#40: Big Thief – “U.F.O.F.”
In compiling decade-end lists like these, it’s important to not be a prisoner of the moment and nominate too many selections from the most recent year in the available range. But even the most discerning of critics would have to agree that, start to finish, the third Big Thief album is strong enough to warrant inclusion. Genuinely affecting and laden with hooks, it begs for repeated plays, each one revealing fresh details unheard in previous listens. The title track, “Century” and “Strange” are undeniably excellent and suggest a band at the height of its creative powers, completely in control of its artistic direction and poised to add to its legacy over the course of the next ten years. – Matt Rankin
#39: Thrift Store Cowboys – “Light Fighter”
Members of this Lubbock, Texas, band slowly relocated to Knoxville over the last decade, and East Tennessee is better for their crusade. Knoxville has long been home to many a brilliant musician, and that might be why Daniel Fluitt, Kris Killingsworth and company fit right in upon their arrival.
“Light Fighter,” the band’s 2010 release, is among the finest Americana of the decade, but it’s not your traditional take on roots music.
From the opening resonance of “One Gentle Inch To Nine Violent Miles” you can tell something special is on the way. Then the wailing energy of “Bright Fire” gives way to “7’s and 9’s” and after three songs you’re hooked. What follows is a musical journey through every landscape the mind can imagine. Each tempo turn is a setup for a new uncharted plain. The unsung highlight of the album might be “You Can’t See the Light,” a track that exemplifies the album as a whole by starting with a strut before reaching a gallop and ending in a full sprint. If you’re unfamiliar with TSC, this is the place to start. It’s a ride you’ll be glad you took. – Rusty Odom
#38: Our Native Daughters – “Songs of Our Native Daughters”
Try as I may, it is hard to find original words to describe this quartet of banjo picking black women singing songs about slavery, racism and sexism. This album will and SHOULD make you feel uncomfortable at times, but we need to hear these stories. We need to know where we’ve been to see how far we’ve traveled and how far we are from where we should be. Don’t get me wrong though, you’ll have no choice but to shoulder some of the sorrow living in the stories these women share, there is plenty of celebration and even some danceability to be found. What is especially neat to me is this compelling and worthwhile album is brought to us the non-profit label Smithsonian Folkways. Yes that Smithsonian. – Jennifer Duncan-Rankin
#37: Father John Misty – “Fear Fun”
Tillman, the drummer for mid-aughts darlings Fleet Foxes, had a series of earnest, obscure solo releases throughout the first decade of the millenium. But discovering his Father John Misty persona, zanily sarcastic and apathetic long-haired suit-clad rogue listlessly blowing money, burning bridges and flipping his lid across a hazy modern Los Angeles, brought Tillman the mass attention and critical appeal he’d craved for years. The album’s quirky, wry sense of humor in between darkly confessional jags and hard-hitting wall-of-sound production style, along with his crooning falsetto brought FJM to the forefront of the indie world, where he has stayed for several albums as he continues to mess with conventions of folk, indie and pop. – Luke Brogden
#36: David Bowie – “Blackstar”
The iconic solo artist’s swan song is an unforgettable goodbye from a singular artist. In signature Bowie style, deep into his career he was still experimenting and changing the game. He convened with an obscure jazz quintet in a small New York studio to make a frenetic concept album of a space-age prophet that is equal parts cerebral, spacey and urgent. – LB
#35: A Tribe Called Quest – “We Got it From Here…Thank You 4 Your Service”
#34: Michael Kiwanuka – “Kiwanuka”
With his third studio album, produced by Danger Mouse and Inflo, Michael Kiwanuka expands his artistic range much further to create a diverse, yet cohesive album that is intended to be heard in one sitting. “Kiwanuka” executes his unique psych-soul style with ease, using his warm, inviting voice as the bond from beginning to end. This story of heartache, wisdom and hope in our society is told beautifully, full of emotion and with subtle pleas for a better world. This timely, yet timeless work is one of the best-written, performed and produced albums of the decade. – Matt Miller
#33: Lana del Rey – “Norman Fu***** Rockwell”
Lana del Rey dials back from her previous album “Lust for Life,” opting for a softer piano-driven folk-rock sound that suits her fine as she laments the arrested development of her lovers and bemoans failed relationships. Mixing in psychedelic and shoegaze elements, del Rey hits her stride when addressing her now-tarnished view of Americana that she once idealized. She steps away from her shattered obsession with a confidence and guile that she has not previously shown in her career, staring her self-prophesied apocalypse in the face. – Daniel Britt
