Recap: The Records Of The Year, 2003
By: Matt Tomiak
... And so the rockfeedback writers are once again left to reflect, consider and - effectively - play God as to deciding and remarking upon the albums that have shaped a very diverse, startling twelve months... Meanwhile, click to page-two lower down the page for reviews-editor Matt Tomiak's top-20 45s of '03.
THE 22-20s - '05/03':
Weighing in at a mere, lean 25 minutes, the ever-hyped 22-20s' first long-form release proper was enough of a marker as to this bluesy Lincoln trio's potential scope. Stacked with shimmering organ, crashing old-skool riffs and Martin Trimble's slouching, pouting scowl of a vocal, '05/03' is the sort of noise that could find itself dominating in 2004.
ARAB STRAP - 'MONDAY AT THE HUG AND PINT':
And the year that the 'Strap found contentment. Sort of. But, then, there's no denying that the classy misery which has defined past releases from the Scots has not become discarded quite yet; Aidan Moffat still sounds scarily alike your blubbering, drunken and aged uncle that just won't quit the sauce and rollies. Not that you'd ever want him to.
ATHLETE - 'VEHICLES & ANIMALS':
Unfairly dismissed as Britpop barrel-scrapers (mostly by those that hadn't actually heard the album), Athlete were our chirpy, Sarf Lahndan quartet with a series of choruses to die for. Joyous; unashamedly happy and content. 'Vehicles & Animals' is jammed full of faux-indie, sing-along choruses, and catchy melodic hooks.
BELLE & SEBASTIAN - 'DEAR CATASTROPHE WAITRESS':
B&S surely set aside sporran and social inhibitions this time round, with this collective ode to waitresses, homosexual baseball players and bullied schoolboys. Sumptuous, witty and mature, no country estate should be seen without one.
BIFFY CLYRO - 'THE VERTIGO OF BLISS':
'The V Of B' presents the Bifters as the thrashing, kick-in-the-teeth philosophical rockers they've always been. The 'Clyro, from the beginning, established they were good musicians - diverse, flexible; they could explore metal, melodic rock and even touch down on dream-like acoustic work, completely evolving the perception of 'typical indie art-rock'.
BILLY TALENT - 'BILLY TALENT':
Emotionally heavy, intense Canadians... yes. Tangible punk-rock... no. Shave off the bits of emo that wander into boredom and leave it a streamlined pop-punk persona with enough electrical energy to warrant that it should come with its own special handling-gloves, and 'Billy Talent' is what you get. The only thing that rivalled it for catchiness all year was SARS.
BRMC - 'TAKE THEM ON, ON YOUR OWN':
Confessedly 'leaner' then before, BRMC returned with a tunes-blarin', guitar-shuddering, big-booted cracker of a thirteen-tracker. A step backwards, perhaps, following the neo-psychedelic, 21st-Century-via-the-80s lurches of 'Black Rebel Motorcycle Club', yet a rousing display of frazzled confidence and even more frazzled leather-jackets all the same.
BLUR - 'THINK TANK':
For the Blur fan, life would have been easier if this had fallen flat on its face. But once we'd learned to love a different but equally enthralling band just as much as the legendary one it had arisen from, all doubts about the nation's love affair with the UK's most consistently challenging and astonishing pop band vanished. Varied, melodic, there wasn't a bad note on it. Well, apart from 'Crazy Beat'.
BRITISH SEA POWER - 'THE DECLINE OF...':
It's not the fauna-laden microphones nor Royal Navy uniforms that demark Brighton's BSP as shining stars of the future, but their debut album instead; a brilliant debacle of unruly guitar spasms, softly whispered vocals and feral yelps. This maritime wonder moors itself firmly in your heart.
BROKEN SOCIAL SCENE - 'YOU FORGOT IT IN PEOPLE':
This Canadian collective have done nothing short of reinvent twee-alt by sounding like a muscular Belle & Sebastian meets Godspeed!; a powerful mix of acoustic strumming, jangling electrics, strings, horns and killer percussion, spiralling skyward. All while never losing sight of the gold standard: the four-minute pop song. Embrace and rejoice.
NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS - 'NOCTURAMA':
Hardly an encouragement to fledgling songwriters, but on this evidence, perhaps you need at least fourteen albums to reach your true creative peak. 'Nocturama' is both a joy and a curse; there was something about the strength of its menacing moments that made its attempts at being sweet and comforting themselves oddly distressing.
THE CLIENTELE - 'THE VIOLET HOUR':
How overlooked a band can be; surely there must be some vicinity to vent this amount of frustration on? Oh, here. The follow-up to their much-beloved debut, 'Suburban Light', 'The Violet Hour' still wears its dreamy, 60s indie-pop firmly on its heartstrings, lost in a suffocating fog of scattered loveliness. Ah...
THE COOPER TEMPLE CLAUSE - 'KICK UP THE FIRE & LET THE FLAMES BREAK LOOSE':
And you thought 'See This Through...' was a record and a half. With their follow-up opus to last year's intro to the Berkshire sextet, things got a lot moodier, harder ('Promises, Promises') and altogether very abstract and f**king surreal. Let alone electronica-y, mind.
THE CORAL - 'MAGIC & MEDICINE':
What a difference twelve months makes... Out went the all-in, madcap Captain Beefheart-style zaniness of last year's debut; in came plaintive songwriting maturity and a progression to one of the UK's best-loved bands. Worthy of a place for the beauty of 'Liezah' alone.
THE DARKNESS - 'PERMISSION TO LAND':
It seems strange now, but there was once a time when Lowestoft wasn't considered an infamous rock n' roll outpost, jumpsuits weren't acceptable in polite society and The Darkness hadn't been embraced by virtually the entire rock-loving nation. How times have changed: having started 2003 out as a little-known 'comedy' (pah!) band, they finished the year as all-conquering, guitar-wielding gods.
DEFTONES - 'DEFTONES':
In which Chino's compelling, emotive roar and wail was as soaring and epic as ever previous. The mildly repulsive, unrelenting latest Deftones release is piled high with chilling reverb, dirge-driven guitars and Moreno's aforementioned sauntering bellows. With hit-single 'Minerva' too, the Stateside combo had clearly composed their finest song yet.
DISTOPHIA - 'SODA LAKE':
Pavement meet up with Dinosaur Jr. for a drink - and they end up pointing, giggling and slapping each other blue. It's fast and intense, yet poppy and full of big cheeky grins, housed in a body of a mere seven tracks. Distophia quite comfortably have reclaimed Birmingham's rock crown.
DIZZEE RASCAL - 'BOY IN DA CORNER':
The fact that a record of such quality and shocking revelation as 'Boy In Da Corner' can be recorded by a 19-year-old Londoner in his bedroom and rightly claim the Mercury Music Prize away from some worryingly safe guitar efforts should act as a wake-up call to the entire industry. Fix up, look sharp, and please, make more records like this one.
ELBOW - 'CAST OF THOUSANDS':
Presumably, the Bury quintet are alien to the notion of 'meagre'. 'Cast Of Thousands' literally featured just that - choral-refrains from 15,000 music-fans screaming, 'We still believe in love, so f**k you,'; haunting gospel-y atmospherics ('Ribcage'); and the band's most infectious, trudging 45 thus far - 'Fallen Angel'.
ELECTRIC SIX - 'FIRE':
Getting by with a little help from their friends (one Jack White to be precise), as well as some truly ace, homosexual-punk-funk, wacko dancefloor slammers, these effusive Detroit braggarts proved that the art of performance was far from dead this year.
THE ELECTRIC SOFT PARADE - 'THE AMERICAN ADVENTURE':
Understated, confusing, but evidently ploughing out the tunes, Brighton's The Electric Soft Parade chose the unobvious route with their searing, nine-song return from October. Less of the instant pop frolics that defined their Britrock-doting debut, 'TAA' is packed to the rafters with white-noise, rattling synths and the White brothers' still-glowing accompanying vox.
THE FIERY FURNACES - 'GALLOWSBIRD'S BARK':
'Wonky', 'bizarre' and endless Beefheart comparisons were the perils/plaudits that endowed Chicago's Fiery Furnaces repeatedly upon their emergence with this debut. Sassy blues-rock with whirling, 60s keyboards to boot, '...Bark...' is a scintillating, inaugural insight into another of Rough Trade's 'ones to watch' for the impending decade.
