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Chris BaynesFeatures
The Best of Britain 2008British music in 2008 was for once every bit the match of its American equivalent, and tantalisingly suggested there's much more to come. [9 December 2008] Eyes Wide Open: An Interview With Los Campesinos!Welsh speed-pop septet Los Campesinos! have ascended the indie-rock ladder at a rate that has even stunned co-founder Neil Campesinos. Touring with Broken Social Scene and releasing a critically adored full-length: all in a day's work for a band that didn’t even exist three years ago. [19 August 2008] Reviews
The Paper Chase: Someday This Could All Be Yours, Vol. 1John Congleton and Co's fifth full-length release removes the dark shawl of nihilism from the shoulders of the individual and tosses it instead over humanity at large. [23 November 2009] 
Eugene McGuinness: Eugene McGuinnessThe Brit troubadour has evidently developed a penchant for the past, which stifles the forward-thinking bent of his debut. [16 November 2009] 
Wild Beasts: Two DancersWhile last year's eccentricities remain present and correct, these Wild Beasts are animals of style and grace rather than carousing, rabble-rousing indie-pomp. [9 September 2009] 
Golden Silvers: True RomanceThere are dark clouds always lurking amid True Romance's ostensibly sunny veneer of idealistic romanticism. [27 August 2009] 
Redjetson: Other ArmsWhether Redjetson intended it or not, its posthumous sophomore release has the band's self-inflicted demise written all over it. [2 August 2009] 
Jeffrey Lewis & the Junkyard: ‘Em Are IThe neurotic insecurity we've previously seen Lewis lay bare remains intact, but on 'Em Are I is tempered by green shoots of positivity. [13 July 2009] 
Grammatics: GrammaticsAs debut albums go, this Leeds quartet's is as slick, cultured, and complex as they come. [26 March 2009] 
Titus Andronicus: The Airing of GrievancesTruth be told, grievances are rarely aired as exhilaratingly as this. [26 February 2009] 
Late of the Pier: Fantasy Black ChannelFamiliar it may seem, but Late of the Pier's debut is pleasingly unpredictable. [17 February 2009] 
Stereophonics: Decade in the SunThe Welsh outfit's Best Of is a remarkable account of a career completely devoid of a sense of humour. [12 February 2009] 
Casiotone for the Painfully Alone: Town Topic EPOwen Ashworth's indie flick soundtrack is a diverting curiosity if not an essential addition to his already impressive back catalogue. [4 December 2008] 
Wild Beasts: Limbo, PantoLove them or hate them, Wild Beasts are surely the most bewilderingly fresh new band in the UK. [6 November 2008] 
Kaiser Chiefs: Off With Their HeadsKaiser Chiefs' third full-length finds them polished and preened more than ever before, but still recognisably cartoonish. [29 October 2008] 
Annuals: Such FunThe polished follow-up to 2006's Be He Me is a case of one step forward, two steps back. [13 October 2008] 
Vessels: White Fields and Open DevicesVessels' debut is positively brimming with ideas, some more innovative than others, but all executed with the flair and assurance of an outfit who have imitation far from mind. 
