The next three contestants are stepping up to vouch for their respective album releases of 2009. Don’t agree? Oh. Right. Never mind, eh?

Florence + the Machine - Lungs

Florence + the Machine – Lungs (Island)

By Priscilla Eyles

Florence Welch’s album was (appropriately enough) like a breath of fresh air in an often tired musical landscape. It even surprisingly topped the charts, making it one of the first times (at least in recent years) that an album that was actually any good has done so. It’s also one of the first times that an artist this hyped has actually lived up to expectations; a very difficult feat.

The album itself bristles with originality and a mish-mash of diverse influences, moving from the frenetic joyful garage-rock of first single ‘Kiss With A Fist’ to the quiet soothing balladry of ‘I’m Not Calling You A Liar’, through to the pounding and anthemic ‘Dog Days Are Over’ and ‘Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up)’. This is not forgetting a little trip into 90′s dance with Florence’s brilliant reworking of Candi Station’s ‘You’ve Got The Love’.

Lyrics conjure up fantastical, gothic and often violent imagery, equating love with death, violence, and self-destructiveness particularly in songs such as ‘Girl With One Eye’ (sample lyric: “I took a knife and cut out her eye / I took it home and watched it wither and die”), ‘Howl’, ‘Blinding’ and ‘My Boy Builds Coffins’. In this, her early love for grunge, heavy rock and singers such as PJ Harvey comes through. On top of all this is Florence’s astonishing voice: soulful, passionate, soaring, bewitching, wide-ranging and utterly unique, it’s without a doubt one of the best voices in music today.

To match the passion in the lyrics and Florence’s voice is the expert and ambitious production by James Ford (of Simian Mobile Disco fame) and Paul Epworth. The choir of Florence’s voice, the tribal percussion as well as the ethereal use of harp and strings combine to make a sound that is magical, involving, complex and one which gets better with every listen, drawing comparisons with creative artists such as Kate Bush, Björk or Bat For Lashes.

Best track on the album: ‘Howl’
To pick a favourite song is extremely difficult, but if one had to be picked, it would be the sublime and epic Howl, a song full of memorable images (“I hunt for you with bloodied feet across the hallowed ground”) and beautiful use of strings, piano, voice and percussion which builds to sweeping and irresistible crescendos.

Any improvements that could have been made
No; it’s a perfect, perfect album which should be owned by anyone who likes music which is beautiful, unique, uplifting and heartfelt. We await her next album with baited breath.

Best of the rest
Bombay Bicycle Club - I Had The Blues But Then I Shook Them Loose
An infectiously danceable album filled with energy, verve and great guitar riffs.

Regina Spektor – Far
A moving and inspiring album showing off Regina’s inimitable skills on the piano and her beautifully seductive voice.

Bat For Lashes – Two Suns
This was also essential listening: dream-like and intricate whilst also being very sing-alongable.

Green Day - 21st Century Breakdown

Green Day – 21st Century Breakdown (Reprise)

By Adrian Hieatt

It didn’t seem possible for Billy Joe Armstrong to be able to top the massive breakthrough success of 2004′s American Idiot, but he and the rest of the band have succeeded with 21st Century Breakdown. Another rock opera concept album, the political and rebellious messages are as strong as ever, as we follow the album’s two protagonists, Gloria and Christian, as they try to make sense of a changing America, and try to come to terms with the ways in which they perceive they are being manipulated by authority. It’s also something of a comment on the way in which the US is beginning to more fully recognise its limitations and look towards the end of the Bush era with more than a touch of despair. As one critic put it so well, the band understand the beauty of asking questions without pretending to know the answers – a good example of the mature place where Green Day find themselves these days.

Despite all of that though, the record features some of the most high-energy and enjoyable commercial punk songs in years. The production levels these guys have now reached are virtually unequalled, and tracks like ‘The Static Age’, ‘Before the Lobotomy’ and ‘¡Viva la Gloria!’ are utterly brilliant, and difficult not to at least tap your feet to, if not go completely mental.

The creative juices that made Green Day such massive stars are still flowing in abundance. Remember that Armstrong wrote upwards of 45 songs for this one, and it took the band three years to refine and record. At nearly 70 minutes long, it’s also one of the best-value albums of the year, but never drags. It’s incredibly difficult to make an record of this scope without at least some ‘filler’, but there really isn’t any here.

