Six Years of MusicBlog89 Calls for an Anniversary Post! 6 Criminally Underrated Albums.
I can’t help but think people don’t really listen to albums in their entirety anymore. Music lovers - yes - but the average listener? Bar the old Adele 19 (or 21) CD they’ve probably got in the cars seat gap that they play when the radio doesn’t work - not really. But albums are real artwork - true masterpieces. An album can be subjectively deemed as underrated for a plethora of reasons; maybe it was better than the last album or the one that followed, perhaps it never got any airplay, maybe the artist is still unknown, or perhaps the album means something to you and therefore - in your eyes - it didn’t get the recognition, respect and appreciation it deserved.
The reasoning for my choices will be explained throughout, unfortunately the six I have collumerated weren't as diverse as I envisioned. Nonetheless, each album chosen has a certain significance as to why I’ve chosen to define it as an ‘underrated album’. What six albums would you say are criminally underrated? For me, underrated albums often fold into the same category of underrated artists. To make selection a bit easier I decided to pick from just UK artists. I sifted through the realms of my encyclopedic mental music catalogue and after hundreds of refined options I managed to whittle it down to an ultimate six. My choice are albums that I listened to - and continue to listen to - frequently - but got swept under the rug by the music industry and/or the star themselves. But maybe the star didn’t deserve the fame and acclamation which should’ve come with their album? In no particular order, my six choices below are…
1. Duffy - Rockferry
Release date: 03-03-2008
Genre: Soul/ Pop
UK Weekly Charts Peak: 1
Record Label: A&M Records
Amy Anne Duffy is a Welsh soul/pop singer and songwriter. Her debut album, Rockferry, became the best-selling album in the United Kingdom in 2008 leading to worldwide attention. In 2009, Duffy received the Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Album for Rockferry, one of three nominations, and won three out of four Brit Awards nominations, for British Breakthrough, Best British Female and Best British Album. The success and fame hit her fast!
Rockferry had a huge impact on my life growing up because I really admired Duffy and I loved the distinctiveness of her voice, she reminded me of Amy Winehouse. At eleven years old I was singing ‘Mercy’ on stage in a talent competition, and now you can find me dancing around in my house, mopping up the floor in my PJs, age 22, belting out the exact same song, with same love I had for it a decade before.
UK Number One for 4 Weeks
There’s no doubt Duffy did indeed break-through with this album at the time, but it has been discarded into the abyss ever since. Speaking from truth, I don’t know anyone else that has listened to the full Rockferry album - have you? I have never been able to truly discuss her artistry because she’s so well-known for her pop hits: ‘Mercy’, ‘Well Well Well’, ‘Rockferry’ and ‘Rain on Your Parade’ - people would listen to her on the radio and give her air-time, but was anyone actually listening to the full record? Regardless, the album was a huge hit at the time, and made UK Number One for four weeks in a row.
Her career in the industry was incredibly short-lived - but through NO fault of her own
Amy Anne Duffy is a beautiful song writer with gut-wrenching soul in her voice, she deserves so much more recognition and success. She brought to the music market what we all wanted and needed - another strong, powerful female songwriter and vocalist. Duffy is versatile, she can perform, she can songwrite, she is likeable and she is unique - that’s record selling stuff. Her career in the industry was incredibly short-lived - but through NO fault of her own. There’s a tragic backstory as to why Duffy seemingly disappeared from the music industry - and she literally disappeared. In 2020, she spoke out about her long term absence from the music industry on her website, explaining how she had been abducted and raped. You can read more about Duffy’s story here.
Duffy has some incredible tracks on her debut, some - dare I say it - that are a lot better than her commercial hits (often the case - is it not?) such as the soothing, crooning ‘Syrup and Honey’ the empowerful, sassy, independent woman track ‘Delayed Devotion’, unite the world ‘Enough Love’, and refusing to be a second option in straight-talking - ‘Stepping Stone’. To anyone that hasn’t listened to this album in full - you’re missing out! This album seemingly hit it's peak for a short-time and then soon, Duffy as a whole was forgotten about. Warwick Avenue - nor Duffy - got the upmost appreciation, respect and worldwide success they deserved in my eyes - this will always be a criminally underrated album to me.
‘For the better days to come, Duffy’
In February 2011, Duffy announced an (at the time) indefinite hiatus from music. She briefly returned in 2015, appearing in the film Legend and contributing three songs to its soundtrack: ‘Make the World Go Away’, ‘Whole Lotta Love’ and ‘Are You Sure?’- but has yet to make a full return to music. Duffy released a song on her Instagram captioned ‘For the better days to come, Duffy’ which I feel incites some sort of closure for the star, and perhaps an indefinite departure out of the music industry - however I severely hope that is not the case. I also hope that Duffy will only come back when she is truly ready - she’s been through a lot.
2. James Arthur - James Arthur (Deluxe)
Release date: 01-11-2013
Genre: Soul/ Pop
UK Weekly Charts Peak: 2
Record Label: Syco Music
As much as I had to admit it, this album slipped under the radar for good reason. 'James Arthur’ is the eponymously titled debut studio album by 2012 X-Factor winner - singer and songwriter James Arthur.
Yes, I know what you’re all thinking... “James Arthur?!” Yes. James Arthur. I remember watching him as a kid on X Factor and rooting for him through and through - his voice gave me that goosebumpy feeling you get when you resonate with someone’s pain throughout their voice. He is such a soulful singer, his raw energy, and heart is poured out throughout every performance and every song; remember his cover of Shontelle’s ‘Impossible’?
His rise to glorious global recognition and worldwide fame was halted by his unwashed mouth.
