Essentials
Britsound's TOP 10 BEST ALBUMS OF 2006
2006 has produced some excellent British albums, and we are only interested in recommending only the very best of them - so that you save both time and money when you choose what to buy and listen to. So we are proud to present (in no particular order), our Top 10 Best Albums of 2006. Our list of runner-ups is at the bottom of this page as well. So, sit back and enjoy our list of the VERY best of 2006...
1. Guillemots – Through the Windowpane
Having each member from a different musical and national background has helped Guillemots create a diverse and unique sound, thus creating a truly original record. Eclectic can hardly describe the magic in the almost 60 minutes of music that makes up their debut album. Through the Windowpane is unlike anything ever heard before and creates auditory pleasure on multiple levels. Their sound, which includes rock, pop, and at times reminds us of the esoteric renderings of Pink Floyd and Gabriel-era Genesis, spreads throughout the entire musical spectrum touching every corner with a soft touch of brilliance. From the frail luminosity of If The World Ends and Redwings to the driving Made-Up Love Song #43 and We’re Here, this album reaches and touches on many emotional levels. Such an achievement is quite amazing considering this is their debut album. Only time will tell, but one day this could be another one of those albums that people look back on and describe as “genius” and “trendsetting.” This is deservedly our 2006 Britsound British Album of the Year. “The world is just waiting now…” indeed it is.
2. Kasabian – Empire
Their assured amped-up follow-up to their self-titled 2004 debut, Empire scorches like blacktop on a hot summer’s day. Produced by Jim Abbiss, who previously worked with Arctic Monkeys, Editors, and Ladytron, this album is an invigorating experience of solid rock, electronic beats, and precise compositions sure to shoot Kasabian to the heights of the music kingdom. Highlights include the guitar shimmering Sun/Rise/Light/Flies, the title track Empire and the pounding T-Rex-esque excellence of Shoot The Runner. The future looks bright for Kasabian. Watch this space!
3. Razorlight – Razorlight
It’s been quite a year for Johnny Borrell, the singer/songwriter for Razorlight. With their debut album tucked in under their belts, this follow-up is almost a masterclass in songwriting. From the building crescendo of America, to the anthemic and catchy In The Morning, this is clearly a band on the rise. Other highlights include Who Needs Love, America, Can't Stop This Feeling I Got and the superb finale Los Angeles Waltz. What’s next Johnny?
4. Primal Scream – Riot City Blues
Their latest record, and their 9th studio LP, Riot City Blues, is a carefully blended mix of pure rock & roll with a dash of country rock and pinch of pop, thus creating a delectable sense of rockabilly. It is easy and enjoyable to listen to, both catchy and intoxicating. Yet there is something else that cannot be described easily, a sort of gentle sense of awareness and serenity that exists on the deeper levels of many of the songs, while on other songs it languishes patiently at the surface. Either way, it feels good. The simple truth is this: Riot City Blues rocks from top to bottom, beginning to end. Also, it is not only a great personal choice, but also the perfect bar record, as nearly every track is sure to create hand claps and sing-alongs in nearly every drunken fog. Riot City Blues is destined to cause a joyous disturbance in every automobile, home stereo, and pub across the country.
5. The Infadels - We Are Not The Infadels
The Infadels started the year with the debut release of the confusingly titled We are not the infidels. The album has yet to get tired after a year of constant playing, another year or two and if it still stands up it’s going to be heading towards a long-lived indie classic. The album is made up of equal parts rock, electro and pop. The beats are cut; the synths spiky and the lyrics are both witty and filthy in places. There are some truly stand out moments from the world of catchy choruses, the three opening tracks, Love like Semtex, Can’t Get Enough, and Topboy are prime examples. The placing of these tracks at the start help keep you hooked. Other tunes of worthy note are Jagger ‘67 with its images of West End night clubs and the satire of Reality TV goes from one of the dirtiest bass noises to one of the most pure sounding choruses.
