Editor’s Note: The Albumism staff has selected what we believe to be the 110 Best Albums of the 2010s, representing a varied cross-section of artists, genres, and styles. Click “Next Album” below to explore each album in the list or for easier navigation, view the full introduction & album index here.

ELBOW | The Take Off and Landing of Everything
Fiction/Polydor/Concord (2014)
Selected by Justin Chadwick

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A sublime collection of life-affirming anthems, united thematically around the quest to reconcile—and ultimately embrace—the vicissitudes and conflicts one encounters as he navigates turning 40. And while the songwriting of charismatic frontman Guy Garvey is at its most cerebral, witty and confessional here, his words never overshadow the gorgeous and varied compositions that guide the album along at just the right pace. Aging gracefully and wistfully has never sounded so wonderful.

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