In no particular order, they are:
Bang Bang Rock & Roll – Art Brut [Fierce Panda/Shock]
Simple, sharp chords reminiscent of The Buzzcocks or The Fall coupled with semi-chanted lyrics from vocalist Eddie Argos. Art Brut this year were London’s answer to Franz Ferdinand.
Self Titled – Clap Your Hands Say Yeah [independent]
This delightful album skipped, jumped and twirled through 12 tracks of exuberant indie-pop, referencing artists as diverse as Talking Heads and Tom Waits without sounding contrived.
Takk… - Sigur Rós [EMI]
The fourth album from post-rock quartet Sigur Rós was simultaneously more vigorous and less bleak than its predecessor, 2002’s ( ),and with its moments of transcendent, tear-inducing beauty, recalled their 2000 breakthrough album Agaetis Byrjun.
Outside Closer - Hood [Sensory Projects/Inertia]
Imagine the organic electronica of Pretty Boy Crossover fused with the bleaker moments of Art of Fighting, with just a hint of Portishead thrown in for good measure, and you have an inkling of UK outfit Hood’s luscious, late night sound.
Picaresque – The Decemberists [Trifekta/Shock]
Portland US combo The Decemberists produced another combination of literate wordplay and rollicking, shanty-style indie folk tunes on this, their third album.
Empty Beats For Lonely Rappers – Pasobionic [Elefant Tracks]
Best known for his work behind the decks for TZU and Curse of Dialect, Aussie turntable wizard Pasobionic gave us a complex and evocative album of instrumental hip-hop on this solo CD: a moody, stunning and rewarding release.
Funeral – The Arcade Fire [Spunk/Inertia]
Inspired by death but bursting with life and creative flair, Funeral was the debut album from Canadian band The Arcade Fire. Art-rock without the pretension that usually haunts that genre, it was a complex, dense and richly textured album, and utterly engaging.
I Am A Bird Now – Antony and the Johnsons [Spunk]
The second album from this exquisite New York artist, who possesses a voice that encompasses both the falsetto of Jimmy Sommerville and the throaty heartbreak of Billie Holiday, was a heart-breaking collection of torch-songs that captivated, moved and engaged in equal measure.
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