2003 - Clive's Top Albums of Every Year Challenge

August 01, 2025 by Clive in Clive's Album Challenge, Music

Since 2020, I’ve been ranking and reviewing the top 5 albums - plus a fair few extras - according to users on rateyourmusic.com (think IMDB for music) from every year from 1960 to the present. If you want to know more, I wrote an introduction to the ‘challenge’ here. You can also read all the other entries I’ve written so far by heading to the lovely index page here.

Welcome to 2003, the year Britain and the US launched the war on Iraq, Libya accepted responsibility for the Lockerbie bombing and agreed to pay $2.7 billion to the victims’ families, and Schwarzenegger was elected governor. Here’s the year’s top 5 albums according to our ever-reliable rateyourmusic.com users:

#1 Sweet Trip - Velocity: Design: Comfort
#2 Songs: Ohia - The Magnolia Electric Co
#3 Boris - Feedbacker
#4 The Microphones - Mount Eerie
#5 Ween - Quebec

And some more I feel the need to grab from further down the list:

#6 Sheena Ringo - Kalk Samen Kuri no Hana
#7 Viktor Vaughn - Vaudeville Villain
#8 Sun Kil Moon - Ghosts of the Great Highway
#11 Tim Hecker - Radio Amor
#17 Sufjan Stevens - Michigan
#20 The Postal Service - Give Up
#25 Radiohead - Hail to the Thief
#30 The White Stripes - Elephant

That’s 13 albums - let’s get cracking.

13. Kalk Samen Kuri no Hana

Sheena Ringo

“Kalk Samen Kuri no Hana, also known as Kalk Samen Chestnut Flower and Chlorine, Semen, Chestnut Flower is the third studio album by Japanese singer-songwriter Ringo Sheena. The album's lead single was a massive success, topping the Oricon charts for the first time in her career.” - Wikipedia

Even without grasping a single word, it’s obvious the lyrics matter here—and that language barrier does feel like a bit of a wall. Still, Kalk Samen Kuri no Hana bursts with so much sonic invention that it’s hard not to be drawn in. It’s a chaotic, brilliant collage of styles—classical strings, glitchy electronics, jazz, prog, all tumbling into one another—and somehow, it remains engaging throughout. Cohesion might be elusive, but it’s clearly a triumph of creativity. The production still has a lo-fi edge, and I’d love to hear this with a bit more space to breathe, but it’s already a step up from the more confined, tinny feel of her 2001 release.

Even if I can’t follow the story, I’m still glad to be along for the ride.

7.5/10

“Radio Amor was inspired by Jimmy, a fisherman and shrimper that Hecker met during a visit to Honduras in the mid-1990s. In an article from The Wire, Hecker said that "I was totally obsessed with the idea of fishermen in the Caribbean".” - Wikipedia

Radio Amor feels like music composed by the wind—shifting, ghostly, and elusive. While it’s clearly the product of sequencers and electronics, there’s a natural, almost elemental quality to its flow, as if it was born from weather rather than machines. There’s a haunting undercurrent throughout, something quietly ominous beneath the distortion and static. Knowing it’s inspired by a Honduran shrimper adds a strange poetry to the listening experience, though without the track titles and cover art, you’d never guess it. I was intrigued by its textures and drift, even if I never fully lost myself in it.

8/10

“Quebec is the eighth studio album by the American rock band Ween. It was the first album released after the band's contract with Elektra expired, and marked its return to independent labels. Recorded during a period of strife in the band members' personal lives, Quebec was described by Dean Ween as a ‘very negative’ album that takes on a darker tone compared to the band's prior work.” - Wikipedia

I listened to this in bed before sleep, and Quebec had me double-checking that the tablet I took was magnesium, not something hallucinogenic. Ween are singular - singularly mad. Quebec ricochets between genres with zero concern for cohesion, it feels like a cracked mirror of the band’s inner turmoil at the time, their sadness cloaked in absurdity and smirking pastiche. It’s playful, unhinged, and oddly poignant.

8/10

“Mount Eerie is the fourth studio album by American indie folk and indie rock band the Microphones. The album is named after the mountain Mount Erie near Anacortes, Washington, which is the hometown of Phil Elverum, the band's frontman. The album received generally positive reviews from critics, including accolades such as Pitchfork's ‘Best New Music’ title and inclusion on Treblezine's list of essential psychedelic folk albums.

Mount Eerie has been described by Elverum as being about mountains, earth and space. The album is a concept album, consisting of a linear narrative spanning its five songs. Elverum establishes a metaphor for life in which he depicts the womb, birth, and through to death, in the second-last track. His lyrics depict a cast of characters, while the music includes cinematic drums, choirs and drones. Sonically, the album is a continuation of The Glow Pt. 2, the previous studio album by the Microphones.” - Wikipedia

Mount Eerie feels like the moment The Microphones fully disappear into the fog—there are breathtaking stretches, but also long, uncertain detours that don’t quite land like The Glow. The dense, cavernous drums are a highlight, but where The Glow felt mysteriously unified, this leans harder into chaos, sometimes at the cost of emotional pull. I probably need to live with it more, but right now it feels like brilliance slipping into something murkier and harder to hold onto.

8/10

“The Magnolia Electric Co. is the seventh and final album by Songs: Ohia. It was recorded by Steve Albini at Electrical Audio in Chicago and released by Secretly Canadian on March 4, 2003. It was critically acclaimed on release.” - Wikipedia

Released just a few years before Jason Molina’s untimely death - due to alcoholism, Magnolia Electric Co. stands as a raw and poignant statement from one of alt-country’s most quietly profound voices. Molina’s vocals have a delicate, personable nature—wavering and intimate. His lyrics are laced with sharp turns of phrase, capturing sorrow and resilience with poetic precision.

The songs are long, but never indulgent. Each one feels focused, with the band locked into a groove that allows the emotion to breathe. The lead guitar work is especially striking—adding weight and texture without overcrowding. Steve Albini’s production is predictably transparent, giving the recordings a live, almost documentary feel that suits Molina’s stark honesty.

If there’s a misstep, it’s the appearances from guest vocalist Lawrence Peters (on “The Old Black Hen”) and Scout Niblett (on “Peoria Lunch Box Blues”). While strong in their own right, their presence dilutes the album’s otherwise intense sense of personal connection—it’s Molina’s voice I want to be close to.

8/10

8. Transatlanticism

Death Cab for Cutie

“Transatlanticism is the fourth studio album by rock band Death Cab for Cutie. At this point in their career, the group had toured and recorded for nearly a half-decade. With tensions rising, the band decided to take time away from one another; notably, Ben Gibbard collaborated with electronic musician Dntel (Jimmy Tamborello), and released an album, Give Up, under the name the Postal Service. Death Cab regrouped in late 2002 to create Transatlanticism, which was recorded in a leisurely manner over five-day stretches until June 2003. The record is a concept album, exploring a theme of long-distance romance.” - Wikipedia

There was a time when Transatlanticism felt like it was stitched into the lining of my life. After university, it became a kind of quiet companion—on long bus rides, flights, and late-night walks. Part of that was the band’s presence in my circle of friends—many of my closest mates were into Death Cab—but part of it, too, was the way Ben Gibbard’s lyricism and clean, unadorned melodies seemed to speak plainly and beautifully to that strange, floaty post-uni period of life.

I’ve always admired Gibbard’s way with words: wistful without tipping into maudlin, direct but still poetic. And the guitar work throughout Transatlanticism—especially on tracks like “Title and Registration” or “We Looked Like Giants”—still hits a satisfying emotional groove. There’s a clarity to the production, a richness in the textures, and a melancholic yet somehow hopeful current that runs through the whole record.

That said, it doesn’t land quite like it used to. Maybe it’s overfamiliarity—this album was on a lot in my twenties. Maybe it’s the emotional flattening of antidepressants. Who knows? But where it once gave me a proper case of the fuzzies, now it just gives a nod and a gentle smile.

Still, even if it’s not as emotionally potent as it once was, Transatlanticism remains a record I respect deeply. It held me once, and that counts for something.

8.5/10

“Give Up is the only studio album by American electronic duo the Postal Service, The Postal Service was a collaboration between singer-songwriter Ben Gibbard, best-known for his work with indie rock band Death Cab for Cutie, and musician Jimmy Tamborello, who also records under the name Dntel. The album is a long-distance collaboration. The duo named the project for their working method: the pair would send demos on burned CD-R's through the mail, adding elements until songs were complete.” - Wikipedia

Ben Gibbard again, but this time stepping away from the indie rock polish of Death Cab and into something more bedroom-born. Give Up wasn’t a big part of my adolescence in the way Transatlanticism was—it arrived on the periphery for me—but weirdly, it might be the one I return to more these days.

There’s something about Gibbard’s voice—soft, plainspoken, that ‘guy next door’ quality—that just makes sense over the drum machines and synth pads that Jimmy Tamborello lays down here. It feels introverted in a way that’s not self-conscious. Where Death Cab often paints in fuller, band-sized brushstrokes, Give Up sketches with circuit boards and soft-focus melancholy. And it suits him.

The opening stretch is particularly strong. “The District Sleeps Alone Tonight” and “Such Great Heights” tap into a kind of early-2000s digital romanticism—industrial but emotional, understated but sticky. The mechanical simplicity of the beats somehow captures that era’s weird blend of isolation and connection. It’s music that could only have come from a time when texting still felt futuristic.

The second half doesn’t quite hold the same magic—it drifts a little—but overall, Give Up is a quietly brilliant record. It’s one I’d recommend to almost anyone. A perfect marriage of voice and vehicle.

8.5/10

“Hail to the Thief is the sixth studio album by the English rock band Radiohead. After transitioning to a more electronic style on their albums Kid A and Amnesiac, which were recorded through protracted studio experimentation, Radiohead sought to work more spontaneously, combining electronic and rock music.

The singer, Thom Yorke, wrote lyrics in response to the election of the US president George W. Bush and the unfolding war on terror. He took phrases from political discourse and combined them with elements from fairy tales and children's literature. The title is a play on the American presidential anthem, "Hail to the Chief".” - Wikipedia

It’s the fate of every Radiohead album post-OK Computer to live in the long shadow of greatness. Hail to the Thief was no exception—unfairly but inevitably measured against the seismic impact of its predecessors. And yet, while it may lack the singular focus of Kid A, this is still an album teeming with ideas, textures, and unease.

In many ways, Hail to the Thief feels like a convergence. The band’s classic guitar-driven setup re-emerges after years submerged beneath glitchy electronica, but it’s not a full return to form—at least, not the form casual fans might expect. The sonic palette still leans heavily toward the digital and the oblique, with twitchy beats, eerie synths, and Thom Yorke’s vocals offer more ghostly intonation than pop hook. There’s a restless, shapeshifting quality here that feels more in line with Amnesiac than OK Computer.

It’s also, admittedly, a bit too much. Clocking in at nearly an hour, even the band has since acknowledged that a more concise version might’ve made a sharper impact. Still, even if it lacks the cohesion of their most revered work, Hail to the Thief remains infinitely absorbing. The experimentation is bold, the atmosphere oppressive and magnetic.

Interestingly, this is also the album that, fairly or not, helped seed a reductive caricature of the band: vague political unease, skittish drums, and a moody, abstract vibe. There’s some truth to that here—but applying it broadly to their catalogue does them a disservice. Hail to the Thief might be the most overtly “Radiohead™” album in that sense, but it’s far from representative of the band’s full range.

Is it a masterpiece? No. But it’s a fascinating, murky entry in a discography defined by evolution.

8.5/10

5. The Ghost of the Great Highway

Sun Kil Moon

Ghosts of the Great Highway is the debut studio album by San Francisco quartet Sun Kil Moon, led by Red House Painters' founder Mark Kozelek, who composed all of the lyrics and music on this album. Three of the album's songs are named after boxers. The band name is also a pun on the Korean boxer Sung-Kil Moon. The song "Carry Me Ohio" was listed at #462 on Pitchfork's Top 500 Songs of the 2000s list. - Wikipedia

Mark Kozelek has a rare talent for making simplicity feel meaningful. On Ghosts of the Great Highway, his first full-length as Sun Kil Moon, he leans into slow, spacious acoustic guitar work—gentle, looping progressions that feel both grounded and quietly transportive. There’s nothing flashy here, just chords that unfold patiently, with a warmth and clarity that make them linger. On songs like “Gentle Moon,” the repetition becomes its own kind of spell.

Kozelek’s voice floats just above the surface, rarely pushing forward. It’s unadorned, conversational, almost passive at times—but that restraint is part of the appeal. His vocals feel less like a performance and more like a presence—something you notice more for how it shapes the atmosphere than for any standout line. The melodies drift in naturally, and the lyrics often require close attention, rewarding repeated listens without insisting on it.

The production is clean and carefully arranged. Compared to his earlier work, the addition of full-band textures might make things feel a little more distant, a little less immediate—but that distance fits the tone. There’s a subtle shimmer to everything, and the slightly detached quality adds to the album’s quiet sense of motion.

It’s an undeniably beautiful record—softly lit, deeply immersive. Some listeners might find it too reserved, too slow to reveal itself. But if you’re willing to follow its pace, Ghosts of the Great Highway has a strange and lasting pull.

8.5/10

“Michigan is the third studio album by American indie folk songwriter Sufjan Stevens. It is Stevens' third studio album and features songs referencing places, events, and persons related to the U.S. state of Michigan.” - Wikipedia

Michigan is one of those albums that doesn’t so much ask for your attention as quietly unfold beside you, like a companion whispering stories late at night, careful not to wake the rest of the house. Sufjan Stevens’ voice, soft and barely above a murmur, adds to this hushed intimacy, and the lush arrangements—filled with woodwinds, piano flourishes, and delicate strings—wrap each track in a warm, slightly melancholic haze.

It’s a long record, and that can be both a gift and a challenge. On certain listens, its sheer sprawl makes it hard to hold onto; on others—like right now—it feels like a blessing to have so much to return to, so many little corners to explore. This isn’t an album of singles or big emotional peaks, but more of a slow, contemplative journey, unfolding in thoughtful chapters rather than hooks.

There’s a gentleness to the sadness here, a kind of collective melancholy that reassures more than isolates. Stevens seems to say: yes, things are hard, but we’re in it together. That sense of shared sorrow, paired with the album’s peacefulness, makes Michigan oddly comforting. It’s a record you don’t just hear—you inhabit. And the longer you stay with it, the more it quietly reveals.

8.5/10

“Vaudeville Villain is the third studio album by British-American rapper-producer MF DOOM, released under the pseudonym Viktor Vaughn.” - Wikipedia

Vaudeville Villain really pulls you in—the flow is so tight and sharp it kind of locks you in from the first track. DOOM (as Viktor Vaughn) sounds completely in his element, riding the beats with this effortless cadence that’s somehow both laid back and razor-edged. The production gets more and more sci-fi as it goes—by the end it feels like you’re being sucked into a black hole made of warped samples and VHS fuzz. I didn’t fully follow the narrative, but it still feels like one whole world, like you’re watching a late-night bootleg cartoon from another planet. I totally see why this is seen as a slept-on gem. It’s got me hyped all over again for Madvillainy in 2003…

8.5/10

“Boris at Last -Feedbacker- (or simply called Feedbacker) is the sixth studio album by Japanese experimental music band Boris. The album, a single 43-minute track broken into 5 movements, incorporates many different rock elements. The band frequently revisits the song in concert.” - Wikipedia

Feedbacker captures Boris in a state of controlled chaos, where freedom and form coexist. Wata’s lead guitar writhes like a rogue AI — unpredictable, alive, and ever expanding — while the band holds down a loose but deliberate backbone beneath her. The album’s structure feels mapped out, yet open to the moment, with each movement building suspense not just toward the final crescendo, but as a visceral thrill in itself. By Part 4, the sound becomes a blur of velocity, like cycling at 500mph through a wind tunnel. It’s a séance of sound, with Wata channeling the ghost of Hendrix through sheer feedback and force.

9/10

1. Velocity: Design: Comfort

Sweet Trip

“Velocity : Design : Comfort is an album of juxtapositions — where featherlight vocal lines and soft ambient pads coexist with frantic, bit-crushed drums that sound like they’re chewing themselves apart. It’s chaotic, glitched-out, and yet somehow deeply soothing. Sweet Trip manage to turn digital noise into something nostalgic and human.

Initially released in 2003 to little fanfare, the album found a surprising second life in the 2010s thanks to internet forums, YouTube recommendations, and a generation of listeners hungry for something that blended dream pop sentimentality with IDM precision. As its cult following grew, so did its reputation — with some now calling it a genre-blurring masterpiece.

That said, I’ve always found a slight disconnect between the more vocal-heavy, structured tracks and the more abstract, drifting ones. At first, it can feel like two albums stitched together. But that tension seems to dissolve on repeat listens. Over time, Velocity : Design : Comfort becomes less a collection of songs and more a space you live in — like a childhood bedroom, where everything feels familiar, safe, and faintly magical, even if it’s also a little messy.

9/10

2001 - Clive's Top Albums of Every Year Challenge

May 06, 2025 by Clive in Clive's Album Challenge, Music

Welcome to 2001, the year George W. Bush became president, 9/11 happened, John Prescott punched a protestor who threw an egg at him, and I entered year 9. We’re here for the music though right? Here’s what the nerds on rateyourmusic.com rated as the year’s top 5 albums:

#1 Björk - Vespertine
#2 The Microphones - The Glow Pt. 2
#3 Daft punk - Discovery
#4 The Strokes - Is This It
#5 Unwound - Leaves Turn Inside You

I’m also grabbing a bunch from further down the list:

#6 System of a Down - Toxicity
#7 Tool - Lateralus
#8 Converge - Jane Doe
#10 Aphex Twin - Druqks
#12 Radiohead - Amnesiac
#29 Aaliyah - Aaliyah
#35 Life Without Buildings - Any Other City

That’s plenty, off we go.

“Aaliyah is the third and final studio album by American singer Aaliyah. Aaliyah is described in critical commentaries as an album of R&B, neo soul, and dance-pop, while drawing on an array of other genres such as funk, hip-hop, alternative rock, electronica, and Latin music.” - Wikipedia

Aaliyah’s final album, before her tragic death in a plane accident the same year, is a solid, smooth and very listenable album that throws some interesting influences into its production. Lyrically I found it a little bland though.