FUNERAL FOR A FRIEND - 'CASUALLY DRESSED & DEEP IN CONVERSATION':
Unavoidable, over the course of the last twelve months, has been the rise of heart-rending emo-metal, of which FFAF have been one of the primary successes. Welsh lads, this pummelling, destructive piece of polished-rock launched the top-20 LP-highlights 'Juneau' and 'She Drove Me To Daytime TV'.
GOLDFRAPP - 'BLACK CHERRY':
Dripping in the kind of sordid, kinky electro-schlock that simply wreaks of stockings, suspenders and a 24-pack of condoms, 'Black Cherry' is the Bristol duo's second album, and - at the expense of dismissing the orchestral, flourishing avant-garde of yore - is upbeat, poppy, and very, very pleasingly horny.
GRANDADDY - 'SUMDAY':
After wowing us with the superb 'Sophtware Slump' a few years ago, our bearded-n-becapped friends from Northern California returned; trading in the bleak desolation of 'Sophtware...' for laidback sunshine, Grandaddy tipped a big ole trucker-hat to Spector and Wilson and showed us the West Coast still has a few tricks left up its collective sleeve.
ADAM GREEN - 'FRIENDS OF MINE':
Where the young, sometime-Moldy Peach grows up and makes the convincing case that 'anti-folk' really means something. Fancy instrumentation underpins elliptical lyrics about depression, incest, suicide and the 11 Sept. terrorist attacks. But, lest things get too grim, there're also hysterical eviscerations of Jessica Simpson and veiled songs about (ahem) sucking on tampons. A sick mind is a terrible thing to waste.
ED HARCOURT - 'FROM EVERY SPHERE':
Quietly rising, Mercury-nominated piano-batterer, Harcourt's awaited, second album didn't disappoint, graced with the same glimmering finesse that wafted Jeff Buckley with such a ringing, poignant dashing of magic over the course of his few years. Via the winsome fantasy of 'All Of Your Days Will Be Blessed' alone, Ed proved himself a serious contender for 'solo talent of the year'.
HAR MAR SUPERSTAR - 'YOU CAN FEEL ME':
His irritably catchy, filthy pop and wry humorous lyrics shook up the scene in 2003. Proving he wasn't just a pretty face (erm..?), and following up to the success of his underground cult hit 'Power Lunch', 'You Can Feel Me' is far from one-dimensional. Submit to his writhing, clammy mass of horn. Oh yes.
HELL IS FOR HEROES - 'THE NEON HANDSHAKE':
Not a band to do things by halves, these twelve tracks full of bolstered, surging rock dynamism from Londoners hinted at definite greatness. One band for whom bigger and better things are surely just around the corner, and whose timing couldn't be any more impeccable.
THE HIDDEN CAMERAS - 'THE SMELL OF OUR OWN':
Whether you know it or not now, Joel Gibb - aka head-henchman of Toronto's The Hidden Cameras - is one of the indisputable new-discovery finds of the 00's. Crafter of the most angelic, beauteous and tuneful 'gay church folk music' performed by a fifteen-piece you'll ever hear, 'The Smell Of Our Own' is utter enchantment.
HOT HOT HEAT - 'MAKE UP THE BREAKDOWN':
They might have told us they never listened to The Cure, but that just made the fact that this infectious collection of pop-perfection had come from nowhere all the more exciting. Thanks to some of the most memorable singles of the year, skinny white boys could now dance without feeling stupid for the first time since the seventies.
JANE'S ADDICTION - 'STRAYS':
Back with a vengeance after a 13-year hiatus, like The Rolling Stones, this lot are still capable of showing bands half their age what rock and roll is all about. Via 'Strays', a new generation was introduced to born-showman Perry Farrell's sky-scraping vocal talents, as well as Dave Navarro's wondrous guitar-skills.
JET - 'GET BORN':
Dirty, sweet, hackneyed, and pissed, these Australian rock-louts arguably made 2003 a more enjoyable experience via some floor-fillers ('Are You Gonna Be My Girl'; 'Rollover DJ') and the shameless plastering of their trade on a mobile-phone TV-ad. With soaring melodies at the every turn of a scuffed boot, this is at least one LP you're likely to bear an extremely strong opinion over.