#32: Courtney Barnett –“Sometimes I Sit and Think and Sometimes I Just Sit”
Courtney Barnett burst onto the scene in 2015 with her poignant debut, which showcased storytelling and brutal honestly mixed with solid guitar playing chops. Another way Barnett’s debut excels is her inquisitive approach to song writing coupled with a brilliant wandering mind at times. On the breakthrough single, “Avante Gardner,” she’s able to jokingly sing about mortality and self-doubt while sounding charming with little to no effort. While there’s no questioning her penchant for strong song craft, it’s her fiery guitar solo’s that tie the album together such is the case on “Kim’s Caravan,” a raucous number near the end of the album. Perhaps the single track that defined this album and solidified her place in the indie rock royalty is “Pedestrian At Best,” which hears her croon contradictions of putting her on a pedestal only to be disappointed and “I think you’re a joke but I don’t find you very funny.” The fact that these lines became etched in pop culture only boosted her popularity throughout the remainder of the decade. – JF
#31: Freddie Gibbs & Madlib – “Pinata”
After releasing a series of EP’s, Gary, Indiana rapper Freddie Gibbs and California producer extraordinaire Madlib finally put their full length in March of 2014 in “Pinata.” I first discovered Gibbs that same year when he was announced on the Bonnaroo lineup. Once I dug into “Pinata” there was no doubt that I would catch the duo’s set later that summer. “Pinata” encompasses the typical gangster rap themes of murder and drug dealing complete with funky 1970’s blacksploitation beats laid down by Madlib. There are some deep lyrical gems in “Pinata” though, including the standout track “Thuggin,” which details all the trappings of banging and dealing. Another gem on the album is “Deeper,” which shows Gibbs reflecting on putting the “life” over his relationships, realizing that he still misses the love of his life from his past. “Deeper” also reveals that he gets locked up only to get out to find his girl is pregnant with another man’s baby. The dynamic duo is truly at the top of their crafts on “Pinata,” which shows Gibb’s straight forward delivery without too many vocal effects while showcasing Madlib’s flawless production where nary a beat feels out of place and unquestionably keeps the listener coming back for more listens. – JF
#30: Tame Impala – “Lonerism”
Tame Impala’s second album takes the dream-pop of 2010’s “Innerspeaker” and expands it into a psychedelic whirlwind. Kevin Parker, who writes, produces and records all the music, infuses his previous sound with layers of chunky synths while also going aggressively poppy with the vocals. The combination creates a soundscape that matches the themes of the album – isolation and introversion. It’s the kind of album that could very well make someone anxious or uncomfortable if it didn’t happen to be so catchy. – DB
#29: Chance the Rapper – “Coloring Book”
I tell you there are few albums, especially rap albums, where I’ve felt like I was hearing a whole, realized person that I just wanted to know. I hear a silly cut up in “All Night” (“that girl, she’ll fart on the seat”-always makes me giggle). I hear some reflective growing pains in “Same Drugs.” I hear the kind of spirituality I imagine God wishes for us to have in “Finish Line,” bursting with such a contagious joy that it often brings me to tears. This album isn’t a persona, it isn’t one note, and it isn’t one mood. This album is a collection of real-life songs written by a real-life person for real life people and makes connections in a real-life way. – JDR
#28: Vampire Weekend – “Modern Vampires of the City”
What is it about bands coming alive on the third album? Vampire Weekend’s 2008 self-titled debut introduced the band’s idiosyncratic, wry indie-pop by way of reggae. “Contra” in 2010 cemented their place on the scene and further honed their craft and honed in on their sound. But it was the band’s third release, “Modern Vampires of the City,” that flipped the script and tore through time signature changes, world music influences and wild vocal performances of progressively wilder lyrics by frontman Ezra Koenig. – LB
#27: Big Boi – “Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty”
Originally slated for release in 2008, this album makes this list because of a prolonged contract dispute between Antwan Andre Patton a.k.a. Big Boi and his previous record label. Big Boi’s first solo album, and first project post-Outkast was worth the wait though. Staying rooted in funk and southern hip-hop, Patton creates a sound that is best described as BIG. It is a bombastic, bass-heavy continuation of the sound that Big Boi created for years with Andre 3000, who produces “You Ain’t No DJ.” Almost every song sounds like it was made with a club in mind, but the album’s relentlessness isn’t tiring thanks to creative production and clever wordplay. – DB