Song Picks: We Need a Resolution, More than a Woman

6.5/10

“Discovery is the second studio album by the French electronic music duo Daft Punk. It marked a shift from the Chicago house of their first album, Homework, to a house style more heavily inspired by disco, post-disco, garage house, and R&B. Discovery is credited with influencing pop production over subsequent decades. In 2020, Rolling Stone included it at number 236 in its updated list of ‘The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time’.” - Wikipedia

There’s no doubt that Discovery has a few iconic tracks on it, One More Time is surely one of the most influential pieces of dance music ever, and even plenty of the lesser known stuff is very fun. However, for me, there’s a bit too much fluff on here for it to be a great album. Brilliant in parts, but inconsistent. Shoot me.

Song Picks: One More Time, Aerodynamic, Digital Love

6.5/10

“Leaves Turn Inside You is the seventh and final studio album by the American post-hardcore band Unwound. The album received critical acclaim from several music publications, both contemporarily and after its original release.” - Wikipedia

Unwound were to break up in a fairly messy manner 10 months after the release of this album, and it serves as a spectacular goodbye. I haven’t listened to the band’s other releases, which I’m told are much more noisy, but this one is often soft and undoubtedly pretty. For me it doesn’t quite pay off its 1 hour 17 minute run length though, and feels like it could have done with a bit more focus.

Song Picks: Look a Ghost, December

7.5/10

“Jane Doe is the fourth studio album by American metalcore band Converge. Although Jane Doe did not chart, it was a commercial breakthrough for the band and received immediate acclaim, with critics praising its poetic lyrics, dynamics, ferocity and production. It has since been listed as one of the greatest albums of the metalcore genre by various publications, and has developed a cult following, with the cover art becoming an icon of the band.” - Wikipedia

A chaotic, ferocious break-up album that doesn’t quite fit into any of metal’s many buckets. It has an insatiable punk energy which refuses to be bound to that genre’s conventions too. Essentially, it’s singular.

Song Picks: Concubine, Homewrecker

8.5/10

“Morning View is the fourth studio album by American rock band Incubus. Continuing the move away from nu metal, the album ranges widely from soft to hard rock sounds in the style of alternative rock. Morning View generally achieved critical praise and went double-platinum, making it the band's highest selling album.” - Wikipedia

Incubus was my favourite band from year 10 until the end of school, and much of that was due to this album (though Make Yourself and SCIENCE were also on regular rotation in my bedroom). Returning to it now, I think it holds up - Einziger’s riffs are pulverising, but it’s the way the band flow from smooth world music inspired breakdowns to heavier nu-metal that sets them apart from the decade’s plethora of nu metal bands. Jose Pasillas was my inspiration as a drummer growing up, and I still think he’s very underrated, with a musical style that goes beyond others in the genre and really helps to make the more ethereal breakdown sections work. Brandon Boyd’s lyrics are definitely the band’s weakness, as he has a tendency to throw in the odd clunker. His vocals also divide opinion, but I feel like they fit the band well, cutting through and adding a certain unhinged quality to stop everything sounding too smooth.

Overall, this has been a very fun revisit, and though I think it perhaps repeats its party-trick one too many times by the end, it’s still a very good album, and one that feels fresh in a genre that was getting a little stale at this point.

Song Picks: Circles, Wish You Were Here, Are You In?

8.5/10

“Vespertine is the fourth studio album by Icelandic recording artist Björk. Björk aspired to create an album with minimal and intricate electronic music to evoke an intimate and domestic feeling, in contrast with the louder styles of her previous studio album Homogenic. Lyrically, the album drew inspiration from Björk's new relationship with Matthew Barney, exploring themes related to sex, intimacy, eroticism, and love. Other lyrical sources include the poetry of E. E. Cummings and British playwright Sarah Kane's Crave. Vespertine received universal acclaim from music critics, with some considering it Björk's best album to date. The album appeared on several publications' lists of the best albums of 2001 and of the decade, and has been evaluated by many critics to be one of the best albums of all time.” - Wikipedia

The production on this is a gorgeous collage of softer, cloudy tones and sparkles. It feels like being transported to some sort of crystal palace (no, not that one) while a mysterious voice sings from some unreachable corner of it. Vocally, Bjork's style is as hypnotic and singular as always, but here it soars over much quieter arrangements, and the two feel somewhat juxtaposed. No bad thing, but to me her vocals work more when followed more closely by punchier arrangements.

Song Picks: Unison, Hidden Place, Undo

8.5/10

“Toxicity is the second studio album by the American heavy metal band System of a Down. Expanding on their 1998 eponymous debut album, Toxicity incorporates more melody, harmonies, and singing than the band's first album. Categorized primarily as alternative metal and nu metal, the album features elements of multiple genres, including folk, progressive rock, jazz, and Armenian and Greek music, including prominent use of instruments like the sitar, banjo, keyboards, and piano. It contains a wide array of political and non-political themes, such as mass incarceration, the CIA, the environment, police brutality, drug addiction, scientific reductionism, and groupies. Toxicity received highly positive ratings and reviews from critics, among them perfect ratings from AllMusic, Kerrang!, and Blabbermouth.net. Many critics praised the album's sound and innovation, and it ranked on multiple "best albums" lists.” - Wikipedia

I'm finally coming across an album I listened to when it came out. I loved this in Year 9 and I think it holds up now. Their ability to change a song's direction on a dime, and to pull huge roared crescendos out of parts that already sounded like crescendos is magical. The album’s eclectic influences help to give it a bunch of personality. Toxicity is unafraid to get political, it’s cerebral and technical, and it’s just so damn moshable. Pure adrenaline fuelled fun.

Song Picks: Chop Suey!, Toxicity, Forest, Science

8.5/10

“Amnesiac is the fifth studio album by the English rock band Radiohead, released on 30 May 2001 by EMI. It was recorded with the producer Nigel Godrich in the same sessions as Radiohead's previous album Kid A (2000). Radiohead split the work in two as they felt it was too dense for a double album. Amnesiac was named one of the year's best albums by numerous publications. It was nominated for the Mercury Prize and several Grammy Awards, winning for Best Recording Package for the special edition. "Pyramid Song" was named one of the best tracks of the decade by Rolling Stone, NME and Pitchfork, and Rolling Stone ranked Amnesiac number 320 in their 2012 list of the "500 Greatest Albums of All Time". - Wikipedia

I'm handing over this review to Stick Around co-host Michael Johnson. Here's his 2009 review of this on rateyourmusic.com, which I wholeheartedly agree with:

“This is a difficult record, to me. Took me a while to fully appreciate, then the glory of it came to the fore in the end. I seem to be in some sort of minority, at least generally, of people who adored Kid A from the first listen, but that didn't help me here. This album is way out there. I reject any suggestions that it sounds like a collection of rejected Kid A cuts though. It has its own appeal, and is only Kid A's poor little brother in the sense that any album juxtaposed with that triumph would be.”

SP (mine): Morning Bell / Amnesiac, Life In a Glasshouse, Pyramid Song

9/10

“Drukqs (stylised as drukQs) is the fifth studio album by the British electronic music artist and producer Richard D. James under the alias of Aphex Twin.It is a double album that includes a variety of contrasting styles, from meticulously programmed beats inspired by jungle and drum and bass, to classical-type piano and prepared piano, ambient, and electroacoustic pieces.

James released Drukqs to pre-empt a potential leak after he accidentally left an MP3 player containing his music on a plane. It received polarised reviews from critics: many dismissed it, focusing on its perceived lack of innovation and similarity to James's previous works, while some praised it as an accomplished work.” - Wikipedia

I love this. Maybe you need to be a hardcore Aphex Twin fan to feel like this doesn't push what he does forwards? To me, it's an insanely ambitious, calculated mess of an album that provides 1 hour and 40 minutes of edge of your seat entertainment. It sounds like every note and beat was laboured over with intent, yet it also feels like the spontaneous digital meltdown of a genius.

Song Picks: Avril 14th, Vordhosbn

9/10

“Is This It is the debut studio album by American rock band the Strokes. For their debut, the band strived to capture a simple sound that was not significantly enhanced in the studio. The album received widespread critical acclaim, with many critics praising it for its charisma and rhythm, which often referenced the works of 1970s garage rock bands. The release of the album is widely considered to be a watershed moment, and crucial in the reinvention of post-millennium guitar music. It has featured in several publications' lists of the best albums of the 2000s and of all time.’ - Wikipedia

The drums are rudimentary, the tempo is the same for most songs, and there's practically no dynamics; the quiet as fuzzy as the shouted. All these sound like criticisms, in reality though it means nothing distracts from the album's main strengths - which are Casablancas' ear for simple catchy melodies, the songwriting, and the catchy guitar interplay. The simple sound also creates a breezy vibe: one that doesn't rely on your emotional investment but is always a good time.

This is the album that most reminds me of school, but somehow makes me do it in a more objective and accepting way than other albums I liked at the time. The album feels wise somehow, Casablancas' shouts mature, the simple guitar riffs calculated. It's also packed with genuine bangers, though the last couple of tracks feel comparatively inconsequential, which perhaps holds me back from calling it a masterpiece.

Song Picks: Last Nite, New York City Cops

9/10

“Lateralus is the third studio album by the American rock band Tool. The album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart, selling more than 555,200 copies in its first week of release.” - Wikipedia

This is the cultured choice for favourite nu metal album isn't it? Good. It's my favourite. Full of the crushing riffs you'd expect in the genre; peppered with a sophisticated selection of time signatures you wouldn't. The band makes the album’s complexity feel completely effortless, and it never feels showy for the sake of it. Every twist and turn makes it hit harder. It feels like the ultimate, mature refinement of a genre that defined the decade,

Song Picks: Parabola, Ticks & Leeches, Lateralus

9.5/10

2. Any Other City

Life Without Buildings

The Glasgow band made one album and then split when they all felt what they’d started for fun had become too serious. That one album was a masterpiece. Sue Tompkins’ vocals sound like nothing else, a kind of energetic spoken word that is as likely to break into a shout as it is a catchy melody. They sound spontaneous, and as full of life as any vocal I’ve heard.

