10 Best Genre-Blending Rock Albums Of The 2010s

10. II - Unknown Mortal Orchestra (2013)

At the start of the last decade there was an influx of musicians from Down Under, riding the wave of experimental rock into the US and UK music scenes. King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, Tame Impala and Pond, all pioneered the revival of heavy guitar-lead music.

Unknown Mortal Orchestra was another such band. The combination of carefree melodies, trippy guitar sounds and lo-fi recording aesthetic resulted in a dreamlike, fuzzy ambiance to their second record. But, despite the over all uniformity of the album, each track had a unique melody or guitar hook that resulted in some particularly standout numbers.

So Good At Being In Trouble, was a strange mix of upbeat drums and bass lines, set against the somewhat melancholy, vocal performance of Ruban Nielson. Although the lo-fi, psychedelic aspect remained at the forefront of this track, there was definitely a hint of old school rhythm and blues, which injected a healthy degree of soul into the song.

Monki was another great number, with squelchy guitar progressions that steadily drove the song along. The amount of reverb on this track made it feel as though it was recorded in a decompression tank at the bottom of the ocean, but that's no bad thing in this case.

Anyone into fuzzy, experimental rock is sure to love this record.