GARY JULES - 'TRADING SNAKEOIL FOR WOLFTICKETS':
A pure slice of Americana, save the splendid single 'Mad World' (a Tears for Fears cover, no less), which featured on the cult film 'Donnie Darko'. The single is slightly out of place, but the rest of the album is a mid-tempo, sun-drenched experience, with dreamy, whirlpool lyrics, and an admirably eternal optimism.
THE KEYS - 'THE KEYS':
More love from the valleys - why/how are the Welsh just so damn good at this? Full of glimmering happiness, comatose vibes and Hammond organ (oh, holy trinity - how we love thee), The Keys seem cruelly ignored next to their fellow countrymen, and it's a crying shame.
THE KILLS - 'KEEP ON YOUR MEAN SIDE':
A hammering stomp on the stage; a steely look into one another's eyes; and scolding, sweaty, guitar-hooks, and sultry vocals... Yes, VV and Hotel - The Kills - were the rock-couple of the year, dousing us in feisty punk-statements ('F**k The People'), warbling, lo-fi ('Gypsy Death & You'; 'Wait'), and up-tempo club-rockaz ('Cat Claw'; 'Fried My Little Brains').
KINESIS - 'HANDSHAKES FOR BULLETS':
Soundtracking the biggest anti-war movement Britain's ever witnessed, this scathingly brutal debut from four, heart-on-sleeve Bolton kids barely out of school couldn't have arrived at a better time. The nation is starting to discover what rockfeedback has known for a long time: for the discerning, righteous-politico-punk fan, these boys are truly essential.
KINGS OF LEON - 'YOUTH & YOUNG MANHOOD':
A token-mention for the indisputable newcomers-impact of the year, certainly amidst the UK. Southern-US foursome KofL turned in a record simply knee-high in gentle aplomb and gravely, hoarse vocals, whilst delivering some of the key, alt, airplay-snatching singles of the era - notably 'Molly's Chambers' and 'Red Morning Light'.
THE LIBERTINES - 'BABYSHAMBLES':
Three CDs' worth of new Libertines material. Back in May, these tracks were given by the band to an ardent fan, who was instructed to place them on the Internet for all to download. (A quick Google search should do the trick). The result: a fascinating, rollicking look into the minds of Peter-n-Carlos, from new-song demos, to reworkings of old favourites, to killer covers (don't miss The Coral's 'Dreaming of You', or Adam Green crooning 'What A Waster').
LYRICS BORN - 'LATER THAT DAY':
San Francisco's Quannum Projects hip-hop label is probably best known for artists DJ Shadow and Latryx. Now, after many years of teasing promises, label-boss (and onetime Latryx member) Lyrics Born finally drops his debut. And simply put, 'Later That Day...' is the shit. Soulful, sonically rich, and deep. So just what are you waiting for?
STEPHEN MALKMUS & THE JICKS - 'PIG LIB':
Overlooked in a heartbeat due to a more convoluted, abrasive and stoner-ridden set of compositions, 'Pig Lib' is the lost-record that saw Malkmus cement his relationship with backing-band The Jicks and produce a self-satisfying set of solo-driven, weirdo-student paranoia ('Dark Waves', anyone?).
THE MARS VOLTA - 'DE-LOUSED IN THE COMATORIUM':
At The Drive-In brought back cerebral music to a saturated scene; The Mars Volta have continued this evolution in keeping sound psychedelically spontaneous, progressive and idealistically, ultimately experimental. 'De-Loused In The Comatorium' and the work of Mars Volta could be described as the pinnacle of explorative musicianship in the twenty-first century. Outstanding.
MEW - 'FRENGERS':
Compelling, Danish mystique from an act that we really should have heard more of. 'Frengers' blends classic pop romanticism with inspired duets (two tracks bearing the siren-like Stina Nordenstam) and grappling, all-out art-noise. Via their nine-minute, closing 'Comforting Sounds' too, Mew created one of the finest musical-cacophony exertions of recent times.
MOGWAI - 'HAPPY SONGS FOR HAPPY PEOPLE':
Cold, metallic sleeve-artwork and a suitably ironic title, Mogwai's instrumental-crusade hit a largely desolate and understated form in 'Happy...'. Most successful it was too at further hitting home the thrilling reality; that Stuart Braithwaite and his sonic masters of sound continue to remain the leading light in minimalist, Brit obscure-o-punk.
MOUNTAINEERS - 'MESSY CENTURY':
A myriad of musical styles, it is as if the Mountaineers were made to live upon the lofty, thin lines between the genres of what is indeed a messy century. And they are quite comfortable with heights. With a sublime mix of acoustically driven guitar, samples, and a full band; this is a truly unique conception.
JASON MRAZ - 'WAITING FOR MY ROCKET TO COME':
'You're about to get cut up and get shot down, it's all about the wordplay, all about the tone and the sound of (his) voice.' A tunesmith with a baseball-cap, witticisms roll from Mraz's tongue throughout 'Waiting...', rhyming on his favourite topic: the spirituality of dreams. In the odes he becomes, amongst other things, a Curbside Prophet, and a curly-fry in the box of regulars. Quite.
MUSE - 'ABSOLUTION':
Matt Bellamy and the boys certainly came up with the goods on this latest outing - a career-highlight; landmark tracks, and singles, 'Stockholm Syndrome', 'Time Is Running Out' and 'Hysteria' showcase there is still much more to come from this Devonshire trio. And, ravagingly, the falsetto is back (cheers, Justin...?), mightier than ever. Can't stop the pomp.
MY MORNING JACKET - 'IT STILL MOVES':
Psychedelic-alt.country, yer say? Well - yee-hah-far-out, man... Or something. Whatever it is that constitutes the majestic formation of the major-label debut from America's My Morning Jacket, we're not too bothered, as long as it just keeps on a-comin'; see: 'Run Thru': one of the underground 45's of the year, hands-down, no-but's-aboot-it.
OCEANSIZE - 'EFFLORESCE':
Mancunian masterclass. A jaw-dropping 78 minutes, 'Effloresce', despite running at one of the most extraordinarily lengthy spinning-durations of the now, is jam-packed with an arsenal of devastating emotional-hardcore-indie-punk and some gruellingly multifaceted arrangements. Try as they do to serenade us in between, this is one work not for the weak at heart.
OUTKAST - 'SPEAKERBOXX' / 'THE LOVE BELOW':
After cross-dressing and pop-radio success, where do hip-hop's most innovative duo go next? Er, you didn't just say two solo albums packaged together, did you? Well, yes. Andre 3000, playing the dandy, croons soulfully, while Big Boi keeps things real in the Dirty South... begging the question: if you play both discs at once, will a portal open to another dimension?
PEACHES - 'FATHERF**KER':
At times laughable, oft heart-pounding, always interesting, Canadian starlet Peaches transcended her cult-status with the ominously titled 'Fatherf**ker', offering ruffled electro-rock stomps and an already classic duet with Iggy Pop ('Kick It') that will long provide one of the pinnacle moments of many-a-London-DJ-set in the years to come.
PRETTY GIRLS MAKE GRAVES - 'THE NEW ROMANCE':
Amongst the ranks of uber-cool, and leading, stuttering guitar-strumpets, PGMG (for similar artistes; refer to: Erase Errata; Le Tigre) form one of the notable, engaging pop-garde experiences of recent times. And it is 'This Is Our Emergency' which proves the late-night radio-riot standout, with an impressive 'n' glossy promo-flick to accompany.
RADIOHEAD - 'HAIL TO THE THIEF':
Why they feel the need to keep supplying us with evidence that they are the most important band in the world today is difficult to figure out, but be thankful they did. Just when it seemed they were about to disappear up a collective backside, we're reminded, via this, of what made us love them in the first place.
THE RAPTURE - 'ECHOES':
'F**k art, let's dance.' The band with the sexiest name since Debbie slinked snake-hips to the song of the same title, 'Echoes' provided the indie dancehalls of 2003 with a soundtrack of both substance and universally fashionability. One to rival The Stone Roses' debut and Happy Monday's 'Pills n' Thrills n' Bellyaches'. (Who they? Ask your older brother).
SERAFIN - 'NO PUSH COLLIDE':
This torrentially underrated album really is the king lobster. Serafin are a mysterious one. Elusive yet uncomfortably intimate, they claw under your skin and scratch away like a niggle that you can't get rid of. Grating vocals and heavy-riffed, mounting choruses lead to transfixed peaks before falling away to lower-fi mumblings.