The band backs her performances perfectly, with mathy, but never overly complex, arrangements that seem to bloom and swell with Tompkins’ emotions. Nothing feels pre-rehearsed, it all feels like it’s happening right now, for the one and only time, and you’re a lucky bastard to get to listen to it. Any Other City is an album that feels as free as a spontaneous dance through deserted city streets after a particularly good night out. It could only have been written by the type of people who would amicably break-up to follow their own artistic pursuits despite rising success - because this was never meant to be a long term thing.

Song Picks: Let’s Get Out, Juno, The Leanover, New Town

9.5/10

“The Glow Pt. 2 is the third studio album by American indie folk and indie rock project the Microphones. The album takes influences from numerous music genres such as black metal, ambient and avant-garde, as well as non-musical sources like the American drama television show Twin Peaks and primary member Phil Elverum's relationship to Khaela Maricich. Elverum was responsible for the album's production in its entirety.

Musically, The Glow Pt. 2 diverts from the band's previous studio release It Was Hot, We Stayed in the Water, and features experimental production, alongside musical techniques and lyrics that often reference nature and the Pacific Northwest. An immediate critical success, it has since appeared in multiple rankings of the best albums of the 2000s, and is considered by many music critics to be the Microphones' best work and an important release in the lo-fi genre.” - Wikipedia

Elverlum's lyrics are uncomplicated and pretty, while the production jumps from discordant, to messy, to gorgeously melodic with the ease of a passing breeze. The album breathes with the pain and beauty of being human, or as Elverum puts it on the title track: 'my blood flows harshly'.

Elverum's seemingly off the cuff vocals, along with the completely unpredictable production and arrangements add to a feeling that this whole thing was never written, and has somehow always existed. How can something so bloody beautiful and groundbreaking feel so effortless?

When an album is hard to describe, it's usually a good thing, and that's the case here. I'm not sure what box it belongs in other than the one labelled 'one of a kind masterpieces'.

Song Picks: I Want Wind to Blow, The Glow Pt 2, The Moon

10/10

2000 - Clive's Top Albums of Every Year Challenge

March 28, 2025 by Clive in Clive, Music, Clive's Album Challenge

And so we enter another decade, the ‘noughties’ as people like to call them. I was entering year 8 in the year 2000, and so we’re starting to get into the years where I can actually remember albums coming out. Most of these though, I was totally unaware of at the time - being more interested in catching all the Pokemon, and other such year 8 things.

More widely, 2000 was the year that mad cow disease panicked Europe, Yugoslavians overthrew Milosevic, and the abortion pill won approval in the US.

We’re here for the music though - and here’s rateyourmusic.com users’ top 5 of the year:

#1 Radiohead - Kid A
#2 Godspeed You Black Emperor! - Lift Yr Skinny Fists Like Antennas to Heaven!
#3 The Avalanches - Since I left You
#4 Boris - Flood
#5 Electric Wizard - Dopethrone

And as always, some others from further down the list - including some to make sure we have at least some female artists.

#6 Deftones - White Pony
#7 D’Angelo - Voodoo
#8 At the Drive-In - Relationship of Command
#9 Modest Mouse - The Moon & Antarctica
#10 Sheena Ringo - Shouso Strip
#11 Erykah Badu - Mama’s Gun
#20 Yo La Tengo - And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside-Out
#21 PJ Harvey - Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea
#38 Advantage Lucy - Station

That’s 14, when I was supposed to be cutting down the amount of albums per year. This is quite probably the highest scoring year of the challenge yet, so the glut of albums was entirely worth it.

“Flood is the third studio album by Japanese experimental band Boris. It consists of a single 70-minute title-track that is broken into four movements.

While Flood did not receive many reviews upon release, it has become a cult classic among fans, prompting the band to play it in its entirety every night of their 2013 US-based Residency Tour.” - Wikipedia

An ambitious sprawling 70 minute album that is essentially one 30 minute instrumental piece padded out by 40 minutes of noise. Some say the noise adds to it, which I get to some extent, but I think it milks it just a bit too much, and an edit of this album down to 40 minutes would have made it genuinely amazing. Flood II (particularly Wata's transcendent solo) and Flood III are a genuinely spectacular heart to a bloated album.

SP: Flood II, Flood III

7/10

“White Pony is the third studio album by the American alternative metal band Deftones. The album marked a significant growth in the band's sound, incorporating influences from post-hardcore, trip hop, shoegaze, progressive rock, and post-rock into the alternative metal sound which they had become known for. Upon its release and retrospectively, the album was met with critical acclaim, and is regarded by fans and critics alike as one of the band's most mature outings at that point” - Wikipedia

The quintessential Nu metal sound. Dense riffs, metallic whispers, and that vocal style. The riffs on this one could shake mountains. Strange that I didn't listen to this growing up, as this would have been my jam.

8/10

“Shōso Strip is the second studio album by Japanese singer and songwriter Ringo Sheena, The album debuted at #1 and has sold over 2,332,000 copies. It was certified two million copies by the RIAJ. In September 2007, Rolling Stone Japan rated the album at number 89 on its list of the "100 Greatest Japanese Rock Albums of All Time." - Wikipedia

It sounds like an album crushed within an inch of it's life onto one of those 128mb mp3 players back in the day, coming at you at 12kb/s or some other ghastly quality. It fizzes like a broken bottle of coke in a tin can. I kind of wish there was a version that sounded a bit less raw, but I guess it adds to the charm somewhat. The songwriting and vocals are superb. I mean I've no idea what she's singing about, it's Japanese, but she does it with passion and some crescendos that are surely the most magnificent of the year - e.g Gips. A Jackson Pollock painting of musical ideas crushed through an alt-rock filter.

Song Pick: Gips

8/10

Station, Advantage Lucy’s second album, is another irresistibly joyful record from the Japanese band. It’s a little more eclectic than Fanfare, but it’s equally well composed and just as infectious. I’ve no idea what is being sung, but I feel the need to go running through a field of sunflowers while looking at the sky. I feel happy.

Song Picks: How Do You Feel?, Memai, Kaze ni Azukete, Shumatsu

9/10

“Dopethrone is the third studio album by English band Electric Wizard. Vocalist and guitarist Jus Oborn has stated that drug issues and other personal problems led to the production of Dopethrone being a "difficult process". The album was recorded in three days. The music on the album has been described as both doom metal and stoner rock, with influences of British groups like Black Sabbath and Motörhead.” - Wikipedia

I had no idea what to expect going into this - but I certainly didn’t expect it to immediately become one of my favourite metal albums. Dopethrone sounds polished in terms of the performances, but there’s a raw edge to the rumbling guitars and bass, which are dropped so low they often sound like the roar of some primordial beast. The riffs are clearly Black Sabbath inspired, but these are gnarlier. Osborn’s vocals are distorted - often beyond intelligibility - and this, along with his gritty style, makes for a perfect spice on top of the mass of noise, adding to the tapestry of the sound, rather than doing anything front and centre. After 76 minutes of being pulverised by this, I immediately wanted to put it on again, which is high praise.

9/10

9. Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea

PJ Harvey

“Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea is the fifth studio album by the English singer-songwriter PJ Harvey. It contains themes of love that are tied into Harvey's affection for New York City. The album became the second major commercial success of her recording career, following her successful breakthrough To Bring You My Love (1995). Upon its release, the album received acclaim from most music critics and earned Harvey several accolades, including the 2001 Mercury Prize.” - Wikipedia

Stories from… is PJ Harvey’s The Bends in that it’s her most poppy and accessible album. Gone are the serrated edges of her previous records - replaced with sumptuous reverb and floating melodies. It’s also her The Bends because it’s packed front to back with great songs, a real display of Harvey’s songwriting talent.

Song Picks: Big Exit, A Place Called Home, This Mess We're In, You Said Something, This Is Love, We Float

9/10

“Voodoo is the second studio album by the American singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist D'Angelo, Produced primarily by the singer, Voodoo features a loose, groove-based funk sound and serves as a departure from the more conventional song structure of his debut album, Brown Sugar (1995). Its lyrics explore themes of spirituality, love, sexuality, maturation, and fatherhood. Voodoo has since been regarded by music writers as a creative milestone of the neo soul genre during its apex.” - Wikipedia

Silky falsettos and soft beats, whole grain soul food. Infinitely relistenable - this is music.

Song Picks: Playa Playa, The Line, Send it On, Feel Like Makin' Love

9.5/10

7. Relationship of Command

At the Drive-In

“Relationship of Command is the third studio album by American post-hardcore band At the Drive-In. The album combines an aggressive edge with a melodic drive, harmonious, emotive vocals, and surreal lyrics. Initially received positively by critics, the album is now seen not only as one of the most influential post-hardcore albums of the 2000s, but also as one of the most accomplished recent works in the wider rock spectrum. It was the band's final album to feature founding guitarist Jim Ward.” - Wikipedia

I’m not quite as obsessed with this album as I once was, but I still think it’s an absolutely superb mix of anger, insatiable energy, melodies, and chaos. Their famous Later With Jools Holland performance sums up what they must be like to see live (brilliantly mad), but what’s more impressive is how that live, messy energy comes across on the recorded album. I think I can count on one hand the albums that have managed that, and I think this is probably the best of them.