What’s so commendable about 21st Century Breakdown is that Billy Joe, Tré and Mike put everything they’ve got into it, and wouldn’t settle for anything less than another intricately-crafted masterpiece, that they felt they could take out on the road and enjoy every night, and still believe in years down the line. It’s by far the most accomplished album of 2009, and the one which is most likely to make you turn up the volume to maximum.

Best track on the album: ’21st Century Breakdown’
The song from which the album takes its name, ’21st Century Breakdown’ kick starts the first ‘act’ of the record, and sets the tone for everything to come. The (full-length, 34 second) intro is one of the best anticipation-builders on anything, ever, and it would be a challenge for a fair amount of adrenaline not to start pumping when the first big chords crash in. A high-speed, perfectly produced, imaginative, energetic and purposeful rock song, the track totally changes tack at two distinct points, as with American Idiot‘s ‘Jesus of Suburbia’ – but feels like it was always supposed to. One of Green Day’s best songs ever.

Any improvements that could have been made
As often with Green Day, the singles from the album tend to be the least interesting on the album. It’s a shame that ‘Know Your Enemy’ was picked as the first release, because it’s pretty dull and formulaic, at least when compared with the alternatives. If anything, it’s too radio-friendly, and too commercial sounding.

The battle with the commercial monster is the main criticism of the album. In every way, Green Day are now, and have for a while, been a mainstream act. Aside from anger about the tone of American Idiot from some… well, American idiots, they have become the acceptable face of punk, and little kids go to their shows. The danger is that the political messages and anger on the album are dismissed as a marketing tactic, and a pretentious populist bit of pop. To fully appreciate this album, then, switch off all of those thoughts, and try not to think about what any of it means in the context of it being released by Green Day in 2009. Put on your headphones and crank it up, and you can’t help but be moved, and you can’t help but enjoy the fantastic music.

The best of the rest
Kasabian – West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum
Proving that they are so, SO much more than the ‘new Oasis’, Kasabian return with their best album yet. Risky, psychedelic, and full-power anthems foretell of world domination within the next few years…

Lily Allen - It’s Not Me, It’s You
Turns out that Lily isn’t just a novelty act, and no matter how much you may want to hate her, she is the only person in the world who could this brand of (occasionally silly but very catchy) pop sound so credible. Plus, whether they admit it or not, everyone fancies her.

Jay-Z – The Blueprint III
Should he have stayed retired? Before this one you might have said yes. But who could deny the world another epic hip-hop masterpiece on this scale, with such incredible tracks as ‘Empire State of Mind’ or ‘D.O.A.’. Among his best work.

Billy Talent - Billy Talent III

Billy Talent - Billy Talent III (Atlantic/Roadrunner)

By James Michael Parry

Canadian music doesn’t have the best reputation; the mind initially leaps to the likes of Avril Lavigne and Bryan Adams. Despite this, the truth is the country has produced some quality alternative bands, from punk-rockers Sum 41 to the chilled-out Arcade Fire, as well a gritty rockstars Nickelback and a little band named Billy Talent.

Billy Talent III, unsurprisingly their third effort, has a darker and more mellow tone than the band’s first two albums, with a lot of focus on the devil and death. As testament to this, opening track ‘Devil On My Shoulder’ is more like rumbling thunder as a song than the blistering opening guitar riff of Billy Talent II: ‘Devil in a Midnight Mass’.

The beauty of the album is that it sets a standard and then improves on it, with the first few tracks not hinting at that brilliance that waits further on into the record just waiting to be uncovered, before winding down again at the end.

Lyric-writing skills have stepped up a notch this time around, with the band’s signature punchy hooks still present, though accompanied with more narrative verses and less shout-vocal sections.

Best track on the album: ‘The Dead Can’t Testify’
A track which uses the narrative to full effect, the song is set in the time of witches, sorcery and devil-worship. The haunting effects-laden guitar builds to a simple yet powerful riff – what Billy Talent do best – before the lyrics tell a story of a misfit who is ahead of his time for not believing in life after death, hence the song title.

The song builds to an angry and rebellious climax with some interesting guitar work along the way, all-in-all creating an ambitious and powerful track.

Any improvements that could have been made
Releasing ‘Rusted from the Rain’ as a single was a mistake, it’s a solid album track but has no place by itself, and the album suffers from not having the single version of ‘Turn Your Back’ which featured anti-establishment punk group Anti-Flag. Having seen the track performed live has added a lot to the song, though it’s still a quality track without them.

The best of the rest
AFI – Crash Love

LoveHateHero – America Underwater

Muse – The Resistance