Albums of 2010 - The Ones That Got Away

 Over the next week or so, I will be revealing my top 20 albums of 2010, but as is always the case, there are a few albums that slipped the net; with limited funds and time, there are some albums which I just haven't had the chance to listen to, or at least not enough times to generate a fair assessment in the grand scheme of things. So before you gander upon my top 20 and feel outraged because such-and-such album is not there, consult this list first; in a fairer world, these albums might just have featured strongly.

The Roots - How I Got Over

Pretty much the only hip-hop album I've liked this year, and it's come from the ever-reliable Roots; being the house band on an american talk show has done their credibility no harm whatsoever, it would seem.

No Age - Everything In Between

I have no good excuse for not owning this; Nouns was one of my favourite albums of 2008, and based on the reviews there's every reason to believe that the LA noise-rock duo made a fine follow-up.

Field Music - Measure

Winging its way to me in the post as I type this, Measure is a release which slipped under my radar. The Sunderland four-piece returned in 2010 from a three-year hiatus with a 20-song magnum opus of their uniquely clever and intricate power-pop.

Joanna Newsom - Have One On Me

I've never been a fan of Newsom and her Lisa Simpson-esque vocals, but it's hard not to admire somebody who follows up an album as grandiose as Ys with a triple album, albeit one which still manages to be regarded as her most accessible record to date.

Avi Buffalo - Avi Buffalo

This release ticks a lot of boxes -  signed to Sub-Pop, comparisons with Pacific Mid-West bands like Built To Spill and the Shins, naive love-lorn lyrics - but Avi Buffalo's self-titled debut has yet to find its way onto my CD rack. All in good time.

Kanye West - My Dark Twisted Fantasy

Kanye, like Joanna Newsom, is an artist I respect more than actually like, but judging by the ecstatic reviews it's been receiving, the man's pulled something special out of the bag with this one.