Accelerator - Royal Trux

Advantages: Brilliantly atmospheric record
Disadvantages: May be too awkward for some

...Although Domino Records are now best known as the home of Franz Ferdinand and The Arctic Monkeys, their name was made for many years through a rather more select audience; mainly distributing albums by US alt-heroes like Smog and Sebadoh, and low-key UK indie acts. Woodbine fall squarely into the latter category: their debut album, released in 1999, thrives on such lo-fi aesthetics, even occasionally making the record sound like nothing else before or since. Allegedly home recorded on a 4-track by the band (and then mixed by US-band Royal Trux), a sense of mystery pervades the whole album; little information is given, the band are not named/pictured, and the artwork’s relation to the music seems abstract. This all suits the music perfectly; itself a strange, low-key creation. 'Mounds Of Venus' opens and highlights the Woodbine sound... Read review

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Advantages: Brilliant comeback
Disadvantages: Quite short at only 34 minutes

...Since the departure of drummer Bill Berry in 1996, R.E.M. have appeared to be on a downward spiral with their last album, Around the Sun, almost ruining their career, and there were few peole who believed that they could recover. Nearly four years later, they released Accelerate; an album that really goes back to the roots of R.E.M. and what they are really about. Gone are the soft, safe sounds of Up and Around the Sun, and the more alternative, distinctive sounds of Life's Rich Pageant and Green and the other early albums begin to show through. With the catchy chorus of Man-Sized Wreath and the haunting melody of Hollow Man, and songs as fast and furious as Living Well is the Best Revenge and I'm Gonna DJ, R.E.M. have definitely made a comeback to remember with Accelerate.... Read review

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Advantages: Quite nice album cover
Disadvantages: Complete and utter rubbish.

...Hadouken! are a 5-Piece band from Leeds, that are in all honesty "love 'em or hate 'em". Their debut album Music For An Accelerated Culture was frankly a huge disappointment for me. They seem to have turned in to one hit wonders after their 2007 release of "That Boy That Girl", which gained massive popularity in the underground and grime scene. Sadly it seems that Hadouken have become formulaic and repetitive. Hadouken! leave you with a blistering headache after listening to 11 tracks of out-of-key synthesizers mixed with bad rapping and raucous shouting. The lyrical content is even more of a disappointment - the first song is called "Get Smashed Gate Crash!" and the rest of the tracks follow suit, with lyrics such as "Welcome to our world/ We are the wasted youth" and "Lets get this party started/ And rip the place apart/ Cut the breaks... Read review

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