The Auditorium

Album Review: First Aid Kit - The Lion's Roar

2012-01-23T11:18:00.000Z

First Aid Kit - The Lion's Roar

You do have to be a bit patient when ploughing through albums by artists you haven't heard of. Clearly there's a bit of taking the rough with the smooth, but the joy is when you uncover a great record that you'd have never previously have considered.

First Aid Kit are sisters Johanna and Klara Soderberg and they hail from a small suburb of Stockholm. The Lion's Roar is their second studio album, and a lovely piece of work it is too. The pair have been compared favourably to the Fleet Foxes, although it's an indier and more country tinged sound than, say, Helplessness Blues. I suspect that the comparison comes from the songwriting and beautiful harmonies that the sisters create on tracks such as Emmylou and In The Hearts Of Men.

Conor Oberst makes a guest appearance on the lovely final track King of the World by which time I was totally encapsulated by this record. I'd hesitate before calling them the Swedish Pierces, but it's the most appropriate comparison I can make. If you like the Foxes, the Staves and the Pierces then it's certainly a record you need to hear immediately.

The first excellent album of 2012. Hoo-blooming-rah.

i was raised up believing i was somehow unique

2012-01-03T19:35:00.000Z

The Top 10 Albums of 2011

1. Fleet Foxes - Helplessness Blues (LB)

As I have already said, 2011 was a pretty ordinary year for new music. I've listened to dozens of albums this year and while there were plenty that were perfectly acceptable, I don't think I have heard one 'great' album.

So, my #1 album for 2011 is something that wouldn't have troubled the top of my list in any other previous year. Saying that, it's a lovely record and the follow-up to an album that was almost impossible to follow-up.

At the time, I wondered whether the Fleet Foxes' decision to éschew their marvellous medieval harmonies in favour of sounding more like a normal band was the right one. However, on multiple listens it appears that, in fact, Helplessness Blues was the perfect way for the band to develop. Sounding more like Simon and Garfunkel and less like something from an episode of early Blackadder, the more I listen to this beautiful record, the more I enjoy it. I do miss the wonderful vocal work that characterised their debut album but the songwriting remains superb and it's a very likeable and engaging record.

Title track Helplessness Blues also contains some of my favourite lyrics of 2011:

"I was raised up believing I was somehow unique
Like a snowflake distinct among snowflakes, unique in each way you can see
And now after some thinking, I'd say I'd rather be
A functioning cog in some great machinery serving something beyond me"

Lovely. Fantastic band and a very, very good album.

Listen to - Helplessness Blues

1. Ed Sheeran - + (bedshaped)

In the absence of Damien Rice ever releasing another album, I’m always keen to find new male singer song-writers. I love female singer song-writers too, but there’s something that touches more deeply when it’s a guy pouring his heart out. While Ed isn’t as touching and honest and broken down as Damien has been, he’s pretty good at getting heard.

He’s a honest song-writer. His lyrics are pin point accurate at times, but I wonder if his age comes into play with some of his lyrics; Wake Me Up being an example where he sings about Shrek and playing video games. I dunno. A lot of his lyrics are delivered in a “say what you see” style. There’s not much depth and typically twisted lyrics here. It’s a stark and honest way of writing. Reminds me of The Streets in a way.

A mixture of acoustic and mellow ballads and more uptempo songs, this is a very easy album to listen to. A perfect background music album. Ed delivers some great guitar work and his backing band are good enough, but it’s more his stories and the gentle feeling of this album that wins you over. There’s a lot of talk of love on here, and it’s during the ballads such as Wake Me Up and the brutal and stripped back This that really catch the attention here. Here’s a young guy who’s showing the talent that any guy would absolutely love to have. The talent and ability to write a love song about how he really feels.

The critics seem to be divided on him at the moment. Some praising this young and flourishing talent, some writing him off as a wannabe who got lucky. Whatever. In my eyes, he’s produced a brilliant album of pleasing pop songs. There’s nothing offensive here, ok, maybe the occasional naughty word, but on the whole it’s a very enjoyable album. Enough uptempo tracks to prompt a foot tapping or gentle nodding, enough ballads to stop you in your tracks and made you think.

Listen to - Lego House

1. Noah and the Whale - Last Night On Earth (Swisslet)

I’m pretty sure I should hate this band: just look at those haircuts and those over-privileged, jutting jaws and tweed jackets. Every time I see them on TV I want to smash their smug faces in (apart from the guitarist, who looks like he has wandered in from an entirely different band). This impression was further reinforced by the somewhat twee smugness of their music: 5 Years Time was initially decent enough, but suffered more with every subsequent listen.

Another band to ignore then? Well, not entirely.

2009’s The First Days of Spring began the process of changing my mind. Heartbreak had apparently beaten some of the smugness out of Charlie Fink, and the album was full of beautiful songs of loss and hurt. It’s hardly a party album, but it’s a fantastic achievement and was certainly good enough that I bought the follow-up, Last Night on Earth as soon as it came out, on the same day that I purchased Elbow’s Build a Rocket Boys!. I fully expected that Elbow would be the band to monopolise my stereo, but quite to my surprise, they got first play and then barely got a look in. It was all about Noah and the Whale.

It’s the songs, you see. Fink seems happier, but the smugness seems to have stayed away: Life is Life, Tonight’s The Kind of Night, L.I.F.E.G.O.E.S.O.N, Give It All Back, Waiting For My Chance to Come, Old Joy… the album is packed with quality songs, with Fink often cast in the role of storyteller. L.I.F.E.G.O.E.S.O.N and Give It All Back in particular never seem to fail to make the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end.

I’ve not been to many gigs this year, but I have seen Noah and the Whale twice and they were fantastic both times (especially in the Bowery Ballroom in New York, but that’s such a great place to see a band that I’m not sure I can really count it). They still look eminently puncheable of course, but there’s simply no denying that I haven’t listened to any other record this year half as much as I have listened to this one.

Listen to - L.I.F.E.G.O.E.S.O.N.

what makes me love you despite the reservations?

2012-01-02T14:52:00.001Z

The Top 10 Albums of 2011

2. Fleet Foxes - Helplessness Blues (Swisslet)

It is no exaggeration to say that the debut album by the Fleet Foxes, released in 2008, is one of my favourite ever records. There is just something so perfect about those magnificent harmonies, and I can’t recall hearing a band who sounded remotely like them. It was as though they had stepped out of the fifteenth century.

So magnificent was that record that I found it difficult to imagine where the band would go next. They couldn’t just release more of the same, but where can you go when your major influences appear to be from the Middle Ages? The answer, it seems, was to become a more traditional sounding band: those amazing vocal harmonies that were such a key part of their sound on the debut, are still present but are much less prominent here. Instead we have a more traditional set up of a band supporting a much clearer lead singer in Robin Pecknold.

This doesn’t sound all that promising on paper, as it seems to take away the band’s unique selling point, but actually it works really well. The reason? The songs are strong. Montezuma, Sim Sala Bim, Battery Kinzie, Helplessness Blues, Lorelai… wonderful, warm songs all, brought to life by Pecknold’s crystal clear voice. I could live without that jarring free jazz sax solo that breaks in towards the end of the record, but that aside, this is a lovely record by a band that sound like no other. I can’t wait for the next one.

Listen to - Sim Sala Bim

2. Elbow - Build A Rocket Boys! (LB)

Considering I bought Asleep in the Back a decade or so ago, it's taken an awfully long time for Elbow to clamber their way into a list of acts I'd name if you wanted to know who my favourite bands are. I've seen them live on numerous occasions over the years - mostly in the company of Swisslet - and have always enjoyed their shows without falling in love with them. Sure, there have been moments - the beautiful Newborn and Puncture Repair, the brilliant Station Approach and Leaders of the Free World - but I can't say I'd ever been their biggest fan.

Therefore, I am not sure what happened. It certainly wasn't The Seldom Seen Kid as there are Elbow records I like better. Perhaps it was simply repeat listens, getting a bit older or simply my love of the amazing One Day Like This that unlocked the door, but whatever it was I am delighted it finally happened.

Build A Rocket Boys! is a traditional Elbow album in the sense that it isn't something that grabs you instantly. Indeed, it probably took me a dozen listens or so before I really began to adore this brilliant record. Combining Guy Garvey's lovely and 'real' lyrics with yet more great instrumentation, this is another great Elbow record. I love the anthemic Open Arms, the beautiful Lippy Kids and the gradually building The Birds but it is on the utterly beautiful (and very true, in my experience) The Night Will Always Win that Elbow have again produced a beautiful and majestic pop record that will live with me forever.

I was lucky enough to see Elbow twice in 2011 also, and both times they were astonishingly good, largely thank to Garvey's gregarious and endearing personality (although, if there is a criticism, it's that both gigs were a little too focused on the recent two albums).

Elbow are a national treasure, and this is another fine record.

Listen to: The Night Will Always Win

2. Radiohead - The King of Limbs (bedshaped)

It’s no secret how much I love Radiohead. Even in their ‘difficult’ period, I can still hear the genius, in the background, fighting for attention. People will say they find it difficult to associate the same band that produced The Bends or OK Computer with Kid A and their last album, In Rainbows; a monumental album of pure genius. And I can understand that. And I can totally respect it. But one of the reasons I love this band so much, is listening to them grow and evolve and change and experiment. Considering I feel like I’ve been with them since Pablo Honey, they are probably one of biggest musical influences in my life.

Eight tracks, running in at just under 40 minutes (some say the perfect album length!), this is Radiohead in a much more playful mood than on In Rainbows. There’s a lot more knob twiddling, sampling, scratching, looping, vocal play going on here, particularly during the first half. Lots of programmed percussion, but their drummer is also getting mixed in (the fabulous Lotus Flower being a great example) and overall it’s the beats that really dig in here. Thom’s vocals are typically great, but there’s lots of vocal sampling, scratching, back-mixing and the likes on the up-tempo tracks. I like it, but it does take away some of the fragility of his voice. And that’s such a shame. That said the pulsating rhythms are infectious and hypnotic. There’s a certain ravey-trance vibe going down here

Thom’s vocals really come into play on the final three tracks; Codex; a piano led ballad, haunting backing vocals, wonderfully effective brass sections, sombre cello moments creating a chilling song that sets off those all too familiar goosebumps, Give Up The Ghost; heartbeat percussion, minimal chord strokes on an acoustic guitar, light bongos, amazing backing vocal samples and Thom has never sounded better, Separator; busy drums, boomy basslines that walk up and down the frets, again some fantastic backing vocal playaround, then about half-way in, a guitar hook sneaks in from outta nowhere and sinks itself deep inside your head. And you hear it days later. It’s soulful, it’s rhythmic, it’s swirling, it’s hypnotic, it’s trance-like, it’s dreamy. It’s a bloody stroke of genius!

For me, Radiohead just keep getting better and better. I secretly like the fact that when they release albums like this; slightly more experimental, their fan demographic changes. The more I read about the band members, what they stand for and why they love making music so much, the more I fall for them. Radiohead are like my bestest friend ever. They never let me down.

Listen to – Separator

we would chase ourselves until the sun forgot to shine

2011-12-30T14:17:00.000Z

The Top 10 Albums of 2011

3. Snow Patrol - Fallen Empires (bedshaped)

For me, Snow Patrol have always been a consistently good band. The brilliant Eyes Open was a particular favourite of mine, being responsible for the wonderful ballad that was Chasing Cars and the gorgeous Set The Fire To The Third Bar. I have to admit, I think I’d kinda written them off as a good band, but a band that would never amount to anything near what they deserved. A bit like how I felt about Elbow, before they exploded, got over-exposed and produced a piss poor follow up to one of my all time favourite albums.

In my opinion Snow Patrol have smashed it this time. This really is a great, great album. They usually fare better with their ballads, and even though they have the lovely Lifening, the stunning The Garden Rules and the radio-play smash This Isn’t Everything You Are, there’s much more to hear on this collection. The more uptempo songs have the makings of classic songs, and there’s a few scattered here and there that build and build into those crashing anthemic songs that bring to mind stadiums filled with singalong fans. Yes, they are touching Coldplay territory here, but delivering it in a much more.....well, a much more mature and convincing way. As if these songs may have begun life as a simple piano driven ballad, and through growth and experimentation, developed into a huge wall of instruments, chanting, chanting. These songs don’t feel forced or primed, they feel natural.

Lead singer, Gary Lightbody has such a lovely, warm voice. His Irish accent drips through on his vocals, particularly in the ballads and I can’t help but feel drawn to him. Warming to him like he’s the nicest person in the world, right now. A strange feeling. His accent only helps with his emotional delivery and you find yourself believing every damn word he sings. He undoubtedly comes into his own when singing the ballads. This is where it feels like his heart is.

Snow Patrol are treading some new territory on this album. The instruments seems to be mixed much better, and I hear looping, programming beats and lines and even some electronic slipping in. But, it’s all quite subtle and they don’t seem to stray too far from their ‘sound’. For the rockier and more epic tracks; pounding drums provide the foundations for some great thumping bass, and some of the guitar work is wonderfully ambitious. For the more mellow tracks; piano or acoustic guitar tends to lead the way, with Gary spinning his stories alongside . The tracks that stand out the most to me, are the ones that cleverly and quite neatly blend the two styles together. To say some of these gigantic rock-ballads are epic is selling them short. If Snow Patrol can do one thing well, it’s produce a mighty fine ballad of mahoosive proportions. These songs almost demand vast stadiums to be performed in.

Listen to – The Garden Rules

3. Elbow - Build A Rocket Boys! (Swisslet)

Following up an album as good and as successful as The Seldom Seen Kid was always going to be a bit of a struggle, wasn’t it? Apparently not for these boys. Look, I’ll be honest with you: I bought this record as soon as it came out, but it took several months for it to take hold. I didn’t think it was a bad record or anything, it’s just that it didn’t grab me immediately and instead took several months before I realised that it had wormed its way underneath my skin.

It wasn’t until I heard Lippy Kids on the radio one day that I realised that they’d bloody well done it again. Listening to those lyrics, I realised that there can’t be many lyricists around with Guy Garvey’s gift for exuding warmth and humanity, even when he’s singing about kids hanging around in bus shelters. Build a rocket boys! I can’t think of another lyricist with such a gift for bringing a lump to my throat and making the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.

Seeing them live at Glastonbury sealed the deal: another gorgeous singalong with nearly 100,000 people singing their hearts out. We were eating out of the palm of Garvey’s hand and well he knew it. I was crying like a baby by the end. Brilliant. All of their albums have taken a little while to grow on me, actually, and much though I love The Seldom Seen Kid, my favourite remains Leaders of the Free World. I’m not sure that I would say that this record represents progress, as such, but it does surely demonstrate that the success of their last record was not a fluke. The Birds, Lippy Kids, Neat Little Rows, High Ideals, Jesus Is A Rochdale Girl…. There’s not a bad song on here. Success has been a long time coming, but boy do they deserve it.

Listen to - Lippy Kids

3. Noah and the Whale - Last Night On Earth (LB)

It's been a strange journey for me and Noah and the Whale. I bought their debut album Peaceful The World Lays Me Down mainly for my missus, seeing as she liked the jaunty (but frankly quite annoying) breakthrough single Five Years Time. Having become quickly bored by the tedious ukelele and chirpy, folky jauntiness I almost immediately wrote them off.

Then, one day, bored at home I decided to listen to their follow-up album The First Days Of Spring. And immediately listened to it again. And again. And again. It was, and remains, one of the most beautiful albums ever committed to CD - melancholy but utterly beautiful.

So, buying the band's third album Last Night On Earth was always a bit of a no-brainer. This time, however, the band seem to have adopted neither a folk nor a beautiful orchestral approach, going for the sort of sound you'd perhaps expect to hear on a sunny American freeway with the top of your Cadillac down and your hair blowing in the Arizona wind.

And, on the whole, it works. Last Night On Earth seems to broadly be telling the tale of the band's origins - songs refer to their early days performing in school assemblies and them getting out of their small provincial towns 'promising they would never go back' and whilst it's not the most original record ever made, it is one of the most entertaining.

The songwriting is of the highest quality here with radio friendly singles L.I.F.E.G.O.E.S.O.N, Life is Life and the brilliant Tonight's The Kind Of Night particular highlights. Whether they have sold out in favour of more commercial success is another question, but for now it's simply a great record.

One caveat, though - don't expect it to be brilliant live. Having seen the band this autumn I was immensely disappointed. They can't recreate their sound live on stage and so their show lacks charisma and power. It's a very wet reproduction of some great material and ultimately rather a waste of time.

Buy the record instead. It really is rather good.

Listen to - Tonight's The Kind Of Night

it's only been a year

2011-12-29T11:54:00.002Z

The Top 10 Albums of 2011

4. The Vaccines - What Did You Expect From The Vaccines? (LB)

It's not big and it's not clever. As Swisslet has already pointed out, there's nothing much original here either, but I have found myself loving this, the debut release from the Vaccines.

Packed full of punchy and short guitar pop records, it's a record full of fun and great tunes. Post Break Up Sex is one of my singles of 2011 despite not actually being particularly representative of the rest of the album) and I also really like it when the band chill out a bit on the likes of Wetsuit and A Lack Of Understanding.

Great live - their Glastonbury slot was a highlight - and slightly less of a Ramones tribute act than a lot of people believe, the answer to What Did You Expect From The Vaccines? was, in truth, an album that was less joyful, entertaining and downright catchy than the one they produced.

Listen to: A Lack Of Understanding

4. Chapel Club - Palace (bedshaped)

Another album that I was tempted to download after reading a review. That review didn’t give the album the justice I think it deserves. This is a terrific album!

Guitar driven rock and indie is what’s on the cards here. Pure and simple. The basslines are particularly prominent, giving a nice Bunnymen, White Lies, Joy Division, Interpol feeling. The drums are great in places; really crashing, throbbing and just....booming! The vocals are honest and delivered effortlessly, perfect for the style of music. There’s no danger of the greatest male vocal in the world being found on here, but his voice fits really well with the music. Not too sombre and down-beat. Enough hope and inspiration can be heard and that’s why this album is much more uplifting than its most likely influential predecessors.

Feeling decidedly short, but clocking in around 44 minutes, this is ten full blown, cracking tracks. The opening instrumental track doesn’t count, but sets the tone very nicely into “Surfacing”, a dirty bassline driven rollocker. Moody vocals add to the ambience and even the nursery rhymish chorus fits perfectly.

What’s drawn me back to this album time and time, again is the good old earworm. There’s plenty to be found here. The guitar hooks are vindictive, and the chorus’s are perfectly shaped. Quite often I would find myself enjoying one of the tracks, then when the chorus kicks in, it just makes me peak my interest in the song that little bit more. Days, sometimes weeks later, something would trigger that particular earworm, and I’d spend the rest of the day trying to figure out who the hell it was. When I pinned it down and listened to it again, I’d find myself picking back through the rest of the album. With more listens of each track, a new section in the song could be heard. Like, with each listen, a layer was being peeled back to reveal it’s true nature. That’s the sign of a damn good album!

There is hope for real bands yet!

Listen to – All The Eastern Girls

4. The Pierces - You & I (Swisslet)

Sisters Catherine and Alison Pierce been releasing records together as the Pierces since 2000, but it’s only now, with their fourth album, that they seem to have found some genuine mainstream commercial success. Critical acclaim (and a song – Secret - featured on hit US TV shows Dexter and Gossip Girl) never really converted into sales, and the band seemed on the verge of calling it quits before fate intervened in the unlikely shape of Coldplay bassist, Guy Berryman and an offer to produce their next album.

The result, You & I reached number four in the UK Albums chart – the first of their albums to make the chart in the UK - and although the singles You’ll Be Mine and Glorious didn’t really bother the top 40, both featured heavily on national radio playlists and can still be heard over the PA system in Boots, of all places. It’s not especially original sounding, perhaps, with the most obvious reference point being Fleetwood Mac, but this is smart, well-written pop music for grown ups.

It’s something of a shame that the sisters seem to have lost the waspish edge that informed some of their earlier albums (Boring, for instance), but this is more than made up for by the wealth of fantastically written tunes on this album. They just keep on coming: You’ll Be Mine, It Will Not Be Forgotten, Glorious, Kissing You Goodbye…. As something of a rock fan, this sort of thing isn’t usually my cup of tea, but I’ve surprised myself with quite how much I’ve taken this album into my heart.

Listen to - Kissing You Goodbye

the fast goes fast and the slow goes slow

2011-12-28T10:59:00.000Z

The Top 10 Albums of 2011

5. The Young Knives - Ornaments From The Silver Arcade (Swisslet)

Ashby-de-la-Zouch probably doesn’t produce all that many rockstars, and it somehow seems fitting that the ones that they do produce like to perform onstage wearing tweed suits. Formed as long ago as 2002, the band found ‘instant’ success with their Mercury nominated debut album, 2006’s Voices of Animals and Men. Although that album is packed with great tracks, for me, the Young Knives have only got better with each successive album they’ve released: 2008s Superabundance and now this year’s Ornaments from the Silver Arcade.

Their distinctive, pastoral-edged, rock has got more and more sophisticated and, a bit weirdly, given how they look, their music has now got an almost sexy swagger about it –if you don’t believe me, then just check out Woman or Silver Tongue on this record. See what I mean? The sad truth is that the band have also become less commercially successful with each release, and this album only scraped its way to number 80 in the UK chart.

It’s such a shame that a record like this isn’t heard by more people, although the first I heard about the new album was when I heard Human Again played on BBC 6 Music; it sounded so distinctive and was so obviously by the Young Knives that I looked it up the moment I got home and found out that the album had actually already been out for some time…. And I’m a fan who has seen them live several times. If I nearly missed it, what chance has someone of discovering the band now? Such a shame, because they’re a great band and real originals too. Cherish them whilst they’re still bothering to scream into the void.

Listen to - Human Again

5. Coldplay - Mylo Xyloto (LB)

If there was ever evidence for this year being a pretty poor one for albums, it's the fact that a distinctly average Coldplay record is still much better than all but four other records in 2011.

I'm a huge fan of Coldplay but am still not entirely convinced by Mylo Xyloto. However, unlike lots of other Coldplay records which I have liked immediately (I remember loving Speed of Sound from the very time I heard it) I am finding myself liking Mylo Xyloto more with every subsequent listen. Single Paradise has grown on my immensely while Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall is one of my top ten sngles of the eyar.

Coldplay remain lyrically suspect and there are one or two tracks which disappear in one ear and out of the other. However, despite what I thought on first listen, the band's collaboration with Rihanna - Princess of China - actually works and the likes of Charlie Brown, Hurts Like Heaven and Up In Flames are solid and likeable Coldplay songs.

I don't think it is their best album by any means but in a year where I have listened to more new music than ever before, the fact this album still makes my top five is rather a sad indictment of the state of the music business.

Listen to: Princess of China / Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall

5. The Naked and Famous - Passive Me, Aggressive You (bedshaped)

I think this is their debut, but I could be wrong. What I do know though, is that this album grabbed me on the very first listen.

This is like....erm....indie songs, but with electronic and pop elements in it. There’s elements of Arcade Fire here, along with Subways, Friendly Fires, Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs and even Radiohead. Loose indie songs; some of which are driven by a guy singing, some driven by the girl, coupled with some great guitar work, some looping, and oh yes, they weren’t shy in the feedback and reverb areas and some infectious keyboard strokes. The percussion is pretty good too. Imagine The XX on RedBull. No?

This album would have a perfect second album for Sleigh Bells or even The Ting Tings; should they wish to drop their sugar-pop trend and go all out adventurous. There’s songs on here that have a certain pop element to them, then in from nowhere comes a twisting loop, or some vocal sampling, or some sampled feedback, and it sends the song in a completely new direction. Most of these songs aren’t just songs, they’re like mini-plays. They have layers. They have acts. They even have slight intervals.

Songs will begin with programmed percussion, bombastic basslines and keyboard rinky-tinks, then switch direction with some clever vocal play or some monsterous guitar riff. Other songs are driven by keyboards and dual vocals, then burst into life with bass and guitar whooshing in to add depth, then switch to something else. Others begin with pulsating beats and low-fi keyboard strokes before crashing into a frenzied dance beat, with all sorts of crazy samples and loops. And it all makes sense.

I don’t know where this album came from. I picked up a review online and convinced myself it was worth a listen. The more I listen to it, the more it digs itself into me. The more it means something. Different, diverse, interesting. Definitely worth a listen. Albums like this give me great hope in the future of music. With the charts dominated with auto-tune R & B, there’s a distinct lack of new bands and artists coming through who show much promise in the talented department. This is a lovely breath of fresh air.

