Best Albums of 2010 Staff Picks: Hailey Hill

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Best Albums of 2010 Staff Picks: Hailey Hill

Positivexposure’s newest family member, contributing writer Hailey Hill, shares her top 10 albums of 2010 and shows why we added her to the team.

#10 Skyway // Nauseating Suburbia Australian pop-punk at its best. It was such a massive year for the Gold Coast quintet and after seeing them with The Wonder Years and listening to this on a regular basis, they had me hooked in. Their cover of “Fast Car” by Tracy Chapman (appropriately titled, “Back In The ’80s, This Song Ruled”) is one of my all time favourite covers too, so give that a go along with anthem, “Bright Eyes Never Die”.

#9 What We Left Behind // Veara
Veara’s record was produced by Jeremy McKinnon of A Day To Remember and this influence shines through. I’d sum this up simply as ‘fun’. It’s not lyrically deep, although it’s very relatable because it’s primarily about moving on or escaping towns etc. The gang vocal parts hook me in too, I’m a sucker for ‘em.

#8 Real Talk // Man Overboard

From the opening track, Man Overboard stay true to themselves and defend pop-punk. This continues all the way through as they talk about relationships whilst playing and singing ridiculously catchy riffs and harmonies. Very much looking forward to the day they tour Australia.

#7 American Slang // The Gaslight Anthem
I listened to this band when I found out they were playing Soundwave Festival 2011. Although I kicked myself for not checking them out earlier, I was stoked to hear the flawless record and in the end they’ve become a must see at the festival which kicks off in under a months time. American Slang is a record which I feel appeals to many ages including my 40-something year old parents, perhaps due to the Bruce Springsteen, New Jersey sound that the band has.

#6 Dead City // Lovers Grave
Many people compare Lovers Grave to Architects but I really do prefer the Melbourne outfit to the English lads. Although they had many issues and technical problems with this EP and it was self-admittedly rushed, I found myself listening to Dead City more and more every day for a few months. This addiction grew after I saw them live at a local show and was captivated by vocalist, Dillon Rivers’ on stage energy and antics and crowd interaction.

#5 Youngbloods // The Amity Affliction
Raising the bar yet again, The Amity Affliction returned with their second full length and my favourite release of theirs. Lyrically I find it to be more positive which is always something that catches my attention with music. A line up change saw Clint Ellis (The Getaway Plan) replace guitar position that Chris Burt once had and his presence is evident through his signature melodic guitar lines. Youngbloods graced the charts and did Aussie hardcore fans proud.

#4 Enemy of the World // Four Year Strong
I like to call this, pop-mosh. I think this is as heavy as pop-punk can go without diving into other genres. Machine has produced this superbly and has mastered the perfect balance of pop and punk that I dearly love. Enemy Of The World is a record I can listen to from front to back whilst belting out the lyrics and chucking a bedroom mosh…and then I have no hesitation in pressing the repeat button for the rest of the day and doing it all over again.

#3 What Separates Me From You // A Day To Remember

When I first listened to this, I thought it was no way near as good as previous release Homesick. After listening twice I realised it was just as fantastic. This band never fails me and I feel guilty to think they could have. Perfect mix of my two favourite genres, post-hardcore and pop-punk, and they’ve got just the right amount of each!

#2 Hope // Dream on, Dreamer

Dream On, Dreamer is a band from Melbourne, Australia, who I’ve watched since pretty much day one. Even before debut EP, Hope was released, they’ve had such a huge following and it’s been so exiting to see them continuously win over crowds. I find that so many bands in their genre sound so similar but Dream On, Dreamer is such a unique band, full of talent and genuine people. Check out “Chapter; Desired Permanence” and “In August”; two tracks which give you a great taste of the bands heavy side, lighter side and contrasting vocals. (Marcel Gadacz: screams and Mcoy: clean vocals) They’ll be recording their full length in the states in April and to say that I’m highly anticipating it would be understatement of the century. These guys are going places.

#1 The Upsides // The Wonder Years
The Upsides is my #1 album to turn to when I’m down because it’s just so overwhelmingly positive. Sometimes I think you just need someone to tell you that ‘everything is going to be ok’. This is what The Upsides ultimately says, as it looks at situations that many people can relate to, making it therapeutic for myself and many others, including vocalist Dan ‘Soupy’ Campbell. After a not so good 2009, this being released in January was such perfect timing for me as I headed into 2010 which I knew was going to be a big year in many aspects.