6. The Young Knives - Voices of Animals And Men
The Young Knives look is in danger of being more known than their records. But one cannot exist with out the other! Voices of Animals and Men is full of songs about urban and suburban surrealisms. There is a feeling of provincial punk in their music making the chunky guitars bounce of the melodic harmonies shows that there is no clear pigeon hole for The Young Knives and in true punk fashion, they don’t seem to care! The sound they achieve is similar to some early Rough Trade records (think Gang of Four, World Domination Enterprises, etc). There are songs about arguing with your girlfriend’s parents, songs telling of horses wearing their Sunday best, and songs encouraging internal social upheaval followed by a trip to the zoo. Proving their eccentric British standing throughout the album, there are some standout moments on this album; from the singles Decision and She’s attracted To as well as some Barrett-esque writing moments such as Tailors.
7. DJ Yoda - The Amazing Adventures Of DJ Yoda
Although this album features collaborations from artists across the pond, the driving force is still very much British. The tongue is firmly in the cheek on this record. While the pop culture references litter the hip-hop streets mapped out from DJ Yoda’s turntables. There are pieces about breakfast cereal, there is a dueling banjo cover performed on the decks, and there are more film references than any geek really needs and some rather special guests. The skill of this album is that the production and writing is better than many of the hip hop acts that take themselves too seriously, keeping it light hearted but not a parody as it may sound, and the list of collaborations prove that DJ Yoda is a respected figure. The samples used are unusual and many come from very British sources, the use of ukulele is almost unheard of in hip-hop. The album has been put together with love of the genre and the love of a tiny green Jedi. 900 years you reach; look so good, you will not!
8. Keane – Under the Iron Sea
Their second album, a make-or-break effort from the British trio. Where Hope and Fears convinced us that they had great potential, Under The Iron Sea delivers upon it. They could have played it safe, but there is enough experimentation here to show that Keane are maturing and developing an awareness of ‘their’ sound and what works for their musical configuration. They also know enough not to alter their basic formula for success. On Is It Any Wonder? and Crystal Ball Keane prove that their songwriting ability has never been sharper and the elegiac Hamburg Song and A Bad Dream find singer Tim Rice-Oxley in a darker, more intimate place altogether. Although this album embraces themes of isolation, regret and despair, this album is oddly triumphant as an expression of the human spirit at its most open and honest. It will win you over.
9. The Feeling- Twelve Stops And Home
It’s hard to not to be won over when a debut album is so full of life and vigor as Twelve Stops And Home. Even though aspects of their music feels like an echo from the 1970s, this blistering debut from The Feeling has all the right elements firmly in place. It has the prerequisite ballads like Sewn and Strange, but also has its fair share of vibrant rockers: Fill My Little World, Never Be Lonely are particular standouts. The band always seems comfortable in whatever rock milieu it decides to tackle. Twelve Stops And Home is an assured and cocky debut brimming with ‘Technicolor’ virtuosity.
10. The Kooks – Inside In / Inside Out
Bristling with a raw energy that can only come from a debut album from a band that seems fearless and ready to take on the world, Inside In / Inside Out has already sold a ridiculous amount of copies in the UK. Unproven in America, only time will tell if 2007 sees The Kooks replicate their amazing success stateside. From the hook ridden Naive and Eddie’s Gun to the easy-sway of She Moves In Her Own Way, The Kooks know how to write catchy songs that are stripped of any artifice manufactured by overzealous studio production. These songs are raw and unvarnished. Inside In / Inside Out is not just a great album; it’s an infectious spirit too.
Honorable Mentions: (Albums that nearly made it):
Snow Patrol – Eyes Open
The Futureheads - News and Tributes
Gomez – How We Operate
Boy Kill Boy – Civilian
The Fratellis – Costello Music
Muse – Black Holes & Revelations
The Zutons - Tired of Hanging Around
Paolo Nutini – These Streets
Compiled by RQ, GM & MB.
(c) 2006, Britsound & Britsound.com
