Thread to discuss new-ish albums

What new albums have you heard recently (or, for the sake of encouraging posting, this year)? What do you think of them and if you read any reviews of the albums before you bought them after listening to the albums do you think the reviewers were right or wrong? What new albums would you recommend fellow NOOLers buy and what albums would you advise them not to waste their money on? Do you want to ask other NOOLers what they think of an album that you've heard one or two tracks from or read a review of? If you want to do any or all of the above do them on this thread and hopefully it will help us all buy more good albums and buy fewer bad ones. I'll try to get the ball rolling.

I bought The Vines "Highly Evolved" because of the music press frequently compared them to Nirvana. Whilst it's not as good as the NME said it was (if I remember rightly it described it as a cross between "Nevermind" and "Rubber Soul") it is a very good album. In places it does sound like a lot like fully-plugged-in Nirvana (and Nirvana were never less than great, even in their early days and on their off days). However, it isn't all like that and the different things that they try come off because above all it sounds like they are having fun. A lot of bands won't make an album as good as "Highly Evolved" in their whole careers, never mind make a debut album like it. It's one of the best albums I've bought this year.

I bought The Flaming Lips "Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots" because of the rave reviews and because I liked some of "The Soft Bulletin". I've only listened to "Yoshimi..." once and nothing I heard made me want to listen to it again immediately. Parts of the album seemed like the soundtrack to a wildly imaginative but highly visual foreign language film and admittedly sound impressive. At points the huge and gorgeous soundscapes gave way to songs which are less impressive. Then the album ended, I thought "Is that it?" and "What was all that about?" and I put it away. It's not a bad album and if I listened to it a few more times I may notice some things I missed first time around and may come to like it but then again I may not. However, if you want beautiful, tender and cinematic music I think Mercury Rev's "All Is Dream" (which is like the wonderful "Deserter's Songs" but bigger, better and more heartfelt) would be more likely to please you.

If this thread takes off I may post my views on the latest albums by Primal Scream or Queens Of The Stone Age and the new albums by Underworld and John Squire once I've got round to listening to them. However, if you want to review those albums before I do, disagree with my reviews of the two albums I've already reviewed or give your views on any other new-ish albums or you want to know what other NOOLers think of a particular album feel free to post your reviews or requests for reviews on this thread.

Wondered what The Vines album was like; everytime I walk into Circuit City, the wall of TVs is playing that video, and I'm just waiting until I here something other than that.

Don't think that the new Primal Scream is out over here yet unfortunately, so I've just been reading some of the reviews, which seem to indicate that it's a very good one.

The album I've been playing a lot for the last month, has been Oooh! (Out of Our Heads) by the Mekons. Great mix of British folk, American country, traditional spirituals, and punk rock spirit for the post 9/11 world, rooted in the tradition of old stories that turn into myths; are they true or not? (references to the Diggers and Muggletonians). A lot of the songs involve the human head, both connected and severed, and the power those used to have on people in days gone by (it's a loose concept album).

As mentioned, lots of musical styles, from the jagged guitar riffs and near-gospel singing of Thee Olde Trip To Jerusalem to the joyful calypso of Winter to the dubby feel of Dancing In The Head to the folksy Hate Is The New Love, it's all done with a sense of humour that most bands have long forgotten. Tom sings the old song Lone Pilgrim, which Dylan did on World Gone Wrong, with a palpable sense of weariness. Hate Is The New Love seems to be really applicable these days, and when Tom sweetly sings on StoneheadI am the King/You are the Queen/We rule nothing....We pride ourselves that our memory/Will vanish from the memory of the world, the realization that most of the world will continue on in their ignorance of others hits hard. This album isn't for everybody, but it is definitely the best thing I've heard all year.

Albums bought lately: The Breeders - Title TK Last Splash is one of my all time favourite records, so I was hanging for some new Breeders stuff. I heard the single "Huffer", loved it and bought the album. Big shock. The rest of the album is very lo-fi, dirgy and I hated it at first. Now, after a month or two I think it's good, but not a classic. Not a record to put on before a party or going out. More for sitting at home, stoned and thinking about shit. Chemical Brothers - Come with us Got really bad reviews, so I didn't buy it. Then got it as a birthday present and was pleasantly surprised. No groundbreaking sounds, but still some excellent tunes. Listen to "Galaxy Bounce" and tell me it's not funky. Chicane - Behind the sun Some ambient sounds, some Ibiza sounding tunes - an excellent album for when the sun's out and you're having some drinks with friends. Uplifting electronic landscapes. Gerling - When young terrorists chase the sun Great Aussie band with a variety of sounds - hard to classify, but it's a mixture of shouty, guitary songs and clubby, dancy stuff. Their live shows are mad, with most of the audience ending up on stage at some point and with the 3 guys in the band taking turns to play every instrument. And finally: Krushed 'n Sorted - Acid made me do it If you like dub and drum 'n bass, you have to listen to this album. They are two South African DJ's from the African Dope label and this is the most wicked sounding drum 'n bass album I've heard in a long time. Check out the website at www.africandope.co.za for some free mp3 samples. Oh yeah, saw The Vines live last Saturday - a little disappointing, as they seemed a bit flat. The crowd didn't really get into it either. Maybe it was just an off-night.

I don't know a lot about art, but I know what I like....

I'm also shit at reviews, so I'll keep it brief.

I bought "Handcream For A Generation" by Cornershop as I'd heard a couple of you mention it here. I wasn't disappointed. The 14 minute epic that is "Spectral Mornings" was worth the price alone.