Listen to – Frayed

what if I’ve been trying to get to where I’ve always been?

2011-12-27T10:44:00.000Z

The Top 10 Albums of 2011

6. Manchester Orchestra - Simple Math (bedshaped)

Not from Manchester nor an orchestra, these guys from REM’s neighbourhood have produced a great rock and indie album, with imaginative arrangements and hooks a plenty. There’s quite a scope within the album, as such it’s quite difficult to pin them down. And that’s one of the nice things about it. Tracks begin with gentle intros, grow into indie, touch on a country twang, then mature into rock. Then we have the orchestrations adding bulk and emotion to the songs. There’s certainly brushes with REM, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Young Knives, Noah & The Whale, Smashing Pumpkins, The Decemberists, even They Might Be Giants.

This album is packed with great songs; bringing together rock ‘n’ roll, blues, indie, folk and AOR under one roof. And melting them with some lovely orchestra arrangements that compliment the songs perfectly. Especially the strings. Oh mannnn, it’s always the strings! The orchestrations add to the growth of the songs. Pale Black Eye is a perfect example, beginning in a dirty, bluesy style, then finding itself more of an indie tune before the orchestral backing sweeps in and grows the song to anthemic proportions.

It may be unfamiliar territory for many people, but as the album plays through, (and I can remember this, the first couple of times I heard it) it all sounds so strangely familiar. Without being an album that treads old ground. It’s not breaking new boundaries by any means, but it’s different enough to have captured my ears for the year.

Listen to – Simple Math

6. PJ Harvey - Let England Shake (Swisslet)

I stumbled across PJ Harvey at some point around 1993 when, as a student, I innocently picked up a copy of Rid of Me after reading about it in the NME. Oh my goodness. I was somewhat ill prepared for the assault on my ears that followed, and Harvey’s exhortation to “lick my legs, I’m on fire” has stayed with me ever since. To say that record is raw and angry doesn’t really even begin to do it justice. I was hooked.

I can’t think of anyone else in the British music business who has so steadfastly followed their own muse as Polly Harvey. Trends come and trends go, but PJ Harvey can always be relied upon to go her own way and she certainly doesn’t repeat herself. Sometimes, as with Stories From the City, Stories From the Sea and To Bring You My Love, her work has been accessible and popular, but many of her other albums are far less immediate, even if they are generally uniformly excellent. White Chalk is a stunning record, but it sounds like nothing else recorded in 2007, that’s for damn sure.

Perhaps it should be no surprise then that, if anyone was going to record an album about the horrors of World War I and the post-War chaos that ultimately led to the rise of the Third Reich, that PJ Harvey would be the person to do it. As she did on White Chalk, Harvey sings much of Let England Shake in a kind of falsetto, and this lends an air of almost detachment as she sings about “soldiers falling like lumps of meat”. It won the Mercury Prize for the record of the year, and although it isn’t my number one choice, it’s a damn good choice.

Listen to - The Words That Maketh Murder – somehow rendered all the more effective by her echoing of Summertime Blues in the lyrics.

6. Kelly Clarkson - Stronger (LB)

Sometimes you just can't beat a bit of high quality pop music. And, since winning American Idol in 2002, that's exactly what Kelly Clarkson has been providing us with.

In many ways Clarkson is the Belinda Carlisle of the 21st century. She's beautiful, has a great voice and produces guitar power popof the highest order, including classics such as Since You've Been Gone and My Life Would Suck Without You.

On Stronger, it's more of the same classic Kelly and the album weaves its way through a wide array of styles from the gentle R&B of Mr Know It All to ballads such as the excellent Dark Side. And, of course, there's a smattering of classic uptempo pop here - title track Stronger is brilliant as is I Forgive You and Don't Be A Girl About It.

There's nothing particularly big or clever about this record, and that's one of the reasons I like it. It's pure entertainment but with Clarkson's brilliant voice and knack for picking tunes from the higher quality end of the pop spectrum, it's a cheery, likeable hour of pop goodness.

Listen to - Mr Know It All

nothing's going to hurt as much as that final touch

2011-12-26T16:07:00.001Z

The Top 10 Albums of 2011

7. Lady Antebellum - Own The Night (LB)

Last year, the second album from Lady Antebellum, Need You Now, was my #3 album of the year. Over the intervening twelve months it's not shifted from that position and remains one of the best records I've bought in the last few years.

Despite being country music's biggest stars, there's plenty to like about this lot. Lush production, great songs and a lovely mix of male and female vocals mean that Own the Night pretty much takes on where Need You Now leaves off, but there's not a lot wrong with that.

While they may not have hit it big on this side of the Atlantic, Lady Antebellum are massive in America and it's not hard to see why. While this record won't covert you to their cause if you didn't like them anyway, if you are a fan you'll be delighted with it.

Listen to: As You Turn Away

7. Katy B - On A Mission (bedshaped)

I had such high hopes for Jessie J. But she failed me, miserably. Then from out of nowhere, along comes Katy B.

I first heard her when she did vocals for Magnetic Man on a couple of tracks on his album. Which I also loved, by the way! Then I heard Katy On A Mission; a fantastic dancefloor pounder, with so many hooks it must be illegal! And from then, I was pretty much hooked.

She’s not got the best voice in the world, but for the style she’s dropping, it’s perfect.This album is choc-a-block full of dirty grime, pulsating beats, filthy basslines, samples and loops, and hooks bigger than an ambitious fisherman on his maiden voyage. There’s some brief encounters with the drum ‘n’ bass posse, but in the most it’s clubtastic, with the occasional surprising slow beat, chill-out track.

The production is great, although to me, it feels a little too polished. With all the sampled loops, programmed beats and emulated sounds, I can’t help feeling just how much of this album could have produced entirely on a Mac.It’s not gonna give any listener the best lyrics in the world. There’s no twisted lyrics or deep meanings here, it’s all about the clubbing, the dancing, the guys and the music. It’s dance beats in the finest style, with a great vocalist adding more depth and interest in the songs. For great songs to lighten the mood, you couldn’t really go wrong with this. It’s shallow with meaning, but deep in vibes.

Listen to: Broken Record

7. Bon Iver - Bon Iver (Swisslet)

On paper, 2008’s For Emma, Forever Ago ticked all my musical boxes: mournful, enigmatic and absolutely indie-er than-thou. In practice though, it just didn’t float my boat and I could not seem to find the key that would help me really get into it. I really wanted to like it, but was forced, a little reluctantly, to write it off as basically slightly annoying.

Not surprisingly then, I didn’t rush out and buy the follow up. In the end, although I could ignore the deluge of rave reviews in the music press, it was the recommendations of friends that persuaded me to give it a go. I’m so glad that I did. The addition of a full band gives a fuller, richer sound to this record, and for me makes Justin Vernon’s distinctive voice seem so much more accessible (even if I’ve now got almost no idea what he’s singing about most of the time).

Thematically, this record is not just about heartache and loss this time around either, and the wider palate makes the whole record a little less… well, limited. Beth/Rest is perhaps a little bit too Richard Marx for my tastes, but the rest of this record is so stunning that I’ve even been persuaded to revisit the other one again, and you can’t argue with tracks as good as Calgary, Towers and Holocene. Beautiful record.

Listen to: Calgary

make no mistake, i don't do anything for free

2011-12-25T11:25:00.001Z

The Top 10 Albums of 2011

8. DangerMouse & Daniele Luppi - Rome (Swisslet)

Another album discovered purely by chance on the basis of arecommendation from a trusted source. I’ve heard of Danger Mouse, obviously, but although I own the firstGnarls Barkley album (who doesn’t?), I don’t really consider him to be my cupof tea and haven’t really paid all that much attention to his work. Wrong, so wrong. This one very nearly passed me by and my lifewould have been all the poorer for that.

This, a collaboration with the composer Daniele Luppi is an absolutelygorgeous homage to the work of the great Ennio Morricone, the soundtrack to afilm that doesn’t exist. Featuring lush,sweeping orchestration and the contrasting vocal talents of people like JackWhite and Norah Jones, this is an album that is definitely worth donning aStetson for and squinting into the desert wind as the tumbleweeds blow by. If this was a film, you just know that itwould star Clint Eastwood. Or maybe JackWhite as Clint Eastwood. It’s an epic,sweeping record and is entirely brilliant.

Listen to - Two Against One (feat. Jack White)

8. Laura Marling - A Creature I Don't Know (bedshaped)

I don’t normally warm so much to such a voice, but there’s something rich and warm, seductive and sexy about Laura’s voice. Sometimes she holds a familiar voice, then others she’s quite unique. I don’t really know anything about her, but I do know she writes a great song.

This album holds hands with folk. It’s best friends with American AOR. It brushes alongside some country. And it rubs shoulders with good old rhythm and blues. It shares it space happily with gentle acoustic ballads as much as it does with grinding guitars and pounding drums. It’s such a great album to listen to in the evening. It can fool you into thinking you’re in for some acoustic female fragility, and whilst you are, the occasional track can throw you offguard with it’s blazing guitars and belting drums. And it always feels more comfortable when listened to all the way through. Almost like a concept album. It’s fine to dip and out, but the album in its entirety gives the most satisfaction.Wonderful album from a fantastically talented singer songwriter. For people who appreciate a great singer songwriter in the realms of Alanis, Sheryl Crow, Jewel, Melissa Etheridge, Ani Difranco, Fiona Apple....you will really love this album.And there’s banjo and mandolin. Not loads of it, just enough.

8. Claire Maguire - Light After Dark (LB)

From the reviews I read, there didn't seem to be a lot of love for this album. The debut release from the 24 year old Brummie was on my radar from the first time I heard the terrific Ain't Nobody (no, not that one) and while the critics seem to agree that she has a great voice, no-one was quite sure about her choice of material.

However, I really like Light After Dark. It's little more than a pop album but the quality of the songs and Maguire's voice means it compares very favourably to, say, Adele's 21 (an album with some superb highlights but quite a lot of dullish filler). Singles Ain't Nobody, The Last Dance and The Shield and the Sword are tremendous upbeat pop records and my only regret was that I never managed to see Maguire live in 2011 (a jippy tummy at Glastonbury put paid to my 'must see' performance of the weekend.)

It's a likeable, upbeat album of great tunes from a real talent. Highly recommended.

Listen to: The Shield and the Sword

i know you'll come through

2011-12-23T10:48:00.001Z

The Top 10 Albums of 2011

9. Joss Stone - LP1 (bedshaped)

Aah, Joss, howI’ve missed you so. I don’t care what anybody says, Joss Stone’s smoky, richand sexy vocals do it to me every freakin’ time. Unfortunately, it’s thequality of songs that can let her down on previous albums; with eleven ortwelve track albums only boasting a couple of stand out tracks at best.

There’s so muchthat I like about this album; released on her own label, now that she’s partedcompany with her former label who she’d claimed for a long time were being tooconstrictive, the fact that it’s been reported it was laid down within a week,and that it feels so laid back, loose and non intrusive. It should come with alabel that states the listener should only press play when they are in achilled out and slightly playful mood. The feel is groovy and laid back, andthere’s definitely a sense of minimal production here, even though that’sprobably not the case considering who co-produced it. Many of the songs havethat ‘mastered in one take’ feel and it just adds to the quality in my opinion.

Typically soulful,pleasingly playful. This album touches a little more on a rinky-tinky bluesfeel, without taking away Joss’s own identity. There’s some wonderful piano andgorgeous Hammond sounds, coupled with some luscious strings and simple orchestralbacking. Not to mention some wonderfully complementary backing vocals. And itall comes together under the watchful eye of Ms Stone herself and Dave Stewartserving knob twiddling duties. Even though the album is under-pinned with thisloose feel, the great production sweeps some of the tracks into some greatsubtle directions; bouncy bass driven blues and tight funk, not to mention somewonderfully delicate and fragile ballads.

Typically pannedby the critics, but I love it.

Listen to – BoatYard

9. The Vaccines - What Did You Expect From The Vaccines? (Swisslet)

Oh good grief, another in the long list of bands hailed bythe NME as being the saviours of the British guitar band. Save us. I’ve only just recovered from the indignity that was (is?) the KaiserChiefs. But you know what? I caughttheir set on the Other Stage at Glastonbury in June, and they were so much funthat I gave up and sought out the record.

Interesting, thoughtful concept albums about war and misery are all verywell, but sometimes you just want to have fun, right? Although this is certainly not the mostcerebral album that I’ve heard this year, it might just be the most fun. It simply rollicks along: Wreckin’ Bar (Ra RaRa) rolls into If You Wanna and you might as well surrender yourself to itnow. It’s not big, it’s not clever andit is certainly not original…. But who cares? Plus Post Break-Up Sex might just be my favourite song of the year,godammit. Maybe those beer-chucking gibbons at gigs know a thing or two afterall?

Listen to - Post Break-Up Sex

9. Christina Perri - lovestrong (LB)

I do like a nice female singer songwriter. Over the years plenty of those have appearedin these lists from Chantal Kreviazuk to Tina Dico and Alanis Morrisette. Now it's the turn of Christina Perri, a 25year old from Philadelphia who shot to fame when her song Jar of Heartsappeared on the Fox TV show So You Think You Can Dance?

Jar of Hearts became a huge hit worldwide - alongside Lanadel Rey's Video Games it's the best ballad of 2011 - and one of the top tenselling singles in the UK this year. Ihalf expected the album to be full of similar songs, but actually it's a lovelyand eclectic mix of styles. From thelovely opening track Bluebird to the jaunty Bang Bang Bang this isn't the mostoriginal album ever released, but it does tick an awful lot of the boxes forthings I like in music. Great femalevoice, great pop songs nicely produced. What more could you ask for?

Listen to: Jar of Hearts (52 million YouTube views andcounting)

i didn't queue for an hour to leave straight away

2011-12-21T09:44:00.002Z

The Top 10 Albums of 2011

10. The Wombats - This Modern Glitch (LB)

It's not been a stunning year for albums in 2011. Despite listening to far more new albums than usual (many of which have been reviewed here), picking a top ten was easier than normal.

Saying all that, there were good albums that I left off the list, so credit should go to the likes of the Pierces, the Arctic Monkeys and Panic! At The Disco for producing decent albums. And, huge kudos to Duran Duran for their All You Need Is Now album which is as good as anything they have ever done.

Still, onto the top 10. I'll start with a band who I never would have envisaged having on this list. Material from The Wombats' first album and singer Matt Murphy's voice annoyed me immensely and I had already marked them down as someone to ignore in future. Then I heard a couple of their 2011 singles on the radio - Anti-D and Techno Fan - and I was suddenty converted.

This Modern Glitch is by no means a classic album - it's daft guitar and synth pop - but it's jaunty and catchy enough to put a smile on your face. I don't love all of this record, but when The Wombats are good, they are very, very good.

Listen to: Techno Fan

10. Birdy - Birdy (bedshaped)

At just fifteen years old, you really have to take your hat off to this young girl. Where as most young teenagers, given the opportunity to record some of their favourite tracks in a professional recording studio would choose upbeat, probably angsty, but certainly well known songs to lay down, here Jasmine van den Bogaerde has hand picked some absolute gems to mould into her own style.

She’s not unique by any means, but the arrangements and her style are such that most people might assume them to be original works handed down to her by writers and producers. It’s only when she delivers that slightly familiar line that as a listener, I found myself thinking, “where have I heard that before?”. And then all the pieces would fall into place like a luscious jigsaw puzzle.

For such a young girl, bearing in mind that she caught the attention of the music industry three years ago, when she won an open mic talent competition singing one of her own compositions, she has such a....well....a stunningly mature voice. I would challenge anybody who didn’t know her to listen to any of the songs on this album and not be stunned to discover she’s just fifteen. Signed shortly after winning the competition, the decision was made that she should spend the majority of her time concentrating on finishing her education, hence this album of covers, save the stunning Without A Word.

I’ve heard people call this album sombre and depressingly downbeat. I disagree. I find it extremely moving. Melancholy. Haunting. Intimate. Quite simply, it’s gorgeous. The production is bang on too, even though many of the songs are stripped back to bare bones in places with her delicate vocals and piano playing, it’s secretly dressed with loops, strings and vocal play. I can just imagine going to see her play live and the audience watching in stunned and respectful silence, desperate to make an enthusiastic and appreciative noise in between the songs.

A wonderfully sensitive album. A collection of hand picked songs delivered with grace, respect and emotion. It’s a perfect end of evening album. Delicate and pure.

Listen to – Without A Word

10. Fixit Kid - Three (Swisslet)

Bit out of left field this one, but much though I love thenew records by old favourites like Coldplay and the Foo Fighters, the simpletruth is that I’ve listened to this album far more. Sorry Chris, sorry Dave, but it’s more honestto include this one in my list at the expense of more famous and successfulalbums.

Derby based Fixit Kid first gottogether in 2000, and this is their third album. Fixit Kid, when it comes down to it, a goodold-fashioned punk band, but there is also a real sense of purpose and intentabout these songs. When opening trackRelease the Dogs really kicks in after a deceptively gentle intro, it isclear that this band mean business. The band claim influences from across-section of classic rock bands like Sabbath, Maiden and Kiss as well asnoiseniks like the Jesus & Mary Chain, Sonic Youth and My BloodyValentine. Both sets of influences areapparent in the music, with the end result hardcore punk with a distinctlymetallic edge.

Too many bands in this genre sound as though they’re fronted byan angry town crier, but here the screaming has both fury and a purpose, assinger Mat spits out his black tales of horror, murder, perversion andviolence. It’s hard to pick out astandout track, as the album works well as an intense 35-minute hit. Special mention should however be given toDredge the Lake. Perhaps that(brilliant) title is a deliberate Elvis Costello reference, but the song’sominous bassline, screaming guitar and anguished vocals soon leave the ghost ofWatching the Detectives far behind. Recommended. Definitely worth looking them up.

Listen to - Dredge the Lake

Album Review: Charlene Soraia - Moonchild

2011-12-12T19:24:00.003Z

Charlene Soraia - Moonchild

Spotify is a brilliant invention. There have been countless albums that I'd have never have bought had I not been afforded the opportunity to listen to them first and the ability to check out a record by an artist you are unsure of is a great way to listen to new music.

Of course, what is bound to happen eventually is that you'll listen to an album which you would have ordinarily automatically bought and find it to be a huge disappointment. And that's precisely what happened with Charlene Soraia's debut album, Moonchild.

Having heard the lovely Wherever You Will Go (the Calling cover from the Twinings advert) I was convinced this would be an artist I'd like. Wispy, acoustic piano pop by a female singer songwriter pretty much ticked every one of my boxes. That's why I am astounded that I enjoyed Moonchild quite so little.

I'll be honest - I nearly turned it off after two tracks. The first two songs sound so much like some ropey feedback or someone experimenting with a theramin that they made my head hurt. While Moonchild got way better after that - there are one or two nice tracks here - Wherever You Will Go is by far the best thing here and not at all representative of the remainder of the record.

If you like the single, be VERY careful before you buy the album. It might as well have been done by someone else.

Album Review: Coldplay - Mylo Xyloto

2011-11-21T12:11:00.002Z

Coldplay - Mylo Xyloto

So, the World's Biggest Band are back with their fifth studio album, Mylo Xyloto. Much has been made of the lurch in musical direction that Chris Martin and the boys have taken on this record, encompassing the current trend for synth driven R&B and underlined by the appearance of pop princess Rihanna on the track Princess of China.

So, what's the verdict?

Well. I'll be honest - it sounds to me much like just another Coldplay record. It's hardly as if they've eschewed Jonny Buckland's guitar riffs in favour of David Guetta-esque rave synths and the electronica they do use is there to support the band's existing sound, not to replace it. The last couple of minutes of single Paradise are a case in point - a Buckland guitar solo with Chris Martin singing 'para, para, paradise' in a falsetto voice is hardly a major musical deviation, is it?

All in all, Mylo Xyloto is another great Coldplay record. In many ways it is an album of two halves - the first half is full of the terrific, driving, high quality guitar pop for which the band have become synonymous, highlighted by the brilliant single Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall and the catchy Hurts Like Heaven.

It is an album that trails off a bit in the second half, though. I'm not sure that their Rihanna collaboration, Princess of China, really works whilst Up With The Birds ends the album on a whimper rather than on a bang. I do like the melancholy Up In Flames, though which channels Fix You throughout.

All in all, there's not that much bonkers musical madness going on here. It's clearly a new Coldplay record and whilst there may be the odd synthesizer in the mix, they haven't turned into JLS overnight. All the familiar ingredients are present which means that, if you like Coldplay (which I do), there's plenty to enjoy.

Album Review: Birdy - Birdy

2011-11-07T16:14:00.002Z

Birdy - Birdy

Earlier this year, a gentle piano led cover of Bon Iver's Skinny Love crept into the UK top 40. Having been Fearne Cotton's Record oo the Week on Radio 1, the lovely, stripped-back version of the song spent a couple of months in the charts, peaking at number 17.

7 million YouTube hits later and 15 year old Jasmine Van den Bogaerde, better known as Birdy, releases her eponymously titled debut album. It includes the single Skinny Love alongside a series of cool indie cover versions and one original composition.

The official line is that the album is predominantly covers to allow the 15 year old time to study for her GCSE's, rather than writing and arranging her own music. What this means, however, is that it's effectively an X-Factor-esque album of karaoke cover versions and so I'm not 100% sure what the point of the album is.

Putting that to one side, however, it's a blooming great record. Birdy has been careful to choose very hip covers and so you'll find versions of songs by The XX, the Postal Service, the Fleet Foxes, Francis and the Lights and the Naked and Famous alongside a James Taylor cover and her own composition (the lovely Without a Word).

The highlight is probably her cover of Cherry Ghost's Ivor Novello award winning People Help The People, although it's a record that could be covered by almost anyone and still sound terrific.

In many ways, this album reminds me a little bit of kd lang's Hymns of the 49th Parallel. Not so much stylistically but more conceptually - Birdy is an album full of distinctive and very different interpretations of already beautiful songs. As I say, waiting for a combination of original material and covers may have been more credible but as it is this is a likeable and lovely album from a great young talent.

(And, if you're planning to buy/listen, go for the deluxe version of the marvellous 9 minute closing track Comforting Sounds.)

Album Review: Kelly Clarkson - Stronger

2011-11-01T11:21:00.002Z

Kelly Clarkson - Stronger

One of the leading proponents of high quality pop in world music, the 2002 American Idol winner is back with her fifth studio album, Stronger. I've long been a fan of Kelly Clarkson and the 29 year old has produced a string of brilliant pop singles over the years, including Since You've Been Gone, My Life Would Suck Without You, Because Of You, Breakaway and I Do Not Hook Up.

Stronger opens with another terrific single, the current UK top five hit Mr Know It All, a mid paced but insanely catchy pop record. From then on, we're treated to another fine collection of power pop from one of the world's best vocalists.

Title track What Doesn't Kill You (Stronger) and I Forgive You are top notch, typical Clarkson power pop anthems whilst Standing In Front Of You is Clarkson's 'soundtrack' song and, according to the singer, 'the most beautiful song I've ever recorded'.

Anyone who questions the worth of Simon Cowell based TV talent shows should be pointed in the direction of Kelly Clarkson who owes her success to such a show. It is possible for these talent competitions to uncover amazing talent and, in Clarkson, they found a genuine superstar. Stonger is yet another superb pop album from one of my favourite chart artists of the last ten years.

Album Review: Lights - Siberia

2011-10-31T15:09:00.005Z

Lights - Siberia

If you haven't heard of Lights, you won't be alone. Unless you saw Owl City's 2010 tour of the UK or Europe or you caught debut UK single Saviour on a music channel eighteen months or so ago, it's unlikely that you will have come across Valerie Poxleitner, better known to fans as Lights.

Siberia is the 24 year olds second full album after 2010's The Listening, a record which I really liked. While The Listening was primarily gently, Owl City-esque electro-pop, Lights has taken a leap with a more mature, eclectic and polished second album.

Single Toes is a terrific pop record, the anthemic Banner is superb while rapper Shad adds some meat to the great Everybody Breaks A Glass. I really like Lights when she takes a more reflective approach, however, and both Heavy Rope and Cactus in the Valley are lovely, sweet pop songs.

