|
Compiled by: Jack Foley
NOW that most music journos have named their favourite 50, 25
or 10 albums of the year, we thought we'd bring you an alternative
spin on things.
Everyone knows about The White Stripes, The Darkness and Radiohead,
so we thought we'd concentrate largely on the ones that may have
escaped your notice - the albums we feel that may have passed
you by.
Needless to say, there is the odd obvious choice we felt was
so good it couldn't be missed off the list, but here are the 25
LPs which made our year worth listening to.
And, what's more, they're in no particular numerical order -
as we feel music can depend on your mood; so that today's choice
cut might not necessarily be the CD you listen to tomorrow, but
rather stack fondly away.
 l
Unkle - Never, Never Land
What we said: Whereas Psyence Fiction produced only fleeting
moments of brilliance (such as the Ian Brown, Thom Yorke and Richard
Ashcroft collaborations), Never, Never Land is an altogether different
affair; an album which works as a collective whole, and which
forces you to think about your place in the world, while wrapping
you up in its mesmerising beats.
Best track: What are you to me?
Review l Buy
it
 l
White Light Motorcade - Thank You, Goodnight!
What we said: Perhaps most surprising, however, is the
blatant Stone Roses homage contained in the guitar riffs of Dream
Day, which flirt with Waterfall, before veering off into early
Feeder rock 'n' roll territory.
Best track: Dream Day
Review
l Buy
it
l DM & Jemini - Ghetto
Pop Life
What we said: Hip-hop fans rejoice, for here we have the real
deal, an old school hip-hop album that has to rate among the finest
records of this or any year in that particular genre.
Best track: Bush Boys
Revew l Buy
it
 l
Blur - Think Tank
What we said: Think Tank, their seventh album, is a prime
example of this ability to surprise and progress, succeeding in
the face of enormous pressure, both from their own internal conflicts
(founder member, Graham Coxon, departed midway through recording)
and from critics keen to see 'pretentious' lead-singer, Damon
Albarn, come unstuck.
Best track: Out of Time
Review l Buy
it l Caught live
 l
Bonobo - Dial M for Monkey
What we said: The presence of a bigger label has also enabled
Green to bring in more instruments - so as well as the trademark
drums and percussions, we are also now treated to woodwinds, sitar
(on the superb Flutter) and saxophone at certain points,
making Dial M for Monkey a far richer listening experience than
some of its predecessors.
Best track: Pick Up
Review l Buy
it
 l
The Strokes - Room on Fire
What we said: Room on Fire actually clocks in at three
minutes shorter than its predecessor, at a tight 36 minutes. Yet
there is probably more to say about it than the majority of the
over-cooked likes of some of the albums currently doing the rounds
at the moment. Personal favourites include the tender (by their
standards) Under Control, which actually flirts with soul,
and the searing guitar loops of Automatic Stop.
Best track: Under Control
Review l Buy
it
 l
Fountains of Wayne - Welcome Interstate Managers
What we said: Critics regularly hail founding members,
Adam Schlesinger and Chris Collingwood, as the masters of writing
the perfect alternative pop song and, once more, they live up
to that billing by delivering an album of simple, but clever,
feelgood music.
Best track: Supercollider
Review l Buy
it
 l
Nelly Furtado - Folklore
What we said: Turning its back on the radio-friendly pop-format
of Whoa! Nelly, Folklore combines elements of rock, with
Furtado's Portuguese background, and folk, to deliver a truly
accomplished album which should set her up well for the future.
Best track: Powerless
Review l Buy
it
 l
StellaStarr* - StellaStarr*
What we said: Much of the pleasure in listening to Stellastarr*
is ticking off the various comparisons/ references that drive
their sound. Take, for instance, former single, Jenny,
with its Smashing Pumpkins rock out finale; the Big Country-inspired
guitars of My Coco, or the hopelessly Cure-based guitar
rifts of A Million Reasons.
Best track: Somewhere Across Forever
Review l Buy
it l Caught live
 l
Nitin Sawhney - Human
What we said: What could have been a painful, difficult listen,
actually turns out to be one of the most uplifting and sinfully
beautiful experiences of the year; an album rammed full of creative
passion that is a vast, sweeping testament to why Sawhney is one
of the most highly-respected musicians working in the UK music
industry today.
Best track: Falling
Review l Buy
it l Feature
 l
Earlimart - Everyone Down Here
What we said: California's sun-drenched sound is given
a darker spin by Earlimart, a hip three-piece whose new album,
Everyone Down Here, should certainly be generating a lot
more buzz than it currently seems to be. Co-produced by Grandaddy's
Jason Lytle, the album bears a lot of the hallmarks of the Grandaddy
sound - folk-inspired indie-rock - while fusing a grittier, more
rock-based edge that could easily find a place in the songwriting
book of, say, The Dandy Warhols or The Jesus & Mary Chain.