#26: Michael Kiwanuka – “Love & Hate”
Before “Love & Hate,” Kiwanuka was known as a wise-ahead-of-his-years crooner, albeit a safe, uncontroversial voice. The 2016 album broke the singer-songwriter out of this mold with not only a dip into political and social commentary on “Black Man in a White World,” but an overall more ambitious, grandiose production. Incorporating fuzzy guitar solos next to operatic string sections, Kiwanuka steps into his own on this album, striking with a confidence in his songwriting that finally matches his vocals. Having “Cold Little Heart” land as the theme song to the HBO show, “Big Little Lies” didn’t hurt anything either. – DB
#25: Sturgill Simpson – “Metamodern Sounds in Country Music”
Taking its name from Ray Charles’ legendary 1962 album, Sturgill follows suit by creating country music exactly the way he likes it. There is no glamour, just an unapologetic and ultimately very frank 34 minutes of country and western music. Forgoing Nashvillian tropes, Simpson instead names his songs after Indian philosophical concepts and fills his tracks with lyrics about his thoughts on hallucinogenic drugs. The whole album asks questions and finds answers that are off-limits on most modern country stations, and that is what fundamentally sets it apart. – DB
#24: David Byrne & St. Vincent – “Love This Giant”
Although both St. Vincent and David Byrne released solo albums that deserve a spot on this list, none was more entertaining than the collaborative effort between two dynamic artists that are vastly different, yet interestingly similar. The combination of David Byrne and Annie Clark produced a brass-heavy album, blending each of their styles to create a sound truly unique. Shifting from irresistible house-dancing tunes with catchy hooks, to powerful ballads with Byrne’s classic voice, there is never dull moment on “Love This Giant,” the best collaborative album of the decade. – MM
#23: Beyonce – “Lemonade”
Beyonce made her most ambitious album with “Lemonade,” jumping from genre to genre seamlessly and ferociously. Combining R&B, rock, gospel, Americana, trap and others, Beyonce flaunts her breadth of understanding of pop music without anything sounding forced or contrived. The anthemic nature of the album and the subject matter is enhanced by an accompanying 65-minute film, also titled “Lemonade.” The “visual album” addresses issues of family, fidelity, race and identity while incorporating elements of poetry and providing a fantastic postscript to a quintessential album. The music, in tandem with the visual album, taken together with Beyonce’s iconic Super Bowl halftime performance elevate “Lemonade” to a culturally significant moment in a tumultuous decade. – DB
#22: Frank Ocean – “Blonde”
When you consider that “Blonde” samples names like Todd Rundgren, Stevie Wonder and The Beatles, you might expect something a little busier. Instead, Frank Ocean’s 2016 album takes a heavily minimalist approach to his avant-garde R&B, delivering an airy, ethereal canvas over which Ocean allows his lyrics to meander and sprawl. “R&B” is honestly a bit of a stretch for most of the songs. While a few tracks fit squarely into the category, many are anything but. “Solo” sounds like it could have been composed by Brian Eno, while “White Ferrari” and “Ivy,” arguably the gem of the album, would best be described as indie-rock. Whatever Frank Ocean is doing, it is working, as “Blonde” is relatable, heartfelt, and immensely re-listenable. – DB
#21: Kacey Musgraves – “Golden Hour”
This Grammy Album of the Year winner is the ultimate bridge between mainstream, pop country and the Americana scenes. “Golden Hour” has something for everyone. Pop ballads that intelligently explore the idea of being lonely, a broken heart and appreciating the small things. Musgraves is a great songwriter and delivers with a grace that is hard find anywhere else, but especially in country music. The album serves as this important bridge that will inevitably influence more quality country music in the next decade. – MM
#20: Tame Impala – “Currents”
#19: The National – “High Violet”
The release of “High Violet” in 2010 provided no doubt that The National would be one of the biggest indie-rock acts of the decade. From beginning to end, this album of rather upbeat tunes is drenched in lead singer Matt Berringer’s dark and intriguing vocals. What makes this album so crucial is that each song tells a story of life, real challenges and normal people, exploring the challenge of being a stable person and dealing with societal expectations. Behind these incredibly relatable stories are a full, driving sound that builds into intricate, yet loose, compositions that stand the test of time. “High Violet” is a beautiful album, beginning what would be a very successful decade for The National. – MM
#18: Childish Gambino – “Awaken, My Love!”