SHACK - 'HERE'S TOM WITH THE WEATHER':
Delivering albums as regularly as the London Transport Network provides a reliable service, Liverpudlian troubadours Shack finally returned once more, low-key, with the sumptuous, lolling beauty of 'Here's Tom...', a record that ranks as highly as chart-assaulting scene-counterparts their junior - e.g. The Coral, The Bandits, et al.
SIMPLE KID - 'SIMPLE KID #1':
The Beck comparisons (sigh) will likely go on, but it's meant in the best possible way. Perhaps it's the quirks... perhaps it's the smirks... but, whatever, it works. Verification true that ragged, tuneful, off-kilter, Irish rumblings are just as valid as the Californian ones.
THE SLEEPY JACKSON - 'LOVERS':
Aussie musician Luke Steele is a madman. Sometimes, a series of madmen all in one track as he attempts to generate the songs in his head by combining musical styles with wild abandon (from The Velvet Underground, to Bob Dylan, to Abba). Oddly, no matter how jilted his vision, the sounds just fit - resulting in easily one of the best pop records you'll hear all year.
REGINA SPEKTOR - 'SOVIET KITSCH':
A holy grail only discovered by a fortunate few given its limited release so far, but next December you can expect this to pop up in every end of year list worth the paper it's written on. The world needs this piano-caressing, drumstick-abusing wonder - tear-jerking, funny, sumptuously melodic and gloriously individual. It's actually difficult to think of a better album that has ever been recorded.
STELLASTARR* - 'STELLASTARR*':
Art, flailing limbs, rasping voices, jagged, Talking Heads-esque zaniness, and frivolous tunes along the way... 'Stellastarr*' is a wired wonder of an album, enlaced with peculiar track-names, fluttering pop-sensibilities and a much-talked-about, modern-day similarity to Black Francis' timelessly influential 80's brigade; not a bad reference-point.
THE STROKES - 'ROOM ON FIRE':
A band that needs no introduction and an album that lived up to its hype secured The Strokes' place as the influenced and the influential. The production may be more lavish and the recording may have taken longer, but you wont find a more fresh or (a)live-sounding album this year; see: 'Under Control', and swoon.
SUPER FURRY ANIMALS - 'PHANTOM POWER':
Subtle, thoughtfully crafted and endearing in its eccentricity, SFA's recent studio-foray was their most coherent to date, littered with tuneful sweetness ('Hello Sunshine'), dingy, dark and noisy art-rock ('Out Of Control') and lavish, orchestral, mini-masterpieces ('Slow Life').
THE THRILLS - 'SO MUCH FOR THE CITY':
And to think, this lot hadn't even played a gig in London until the start of this year. Comfortingly classic, sun-drenched loveliness from Ireland gave indie-kids the country over a new set of heroes. Proof positive that genuinely nice guys can make cracking music, too.
THURSDAY - 'WAR ALL THE TIME':
The US version of Funeral For A Friend (see above), this is politicised angst wrapped in Maiden-y solos and commanding ferocity (look at these for titles, chaps: 'This Song Brought To You By A Falling Bomb'; 'Between Rupture And Rapture'). As such, where the potential could be to prove poncy, instead, the collection is nothing less than disarmingly passionate and blissfully informed.
TINDERSTICKS - 'WAITING FOR THE MOON':
Largely ignored by those outside of the inner-indie circles, Tindersticks persist onwards and upwards with their grand and royally decked-out, umpteenth studio-album. Dry, pure, and drenched in classic songwriting, 'Waiting...' is clean-cut, mournful and string-laden from the off. And seldom is the formula anything less than riveting, articulate splendour.
RUFUS WAINWRIGHT - 'WANT ONE':
Ignore the pantomime-like cover, Wainwright has a classic on his hands. Wilfully over-the-top in its lavish production, the only thing more glorious than the sound of the musical backing are the words themselves; aching, longing and lusting are all catered for in equal-ish measure, and Wainwright proves himself a self-penning, crooning, star in the making.
THE WHITE STRIPES - 'ELEPHANT':
A successful attempt to cement their place in the indie-disco, there's no longer any credibility to the words of anyone who thinks this stripped-back garage-rock thing is a fad. Jack's lyrics were awash with in-jokes; his guitar squealed out inspiring Hendrix impersonations and Meg's drumming now required more than two limbs at once. Without a doubt, this is a timeless record.