Song Picks: One Armed Scissor, Sleepwalk Capsule, Invalid Litter Dept

9.5/10

6. And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside-Out

Yo La Tengo

“And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside-Out is the ninth studio album by American indie rock band Yo La Tengo. The album received acclaim from critics and is generally considered one of their best.” - Wikipedia

On And Then Nothing… Yo La Tengo drop down a gear in terms of urgency, but turn up the depth and atmosphere. This is a gorgeous, contemplative record of melodic mumbles over lush, spacious backing. It makes a perfect 'walking through the city at night' double-header with the Clientelle album on this list. Its instruments twinkle like far away windows in a tower block - hundreds of lives illuminated but mysterious. The whole album is a masterpiece of gentleness and empathy, and on that note, Tears are In Your Eyes is surely one of the prettiest songs ever written.

Song Picks: Last Days of Disco, Tears are In Your Eyes, The Crying of Lot G, You Can Have it All

9.5/10

“Mama's Gun is the second studio album by American singer Erykah Badu. A neo soul album, Mama's Gun incorporates elements of funk, soul, and jazz styles. It has confessional lyrics by Badu, which cover themes of insecurity, personal relationships, and social issues. The album has been viewed by critics as a female companion to neo soul artist D'Angelo's second album Voodoo (2000), which features a similar musical style and direction. Critics have also noted that while Badu's first album Baduizm contained its share of cryptic lyricism, Mama's Gun is much more direct in its approach, and places the artist in a subjective position more than its predecessor.” - Wikipedia

Voodoo and Mama’s Gun are so closely linked - having been recorded in the same studio at thesame time - and they’re both masterpieces, but Mama’s Gun just takes the crown for me. The luxurious grooves and melodies are aided by Badu’s silky smooth vocals, and a touch more variety than D’Angelo’s effort. It also has a punkier, more in your face sensibility that I like.

Song Picks: Penitentiary Philosophy, Didn't Chat Know, Green Eyes

9.5/10

“Since I Left You is the debut studio album by Australian electronic music group the Avalanches. The album was recorded and produced at two separate, near-identical studios by Chater and Seltmann, exchanging audio mixes of records they sampled. After the album's positive reception in Australia, the duo considered an international release. Since I Left You was acclaimed by critics. It became one of the best-reviewed albums of the 2000s, and was listed at number ten in the book 100 Best Australian Albums.” - Wikipedia

Their self titled follow up to this has always been one of my favourites, so it's no surprise I love this one too. Sampling at its most pure and brilliant, Since I Left You combines a plethora of samples to create something completely joyful, cohesive, and full of soul. It's like a front row ticket to one of the best DJ sets of all time, where everyone, including you, is on happy drugs. Its deliberate tilt to more of a 60/70s sound than most sampled music helped it stick out, but it's the musical execution and brilliance of the Australian duo that makes it what it. Since I Left You is a miracle.

Song Picks: Since I left you, Stay another season, A Different Feeling, Tonight May Have to Last Me All My Life, Frontier Psychiatrist, Summer Crane

9.5/10

“The Moon & Antarctica is the third studio album by American rock band Modest Mouse. The Moon & Antarctica received acclaim from critics, who praised its subject matter and change in sound from earlier albums and frontman Isaac Brock's introspective lyrics. It was also hailed for being an expansion of the band's sound, much due to their new major label budget as well as the production of Brian Deck.” - Wikipedia

The Moon and Antarctica is such a perfect amorphous gem of an album, to spend too much time describing it is almost impossible for me. As weird as its cover, it strips back some of the trance inducing riffs of The Lonesome Crowded West, making it a little more immediate. Brock has one of those voices that sticks out in a good way, and his melodies and lyrics are on absolute peak form here, worming their way into my subconscious and making my soul smile. The guitar work is absolutely superb too - with winding riffs and spacey progressions befitting the album’s title and theme. It’s more than the sum of its parts, and its parts are superb.

I think The Moon and Antarctica will forever remain mysterious to me, much like the bodies it's named after, and it’s that sense of mystery that makes me feel like I’m discovering an absolute favourite for the first time every time I put it on. I can’t think of any other album that so reliably gives me that feeling.

Song Picks: I think the opening three songs is one of my favourite trios to open an album ever.

10/10

“Suburban Light is the debut studio album by English indie pop band the Clientele. Suburban Light contains several tracks originally released on singles and compilations from 1997 through 2000, causing some websites such as Pitchfork to label it a compilation album.” - Wikipedia

As Wikipedia says, technically, it’s a compilation album, but I don’t care. Like that lovely cover (the less common of its two covers), Suburban Light is a blurry, colourful, rain soaked drive through the night on a bus. McKeen’s vocals are hushed and melodic, the guitar twinkles are undefined, the drums are brushed - everything is done with a kind of relaxed uncertainty. It’s one of the most comforting albums you’ll ever hear and I’ve yet to find, in probably hundreds of listens, a time when I haven’t been completely charmed by it. If I was asked to recommend one album that most people hadn’t heard of, it would be this. But, I’d add to go listen to it sat in the back of a city bus at night. I’m pretty sure everyone would end that journey in love with it. It also contains, what I think, is one of the most beautiful songs ever written: (I Want You) More Than Ever.

Song Picks: I Had to Say This, (I Want You) More Than Ever, Bicycles

10/10

“Kid A is the fourth studio album by the English rock band Radiohead. Departing from their earlier sound, Radiohead incorporated influences from electronic music, krautrock, jazz and 20th-century classical music, with a wider range of instruments and effects. The singer, Thom Yorke, wrote impersonal and abstract lyrics, cutting up phrases and assembling them at random.

In a departure from industry practice, Radiohead released no singles and conducted few interviews and photoshoots. Instead, they released short animations and became one of the first major acts to use the internet for promotion. Bootlegs of early performances were shared on filesharing services, and Kid A was leaked before release. In 2000, Radiohead toured Europe in a custom-built tent without corporate logos.

Kid was certified platinum in the UK, the US, Australia, Canada, France and Japan. Its new sound divided listeners, and some dismissed it as pretentious or derivative. However, at the end of the decade, Rolling Stone, Pitchfork and the Times ranked it the greatest album of the 2000s, and in 2020 Rolling Stone ranked it number 20 on its updated list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.” - Wikipedia

Kid A is an album I’ve loved since I first got into it. It took a few listens, but the first time I listened to it at night, I got it and it blew me away. Somewhere on a night-bus in Central America I was whisked away to a world of melancholy electronic music that lit the lonely, beaten road ahead in a gorgeous hue. The bumps, the stars, the dark behind the trees, everything somehow became even more beautiful under Kid A’s gaze. Thom Yorke’s vocals don’t get enough praise, but he sounds like a beautiful, tormented angel as always, and they tie together this album’s many influences brilliantly, as does the crystal clean electronic sound of the record. Kid A is an album that has soundtracked so many phases of my life - I’ve turned to it in sadness in the past, and in contentment more recently - and it never fails to light a swaying candle somewhere inside me. It’s also another album that has great tracks but is so much more than the sum of its parts - perfectly paced, cohesive and bewitching from start to finish.

The album feels to me like a musical expression of a city’s quieter streets at night-time. A sprinkling of humans struggling with the daily task of being human - while looking left and right and finding solace in those they don’t know doing the same.

Song Picks: Everything In Its Right Place, The National Anthem, How to Disappear Completely, Optimistic, Idioteque, Motion Picture Soundtrack

10/10

1997 - Clive's Top Albums of Every Year Challenge

July 08, 2024 by Clive in Clive's Album Challenge, Music

Over what will likely be the next few years I’m going to be ranking and reviewing the top 5 albums - plus a fair few extras - according to users on rateyourmusic.com (think IMDB for music) from every year from 1960 to the present. If you want to know more, I wrote an introduction to the ‘challenge’ here. You can also read all the other entries I’ve written so far by heading to the lovely index page here.

1997, the year I turned 10, Titanic was released and became the highest grossing movie in history at the time, the first Harry Potter book was released and the sovereignty of Hong Kong was passed from the UK to the People’s Republic of China, and perhaps most famously here in the UK, Princess Diana died.

Here’s the top rated albums of the year by the music nerds over at rateyourmusic.com:

#1 Radiohead - OK Computer
#2 Bjork - Homogenic
#3 Godspeed You Black Emperor! - F#A#
#4 Elliot Smith - Either / Or
#5 Modest Mouse - The Lonesome Crowded West

And some from further down the list:

#6 Built to Spill - Perfect from Now On
#7 Fishmans - Uchū Nippon Setagaya
#8 Stereolab - Dots and Loops
#9 Janet Jackson - The Velvet Rope
#10 Ween - The Mollusk
#13 Yo La Tengo - I Can Hear the Heart Beating as One

And a couple more albums by women from NPR’s list.

Sleater-Kinney - Dig Me Out
Erykah Badu - Baduizm

Let’s go.