I have a bizarre and unexplained penchant for Canadian singer songwriters and Lights joins a long list that stretches from Alanis Morrisette to Jann Arden, Amanda Marshall and Chantal Kreviazuk. Siberia is totally different to any record produced by those other artists, however, and is a great example of how to make quality, melodic electric pop music. A fine follow-up to a great first album.

Album Review: The Horrors - Skying

2011-10-25T11:56:00.002Z

The Horrors - Skying

This is an album that's been on my 'must listen' radar since I first heard the mesmeric single Still Life a few months back. Having not previously had any interest in the Horrors I wondered, perhaps, whether Skying was as goos as the critics made out and whether there was actually some musical talent lurking in Faris and his motley crew.

Sadly, it seems that 'no' is the answer. Skying is a jumbled mess of noises that sounds a bit like a few blokes jamming in the back room of a pub. It does have its moments - the single Still Life is a haunting, dramatic and excellent single - although most of the rest of the album plods along in the most uninspiring of ways. With two eight minute 'epics' to negotiate - the far too long Moving Further Away and Oceans Burning - the end of Skying can't really come soon enough.

It's fair that this album could be a 'grower', but after two listens I frankly don't ever want to hear it again.

Album Review: Erasure - Tomorrow's World

2011-10-18T12:25:00.002Z

Erasure - Tomorrow's World

The fourteenth studio album from the synth-pop duo in a glittering nigh on 30 year career sees Erasure take a leap into the 21st century. With Frankmusik on production duties and Rob Orton mixing the record (he's worked with GaGa and the Pet Shop Boys) Tomorrow's World is clearly an attempt to create a much more modern and contemporary sound.

Does it work? Well, yes and no. The main problem with this album is that had you played it to me without telling me who it was, I'd have never guessed it was Erasure. Andy Bell's voice is barely recognisable thanks to the autotune (and, I suspect, some wear and tear) which immediately removes a hefty amount of the band's appeal.

The songs are OK - there's some reasonable electronic pop here on Be With You and When I Start To (Break It All Down) - but overall it's a pretty average selection. Whilst they may have made some brilliant pop records in the past, Tomorrow's World isn't one of them.

Album Review: Matt Cardle - Letters

2011-10-17T15:32:00.002Z

Matt Cardle - Letters

So, last year's X-Factor winner finally releases his debut album hot on the heels of his cryingly disappointingly single Run For Your Life. Cardle - whose cover of Biffly Clyro's Many of Horrors was the second biggest selling single in the UK in 2010 - has made a record that sounds completely unlike anything that an ex-X Factor contestant has tried before, but that isn't necessarily a good thing.

Despite the quality of songwriting talent on this album - Starsailor's James Walsh, Eg White, Gary Barlow and David Sneddon (!) - Letters is a surprisingly disappointing and one-paced record.

Everything contained here - with the possible exception of opening track Starlight - is dreadful, turgid, plodding guitar pop. Sounding like the tracks on the cutting room floor of a 2003 era Embrace, Snow Patrol or Coldplay record, Letters attempts to deliver heartfelt, anthemic choruses but instead gradually descends into almost a pastiche of post-Britpop.

It's very earnest and while Cardle has a decent voice and may want to be taken seriously as an artist, it is at the very chart friendly end of the guitar pop spectrum. I can certainly see what he is trying to do here, but all that he's managed to do is create an emotional record that's entirely devoid of any emotion whatsoever.

There are probably some half decent songs hidden here but the slick production and desire to recreate Chasing Cars mean that Letters is forty five minutes of very, very average pop music.

Album Review: Christina Perri - lovestrong

2011-10-07T11:35:00.002Z

Christina Perri - lovestrong

It's quite possible that you've never heard of Christina Perri. Indeed, no-one had really heard of the Philadelphia based singer/songwriter before her song Jar of Hearts was featured on the US TV show So You Think You Can Dance. The song sold over 100,000 copies within a month of appearing on the show and Perri was immediately catapulted into the public eye.

Single Jar of Hearts has been a major summer hit in the UK and I was fully expecting her debut album to be a collection of sub-quality songs with that single being the standout track. However, I couldn't have been more wrong.

I absolutely love this record. At times variously sounding like Avril Lavigne, Alanis Morissette and the Staves, Perri has come up with an album that's varied in tone, sound and style. There are lots of enormous ballad moments - Jar of Hearts is arguably the best break-up of the last few years while The Lonely is another piano-led power ballad.

However, it's the variety and quality of this album that shines through. US single Arms sounds scarily like the UK three piece The Staves - gentle acoustic guitar based pop - while Bang Bang Bang's catchy chorus looks set to become a fan favourite.

Perri has a great voice and an ear for a catchy tune. It's the sort of record that most critics don't like - it's pretty commercial and bits of it sound like they should be soundtracking Dawson's Creek - but I actually found myself really enjoying it from start to finish. I suppose it depends if you like Jar of Hearts - if you do then this is definitely for you.

Album Review: James Morrison - The Awakening

2011-10-04T11:14:00.003Z

James Morrison - The Awakening

Having burst onto the scene in 2006 with his debut album Undiscovered, the 26 year old is back at number one in the album charts with his third release The Awakening.

There's no doubt that Morrison has the talent, the voice and the songwriting skills to be a brilliant artist. In the past, there have been great moments - singles You Give Me Something and Wonderful World are great pop records as is his duet with Nelly Furtado, Broken Strings. Morrison's problem, however, is that he doesn't seem to be able to maintain these high standards for a whole album.

Mike Diver at BBC Music sums this up perfectly: "The Awakening is lacking the grandstanding moment it needs to elevate it above reserved recommendation. Morrison has a truly great album in him – he’s the emotional baggage to craft it, should he let locked-away demons loose – but for the third time in a row, this isn’t it."

Yet again, the lead single (this time I Won't Let You Go) is by some distance the highlight of the record. Opening song In My Dreams is nice enough, but there's a misguided duet with Jessie J (Up) and as the album wears on it becomes less interesting and less original.

The choice of Bernard Butler as producer could have really helped Morrison develop his sound, but this is the Duffy era Butler rather than the man who provided some of the best singles of the 90s alongside David McAlmont.

Don't get me wrong - this is by no means a terrible record - but, as with Morrison's previous albums, it promises much and then doesn't really deliver. Shame.

Album Review: Ed Sheeran - +

2011-10-03T13:25:00.003Z

Ed Sheeran - +

Despite being around since back in 2005 and having recorded countless EPs, + is Ed Sheeran's debut album and the mainstream arrival of a big new star (although don't tell the 20 year old that - as he says on You Need Me, I Don't Need You 'they say I'm up and coming like I'm fucking in an elevator'.)

It's been hard to avoid Sheeran's this summer. The lovely debut single The A Team has spent three months inside the UK top 20 whilst follow-up single You Need Me, I Don't Need You remains in the top 10. Next single The Lego House is also sure to reach the upper echelons of the chart when it's released over the next few weeks.

Sheeran is hard to pigeonhole. At times, his beautiful acoustic songs are reminiscent of recent greats such as Damien Rice or Newton Faulkner - indeed Wake Me Up, Small Bump and Give Me Love are amongst the best acoustic tracks you'll hear this year. However, he does then occasionally show his hip-hop influences, replacing gentle melodies with energetic, staccato sounds, rap and quite some attitude.

Whether this makes the 20 year old James Morrison for the kids or Dappy for the adults, I'm not sure. Still, I enjoyed + more than I thought I would and when Sheeran is good, he is very, very good.

Album Review: Clare Maguire - Light After Dark

2011-09-19T11:22:00.004Z

Clare Maguire - Light After Dark

One of my top 10 'must see' events at this year's Glastonbury was the debut of Clare Maguire, the diminutive Brummie with the amazing voice. One of the BBC's top five 'sound of 2011' list, I had heard a couple of Maguire's singles and was determined to find out more.

Sadly, a bout of terrible stomach trouble put paid to that, and so it's only now that I've finally got to find out what all the fuss is about. And, unlike many of the critics whose reviews I have read, the fuss seems totally justified.

I love Light After Dark. Energetic piano-led pop, it is jam-packed with potential chart singles including the marvellous The Shield and the Sword, The Last Dance and I Surrender as well as oddly-paced but excellent hit Ain't Nobody.

I've heard Maguire's voice variously compared to Annie Lennox and Shakespear's Sister and there is certainly something slightly retro about this record - think Hurts perhaps but with a female vocal.

By the time the utterly terrific This Is Not The End had closed this album, all I wanted to do was to listen to it again. And again. And, it's still getting better with every listen. It might not be pushing any musical boundaries, but Maguire has a brilliant voice and Light After Dark is a likeable, high quality pop record.

Album Review: Joshua Radin - The Rock and the Tide

2011-09-06T11:54:00.003Z

Joshua Radin - The Rock and the Tide

Looking for a quiet and relaxed place to spend an hour at Glastonbury a couple of years ago led me to Joshua Radin's largely acoustic performance on the Other Stage. Since then, I have become a great fan of his 2008 album Simple Times which he follows up here with his third album, The Rock and the Tide.

The Rock and the Tide marks a slight departure from his previous work in that it's more upbeat with a lot more going on. Whilst some gentle acoustic moments remain - Think I'll Go Inside is beautiful - this album is louder with instruments that sound as if they have been plugged in this time. The Ones with the Light has a jaunty keyboard riff reminiscent of the Fine Young Cannibals' Good Thing whilst opening track Road to Ride On is a great statement of intent as to what Radin is trying to achieve with this album.

I think he's a great talent and I don't share the critical reviews of many fans who simply wanted the 37 year old to continue with his stripped back ruminations about life and love. The bigger production suits him and whilst The Rock and the Tide is hardly pushing musical boundaries it is a likeable, melodic and accomplished record.

Album Review: Joe McElderry - Classic

2011-08-30T16:03:00.003Z

Joe McElderry - Classic

Jumping from screaming teen idol to grandmother's favourite in less than two years, former X-Factor winner Joe McElderry is back with his second album, Classic.

Having been unashamedly dumped by Simon Cowell's record label after the disappointing performance of debut album Wide Awake (whilst McElderry has a great voice it wasn't a brilliant record (despite his cover of Ambitions - one of my favourite pop records of all time)) he was signed by Decca and this album follows his renaissance as a serious artists after winning ITV's Popstar to Operastar series.

It's the sort of album that will sell by the truckload despite having dubious production and the type of tracklist that's a staple feature of this sort of record. Covers of Dance With My Father, Over the Rainbow (in the ukelele style, of course) and My Heart Will Go On. Check. His version of I Dreamed A Dream in a Susan Boyle style. Check. A couple of songs in Italian to show variety and versatility (Nessun Dorma and Canto Della Terra). Check. She Was Beautiful (the vocal theme to the Deer Hunter) as performed by Britain's Got Talent winner Paul Potts on his debut album. Check.

In fairness to McElderry, he can certainly sing and he's picked a popular selection of songs, here. She Was Beautiful is a terrific record, and his version of Nessun Dorma certainly demonstrates that the 20 year old has a set of pipes on him. Sadly, the production is as lazy and as inoffensive as you'd imagine and it's effectively an album of semi-classical karaoke.

I always liked little Joe and I wish him all the luck in the world. This isn't going to thrust him back onto the bedroom walls of teenage kids, though.

Album Review: Will Young - Echoes

2011-08-26T13:31:00.002Z

Will Young - Echoes

Nearly ten years after the loveable Will Young defeated popstrel Gareth Gates on his way to securing one of the biggest selling singles in UK chart history, the singer is back with his fifth studio album, Echoes.

This time, Young has decided to adopt a synth-based approach (with help from producer Richard X) which, to be fair to him, largely comes off. Single and opening track Jealousy is reminiscent in sound and structure of Joe McElderry's take on Donkeyboy's Ambitions, while the rest of the album chugs along in a likeable but ultimately samey vein. His occasional lapse into daft falsetto (such as on Safe From Harm) doesn't really help although there are some nice moments here - Silent Valentine is laid back, synth driven loveliness.

Part of the problem I have is that Will Young seems to be one of those people whose fame has resulted in him spectacularly disappearing up his own fundament, and so I find myself increasingly disliking him personally. Whilst I suppose that shouldn't affect what I think of his record; it does, which actually is a bit of a shame.

Echoes is the sort of record that would happily accompany a late Sunday morning as you eat eggs and bagels and pick through the newspaper supplements. It's good to a point, but its lack of variety ultimately means you mentally (or literally) switch off by the end.

Album Review: Charlie Simpson - Young Pilgrim

2011-08-24T11:36:00.002Z

Charlie Simpson - Young Pilgrim

Well, here's one I wasn't expecting. Former Busted and Fightstar frontman, Charlie Simpson, releases his first solo album which turns out to be an enthralling, beautiful and high quality acoustic record.

Now, I could admit here that I was always partial to a bit of Busted but in the context of the sound of Young Pilgrim that would be like saying I enjoyed Paul McCartney's Liverpool Oratorio just because I liked Hello Goodbye. Simpson's record could scarcely be further from the frothy guitar pop of That's What I Go To School For and instead, he's produced a piano and guitar led album notable for its excellent songwriting.

The employment of ex-Coldplay producer Danton Supple can't be underestimated here - closing track Riverbanks couldn't sound more like Chris Martin and co if it tried - but what it does mean is that there is a Parachutes-esque sound to the record on singles Down Down Down and, ironically, Parachutes.

Simpson's distinctive vocals are perfectly suited to the twelve songs which, admittedly, take a bit of time to sink in as on first listen they do sound similar. I liked I Need A Friend Tonight and Hold On although the whole record shows that Simpson is a more mature and better singer songwriter than many people give him credit for. A surprising and excellent record.

Album Review: Arctic Monkeys - Suck It And See

2011-07-25T13:13:00.002Z

Arctic Monkeys - Suck It And See

After a couple of years off, the Arctic Monkeys are back. Suck It And See is the band's fourth studio album, reuniting them with producer James Ford, the man responsible for their mega selling first two records.

It's taken me a while to grow to love the Arctic Monkeys, despite buying everything they have released along the way. Clearly everyone loves a bit of I Bet That You Look Good On The Dancefloor and Brianstorm, but it's only in the last year or two that I have really started appreciating their less instantly accessible music.

Suck It And See contains plenty of that. There's precious little effervescent guitar pop of the likes of When The Sun Goes Down or Fluorescent Adolescent here; indeed it's mostly slow paced indie rock. Whilst many have criticised this direction - Kitty Empire in the Guardian called Suck It And See 'lovelorn, crafted, elegantly played, but somehow unelectrifying', I actually really like it. Their songwriting has improved and while the more mature, well-rounded songs take a bit more time to sink in than their early work, they're no worse for it.

Saying that you like the Arctic Monkeys is hardly a contentious or controversial position to take. However, Suck It And See is yet another excellent record from one of the best British bands of their generation.

Album Review: The Feeling - Together We Were Made

2011-07-19T11:36:00.003Z

The Feeling - Together We Were Made

Since I heard Sewn on the radio for the very first time, I have been a huge fan of The Feeling. I bought tickets to their show at the Bodega Social in Nottingham on the back of one listen to that single, and I've subsequently seen them live on several occasions including an excellent Pyramid Stage slot at Glastonbury.

I'll be honest: a new Feeling album is one of my most anticipated musical releases. There are few bands that I enjoy listening to more as I find their brand of 70s influenced power pop utterly captivating. It's therefore with a heavy heart that I have to report that I was really, really disappointed with Together We Are Made.

Much of this, their third album, sounds unmistakeably like The Feeling. And, there's no doubt that vocalist Dan Gillespie-Sells has the knack of writing a great pop song. The problem with Together We Were Made, though, is that it is dreadfully one-paced. Gone are the glorious uptempo anthems like Fill My Little World, Join With Us, I Thought It Was Over, Never Be Lonely and the majestic Love It When You Call and, in their place, we get a series of plodding mid-paced pop songs.

Don't get me wrong - they're not terrible - but as my wife commented when listening: "it's all a bit vanilla, isn't it?" There are some decent songs here - singles Set My World On Fire and Leave Me Out Of It are catchy enough, but the whole record is just a huge letdown. I'd be satisfied with a few of these songs amongst that brilliant, energetic pop that The Feeling do better than anyone, but in the absence of that the album is a disappointing, dreary collection of songs with no real impact.

I hate it when a band you love makes an album you don't really like. It's sounding better with every listen, but Together You Were Made is, at least this far, a real disappointment. Come on boys - you can do miles better than this.

Album Review: Adele - 21

2011-07-12T12:32:00.002Z

Adele - 21

OK, so I'm a bit late to this record. Having already shifted 1.6 gazillion copies of 21 including a record breaking run at number One in the UK album chart, Adele is arguably the hottest property in British music right now.

Now, other than the excellent Chasing Pavements, I can't say I was a particular fan of her debut release, 19. I wasn't therefore expecting to be blown away by 21, despite its gargantuan sales figures. However, after several listens, I would suggest that the reason that 21 has been so successful may be that it is actually quite good.

The singles are a great place to start and are, by some distance, the highlight of this album. Million selling number one Someone Like You is, if you strip out the 'annoyance from hearing it on the radio a million times' a beautiful and heartbreaking pop ballad, whilst the excellent Rolling In The Deep gets 21 off to a riproaring start. My favourite though is the powerful Set Fire To The Rain; a simmering, climactic piece of superb songwriting.

The rest of the album never quite reaches these heights, but in the Dusty Springfield inspired Rumour Has It and the lovely Turning Tables there is plenty to like here. 21 does drift a bit as it goes along - some of the songs end up merging into one piece of listenable background noise - and I'm not sure about the cover of the Cure's Lovesong, but all in all it's a polished piece of work and there's no doubting Adele's considerable vocal talents.

It's by no means the best album I have ever heard, but it's easy to see why Adele has become so popular.

Album Review: Alice Gold - Seven Rainbows

2011-07-07T15:14:00.002Z

Alice Gold - Seven Rainbows

Seven Rainbows is the debut album from British singer songwriter Alice Gold. Supposedly influenced by Janis Joplin, Seven Rainbows is less folksy and more accomplished than that comparison would have you believe; and a very catchy and likeable record it is too.

I saw a very brief performance by Gold supporting the Pierces recently (Swisslet's written notes of 'leather shorts' is about all I recall) but when I'd finished listening to the album ended earlier I immediately felt the need to play it again.

Single Runaway Love has enjoyed plenty of radio airplay recently and is a highlight, as is the excellent single Cry Cry Cry and the final track, The End of the World. Parts of Seven Rainbows are floaty and a little ethereal, but it's not as psychedelic a record as you might expect from the cover and the Janis Joplin influence.

Seven Rainbows is a good record, and well worth a listen. A very promising debut.

Album Review: Foster the People - Torches

2011-06-29T11:18:00.004Z

Foster the People - Torches

Foster the People are a Californian five piece and Torches is their debut album release. Reminiscent of similar indie-pop bands - the Black Kids spring immediately to mind - it's chirpy, effervescent stuff without much of a backbone.

Single Pumped Up Kicks channels the whistling catchiness of Peter, Bjorn and John's Young Folks and is probably the highlight of the album. The rest of Torches is similar throwaway, uptempo pop with Don't Stop sounding like the annoying theme tune to a 90s American comedy show.

I'm a fan of chirpy pop music, but, ironically, I have to confess to being left pretty cold by Torches. Much of it is far too twee and it's one of those records that goes in one ear and out of the other without leaving any lasting impression whatsoever.

Album Review: The Streets - Computers and Blues

2011-06-16T11:33:00.002Z

The Streets - Computers and Blues

Mike Skinner returns with his fifth and final album as The Streets ending a decade where he has been one of the most significant influences on British pop music. Whether you like the Brummie's band of rap or not - I have never been a huge fan - there is clearly evidence of his influence in everything from British hip hop to mainstream pop music of the likes of Plan B or Lily Allen.

Computers and Blues is more of the same tuneful commentary on modern life with children, Facebook and Call of Duty amongst the subject matter this time around. Whilst I can't say I'm a huge fan of Skinner's vocals, what I do like about the Streets is that much of their output is quite unashamedly simple pop music. There are some big choruses here and plenty of chirpy melodies which mean it's an entertaining and upbeat album - even if some of the subject matter isn't quite so uplifting.

Skinner's clearly come a log way since the frankly dreadful Original Pirate Material and ending The Streets now seems a pretty sound decision. Considering the last two or three records have been lots of the same, it maybe is time for a change and the 32 year old leaves behind five albums which have had a wide impact on the landscape of British pop. I don't necessarily get it all the time (although I enjoyed Computers and Blues more than I thought I would) but I do understand the importance of Skinner's contribution to the pop canon.

Album Review: Danger Mouse and Daniele Luppi - Rome

2011-06-14T10:39:00.003Z

Danger Mouse and Daniele Luppi - Rome

Having been handed this CD to listen to, I had absolutely no idea what to expect. Deep in my brain I think I idly expected it so be some sort of laid back dance record, although the result couldn't be further from that assumption.

Rome has been five years in the making and is named after the city where the album was recorded. Sounding spectacularly like the soundtrack to a movie that doesn't exist, Rome is evidently inspired by the work of the likes of Ennio Morricone - and I say that as no bad thing.

Part instrumental and part vocal - Jack White and Norah Jones are perfect choices, by the way - Rome is a curious beast. For example, whilst Black - featuring the strangely raspy vocals of Jones - is a great pop record, some of the instrumental tracks sound like incidental music for a wild west film.

Being a huge fan of John Barry (and film composers in general) the 60s-esque sounds on Morning Fog recall some of Barry's early work while the stunning track Roman Blue is a real highlight.

Perhaps more retro than one of the current in-demand producers of choice would like, Rome is still a great album. Quite what the point of the endeavour is (and whether it works) is open to question, although that doesn't diminish the fact that it's a melodic, engaging and well crafted record.

i never would have guessed i could miss someone so bad

2011-06-06T18:25:00.008Z

Notes From The Departure Lounge

Andrew Gold, the American singer-songwriter died this week aged 59. For those of you who don't know Gold, it's almost certain you will have heard one of his hits or certainly heard an album to which he contributed.

My first recollection of Gold was after I fell in love with an (admittedly pretty ropey) cover version of his single Never Let Her Slip Away by the band Undercover back in 1992. I then sought out the Gold original which I adore to this day. For anyone who has fallen in love with someone who lives in another town or in another country, the lyrics of Never Let Her Slip Away probably resonate extremely strongly.

A few years later my mum (of all people) encouraged me to listen to a favourite song of hers, coincidentally also by Gold. Lonely Boy remains one of my favourite singles of all time, to the point where, in the days before downloading, I finally got to own a copy of the song by buying a double CD compilation album simply for that track. Is it based on his own life? The dates of the song all match, but Gold has always strenuously denied it is autobiographical. Either way, it's a great, great record.

And then, whilst researching my book 101 Forgotten Pop Hits of the 1980s I discovered quite by chance that Gold was also partly responsible for one of my favourite songs of the 1980s. 10cc's Graham Gouldman was the other half of the band Wax and Gouldman spoke warmly of Gold and his talents during our interview. Their single Bridge To Your Heart failed to make the top Ten in the UK, which is criminal considering it's one of the best pop records you'll ever hear.

During our chat, Gouldman shared an anecdote with me about the introduction to Bridge To Your Heart. Apparently, Gold miscounted during the intro to the song and had to correct himself. However, instead of re-recording that part, it was left in the final cut of the song. You can hear it clearly, and it's never failed to make me smile every time I've hard the song since....

Of course, Gold will also be known for working alongside greats such as Linda Ronstadt, Art Garfunkel, John Lennon, Brian Wilson, Joni Mitchell, Cher and Celine Dion. He was truly a jack of all trades - a multi instrumentalist, songwriter, performer, vocalist, producer and engineer.

Aged just 59, the world has lost a truly brilliant singer and songwriter. There aren't many people that can claim to have written three songs that feature in my top 100 favourite songs of all time, and so in that respect Gold was in a very select group of musicians.

Album Review: Journey - Eclipse

2011-06-06T10:02:00.002Z

Journey - Eclipse

It would be fair to say that Journey have experienced something of a revival in recent years. Their number 62 hit from 1981, Don't Stop Believin' has been omnipresent over the last year or two thanks both to its reworking by the cast of Glee and its general radio airplay.

Considering Don't Stop Believin' was thirty years go, not much has changed for Journey based on the evidence of their brand new album, Eclipse. It's exactly as you imagine it might be, if not more overblown and air guitar-y then you might expect. It's a collection of soaring power ballads and American soft rock that sounds like any other Boston/Chicago/REO Speedwagon record ever made. I mean, you only have to look at the song titles to get an indication of the content: City of Hope, Edge of the Moment, Chain of Love - I could go on.

