Wait, didnt I already review the 2010s? Indeed I did! See here for my picks for the best albums of the 2010s from that first review. But we’re not quite done, and the reason why involves 2024…It turns out that 2024 is the 25th year of the millennium. And that is just too rich a symbolic target for me to forgo- the chance to review the best albums of the past 25 years! I have all the source material I’ll need: I’ve reviewed the 2000s in several venues, did the above-mentioned 2010s review, and have top 20-23 lists for 2020, 2021, 2022 & 2023, with the search for 24 for 2024 now underway.

But my 2010s list is a little light comparatively. While my 2000s list from various sources sports around 60 entries, my 2010s review of 52 of the the critic’s top-ranked albums resulted in 34 picks. In order to balance that out a bit decade by decade, I’ve decided to go ahead and review the next tier down of 2010s albums per my original source lists. That will give us 36 more albums to review, which I’ll do in 6 blocks of 6. And hopefully thereby have a few more picks for our Grand Review of 2000-2024 to come!

Got it? Okay, let’s go with part 2!

Coloring Book (Chance the Rapper, 2016)– Acid Rap was one of my favorites of the v1 2010s review, so I definitely came in to this album interested. And it does share exuberant sonic landscapes and a winning personality with that earlier album. In fact, the best tracks here are really great, easily up to decade’s best status. But as a whole it doesn’t quite feel coherent sonically, thematically, or in terms of flow. Not for the first time, a collection of great songs does not necessarily a successful album make!

Pop2 (Charli XCX, 2017)– Similar to the above entry, Charli XCX was already on my radar for her album how i’m feeling now having been one of my top 20 picks for 2020. This outing is also tickling my fancy. It is, to be sure, very highly produced and sometimes autotuned EDM. But it has a sharp jagged energy to it, keeps moving, and pulls out many sonic surprises along the way. Dance music isn’t going anywhere. Dance music shouldn’t go anywhere. So may it be this good!

Settle (Disclosure, 2013)– I am told that Disclosure is an English electronic music duo. This seems plausible, and I find no reason to doubt it. Indeed, a quick listen here bears that out, and it the album down a good background groove. I especially appreciate the more than occasional dips into classic 303 synth bass territory. But I don’t really feel like this adds up to more than a sum of parts.

If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late (Drake, 2015)– You know, it is really nice to see a mix tape succeed! His 2011 album Take Care made my original 2010s list, but it did strike me as a little too slick. This is much rawer, with at times even an air of desperation, without sacrificing quality. Some of that’s inherent to mixtape as a form, but maybe also having hit it really big with the earlier album, he had some ambivalent feelings to process (there’s lyrical evidence for this), or just had the confidence and comfort to release something with less trimming and grooming? Wherever it comes from, with a little more than an hour run time there isn’t a single track I tuned out on.

I Love You, Honeybear (Father John Misty, 2015)– I’ve certainly heard of Father John, and seen him play on a late night show here and there, but wouldn’t have considered myself super-familiar. That being said, this kind of thing is right up my alley- a country-inflected southern California folk with reference to some classic R&B sounds and a lush production level on top that raises everything to theatrical levels. The shimmery beauty is perfectly offset by the frequently highly bitter and cutting lyrics, and a heartfelt voice that feels totally sincere in celebrating the beauty and the pain. I think we’ve got a winner!

World War 3 (Gas) (Gucci Mane, 2015)– There’s definitely some skill and welcome flow to this hip-hop album, and some welcome disruptive tongue in check energy. It’s also very autotuned, cliche bound, and kind of sing-songy and same after a while. In a decade with so much hip hop wealth, I just don’t see this as being a decade’s best.

So there we are with the batch two of six of the 36 overflow albums for the 2010s that I’ll be reviewing! From this batch, I would say If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late and I Love You Honeybear are definite “yeses”, and Pop2 is a “maybe”. Who knows what may await us in albums 13-18?