“The Mollusk is the sixth studio album by American rock band Ween. It is a multi-genre concept album with a dark nautical theme, with most songs incorporating elements from psychedelia and/or sea shanties, while also featuring a heavy progressive rock influence.” - Wikipedia

I really liked this on first listen, it reminded me of a what a whole album of ‘I am the Walrus’ era Ringo Starr might have sounded like. But on subsequent listens it just felt like too much, and I very quickly burnt out on it. A shame.

6/10

“Uchū Nippon Setagaya (Japanese: 宇宙日本世田谷) is the seventh and final studio album by Japanese dream pop band Fishmans. The album's title roughly translates to Space, Japan, Setagaya. After signing a deal with Polydor Records for a three-album deal, Fishmans put out Kuchu Camp and Long Season (both 1996). The band returned to their studio, Waikiki Beach, to record a third album, but the band was plagued with internal struggle. Frontman Shinji Sato would often come to rehearsals with nearly-complete home demo recordings, which alienated the other members of the band. This would be the band's last studio album before initially disbanding, but was followed up by two live albums, 8月の現状 (1998), and 98.12.28 男達の別れ (1999). Sato died from lifelong heart conditions three months after the recording of the latter.” - Wikipedia

This is all very lovely and I particularly like the continuously melodic bass-work which has an almost dub feel to it. However, it just isn’t as compelling as their previous effort Long Seasons in my view. It feels safer and cosier, but in a way that makes it more background music for me than something I’m going to get really lost in.

Song Picks: Pokka Pokka, Weather Report

7/10

“Either/Or is the third studio album by American singer-songwriter Elliott Smith. Book-ended by its two singles, "Speed Trials" and "Ballad of Big Nothing", Either/Or did not chart in the US, but was acclaimed by critics.” - Wikipedia

Smith’s songwriting prowess is evident here, but I’m just not getting into it as much as I have his self-titled album, maybe it sounds a bit too glossy? Dunno. It’s in the ‘thoroughly pleasant’ rather than ‘wow’ camp for me, but I know I’m an outlier.

Song Picks: Rose Parade, Say Yes

7/10

“The Velvet Rope is the sixth studio album by American singer Janet Jackson. Prior to its release, she renegotiated her contract with Virgin for US$80 million, marking this as the largest recording contract in history at that time. Upon experiencing an emotional breakdown, Jackson began facing a long-term case of depression. She developed her new record as a concept album, using introspection as its theme.” - Wikipedia

I’ve never been massively into straight 90s (or early 2000s) pop, there’s just something a bit sanitised about it that I can’t quite put my finger on. The Velvet Rope has much more interesting production than other pop albums of the time, but it still has that overly clean 90s sound which just tends to skim off me like a well thrown pebble on the water. I very much appreciate Jackson’s lyrical content here, which is anything but sanitised, and her melodies are as wonderful as ever. There’s some absolute 90s pop bangers here with Got ‘Til It’s Gone, Together Again, I Get Lonely and Every Time all being some of the decade’s best pop-tracks, and ones that still see plenty of airplay today. For me it’s a smidge too long, but undoubtedly one of the strongest straight-pop albums of the decade. On a side note, she sounds particularly like her brother on this album, especially on the softer tracks.

Song Picks: You, Got ‘Til It’s Gone, Together Again, I Get Lonely, Every Time

8/10

“Dig Me Out is the third studio album by the American rock band Sleater-Kinney. Dig Me Out marked the debut of Janet Weiss, who would become the band's longest-serving drummer. The music on the record was influenced by traditional rock and roll bands, while the lyrics deal with issues of heartbreak and survival. The album was acclaimed by music critics, who praised the album's energy and feminist lyrics. Retrospectively, Dig Me Out is considered the band's breakthrough record and is frequently included on several publications' best album lists. In 2020, Rolling Stone ranked it No. 189 on its list of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.” - Wikipedia

Corin Tucker’s vocals are just the right side of piercing, with a tone and passion that cuts right through the mix, helped by how uncluttered things generally are from this three-piece, who forgo any studio trickery for a very raw sound. Dig Me Out is a superb, no-nonsense punk record, representing an important feminist message that has been all too rare in music to this point.

Song Picks: One More Hour, The Drama You’ve Been Craving

8.5/10

**8. F# A#** ∞

Godspeed You! Black Emperor

“F♯ A♯ ∞ (pronounced "F-sharp, A-sharp, Infinity") is the debut studio album by Canadian post-rock band Godspeed You! Black Emperor. The CD version and the LP version have substantial differences between them. Recorded at the Hotel2Tango in the Mile End of Montreal, the album, as became common for the band, is devoid of traditional lyrics and is mostly instrumental, featuring lengthy songs segmented into movements. Pitchfork ranked the album number 45 on their list of the top 100 albums of the 1990s.” - Wikipedia

F♯ A♯ ∞ feels like the stomp to a final post-apocalyptic battle, it rolls with the rhythm of a march, and swells with the emotion of knowing that this is the end. A gloriously evocative record.

8.5/10

“Perfect from Now On is the third full-length album released by Built to Spill, and the band's first major label (Warner Bros.) release. Stylistically, the album was marked by its experimentation with longer song structures and philosophical lyrics.” - Wikipedia

I’m unsurprised to hear Built to Spill were a key influence on Ben Gibbard of Death Cab for Cutie, as Doug Martsch’s vocal style and ear for melody is very similar. Musically they’re a bit more jam orientated than Death Cab for Cutie, with long, often raucous instrumental sections filling out the gaps in vocals. Clearly influential on a whole raft of late 90s and early 2000s indie, Perfect from Now On is a wonderful blend of affecting vocals, simple lyrics, and slightly off-kilter instrumental parts unafraid to march off a cliff and see what happens. It feels like emo and an atmospheric, edgy jam band had a baby. Martsch’s guitar work deserves a mention too, picking you up like an errant sandworm and smashing you into the horizon, Velvet Waltz being a particularly great example of this.

Song Picks: Really Described Eternity, I Would Hurt a Fly, Mad-up Dreams, Velvet Waltz, Kicked it in the Sun

8.5

“Baduizm is the debut studio album by American singer-songwriter Erykah Badu. After leaving university in order to concentrate on music full-time, Badu then began touring with her cousin, Robert "Free" Bradford, and recorded a 19-song demo, Country Cousins, which attracted the attention of Kedar Massenburg. He set Badu up to record a duet with D'Angelo, "Your Precious Love," and eventually signed her to a record deal with Universal. Baduizm was a commercial success, debuting at number two on the US Billboard 200 chart and number one on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums.” - Wikipedia

Like one of those chill-hop study playlists but with a hundred times more soul. Badu's buttery smooth vocals effortlessly express melodies over a wholesome bedding of bass and snare claps. It all unravels at a pace so leisurely it feels like it might fall over any second. Sublime.

Song Picks: On & On, Appletree, Certainly

8.5/10

“Homogenic is the third studio album by Icelandic recording artist Björk. The album marked a stylistic change, focusing on similar-sounding music combining electronic beats and string instruments with songs in tribute to her native country Iceland. Homogenic was originally to be produced in her home in London, but was halted due to media attention from Björk surviving a murder attempt by a stalker. Homogenic has continued receiving critical acclaim, being listed among the best albums of all time by numerous critics.” - Wikipedia

Bjork can always be relied upon to make albums that stand out creatively, and Homogenic is no exception. Pounding, crystal soundscapes back Bjork’s soaring vocals like a beam of light taking them to the heavens. It’s an album not of songs as such, but of moments, where repeated phrases bore their way into your brain, often finally driven home by Bjork’s roar. Homogenic’s use of electronic programming seems very ahead of its time, and I can here lots of later Radiohead here for example. Engaging from start to finish, and so very interesting.

Song Picks: Unravel, 5 years, Jóga, Alarm Call

9/10

“Dots and Loops is the fifth studio album by English-French rock band Stereolab. It was their first album to be recorded straight to Digital Audio Tape and produced with Pro Tools. The album explores jazz and electronic sounds, and is influenced by bossa nova and 1960s pop music. Its lyrics address matters such as consumerism, the "spectacle", materialism, and human interaction. Several music critics have praised Dots and Loops for its blend of accessible music with experimental and avant-garde sounds.” - Wikipedia

Dots and Loops warms up the room like an exotic fire in the corner. It turns rainy days to sunshine. Is there anything more essential if you live in the UK? Probably not. It’s well over an hour long, but never outstays its welcome, in fact I’ve more often than not found myself starting it again as soon as it’s finished.

Song Picks: Miss Modular, Brakhage

9/10

3. The Lonesome Crowded West

Modest Mouse

“The Lonesome Crowded West is the second studio album by American rock band Modest Mouse. The two towers pictured on the album's cover are The Westin Seattle The Lonesome Crowded West received positive reviews from critics, and appeared on several lists of the best albums of the 1990s.” - Wikipedia

Here’s what I said back when I first reviewed this album back in 2013:

“Another Modest Mouse album at the top. This one’s essentially inspired by the ‘Mallfucking’ of America (as singer Isaac Brock puts it) and also by the experiences of a band being on the road. It’s wacky, it’s memorable and it’s long (around 78 minutes). The main reason for the album’s length is that the band often breaks into impromtu jams and while most producers would have cut these short to make the songs more radio ready I’m glad this wasn’t done here. It really has the raw feel of a band at the top of their game having fun without barriers. As with The Moon & Antarctica last month I love the sheer variation in the songs, hell even within one song, ‘Teeth Like God’s Shoeshine’ being a prime example, you can have screaming one second, tender bits the next, and a complete change of rhythm and time signature the next. Like The Moon and Antarctica it’s a journey, this time slightly more raw, but with no less passion. I also have to mention Jeremiah Green’s excellent drumming, top drawer stuff and the bass (particularly on the groovy songs inspired by being on the road such as Out of Gas) is awesome.. This is a great, great album and Modest Mouse are swiftly making their way into my very favourite bands.”

