Best Songs of 2010 – Honorable Mentions
One of the year’s happiest surprises was V.V. Brown’s vibrant, confident debut album Travelling Like the Light, a bright fusion of retro sounds and modern hip-hop.
The breakout song from that disc was ‘Shark in the Water,’ which I featured on the blog during my summer song series and which would probably represent the album here if I didn’t have a strict no-repeats rule.
But really, any song on this delightful album qualifies for a spot on my year-end list. I’m going with the fourth track, ‘Leave,’ because it captures so much of what makes this whole album such a winner. Brown’s effervescent vocals, the shifts in time signature and tempo, the 50s pop piano.
Both this song and the whole album are a carnival.
To be caught in a web of a heavy grip
Where you might want believe or try to admit
That the one that you love is a fool you don’t realize
When will you finally wake up
And the love that you hold is a taste of bad luck
And all that you have is a bag full of lies
He’s blinded you deep by the look in the pit of his eyes
And if I knew that this could be
A total catastrophe
I probably would have told you a little sooner so you wouldn’t get hurt
If I could change this possibly
It would be how you want this to be
Cause it ain’t over till it’s all done
So let me finish my conversation
Yes I’m tryna get your attention
Cause your distracted by affection
Can’t you see that it isn’t true
What you thought you had and you knew
And I’ve been chosen to tell you
That you’re stupid and you know you gotta do it leave!
When you are deep in love
It is hard to see past all the dirt and the mud
You tell everyone that it’s great and okay
When you know in your heart
That it hurts and it won’t go away
Afraid to let go of the hand
That you held so tight when he said I’m your man
But his eyes seem to sway at the flick of a switch
And you are alone in the dark with a bruised broken heart
And if i knew that this could be
A total catastrophe
I properly would have told you a little sooner so you wouldn’t get hurt
If i could change this possibly
It would be how you want this to be
Cause it ain’t over till it’s all done
Listen to my conversation
Yes I’m tryna get your attention
Cause your distracted by affection
Can’t you see that it isn’t true
What you thought you had and you knew
And I’ve been chosen to tell you
That you’re stupid and you know you gotta do it leave!
You know that i do get it right
The truest friend you can’t deny
You know that i don’t tell a lie
I know that you love him
It’s clear that you put up a fight
To keep the love still in your life
But i must speak
The truth be told
Even thought i know you love him
Cause it ain’t over till it’s all done
Listen to my conversation
Yes I’m trying get your attention
Cause your distracted by his affection
Can’t you see it isn’t true
What you thought you had and you knew
And I’ve been chosen to tell you
That you’re stupid and you know you gotta do it do it!
Say what!
Cos you’re stupid and you know you gotta do it leave!
Meet Me In Montauk 
It’s driving me crazy that I’ve heard this song before, but don’t know where I heard it. Anyway, I do like her sound.