The 2010s found several longtime indie artists redefining their sound and blowing up in a whole new way. Donald Glover, actor on “Community” and creator, director and star of the critically-acclaimed FX show “Altanta,” was Gambino first: a quick-witted, explosive indie rapper. On “Awaken, My Love!” Glover takes it to the next level. With gorgeous, lush samples and instrumental tracks, fierce flow and sung vocals, this album set the stage for Gambino’s full-on explosion two years later on “This Is America,” with is perhaps the song of 2018. But “Awaken” brought Glover’s Gambino project to the forefront of critical prominence and won him respect and accolades on a plethora of year-end lists. – LB
#17: Gorillaz – “Plastic Beach”
The third installment by virtual band Gorillaz was released near the beginning of 2010 and was as hyped as any release of the ensuing decade. “Plastic Beach” was produced by Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett and included a who’s who guest list which included the likes of Snoop Dogg, Bobby Womack, Lou Reed, Mick Jones, Little Dragon and De La Soul to name a few. The result is an album chalked full of electro pop, dance beats and quality production. Plastic Beach gave us such hits as “Empire Ants” (Little Dragon), “Stylo” (Mos Def & Bobby Womack), “Rhinestone Eyes” and “On Melancholy Hill.” Nothing before or since in the Gorillaz discography comes close to “Plastic Beach,” as Albarn and Hewlett truly hit on all cylinders on this landmark album resulting in one for the ages. – JF
#16: PJ Harvey – “Let England Shake”
The eighth full-length from the venerable English artist remains as engaging, potent and enduring of a rumination on the lingering physical and psychological effects of war on the Western world – and on her native land, in particular – as it was upon its release in 2011. The topical lyrics, drawn from existing poetry Harvey had written, coalesce into a mature concept album written primarily from the perspective of soldiers in the trenches. Stately and gorgeously rendered in spite of the harrowing subject matter, “Let England Shake” is a serious and decidedly adult-oriented offering that demands attentiveness and patience for it to be appreciated in full, but it also is one which rewards any such efforts with a rich listening experience. – MR
#15: Kendrick Lamar – “good kid, m.A.A.d city”
Kendrick Lamar’s major-label debut was a breath of fresh air for rap in 2012, and still is looking back now. The production is laid-back, sometimes almost dripping, barring a few notable exceptions such as “Backstreet Freestyle.” The easy-going, atmospheric music lends itself to Kendrick’s storytelling, allowing him to paint an astonishingly candid portrait of life growing up in Compton. While employing common hip-hop imagery – gang violence, police brutality, drug and alcohol abuse – Kendrick is forthright about his experiences and through a series of vignettes, including real voicemails from his mother and father, leaves an honest and sincere impression of his background that shuns the braggadocio of many of his contemporaries. – DB
#14: Daft Punk – “Random Access Memories”
On their fourth studio release, Daft Punk lavished in the smooth sounds of the 70s and 80s LA scene. Giorgio Moroder, Julian Casablancas, Panda Bear, Nile Rodgers and Paul Williams were among the celebrated guest collaborators working with the duo and a live studio band of expert sessions musicians. But it was the laid-back danceable grooves and big hooks of the Pharrell Williams-fronted singles “Lose Yourself to Dance” and “Get Lucky” that sent the album into the stratosphere. – LB
#13: Deerhunter – “Halcyon Digest”
The most fully realized and coherent statement in the band’s considerable catalog, “Halcyon Digest” is almost as notable for the flawless production values that make it such palatable ear candy as it is for the singular artistic vision it took to create such an immaculately crafted collection. “Desire Lines” and “Helicopter” may be the focal points around which the remaining nine songs amalgamate, but the inclusion and placement of each track are crucial to the success of the album as a whole with regard to its pacing and emotional impact. This simply is the result of a band operating intuitively and expertly on another level and being adept enough in the studio to record it exactly as they envisioned it. – MR
#12: Jungle – “Jungle”
A high-energy album that delivers track after track of sleek, danceable funk, “Jungle” is the type of music you might catch Barry Gibb strutting to. Sinister basslines and bouncy synths provide the backdrop for the soulful vocals on the musical collective’s 2014 debut. The band broods over groovy frameworks just long enough to lull you into bobbing along before abruptly adding a horn section or a catchy synth hook, picking up pace and building until you can’t help but dance along. Each song ebbs and flows into the next, creating a creeping, expansive final product that warrants multiple listens. – DB