With screaming guitar solos at every turn and anthemic 'lighter in the air' choruses all you have to do is close your eyes to imagine a lank haired guitarist on his knees with his face contorted as he pulls off yet another riff. Sadly, however, Eclipse just isn't very good. If someone had told you that this album was recorded in 1978 you wouldn't have batted an eyelid (except, maybe for the fact that original vocalist Steve Perry is long gone).

It's music for a bygone era and whilst it's entertaining enough, it's just far too earnest (the wife thought it was Christian rock, for heaven's sake) to be taken terribly seriously.

Album Review: Dutch Uncles - Cadenza

2011-05-24T12:05:00.003Z

Dutch Uncles - Cadenza

The debut album from Manchester quintet the Dutch Uncles is a peculiar beast. The opening track Cadenza grabbed me instantly, and I really thought that this was going to be one of those little known albums that I ended up loving. However, by the time I reached the end I was largely underwhelmed by the whole endeavour.

It's an interesting record and unlike most of the other music that's out there at the moment. Odd piano rhythms dominate here, whilst most of the tracks are characterised by constant repetition. What this means is that whilst the album doesn't sound all the same, the individual songs have no real change of speed or rhythm, making them pretty dull after a while.

The Guardian summed it the Dutch Uncles' weakness perfectly when they said "the huge chorus one keeps expecting never arrives." The records chug along nicely enough but are just too repetitive and similar to ever engage the listener.

The Dutch Uncles an interesting band and I'd certainly be interested in hearing what they release in future. For now, though, Cadenza was a little bit of a disappointment.

Album Review: The Wombats Proudly Present - This Modern Glitch

2011-05-23T11:34:00.003Z

The Wombats - This Modern Glitch

In theory, the Wombats should be everything I like. Jaunty indie pop music with singalong choruses are normally my bag but until this point the band have always fallen a bit short, despite my desire to really like them. Moving To New York and Let's Dance To Joy Division are decent enough records, but I find myself liking them rather than loving them.

This Modern Glitch has changed my opinion, however. Despite that fact that I still find singer Matt Murphy's voice a little bit grating, this album is great. The songs here are certainly more mature, eschewing catchy choruses in favour of more cleverly crafted pop songs. Singles Jump Into The Fog and Tokyo are terrific whilst I also love the forthcoming single release Techno Fan.

The highlight here is probably 1996, a paean to less complicated and happier times whilst hearing Anti-D on the radio the other week made me reconsider whether I actually might like the Wombats after all.

The subtle move from chorus driven radio friendly pop to a more rounded, 'bigger' sound really suits the band and shows off their great songwriting abilities. Whilst the Wombats are not a band that are particularly clever or groundbreaking, I surprised myself by thoroughly enjoyed This Modern Glitch.

Album Review: Fleet Foxes - Helplessness Blues

2011-05-20T13:42:00.003Z

Fleet Foxes - Helplessness Blues

After the success of their excellent debut album, the Fleet Foxes are back. As with many artists, their second record is, in part, a collection of songs about the trials and tribulations of becoming a Famous Pop Star although most - if not all - of the things we loved about the Foxes' debut release remain.

Whilst Helplessness Blues is unmistakably the Fleet Foxes, the sound has subtly changed. Gone are many of the soaring harmonies of the debut - think White Winter Hymnal - and in their place are Simon and Garfunkel-esque acoustic pop songs, admittedly of a high quality. The title track, Helplessness Blues, is a highlight as is the lovely opening track Montezuma and the jaunty Battery Kinzie.

This record is less of a modern take on semi-medieval music and more of a contemporary pop record with a 60s/70s throwback. That doesn't make it a worse record - far from it - but it does indicate a small but important change of style. I'm not sure it will ultimately be 100% successful, but for now it has resulted in a charming, laid back and likeable record.

goodbye dry eyes...

2011-05-10T06:40:00.003Z

Notes from the Departure Lounge:

John Maus died over the weekend at the age of 67 after losing his battle against cancer. The name might not mean much to you, and it's possible that his stage name of John Walker won't reverberate that much louder to your ears.... but Maus was the founder member, guitarist and original lead singer of the Walker Brothers. The band was subsequently, and more famously, fronted by the honeyed baritone of their bassist, Noel Scott Engel.... that's Scott Walker to you and me.

Scott Walker is probably my favourite singer of all time. I love the way that he turned his back on a life of proto-Beatles pop adulation to write and perform songs of existentialism and death and Brecht and Brel covers to an increasingly baffled teen audience; an audience that, not surprisingly, soon deserted him for less complicated pleasures. Scott Walker's later career has seen him become a virtual recluse, producing an album at a rate of less than one a decade, chasing a muse that seems increasingly bleak and inaccessible and, famously, uses things like a side of pork as a percussion instrument. All a pretty far cry from the golden years of the Walker Brothers. Songs like "Make it Easy on Yourself" and "The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine (Any More)" are certainly melancholy, but that lush instrumentation and the golden voice meant that the band reached an audience of millions.

Knowing the direction that Scott Walker's career took, it's tempting to see John's role in the band,together with drummer Gary, as being nothing more than supporting musicians who got very, very lucky. There's a scene in the Scott Walker documentary, "30 Century Man", where the band are sitting enjoying tins of brown ale and talking about why they're in the band. John and Gary talk about the money and the girls; Scott looks straight down the camera, unsmiling, and says that he's in it for the music, and I believe him. Perhaps not surprisingly, it was "musical differences" that broke the Walker Brothers up in 1968. They reformed successfully with "No Regrets" in 1975, but the different agendas of the band members were laid bare on 1978s "Nite Flights". There are 12 songs on the album, and each member of the band contributed four. The first four were by Scott, and they are a clear signal of the direction that was to shape his subsequent career: dark, oblique and featuring a song ("The Electrician") that seems to be about torture. The jump from that into far more conventional "The Death of Romance" by Gary could scarcely be starker.

Of course, for all that their might be more than a grain of truth in that assumption about the roles played within the band, John tells a different story in his version:

"I was always the leader of the band. I was the one who said, 'Let's do this, let's do that.' I spent a great deal of time making sure that the group would make incredible music. Most people don't realise that it was I who chose the songs that would become The Walker Brothers' biggest-selling singles..... I was aware that things had changed a lot: Scott had become the lead singer of the group... Now that he was singing lead, I enjoyed the opportunity to create some unusual harmonies, something I had never done before. We knew that we each had an important role, and felt responsible to each other, with one goal in mind, which was to make good records that were unique for the time."

It's also worth nothing that John recorded a version of Jacques Brel's "If You Go Away" in 1967 (it's the title track of his album of that year).... Scott recorded his much more famous version for Scott 3 a whole two years later in 1969......

RIP.

Album Review: The Guillemots - Walk The River

2011-05-06T16:53:00.003Z

The Guillemots - Walk The River

After a three year break (and one solo album) Fyfe Dangerfield and his band return with their third album Walk The River. It's a large scale and soaring record rather than their quirky but likeable debut Through The Windowpane and has been dexcribed by Dangerfield himself as 'music to be heard across the night sky'.

The Guillemots' debut album is one of those records which I enjoy when I hear it, although is never a record I am ever particularly desperate to listen to. Walk The River has less instantly catchy songs - there's no Trains To Brazil or Made Up Love Song #43 here, but what you do get is a series of rich songs with booming choruses. On first listen I have to say I was pretty underwhelmed with the whole record, although two further listens in and it is really starting to grow on me.

Slow Train and Dancing In The Devil's Shoes are terrific pieces of music, and the band actually sound better when they're in slower and more reflective mood. The songwriting is excellent and I am a big fan of Dangerfield's voice which fits perfectly.

Theres not a chart single hiding here, but as well crafted, quality pop albums go, this is right up there. Although, bear in mind that it's likely to take a few listens before you come to that conclusion.

Album Review: Nicole Scherzinger - Killer Love

2011-04-21T12:00:00.003Z

Nicole Scherzinger - Killer Love

The former Pussycat Doll joins a growing list of high-energy, chart friendly female pop acts with this, her debut album Killer Love. In a market already saturated with your Britneys, Rihannas, Beyonces and Alexis Jordans, is there really room for another dance-pop diva?

Well, Killer Love proves that the answer may be 'yes'. There's absolutely nothing original on this album, but the quality control is at a high level meaning that this is a pretty decent collection of songs. Singles Poison and the excellent Don't Hold Your Breath are highlights, whilst the remainder of the album chugs along with a breathless stream of radio friendly fodder.

A misjudged duet with Sting - Power's Out - is a low point, and there are more ballads here than you might expect. Saying that, Scherzinger can certainly sing and the producers have wisely backed off (in a way that, say, Alexis Jordan's didn't) meaning that the vocals stand out strongly.

All in all Killer Love is basically daft pop fluff. However, as daft pop fluff goes, this is of a perfectly acceptable quality.

Album Review: Britney Spears - Femme Fatale

2011-04-18T15:26:00.003Z

Britney Spears - Femme Fatale

She's packed a fair bit into her 29 years, old Britney. Notwithstanding all the trouble in her personal life, Femme Fatale is Spears' seventh album which is not bad going for someone who has staged more comebacks than Status Quo.

Femme Fatale is a timely reminder that Spears remains one of the queens of high NRG pop music. Whilst much of the album is auto-tuned, the production and writing team still know how to crank out a decent disco stomper and there are plenty on this 16 track album.

Opening singles Til The World Ends and Hold It Against Me are terrific pop records (notwithstanding the corny Carry On-esque lyrics of the latter) and there's the obligatory will.i.am collaboration (the creaky and repetitive Big Fat Bass).

The mid paced Criminal recalls Supertramp's Logical Song whilst Up'N'Down samples Inner City's 1988 hit Good Life. Gasoline stretches an extended petrol metaphor about as far as it can go, whilst How I Roll (written by the team responsible for Toxic) is destined to be a single at some point.

Femme Fatale seems to be something of a victory for quantity over quality although there are some decent tracks here. It's not the best record ever - the decent stuff is spread a bit thin - but it proves that Britney has plenty of attitude (and plenty of lyrical sexual innuendo) left in the tank.

Album Review: Ronan Keating - When Ronan Met Burt

2011-04-04T11:43:00.003Z

Ronan Keating - When Ronan Met Burt

Sometimes, cover albums can be great. Artists get to bring their own talents and personality to great songs and to reinterpret them in interesting and unusual ways.

However, sometimes cover albums can be lazy, sub-karaoke nonsense. Sadly, When Ronan Met Burt falls squarely into the latter category.

It's a shame, really. I love the work of Burt Bacharach and the legendary composer also produced this record. The problem is that Keating's voice - whilst technically fine - is too middle of the road to bring anything to these songs. The production is lazy and safe which leaves you with a selection of brilliant songs reduced to something you'd be likely to hear on a long lift journey.

Despite Keating's choice of some of Bacharach's best songs - Arthur's Theme is arguably my favourite Burt track - you find yourself desperately hankering for the vocals of Dusty Springfield, Scott Walker or Jackie DeShannon. Keating manages to squeeze all the beauty and joy out of these songs and it's only the quality of the compositions themselves that prevents this being absolutely hideous. As it is, it's not great.

Album Review: The Vaccines - What Did You Expect From The Vaccines?

2011-03-31T11:12:00.003Z

The Vaccines - What Did You Expect From The Vaccines?

Listening to this album for the first time, the answer to the question posed by its title was 'not really sure'. Having only been formed last June, the Vaccines rise to fame is pretty stratospheric, finishing third in the BBC's Sound of 2011 poll earlier this year.

Bits of What Did You Expect...? are short, high energy punk, particularly the rousing opener Wrecking Bar (Ra Ra Ra); 84 seconds of loud, guitar fuelled attitude. There are plenty of short, sharp and engaging tracks here with driving guitar and fierce drumming.

However, I actually like the Vaccines in more reflective mood. A Lack Of Understanding is a terrific record, and I absolutely love the single Post Break-Up Sex.

Whilst I'm not sure there is anything terribly original going on here, it's a record that is instantly accessible and very easy to like. Catchy, loud and punchy, the Vaccines appear to have hit on something of a winning formula.

Album Review: Panic! At The Disco - Vices and Virtues

2011-03-29T12:25:00.003Z

Panic! At The Disco - Vices and Virtues

In 2005, Panic! At The Disco appeared as genuine challengers to Fall Out Boy's title as kings of emo. Debut album A Fever You Can't Sweat Out was chock full of emo cliches: from angsty lyrics to loud guitar and ludicrous song titles.

Then, the band disappeared. When they re-emerged, they had dropped the exclamation mark from the band name, releasing their second album Pretty. Odd. Sounding more like the Small Faces than My Chemical Romance, I really liked Pretty. Odd but, on the whole, their fans didn't.

Considering how different the two records sounded, it is no surprise that there has been a parting of Panic! At The Disco's ways. The pair that remain are vocalist Brendon Urie and drummer Spencer Smith and third album Vices and Virtues lurches back towards the sound that made the band huge. Crucially, the exclamation mark is back, as is the emo attitude that characterised their debut release.

The result is another great Panic! At The Disco record. From the opening bars of the excellent single The Ballad Of Mona Lisa, this is a tuneful and engaging record. The Guardian criticised the absence of chief Panic! songwriter Ryan Ross, but I actually think that this is a pretty decent effort. It's loud, has some glossy production and will have you humming and singing along by the end.

If you liked A Fever That You Can't Sweat Out, then now may be the time to reconnect with Panic! At The Disco. Good record.

Album Review: Duran Duran - All You Need Is Now

2011-03-24T15:37:00.003Z

Duran Duran - All You Need Is Now

For Duran Duran's 13th album, producer Mark Ronson decided that his intention was to make a follow-up to the band's 1982 record Rio - the point at which Ronson (rather cheekily) decided it all went wrong for the Brummie five piece.

The result is All You Need Is Now, a brilliant but puzzling record. On one hand, this album sounds exactly like the lost Rio sessions - pulsating, catchy Duran Duran at their 80s finest. However, at other times it is a very modern record, managing to work in 2011 without ever once letting you forget that it's a bunch of fifty-something popsters.

Bits of it are extraordinarily familiar - there are shades of Save a Prayer on Meditteranea and Leave A Light On - whilst the upbeat songs sound like they should be remixes of Is There Something I Should Know? Title track All You Need Is Now is classic Duran, and is cleverly reintroduced throughout the album in a manner reminiscent of John Barry's finest Bond soundtracks.

All You Need Is Now is a real surprise. Managing to be both brilliantly retro and entirely current, Ronson has pulled off a bit of a masterstroke here. Great stuff.

Album Review: Noah and the Whale - Last Night On Earth

2011-03-21T12:59:00.002Z

Noah and the Whale - Last Night On Earth

It's been a strange journey for Noah and the Whale. First album Peaceful, The World Lays Me Down was a folky affair, destined to fall under most people's radar until Five Years Time became something of a surprise top Ten hit. I have to say that I found their debut all a little bit twee, and had consigned the band to the list of artists I wasn't interested in by the time their second record, The First Days of Spring came out.

And then one day - bored - I gave The First Days of Spring a listen. Since that day, it has become one of my favourite albums of the last few years. Written from a pretty dark place, it is achingly beautiful from start to finish.

Last Night On Earth nudges Noah and the Whale in another direction. It's certainly more commercially friendly than either of the previous releases, which quite suits them. From the excellent opening Life is Life to the driving guitar on Tonight's The Kind Of Night, there's plenty to like here. The band have retained their ear for a great melody but have also encompassed the lovely elements of The First Day of Spring without selling out completely.

Charlie Fink is obviously feeling more chipper this time. "It feels like his new life can start" is the refrain on the opening track, whilst the single L.I.F.E.G.O.E.S.O.N tells you all you need to know about his state of mind. If album one was far too upbeat and album two much too melancholy, Noah and the Whale may have reached a brilliantly happy medium on Last Night On Earth. Highly recommended.

Album Review: Elbow - Build A Rocket Boys!

2011-03-13T21:48:00.003Z

Elbow - Build A Rocket Boys!

In 2007, almost out of nowhere, came one of the most surprising overnight success' stories in British music. Elbow's fourth album, The Seldom Seen Kid, scooped the prestigious Mercury prize and went on to sell over a million copies in the UK alone. The band from Bury were suddenly huge and tracks such as the majestic One Day Like This carried them firmly into the musical mainstream. And now comes Build A Rocket Boys!, only the fifth album from the band in over a decade.

I will be honest: it has taken me a long, long time to like Elbow. Over the years I have bought all but one of their albums (ironically, the missing one is Leaders Of The Free World, arguably my favourite of the lot) and have seen them live on several occasions. And yet, they are still not a band that I would ever say I loved in the way that I do a handful of other groups.

And, as with every other record that they have made, Build A Rocket Boys! is not something you can easily review on first listen. Elbow's beautiful knack of careful orchestration and Guy Garvey's terrific lyrics weedle into your brain on multiple listens, and each time you listen to it you hear something that you have never heard before. I'm half a dozen listens into Build A Rocket Boys! already, and it is still growing on me with every listen.

There's nothing quite as instantly commercial as Grounds for Divorce or One Day Like This here and so, in a way, it's much more like Elbow's earlier albums. Mind you, there's a bold and stunning singalong chorus on Open Arms, whilst the superb Lippy Kids is set to become an Elbow favourite. The highlight for me so far, however, is the amazingly beautiful The Night Will Always Win, a gentle ballad that's easy to overlook, nestled as it is in the middle of the album.

On first listen, I wasn't convinced by Build A Rocket Boys! By the fourth listen, I'd started to really like it. I now think it's absolutely great, which means by this time next month I'll probably consider it one of the greatest albums ever made. Great album, great band.

Album Review: Alexis Jordan - Alexis Jordan

2011-03-08T15:07:00.002Z

Alexis Jordan - Alexis Jordan

Whilst only 18 years old, Alexis Jordan has spent over half a decade to make it big in the music industry. Eliminated in the 2006 semi-finals of America's Got Talent, Jordan and her family moved to Atlanta and stuck loads of videos on YouTube which got millions of views (remind you of the tactics of another teenage pop sensation?)

Signed to Jay-Z's label, Jordan's self-titled album is squarely aimed at the mainstream pop/R&B market. Singles Happiness and Good Girl both reached the UK Top Ten and are decent enough pop records. From there, the album doesn't live up to those standards but is an inoffensive enough listen.

Jordan is going to have to get better material to be the new Rihanna and reduce the influence of her producers (her voice is autotuned to within an inch of its uniqueness) to be the new Leona Lewis. However, whilst Alexis Jordan is pretty instantly forgettable, I could listen to it time after time without ever feeling the need to turn it off. That's half the battle won.

Album Review: Beady Eye - Different Gear, Still Speeding

2011-03-07T16:01:00.002Z

Beady Eye - Different Gear, Still Speeding

Liam Gallagher's long awaited (by many, I am sure) return to the rock scene is here. His new venture, Beady Eye arrive with their debut album Different Gear, Still Speeding which, apparently, sold a mediocre 67,000 copies in its first week of release.

I'll be honest: I am surprised it was that many. I've never been a huge Oasis fan and even those moments of theirs that I have enjoyed have tended to be the Noel rather than the Liam moments. I suspect that even for die-hard Oasis fans, there is little that they will find on Different Gear, Still Speeding that touches anything as good as the Britpop legends recorded.

On the whole, this album is forgettable, sub-Oasis tosh. The Beat Goes On is a decent enough tune, but the rest of Different Gear, Still Speeding is naff pub-rock. It chugs along in the way that much of Oasis' later output did and, I'll be honest, I never want to hear it again.

Whether it's simply the fact that Gallagher's vocals will always make what he does sound like an Oasis record, or whether it's because he's chosen to make a record that sounds a lot like Oasis, he can't escape the comparison. And, I am afraid that this compares badly, even to Oasis' many low points.

To coin an Alan Partridge-ism for a minute, perhaps Beady Eye are the band that Oasis could have been?

Album Review: June Tabor - Ashore

2011-03-01T12:49:00.003Z

June Tabor - Ashore

My 2011 plan of listening to lots of new albums - irrespective of genre or artist - has taken me to some interesting places. One thing I have discovered this year is plenty of folk music. I suppose it's always been there, but perhaps has slipped underneath my radar over the years.

I know nothing of June Tabor. She's one of the UK's finest folk singers, apparently, and Ashore is her half-zillionth album since the 1970s, or something. Still, I thought I would give it a whirl and I am glad I did as it is terrific.

From the opening notes of the haunting Finisterre I knew this was going to be a bewitching and enchanting record. Most of the album is very minimalist - some sparse piano accompaniment is often all that accompanies Tabor's lovely vocals - but this works brilliantly throughout.

There is a lovely mixture of traditional folk and contemporary recordings here. Traditional songs such as the a cappella The Bleacher Lassie of Kelvinhaugh and the French Le Petit Navire are lovely, whilst her spellbinding version of Elvis Costello's Shipbuilding is the highlight of the record.

I really enjoyed Ashore, actually. Gentle, melodic and beautifully sung, it is a real treat. Highly recommended.

Album Review: Jessie J - Who You Are

2011-02-28T15:16:00.002Z

Jessie J - Who You Are

Arguably the biggest thing in the UK music industry right now, recent Brits 'Critics Choice' winner Jessie J releases her debut album Who You Are this week.

Debut hit Do It Like A Dude hinted that the 22 year old was more likely to be the female Tine Tempah than the female Bruno Mars. However, I was surprised to find that Who You Are has a real pop sensibility running through it. However, notwithstanding the fact it is much poppier than I expected, I was hugely disappointed with this album.

Opening track and Uk #1 single Price Tag is a solid gold pop gem. Sadly, there is nothing on Who You Are that lives up to anything like that standard. It is mostly sub-Katy Perry pop schmuck and some of the mid-paced records are real album filler. L.O.V.E and Stand Up are instantly forgettable in a way that Rihanna releases seldom are.

The only time I was really engaged with this record was on the three acoustic bonus tracks at the end of the album. Stripped back versions of Price Tag, Do It Like A Dude and Who You Are demonstrate that all three are great pop tunes and that Jessie J is a competent performer. Disappointingly, the lazy, unoriginal production on the rest of the record manages to hide this fact which is a crying shame.

I can't help think that this is an opportunity that has been spectacularly missed. Jessie J could really have carved out a major niche as the British Pink or Katy Perry but instead Who You Are is another album of second rate pap. A huge shame.

Album Review: Bright Eyes - The People's Key

2011-02-24T11:08:00.002Z

Bright Eyes - The People's Key

I was astonished to find that The People's Key is Bright Eyes' tenth studio album, and I can't say that I have ever heard any of the others. I vaguely remember enjoying the odd song of theirs, but with Conor Oberst already saying that The People's Key will be Bright Eyes' final record, I appear to be catching up a little too late....

This is actually quite a good record. Having not heard their previous albums I can't comment on the fact that this record is more modern and 'rockier' than previous efforts (that's a claim by Oberst) but it certainly does have a contemporary Arcade Fire-esque sound on the likes of Shell Games and Beginner's Mind. The Machine Spiritual also reminded me of some early Prefab Sprout - never a bad thing.

As with a few of this year's new releases, The People's Key is an album that I have quite enjoyed but not one that I would necessarily buy. Saying that, I have enjoyed it more with each listen so perhaps it is time to search out some of Bright Eyes' earlier work.

Album Review: Tina Dico - Welcome Back Colour

2011-02-16T11:13:00.003Z

Tina Dico - Welcome Back Colour

After a decade forging a loyal fan base in the UK, US and Germany - and becoming Denmark's #1 pop star in the process - a Tina Dico anthology was probably long overdue. With seven albums under her belt and over a century of songs in her catalogue, Welcome Back Colour is an interesting and varied selection of the 33 year old's work.

Unlike many artists who compile a 'best of' by picking their 15 best known songs and recording one new track, Dico has been careful with this collection. Just 11 of the 26 tracks are lifted directly from previous releases and so there's plenty to interest die hard fans. Five new songs, two duets and eight acoustic re-recordings of some of her favourite songs make up the double CD.

It will surprise no-one to discover that I think this album is almost perfect. Dico's 2009 album The Road to Gavle was my 'album of the year', whilst her 2008 release Count to Ten was both my album of the year and album of the decade. What I particularly like about Welcome Back Colour is that there is plenty of new material to enjoy. The title track - a Danish #1 single - is unlike any record that Dico has made before with its staccato, angular guitar whilst Copenhagen - a paean to her home town - is simply beautiful. However, the pick of the new songs is undoubtedly Watching Him Go, a song that is so heartrending and brutally honest that it can't fail to move you.

