CD-Charts Position 1
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Veneer

by: Jose Gonzalez

Release Date April 25, 2005
Sheer brilliance, flowing against the tide of pop tripe the continualy fills the airways.
If your a fan of acoustic guitar music, buy this album. Scrap that just buy this album, the only complaint you'll have is ...damn it's finished. At a shade over 30 min's it's short by modern standards.
But don't feel short changed as every track is shimmering with mesmerizing beauty.
The better your system the more wonderful detail you can extract.
Jose plays with a passion that you can feel with each strum.
He may not have earth shattering vocals, but they blend seemlessly and become part of of the whole experience - John Martin fans will appreciate this.
The album has a certain quality that can make you loose yourself ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 2
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Hand On Your Heart

by: Jose Gonzalez

Release Date July 03, 2006
OK, so we all know (or at least we all SHOULD know) that this guy rips off Mark Kozelek wholesale but I'm not going to get into any "Why, in God's name weren't the Pixies and New Model Army on Top of the Pops?"-type argument here (see NME letters to the editor circa 1986 if you don't know what I'm talking about). Just enjoy this for what it is.

CD-Charts Position 3
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Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace

by: Foo Fighters

Release Date September 24, 2007
I've never given the Foo Fighters the time or day, just never really got into them post Nirvana. Bought this album upon recommendation by a Foo fan. Upon first listen (whilst clearing out the garage) I knew there was something very important happening to me. Quite simply at that moment I became an instant Grohl/Foo fan. Having now backtracked on most of the Foo's catalogue from my own perspective, this is not only my favourite of theirs but quite possibly the most important 'rock' album in my CD collection and remains a permanent fixture in the car ! Love it Love it Love it. It's so good, I find it difficult to believe these aren't reworkings of old classics, but of course respect Dave Grohl's song writing abilities as well as his virtuoso performance ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 4
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White Chalk

by: PJ Harvey

Release Date September 24, 2007
You'd be forgiven, PJ fan or not, if you paused the CD during the first track (or many of the following tracks) to go and make a cup of coffee. It's a disappointing crawl through dreary music and pitiful sounding vocals. Spunky PJ Harvey of old has been kidnapped and we've been left with the loony from the attic and an album that is, for the most part, a lifeless dirge and devoid of merit. This is one promise that remains unfulfilled.

CD-Charts Position 5
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In Rainbows

by: Radiohead

Release Date December 31, 2007
Just how many more albums can Radiohead make of such quality? Other bands become very samey, or try to change and fail. Somehow Radiohead manage to change whilst staying the same and keep producing top quality albums. This album just gets better and better with each listen, and in my view a Radiohead classic already.

CD-Charts Position 6
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The Reminder

by: Feist

Release Date April 23, 2007
This is the zenith for me and my daughter. Having heard the album and seen her live what an album

CD-Charts Position 7
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The Shepherd's Dog

by: Iron and Wine

Release Date September 24, 2007
The best new artist in this sphere of music is Nick Worrall. Google him and get his debut album for FREE. Incredible.

CD-Charts Position 8
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Hand Built By Robots

by: Newton Faulkner

Release Date July 30, 2007
I bought this album on the strength of Dream Catch Me, something I don't usually do without hearing more, but a decision I certainly don't regret in this case.

Vocally, he has hints of Jack Johnson and Adam Levine, and delivers each song with soul, energy and enthusiasm. There are no bad, weak or filler tracks on this album, which sounds polished but still raw.

Despite the similarities I mentioned earlier, Faulkner still sounds totally unique and has a lot of talent. I enjoy this album, which manages to relax me when I need relaxation, as well as stimulate me when I need an energy boost.

One of the best debut albums in recent years.

CD-Charts Position 9
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The Seldom Seen Kid

by: Elbow

Release Date March 17, 2008
Sorry to say I had never even heard of Elbow until I caught them on TV at this years Glastonbury.

Liked what I heard and bought the album (before they won the Mercury prize I hasten to add)

Was completely blown away by it. Have since invested in their back catalogue which have been equally impressive. All are highly recommended

It has certainly restored my interest in music .

CD-Charts Position 10
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Seventh Tree

by: Goldfrapp

Release Date February 25, 2008
I've left reviewing this for nine months and literally hundreds of listens. I don't believe that there's ever been another album I've played so often. And there's no sign of my growing tired of it. On the basis of a huge number of plays, I feel qualified to say that this is a truly wonderful album without a single weak track.

After seeing Goldfrapp on two consecutive nights (at Brixton) in November 2008, I couldn't bear to listen to anything other than Goldfrapp. Naturally, I gave their previous three albums fresh listens, as well as Seventh Tree. I was struck by the degree of continuity between the four albums. Some people will tell you that Seventh Tree is quite different from what went before. I no longer think that's true, the four albums mark a natural progression, although one could not ... Read More: