My Top 250 Albums (61-70)

61. MOOSE BLOOD – BLUSH
(2016 – T10 G10 B8 UB0)

This completes the Moose Blood discography and they were all pretty much of the same standard and appeared in around the space of a month. This was their 2nd release and is a summery looking and sounding proposition, from its name and pink cover. Not all the songs lyrics are happy, in particular “Spring” towards the end of the album which is another about a death father of a member of the band. The first song I heard by Moose Blood “Honey” is a proper guitar pop tune and just reminds me of the hit songs of bands like Dodgy, as something that just creates sunny vibe by just hearing it. There’s no ultimate bangers on this album but it hits the spot in terms of a style I like and as there isn’t much variance, which is a negative, if its in the zone I like then i’m gonna like it all. Everyone song fits into the 3 to 4 minute length other than the closer which just peeks over that, but only due to a fade out sound effect. It’s going to be too poppy for some, but I love the Moose Blood sound, despite the miss-representative name and some of the alleged controversies surrounding band members. At least they ain’t Ian Watkins.

 62. GREEN DAY – NIMROD
(1997 – T17 G16 B7 UB1)

Meanwhile back in 1997…. The 3rd from that year in a week…. we find Green Day’s highest placed album and the 4th on the list, “Nimrod”. This album is chock full of punk pop glory. For a 17 track album (ignoring the rather pointless instrumental), there is very little filler here. What there is is in the first half of the album. The opening half is all about “Hitchin’ A Ride” and another iconic Green Day simple but effective riff. The rest is good but we have to wait till the bile filled “Platypus (I Hate You)” at track 8 before the real action begins. That ridiculously paced track has a long stream of insults at the end, before the somewhat jauntier “Uptight” comes on. The “Jinx / Haushinka” double combo is a great way back into the action after the dull instrumental, then the greats come thick and fast with “Reject”, “Take Back”, the cross-dressing anthem of “King For A Day”. Then comes the uber hit and at the time surprising Green Day song in the acoustic masterpiece of “Good Riddance (Time Of Your Life)”. Despite hearing this song a million times on radio/TV or of my own choosing it still holds up for me. You know it instantly from its false start and I imagine it would be a prom night favourite in the states (not that we do that sort of thing here…. oh we do now?! well not when I were a lad, life was ‘ard then, no time for limos and suits… or girls). Anyway, I have never considered myself a massive Green Day fan, but this album is a glorious ride which only improves as it goes along.

63. DEAF HAVANA – ALL THESE COUNTLESS NIGHTS
(2017 – T12 G11 B7 UB1)

This is the 4th and final Deaf Havana album to make the list. Their only one to miss out is their shit show of a pop album in “Rituals”. This album has probably been tarnished somewhat by that, as unfair as that may be. Once up a time this was much higher, but since the release of their latest album, the appeal has dropped slightly. The signs of the change were there but not obvious and this is probably the perfection of the style Deaf Havana worked towards. The vocal style on this album is close to a modern pop vocal a bit but not quite and the album is high on the production side, but the songs are so solid it definitely deserves its place of 63.

The first few songs don’t hint at that as they aren’t as great but from then on its a great album. “Happiness” is a song about the singers drinking issues and the whole album is apparently related around those and similar issues and how its affected his life. The title “All These Countless Nights” is apparently about all the nights he barely remembers as a result. It’s that honest sounding vocal added with the easy flowing lead guitar melodies that hooked me in, and it very much works as an album rather than individual songs. “Fever” is close to a UBer but has a disappointing end, it just kinda finishes almost mid flow, but is a fantastic simple song up to that point. “Seattle” sounds almost country in places but you get that feeling of the landscapes of touring america in the music somehow. “Sing” is my favourite song on the album due to its lead guitar melodies over a great chorus. It rounds things off nicely before the atmospheric closer of “Pensacola, 2013”. Whether the album remains this high over the years is to be seen but when I put it on I’ve always enjoyed it. Its just a great shame that the band took their new direction.

64. IDLEWILD – REMOTE PART
(2002 – T11 G10 B7 UB1)

Idlewild have arrived in the chart. They’ve done 8 albums now, but only the first 3 make my list, this is primarily as their style has changed considerably over the years. They started out as a band barely able to play instruments but were absolutely bat shit crazy live and the songs had such energy and mentalness about them. It was awesome. I saw them twice before their first album and loved them. I remember some girl (probably flirting but I was oblivious) trying to buy my Idlewild t-shirt off me outside the colly once. Clearly I told her to do one (though probably by mumbling, i’d rather not sell it, and shuffling away). Idlewild now sound closer to a country band, or at least did on the last album, before the current one which I must confess having not listened to properly yet, though it sounded like an improvement.

This album was their 3rd album and first on a major label, so it was a lot cleaner in sound and safer, but it still had that old energy but with added slower songs. “You Held The World In Your Arms” was the first song released off it and is a string laden song which is their highest charting song and reached number 9. the best track follows that with “A Modern Way Of Letting Go” this is closest to their old style and while cleaner is definitely a fave of theirs for me and the only UBer on this album. It does have 6 other songs of banger status, including the chilled “American English” which i understand was in part about how he was going to sing in his Scottish accent rather than a “faked” american one. “Live In a Hiding Place” is a great near acoustic song and “Tell Me Ten Words” flows along like a tree lined country road on a summers day (when not stuck behind a caravan or tractor). The album ends with an epic finish which includes a poem read by and written specially for the album by Edwin Morgan (?)

65. 3 COLOURS RED – PURE
(1997 – T14 G10 B6 UB3)  

Staying in 1997 for the 2nd day in a row we find a new band on the list with their only appearance. 3 Colours Red were a Brit rock band who did 3 albums over the space of 7 years. The latter 2 of these were not good at all though. “Revolt” had its moments and probably their biggest hit with “Beautiful Day” but it sounded like an album where they were being pushed to do too much. “Pure” their debut on the other hand is a great album. Full of palm muted verses, riffs and big rock choruses. They were the British equivalent of “The Colour And The Shape” era Foo Fighters. “Pure” opens with its title track and blasts through its 3 mins in glorious fashion, kicking off the album in style along with the 4 other bangers that follow it. These include singles “This Is My Hollywood”, “Nuclear Holiday” (which was my introduction song to 3 Colours Red), and “Copper Girl” which sorta rumbles along like a heavy truck, before its “woah-oh” filled chorus. The 2nd half of the album has less highs but “Mental Blocks” and “Halfway Up The Downs” are 2 of the faster/heavier tracks which surround a great building song “Fit Boy + Faint Girl” which is the big ballad and precursor to “Beautiful Day” on the next album. This album probably could have done with a couple shaved off it but its still one fondly remembered and enjoyed whenever a random track appears in a mix.

 

66. BEN FOLDS FIVE – WHATEVER AND EVER AMEN
(1997 – T12 G11 B5 UB3)

Back to 1997 now and its by my calculations/memorations the 5th album I ever bought/owned. (see embarrassing list in comments on Facebook). And yes it was on cassette tape!. This was my first introduction to the glories of Ben Folds other than “Underground” which is off their debut (which i got later) and on a Shine compilation. It’s an album which on the whole feels more like a collection of songs rather than a cohesive album, but that doesn’t stop its rise to #66 on my chart. So this was his//their sophomore album and there are 2 more Ben Folds (Five) albums to come. It opens with the lively “One Angry Dwarfs And 200 Solemn Faces” with its classic piano bashing piano solo in the middle. I didn’t realise this song had a video till yesterday but its a great way to kick off the album.

“Brick” is the most famous song off the album and is about the time when he was young he and his girlfriend had to sneak away in order for her to have an abortion. He says the song is neither pro or anti-abortion (which is more of an issue in his native North Carolina) but just tells the story of the emotions. Its a glorious song and definitly an ultimate banger, despite the fact I’ve never been a massive fan of the chorus. The verse lyrics are brilliantly done, and all full of imigery. The section “As weeks went by It showed that she was not fine They told me, “Son it’s time to tell the truth, ” and She broke down and I broke down Cause I was tired of lying” impacts everytime. “Song For The Dumped” is about trying to claim back his black T-shirt after a split. “Kate” is a summery jaunt full of harmonies (check out the TFI Friday live version), “Steven’s Last Night In Town” is a big 20’s sounding show tune (which is something I would normally despise, but this is done by a musical genius). “The Battle Of Who Could Care Less” is my favourite track and is just pure chilled coolness as it flows along with it fuzzy bass dominating the chorus filled with falsetto harmonies. “Evaporated” is the perfect sad closer to a near masterpiece. Near as there is the odd song that lets it down or is more forgettable, but never bad.

67. BRAND NEW – YOUR FAVORITE WEAPON

(2001 – T12 G10 B5 UB3)

The first of 3 Brand New albums on the list appears at #67. The 3 that make it are their first 3 of 5 and that is because Brand New have had a reverse career in many way. Most bands start off more alternative or extreme before gradually becoming more mainstream, Brand New however have got more alternative with each album. This one is their debut and is a pretty much straight up emo-pop-punk album which came out right at the start of emo’s rise to popularity. They and Taking Back Sunday were linked by this and also linked by the fact that Brand New’s singer Jesse Lacey used to be in TBS, before John Nolan of TBS, got frisky with Jesse’s girlfriend of the time. This lead to songs on each of their debut albums being aimed at each other. On Brand New’s that is in the form of “Seventy Times 7”, with its near spoken word section:

“So, is that what you call a getaway? Tell me what you got away with. Cause I’ve seen more spine in jellyfish. I’ve seen more guts in eleven-year-old kids. Have another drink and drive yourself home. I hope there’s ice on all the roads.And you can think of me when you forget your seatbelt, and again when your head goes through the windshield.”

