Free Energy play music that is wonderfully innocent and guileless, when it knows the world is not. Their debut is a perfect distillation of this according to Tyler Boehm.
Debut Albums
Kyte – Dead Waves
Kyte’s debut album is a disappointing and frustrating listen from a band that clearly have much potential.
Sparrow and the Workshop – Crystals Fall
The Sparrow and the Workshop make music which harks back to another era, while never feeling dated. For Lauren Mayberry, it’s refreshing to hear something authentic and clearly a product of the duo’s hearts.
So So Modern – Crude Futures
Herein lies the perennial question surrounding the majority of overhyped, strategically positioned modern music; can an exciting live proposition bridge the gap and deliver on their promise and make a first album that doesn’t quell the hype and incite the naysayers?
The Soft Pack – The Soft Pack
The debut by The Soft Pack is hard to hate, but stick it on in the background and don’t pay too much attention or else the cracks really start to show.
Two Door Cinema Club – Tourist History
Another band with plenty of hype surrounding them for 2010. But do they delivery on their debut? Emily Sergent investigates.
Killa Kela – Amplified
Killa Kela is a well respected beatboxer, but you’ll be hard pushed to know there’s any beatboxing happening on Amplified. The album is a pop electro mess that highlights his weak voice rather than his genuine vocal talents.
eaststrikewest – Wolvves
Wolvves is compelling debut, with some outstanding tracks, but for me the best moments are just a little too samey to make this a classic.
Doug Paisley – s/t
Likened to Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy’s debut album I See A Darkness, and often musically comparable to Ryan Adams’ Heartbreaker, Paisley’s debut is a recipe cooked up especially for those who like their music uncontrived and sincere.
Ex Lovers – EP
It isn’t easy to make an EP full of sparky little folk-pop stormers, but Ex Lovers just about manage it on their debut release.
The Big Pink – A Brief History of Love
So is the debut album from The Big Pink worth all the anticipation? Sam Shepherd finds out…
Hockey – Mind Chaos
If Hockey can build on their strong material and are given time to develop as a band then I’m certain they’ll enjoy a successful future, but they’re not there yet says Alex Harvey.
She Keeps Bees – Nests
Nests is a raw, powerful and incredibly sexy album from a Brooklyn duo who’ll forever be compared to The White Stripes. That, however, would be missing the point.
Frankmusik – Complete Me
Tom Whyman reviews Frankmusik’s debut album, finding it not perfect but thrillingly fun and listenable, wishing everything on the radio sounded like this…
Sudden Weather Change – Stop! Hand Grenade in the Name of Crib Death ‘nderstand
Described in their Icelandic homeland as one of their finest exports, Sudden Weather Change have a reputation to live up to on their debut album. Shain Shapiro investigates.
Lucky Elephant – Star Sign Trampoline
A debut album that’s full of catchy pop hooks, marvellous mumbo-jumbo lyrics and soaring choruses – Lucky Elephant have got it right first time around according to Tom Parmiter.