Oasis: Dig Out Your SoulIt might not be what you'd call a 'return to form', but the Mancunians' seventh is a high point in a career all too short of them. [7 October 2008] 
The Enemy: We’ll Live and Die In These TownsThe Coventry trio have no dearth of axes to grind, attacking the old whipping boy of the 9-5 working life with unrelenting discontent, if not humour or, at times, logic. [1 October 2008] 
Mogwai: The Hawk Is HowlingMogwai's sixth marks a return to the spacious dynamics of their early years, even if what they do in that space is different. [24 September 2008] 
Alaska in Winter: Dance Party in the BalkansAn album that sounds as though Brandon Bethancourt took his splintered loops, drum machine, and slo-mo synth on his Balkan travels, coming back with them ready-infused with sweeping strings, swooning brass, and romantic vocal harmonies. [4 September 2008] 
Malcolm Middleton: Sleight of HeartThe textures here are tender and inviting as often as they are bare and bleak, even when Middleton is exposing his old wounds. [25 August 2008] 
Black Kids: Partie TraumaticPartie Traumatic is like an unfinished prototype of a tighter, faster, more assured album that Black Kids have yet to make. [28 July 2008] 
¡Forward, Russia!: Life Processes¡Forward, Russia! should be commended for asking questions of themselves when they could have sat pretty and cemented their position as dance-punk heroes. [24 July 2008] 
Gregor Samsa: RestGregor Samsa's sophomore album is intentionally short of dramatic pomposity in favour of dark, heart-melting immersion. [18 July 2008] 
Errors: It’s Not Something But It Is Like WhateverThough their debut's title is an apt self-summary, Errors' own name is quite the opposite; the band rarely put a foot wrong. [7 July 2008] 
The Fratellis: Here We StandThe Fratellis' sophomore outing suggests an attempt to shake off the justified tag of 'lad-rock', only to end up at the no more desirable 'dad-rock' instead. [26 June 2008] 
Pattern Is Movement: All TogetherWhat's most impressive about Pattern Is Movement's third album is that it manages to sound so calculated and yet so joyful at the same time. [25 June 2008] 
The Ting Tings: We Started NothingAfter all the hype, We Started Nothing is an album of simple, punchy pop tunes of variable quality... nothing more, nothing less. [16 June 2008] 
Adem: TakesAdem's third album is a neat little curio of covers that reveals the seeds that would grow into the London nu-folkie. [3 June 2008] 
Duffy: RockferryRockferry doesn't do anything new, but it doesn't do anything that's been done in a while either, and that should be enough for Duffy to carve out her name amongst the stagnant realms of current mainstream pop. [21 May 2008] 
Does It Offend You, Yeah?: You Have No Idea What You’re Getting Yourself IntoFor all their ostensible bravado and faux-obnoxiousness, Does It Offend You, Yeah? could do with being a little less inoffensive. [19 May 2008] 
The Duke Spirit: NeptuneFor their second album, the Duke Spirit have developed into something much clearer and less derivative than their debut. [16 May 2008] 
A BIG YES… and a small no: Jesus That Looks Terrible On YouNew York sextet release an upbeat, animated debut that is wilfully exploratory but damn good fun, too. [12 May 2008] 
65daysofstatic: The Fall of MathGroundbreaking British glitch-rockers' debut gets a long-overdue North American release. [2 May 2008] 
Idiot Pilot: WolvesMost were hoping that Idiot Pilot would play to the strengths of their debut to produce a top-notch follow-up; in reality, they've played to their weaknesses and come out with a sophomore that is little more than average. [1 May 2008] 
Newton Faulkner: Hand Built By RobotsOn hearing Faulkner's debut album, it's not so surprising that so much press attention has been focused on his hair. [29 April 2008] 
Souvaris: A HatA Hat is is a brisker, less plaintive album than many of its post-rock peers. [15 April 2008] 
Muse: HAARPIn the 90,000 capacity Wembley Stadium, Muse may finally have found a venue big enough for them. [11 April 2008] 
No Kids: Come Into My HouseThe Canadian trio have crafted a warm, organic debut as inviting as its title suggests. 