As with any anthology there will be personal favourites missing and one or two of the acoustic re-recordings don't add much to the original release. However, these are minor and petty complaints. If you're not already a Dico fan then Welcome Back Colour is the perfect introduction to one of the most talented singer songwriters of her generation. If you are already a fan, there's still tons to enjoy on this record.

Amazing.

Album Review: White Lies - Ritual

2011-02-15T16:11:00.003Z

White Lies - Ritual

After the success of their 2009 #1 debut album To Lose My Life... White Lies return with their brand new album Ritual. Variously compared to the Editors, Interpol and and Joy Division, Ritual is more doomy guitar rock - although the band believe their music is more uplifting than any of those three other artists.

I'll be honest, I find the White Lies hard to like. Ritual is clinical and crisp and perfectly competent, but there's not much about it that you can love. In places it's quite tuneful and anthemic but the downbeat vocals mean it lacks enough soul to really mean anything. Single Bigger Than Us is a decent enough radio friendly guitar tune but beyond that Ritual fails to deliver anything approaching a knockout punch.

Influenced by early 80s artists - you can hear the Talking Heads, Depeche Mode and early Tears for Fears on this record - it should be something that I like. Indeed, closing track Come Down's sparse backbeat sounds so much like Phil Collins' In The Air Tonight that it is instantly familiar. However, whilst it's an album I am happy to listen to, Ritual sounds like all the emotion and meaning has been eliminated in the production. Disappointingly, it's a perfectly competent record without actually being any good.

Album Review: James Blake - James Blake

2011-02-07T14:38:00.002Z

James Blake - James Blake

James Blake, the runner-up on the BBC's Sound of 2011 poll, releases his self-titled debut album this week. I've been idly interested in this album, actually, ever since hearing the strange but interesting Limit To Your Love on the radio a while back. I enjoyed the sparse, bare nature of that song and I thought Blake had an interesting voice and a sound which I hadn't heard before.

Whilst all of those things may be true, this record is drastically bad.

The reviews I have read of James Blake champion the singer's unusual style and make reference to the fact that an artist with such an noncommercial sound can feature so highly in a BBC poll of that nature. What the reviews seem to fail to take into account, though, is that some of this album is awful.

Large chunks of it sound like a young child experimenting with a kids keyboard whilst Blake warbles - at a different rhythm and in a different key - over this weirdly constructed backbeat. On some songs he seems to be trying to auto-tune the auto-tune machine over no instrumentation at all.

When there's some basic piano and some normal vocals - Limit To Your Love is a rare example - Blake sounds like he could be a genuine soul star. However, most of the record simply lacks charm, talent and, if I am being ruthlessly honest, anything approaching a tune. I actually ended up having to turn it off on the second spin as it was grating so badly I couldn't listen to it any more.

I am sure that there are some people out there who will hail it as absolute genius. And, I wanted to like it; I really did. Whilst I have an open mind with music and am prepared to give anything a whirl, this album is one of the most disappointing and uncompromisingly bad records I've heard in a long, long time. Terrible.

Album review: Hannah Peel - The Broken Wave

2011-02-03T12:43:00.003Z

Hannah Peel - The Broken Wave

As I plough through 2011's new album releases, I seem to be mining a seam of wispy, folky female singer songwriters. It's not a deliberate move, and the albums I am trying out seem to get more and more ethereal and dreamy.

That's certainly the case with Hannah Peel's The Broken Wave; an album that's the musical equivalent of having a cuppa and a flapjack at Glastonbury's Tiny Tea Tent on a wet Saturday morning. It's arguably the last musically offensive album ever made, with plinky-plonky folksy instrumentation and Peel's gentle, restrained vocals.

I have listened to other records this year that have gone in one ear and straight out of the other. The Broken Wave, however, takes light, airy music to a whole new level. I could listen to this a hundred times and I'm still not sure any of it would register. It's nice enough, of course, but ultimately far too forgettable to really love.

Album Review: Emily Smith - Traiveller's Joy

2011-01-24T15:35:00.001Z

Emily Smith - Traiveller's Joy

The Guardian calls Emily Smith "surely the most impressive young instrumentalist and songwriter singing in English". That's quite a bold claim, so I thought I'd check out Traiveller's Joy, her new album.

Traiveller's Joy is a folk record, although within a more traditional 'folk' definition. At times, there's a certain 'hey nonny nonny' flute-esque sound to this record and so it's not to be confused with the modern Mumford-driven folk scene. It's certainly the sort of think you're more likely to hear at a Robin Hood event than it is to pipe from a student's bedroom....

Traiveller's Joy is, at times, beautiful. Lord Donald is a terrific track and her cover of Richard Thompson's Waltzing for Dreamers is absolutely spellbinding. It is an album that is certainly a grower - I have enjoyed it more on each of my listens so far - and whilst it may take you a little while to get over the occasionally medieval sound of the instrumentation, it is worth persisting with as there's some stunning vocals and melodies to be found.

I wouldn't say it is for everyone - but it is certainly worth a couple of listens to see what you think. I reckon your persistence will be rewarded....

Album Review: Joan As Police Woman - The Deep Field

2011-01-24T15:28:00.004Z

Joan As Police Woman - The Deep Field

Not knowing much about Joan Wasser, I wasn't sure what to expect from The Deep Field. Apparently, it is more upbeat and melodic than her previous efforts and, many say, more commercial. Indeed, I have heard it described as 'veering a little too close to MOR'.

There's certainly a dreamy, wispy quality about The Deep Field which is nice without ever being particularly engaging. It is a record which gently washes over you without ever really making you sit up and take notice of what you're listening to. As background music to my work today (I have listened to it three times) it has been fine, but it's not catchy enough that I could recall any of it and not lyrically interesting enough that I can recite any of the themes either.

Perfectly listenable, but it has gone in one ear and, pretty much, straight out of the other.

Album Review: The Decemberists - The King Is Dead

2011-01-19T13:24:00.003Z

The Decemberists - The King is Dead

It is always a joy when you find a record by a hitherto unknown (at least to you) band that you really enjoy. I'm lucky to say that I have had this experience this morning with The King Is Dead, the sixth album from the Decemberists.

A simple collection of guitar based tunes, The King is Dead is melodic and pretty. Sounding an awful lot like REM in places - in a good way, I would hastily add - it is a very accessible, very likeable record. The two seasonal anthems - January Hymn and June Hymn - are highlights, as is the great opening track Don't Carry It All which starts with a superb mid 1970s Springsteen-esque harminoca riff.

The Decemberists are described on Wikipedia as 'indie folk rock', which seems like a reasonable assessment. There's country guitar, some violin and the odd bit of harmonica here, all combined to make an album which is extremely rich and varied. Whilst it hasn't made me want to explore the band's other work (I gather that some of it is quite, er, 'challenging') I thoroughly, thoroughly enjoyed The King is Dead. Highly recommended.

Album review: Bruno Mars - Doo-Wops and Hooligans

2011-01-19T11:13:00.004Z

Bruno Mars - Doo-Wops and Hooligans

With his first two singles already making number One in the UK singles chart, it is clear that Bruno Mars is set to be something of a superstar. Debut album Doo-Wops and Hooligans is out this week and expected to sell by the truckload.

As albums go, it certainly has a strong start. Singles Grenade and Just The Way You Are are both great pop songs although both are something of a red herring for the rest of the record. Cee-Lo Green guests on The Other Side and there is certainly a Gnarls Barkley-esque sound to some of the record, particularly the funked up Runaway Baby. At other times, Mars takes the Jason Mraz approach, with chuggy, acoustic numbers such as The Lazy Song and Count On Me designed to be heard on a Hawaiian beach.

And then, it sounds like Bruno Mars is making a direct assault on the vacant King of Pop crown left vacant by the untimely demise of its previous incumbent. Our First Time is so Jackson-esque that if you heard it on the radio you'd have sworn it was the begloved weirdo.

What I like about Doo-Wops and Hooligans is that it doesn't use any of the bogstandard, bland R&B production favoured by many of today's biggest artists. It is, fundamentally, a modern pop record blending different styles but all under a simple pop umbrella. Marry You is a rollicking, synth driven radio-friendly tune whilst Talking To The Moon is a giant, bombastic pop ballad. For me, the two singles alone justify the purchase of this album and whilst I am surprised by the lack of any true originality, it is a likeable (if fluffy) pop record.

Album review: British Sea Power - Valhalla Dancehall

2011-01-11T13:06:00.002Z

British Sea Power - Valhalla Dancehall

British Sea Power are a band that have, broadly speaking, passed me by. This is actually in spite of the fact that I own at least one of their albums (The Decline of British Sea Power, I believe) - a record which I'm not sure I can remember ever having listened to.

So, I confess to knowing very little about them, apart from the fact that their last 'proper' album, Do You Like Rock Music? was nominated for the Mercury Music Prize a couple of years ago.

So, I approached Valhalla Dancehall with only my preconceptions to guide me. The Guardian says the album "stakes out as-yet unclaimed territory between the wide-eyed indie wonder of bands such as the Flaming Lips and the Manic Street Preachers" and that seems a reasonable assessment. I expected Valhalla Dancehall to be spikier and more aggressive than it actually is - indeed there are times when the band's addition of lush orchestration make it quite soft and gentle.

There are loud, bombastic moments - opening track Who's In Control? yells "over here, over there, over here, every f***ing where" - but I like it when the band rein themselves in a bit. Georgie Ray is reminiscent of Mercury Rev at their most melodic whilst Cleaning Out The Rooms is a lovely sweeping seven minute slice of Arcade Fire-esque indie pop.

I have listened to Valhalla Dancehall three times now and, whilst it's not a record I love, it's certainly a record that changed my opinion of who British Sea Power are (and what they do) for the better.

Album Review: Emma's Imagination: Stand Still

2011-01-10T10:25:00.004Z

Emma's Imagination - Stand Still

Emma Gillespie seems to have completely slipped underneath my radar. Apparently, she won the Sky talent show Must Be The Music last year and had two top ten hits in 2010 - the chirpy This Day and the more melancholy Focus. Her debut album (released on Gary Barlow's Future Records label) is her 'prize' for her TV success, although I'm not sure it's going to catapult her into superstardom.

Stand Still is a nice enough record. It has a gentle, acoustic sound reminiscent of Natalie Imbruglia or, oddly, Alisha's Attic (remember them?!) and Gillespie has an ear for a decent melody. Its main problem, however, is that it sounds rather like countless other similar records by similar female singer-songwriters. Quirky and whimsical, Stand Still has very little to distinguish it from a raft of other records, meaning it lacks a little bit of personality.

I enjoyed it enough, and it's certainly something I will come back to in the future. Just don't expect to be mesmerised by Stand Still - it's perfectly fine but you do get the distinct impression that you've heard it all before.

Album Review: My Cheap Little Dictaphone - The Troubled Tale of a Genius

2011-01-07T14:44:00.003Z

My Cheap Little Dictaphone - The Tragic Tale of a Genius

Concept albums are always a bit of a risk, I think. Although, I suppose in many cases you'd have to know it was a concept album, wouldn't you? In the case of The Tragic Tale of a Genius, I don't think you'd ever know of this fact, unless (as I did) you read it elsewhere.

The concept (and the 'genius' in this case) is Brian Wilson and his descent into mental illness. Whilst this sounds like a bit of a depressing subject for an entire album, it is actually a surprisingly great piece of work. The Belgian four piece sound alternately like the Arcade Fire and Coldplay, indeed vocalist Redboy sounds particularly like Chris Martin when he gets slightly falsetto on on No Self Esteem and Face to Face.

Ignore the precociousness of a concept record (Wikipedia calls The Tragic Tale of a Genius 'proche d'un opera rock') and, instead, you ahve the fourth album from an indie-rock band who offer much more than their daft name suggests.

If you like MGMT, the Arcade Fire (or, indeed - any sort of downbeat guitar indie) The Tragic Tale of a Genius is definitely an album you should try.

Album Review: Rabih Abou-Khalil - Trouble in Jerusalem

2011-01-07T12:44:00.006Z

Working from home means I get to listen to literally hundreds of albums every month. So, in 2011, I am going to try and listen to as much new music as I possibly can in the hope of unearthing a gem. I appreciate I will have to take the rough with the smooth, but that's half the fun. OK. Here we go...

Rabih Abou-Khalil: Trouble in Jerusalem

Trouble in Jerusalem is not the sort of record I would normally listen to. Being perfectly honest, when I read that Rabih Abou-Khalil was a leading oud player, I had to look up what an 'oud' was (which, you'd have thought, didn't bode well for my enjoyment). However, it is actually quite a nice listen.

The Guardian says: "Some might be intrigued by the historical context: a brief episode of Judeo-Christian-Islamic harmony from the Third Crusades celebrated in the 1922 German silent film Nathan the Wise, and rekindled by Abou-Khalil's TV-commissioned symphonic score for that movie."

Gulp. Let's be frank: I have no idea what that previous paragraph is all about. Ignoring the historical context or the "composer's usual exuberant spontaneity, surrealism and political wit" being "overwhelmed by great-and-good obligations", it's an album of instrumental music in a broadly Middle-Eastern style. And, actually, it works rather well. There's some bombastic orchestral interludes (which reminded me of some of John Barry's folk tinged James Bond soundtracks) and, all in all, it's a nice mixture of European and Middle Eastern influences.

I'll probably never, ever listen to this record again. And, I am sure many people will think it sounds like the sort of background music you'd hear in a ropey Turkish restaurant. Still, I didn't feel the need to turn it off before the end, and so that represents something of a triumph.

la and new york, dundee and doncaster

2010-12-31T09:02:00.002Z

The Top 10 Albums of 2010

1. The Courteeners - Falcon (NP)

What do you do when a band that you previously hate make a brilliant record? This is a conflict that I have grappled with all year; at least since I first heard the Courteeners' second album, Falcon.

I'll be honest, I hated their first album, St Jude. Silly, swaggering, sub-Oasis Northern rock music with lyrics as banal as 'What took you so long? Was it the queue in the Post Office' had consigned the Manchester four piece to my dustbin a couple of years ago.

And then, one Friday afternoon, I heard Greg James play lead single You Overdid It, Doll, and loved it. So, I gave the album a try. And, despite not blowing me away on the first, second or even third listen, Falcon gradually grew and grew in my affections.

And now, here it is as my top album of the year; not a bad achievement on a shortlist of over forty records. Bizarrely, it is all in spite of being the Courteeners, not for that reason. One of my most anticipated Glastonbury performances, they were awful on a sunny afternoon on the other stage, plodding through a mundane set that would, had I not heard Falcon, have confirmed every suspicion I had of them. And, when considering this list, there were countless other brilliant albums in 2010, all of which I really enjoyed.

But, at the end of the day (and after some deep thought) I couldn't think of a record that I had enjoyed more in 2010. From the absolutely brilliant The Opener (one of the tracks of the year), Falcon may be occasionally lyrically lacking, but has enough hooks, tunes and great moments to elevate it to greatness. Take Over The World and Good Times Are Calling are rabble-rousing anthems, whilst the beautiful Lullaby is one of the best slow songs you'll hear this or any year.

Whilst it may sound perverse, I still don't think I like the Courteeners very much. However, Falcon is proudly and deservedly my album of 2010.

Listen to: The Opener, You Overdid It, Doll

1. Bombay Bicycle Club - Flaws (bedshaped)

Whilst dithering around, putting together a top ten albums of 2010 list, I began, as most people do, putting together a 'short-list'. Although it wasn't short by any means. Over time, I removed albums, added a couple more to the shrinking list (which didn't help), and finally ended up with a top ten that I felt happily reflected my favourite albums of the year. During this process, one album not only had to be on list, but from the very beginning, stood out for the simple reason that it was my most played album of the year. Whilst all of my top ten albums are firm favourites, and I'm very satisfied with my choices, this album has by far given me the most pleasure in listening to it.

Flaws is Bombay Bicycle Club's second release, and whilst it's listed as an album proper, it's probably better described as a stop-gap album to fill the void until their proper second studio album gets finished and released. It's an acoustic album; mostly original, but with reworks of previous songs (Dust On The Ground and Jewel) and a couple of covers/reworks (John Martyns' Fairytale Lullaby and Joanna Newsoms' Swansea).

Each track has a luscious feel to it; so gentile....so personal....so intimate. All the guitars used are acoustic, the drums are light; almost skiffle sounding, the vocals are delicate and there's no jiggery-pokery or technical mixing here. Occasionally, there may be a xylophone, a mandolin and a gorgeous voice provided by Lucy Rose, who often reminds me of Lisa Hannigan; Damien Rice's stunning vocal partner. And that's the beauty of this album. It sounds like your best friends have come round to your house and played 11 songs, while you held out a microphone attached to an old tape recorder. Wonderfully simple and simply wonderful. Jamie MacColls' guitar playing is just perfect here, his finger-picking in particular. And vocally, Jack Steadman has never sounded better. Much, much more suited to a quieter, more intimate setting.

Most of the songs are slow. There's not much call for speed here. There's the occasional up-tempo track; Ivy & Gold, album opener Rinse Me Down and My God; with some absolutely beautiful guitar and mandolin work, being pretty much the only tracks showing any sense of urgency. And even then, their delicacy and intimacy seem to slow down the second hand. Elsewhere, there's a superb re-working of Dust On The Ground, really breaking the song down to its bare bones. But the scene stealer for me is Leaving Blues; a heart-wrenching song about lost love and breaking up. Jack's fragile and subdued vocals could melt the heart of anyone listening to this track, and for that reason, this is my essential track to listen to. It sums up the album perfectly.

Listen to: Leaving Blues

1. The National - High Violet (Swisslet)

2007s Boxer is one of my favourite albums of the last ten years, without a shadow of a doubt. I was slow to latch onto The National, but once I found them, there was something about them that chimed with me almost immediately: I’ve always been a sucker for gloomy guitar bands, and Matt Berninger’s deep bass baritone seems to suit the mood almost perfectly. Where fellow New Yorkers Interpol have a singer who sounds like an undertaker reading from a legal textbook, Berninger has the bruised, weary voice of the hopelessly and perpetually disappointed romantic. I love it.

There’s no great progression in sound here, no great leap forward from Alligator or Boxer, the two amazing albums that precede this one. Perhaps the greatest achievement of the band is that this doesn’t seem to matter. They’re doing the same sorts of things that they were doing before, only better and with far, far greater intensity. These are personal songs, almost claustrophobically so, and the band aren’t compromising for anyone. This isn’t an attempt to be a BIGGER band, it’s an attempt to be a BETTER band, and I think they do such a great job that they may very well end up with both.

2010 was also the year where I finally got to see the band perform live. They’re a band to be listened to in a darkened room if ever there was one. Somehow though, even in the middle of the afternoon at the hottest Glastonbury anyone can remember, the band still pulled it off. Brilliant record. Brilliant band. One of the best.

Listen to: Anyone’s Ghost

______________________

So, there we go. Another year in music and with the National and Interpol's albums finishing in the top ten twice, I suppose they're the two to choose from (if you like horrific, gloomy guitar rock. Heh heh heh).

A good year for albums, all in all. Any we have missed? What was your record of 2010?

something's bound to go wrong

2010-12-30T09:17:00.000Z

The Top 10 Albums of 2010

2. Plan B - The Defamation Of Strickland Banks (Swisslet)

I didn’t even think this album was worth listening to. Why would I bother with an album by a British rapper, no matter how well received it seemed to be? Plan B just didn’t sound like something I would be interested in, so I gave it a miss. In fact, I only listened to the album at all because of a song recommendation by the guy who sits at the desk next to me.

Gary doesn’t really strike me as much of a music fan: he’s from Blackburn and he’s mates with a guy in Ian Brown’s band, but aside from a love of all things Manchester typical in a man of his age, he’s not exactly cutting-edge. I don’t know why, but he recommended that I listen to Love Goes Down. Conscious that I’ve been out of the country for large portions of 2010 and have missed loads and loads of good music, I reckoned I didn’t have much to lose by giving it a go.

Oh my goodness. This was NOTHING like I expected. I’d heard rumours that this was more of a soul than a rap album, but I didn’t believe it until I listened to the whole album. It turns out I had heard bits and pieces of it before, but would never in a million years have connected it with Plan B.

Odd though it sounds, the last time this happened to me was when the Streets released his debut album, and in spite of thinking it would be the last record in the world that I would be listening to, never mind buying, I found myself sucked in by the energy displayed in a single track that I heard playing in Selectadisc to the extent that I had to ask what it was and had my preconceptions of both the music and of what I would and would not like shattered.

This album is staggeringly good. I’m sure it works beautifully as a concept album, with a story that flows from one end to the other, but to be honest I’m just revelling in each song as it comes. This isn’t rap, this is Northern Soul, for goodness sake. The surprise of the year for me. I love it.

Listen to: Stay Too Long

2. Mt. Desolation - Mt. Desolation (NP)

As Keane took a sabbatical prior to the construction of their fourth full album, half the band decided to take some time off. The other half - well, technically a third and the latter-day bassist - didn't fancy a bit of larking about at home and so set about creating a side project.

Mt. Desolation is the brainchild of songwriter Tim Tice-Oxley and guitarist Jesse Quin. Conceived on a drunken night in Dublin, what began as a bit of fun quickly developed into an album's worth of quality material. With contributions from Mumford and Sons' Country Winston and the Killers' Ronnie Vannucchi (amongst others) Mt. Desolation are a collaborative effort with over a dozen musicians and guests appearing on the record.

Whilst one or two of the tracks on the self-titled album are pretty basic country music - The Midnight Ghost and Platform 7 sound like anything you'd hear in a Nashville bar - the remainder of the album has influences as broad as Kenny Rogers, The Band and Bruce Springsteen. And, in closing track Coming Home, you have a song as capable of bookending a Keane album as anything else the trio will themselves record.

It's a surprisingly brilliant album. The songwriting is quintessentially Rice-Oxley and the keyboardist also boasts a great voice, providing lead vocals on half the record. The inclusion of Jessica Staveley-Taylor adds some great female vocals and the duet Another Night On My Side is one of the album's highlights. Whilst Annie Ford and Departure are superb uptempo alt-country tracks, it's when Mt. Desolation slow the pace that I really love the sound. State Of Our Affairs is a magnificent single, and both Bridal Gown and the haunting My My My are amongst the best slow songs I have heard in 2010.

Although there was a part of me that expected to enjoy Mt. Desolation's record simply thanks to the Keane influence, I never anticipated enjoying a country-based album quite this much. It also made perfect sense when performed live, and so only narrowly avoided being my absolute favourite record of the year.

Listen to: Departure, My My My

2. Kanye West - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (bedshaped)

Let's not beat around the bush here. Kanye West is the man the media seems to love to hate. And yes, he does himself no favours at all with his often bizarre 'CAPS LOCK' infested ranting on Twitter, but that said, I'm more interested in the music he produces, than the man himself. I'm not the slightest bit interested if he likes dating porn stars or cleans his diamonds with toothpaste! So putting Kanye West, the man, aside for a moment....

Late Registration was a great album. Graduation was, in my opinion even better. I had high hopes for 808s & Heartbreak, and even though it had it's moments, I found it over long, over-produced and shamefully smothered by all the vocoder and auto-tune production, not to mention every other song was depressingly downbeat. My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy is a huge leap forward for Kanye and his arms-length list of 'friends' including hipsters such as; John Legend, Elly Jackson of La Roux , girl of the moment Nicki Minaj, The RZA, Rihanna, Pusha T, Elton John, Alicia Keys, Charlie Wilson, Bon Iver's Justin Vernon, Kid Cudi, Fergie.... The list goes on.

What's refreshing here, is that Kanye isn't afraid to show that he not only has a sense of humour, but more significantly, he isn't afraid to step up the mic and take the piss out of himself. He's obviously taken a look at himself and his persona from the eyes of the media and other outside circles, laying down mixtures of comical, sarcastic, cynical and sometimes brutally honest lyrics. Perhaps this is the performer attempting to show that he is in fact just a human being and not the God-like, untouchable persona with diamonds stuck up his arse that he's portrayed to be. Whilst his lyrics also touch on the typically political, on the social commentary and parts of his own personal life, it's the music once again where Kanye scores highly in my books.