You know what 2013 Clive, I still agree. I feel like the review needs more daft analogies though to really fit into the context of this challenge. ‘The Lonesome Crowded West is like a pacing, friendly tiger. It walks backwards and forwards with a sense of unspent energy, a sense of frustration needing release, but satisfying itself instead by slowly deflating via the low rumbling purr of its endless great basslines.’

There we go. That’s better.

Song Picks: Teeth Like God’s Shoeshine, Convenient Parkin’, Doin’ the Cockroach, Trailer Trash, Out of Gas, Trucker’s Atlas

9.5/10

2. I Can Hear the Heart Beating as One

Yo La Tengo

“I Can Hear the Heart Beating as One is the eighth studio album by the American indie rock band Yo La Tengo. The album expands the guitar-based pop of its predecessor Electr-O-Pura to encompass a variety of other music genres, including bossa nova, krautrock, and electronic music. The album received widespread acclaim from music critics, who praised the band's ability to successfully expand the boundaries of nearly any pop style. The album is widely regarded as the band's best work and is frequently included on several publications' best album lists. In 2020, Rolling Stone included it on its list of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time as no. 423.” - Wikipedia

I Can Hear the Heart Beating as One is magic. I’d listened to the album a few times and thought it was pleasant, but it was on a morning where I was playing with my son that it really hit home. There’s an understated beauty, variety, and melancholy to every track, in a way that is somehow full of hope. It’s rare that an album perfectly encapsulates your mood at a particular time, but I had one of those magical moments with this as I thought of the past, some of my struggles, and how it’s all ended up in a place where I finally feel content. And how I’d never change any of it, given where it’s led me.

The often mumbled vocals, those melodic basslines, the world music influences, the trance-like repetition, there’s something truly beautiful about the melancholy contentment it portrays.

Song Picks: Return Hot Chicken, Sugarcube, Little Honda

9.5/10

“OK Computer is the third studio album by the English rock band Radiohead. They distanced themselves from the guitar-centred, lyrically introspective style of their previous album, The Bends. OK Computer's abstract lyrics, densely layered sound and eclectic influences laid the groundwork for Radiohead's later, more experimental work. The album's lyrics depict a dystopian, futuristic world fraught with rampant consumerism, capitalism, social and modern alienation, emotional isolation and political malaise, with overall themes like transport, technology, insanity, death, modern British life, globalisation and anti-capitalism; in this capacity, OK Computer is said to have prescient insight into the mood of 21st-century life. The band used unconventional production techniques, including natural reverberation, and no audio separation. Most of the album was recorded live.” - Wikipedia

I’m not sure there’s much left to say about OK Computer, rateyourmusic.com’s current #1 album of all time, but I’ll try anyway. I’ve been looking forward to getting to 1997 to cover this ever since starting the challenge. The instrumental production is deliberately messy owing to the live sound and lack of instrument separation, and I feel this helps to bring Thom Yorke’s vocals and lyrics to the front, which are superb throughout. The way he soars above the storm of Airbag as he sings ‘an interstellar burst, I’m back to save the universe’ is one of the most life-affirming moments in music for me, not just this album; the way Paranoid Android batters around before settling into the gently strummed part as Yorke croons for it to rain on him, being another. OK Computer is irresistible musically, full of melody, chaos and feeling, but it does this while being a perfect statement on modern life. It’s both very accessible and very ambitious. I’m not clever enough to put my finger on exactly why, but more than any other album, it represents that feeling of growing up in the modern world.

Song Picks: Airbag, Paranoid Android, Subterranean Homesick Alien

1995 - Clive's Top Albums of Every Year Challenge

December 08, 2023 by Clive in Clive's Album Challenge, Music

So, here we are in 1995, when OJ Simpson’s trial started, 2,000 people died in the Rwanda Massacre, and on the lighter news front Steve Fossett completed the first solo transpacific balloon flight.

Here’s what rateyourmusic.com’s users have as the year’s top 5 albums:

#1 Genius/GZA - Liquid Swords
#2 Death - Symbolic
#3 Mobb Deep - The Infamous
#4 Björk - Post
#5 Radiohead - The Bends

And let’s grab some more from further down the list:

#6 Elliott Smith - Elliott Smith
#7 Three-6 Mafia - Mystic Stylez
#8 Raekwon - Only Built 4 Cuban Linx...
#9 The Smashing Pumpkins - Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness
#11 Pulp - Different Class

#15 P J Harvey - To Bring You My Love
#18 Cap'n Jazz - Burritos, Inspiration Point, Fork Balloon Sports, Cards in the Spokes, Automatic Biographies, Kites, Kung Fu, Trophies, Banana Peels We've Slipped On and Egg Shells We've Tippy Toed Over
#29 Guided by Voices - Alien Lanes

Finally, to add another female composed album to the list I’m taking Alanis Morissette’s Jagged Little Pill from NPR’s best albums by women of all time list.

Let’s go.

14. Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness

The Smashing Punpkins

“Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness is the third studio album by American alternative rock band the Smashing Pumpkins. It features a wide array of musical styles, including art rock, grunge, alternative pop, and heavy metal.

Propelled by its lead single "Bullet with Butterfly Wings", the album debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 with first-week sales of 246,500 units. It remains the band's only album to top the Billboard 200. Lauded by critics for its ambition and scope, Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness earned the band seven Grammy Award nominations in 1997, including Album of the Year and Record of the Year ("1979").” - Wikipedia

It's so long I find it hard to find time to absorb it attentively in one sitting, which I'm sure would up it in my estimations. As it is, I really enjoy it every time I put it on, but it rarely wows me or feels particularly cohesive.

Song Picks: 1979, Bullet with Butterfly Wings

7/10

“Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... (commonly referred to as the Purple Tape) is the debut studio album by American rapper and Wu-Tang Clan member Raekwon. The album was loosely composed to play like a film with Raekwon as the "star", fellow Wu-Tang member Ghostface Killah as the "guest-star", and producer RZA as the "director". It features appearances from every member of the Wu-Tang Clan. Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... has received acclaim from music critics and writers over the years, with many lauding it as one of the greatest hip hop albums of all time.” - Wikipedia

Everything here is very solid, the beats, the rhymes, the vocals, it just hasn't quite grabbed me as much as other hip hop releases this decade.

Song Picks: Criminology, Rainy Dayz

7/10

“Mystic Stylez is the debut studio album by American hip hop group Three 6 Mafia. Produced completely by founding members DJ Paul and Juicy J, the LP was published via Prophet, an independent record label.” - Wikipedia

Our first ‘horrorcore’ record lives up to the genre name with lyrics of murder, blood, violence, more blood, satanism, and other such delights. It’s thematically cohesive, and tied together by a bunch of haunting and intimidating beats. There is restbite in more relaxing tracks like Da Summa, and overall I thoroughly enjoyed my journey through this gory mess.

Song Picks: Da Summa, Break Da Law ’95’, Mystic Styles

8/10

11. Jagged Little Pill

Alanis Morisette

“Jagged Little Pill is the third studio album by Canadian singer Alanis Morissette. It marked a stylistic departure from the dance-pop sound of her first two albums, Alanis (1991) and Now Is the Time (1992). The lyrics touch upon themes of aggression and unsuccessful relationships, while Ballard introduced a pop sensibility to Morissette's angst. Rolling Stone ranked Jagged Little Pill at number 69 on its 2020 list of ‘The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time’.” - Wikipedia

Yes, most of the things in Ironic aren’t actually ironic, but maybe that’s ironic in itself? Meta. Jagged Little Pill is full of powerfully sung melodies; Morissette’s cleaner, and technically impressive vocals soaring above instrumentation clearly influenced by grunge. A punk bluntness, a poppy accessibility, and a rough instrumental texture all combine to create a darn punchy record.

Song Picks: Forgiven, You Oughta Know, Ironic

8.5/10

“Different Class (released in Japan as Common People) is the fifth studio album by English rock band Pulp. The album was a critical and commercial success, entering the UK Albums Chart at number one and winning the 1996 Mercury Music Prize. Widely acclaimed as among the greatest albums of the Britpop era, in 2013, NME ranked the album at number six in its list of the 500 greatest albums of all time while Rolling Stone ranked it number 162 in their 2020 revised version of the same list.” - Wikipedia

They're from Sheffield, I live in Sheffield, so that's at least a bonus point. Seriously though, this is just great, relatable songwriting. Cocker's lyrics are so simple every song plays like an anthem and his accented delivery was to inspire a whole heap of indie bands in my youth. Musically it's simple, serves the songs, and doesn't invite much comment other than 'sounds solid, mate', but Cocker’s anthemic vocals (both lyrically and vocally) put Different Class thoroughly in ‘great’ territory. It's a bit daft how many bangers are on this thing really.

Song Picks: Common People, Disco 2000,

8.5/10

“Symbolic is the sixth studio album by American death metal band Death. It is the only album to feature Bobby Koelble and Kelly Conlon on guitar and bass, respectively, and the second and last album to feature drummer Gene Hoglan. The album has received unanimous critical acclaim.” - Wikipedia

I’m not sure what there is left to say about Death, the band that is, not the thing we’re all hurtling towards. This is another technically brilliant and pulverising death metal record, the title’s a bit tame though isn’t it?

