on it Janelle is. "Tightrope" almost feels like a stream of consciousness as Monae rocks from one random thought and one internalized conversation to another over a fun and thrilling arrangement that marries bursting jazz energies to sexy soul and propulsive pop. Utterly irresistible.

"Life Coach" is a hypnotizing waltz of a track with a great lurching beat. You get the sense that the band are only just in control of the behemoth that they have created as the track flows unweildly from one place to the next. Their is a genuine bursting quality to the record, as if every last second of the track refuses to be contained, it's shudders and crunches with a kind of joyous energy perfectly summarized by the kinetic quasi-nursery rhyme lyrics. Full of life, energy and expression; "Life Coach" gives the illusion of chaos while Fang Island carefully maintain control of one of the year's daffiest tracks.

George Lewis Jnr. sure knows how to make a first impression. "Tyrant Destroyed" the lead single and album opener from his captivating debut Forget possesses a wonderful sleepy charm. It caresses its way into your mind before embedding itself in your cranium. The track is a charm ditty about the deep regrets of a lover spurned and a love lost; Lewis tells his tale in such soft tones you can never quite tell if he's overcome by resignation or depression, either way the track works to perfection. Intelligent reflection delivered with the pop prowess of Vampire Weekend and the soulful gloss of Grizzly Bear.

Plastic Beach was an incredibly diverse record tied together by a greatly detailed and continuous concept of a bizarre and deeply unsettling artificial world of recycled plastic electro garbage. As a result the singles always felt unnatural and odd when displaced from the main work, there were, however, some notably exceptions including the gorgeous "Rhinestone Eyes". Glorious glitzy dancefloor synth lines seem to shower down from above while Damon mournfully trudges through his downbeat verse. The end result is a quirky (naturally), slice of depressive but never downbeat death disco.

In the surf rock revival of 2010 there have been a plethora of highs and lows; moments of brilliant experimentation and awkward embarrassment, but of all the bands who have staked their claim to the surf rock crown it was the band who played it straight who proved the most endearing. Beth Cosentino wrote short sharp effecting pop songs, and at it's best, even on the divinely melancholic Surfs Up, that is what Surf music has always been about. "Goodbye" is a shady ironic pop song, you can imagine Beth awkwardly scratching the back of her head as she sings the line "Every time You Leave This House, My Life Falls Apart". The track goes straight to the heart of emotional frustration; Beth isn't clear or focused but that's her charm, she doesn't know what what will make her happy, but she knows that she isn't, and sometimes the expression of confusion and of those emotions that you can't quite put into words, end up making the most powerful sentiments and the most affecting pop songs.

You have no idea how much it pains me to put the name 3Oh!3 in any article that includes the word "best" but alas thanks to their association with Ke$ha they are due some hand me down praise. Anyway, in one simple statement Ke$ha summed a decade of binge drinking, sexualization and idiocy: "Don't Be A Little Bitch With Your Chit Chat, Just Show Me Where Your Dick's At." "Blah Blah Blah" is a social document of our times, an unintended commentary on 24 hour drinking culture, of blaring synths, inane lyricism, and moral apathy. Good times first, consequences second, hooks over meaning, body before brains; auto-tuned art where even the rappers are phoniesthis was music of the moment that defined the moment.

From an artist and a track devoid of emotional sensitivity to a group who choose to dance with tears in their eyes. "One Life Stand" is classic Hot Chip in many ways, sensitive, mysterious, oddly sexy, outwardly nerdy, intricately layered, completely unavoidable and possessing a dark and a times unsettling edge. "One Night Stand" shifts effortlessly from charming calypso groove to sharp stainless electronica before bursting into jagged indie balladry. The track revolves around Alexis' sublime central hook "I Only Want To Be Your One Life Stand, Tell Me Do You Stand By Your Old Man?" He has such a tender delivery you can almost picture him staring at his shoes and awkwardly hoping his love will stay with him to the end of time. Few other acts could, or would even dare, to inject this much emotion into what is essential fun time electro-pop.