The album is once again choc-a-block full of excellent samples; cleverly inter-twined and slipped into the songs with little or no effort. Using these as one of the contagious hooks, the others being his genius use of bare-knuckle and broken down instruments are what make him stand head and shoulders above other pop/rap artists of out time. Take Runaway for example, driven almost entirely by a child-like piano riff. An infectiously catchy song that sees Kanye and Pusha-T spilling the beans of (presumably) his own life (along with all the other 'douchebags' in the world), giving accounts from both first person and third person perspective.

Album opener Dark Fantasy rides out mostly on piano riff tinkles, chord strikes and Mike Oldfield samples and does a splendid job too. I kid you not! Most obvious centrepiece here is All Of The Lights with its never ending roster of contributors. The track even gets its own 'interlude/intro' track before bursting into the track title chants, underpinned by Rihanna's unmistakable vocals. It's a busy song, breakneck speed at times, with super-fast percussion and oddly enjoyable brass pieces chopped in here and there. But it works wonders.

Is this album gonna win him any new fans? I don't think so. But perhaps that was never his intention. But it certainly shows that not only can he look at himself and his life with his tongue placed firmly in his cheek, he is also bloody good at what he does. He's Kanye West. He makes really good songs. And apparently, lots of other artists are more than happy to hitch along for the ride.

Essential track to listen to : Runaway, if just for the sheer cheek of how a simple riff can provide the bones of a great, great song.

Listen to: Runaway

saddle up, see you on the moon

2010-12-29T09:47:00.000Z

The Top 10 Albums of 2010

3. Sleigh Bells - Treats (bedshaped)

I've never heard of them before, I don't know much about them, apart from there's a guy and girl who hail from Brooklyn, and they sound so different, it's almost scary. What I also know, is that this album gave me goose-bumps from the first time I played it. Why? Because it sounds so huge, so widescreen, so immense, so intense, so fresh and so captivating compared to anything else I've heard this year. By half way through the first spin, my head was already telling me I'd found something wild and very special.

Eleven tracks; most of them running between two and three minutes gives this album a sleek feel. The short, punchy songs that fizzle, pop and bang are like the closest thing to being able to listen to musical explosions, each track effervescing and bubbling over into a big....no huge sound, without over-stepping the mark.

Distortion, samples, slamming programmed percussion, grinding and often piercing guitars, bizarre keyboard sounds, squealing feedback and various other musical instruments beaten, stretched, banged, flipped and scratched (amongst other things) form the melodic noise. The female vocals are sampled, distorted, fed through emulators and squeezed through all manner of jigger-pokery wizardry to fine effect. What the listener is left with, is a powerful bombastic noise, that still remains melodic and catchy, with plenty of hooks and filled with engaging qualities that simply begs for replays.

Album opener, Tell 'Em blasts it's way through to the eardrums from the off. Fuzzy guitars provide the riff, machine gun percussion provides the beats, female vocals provide one of the many hooks. It's a fantastic opener and a brilliant introduction into what is about to follow. And what follows is pretty much more of the same, without sounding too 'samey'. Each track knuckles down and chews into the listeners brain. Catchy riffs and hooks bury themselves deep, rearing their heads once again, and that's a great, and rather impressive formula that shows the strength of this duo on this album.

This music hits you hard. It doesn't back down. It doesn't let up or falter. It's almost relentless, like a boxing opponent that keep pounding body blows and upper-cuts. And it leaves you pretty breathless by the time the album closes. The rare breather comes just over half way through, in the shape of Rill Rill, the albums most melodic song by a long stretch. Gorgeous and catchy vocals, acoustic guitars and chiming keys are the true beauty here and whilst I'd say there's no potential singles to be found on this album, this track would be my only slight possibility.

Will they ever follow this up with another release? Who knows. To me, it sounds the sort of strikingly different debut album that will just be left to it's own devices. Never to be followed. Never to be bettered. Certainly not everybody's cup of tea, but absolutely worth at least one listen.

Listen to : Rill Rill

3. Manic Street Preachers - Postcards From A Young Man (Swisslet)

You could probably argue that Manic Street Preachers have been two completely separate bands in their career: in the early days, they were an urgent, wordy, punk band driven on by the slogans, lyrics and restless intelligence of Richey James Edwards. After Richey’s disappearance, they became a different band: a much more anthemic band writing wistful rock songs that gained them huge commercial success. Of the two bands, I have always preferred the edgier earlier work. Everything Must Go is a fine album, but for me The Holy Bible has always been their masterpiece.

Predictably, when the band returned to Richey’s lyrics for 2009’s Journal for Plague Lovers, I was hooked, loving the densely packed, elliptic lyrics of songs like Marlon JD, where every line seemed almost like a cryptic crossword puzzle packed with references and significance. Postcards from a Young Man, by contrast, is an album by the other Manic Street Preachers, a return to the more considered, audience friendly music of all their finest work as a threepiece.

I still prefer the other Manics, but there’s much to recommend this album: the band have now got nothing to prove to anyone. They’re comfortable in their own skins, and they sound it. This is a grandiose, sweeping album, drenched in strings and big gestures. Nicky Wire said he was aiming for a sound like 'Heavy Metal Tamla Mowtown'. Well, I don’t know what that would actually sound like, but if it does sound like this album, then it sounds pretty good to me. I do wish Wire would stop taking lead vocals on songs though. We all love him to bits, of course, but he’s not half the singer that James Dean Bradfield is.

Listen to: (It’s Not War) Just The End Of Love

3. Lady Antebellum - Need You Now (NP)

Having heard and enjoyed the title track of the album (having never previously come across this band before), I thought I'd take a punt on the album. Then, on putting the CD in my computer to rip it to iTunes, I was horrified to see that the software had identified this record as 'country'.

I'm not a country music fan. Sure, I like the odd Glen Campbell record (who doesn't?) but I was suddenly bothered that I appeared to have been sucked into buying a modern country record from one pop crossover single.

I needn't have worried. Need You Now is *brilliant*.

It's hard to understand quite why this album is so good. A trio from Nashville, singing duties are shared by Charles Kelley and Hilary Scott and whilst there are country influences on the record, their style is pretty bog-standard vocal pop. A good friend of mine also admitted to me one day that he loves this record, and Need You Now is frankly not really the sort of thing that either of us would ordinarily enjoy.

Nominated for six Grammy awards, Lady Antebellum are suddenly one of America's biggest bands. The real strength of the album is in the songwriting which is of an incredibly high standard from start to finish. Ballads like If I Knew Then, Hello World and the title track Need You Now are magnificently written and performed with Kelley and Scott's harmonies sounding perfect. The trio also sound great on their uptempo numbers - the catchy Stars Tonight and Our Kind Of Love are particular highlights.

I suppose it is a country album - the band ended Rascal Flatts' six year reign as 'Best Band' at the Country Music Awards in 2010 - although don't let that deter you. Need You Now is set to scoop a handful of Grammies in 2011 and every gong they pick up will be well deserved.

Brilliant.

Listen to: Need You Now

ain't that mister mister on the radio?

2010-12-28T09:02:00.000Z

The Top 10 Albums of 2010

4. Train - Save Me, San Francisco (NP)

For most Brits, their exposure to American rock band Train will be limited to their 2001 number ten single Drops of Jupiter. Even then, it might take me to hum a little bit of that song before you actually recognise it, such is the band's anonymity in the UK.

After a three year hiatus in the mid-2000s, the band returned to the American charts in late 2009 with the song Hey, Soul Sister which was a sleeper hit and eventually reached number three in the Billboard charts almost six months after its release. It then crept into the UK charts (reaching number 18) as well as reaching the higher echelons of almost every other singles chart on the planet.

Even if you don't recognise the title, I can pretty much guarantee that you will have heard Hey, Soul Sister at some point. Despite being just a year old, it is already the most viewed guitar tab on the world's leading guitar site and it has swiftly become the 8th most downloaded song in music history.

Purely on the basis of Hey, Soul Sister (and as I liked the 2001 album Drops of Jupiter) I bought Save Me, San Francisco. And, I was richly rewarded as Save Me, San Francisco is a superb pop-rock album. From the second that the catchy chords of the title track kick-in, it is a melodic, engaging record which proves that Hey, Soul Sister was no flash in the pan. Songs like Words, Brick by Brick and Parachute are gigantic 21st century American power ballads whilst I Got You is arguably the catchiest song I have heard this year.

Considering that the UK version of Save Me, San Francisco includes a live version of Drops of Jupiter (presumably included to boost sales by reminding us who Train actually are) you get twelve brilliant songs for your investment. I absolutely adore this record - it is easy to like, catchy rock music of the very highest quality.

Listen to: Hey, Soul Sister, Parachute

4. Massive Attack - Heligoland (bedshaped)

After a break from releasing their own material, Massive Attack (or rather the two of them that's left) return with a dreamy, slow-burning album that quite probably won't set the musical world on fire, but should certainly make it sit up and take serious note. Oh, and they've brought along a few friends, too.

On first listen to this album, it's quite obviously Massive Attack. Their signature trip-hop style and ever morphing programming wizardry here sounds much wider than previous releases. I can only guess that on their hiatus, they've been listening to rather a lot of Radiohead; particularly Kid A and In Rainbows, whilst also checking out Morcheeba, Portishead, The Good The Bad and The Queen (No, honestly), Mattafix, Groove Armada and The Audio Bullys, amongst others. I like to think that venturing out of their hole and taking in some of the real world has done them wonders. It's definitely more apparent that this album was recorded and mixed with the door of the studio propped open, most likely with a hand written sign outside welcoming people inside. Amongst those who accepted the offer are Hope Sandavol from Mazzy Star, Trip-hop and Drum & Bass singer Martina Topley-Bird, Damon Albarn; he of Gorillaz, The Good The Bad and The Queen and some band called Blur, the amazingly talented Guy Garvey from the amazingly fabulous Elbow, and Tunde Adebimpe from the very under-rated TV On The Radio.

There's no Unfinished Sympathy or Teardrop here, but who cares? I certainly don't. There are tracks that touch on some of Massive Attack's finer moments; Angel in Girl, I Love You, and Karmacoma and Inertia Creeps merging into Rush Minute. But on the whole, this album is fresh sounding. It may not be a immediate masterpiece, indeed it may and probably has already passed too many people by, but in my opinion it's an album that's full of wonderfully eclectic songs that will, in time, resonate as the masterpiece that it is.

The album plays out with an almost cinematic feel. Wide screen production, with perfect knob twiddling and mixing adds some wonderfully intriguing 'twists in the plot' that weren't so obvious on previous efforts. Whereas previous songs have boomed enough to carry themselves through four minutes or so with ease; perfectly exampled on stonkers like Unfinished Sympathy, Safe From Harm and Teardrop, many of these new songs twist and turn at unexpected, but perfectly timed moments, slapping the ears of the listener to take note. Album closer Atlas Air, with it's fantastically infectious drum-beats and ravey keyboards demonstrates this impeccably. The very slight switch in tempo is clever. At just over five and a half minutes in, when you think the song is all done, you couldn't be any more wrong. Genius!

Album opener, Paradise Circus is a wise choice to open proceedings. A dreamy, low key piano and bass led slow burner with tumbling tom-toms, builds to gorgeous string soaked beauty. It's quite eerie, almost funeral procession sounding in parts, but I think sets the tone very well for what's to follow within the rest of the ten tracks. Damon Albarn's vocals are quite simply perfect on Saturday Come Slow, more The Good The Bad and The Queen than any of his other projects. Guy Garvey also shines with his wonderful gruff and typically grim vocals on Flat Of The Blade; a twitchy and jerky electronic pulsating bubbler that builds beautifully. But it's Hope Sandoval from Mazzy Star; who's gorgeous breathy and seductive vocals, in a style only she can deliver, totally steals the show. Paradise Circus just drips sexiness and oozes with erotic qualities that I haven't heard in a song for a long, long time. About a third of the way through, the song strips right back and a deep bassline begins to seduce you. A short while later, deep, deep piano chords rumble....then beautiful strings bring the song to an gentle, but very effective orgasmic close. Phew!

I guess my only grumble with Heligoland is the running order. Whilst I don't find anything particularly annoying, I just wish the album wasn't such a mish-mash in places, causing what I feel as friction between some of the songs due to their order. I personally can't find a dud track on this album, and whilst I appreciate it's all about musical tastes and people's differing opinions, I like to think that amongst the ten cuts on this album, most sensible people will be able to recognize that when Massive Attack are great, they really are fantastic!

How can I summarize this album? Well for me, listening to this album makes me feel like I've come home.

Listen to : Paradise Circus

4. Interpol - Interpol (Swisslet)

Not many bands do atmosphere like Interpol. Tense and edgy on their majestic debut, Turn on the Bright Lights, Interpol have matured with each successive album, polishing their icy, detached style with an air of definite menace to greater and greater commercial success. Bono’s back injury may have put any plans the band may have had for world domination on hold (Interpol were the support on U2’s cancelled tour), but I’m not sure that stadiums are Interpol’s natural habitat. They’re creatures of the night for sure, and they need to be heard in dingy, darkened clubs (and they were good again at Rock City last month too).

Interpol will always likely be judged by the impossibly high standards they set themselves with their debut record, and in that respect, their fourth record falls short again. There’s no shame in that, though, and this is still a fine record with much to recommend it: Memory Serves, Summer Well and Barricade are easily as good as almost anything the band have done, and the album as a whole has a sustained atmosphere of bleakness and depression. Right up my street. Not as good a record as Interpol have done, but still a very fine record indeed.

Listen to: Summer Well

how can we make it back there?

2010-12-27T09:31:00.000Z

The Top 10 Albums of 2010

5. Weezer - Hurley (Swisslet)

There’s a Facebook campaign trying to raise $10m to persuade Weezer to retire from music because “Every year, Rivers Cuomo swears that he's changed, and that their new album is the best thing that he's done since Pinkerton, and what happens? Another pile of crap like Beverly Hills or I'm Your Daddy. This is an abusive relationship, and it needs to stop now.”

Well, it’s certainly true that 1996s Pinkerton remains Weezer’s critical highpoint, but it’s a little harsh to suggest that they’ve done nothing worth listening to since then. Not even Islands in the Sun? Anyway, whisper it quietly, but Hurley may just be the best thing they’ve done since Pinkerton. The cover glories in a picture of Jorge Garcia, Hurley from Lost, and the album pretty quickly settles down into what Weezer do best: quick, punchy power-pop that can all be timed at something less than 3 minutes. So, maybe the lyrics aren’t as good as we know the band are capable of, but this is a fantastic, fun sounding record. Hell, we even get a passable cover of Coldplay’s Viva La Vida as a bonus track at the end of the album. What’s not to like?

The Facebook campaign, incidentally, has raised about $100. Weezer, true to form, have offered – if a target of $20m is reached – to do the “deluxe” breakup. I don’t think we have to worry too much.

Listen to: Memories

5. Erik Hassle - Pieces (NP)

An artist who would struggle to be recognised outside his native Sweden (or neighbouring Denmark where he has so far enjoyed his only top ten hit), you would be forgiven if Erik Hassle has flown well under your musical radar.

In fact, I only became aware of the 22 year old after hearing his brilliant single Hurtful recommended by Jo Whiley, and even with Radio 1 approval the single only made #59 on the UK charts. Still, Hurtful remains one of my singles of 2010 and I was delighted to discover that the album, Pieces, was even better.

Pieces is essentially a pop album - Hassle went to the same Stockholm school as Robyn - although it's the sort of record which would work as well if the talented singer sat down with an acoustic guitar and reeled off an album's worth of tracks. Upbeat songs such as Isn't It Obvious, Don't Bring Flowers and Standing Where You Left Me are excellent Scandinavian pop and, as I have already mentioned, single Hurtful is one of the records of 2010.

However, I particularly like Hassle when he shows down the tempo. Co-writing all the songs on Pieces, Hassle has a great knack of being able to write a quality pop tune and the relaxed Bitter End, The Thanks I Get and album closer Amelia are all great chilled tracks.

I wouldn't argue that Hassle is particularly pushing any musical boundaries, but as great quality singer/songwriter albums go, Pieces is the most likeable, melodic and endearing pop record of 2010.

Listen to: Hurtful

5. Linkin Park - A Thousand Suns (bedshaped)

One of the main reasons I really like these guys is because they aren't afraid to push the boundaries of their sound. Mention Linkin Park to many people and their reaction is likely to be, "Oh, they were great before they changed their sound and style", or "Meteora was their best album, with great songs like Somewhere I Belong and Numb, since then they've lost their direction and gone downhill". You only have to look at some 'fan' reactions and comments to their last two albums to see scores of "Linkin Park are shit now" or "R.I.P Linkin Park" or "This album is crap! Why don't they make records like their older, much better stuff!"

To them, I say what a bunch of narrow minded fools you are! I'm a firm believer that each to their own, everybody is entitled to their own opinion, etc etc, but why do people cling onto something that was so five years ago, and then criticize and even hate bands and artists for growing. That, I just don't understand. I don't want to listen to albums by artists that sound like the same thing they were producing five, six or even ten years ago. Where the fun or enjoyment in that?!?!

So, after that mini- rant from me, if you like artists to keep releasing music in the same style and 'pigeon hole' as they were two or three albums ago, then this album isn't for you!

This album has a very forward thinking, almost futuristic sound and approach. Listened to from beginning to end, it's almost like an electronic, experimental clash of musical sounds, wrapped up like a rock-opera concept album and then mixed by somebody five years from now.

In typical Linkin Park style, there are loud, grungy guitars, booming drums, the occasional piano-led-ballad, scratching and beat-mixing, great use of harmonies, Chester screaming his lungs out and Mike adding his usual 'toasting' and rap style. Incidentally, Mike is all over this album. Much more than previous releases. Maybe that's what 'the kids' don't like anymore, the fools! But then they've advanced with a much more broad and experimental feel to the tracks; adding much more sampling and mixing, dirtier keyboard sounds, digital jiggery pokery voice and vocal enhancements, copious amounts of programmed beats and various other cataclysmic sounds that I have no idea what they are, but they sound great.

The conclusive music and production pushes their previous boundaries ten-fold and delivers a huge wall of noise in an almost apocalyptic density that leaves the listener breathless and exhausted by the end of album closer, The Messenger. That said, it's not all rocking-out noisy stuff. Dotted around here and there are short segue tracks; mixing instrumental sounds, speech samples and much less intense and urgent tempos. Oh and a fair bit of vocoder usage. There are also some gorgeous piano led ballads and quieter, more mellow songs, such as Robot Boy and Iridescent, although once that track gets in full swing it becomes more of an anthemic monster that will no doubt be (indeed, already is, judging by their recent gig) a huge crowd pleaser.

A difficult album to summarize, so maybe that's best left up to anybody willing to give them a listen. My essential track to listen to is Wretches and Kings. A perfect example of Mike taking more of the lead, leaving Chester to pick up the pieces. Chocked with samples and scratching, it's then down to business with the Beastie Boys meets Metallica meets System Of The Down. Awesome!

Listen to: Wretches and Kings

stop this crazy talk

2010-12-26T09:47:00.001Z

The Top 10 Albums of 2010

6. Plan B - The Defamation Of Strickland Banks (bedshaped)

I flippin' love this album. I really do.

I know it's not gonna be everybody's cup of tea, but this album is just packed with infectious songs that I defy any music lover not to at least tap their foot to. A difficult album to summarise, particularly because Plan B, or rather Ben Drew covers all manner of song styles. With his vocals; he shouts, he screams, he raps, he toasts, he harmonizes, he sings in falsetto, he stutters, he does the bloody lot.

And then you have the musical style and arrangements; drawing most of its influence from a motown, ska and sixties beatmix, but then touching on street rap, blues, jazz, indie....the list goes on. It's a very modern sounding album, with an obviously old-skool sound that not only pays homage to some of the all time greats, but sets the bar very high for anybody else out there who draws from a similar bow. If only it had a little more vinyl crackle sound!

Best listened to as a complete album, because of the story that unfolds (think The Streets legendary A Grand Don't Come For Free). It's an attempt at a 'concept album' telling the tale of the titular character, who appears to be a bit of a shady geezer. A little bit whoah, a little bit whehey, a little bit....erm....well, he's a bit shady, yano. That said, it can be happily picked apart at will and stands up to the most inattentive listener. In particular, tracks such as the infectious single She Said, with it's near perfect song construction, smooth jazzy guitar, rinky tink drums and complimentary brass, and the equally catchy Prayin'; a track drawing heavily on Motown of the 60's with it's single chord strumming guitar, ambitious tamborine and under-pinning brass, and Hard Times, an ultra slick soul and breezy jazzy number that would have Smokey Robinson giving up his pipe and slippers to come out of retirement. These tracks and more can hold their heads up high and do well to stand alone perfectly happily amongst anything else that's been released this year in single formats.

Elsewhere there are strings that wash in and out of tracks, emulating, but never quite successfully, Phil Spector's fabulous Wall Of Sound and all manner of brass instruments that compliment various tracks in a wonderful way, so as not to distract the listener with any kind of, "What the hell is that? Are those horns I hear?". It's no secret that I'm not a big fan of ye old brass section, but when used correctly such as on some of these tracks, well, I just can't resist. The other great thing that stands out for me on this album is the drumming. The mix has been captured just right, giving a wonderful 'live drumming' sound to the album, and not only that, but the drum patterns are inventive, infectious and contagious, to the point that I feel like picking up my sticks again!

Production here is spot on. Surely it couldn't have been any more suited to the sound and feel of the album, and I can't help feeling that when Ben and the musicians listened back to the final mix, they all must have given each other a deserved pat of the back and felt damned good about what they'd achieved.

My essential track to listen to has got to She Said. Beginning with a finger-snappy intro, leading into infectious drums, honky horns and Ben's falsetto vocals, followed by punchy guitars and those wonderful strings washing effortlessly in and out . Ben switches seamlessly into his 'daaan saaaaf' rapping, telling the story of the court case that results in the titular character being sent down. Genius!

Listen to: She Said

6. Gorillaz - Plastic Beach (Swisslet)

Their headline performance at Glastonbury this year may not have been everyone’s cup of tea, but I loved it. True, it probably helped that I knew who Mark E. Smith was and recognised Lou Reed as soon as he took to the stage for his four-minute cameo… but I thought that, for a cartoon band, Gorillaz made a surprising amount of sense as a live band. Once the ever-so-slightly tiresome pretext is dropped, Damon Albarn is freed up to really flex his musical muscles, helped by his famous collaborators, but rarely overshadowed.

Plastic Beach is a fantastic album by a band who have rarely sounded more coherent, even as the cameos become ever more diverse and more stellar. Snoop Dogg, Bobby Womack, Mos Def and… er… Mark E. Smith are all simply the icing on the cake of an engine that delivers a surprisingly coherent set of songs. Perhaps the album doesn’t have a standout single along the lines of Clint Eastwood or Feelgood Inc, but it’s their best album yet.

Listen to: Stylo (feat. Bobby Womack and Mos Def)

6. Keane - Night Train (NP)

So, it's arguably not a complete album (technically an EP and with only seven songs) but as it topped the album chart (a fourth consecutive number one album is not a bad return for a band considered by many to be in decline) I've included Night Train here.

Recorded during their 2009 world tour, Night Train is a curious mixture of songs. The publicity was generated by their two collaborations with Senegalese/Canadian rapper K'Naan but Stop For A Minute and Looking Back were hardly a left-field lurch into hip-hop (even if Radio 2 did, hilariously, cut out K'Naan's rapped middle eight as it was no doubt too racey and cutting edge for Ken Bruce's audience).

Back in Time and Ishin Denshin - a cover of the Yellow Magic Orchestra song - carry on in the electro-80s vain where Perfect Symmetry left off, whilst the remaining three tracks are archetypal Keane. Your Love sees Tim Rice-Oxley take on lead vocals for the first time and is a brilliant song. My Shadow and Clear Skies are also two songs that would fit snugly alongside any other Keane release.

At barely half an hour long, Night Train was described by Q magazine as a "surprisingly effective between-albums stop-gap." It's a peculiar mixture of sounds and styles, but Night Train is easily as melodic and enterprising as all of Keane's other recent releases.

Listen to: Stop For A Minute

i am the astronaut in the sky

2010-12-25T09:06:00.000Z

The Top 10 Albums of 2010

7. Amy MacDonald - A Curious Thing (NP)

After her runaway success with her multi-million selling debut album This Is The Life, the young Scottish popstrel returned in 2010 with her second album A Curious Thing.

