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#VII
Muse – Black Holes and Revelations
A ridiculously ambitious album from the uk prog saviours. This album is one of their most listenable from start to end and you can’t deny the quality of vocal delivery. The spooky vocals add an extra dimension to even the most dreamy track and brings it to life. Lyrically the album has get to grab me, but that’s what’s so great about muse, you’ll pick up on a different melody or sound on each listen. With the new fascination with space and all things orbital, Muse have taken their style to new levels of oddness, but retaining the trademarks of why they are so great. Apart from prog epics Muse still prove they can rock it with the best of them and display incredible song writing on lead single “Supermasssive Black Hole” which could rival the Chili’s for funk. Its the final track which is the real show stopper, “Knights of Cydonia” blasts from a four horsemen of the apocalypse scenario into a full fledged rock out with a Thin Lizzy-esque mammoth guitar riff to bring the album to an end with you longing for more.
Top Track: Knights Of Cydonia
#VI
Jet – Shine On
Original? Nope. Good old fashion Rock and Roll? Yes. The predictability of this album doesn’t pull it back and Jet have again wrote a superb album full of Beatles inspired rock tunes with just enough sprinkling of Ac/Dc in there too. After their long absence they have come back in good form picking up where “Get Born” left off with. Superb Straightforward rock tracks with balls include “Rip It Up”, “That’s All Lies” and “Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is”. The title track, a tribute to their late father, is touching and lyrically moving as well as brilliantly arranged mirrors some of the better Beatles ballads. This album is not pretentious, not trying to break the mould, which to it’s credit make it great.
Top Track: Shine On
#V
Arctic Monkeys – Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not
What can i say about this album which hasn’t already been said? The all time biggest Buzz band produced a stunning album which was well worthy of the hype. However I have tired of this album, more so because of the endless pr pushing and NME hipsters than of the music itself. But I feel that some of the raw energy of the original demos which leaked months before the release date was left on the cutting room floor and lost in production in the finished article, especially on “A Certain Romance” and “Dancing Shoes”. Those tracks which came through intact are still some of the best of the year with “You Look good On The Dancefloor”, “From Ritz To Rubble” and “Fake Tales of San Francisco”. Their social commentary and witty lyrics mimic modern day Britain and pokes fun at the chavs and critics alike (See poor follow up ep “Who The Fuck Are Arctic Monkeys”). Youthful vocals and a high octane rock energy has this album topping many a best of list this of 2006, a great achievement considering it was released 11 months ago.
Top Track: From Ritz To Rubble
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