Why does nobody else seem to listen to Elvis Costello these days? Well whatever the reason, Girls are certainly handed a huge advantage by so readily taking up his mantle of pent up emotional out pourings delivered with a barbed tongue. "Oh So Protective One" is Girls at the top of their game retro-inspired pop music dripping with emotion and loaded with instantly quoteable lines. Girls end up sound-tracking a mournful sixties prom night, complete with romantic failure, repressed emotion and lonesome reflection. The tragic is finale is punctuated by a rich horn solo that transforms stoned regrets into a state of wonderfully miserable ecstasy.

James Blake is so talented it's positively unseemly. The haunting and distant "I Only Know (What I Know)" was pieced together from old snippets of Blake playing bursts of piano recorded on a PC microphone. As a result you get this wonderful static sound that James plays around with, letting it fizz and thrust forward as little glimmers of harmonies rise suddenly only to be ushered away quickly. Jabs of unfinished piano lines flitter into view softly before receding as if they are just on the edge of the sonic horizon. The use of silence in itself is incredibly bold, the way he let's phrases just drop abruptly and shimmer out of focus hazily, only to be replaced by nothingness. Strings are mutated and stretched to create something that's equal parts bleak, beautiful and imposing. Incredible artistry that dares to defy definition.

You have to wonder if Win Butler woke up one morning and said: "Arcade Fire need a set opener that will win over 40,000 strong crowds instantly." I mean that has to have happened right? "Ready To Start" is just too energetic and too focus to be anything but the product of meticulous design and predetermined focus. Aside from its devastating immediacy "Ready To Start" is full of sharp pithy lyricism, typical overwrought emotion and a string of remarkably hummable punchy pop one liners. "The Business Men Are Drinking My Blood, Like The Kids At Art School Said They Would" yeah tell me about it Win.

Alicia Keys is fast becoming the most frustrating artist walking the face of planet earth. How can she write ballads as powerful and as perfectly pitched as "Un-Thinkable (I'm Ready)" and yet never settle down and focus on one coherent 40 minute record? It's a real annoyance, if this Alicia Keys turned up over 12 tracks she very well could very well be the best artist in the world right now. Perhaps it's her choice of writing partner, perhaps more praise is due to Drake for his co-writing credits on this track than he's previously received. Well whatever the case, "Un-Thinkable (I'm Ready)" is stirring majestic pop of the highest order.

Rihanna dominated the charts like no other in 2010 (even as we speak she has two singles in the UK top ten), yet while much of her best work came in the form of singles she also produced some staggering album tracks on Loud. "Man Down" was one such work, Rihanna decides to use her Barbadian accent to punctuate this slice of dance-hall inspired dark humour. Rihanna sings beautifully about shooting and killing her lover in grand central station, the track has a wonderful melodramatic quality; it's humorous and over-elaborate but it's also touching thanks, in large part, to Rihanna's wonderfully controlled delivery.

There are so many accolades a young artist can aspire to; an Ivor Novello, a Mercury Music Prize nomination, a five star review, and hipster approval courtesying of Pitchfork amongst other things, but few artists just beginning to make their way in the world can expect a five star recommendation courtesying of John Prescott. While the former Deputy Primeminster might not garner her credibility he certainly assured Rumer some media attention, and thankfully for her sake she delivered with tender ballads like "On My Way Home". Subtle, slow, not showy in the least, "On My Way Home" is classic soul, that plays within the rules but manages to hit all the right notes. (Sorry no video)

Shoegaze lamentations laid over classic eighties indie guitar work has become all the rage in the last few years. Thankfully, rather than being a watered down derivative Wild Nothing manage to sound both crisp and dreamy by substituting genuine innovation for immaculate delivery. "Gemini" is a wonderfully textured work, with a real soft and floaty quality the track manages to give the impression of being airy and lightweight, without actually being lightweight, the result is an endearing and substantial work. "Gemini" is what I imagine being haunted by The Smiths would sound like, and believe it or not, that's a good thing.

