Albums that deserve a listen

Bon Iver - Bon Iver
Bon Iver is that band that makes you want to wear checkered shirts, become a lumberjack and move to a cabin in a secluded Alaskan wood. You may not want to feel this way in summer, but somehow it fits in perfectly well with traipsing around London, sightseeing in Paris and the flights that come in between. This album has been out for approximately two months and it's one of the best albums of the year.

Watch The Throne - Jay Z & Kanye West
I'm a hip hop fan. Far from obsessive but close enough to appreciate. I wrote an article on how I wasn't sure it was revolutionary (I post it up soon) but I think I've changed my mind. Hip hop has grown stale and boring. It may be because it's such a hyped up project and it features 4 amazing artists, but Watch The Throne makes me excited to listen to hip hop again. If that isn't revolutionary, I don't know what is.

SBTRKT - SBTRKT
He could have easily done an album that would be popular and continued to rinse the ever popular sounds of European dance and dubstep. Instead he stuck with the two-step and house that those at Plastic People know him for. It features Sampha, Little Dragon, Roses Gabor and Jessie Ware; three of whom are homegrown London artists who may or may not become incredibly famous but have masses of talent and even more credibility. He hasn't changed, whether he's playing with Drake for OVO or in an underground party in East London.

Frank Ocean - Nostlagia, Ultra
I've played this album an excessive amount to the point where the line between love and hate is becoming blurred. He's just different. He samples every genre under the sun and he has forever returned r'n'b to a place that doesn't just have to talk about clubs and sex.

Metronomy - The English Riviera
A gig or festival is sometimes the kick in the backside you need to listen to the album of a band you love but are too lazy to bother with. Unfortunately, it took Wireless to remind me that they are what I love about British electro/pop. They unashamedly make you feel like you've been transported to the place where all the unwanted musical ideas from the 80s are, only this time they're acceptable. Expect saxophone solos. Then they have this whole different game with their lyrics. It's poetry Tennyson would be proud of. Well not quite...

Of course I know from my own experience that someone telling you to listen to an album may send you in the opposite direction. If that's true for you, DON'T listen to these albums.