Also picked up "Pixies", aka "The Purple Tape", for $9 in The States (I wasn't going to spend £16.99 on an eighteen minute disc) which is good stuff. Interesting to hear early versions of songs that cropped up two or three albums later, for instance "Here Comes Your Man" and "Subbacultcha", which in it's original form contained several elements of what went on to become "Distance = Rate Times Time".

Doves "The Last Broadcast" is a good album, maybe not quite as good as "Lost Souls" IMO.

The new Coldplay is excellent.

Also still on heavy rotation is the ACR retrospective, "Early".

That's enough for now.

albums i,ve recently bought are...

INTERPOL;TURN ON THE BRIGHT LIGHTS an excellent album,i only heard of interpol quite recently and went to see them at READING festival, it was on the strength of this i bought the album.. they're an american band (nyc i believe) but listening to the album you wouldnt think so,they sound more like an english band a sort of 80's north of england sound if you know what i mean, i've read in reviews that they cite JOY DIVISION as an influence, personally i can hear alot of SMITHS and JAMES in there as well i think theres a few people on this forum who would enjoy them

QUEENS OF THE STONEAGE; SONGS FOR THE DEAF this album rocks!! if you like your music loud than this ones for you, no use playing this one on anything less than full volume!! it features DAVE GROHL on drums and guest vocals from MARK LANEGHAN (ex screaming trees) if you enjoyed their last 2 albums you'll love this one, it carries on right where RATED R left off if you new to QOTSA then this music has often been described as "stoner rock" very heavy, repetitive riffs with a real drone of a sound... you'll love it

interpol are in fact from NYC. i think that they are pretty fantastic, but other than the singer's voice having a hint of ian curtis to it i don't really see the joy division comparison. they sort of sound like REM to me, which is a good thing.

Sorry, Hooky's Wallet, but I can't agree with you on the new QOTSA album. It's nowhere as good as "Rated R" because there is nothing on it that comes close to the rock-hard but off-the-wall genius of "Feel Good Hit Of The Summer" or "Quick And To The Pointless".

Green, I hate to disappoint you but Primal Scream's "Evil Heat" isn't much cop either. It struck me as being like "Vanishing Point" and "XTRMNTR" but nowhere near as good as either of them. Other NOOLers may disagree (and if you do please say so) but I found it very disappointing.

However, Old Blue is right to single out the Coldplay album. "Parachutes" struck me as being beautiful but lifeless and one-dimensional but "A Rush Of Blood To The Head" is beautiful, more lively and more varied. More importantly, it's one of those albums that grows on you because the more you listen to it the more you find. Quite a few Britpop and post-Britpop guitar bands had great potential but never really realised it. Coldplay seem to be willing and able to realise their full potential.

Some of the best stuff I've gotten recently has been old:

Doors, "LA Women"-Very uneven, but worth checking out if only for the title song and Love Her Madly. A keeper

The Who, "MY Generation Deluxe Edition"-A Must-have for the serious fan

XTC, "Oranges and Lemons"

Beach Boys, "Pet Sounds"

Some newer stuff:

BRMC, "BRMC"-excellent, but haven't played it in a while

Doves, "Last Broadcast"-Fucking excellent

"CBGB's And the Birth of Punk"-a pretty decent compilation of American acts from the late Sixties on down who helped shape US Punk

That's about it (unless I'm forgetting something....)

I've just listened to Underworld's "A Hundred Days Off" and I was very impressed. The first few tracks are classic Underworld, building from minimal intros to storming high-tempo techno anthems that morph rather than merely repeat themselves. "Two Months Off" is outstanding, not quite as loud and lairy as "Born Slippy" and "King Of Snake" but what it lacks in tempo and volume it makes up for in beauty because it sounds joyous and gorgeous (there's even a sample that sounds like an electronic version of a church bell's peal). The album is almost worth buying just for the nine-minute version of "Two Months Off" alone but if you did you'd get a few more floor-fillers for your money. I've only got two small gripes about this album. Firstly, they are one or two too many relatively downbeat tracks and the album could have done with another stormer because that's what Underworld do best. Secondly, they could have tried to do something new and different on at least one track. However, overall it is a fantastic album which dance music fans who prefer dance music that has style, class and love technique will like.

While flipping channels before heading for work this morning, on MTV I saw a few (silent) seconds of Joy Division (Ian has his guitar on) as well as one of The Fall. Puzzled, I couldn't figure out why they were on, but then it was a promo spot for new bands, and Interpol was the band. I didn't hear any of the bands music, and I thought they were from the UK, but then it was announced that they had met at New York University.

Yes, Cornershop's album is quite good; also one of my faves from this year.

anyone been tempted by The Coral yet ?? (and if so could you reply with an indepth, consice and informative post in the fingers stylee plz) :)

I've already taken pelters about this from Muffy but the album on my stereo at the moment is the new Chilli Peppers offering. I've always found them offensively bad, real torture. And I suppose I stand by that as their past stuff is complete bollox (and yes I have listened to it).

There's just something about the new one though. Track 2 is immense. Can't mind the name but it sounds dead like Grandaddy.

Still don't think anyone's gonna beat Doves to the album of the year title although the new Delgados LP is out at the start of October so lets wait and see.

Originally posted by The Hacienda must be (re)Built anyone been tempted by The Coral yet ?? (and if so could you reply with an indepth, consice and informative post in the fingers stylee plz) :)

I don't think any of my posts have been described as concise before so thank you Hac!:) I'm afraid I haven't heard The Coral's album so someone else will have to supply a suitable review (please, someone must have got the album).