bucketbrigade

This wasn’t the first time Barenaked Ladies experienced breakout success; “The Yellow Tape” and their first full-length record, “Gordon” were enormously successful - the former notable for being the first independent release ever to go platinum in Canada.

However, the unexpected popularity of the 1998 single, “One Week”, followed by its paired record, “Stunt”, meant now fans all over the globe were waiting to see what the quintet could ... read more

A mixed bag. The Kaiser Chiefs' "real" first album was released under a different name - Parva - and "22" shows just how drastic the reinvention was that they went through between this collection of songs and "Employment" in 2005. This album never properly came out; the record label they were signed to, Mantra, went bust shortly before the planned release in early 2003.

This record is far more grunge-inspired than the power-pop and new-wave-infused ... read more

Patience is a great album let down by its length. The production is top notch, the lyrics provoking, the songs beautifully-arranged, but just too long. Most songs are over 4 and a half minutes in duration, which for pop songs is almost unheard of. George was well known as a perfectionist, and produced and performed most of the album, and was five years in the making, but trimming a few of the songs down by a minute or so - Cars and Trains, Precious Box and Round Here are the worst offenders - ... read more

Fantastic album - beyond track 1 there's an album with a lot to savour. Musically and lyrically varied, from your standard 90s alt rock in tracks such as "It's All Been Done" and "Alcohol" to an ambient closer in "When You Dream", with a soundscape being created by keyboardist Kevin Hearn's sample collection of children's toys and air conditioners. BNL are sometimes given the "comedy rock" label and while tracks like "One ... read more