Clark: Turning DragonTurning Dragon sees Clark turn away from the warm soundscapes of his previous offering in favour of frenetic blasts of abrasive electro. [27 March 2008] 
These New Puritans: Beat PyramidForward-looking British upstarts' debut is a perplexing but rewarding affair, all intellectual crypticism and swaggering, brash execution. [20 March 2008] 
Science For Girls: Science For GirlsOr: How to Make An Album Starring 28 Musicians Sound As If It Were Made By Just One or Two. [19 March 2008] 
Air Traffic: Fractured LifeFractured Life is a patchwork quilt -- albeit a well-crafted one -- of 21st century mainstream indie. [7 March 2008] 
We Are Wolves: Total MagiqueMontreal's second most famous wolf-related electro-rock band returns with a sophomore offering. [25 February 2008] 
Mouse Fire: Wooden TeethDebut full-length from Florida's Mouse Fire is enjoyable in passing but leaves no indelible mark on the listener. [20 February 2008] 
Pelican: After the Ceiling Cracked [DVD]This DVD is a lovingly-crafted reminder of just how essential Pelican are as a live band. [19 February 2008] 
Plain White T’s: StopPlain White T's re-released debut is a throwback not just to its original release in 2002, but to the pop-punk that briefly ruled the mainstream rock roost a few years prior. [13 February 2008] 
Die! Die! Die!: Promises, PromisesTaking the raw blueprints of their self-titled debut, Die! Die! Die! fuse this punk spirit with matured songwriting on its follow-up. 
Tusk: The Resisting DreamerUnfulfilled by Pelican's latest album? Maybe Tusk's The Resisting Dreamer can bring reprieve. [6 February 2008] 
Zs: ArmsIntricate, minimal post-something-core not destined for a dancefloor near you anytime soon. [30 January 2008] 
Dartz!: This Is My ShipThe debut album of post-punk trio Dartz! is thankfully much better thought-out than their band name. [29 January 2008] 
Jettie: Kites for CharityThe second album from the melancholic Jettie is all very pleasant, but ultimately uninspiring, and at times downright dull. [21 January 2008] 
cars & trains: Rusty StringAn album of contrasts it may be, but Rusty String showcases some excellent songwriting in amongst the amalgamation of electronica and more organic sounds. [9 January 2008] 
The Number Twelve Looks Like You: MongrelMongrel is disappointingly uninspiring, so incoherent it is liable to just pass you by, occasional melodic flourishes aside. [3 January 2008] 
Minipop: A New HopeMinipop's debut album is all very pretty, but the dreamy feel of A New Hope is so all-encompassing as to render it frustratingly distant and cold where it could radiate poppy warmth. [20 December 2007] 
Coyote: OutsidesConcocted of meandering instrumentation and intertwining melodies, Outsides is an unprecedentedly successful musical enigma. [18 December 2007] 
Aerial: The SentinelMelodically fantastic at times and thankfully relatively unpretentious, The Sentinel is an enjoyable if fairly unremarkable post-rock album. [7 December 2007] The Libertines: Time for Heroes - The Best of the LibertinesOne of the more unnecessary participants in the festive 'best of' procession, Time for Heroes is to here to at last condense the Libertines' vast array of two albums onto just the one. [3 December 2007] 
Armor for Sleep: Smile for ThemArmor for Sleep's major label debut eschews progress in favor of a distinctly uninspiring record with a pervading sense of déjà vu. [30 November 2007] 
The Rumble Strips: Alarm ClockAlarm Clock is no musical revolution, but -- for fans of Dexy's Midnight Runners and the Zutons, in particular -- it is an enjoyable, well-executed slice of pop music. [26 November 2007] 
Tempo No Tempo: RepetitionIf danceable, catchy songs are what you’re after than the Bay Area quartet should be an enticing prospect. [9 November 2007] 
Prints: PrintsPrints' debut successfully molds an eclectic array of influences into an imaginative but refreshingly accessible album of dreamy pop melodies. [1 November 2007] 
Bear In Heaven: Red Bloom of the BoomBear in Heaven has created something special: a rough-around-the-edges album of fantastic variety, befitting of its evolution from solo project to band. [23 October 2007] 
Division Day: Beartrap IslandBeartrap Island is persistently melancholic, but while its outlook of the world may seem bleak, it's channeled through melodic warmth and fine pop tunes, rendering it alluring rather than off-putting. [22 October 2007] |
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