The section after that is nearly word for word copied in TBS’ “There’s No “I” in Team”. That beef aside they made up sometime after and toured together and such. As for the rest of the album “The Shower Scene” gets things off in distorted vocal ultimate banging ways, before lead single and emo classic “Jude Law And A Semester Abroad” appears. Poss a bit cheesy on the lyrics side its still a classic which I cannot deny still loving 18 years on. The album loses a bit of momentum towards the end but is still full of pop punky goodness.

68. DON BROCO – TECHNOLOGY
(2018 – T16 G9 B6 UB4)

Less than a week after seeing their debut in my chart comes their current album released last year. This album is divided by great and bad in nearly equal measure and I can understand how people may be put off by them, but on this album when good they sound like no one else at the moment. On this album the style of Don Broco is changed again this, time its all big riffs, choruses and added gadgetry, in the form of dance beats and lots of production. For me though it mostly works. The 2nd half of the album is full of too much filler though, if this album was 12 songs long instead of 16 it would have placed in the top 50, but as it is there are 7 of the 16 that don’t even make my good list. The first 5 tracks though have 3 UB’ers in and the others are at least bangers. “Technology” the song is a rant about people staring at their phones too much, and has a monstrous riff at the end. “Stay Ignorant” starts with laddy vocals and a thumping beat, before a big chorus, again with another massive riff at the end. If you can ride with the clicks and whisltes and the tongue in cheek of it all its glorious stuff. “Come Out To LA” has a vid which looks as if they have seen the uber low budget “Manborg” and at the start sounds nothing like a band who would touch a guitar, but I love it. “Pretty” is my favourite of the songs, with is norty riff and “8 days a week” chorus, its a rant about a girl he liked who then turned out to be a tad racist. Its all modern rock music you can funk along to, once you get used to it. “Everybody” is another track I love but had been out nearly 18 months before the album, so almost feels like it isn’t part of the album. Rock Sound rate it as #93 on their list of best albums of the last 20 years. 

Some of the later tracks I really don’t like and whether this album stands the test of time like those around it we will see. For right now though, when this is good I love it and its very much a modern sounding album. By the sounds of their latest single “Half Man Half God” the change in styles is yet to cease.

69. THE WANNADIES – BAGSY ME
(1997 – T12 G9 B7 UB1)

The Wannadies have their 3rd and highest placed album in the chart with “Bagsy Me”. This 1997 album kicks off a spree of 1997 albums with 5 including this one coming up in the next 11 days (theres also a 1998 one). 1997 was the year where “alternative” music entered my life, before then it was all chart music and mercia sound! Not that chart music was all that bad in the mid 90s as it was the height of Brit-pop and so it was primarily guitar based anyway. The Wannadies were one of those bands and it felt that half of this album was on those Shine albums from the 90s. (In fact it was only 2 songs). The album is full of bangers (the highest so far with 7), but also a few tracks a bit too quirky and don’t hit the good playlist. The start is the high paced “Because” with it recorder solo about 2/3rds in, then the chirpy “Friends” followed by one of my 3 year old Charlie’s favourites “Someone Somewhere”. Other singles were “Shorty” about being a short guy on dates, and the simple but great “Combat Honey” and “Hit”, (which was a hit).Quieter songs include “Oh Yes (it’s a Mess)” and “Silent People” both of which bring some brass into the mix. This albums a perfect summery mix of not too serious indie-pop.

70. MOTION CITY SOUNDTRACK – PANIC STATIONS
(2015 – T11 G11 B6 UB1)

Less than a week after their last album in their chart comes another Motion City Soundtrack album. This time its their “final” album of the 6. I say final in speech marks as they have recently announced a 2020 tour and reunion, so maybe more albums to come. This one completes the set of 3 albums in the 2nd half of their career, leaving their first 3 to come way up the chart. Somehow when this first came out i missed this album, no idea how, either way it was a nice surprise when I finally got round to having it. Its a very good album, perhaps some of the quirkiness was gone, but MCS rarely write a song I don’t like. The album blasts off after a determined spoken statement of “Lets Do This”, “Anything At All” kicks in full of the classic energy and moogs MCS have perfected. “I Can Feel You” is a great track and glorious to see live with the title being repeated in the 2nd half and for some reason is a vivid memory of when I saw them on their goodbye tour. The primary single of the album “Lose Control” adds in some of the quirkiness but not as successfully, but is still a fine track. “Heavy Boots” and “You Are Not Alone” are 2 faves from he middle of the album. The final track “Days Will Run Away” sounds like a track that a band does knowing its goodbye and is a great way to tend their discography…. for now.