8.5/10

“Liquid Swords is the second solo studio album by American rapper and Wu-Tang Clan member GZA. The album heavily samples dialogue from the martial arts film Shogun Assassin and maintains a dark atmosphere throughout, incorporating lyrical references to chess, crime and philosophy.

Liquid Swords received critical acclaim for its complex lyricism and hypnotic musical style. Over the years, its recognition has grown, with a number of famous publishers proclaiming it to be one of the greatest hip hop albums of all time. In 2007, the Chicago Tribune cited it as "one of the most substantial lyrical journeys in hip-hop history". - Wikipedia

Liquid production, and lyrics that slice like freshly sharpened swords. Seriously though, this thing sounds crystal clear. GZA’s lyrical content aligns pretty strongly with Wu-Tang Clan’s, it’s operating on an intellectual plane above most lyrics out there, and the whole thing feels like something created by that cool kid in the corner who does his own thing and has no care for stepping into the middle of the room. Not because he’s in any way shy, but because he’s confident enough not to feel the need. Liquid Swords feels meditative due to it’s gorgeously repetitive samples, and GZA and his features’ vocals rarely demand attention in their tone as much as in their content. It’s reassured, and refreshingly confident in its quietness when comapred to other hip-hop albums of the time.

Song Picks: Gold, Cold World, Shadowboxin’

8.5/10

“Alien Lanes is the eighth full-length album by American lo-fi band Guided by Voices. According to James Greer's book the advance for the record was close to a hundred thousand dollars, one of the more expensive deals in Matador's history. In contrast to the lucrative deal, Greer mentions that "The cost for recording Alien Lanes, if you leave out the beer, was about ten dollars." - Wikipedia

The strokes of genius are still here in spades, and there's that lightning in a bottle feeling of it being captured at its source, it's just not quite as magical as it is on Bee Thousand, mainly because it's interspersed with 20 second 'songs' that don't add much, and only serve to break up the flow. Nevertheless, Alien Lanes is another celebration of songwriting above all else, and despite its flaws, it’s still glorious.

Song Picks: As We Go Up, We Go Down, Game of Pricks, A Good Flying Bird, Pimple Zoo, King and Caroline, Little Whirl

9/10

“Elliott Smith is the second studio album by American singer-songwriter Elliott Smith. It was preceded by the single "Needle in the Hay". The album is of a similar musical style to Roman Candle in its minimalist, acoustic folk sound. Smith mostly appears alone on his acoustic guitar, although he is occasionally backed up by the odd musical instrument, such as a harmonica and drums. Rolling Stone wrote of the album, ‘the music burrows, digging up gems of structure, melody and lyrical vividness that belie his naïve delivery [...] the sound is hummable pop, slowed and drugged, with tricky but unshowy guitar work driving the melodies forward’.” - Wikipedia

Sometimes I read something by someone else, and they put it much better than I ever could, this is such a case. As highlighted in this lovely Pitchfork review, Rebecca Gates (who sings accompanying vocals on St. Ides Heaven), “wrote about her experience working with Swith in a posthumous collection’s liner notes. She writes about a night , some time later, wandering around Portland with Smith. At one point they’re commiserating about the music industry; she remembers him being moody, wearing a raggedy old raincoat. Then somewhere along the way, they burst into laughter. It’s the kind of vague, half-remembered scene that always comes to mind when I hear these songs. You can see the rain on the street, the moon in the sky. It’s getting dark. They have the whole night ahead of them.”

I agree, there’s some spaced out lamplight too, their silhouettes appear and disappear as they pass them, and each time they’ve swapped sides.

Song Picks: Needle In the Hay, Alphabet Town, Christian Brothers, Clementine

9/10

“To Bring You My Love is the third studio album by the English alternative rock musician PJ Harvey. Recorded after the break-up of the PJ Harvey trio, it stands as her first proper solo album. The songs on the album are heavily influenced by American blues music.

To Bring You My Love is considered to be PJ Harvey's breakthrough. It garnered massive critical acclaim worldwide and became her best-selling studio album. The album was placed on Rolling Stone magazine's original list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.” - Wikipedia

Dark, modern blues. To Bring You My Love is much less aggressive than her previous Rid of Me, but it’s just as confident. Harvey’s vocals range from murmur to scream, and the instrumentation is generally dominated by one instrument repeating a riff, whether that be the low rumbles of a synthesised organ (Working for the Man), the djangle of an acoustic guitar (Send His Love to Me) or an absolutely filthy distorted guitar riff (Long Snake Moan). It’s an album very much her own, packed with engrossing tracks, and driven by her gritty, passionate vocals.

Song Picks: Working for the Man, C’mon Billy, To Bring You My Love, Teclo, Long Snake Moan

9/10

“The Infamous (stylized as The Infamous...) is the second studio album by the American hip hop duo Mobb Deep. The album features guest appearances by Nas, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, and Q-Tip. The album's dark style, defined by its evocative melodies, rugged beats, and introspective lyrics concerning crime in New York's inner city neighborhoods, received special recognition and critical praise. In 2020, the album was ranked 369th on Rolling Stone's updated list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.” - WIkipedia

I love the production on this thing, everything has this infectiously laid back groove to it, with atmospheric, and at times slightly haunting embelishments. Deep’s vocals are as smooth as yoghurt, and the lyrics work brilliantly both rhythmically, but also when you pay the content close attention. It’s a pretty close to flawless hip-hop album.

Song Picks: Survival of the Fittest, Shook One Pt II, The Start of Your Ending

9/10

**3. Burritos, Inspiration Point, Fork Balloon Sports, Cards in the Spokes, Automatic Biographies, Kites, Kung Fu, Trophies, Banana Peels We've Slipped On and Egg Shells We've Tippy Toed Over**

Cap’n Jazz

“Burritos, Inspiration Point, Fork Balloon Sports, Cards in the Spokes, Automatic Biographies, Kites, Kung Fu, Trophies, Banana Peels We've Slipped On and Egg Shells We've Tippy Toed Over is the only full-length studio album by the American emo band Cap'n Jazz. It is also referred to as the Shmap'n Shmazz LP. For a long period of time, the record in its original form was completely out of print—only recently has it been reissued on Polyvinyl Records on cassette tape and digitally.” - Wikipedia

Well, that’s easily the longest album name we’ve had on the challenge isn’t it? I’ll stick with Shmap’n Shmazz LP. This is a gloriously cathartic and messy gem of an album. It sounds like 3 (or 4?) blokes got into the basement, all wanted to play something different, and one of them was having a slightly pretentious and very loud emotional breakdown. Frontman Mike Kinsella says it was more a ‘weirdo punk band’ than an emo one, and that makes sense. There’s a definite ‘we’re just going to make a racket and have fun’ punk mentality to the record, and there’s also the feeling that not too much thought was given to song structures, or indeed anything. It sounds like they bumped into each other, got out their respective instruments, and created some chaos that just happened to turn out rather spectacular. Of course, the band split up shortly after this album’s release, but their coming together to create this feels like one of the universe’s random little miracles.

Song Picks: Little League, Oh Messy Life

9/10

“Post is the second studio album by Icelandic singer Björk. Continuing the style developed on her first album Debut (1993), Björk conceived of Post as a bolder and more extroverted set of songs than its predecessor, featuring an eclectic mixture of electronic and dance styles such as techno, trip hop, IDM, and house, but also ambient, jazz, industrial, and experimental music. She wrote most of the songs after moving to London, and intended the album to reflect her new life in the city.

Considered an important exponent of art pop, Post has been praised by critics for its ambition and timelessness. It was named one of the greatest albums of 1995 by numerous publications, and has since been named one of the greatest albums of all time by publications including Entertainment Weekly and Rolling Stone.” - Wikipedia

Post is a wonderfully creative mix of genres that somehow manages to feel completely cohesive, despite its remarkable variety. Post is poppy, though it doesn’t deal in catchy-choruses preferring instead spontaneous, often theatrical melodies. It’s these melodies, performed with aplomb by Bjork, that hold the shattered fragments of musical crystal together

Song Picks: Army of Me, I Miss You, Hyper-Ballad

9/10

“The Bends is the second studio album by the English rock band Radiohead. The Bends combines guitar songs and ballads, with more restrained arrangements and cryptic lyrics than Radiohead's debut album, Pablo Honey (1993).

It is frequently named one of the greatest albums of all time, and was included in the third edition of Colin Larkin's “All Time Top 1000 Albums” and all three editions of Rolling Stone's “500 Greatest Albums of All Time” list. The Bends is credited for influencing a generation of post-Britpop acts, such as Coldplay, Muse and Travis.” - Wikipedia

Radiohead have arrived, The Bends is probably my favourite straightforward alt-rock album of all time. Thom Yorke’s vocals soar like some sad, sad bird across a full moon, plucking my heart-strings like a Spanish guitar. It’s an album that is packed with great songs from start to finish, but one that also works thematically, managing to keep a feeling that could easily get tiresome going for its entire duration in such a way that when it finishes you want to put it straight back on again. I want to live my life to those emotive chord changes and Yorke’s melancholy vocals. Sometimes it’s fun to be sad you know?

Song Picks: High and Dry, Fake Plastic Trees, Street Spirit (Fade Out)

9.5/10