The Blue Nile - Hats (1989)



The Blue Nile rarely release an album and when they do they don’t contain many songs. They are perfectionists of the highest order but when they do release an album it is simply magical. This, their second album, was released six years after their excellent debut A Walk Across The Rooftops, however I feel that Hats is their greatest moment and has since become one of my most cherished albums. The whole mood and feel of this album suggests night-time, perhaps walking the rainy streets late at night, surrounded by neon lights and various other sights and sounds, walking to meet a loved one, or perhaps just walking the streets at night thinking about a lost love. There is a great sense of melancholy that runs throughout the seven tracks here that is overwhelming and very moving, this is mostly due to frontman Paul Buchanan’s soulful and plaintive voice which carries every song, especially songs like ‘Let’s Go Out Tonight’ and ‘Headlights On The Parade’. The music is mostly synthesizer-based but this album has absolutely none of the coldness that is often associated with synths, the music mostly serves as a backing for Paul’s soulful and melancholic voice and when combined together create one of the warmest and most memorable albums you will hear.

Every song on this album is incredible and with only seven songs the album is filler-free, more focused and the songs are allowed to breathe and have more purpose. The album flows brilliantly from start to finish and proves that this is not about individual songs, but about the album as a whole.

Recommended Songs: ‘The Downtown Lights’, ‘Let’s Go Out Tonight’, ‘Headlights On The Parade’


Camera Obscura - Let's Get Out Of This Country (2006)



Let’s Get Out Of This Country marked a significant change in Camera Obscura’s sound. Gone were the shy and awkward yet charming twee sensibilities on their previous two albums Biggest Bluest Hi-Fi and Underachievers Please Try Harder and in its place was a bigger, bolder and more confident indie pop sound heavily in debt to the thrills and melancholy of 60’s pop. The key lies in Tracyanne Campbell’s transformation into a frontwoman more confident with her voice and with her songwriting. Some songs here have a brighter-sounding and more pop feel to them, especially the excellent singles ‘Lloyd, I’m Ready To Be Heartbroken’ and ‘Let’s Get Out Of This Country’, both showing the band’s newfound confidence. On other songs such as ‘Tears For Affairs’ and ‘Come Back Margaret’ the band show their 60’s pop influences on their sleeves. There is however a sense of sadness and melancholy that runs throughout the album, mainly due to Tracyanne’s own personal struggles and losses. Just have a listen to ‘Dory Previn’ and ‘Country Mile’ and try not to feel the slightest bit emotional. But it is this kind of emotional expression that creates a bond with the listener and gives the listener some comfort in knowing that they’re not the only ones feeling down from time to time. The album ends with a glimmer of hope though, with the magnificently uplifting ‘Razzle Dazzle Rose’ warming your heart and giving you the encouragement you need.

The album elevated the band’s cult popularity around the world and the 2009 follow-up album My Maudlin Career would elevate their popularity further as well as evolve their sound further. But Let’s Get Out Of This Country is a great starting point to exploring the band’s wonderful music and it’s an album that greatly rewards you with repeated listens.

Recommended Songs: ‘Lloyd, I’m Ready To Be Heartbroken’, ‘Let’s Get Out Of This Country’, ‘Razzle Dazzle Rose’

Carissa's Wierd - Songs About Leaving (2002)



I do admit that the first time I listened to this album about a year ago or so it didn’t really grab my attention, or indeed with the first few listens. But I just felt the urge to keep listening to it and eventually it clicked with me and it revealed itself to be a very sad and bleak yet warm album. There is a great sense of sadness here that is really heartbreaking to listen to; this is an album that will probably put you in a depressed mood for the rest of the day. This mood is the result of a number of factors: bleak and painful lyrics, soft, quiet yet sometimes emotionally intense vocals, mournful strings, sad and beautiful pianos, and of course some wonderfully picked guitar playing. All these seem to interweave with each other to create one sad yet beautiful force that flows throughout the whole course of the album. When this album really comes alive however is when joint-vocalist Jenn Ghetto’s voice comes to the fore on ‘So You Wanna Be a Superhero’ and ‘Sofisticated Fuck Princess Please Leave Me Alone’. Her voice sounds rich with raw emotion and uncertainty and sounds like she is teetering on the edge of breaking down, while her lyrics are bleak and very uncomfortable to listen to. Certainly not a party album, but this album does sound great in the autumn. Falling leaves, days getting darker and colder, and the oncoming approach of winter seem to go very well with the music on this album.

Songs About Leaving was a more developed and better realised effort than its predecessor You Should Be At Home Here. The vocals and lyrics have more presence and more purpose, especially when Jenn Ghetto’s vocals come to the fore. Overall a highly consistent and slow-burning album that sounds better with each listen.

Recommended Songs: ‘So You Wanna Be a Superhero’, ‘Ignorant Piece Of Shit’, ‘Sofisticated Fuck Princess Please Leave Me Alone’


The Church - Starfish (1988)



Australian band The Church originally started out as a post-punk outfit in 1980 but by the time of their successful Starfish album had grown into a more mature and ambitious outfit. A lot of you will probably recognise the song ‘Under The Milky Way’, due to its appearance on the Donnie Darko soundtrack and its distinctive e-bow guitar solo sounding like bagpipes. It may be their most popular song but it really does show what this band is capable of, it manages to sound both memorable and accessible yet have an experimental bent to it and this is the case with a lot of songs on the album. Have a listen to the excellent guitar playing on ‘North, South, East and West’ and admire its effortless combination with an unforgettable chorus. The band show they can play but never once overdo it or allow themselves to indulge on this album, always letting the songs come to the fore. Lead vocalist/bassist Steve Kilbey voice always sounds warm and inviting and his bittersweet melodies breathe plenty of life into every song. He could also be very inventive with his lyrics such as on the fabulous closing song ‘Hotel Womb’, its strange and abstract lyrics apparently being about having a nightmare about cannibalism despite the warm and bittersweet melodies of the song.

Even the weaker songs on the album stick with you and have their own distinct character but when this album gets good it takes you somewhere magical. After this album the band would start experimenting more but still record some great albums, such as 1992’s brilliant Priest = Aura. However it is on Starfish that the band sound on top of their game and is the album I turn to every time.

Recommended Songs: ‘Under The Milky Way’, ‘North, South, East and West’, ‘Hotel Womb’