#11: Father John Misty – “I Love You, Honeybear”
The headspace Josh Tillman’s alter ego occupies on this breathtaking breakthrough of a record is an unusual one full of contradictions: strange, ugly, beautiful, honest, evocative, hilarious, somber, earnest, ironic, overconfident, self-deprecating … There’s a lot of competing emotions at play on the album, many of them manifesting either at the same time or just a line apart, but the overall result is a raggedly affecting exercise in modern music that is unlike anything I’ve heard from any other artist. Aside from saying something like, “Misty employs clever turns of phrase,” it’s difficult to truly describe his style; it’s best just to give it a listen yourself. – MR
#10: Joanna Newsom – “Have One on Me”
My personal favorite album of the decade, Newsom’s third full-length is a sprawling effort that continues to leave me humbled and in constant awe of the sheer audacity involved in its undertaking, from the carefully considered manner in which it was conceived, organized and arranged to the stunningly precise execution of the artist’s bold vision. Spanning three discs and clocking in at over two hours, the scope and length of the project are impressive, but Newsom’s lyrical strength and the complexity of her dense, evolving compositions are its true merits. I could go on and on about this gargantuan record, but suffice it to say that it’s worth a listen or two hundred. – MR
#9: D’Angelo and the Vanguard – “Black Messiah”
After 1995’s “Brown Sugar” and 2000’s “Voodoo,” D’Angelo’s life descended quickly and publicly into tabloid fodder, causing many to wonder whether he would ever make another album. After years of recovering from alcohol and drug addiction, D’Angelo returned with 2014’s “Black Messiah,” a neo-soul masterpiece. The guitars are grimy and sludgy, the vocals are muted and sometimes unintelligible, and the lyrics are often unsettling, seemingly inspired by some of the darker moments of the artist’s hiatus from the studio. Blending equal parts soul, funk, and experimental rock, “Black Messiah” comes together in a detailed, direct, and rather cathartic way. Hopefully it will not be 2028 before he releases another album, but if his next album lives up to this one, it will be worth the wait. – DB
#8: Kendrick Lamar – “To Pimp a Butterfly”
Living up to the fireworks of his prior album, “good kid, m.A.A.d city,” seemed an extremely tall task for Kendrick Lamar, who had reset the bar for hip-hop in 2012. With “To Pimp a Butterfly,” Lamar not only cleared his own high bar, but he announced himself as perhaps the most important artist of the decade. “In To Pimp a Butterfly,” Lamar expertly blends genres of jazz, soul, rap, spoken-word and trap, across a marathon-worthy 16 tracks. Lyrically, Lamar is most impressive on tracks such as “Alright,” “For Free?” and “These Walls,” which cumulatively act as a modern-day history lesson of black oppression in America. Similar to our history books, “To Pimp a Butterfly” now rests beside “Doggy Style,” “Straight Outta Compton,” “All Eyez on Me” and “The Chronic” as the greatest SoCal hip-hop albums of all-time. – Patrick Gipson
#7: Kanye West – “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy”
There is not a more divisive artist in the world than Kanye West. His fans are rabid and his detractors loathe him. Even as a huge fan and a self-described Kanye apologist, I can understand how his music is not for everyone. “Yeezus” is abrasive, “Life of Pablo” is self-indulgent, and gone are the days of his soul-sampled summer jams of the mid-2000’s. People hate his public persona, his gospel turn and his arrogance, and I get it. He’s a big, tiring personality. All that being said though, “MBDTF” is an absolute marvel. The production is decadent, meshing different styles from West’s first three albums. Every song seems to build on the previous towards an unsustainable high through the first half of the album, each song radio-worthy, until taking an introspective turn culminating in the 9-minute “Runaway,” a straightforward assessment of his own romantic and public blunders that have led to his infamy. No matter your feelings on Kanye, this is undoubtedly a hip-hop classic. – DB
#6: Jason Isbell – “Southeastern”
