Field Music // Plumb

This is what Steely Dan would sound like if they started afresh in 2012. Orchestral at times, at others sounding a bit like The Feeling...

Alabama 3 // Shoplifting 4 Jesus

The heavy beats, the variety of sounds and pace throughout this album are like something I haven’t heard for a long time, something innovative, brave and...dare I say it, fun and unpretentious...

Young Guns // Bones

In this world of auto-tune and X-factor, some people still have the talent to produce such passionate and stunning songs...

Wallis Bird // Wallis Bird

Whilst Wallis Bird is clearly a talented songwriter, she needs to have a bit more focus when putting an album together.

The Twilight Sad // No-One Can Ever Know

Opening track, ‘Alphabet’, hits you smack in the face with some gorgeous, dirty synth sounds with barely a guitar in sight...

The Kabeedies // Soap

The second album, ‘Soap’, presents haunting tracks like ‘Bones’ and ‘LT’ which emulate the eeriness of the same fairground, now deserted...

Hyperpotamus // Delta

There are elements of Medúlla-era Bjork on this entirely vocal work, alongside definite blues influences, which perhaps explains the choice of the title of the album...

Rodrigo y Gabriela and C.U.B.A // Area 52

"Every twang and utterance of El Rodri and La Gabi’s guitars exist with such symbiosis, entirely fulfilling the rich sound we’re used to hearing from them..."

Dan Sartain // Too Tough to Live

"Dan Sartain’s ‘Too Tough To Live’ is definitely one of those flukey and rare albums that you buy on loving the front cover, and are not let down on inserting the disc into the player..."

Enter Shikari // A Flash Flood of Colour

"One main theme of the lyrics, that are so cleverly written and performed, is that of politics and discussion of the world's current economic climate. It wouldn't be Enter Shikari without a little politics thrown in, right?"

The Lemonheads // Laughing All the Way to the Cleaners

"Apparently they had an album of covers out in 2009 which included guest vocals from people like Liv Tyler and Kate Moss (what? I know.)"

Milagres // Glowing Mouth

"If you're in the market for some non-confrontational background music, then this ‘Glowing Mouth’ album will be the one to steadily kick your New Year off with..."

The Smashing Pumpkins // Siamese Dream (Remastered)

"Flannel shirts, big black jumpers, DM boots and an occasional floppy dress were de rigeur, and Nirvana and The Smashing Pumpkins were top of my listening list."

Portugal. The Man // In the Mountain in the Cloud

"Although clearly disregarding grammar rules, their success has been confirmed with a strong fan base..."

Wakey! Wakey! // Almost Everything I Wish I'd Said the Last Time I Saw You

"Basically it’s Coldplay meets Keane meets John Barrowman, in a crazy melange of love songs directed in a rather insincere fashion..."

Herman Dune // Strange Moosic

"It’s like a lovely, innocent return to the indie pop of the late 90s; if you liked The Auteurs, Pavement or the Divine Comedy, then you’ll love this band..."

David Lynch // Crazy Clown Time

"More pointless than thumbing in a floppy the album is bereft of invention, variation and is appropriately summed up in its Ronseal-sponsored centrepiece ‘Strange and Unproductive Thinking..."

Laura Veirs // Tumble Bee

"You cannot describe genuine heartfelt lullabies as anything twee – apart from the fact mum and dad decided to release it and put a price tag on it."

Roots Manuva // 4everevolution

"Regardless, I liken the phenomenon to that of eating doughnuts... impossible to eat without licking your lips." - The new Roots Manuva album has strange effects on Tommy Dog...

Martyn // Ghost People

"Even if you love house music, do you really want to get hyped up and frantic just before you empty the rubbish bin..." - Tommy Dog contemplates the appropriate setting for dance music.

Martin John Henry // The Other Side of Everything

"Ah dae like a sang sung en a Scortesh ucksent! Yeah, I’m the King of phonetics…"

Emily Barker and the Red Clay Halo // Almanac

"Twee flute? Check. Terrible plucked banjo? Check. Song about a witch? Yep, got that one covered too." - Something tells us BBV ain't a fan...

Justice // Audio, Video, Disco

"Their second full-length release starts with a He-man like wet dream. All heroism and might, it sets the tone for an album produced with comedy and inventiveness."

Lisa Hannigan // Passenger

"The album could easily see a second Mercury nomination for Hannigan, and will certainly see her step out from beneath Damien Rice’s shadow in full."

Feist // Metals

"Let’s just hope Diaggeo or the likes aren’t in the market for a new slice of Feist." - Emma hopes the new Feist record isn't sullied with commercialism.

Plaid // Scintilli

"Overall, Scinitilli presses a lot of my buttons, and you should let it have a poke at yours too." - See why Plaid have poked Bill's buttons...

You Me at Six // Sinners Never Sleep

"Sinners Never Sleep is a solid rock album that with each song exposes a different side of the struggles and successes they have had to go through as a band" - Ellie reviews You Me at Six's latest.

The Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band // Peyton on Patton

"For those down with the bass, the slide and the wail, it’s a real Blues explosion." - Lizz reviews Peyton on Patton

Emika // Emika

"She says her main inspiration is the Dr Who theme tune (can’t argue with that one)." - Lizz reviews the Emika debut LP.

The Duke Spirit // Bruiser

It takes a strong-willed man to tell the hypnotic beauty of Liela Moss that you want a little less of anything from her, or indeed her band, The Duke Spirit...

The Drums // Portamento

Rip it off fast like a plaster. Perhaps that’s the best way of approaching that ‘difficult second album’...

Ed Sheeran // Plus

It's hard to appreciate just how far Ed Sheeran's musical wave has swept across the world; he's always been so huge here that it's too tall to peek over the parapet...

Charlie Simpson // Young Pilgrim

Each song brings with it hints of different genres and its own set of emotion and feeling which is really what makes this album special.

2011 Albums

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A YEAR IN MUSIC 2010

2010 Albums

A YEAR IN MUSIC 2009

2009 Albums

Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds

2008 Albums