AMY WINEHOUSE - 'FRANK':
A voice of the sexiest jazz calibre imaginable, over a background of blended hip-hop and old-jazz; 'Frank' is easily the most accomplished debut of 2003. Amy has the panache of Sinatra, and scathingly honest lyrics (the album is 'Frank' twice over). The only question is whether she's capable of topping such a spectacular start.
YEAH YEAH YEAHS - 'FEVER TO TELL':
A record oozing with smut and stained glamour in equal measure, 'Fever To Tell' was the messy, trashed-up and sweltering debut-LP we were all gagging for. Karen*O in '03 has achieved near-iconic, femme-fatale status, while 'Maps' was a soar-along, tear-jerking, indie-classic.
YO LA TENGO - 'SUMMER SUN':
An utterly gorgeous and confusingly quiet record, at times 'Summer Sun' is like listening to a very thick mist, only getting the most tantalising of glimpses at what hides behind. What it actually contained was Yo La Tengo at their very best, but no matter how loud you turned it up, its volume never reached beyond the most beautiful of whispers.
ZONGAMIN - 'ZONGAMIN':
We knew that Japanese disco-dance bandits Zongamin were on the right path to getting their name out when their signature 'Serious Trouble' turned up in the background to telly-adverts pushing this year's Turner Prize swanky arts-contest. Deservedly so, too - for this trance-y-cum-chill-out experience is one of the most pulsatingly original all year 'round: with truly, truly, truly deep bass.
And two records we shouldn't be allowed to like... But, erm, actually do:
BEYONCE - 'DANGEROUSLY IN LOVE':
Maybe it's not quite rockfeedback's normal cup of tea... mainly due to the 'rock' bit. But how can you ignore that brass wall-of-sound in 'Crazy In Love'? A delightful LP of polished, perfected, R n' B booty-shaking pop, busting at the satin seams with infectious samples and soul-town disco-bass. Sex, 'chinchillas' and bling... What else could a girl/fella want?
JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE - 'JUSTIFIED':
It not being enough to be in the biggest pop group of his day, Timberlake parted 'temporarily' with N*Sync, and much for the public benefit. 2003 would not have been the same without 'Justified', and strangely for an outright pop album, its effect was soulfully positive.
Phew. We're off to the pub; join us once you've sourced out the above.
Compiled: Clara Burtenshaw, Samantha Hall, Tom Hannan, Josh K, Kevin Molloy, Matt Tomiak, Andy Willson & Kari Wyn
Reviews-editor Matt Tomiak picks the most impacting, memorable 45s of '03 and, in many cases, offers characteristically 'witty' comments for each.
THE STROKES - '12:51':
Could The Strokes circa 2003 replicate the haughty splendour of 'Is This It'? With a comeback single as effortlessly classic as the assured, hand-clappin'-tastic '12.51', that the boys' return would be such an unqualified triumph need never have been questioned.
BLUR - 'OUT OF TIME':
Damon's gorgeous vocal stylings and a sumptuous minimalism ensured that Graham's departure wasn't going to weaken Blur. Along with a great LP ('Think Tank') and a triumphant headline performance at The Carling Weekend, 2003 witnessed a happy re-emergence for one of the nation's best-loved acts.
HELL IS FOR HEROES - 'YOU DROVE ME TO IT':
A re-release for one of the standout tracks lifted from debut 'The Neon Handshake', this almost obscenely invigorating record provided the soundtrack for hundreds of satisfied moshers across the land.
THE THRILLS - 'BIG SUR':
A sure-fire sing-along classic at next year's festivals and the pick of the tracks on The Thrills' stunning debut 'So Much For The City'. With the band providing perhaps one of their finer shows of the year at rockfeedback's intimate Basement Club in the midst of a steaming summer, we once again demonstrated how well we choose our friends.
GRANDADDY - 'NOW IT'S ON':
At last achieving the recognition they so richly deserve, Grandaddy's knack of making dependably gorgeous, off-kilter alt-country remains in the rudest of health.
HOT HOT HEAT - 'NO NOT NOW':
Rarely has terrified paranoia sounded better. Geek-rock it might be, but HHH's brace of top-notch singles (this, and excellent debut 'Bandages') showed how enjoyable that can be.
