Various Artists - NME: The Album 2009

UK’s most “trendy” magazine releases another compilation album.


Once again I get to tell you about my massive hate of compilation albums. Yes, I understand you can pick up on a couple of gems when listening to these things but very often you don't. In fact, I can honestly say when I reviewed the Kerrang! Compilation a few months back, I learnt nothing new. Also taking into consideration the fact you get a three minute taste of a bands album. I am an album sort of guy. Fuck the singles. This does not suit me well.

Let’s move on to the music. This NME album consists of two discs, the first kicking off with the massive, mind numbing Muse single 'Uprising', followed by the great Kasabian single 'Fire' with its sombre opening and funky chorus. It's quickly here you stumble upon the first disappointment, coming from Friendly Fires with 'Kiss Of Life', sounding at times, a bit like a camp Klaxons spin off. You are treated to some recent popular songs like Temper Traps highly addictive 'Sweet Disposition' and the recent XBox 360 acquired 'Dominos' by The Big Pink. Closing with Gallows 'I Dread The Night', I'm left with a good feeling going in to CD 2.

The second disc serves up Biffy Clyro’s fantastic single 'That Golden Rule' as a starter, all awesome with its grandiose orchestra battering at the end of it, followed by the only decent song from Paramore’s newest album in the form of 'Ignorance'. Green Day's lacklustre 'Know Your Enemy' manages to bore you until you find The Prodigy tearing shit up with 'Warriors Dance'. Ending with the beautiful 'Flowers & Football Tops' by Glasvegas, the compilation album ends fittingly, with what I would say is the best song out of the 40.

In terms of the lesser known bands picked to occupy the remainder of the CD, there is nothing that really stands out. The first disc has only one noticeable artist, with Esser and his single ‘Headlock’. It’s decent, but nothing that makes me want to listen again. If you’re into pop music, as in real pop music and not that chart rubbish, you’re going to dig it. Disc two demonstrates some new music, except for it’s not new music, it’s just new names. Marina Diamandis bores you with the English girl vocals that we’ve heard already from the likes of Kate Nash. And that’s really about it. So you get the odd gem in there but apart from a few tracks, this compilation album is, well, a compilation album. Completely pointless, and not worth a penny of your cash.

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