When it comes to the most distinctive sounds in music today, it's hard to think of a band more easily identifiable than Belle & Sebastian. Given their love of 60s pop music you'd think they'd sound derivative but they still don't; Stuart Murdoch still sounds like Belle & Sebastian and so does "Write About Love", and that's no bad thing. This is glorious charming and immediate pop music the kind that makes you wants to sing, dance and run around screaming your heart out all at once. You may be able to set your watch by Belle & Sebastian's sound, but you'd be hard pressed to think of a band who pen better pop songs.

M.I.A had a rough year in 2010 but it didn't stop her from penning a gorgeously escapist day dream called "Space". The track first emerged as a leak called "All Dat I See" before being fully revealed on /\/\/\Y/|. In the early months of the year there was still genuine hope for her forthcoming LP and "Space" created a frenzy. Supposedly a response to violence in Sri Lanka the track actually worked best as a weightlessly exploration of freedom starting with wonderfully direct line "Gravity Is My Enemy".

Some track's take genuine balls; when a pop group pen a track so big in scope and so shameless as "Fire With Fire" they risk a life time of ridicule if said track should flop. Jake Shears must have been terrified when he had to take to the stage of Glastonbury just a week after "Fire With Fire's" release and belt out that first verse. Luckily for him he had nothing to fear, as "Fire With Fire" is yet another brazen eighties anthem delivered with the Scissor Sisters' usual panache. Grand, inescapable and bold; qualities that at one time or another all great pop stars must display and that "Fire With Fire" has in spades.

Mark Ronson may just be the king of retrospection, while many others have attempted to revitalize the 80s few have succeeded quite as handily as Ronson. Part of Ronson's success is due to his sheer irrevence, it's hard to avoid "Bang Bang Bang's" charm, it's quirky awkward but always immediate. It's dated synth are produced with a nod and a wink and Q-Tip delivers a playful rap with a soothing tongue in cheek flow. While all this is going on Amanda Warner sets about serving up some self assured hooks with a real swagger that verges on being obnoxious. The whole thing came together in such a slick fashion that "Bang Bang Bang" became instantly quotable and eminently hummable.

Has misery, self-doubt, bitterness, hate and depression ever been this much fun? Honestly John Grant sounds like he's having a riot across Queen of Denmark like the Rufus Wainwright singing an uber Queen ballad but with more humour and wit than either of those acts could ever muster. It's all about those ridiculous one liners, John Grant is the king of melodrama, he switches from the heartbreaking to the ridiculous mid sentance ("Whose Going To Be The One To Save Me From Myself, You Better Pack A Stun Gun And A Crow Bar"). John Grant's humour makes him completely unpredictable, you can tell a jokes coming, but you need God like prescience to guess the punch line. Honestly, even on the sixth listen I'm still surprised to hear: "I Hope You Know That All I Want From You Is Sex, To Be With Someone Who Looks Smashing In Athletic Wear." WTF right? But in a good way.

Robyn ironically rages over a sexy and low key electronic beat. That's it, that sums up "Don't Fucking Tell Me What To Do", it's simple but it's incredibly effective.

Okay longer version: Robyn leads us through everything that's killing her from her label and her PMS to her heels and her mother, it's a strangely captivating listening, as the arrangement gets steadily complex with electro burbles and subtle strings all building to one big bass drop. Gorgeously subdued, out of the spiraling quasi-rant come some genuine gems "Can't Sleep It's Killing Me, My Dreams Are Killing, The TV Is Killing Me, My Talking Is Kiling Me" but of course if you're not in the mood for reflection you can just dance to one of the year's most hypnotic beats.

So how do you make one of the year's best singles even better? Add Robert Fripp of King Crimson fame of course. The god of left of centre prog rock was a natural fit for Grinderman's bizarre and barmy second album. Lyrically Nick Cave is just a riot firing out feral lyrics with a sense of menace only equalled by his humour: "You Think Your Great Big Husaband Will Protect You? You Were Wrong. You Think Your Little Wife Will Protect You? You Were Wrong." It's all a riotous good time and of course Fripp is on hand to delivered a sky scrapper sized solo that feels jaunty, uncomfortable and most of all cool as all hell. Oh and the video isn't bad either.