Best track: We're So Happy
Review l Buy
it
|
 |
 l
Sleepy Jackson - Lovers
What we said: In between the expertly crafted pop songs,
there are moments of psychedelia, or country-ballad, just to keep
listeners on their toes. The result is an intoxicating blend of
music which, for the most part, hits home.
Best track: Don't You Know
Review l Buy
it
 l
Palo Alto - Heroes and Villains
What we said: Some of the leading names in the American music
industry - including Limp Bizkit's Fred Durst, Stone Temple Pilots'
Scott Welland and Sugar Ray's Mark McGrath - are raving about
them, yet Paloalto have, so far, yet to make much of an impression
on UK shores, despite recently touring with former Stone Roses
guitarist, John Squire, and producing one of the best rock albums
I've heard for a long time.
Best track: Throwing Stones
Review l Buy
it
 l
Aqualung - Still Life
What we said:
Best track: It is an altogether bolder, more concert-friendly
long-player, which boasts some really terrific tracks, as well
as some quietly affecting ones, which serve to underline Hales'
talents as a songwriter of genuine worth.
Best track: Brighter Than Sunshine
Review l Buy
it l Interview
 l
Clarkesville - The Half Chapter
What we said: Hence, almost every track contains a catchy
hook, some frivolous melodies and a strong set of vocals that
mark a compelling opening chapter in this young musician's fledgling
career.
Best track: Spinning
Review l Buy
it l Interview
 l
Cardigans - Long Gone Before Daylight
What we said: Long Gone Before Daylight is delicate,
gorgeous and subtle album, and though it may disappoint admirers
of their earlier material, it will no doubt bring a new set of
fans to the fore; and might give the band the commercial success
they so richly deserve.
Best track: You're The Storm
Review l Buy
it
 l
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club - Take The On, On Your Own
What we said: It is an angry album, but also an intensely
personal one. Yes, it contains social and political commentary,
but it also contains moments of personal reflection, of looking
in on one's own world, as well as out at another person's. And
it's a mightily impressive album to boot.
Best track: And I'm Aching
Review l Buy
it
 l
Grandaddy - Sumday
What we said: Kicking off with the brilliant first single,
Now It's On, which captures the brighter outlook of the
band in lyrics such as 'I got not reason to be weathered and
withery, like in the season of the old me', the album then
proceeds to deliver a laidback journey through some of the best
space-rock since last year's equally sumblime Flaming Lips album.
Best track: Now It's On
Review l Buy
it
 l
Martina Topley-Bird - Quixotic
What we said: Mixing a number of different styles, Quixotic
is probably not going to be the album many were expecting. Yet
its quality is unmistakable, thanks in no small part to the quality
of its collaborators - which include Tricky (of course), David
Holmes and James Bond composer, David Arnold.
Best track: Lying
Review l Buy
it
 l
Super Furry Animals - Phantom Power
What we said: While the sunshine melodies of old remain largely
intact, particularly during the wonderfully feelgood Valet
Parking (which seems made for a Southern Californian coastal
drive - it's actually about a trip from Cardiff!), the lyrics
have become a little darker, dealing with subjects such as disease,
death and Holy War in a bid to echo the feelings of the world
as it stands today.
Best track: Cityscape Skybaby
Review l Buy
it
 l
Longview - Mercury
What we said: Longview's album, Mercury, is a moody,
sprawling and frequently beautiful debut, crammed full of terrific
songs that mark them out as the best indie/rock act to come out
of Manchester since the likes of The Stone Roses and Inspiral
Carpets.
Best track: Falling For You
Review l Buy
it l Feature
 l
Elbow - Cast of Thousands
What we said: Combining some memorable guitar riffs with some
nice gospel choir interludes, Cast of Thousands is a far
more rewarding listen than it would first seem. Moody, for sure,
but occasionally quite hopeful, and frequently beautiful, particularly
during its more expansive moments.
Best track: Snooks
Review l Buy
it
 l
Travis - 12 Memories
What we said: 12 Memories may not be as instantly accessible
as the likes of The Man Who or The Invisible Band -
given its darker edge and tougher subject matter - but it might
yet prove the most durable.
Best track: Walking Down The Hill
Review l Buy
it
 l
Muse - Absolution
What we said: There is an epic, almost surreal quality
to their music, as though they are constructing something much
bigger than mere records - virtually every track takes the form
of a sprawling odyssey, brimming with inventivity, as though being
constructed on the widest possible canvas.
Best track: Blackout
Review l Buy
it
 l
Un-Cut - The Uncalculated Sum
What we said:Highpoints include the current single, Fallin',
as well as the former effort, Midnight, and the album,
on the whole, is a success, justifying Un-Cut's reputation as
a UK act to watch.
Best track: Loveless
Review l Buy
it
|