THE WHITE STRIPES - 'SEVEN NATION ARMY':
As ubiquitous as Kylie's 'Can't Get You Out Of My Head' had been a couple of years back, 'Seven Nation Army' marked Jack and Meg's transition from much-hyped garage-rockers into world-conquerors.
STARSAILOR - 'SILENCE IS EASY':
Just as the Doves' second album 'The Last Broadcast' had seen the Manc trio move away from downbeat, acoustic melancholia and into the realms of the pulsatingly anthemic, so the Chorley quartet escaped the doleful mood of their debut to produce tunes as startlingly effective as 'Silence Is Easy.'
COLDPLAY - 'CLOCKS':
Middle-class, bedwetting student-types? How Chris Martin must be laughing now. Tracks like 'Clocks' helped take the boys to the nation's collective hearts; yep, 2003 saw Coldplay being embraced as a true band of the people.
SUPER FURRY ANIMALS - GOLDEN RETRIEVER':
Whilst The Darkness were introducing the jumpsuit to audiences across the land, consistently marvellous Welsh loons SFA had their Yeti costumes to entertain the masses; that they were playing music as stonkingly deranged as 'Golden Retriever' just made the ever-safe-bet Super Furry live experience all the more pleasurable.
BLACK REBEL MOTORCYCLE CLUB - 'STOP':
More of the same (majestic, intense doom-rock, since you ask) from the ever-scowling masters, single number one from LP number two 'Stop' showcased a group at the peak of their powers.
MUSE - 'HYSTERIA':
Only four years ago, they were being dismissed as mere Radiohead copyists. How times change. 'Hysteria' provided us with more bombastic brilliance from Devon's foremost purveyors of operatic levels of hyperbolic guitar dementia.
FRANZ FERDINAND - 'DARTS OF PLEASURE':
We saw - and loved - this lot at the Reading Festival in the summer. And with very good reason; this eloquent, literate Scottish foursome produced possibly 2003's finest debut in the shape of the gaunt, incessant 'Darts Of Pleasure.'
FEEDER - 'JUST THE WAY I'M FEELING':
Perhaps the first great, commercial indie-record of the year and almost exactly one year on from the death of drummer Jon Lee, Feeder managed to produce the finest single of their career. Simply dripping with class, 'Just The Way I'm Feeling' is one of those songs that continues to get those hairs on the back of the neck standing on pert, alert end.
ELECTRIC SIX - 'DANGER! HIGH VOLTAGE':
Hard to pick between this out-of-the-blue, 'what the f*** was that?!' disco-rock sizzler and its scorching follow-up 'Gay Bar', but we're gonna have to plump for the former. One of the 21st century's finest dance-floor fillers.
THE LIBERTINES - 'DON'T LOOK BACK INTO THE SUN':
Recorded during a particularly tumultuous period in the seemingly never-ending saga of the 'Tines, this was a joyous, jaunty slice of Britpop. 'DLBITS' had us all licking our lips with anticipation at the prospect of the band's next LP; providing, of course, that they can all stay on top of things - no easy task, as the year's events have shown us all too graphically.
THE CORAL - 'PASS IT ON':
Farewell, everything-but-the-kitchen-sink extravagance! Come hither, lamenting solemnity and timeless songwriting craft! In the space of just a year, everyone's favourite madcap Scousers had evolved into a band of staggering maturity.
JANE'S ADDICTION - 'JUST BECAUSE':
Because rock as good as this just can't be ignored. A lengthy period of inactivity for Jane's counted for little when they were on such delicious form, both live and on record.
RADIOHEAD - 'THERE THERE':
So the rumoured return to the soaring grandeur of 'The Bends' never actually materialised. But when one of the most interesting and challenging bands on the face of the earth were releasing stuff as slyly infectious as this, it would be churlish to complain.
THE DARKNESS - 'CHRISTMAS TIME (DON'T LET THE BELLS END)':
Oh, come on - you need us to tell you why? Completing a run of four fabulous singles - all of which would be worthy of a place in this list were we not limiting bands to just one entry each. It's taken a while, but Lowestoft's finest have at last done what few have attempted (and even fewer succeeded at) before - putting a great big dumb smile back on rock's face.