Language can be used by some folks to either include, or honestly more often to shut others out. Thankfully for us, the Drive By Truckers veteran isn’t trying to keep anything secret. Isbell’s 2013 masterpiece at times whispers, and other times violently shakes you, begging you to appreciate the glimmers of delicate beauty in living and does so without pretense or condescension. While this album sometimes shoves your face in the brutal reality of your own mortality and doesn’t let you turn away, it isn’t meant to be cruel. Isbell is instead making his case that life is meant to be savored, so always be present, appreciate the moment, notice the subtle and delicious details of love and not take a second of any of it for granted. – JDR
#5: Run the Jewels – “Run the Jewels 2”
The first time I heard this record, I knew that dozens of hours of my future listening time had been abducted. RTJ’s self-titled debut album “Run the Jewels” had passed fairly quietly among hip-hop circles in the Summer of 2013, before “Run The Jewels 2” appeared just 16 months later like an atom bomb. With 12 tracks of absolute fury, Killer Mike screams “You finna look at history being made!” as the album opens up, as if Killer Mike and El-P had recognized just how rare of a moment their combined artistry had arrived at. The album burns like a laced blunt, with furious bangers such as “Blockbuster Night, Pt.1” and “Close Your Eyes (And Count to ****)” meshing with deep, late-night conversation pieces like “Early” and “Angel Duster.” The lyrical depth of “RTJ2” is unmatched by any other Run the Jewels album. As Killer Mike raps on “Angel Duster,” “God really exist I tell you like this it reside inside / And anybody tell you different just selling you religion tryin’ to keep you’re a*s in line.” “RTJ2” revives a sense of distrust of institutions and authorities that leaves the listener sure of only one thing: they can trust Killer Mike and El-P – they’re on the side of the people. – PG
#4: Arcade Fire – “The Suburbs”
Having more or less dismissed this album for a few too many years following its release at the beginning of the decade for reasons I no longer recall, it now stands as one of my very favorites of the era. At points challenging yet overall approachable, it is an unimpeachable distillation of the band’s myriad talents into a compelling work of ambitious art rock. I would contend that “The Suburbs” actually has gotten better with age were it not for the realization that it’s just that my emotional intelligence finally has caught up with its themes of sincerity and nostalgia. – MR
#3: Bon Iver – “Bon Iver”
The self-titled, sophomore album from Justin Vernon is exactly what an album is meant to be. It’s all about flow, seamlessly transitioning between tracks with an elegant grace, each distinct but connected to create a true work of art. It’s the rawest we’ve ever heard Bon Iver, sticking to the basics to create beautiful, stripped down songs that are one of a kind. Grammy winner for Best Alternative Album and New Artist, it’s surprising, yet obvious, that this album achieved such great success. “Bon Iver” is a classic album in every sense. – MM
#2: The War on Drugs – “Lost in the Dream”
With song titles like “Red Eyes,” “Disappearing,” and “Suffering,” it’s no surprise that Adam Granduciel, the frontman and primary songwriter for The War on Drugs, wrote “Lost in the Dream” while living with severe depression and anxiety. He channels his own demons into an Americana-infused dreamscape that paces and drones, rises and crescendos, but always settles back into a brooding rhythm. Granduciel’s self-doubt seeps into the music itself at times, as songs shift moodily, assertiveness giving way to spacey, ponderous movements as if Granduciel is contemplating the song he’s just sung. “Lost in the Dream” borrows elements from the likes of Springsteen and Dylan, combining their influence with an indie-ambient vibe that, together with the subject matter, creates an album that changes every time you listen to it, resonating in different ways at different times, cementing itself as a wonder of modern music. – DB
#1: LCD Soundsystem – “This is Happening”
At the beginning of the decade, LCD Soundsystem released its masterpiece in “This is Happening,” which is saying something as the bar was set high with “Sound of Silver.” Band leader James Murphy weaves multiple melancholic, adult-oriented themes into the work; songs exploring age awareness and his disdain of the music industry are on display, both of which are evident on the track, “You Wanted a Hit.” LCD Soundsystem have never done anything on anyone else’s terms, and this attitude is apparent throughout “This is Happening.” The most remarkable part of the album is the production work, which is a mix of club bangers, punchy post-rock and the occasional ballad. The complete collection shows a group of artists who are truly on top of their game, which made their brief “retirement” all the more shocking. Thankfully, they decided to come back, and we’re all better for it. If there were ever a tone-setting album for the decade, you’d be hard-pressed to find one finer than “This is Happening.” – JF
