okay, my nominations for best uk records of the 21st century. first, a few caveats:
- i went for uk instead of britain so i could include scotland
- i decided to drop the “rock” stipulation
- influence and legacy were a big factor for me, but i also wanted to only include things i actively listened to and thought were good, otherwise it’d be like, u2 and coldplay
- i tried to keep it to one entry per “genre” but broke those rules a few times
- likely many blind spots as this was me brainstorming over morning coffee
- the 21st century thing is hard! a lot of british artists i like seem to have peaked in the 20th century (did the uk fall off?)
- this is unordered, but i kept it to 10
okay–
black midi - hellfire
easily the most qualified heirs to king crimson and the like. an unusually preternatural group of musicians. it’ll be interesting to see what they each do in the coming years.
david bowie - blackstar
a powerful last statement from a legendary artist ceaselessly driven by experimentation.
my bloody valentine - mbv
this blew me away when i first heard it. to this day, i’ve clocked more spins on this than loveless.
morrissey - you are the quarry
that’s right.
sophie - oil of every pearl’s uninsides
a monster of a producer who is still shaping pop in her image, even after her death.
coil - age of naples
there are a few picks on this list that “represent something” as much as they are good albums in their own right. this is one of them, but it does have an unusual effect on me.
godflesh - purge
though i really like the first godflesh comeback record, i like this one because you can see justin broadrick incorporating his other musical adventures over the years.
hongkong express - 2047
unfortunately it’s a bit of a meme now, but i think the genre known as vaporwave was once genuinely new and dare i say revolutionary.
dizzee rascal - boy in da corner
incredible grime record and uniquely british, though if i was going with my heart, this would probably be my pick.
aphex twin - drukqs
i had a hard time deciding between this and syro, but i ultimately chose drukqs because it has that singular blend of hostility and beauty.
honorable mentions:
wytch hazel - sojourn
pulp - we love life
brian eno - the ship
carcass - surgical steel
triad god - triad (special mention to this one as it almost made the list)
prefab sprout - i trawl the megahurtz
everything but the girl - fuse