I had reservations that MacDonald was a bit of a one trick pony and that she would struggle to replicate the high quality songwriting of This Is The Life. I am delighted to report that I was completely wrong. Indeed, she has produced the perfect second album; retaining everything from This Is The Life that made it charming and engaging but having added additional layers of instrumentation.

MacDonald has an unbelievable knack of writing great, melodic pop tunes and here, with a much 'bigger' sound both on the album and in her live shows, she has never sounded better. She's clearly more confident as a performer and as a songwriter and this album is chock full of brilliant songs, all of which could have been chosen as singles. I particularly like the catchy, upbeat Spark, the anthemic An Ordinary Life and My Pretty Face (notwithstanding the fact that it features Paul Weller on piano).

Whilst it might not have sold by the lorryload (except in continental Europe where she is absolutely massive), A Curious Thing is a superb follow-up and another brilliant record from, let us not forget, a very young talent.

Listen to: Spark, My Only One

7. The National - High Violet (bedshaped)

I couldn't quite gel with The Boxer, The National's previous album. Although I have to say that I have since dipped back into it many times and am happy to report that it's a flippin' grand album. What a shame it took so long to grow on me, but, never-the-less, it's now a firm favourite of mine.

High Velvet has been a much better fit for me and I could appreciate it's splendour and beauty much more instantly. Perhaps I knew what to expect, because these guys aren't so easy on the ear on first listen, and I wouldn't say they were anywhere near 'commercial' material, either. But that's just perfect for them. And it's always nice to have a band that grows over the years and through their releases, gaining critical praise and a growing fan-base, without necessarily scoring top 10 hit after top 10 hit or playing arena sized venues. Or indeed, both.

I'm not quite sure whether I prefer this album to their previous release. It's most definitely The National material; lavish production, wonderful harmonies, great song structure and lavish orchestration and the tell tale vocals of lead singer Matt Berninger, who sounds so fed up and like he's just about to give up on life. Even on the more up-tempo songs, I have visions on him sitting there in the recording studio; with a whiskey in one hand and a loaded gun in the other.

But don't let that put you off, because that's what these guys are all about. Creating and producing drama and almost self-destructive songs, without making you (as the listener) feel like finishing yourself off. The stories sound so real life, which adds to their yummy-ness and when you sit down and listen to the lyrics, you find yourself nodding, affirming and totally believing everything.

Musically, this album is top notch. There are some fantastic songs to be found buried beneath the rare less 'instant' songs. Lilly Faith is such an example. Beginning with a gentle intro, orchestration building up. Complimented with some lush strings and drums that pound along. And I love that strumming cello sound too. Afraid Of Everyone begins almost angelic. Lovely background harmonies swoop in and out through the song and add so much, it's gorgeousness just oozes. Interjecting, gumbling guitar provides the perfect finish to some fabulous ingredients.

Album closer Vanderlyle Crybaby Geeks is a perfect choice. Once again, luscious strings, wonderful orchestration and acoustic guitar take the listener to a gentle and fulfilling conclusion. And he doesn't actually sound so pissed off in this song. Wonderful!

It's not the most upbeat, or even uplifting album of the year, but it's a quality one, that's for sure. I'm happily reminded of my brief love affair with Blue Nile, but I think, at least I hope, this relationship with be a lot more long serving.

My must listen to track from this album has been difficult to choose, but after much deliberation and thought, I've gone for Bloodbuzz Ohio. Great drum patterns, some sparse background horns, wonderful orchestrations and gorgeously drenched with Matt's typically perfect sombre vocals. And those great chord changes build the song into something so familiar, you feel like this song is ten years old. Probably not the best track from the album, but my favourite.

Listen to: Bloodbuzz Ohio

7. Laura Marling - I Speak Because I Can (Swisslet)

Laura Marling recorded her debut, Alas, I Cannot Swim, when she was 18 years old. Although it was a wonderfully fully formed and accomplished record for someone of her tender years, it drew a large part of its charm from its lack of guile. Take Night Terror: are we really supposed to believe that this tiny, slip of a girl would fight anyone, nevermind a nightmare? Bless.

Marling had reached the ripe-old age of 20 years old by the time of I Speak Because I Can, and had already been the unwitting muse of a breakup record (the fantastic The First Days of Spring by Noah and the Whale) and perhaps also the inspiration behind one of the great success stories of the last 18 months (Sigh No More by Mumford and Sons). Was Marling going to be better known for the music she inspired from other people than for the music she produced herself?

In a word, no.

There’s no getting away from it: this is a folk album. Folk is fashionable at the moment, but for Marling it is no passing trend, but a way of addressing issues of love, sex, death, depression and heartbreak. With her lovelorn, heartbreakingly clear voice, she’s starting to be compared to artists of the calibre of Joni Mitchell and Nick Drake…. Prematurely, I would say (although remember that Drake only recorded three albums before he died), but another couple of albums like her last two and they won’t be far off the mark. She hasn’t produced a perfect album yet, and this certainly isn’t it, but she’s still so young and clearly still has so much more to offer. A wonderful album by a wonderful talent.

Listen to: Goodbye England (Covered in Snow)

each star's a pool of water

2010-12-24T09:21:00.001Z

The Top 10 Albums of 2010

8. Johnny Cash - American VI: Ain’t No Grave (Swisslet)

What an amazing journey. Obviously for Cash, whose amazing journey would make an X-Factor judge’s eyes water; but also for the listener. We’ve been with Johnny Cash what seems like every step of his amazing journey from the cotton fields of the Deep South to a disembodied voice from beyond the grave. Cash died in 2003, and released some seven years after his death, this album was always going to be a step too far for many people.

But for me, the legacy is undamaged by the release of these tracks. When Cash recorded these lyrics, he was pretty close to death, and the listener might fancy that they can hear it in his voice; that reedy whisper is a ghost of the mighty bass it once was and every single note sounds like a struggle from a man literally at death’s door.

For some artists, that might prove to be more than the music can stand, but Cash somehow manages to rise above, and it almost seems that the weaker his voice becomes, the more authoritative his statements on life and upon death.

Make no mistake, this is probably the least impressive of all of the American Recordings that Cash made with Rick Rubin, but this still represents the culmination of a formidable body of work by an amazing, once-in-a-lifetime artist. A true one-off.

Listen to: Cool Water

8. For A Minor Reflection - Holdum I Att Ao Oreiou (NP)

For A Minor Reflection are a difficult band to explain. Hailing from Rekyavik, Iceland it is easy to lump them into the Icelandic/Sigur Ros category, particularly as the quartet supported Ros on their fifteen date European tour in 2008. Indeed, it was that tour and a fantastic performance at the Wolverhampton Civic Hall that got me into the band in the first place.

It was the one and only time that I have ever bought a band's CD at a gig and the amazing six track EP (although it is an hour long) Reistu þig við, sólin er komin á loft... remains one of the best investments I have ever made.

Holdum I Att Ao Oreiou is the band's first ever album and it is quite, quite brilliant. I suppose it is basically melodic rock but the surprising thing about it is that it is totally instrumental. It's hard to explain why a melodic guitar rock instrumental album might be so spellbinding (on the face of it, there sounds nothing worse) but it is terrifically engaging and beautifully written. The four band members are just 20 years old and so I have high expectations that they will continue to make more of these terrific records.

It's perhaps not the sort of album you could listen to in the car or on a summer's day in your back garden, but as a piece of work to chill out to or to have on in the background whilst you are busy with something else, there is seldom better. It really is a remarkably good record.

Listen to: A Moll

8. Interpol - Interpol (bedshaped)

I don't think there's much middle ground with these guys. You either like them....or you don't. And quite often, people who like them will say that they peaked with their debut album Turn On The Bright Lights and went downhill from there. I would agree that their debut album is by far their best, but I'm still fairly passionate about Antics too. But let's not mention too much about their third release, huh! And besides, this forth effort sounds miles better than that one, even on first listen.

Admittedly, it's not the easiest album to listen to. Paul Banks, the lead singer, mostly sings like he's in emotional turmoil. Not to mention his vocals still sound like they are being recorded from a room down the corridor and then played through a 1940's transistor radio with a slightly buzzing speaker cone. The drums are typically dampened on most of the tracks, but are much more interesting than on the previous album.

Interpol's bass has always been a driving force through their musical career, and even though it's still booming away, I have to say it's not quite as apparent on this release. Perhaps the bass player, who has since sadly left the band, already had his foot out of the door during the recording sessions. Fuzzy, almost climatic and rumbling guitars still show their rough-edged drones and there's even tinkles on the piano going on through some of the tracks. Of course, the collective Interpol hat is still firmly tipped in the direction of Joy Division's sound and style, or more-over, what their sound and style could have been, if it wasn't for their terrible and untimely demise.

The lyrics on this album seem much more twisted than usual. They are either terrible deep, unfathomably twisted, or perhaps intentional non-sense. And there are also tracks that don't follow any traditional formula, particularly with the chorus's. Or rather, lack of them. Not that there's anything wrong with that. In fact, for me, it's what makes it all the more interesting and enjoyable to listen to. But you have to have patience with this album. It's taken a while to grow on me. All I can say is, if you give it enough chance, the rewards will be there. That said, it's certainly not everybody's cup of tea.

The album is best listened to in full. That way the listener can fully appreciate the epic sounds, the melancholy feel, the anthemic production and the grandeur of such tracks as Memory Serves, the fantastic and meandering Always Malaise (The Man I Am), the typically Interpol sounding opening track Success, and the absolute perfect album closer The Undoing which is my essential track to listen to.

Sheer class. If you can take the pace.

Listen to: The Undoing

many surprises await you in the basement

2010-12-23T09:52:00.000Z

The Top 10 Albums of 2010

9. Two Door Cinema Club - Tourist History (bedshaped)

A three piece indie outfit hailing from Ireland, with no drummer. How can this possibly work? Well, it does. The percussion, drums and beats are programmed in the studio, but as a listener, you'd never know. And as far as I understand, they have a drummer who tours with them. The sound is....well....tightly produced, melodic and slick sounding in an impressive and effortless kind of way. Very pleasing to the ear and nice to see that bands are still happy to produce punchy and fairly simplistic, short songs that don't lack a polished punch.

Many of the tracks are fast, guitar driven tracks, laced with great melodies and hooks, and the vocals suit the style perfectly. Wonderful harmonizing gets interwoven when the tracks really need it and there's more than a handful of tracks found on the album that worm their way into your head. Always a good sign!
The lead singer has a nice voice, although nothing outstanding, and unless I'd researched the band more, I'd never have guessed they hailed from Ireland, since the vocals lack that common 'Oirish' slant that the likes of Snow Patrol have.

With just 10 tracks, it's a fine, fine debut album. None of the tracks sound too 'samey' and there's plenty of musical variety for the average listener to get stuck into. This Is The Life, a bright and breezy number sounds very familiar, even on first listen. If it's been used in an advert, then I can't remember which one. If it hasn't, then it just goes to show that a damned good song is a damned good song and can stick in your head for days, even weeks on end. The same goes for songs such as the up-tempo Do You Want It All?, a speedy, tempo changing sugary pop/indie song with an infectious, if slightly repetitive chorus reminiscent of the likes of The Magic Numbers or The Young Knives. Lovely.

Now, I love deep and meaningful lyrics. I find myself constantly amazed at the genius of beautiful songwriting and wondrous story-telling. Being able to connect with words of love, of woe, of ambition, heartache or whatever, where the story-telling unfolding before my ears provides me with some of my absolute favourite moments. This is not such an album. These lyrics are light, breezy, almost annoyingly upbeat and to be honest, songs like that can grate on me and leave me cold. But this is a collection of songs that are mostly positive in message and not so deep that you find yourself dissecting each and every line. And that's a good thing. No, actually, it's a great thing. After all, we all need a little light relief and entertainment.

A word of caution though. I don't find this album in the same place as the likes of The Feeling or those annoying guys; The Hoosiers. So, if that's your 'thang' then perhaps it isn't for you. And there's no ballads to be found on here either, and that suits me just fine.

Recommended to me by a friend, and described by them as upbeat pop/indie, I listened to the album not really expecting much. I was pleasantly surprised on the first listen and it's been a repeat offender on my playlist throughout the year.

Must listen to track for me is Undercover Martyn. A brisk track, driven by guitar hooks and an infectious drum pattern, this track sums up the rest of the album completely. Short and to the point. Tightly produced and squeaky clean. It's everything an indie song should be, without being scared of falling into the 'pop bracket. And with the opening line; "And she spoke words that would melt in your hand....", I was hooked.

Awesome.

Listen to: Undercover Martyn

9. Tron: Legacy OST - Daft Punk (Swisslet)

Perhaps it’s premature to include this album on this list, but I can’t resist it. I’m not even sure that I’m going to go and watch the film - as I remember it, the original was a confusing mess – but the soundtrack to the sequel is amazing.

I wonder who came up with the idea that Daft Punk should do the soundtrack first: was it the producers or the band themselves? The Frenchmen are such an obvious choice; it’s as though they only existed as a result of the first film and were born to soundtrack the second. Their whole robot “look” is perfect for outlining in blue neon, and the music they’ve always made is ideal for a film set inside a computer world (albeit I imagine there isn’t a guy in a dog costume with a ghetto blaster featuring in the film anywhere, more’s the pity).

I’m not really sure how to describe this album: it sounds exactly like a film soundtrack, but it also sounds exactly like a Daft Punk album. Does that work for you? Mind you, I should add too that, in places, it also sounds quite a lot like the Blade Runner soundtrack…. Perhaps inevitable with any synth-drenched film score.

Still. It’s an odd choice perhaps, and not a record that will be filling many dancefloors in the years to come, and I’m very much including it here on a whim, but it’s still a very satisfying string and synth-drenched listen. 22 tracks, few much over two minutes long and very clearly a film score. I’m not sure it should work or, even if it did, that I should like it. But I really do.

Listen to: Derezzed

9. Ocean Eyes - Owl City (NP)

Early in 2010, and pretty much out of nowhere, came Adam Young's Owl City. Their single Fireflies was a number one hit on both sides of the Atlantic as well as countries as far flung as Denmark, Australia and New Zealand.

Ocean Eyes is actually the band's second album, with debut Maybe I'm Dreaming re-released in the UK after the success of Fireflies. It is an incredibly upbeat and chirpy record and Young's distinctive sound and vocals certainly won't be everyone's cup of tea. Indeed, after enjoying it repeatedly on its release, I ended up having to put it away for a while as it did get a teensy bit annoying.

Owl City are at their best with their mid-paced tracks, of which Fireflies is an obvious example. Vanilla Twilight and Dental Care are also likeable enough (even if the latter has some particularly awful pun-style lyrics.)

Having only recently played this album again, I was reminded of how infectious and breezy it really is. It might get on some people's nerves after a while, but there's no denying it's a great pop record.

Listen to: Fireflies

all her pretty dreams are torn

2010-12-22T09:39:00.001Z

The Top 10 Albums Of 2010

10. Bruce Springsteen - The Promise (NP)

After listening again to Darkness On The Edge Of Town - not one of my favourite Springsteen albums - I didn't have terrible high hopes for The Promise. A double album of 'out-takes' from the Darkness sessions, I figured that if these were the tracks not deemed good enough for the original album, then they may not be much cop.

How wrong I was. In fact, I'd go so far as to say that this may yet become my favourite of all Springsteen's albums - and that is high praise indeed.

From the stunning piano led Racing In The Street, The Promise features 21 excellent tracks, of which only one or two really don't cut the mustard. Of course the themes are typical Springsteen - recorded in 1978 during a recession there's plenty of unemployment, lack of money, working mens grumbles in the lyrics. However, this album is almost quintessential Springsteen in so much as it is classic American rock and roll written and performed by one of the boys.

I was astonished at quite how good The Promise is, and if you've any affection for the Boss at all, this is an album that should be in your collection.

Listen to: Racing In The Street

10. Delphic - Acolyte (bedshaped)

If you're looking for something a little 'different', then I would heartily recommend these boys.

I like bands and artists like this who make it tough to say to somebody; "Yeah, they sound like *insert name here*", because when you listen to the album, you can hear influences and similarities to so many other people. But not just that,they also bring something fresh to the table. Yes, just what the doctor ordered.

There's nothing amazing about the lyrics here, but they seem to have a great knack of producing singalong songs, with big choruses that stick in your head like those annoying, cheesy pop songs. Except, I wouldn't categorize them as pop at all. Nope, they're indie. Actually, they're more electronica. Oh, maybe industrial beat-makers. oh, I dunno, but perhaps you get the picture.

The programmed beats and percussion are the driving force behind their songs. Melt in some jangly guitars and tinkly keys, topped off with catchy lyrics with examples of great harmonizing and you have a very pleasing formula that sits well with the listener from beginning to end. A totally listenable album, if a little on the short side.

Sweet, polished production is very apparent, along with a great mix of sampled chopping, mixing and editing. It's a very 'now' sounding album and I bloody like it. I don't have any kind of desire to see them play live though. For some reason, I imagine them as quite boring to watch performing. No offence intended, guys. It's never held back the likes of Pet Shop Boys, New Order or Friendly Fires though, has it?

Having stumbled across the track Doubt, I immediately wanted to explore them more and have never felt disappointed. It's a perfect house party album, the likes of which can play on repeat in the background, never offending anyone and giving off just enough interest and tease to keep the atmosphere light.

Listen to: Acolyte

10. Vampire Weekend - Contra (Swisslet)

2008s Vampire Weekend was a joyous affair, introducing us to the band’s glorious 'Upper West Side Soweto' style of music, with delirious singles like Oxford Comma and A-Punk.

Contra is perhaps a little denser and is maybe a little less immediate. Essentially though, Vampire Weekend are offering us a new album of much the same kind of stuff as last time. There’s some experimentation here, but not too much. And you know what? That’s okay with me.

It might get boring if they haven’t moved a little further by the time they record their next album, but you know what? For now this will do just fine. It sounded pretty good as we drove across the Southern Alps in New Zealand, I can tell you that.

Listen to: I Think Ur Contra

i don't want to end up living in a dive on vine

2010-12-13T22:48:00.007Z

The Top 10 Albums of 2010

Before we get to our respective Top Ten albums of the year, a few words about those records that didn't quite make the final lists....

Eels - End Of Time

Such a wonderful collection of songs, as usual from Mr E. His storytelling ranges from the most bizarre to the most heartfelt. From compelling, to absolutely heartbreaking. A great album to lose many an hour any day of the week. (bedshaped)

Cherry Ghost - Beneath The Burning Shoreline

Whilst this is a pretty decent album, I can't help but be disappointed by it. After the brilliance of debut Thirst For Romance, I was expecting an awful lot from Cherry Ghost's second album. However, it's less melodic and less accessible than their debut and is nowhere as easy to like. There are highlights - Kissing Strangers is one of my singles of the year - but this was a real opportunity missed. (NP)

Goldfrapp - Head First

Alison and Co' do it again. Once more, showing great versatility, style and scope with more than the usual nod to disco beats, dancefloor thumps and keyboard wizardry. I don't think people were expecting an album like this from them, especially after their last release and perhaps that's why it seems to have slipped by most people's speakers without notice. Such a shame. (bedshaped)

Example - Won't Go Quietly

Perhaps the biggest surprise of the year, this album if firmly at the 'pop' end of British rap music. Containing the brilliant pop singles Watch The Sun Come Up, Won't Go Quietly and Kickstarts this is an album that is a combination of a lot of ingredients I really shouldn't like. Still, it's surprisingly catchy and infectious. (NP)

King Of Leon - Come Around Sundown

It's good, but not great. Although that could be because I haven't given this album anywhere near as many plays as their previous albums. I will say each track has something great to offer and it's certainly Caleb's most impressive vocal performance. No doubt I will be kicking myself for not having this inside my top ten after a few more spins, but hey, those are the breaks. (bedshaped)

The Hoosiers - The Illusion Of Safety

Eschewing their chirpy oddpop in favour of chirpy electro-pop, the trio returned in 2010 with an album that's every bit as catchy and/or annoying as their debut The Trick To Life. Lead release Choices is a terrific pop single and, although it's not an album that will necessarily convert you to the band if you're not already a fan, it's a super, frothy pop album. (NP)

Duffy - Endlessly

Aah, Duffy. This is the album that should have been your debut. Much better production and a more acceptable level of strings here, coupled with Duffy's lush vocals. Drawing many of its elements once again from old school soul, Motown and the sixties vibe, I bet Amy Winehouse is kicking herself. I have to say though, this album is far, far too short! (bedshaped)

Marina and the Diamonds - The Family Jewels

On the first few listens, I thought Marina was a bit of a one-trick pony. It's quite a squealy, spiky record and I consigned it to my rack pretty early on. However, having listened again over the last few weeks I found I enjoyed it much more than I had initially, and singles like Hollywood, Sham Pain and I Am Not A Robot are actually nicely crafted indie-pop records. (NP)

The Walkmen - Lisbon

There's something quite wonderful about these guys, but I can't put my finger on it. This album is typically under-produced, sounding like it's been recorded in somebody's garage and quite possible in single takes, but that all adds to the great sound. They will never be big, but I don't care. I quite them being one of my favourite little secrets. Gruff vocal style, jangly keys, gruff guitars and some odd drum sounds make me a happy listener time and time again. (bedshaped)

MGMT - Congratulations

Whilst this sounds as far removed from their debut album as you might imagine, I have to say that I really quite liked Congratulations. It doesn't contain songs as immediate as Electric Feel or Time To Pretend, and whilst many fans won't be enamoured with their change of direction, I really found myself liking Congratulations more and more with every listen. (NP)

Ellie Goulding - Lights

If I remember correctly, Ellie was the BBC's (and many others) big tip for top in 2010 and she certainly didn't let anyone down. Her fragile, almost submissive voice sits perfectly with well structured and composed songs. I also really like the production of this album; samples, vocal-play and beat-mixes all providing the perfect ingredients. Yummy! Not what I was expecting from her, but I was really surprised (bedshaped)

Whilst this is an OK record, I can't help but be disappointed. Ellie doesn't really know what type of performer she wants to be - electronic diva or acoustic singer-songwriter and the end result is a mish-mash that doesn't really tick any box. She's also a surprisingly un-engaging live performer, and her cover of Your Song is hideoous. Could do much better. (NP)

Eliza Doolittle - Eliza Doolittle

I can't help it, it's just a great pop album. Nothing particularly special about her voice, but it seems to sit perfectly within the songs. A healthy nod to sugar-pop, old-skool et al and it works really, really well without stepping on anybody else's toes. (bedshaped)

An easy listening-ish album full of whistling and samples from wartime singalong favourites should, in theory, be utterly horrible. However, Doolittle'#s knack of finding a chirpy, earworm like tune is spot on and this album is surprisingly entertaining. I wouldn't say it particularly pushed any musical boundaries, but in its own right it's a gentle enough way to kill an hour or so. (NP)

Magnetic Man - Magnetic Man

Dancey, clubby, thumpy, throbbing, funky shit from the guys who seem to be in demand with all the 'in-crowd' at the moment. Guests a-plenty, this album throws out instrumental slammers and those all important dancefloor bass-booming anthems with little or no effort. A little repetitive at times, but that can forgiven because when they produce a good tune, it's not just good, it's fucking blinding! (bedshaped)

Hurts - Happiness

An album which was compared to something by Climie Fisher or Johnny Hates Jazz by the Guardian may not sound particularly appealing, but Hurts manage to create a sparse, 80s influenced sound which remains pretty modern. It's an album which, had I listened to it more, would almost certainly have made my top Ten. Certainly a band to watch in 2011. (NP)

Arcade Fire - The Suburbs

So, sooooo much better than their last album, but sadly nowhere near as good as their debut. But it's a nice place to be. At least they are moving forwards. Great lyrics on this album and once again the vast array of musical instruments add excitement to each listen. Absolutely loving the orchestration and general song arrangements. A damned fine band that look to be back on track. (bedshaped)

An album that gets better with every listen, The Suburbs manages to be the record that MGMT tried to make with Congratulations. Powerful but not in the slightly overblown way that stopped Neon Bible being brilliant, this is a really high quality album from a band that really know what they are doing. (NP)

Laura Marling - I Speak Because I Can

She reminds me of so many other people and yet still manages to sound fresh and original. A fabulously talented young girl, writing wonderful stories and weaving tales of wonder and woe without batting an eyelid. A totally listenable album and definitely recommended to anybody looking for something a little different in singer-songwriters nowadays. (bedshaped)

Other albums of note: Belle & Sebastian - Write About Love (Swisslet), Hot Chip - One Life Stand (Swisslet), Diana Vickers - Songs From The Tainted Cherry Tree (NP), Paul Heaton - Acid Country (NP), Isobel Campbell & Mark Lanegan - Hawk (Swisslet), Lights - The Listening (NP), The Courteeners - Falcon (Swisslet), Jonsi - Go (NP), We Are Scientists - Barbara (Swisslet)

you don't even notice there's a war in my mind

2009-12-31T09:01:00.000Z

Top 10 Albums Of The Decade

1. Tina Dico - Count To Ten (2008) (LB)

When I was idly compiling this top Ten in my head (well, it was more scientific than that and involved about thirty albums on a large Post-It note) it never really occurred to me that I'd choose anything other than Keane's Hopes and Fears as my number One album of the decade. It just seemed like the automatic and obvious choice.

And then I thought some more, and I found an album that I must have heard nearly a hundred times. An album that I have never grown bored of, never wanted to switch off and one without a bad note, never mind a bad song.

It's funny, really. Out of nowhere, along came Tina Dico with her eighty-odd songs - four 'proper' albums and a series of EPs - and supplanted Keane as the most important artist I have heard in the last ten years. In much the same way as bedshaped has talked about Damien Rice, Dico is in some ways the female equivalent. A singer who uses a non-same-sex vocalist to great effect, making laid-bare acoustic records which wear their heart firmly on their sleeve.

Fuel was a decent enough debut but the album's co-credit of band Sheriff made it obvious that Dico hadn't got free rein on that release. Solo EPs showed promise and the superb In The Red set the tone for what was to come. Some live performances followed and then came the release of Count To Ten in 2008.

It was my album of the year by some distance, and having thought about this at length I can't honestly name an album I have liked more in the last ten years. From the superb title track it launches straight into the great On The Run - a typical Dico number written about her uncertainty about her place in the world. The beautiful Open Wide, the stunning Sacre Coeur and the clever Craftsmanship and Poetry follow but it was on hearing the heartwrenching and emotional Cruel To The Sensitive Kind that I really, really fell for Dico.

Her An Open Ending EP and 2009's Road to Gavle have carried on where Count To Ten left off and as we enter the next decade there is no doubt in my mind that Dico will continue to produce this extra special brand of brilliance that will cement her position as my Favourite Artist Of All Time.

Listen to: Cruel To The Sensitive Kind

1. Coldplay - A Rush Of Blood To The Head (2002) (Swisslet)

I bought Parachutes and Kid A on the same day. That Radiohead album is now being hailed by many critics as the album of the decade. It’s all very good and all that, but the simple fact of the matter is that I hardly played it. Still don’t really. The Coldplay record, on the other hand, was hardly off my stereo for months and is still a firm favourite of mine. I loved the simple, plaintive quality of the songs and the abundant wide-eyed wonder of their young gangly singer, especially when he was loping after the camera along a beach in the pouring rain in the video to Yellow.

Of course, now that they’re massive, these are very much the qualities that people use to criticise Coldplay generally and Chris Martin specifically: that their songs are full of vague sentiments and a lot of abstract worrying.

They’re so big and famous now that it’s hard to think back to a time when people worried if they were big enough when they were announced as the Friday night headliners of the Pyramid Stage at the Glastonbury Festival in 2002. They’re just a little indie band with one album and one famous song behind them. Is that really enough? How are they going to be able to pull it off? The band took to the stage and launched into a volcanic version of Politik. This was Coldplay as we’d never heard them before: famously described as “music for bedwetters”, this was something completely different. It was thunderously loud and the band had clearly taken a quantum leap forward. The release of A Rush of Blood to the Head was still months away, but the bar had suddenly been raised and I could hardly wait. Superstardom beckoned.

It’s an album packed with outstanding songs: In My Place, God Put a Smile on Your Face, The Scientist, Clocks, A Rush of Blood to the Head…. But the greatness of the album for me resides not just in the fact that there isn’t a weak song on the album as the fact that we can actually hear the ambition of the band, the way that they are striving for something far bigger than Parachutes.

Of course, the band’s signature foibles are there for all to see, perhaps written larger now we know them so much better since the subsequent releases of X&Y and Viva La Vida: the piano-led songs, the yearning, worrying and questioning of the lyrics; puzzles missing pieces… all the things that people pillory Coldplay (often unfairly) are all already in place. The Scientist is perhaps Coldplay in excelsis: that nagging piano motif, those yearning Chris Martin vocals with a sense of loss and worry…. It’s a song that fans will hold up as being perhaps the best example of the band’s genius, but their critics will hold up the very same things as the reasons why they hate them. There’s something about them that seems to make people want to criticise: New York Times critic Jon Pareles once said the band’s lyrics can make him wish he “didn’t understand English.” I love the band, but I sort of know what he means…. Or perhaps he’s simply looking to highlight the much-overlooked contribution of Jonny Buckland, Guy Berryman and Will Champion to the band’s sound?

There’s a tendency for people to dislike a band simply because they become big, and with this album Coldplay set out on the journey that would soon see them become the biggest band in the world. This album was a marker for things to come, but it stands in its own right as the band’s finest moment. That sheer quantum leap in ambition and in sound that meant that the step to superstardom suddenly seemed like the most natural thing in the world.

My album of the decade by the band my LastFM stats tell me are my most listened to band by miles. It’s not cool to say you like Coldplay, but I tell you what, I bloody well do.

Listen to: In My Place

1. Damien Rice - 9 (2006) (bedshaped)

Well, how the devil did that happen? The top two positions held by the same artist? Well, when I was thinking about compiling this list, I wanted to have albums that not only sat quite happily in the 'brilliant album' category, but also I wanted albums to represent me, and I guess my life over the last ten years. And then of course I also had to consider albums that were never far from the 'heavy rotation' playlist.

Out of all the albums that have caught my attention over the last ten years, Damien Rice's 9 album has been the most heavily played by far. It's also the album that I've found can be played no matter what mood I'm in. It's got me through some bad times, it's helped me ride happy waves. It's an album that has never disappointed, and somehow....even now when I play it, it just....sounds....better.

Once again, this album is driven by an acoustic and intimate feel to it. Orchestrations fold in and out, when they need to emphasize something, but in the main, this is a much more stripped down and bare album than O is. Lisa Hannigan provides more vocal delights throughout this album, and once again, I have to say that she is an essential ingredient to this album's wonderments. Without Lisa's voice, this and O wouldn't have been so....effective.

Damien's stories unfold in his brilliant lyrical style, and I find this album to have a lot more....I dunno....depth and honesty to it, as far as the lyrics are concerned. It's like....he's happy that people accepted him as he was on O, and now he wants to see how far he can push those barriers.

I had tickets to see Damien play live, promoting this album. Just two days before the gig, an announcement was posted on his website, saying that He and Lisa had 'parted company'. I can't even begin to describe how utterly pissed off I was. The gig was good, don't get me wrong. But Lisa's absence was heavily felt in that auditorium that night.

How long will it be before we get another album? Who knows? Will there even be another album? Maybe not. I hope he continues to release stuff and I'll be interested to see how he tackles having such a void to fill.

Damien. I take my hat off to you, sir! You are indeed a super talented fucker.

Favourite track : Accidental Babies. An honest and raw account of a guy's undying love for a past girlfriend who has moved on. The way he recollects things from their relationship, and then wonders if she acts the same, even though she's now with somebody else. It's just piano and Damien's voice. The 'sound' of the piano is lovely. Like an old, out of tune piano found in the basement of somebody's house. And Damien sings with such wonderful emotion, you can almost hear the frog in his throat. Just a lovely, lovely song.

Listen to: Accidental Babies

taxied out of a storm to watch you perform

2009-12-30T20:11:00.004Z

Top 10 Albums Of The Decade

2. Damien Rice - O (2003) (bedshaped)

One thing that gets to me every time, is a singer songwriter that can pour out their feelings and emotions in a song. Not just in the way they sing it, it needs to be in the words too. The words have to give enough of the story, but leave a little to the imagination. And sandwiched in between all that has to be a voice that can deliver with conviction.

Alanis can do it. So can Tori. Tina Dico shows much promise. Ray LaMontagne is on board. Jewel used to be there. Paolo Nutini is almost there. Hell, even James Blunt has his moments.

But along came a guy from Ireland who stood out above all the others for me. His musical talents were certainly there, but his stories.... His stories are so brutal, so honest, so true, so....open. This is a guy who isn't afraid to lay his bones out for everybody to gaze upon. It's totally admirable, completely fulfilling and so totally heart-breaking, at times.

Damien Rice.

O contains song after song of pure beauty, capturing almost every possible emotion when it comes to relationships. And that's pretty much what this album is all about. Broken hearts, affairs, cheating, breaking up, love, lust, sex, falling in love, lies, truth, touching, stroking, kissing, holding, hugging, fighting, spitting....

Anybody could listen to this album and find at least one song that they can truly relate to. And that's where a lot of it's beauty lies, in the fact that anybody and everybody can find a lot in themselves contained within the stories.

Damien's voice is lovely. Raw, stripped, honest.... with just a hint of the Irish accent slipping out, and there's a wide array of instruments that kiss the ear as they play beautifully alongside each other, and then there's the jewel in the crown....Her name is Lisa Hannigan.

Lisa provides not only backing vocals, but also dual vocal duties on many of the songs here, and there's such an amazing beauty, such an amazing connection and flow between her and Damien's voice. I can't think of two more complimentary voices. Her sultry tones add a fair bit of depth to the songs, and I honestly believe that without her contributions to this album, it wouldn't have been half as good.

This album can make your feel sad, when you're happy, and happy when you're sad. It can remind you of old, lost loves....

Damien's wonderful lyrics can be fairly cryptic, leaving the listener to find their own story. But when he feels the need to spell it out, he doesn't hold back. It's very refreshing to find somebody willing to open up so much. It's raw. Half the fun in listening to this album, is trying to figure out what he meant when he wrote those lines. Was he talking about a girl or being an alcoholic? Is this an affair or rekindled romance? Has she killed herself or just left him?

Acoustic guitar dominates this album, with occasional appearances from strings, piano and wind sections, amongst other things. It's quiet, mellow and makes for perfect late night evening listening. This album is an all round winner, in my opinion. Could he ever possibly top this album?

Favourite track: I Remember. Lisa sings the first half of this song, accompanied by an acoustic guitar, picking away. Her breathy voice telling her side of the story of their relationship. Then halfway through, the guitar switches up a gear and strums as Damien begins to tell his side of the story. And this is where the song gets more passionate, Damien's voice impressing into the forefront, strings and allsorts backing him up like an army. It climaxes with an almighty mish-mash of all manner of instruments, all fighting to be heard. Just like in argument, right? Interesting, huh? And what about that solitary bassline at the very end?

Listen to: I Remember

2. Keane - Hopes and Fears (2004) (LB)

The best selling British album of 2004, the Brit award for 'best album' and rated #13 in Q Magazine's 'Best British Album Of All Time' poll. Hopes and Fears is, as far as I am concerned, pretty much the perfect record.

It's got everything that I love. I adore Tim Rice-Oxley's downbeat lyrics, his piano led melodies and the various tempos he employs on this album. From the driving anthemic piano of Somewhere Only We Know right through to the final note of live favourite Bedshaped it's a stunning record of beautifully crafted pop records.

Whilst the songs make this a brilliant record, this album would be nothing without Tom Chaplin's vocals. Whether you like him or not (and clearly he can be a bit of an idiot) he adds something magical to Rice-Oxley's compositions, particularly on ballads such as She Has No Time and the superb We Might As Well Be Strangers.

Indeed, there's not a weak point on this record. I love the lyrics and meaning behind This Is The Last Time, the perfect popness of Somewhere Only We Know and the energy of Bend and Break and Can't Stop Now. And, of course, it benefits from containing my #1 favourite song of all time - the untouchable Everybody's Changing which is the absolute perfect mixture of upbeat melody and melancholy lyrics.

Songs on subsequent releases have occasionally reached the heights of Hopes and Fears, but nothing is as consistent and more perfectly suited to my own musical taste than this great, great record.

Listen to: Everybody's Changing

2. Sufjan Stevens - Illinois (2005) (Swisslet)

Let’s be honest, Sufjan Stevens sounds like a bit of a dick. Clearly precociously talented, pretty early in his career, Stevens came out with the ridiculous assertion that he was going to record an album for each of the fifty states in the USA. Well, perhaps he was serious, perhaps he was not, but even if he never makes it any further (and he’s already done Michigan and an album dedicated to the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway), then his tribute to "The Prairie State" makes the whole damn stupid idea worth the pursuit.

Illinois is stupidly ambitious: it is an absurd mish-mash of ideas and songs, 22 tracks long and with a running time stretching to well over an hour. It is richly orchestrated, but also features the humble banjo. It is all loosely themed around the State of Illinois, but with such a big topic, Stevens is at his best when he goes for the intimate: Casimir Pulaski Day is named after an Illinois public holiday, but tells the gut-wrenching story of a friend dying of bone cancer. It is delicate, and it is beautiful.

Far more bombastic is Chicago, a song name-checked by Snow Patrol on Arms Open and featuring a huge, joyful refrain about escape…. An upbeat song that somehow also manages to be sad at the same time. Perhaps most powerful of all is John Wayne Gacy Jr, the story of Illinois’ most infamous murderer. It is a song packed with detail, from the clown costumes that Gacy wore, the way he chloroformed his victims, even some details from his childhood. Most staggering of all is when Stevens sings the lines:

“And in my best behavior
I am really just like him
Look beneath the floorboards
For the secrets I have hid”

He asks us to compare him with a man who murdered over 30 young men, and the emotional impact of those lines is enormous. This album is a lasting monument to one man’s towering musical vision. The fact that he’s pulled it all off is nothing less than incredible. A brilliant album. I’ve never heard anything like it before and I can’t get it out of my head.

Listen to: Casimir Pulaski Day

scarves of red tied round their throats

2009-12-29T08:27:00.000Z

Top 10 Albums Of The Decade

3. Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes (2008) (Swisslet)

The Fleet Foxes are from modern Seattle but sound as though they have just stepped out of the Bruegel painting that graces the front of their brilliant debut album, released in June 2008. They are city boys, but their songs reference squirrels, mountains, woodland and meadowlarks. Their musical references are rooted in Crosby, Stills, Nash, Young and the other singer-songwriters of the 1960s Laurel Canyon set, and yet somehow their sound is so timeless that they could have been performing at any point in the last five hundred years.

Take White Winter Hymnal for example, still their most famous song: it sounds as much like a medieval rondel as it does a contemporary rock song, an image that intensifies when you look at the band in all their weirdy-beardy, hairy glory: medieval minstrels to a man. It's a simple song, with pure, clear vocal harmonies looping around a haunting and yet oddly sinister refrain of children playing in the snow and of blood spilled.

I can’t think of any other band that has sung this well together since the Beach Boys: the singing on the album is exquisite throughout, with the highlights for me being Ragged Wood, Your Protector, Blue Ridge Mountains and Oliver James. That last track in particular, a tale of a tragic drowning, features Robin Pecknold singing unaccompanied, and the effect is electric as his clear, pure voice rises unfettered towards the skies. I’m not sure where they can go after this, but it’s beautiful whilst it lasts.

Listen to: White Winter Hymnal

3. The Strokes - Is This It (2001) (bedshaped)

This is an amazing album. And not only that, but a fantastic debut album, taboot! Have they ever come close to bettering it? No. Nowhere near. Have they still got some miles left in them? Yes, I think so.

This is what indie is all about. Short running times, warped vocals, grinding guitar, groovy basslines and pounding drums. Catchy songs and perfect air guitar music. The sort of songs that young kids can pick up on a guitar in like....three days.

Unfortunately, I think The Strokes suffered from being in the wrong place at the wrong time, when they became the band to like, if you were in the 'in' crowd. And that unfortunate move put a little distance between the band and the majority of the music appreciating public. People wanted to like The Strokes, even love them, but the Music Snobs already loved them, so it was now quite uncool to like such a cool band. Yes, it complicated. And I think, to The Strokes detriment.

Packed with brilliant singles; Someday and Last Night being amongst the best known, I guess. But in my opinion, any track could have been released from this album and it would have gained perfect momentum.

I think I particularly like this album because it sounds like it was recorded in a garage by five friends. The production is raw, and that's a really winner with this band. Too studio loved up and you get the poor brother Room On Fire or the very sad First Impressions Of Earth, both lacking in what made The Strokes so great to listen to in the first place. That simplistic sound of raw rock and roll, delivered by a band that you and your mates could replicate in less than four weeks.

Favourite track: Soma. A genius song. Short, bittersweet and to the point. The guitars are great, the breaks are perfect. His vocal....just fit. Disjointed in places, with a brilliant pair of guitar hooks fighting over each other. Everything about this song sounds just right. And I bet they put this together in about twenty minutes, the talented fuckers!

Listen to: Soma

3. Athlete - Tourist (2005) (LB)

I'll be honest, when they first burst onto the scene in 2003 I couldn't abide Athlete. I thought their brand of daft, jaunty guitar pop was completely forced and I got the distinct impression that they were trying way to hard. Singles El Salvador and You Got The Style did nothing for me, despite their significant airplay and Mercury Music Prize nomination.

And then, in 2005 they released Tourist. I knew I'd like it after their debut single Wires made the UK top Ten. The tale of Joel Pott's premature baby being rushed to intensive care is a superb record and won the Ivor Novello for 'best contemporary song'.

I listened to Tourist again the other day and it was just as good as I always remember it. It was the first record I bought after I moved out of my marital home in early 2005 and so I vividly remember sitting on the floor of my mum's hallway (it was the only way to get online) listening to Tourist and Thirteen Senses' The Invitation over and over again.

Singles Twenty Four Hours, Half Light and Tourist are superb, but I really also like the opening track Chances which builds to a beautiful anthemic chorus. They had managed to eschew the daft London-ness of Vehicles and Animals and instead release a beautifully crafted record in the style of Coldplay and many of their peers. Many people bemoaned this move into what you'd probably call the 'mainstream' but for me it turned a silly guitar-pop band into one of my most cherished records of the decade.

Listen to: Chances

let me show you what i'm made of

2009-12-28T08:03:00.000Z

Top 10 Albums Of The Decade

4. Chantal Kreviazuk - What If It All Means Something (2003) (LB)

Female singer-songwriters have always been a favourite of mine. From Julia Fordham to Alanis Morissette, Amanda Marshall to Jann Arden and Sarah MacLachlan to Tina Dico, I do love the sound of a female vocalist with an acoustic guitar or piano.

Of all the superb vocalists to have released records in the 2000s, this album remains one of my favourites. After her promising debut Under These Rocks And Stones and the brilliant 1999 album Colour Moving and Still, Kreviazuk returned in 2003 with this brilliant record. From the superb opening single In This Life, it's one of those rare albums where there isn't a bad song included. It's a strange mixture of styles from the yearning ballads of Flying Home and Morning Light to the upbeat charm of Miss April and Ready For Your Love.

Kreviazuk isn't particularly well known outside her native Canada other than for contributing the track Leaving On A Jet Plane for the soundtrack of the film Armageddon. She's also made her name as a talented songwriter having penned the great Walk Away for Kelly Clarkson and Gwen Stefani's Rich Girl.

What If It All Means Something is as brilliant and consistent an album as I have heard in the last ten years and whilst her subsequent albums have included brilliant individual highlights (All I Can Do from 2006's Ghost Stories is one of my top five records of the decade) nothing matches the overall quality of this album.

Listen to: In This Life

4. Elbow - The Seldom Seen Kid (2008) (bedshaped)

When you're coming up with a favourite list of albums that spans ten years, I guess it's easy to forget some of the albums that were released at the further end of the scale, and there's a little danger that recent releases may cloud your judgment. And when it happened for me, I found myself listening to the album once more, to justify my thoughts. All of them fell into a "Well, yeah, it's a great album, but all things considered, it doesn't really rank amongst the top ten of the decade" pile....all of them, except one.

This is that album.

Released only a couple of years ago, but it feels like yesterday. Why? Because I can still listen to it, now....as I am doing while I write this....and it sounds so....fresh, new, beautiful, original....amazing.

I got my first taste of Elbow with an ex girlfriend of mine. She kept raving about a song called Newborn. I could never decide at the time if I liked it or not. There was nothing to dislike, as it were, but again, nothing really grabbed me. Elbow and I parted company for a while until they released the Cast Of Thousands album, which completely won me over. Since then, I've stuck with them through thick and thin.

I've always loved the fact that they've remained a 'great, but not stadium filling size' band. They've had a string of successful singles, and their albums have always sold consistently well, but there's always been a lack of something. I don't even know what it is? Media support? TV spots? Eye catching videos? Something, somewhere just didn't give them enough oomph to become a household name. This album, I guess, has done all it can in respect to growing their popularity as a band. The began to sell out huge stadiums, appear on many a tv spot and even had much of their music used on tv adverts and programmes.

Their deserved Mercury Music Prize seemed to give them the recognition they had deserved for such a long time. Yes, their previous albums are brilliant. All of them! But this album....this is the album that is made with pure love and devotion to the art of making music. I have serious doubts they will ever be able to top this album, but I would love to be wrong.

There's a huge array of musical instruments on display here. The arrangements are lovely, so perfect. Guy's 'twenty a day' voice sounds as familiar as your best friend just bursting into song one night. And the stories that unfold are just genius. Each listen can twist the lyrics on their head and show a whole different meaning to the song. And it works so, so well. The music is beautiful. His voice is divine. The stories are so brilliantly told.

Amazing sound production on this album. Big enough to fill stadiums, but intimate enough to just about fill your living room. Perfect late night listening. Enough wonderfully told stories on here to make you laugh, cry and feel utter loss. It's a truly emotional journey.

Picking a favourite song is really difficult. I love all the tracks for different reasons. And it really does depend on what mood I'm in at the time, as to which single track I would choose. Grounds For Divorce....it's massive! Mirrorball....is just so, so beautiful! Weather To Fly....is genius! Starlings is....OMFG! I could say something about them all! Except The Fix. I've never really gelled with that song. I don't know why?!

I think when I had this as my album of the year, I was torn between The Loneliness Of A Tower Crane Driver and Some Riot as my standout track. I haven't checked back to see which one I chose, but I feel like I'm torn again. I love how he sings that line, "Send up a prayer in my name". But I also love that piano sounds.

*sigh*

Ok, I'm going for Some Riot. I guess a tragic story about giving up, turning your head, over indulgence and ultimately....death. It's not quite as depressing as it sounds. The piano sound is incredible. And when the backing vocals come in, it's uplifting and euphoric. This is an incredible song to see them play live. The whole thing is delivered with such passion. You can't fail to pick it up. Genius!

Listen to: Some Riot

4. Elbow - Leaders Of The Free World (2006) (Swisslet)

With the release of The Seldom Seen Kid in 2008, Bury’s Elbow finally began to achieve the success that they had long deserved for their quiet understated excellence. It’s an album that seems to get better with every play, with songs like Mirrorball, Grounds for Divorce and One Day Like This….

Oh, hang on. I’ve not picked that one. I’ve picked the album before, 2006’s Leaders of the Free World. It didn’t win the Mercury Prize, and although it was well received by the critics – all Elbow albums are – it didn’t shift anywhere near as many units as the follow-up and never threatened to break the band into the arenas that are now their natural stomping ground. Elbow do platinum albums now, you know, not just gold ones.

But you know what? Leaders of the Free World is the album that made me love them. I had both their previous albums, and liked them well enough, and it looked for a while as thought this one might be going the same way: to be played every so often but generally left to gather dust on the CD shelf. And then something happened: Puncture Repair happened. It’s only 1m48s long, but it’s magical and it proved to be the key that opened up the rest of the album for me: Station Approach, Picky Bugger, Forget Myself, Mexican Standoff….

The great tracks keep on coming. Apart from Puncture Repair, there are two other songs that really lift this album up to greatness: Leaders of the Free World is a stinging attack on the Bush administrations (“passing the gun from father to feckless son”) and paints world leaders as little boys throwing stones. The Stops is the sound of a heartbroken lover letting go and wishing his erstwhile love all the best (“I’ll miss you the way you miss the sea”). It’s so beautiful and sad that it never fails to bring tears to my eyes. Damn that Guy Garvey has a way with words. The Seldom Seen Kid is a good album and has been rightly lauded, but this is the one for me.

Listen to: The Stops