He rose to fame after winning the ninth series of The X Factor in 2012. His debut single, a cover of Shontelle's 'Impossible', was released by Syco Music after the final, and debuted at number one on the UK Singles Chart. But despite his initial success, his rise to glorious global recognition and worldwide fame was halted by his unwashed mouth. However, this album did manage to make it to number two in the UK charts and his lead single ‘You're Nobody till Somebody Loves You’ also reached the same peak, before his career was pretty much blacklisted from the industry.
As a singer, James Arthur’s talent is undeniable. This album is a real open book to a bit of James’ brain, it has that extra touch of rawness with it being his own songs that he’s written, adding to the power of the soul projecting from his songs. The album mainly touches on three topics, his mental health; self-fighting ‘Recovery’, stress-management ‘Smoke Clouds’, heart-pulling ‘Suicide’. The theme of love is projected in catchy ‘New Tattoo’, also in heart-on-sleeve track ‘Is This Love?’ and heartbreak in the harmonious duet ft Emilie Sande ‘Roses, resilient ‘Get Down’, as well as ‘Lie Down’ a track about casual sex and just wanting to bed someone - misogynistic? Probably? But we’ve all been there.
Artists like this are their OWN worst enemy
Artists like this are their own worst enemy; they get all of this power, don’t know how to control it, and then abuse it. They think they’re untouchable; but unfortunately there’s not that many people in the world who are that untouchable - especially not a British TV talent show winner - no matter how big your record deal may have been. This was the issue with these big TV talent shows over a decade ago - these people need financial after-care and tips on how to deal with the fame (like Love-Islanders now do), which they obviously weren’t provided with - or maybe on an incredible small scale.
This was also around the time social media and Twitter began to blow up, so you could say the digital cancel culture was invented around then; which means people can discuss your wrong doings on a viral scale - within seconds. James has been known to say some discriminatory remarks in 2013 on disstapes which resulted in Apple offering free refunds for his album and subjected himself to a world of hate from online trolls.
Cowell sacked him off his label Syco in 2014
Less than a year after he'd performed a moving duet of ‘Make You Feel My Love’ with X-Factor mentor Nicole Scherzinger, James tried to establish himself on the grime circuit with a few freestyles and diss tracks. One of which, directed at Mickey Worthless, contained the lyric: "You probably want to stick your dick in me, you fucking queer." James also felt no reason to apologise for his offensive language which (obviously) didn’t help. After too many of these insensitive and careless actions from Arthur, Cowell sacked him off his label Syco in 2014.
He dug his grave far too deep within the industry, too soon. Had James apologised for his actions instead of defended them, would he be somewhere different now? A star that blew out his own light, one too many times.
3. Maverick Sabre - Lonely Are the Brave
Release date: 27-01-2012
Genre: Soul/ Rap
UK Weekly Charts Peak: 2
Irish Weekly Album Charts: 3
Record Label: Mercury Records
Prior to his debut Sabre was about, and began creating a name for himself featuring as guest vocals on Chase & Status’ Fire in Your Eyes and Professor Green’s’ Jungle’. Lonely Are the Brave is the debut studio album by English/Irish vocalist Maverick Sabre. The album was first released on 27 January 2012 in Ireland which was succeeded by a release in the United Kingdom on 6 February 2012. Three singles preceded its release, ‘Let Me Go’ (July 2011), ‘I Need’ (November 2011) and ‘No One’ (February 2012). Lonely Are the Brave debuted at number-two on the UK Albums Chart with first-week sales also peaking at number two on the Scottish Albums Chart and number three on the Irish Albums Chart.
Speaking on an interview in December 2011, Sabre explained his reasons for titling the album 'Lonely Are The Brave', "'Lonely Are The Brave' was actually the title of an old movie that I first heard about when I was really young - around 12 or 13 - and I actually thought the feeling captured in that one phrase was amazing, because I feel everybody at some point in their lives needs to be brave to get through loneliness. And, because I thought it also summed up a lot of the emotion behind this album - particularly in terms of where I was at when I was writing a lot of the songs - I just felt as a title it fitted the project really well."
An album of modern-day soul and blues songs highlighting the changes in the urban emotion of British Youth
Sabre also scored two breakthrough Top 20 singles - the brassy, Isaac Hayes-sampling ‘Let Me Go’ and the raw soul hit ‘I Need’. Both of which amalgamated a diverse fan-base, due to the ambiguity in eclecticness both songs behold. ‘Let Me Go’ has a drum and bass beat, which is combined with Sabre's husky soulful vocals, with a pop surrounding and heavy production, yet ‘I Need’ crosses paths with soul, jazz and pop. An album of modern-day soul and blues songs highlighting the changes in the urban emotion of British Youth.
‘Let Me Go’ was first released in the United Kingdom on 22 July 2011 as the lead single from Lonely Are the Brave. It debuted at number 16 on the UK chart, marking Sabre's second top 40 single after ‘Jungle’; which peaked at number 31.
Lonely Are the Brave displays a variety of themes; nostalgia of a lovers previous relationships is cathartically explored on 'No One', while one’s own relationship shortcomings come into focus on 'I Can Never Be'. Throughout the album, Sabre mixes gritty street tales, ‘Shooting the Stars’, ‘They Found Him A Gun’ and ‘Running Away’ with a fusion of pop-soul ‘No One’, ‘Memories’, ‘I Can Never Be’, ‘I Need’, rap, ‘Sometimes’ and ‘Open My Eyes’, with traces of reggae in the undertones of his distinctive voice. His debut also includes covers of Sam Cooke’s ‘A Change is Gonna Come’, and a mash up of Sean Kingston’s ‘Beautiful Girls’ X Ben E King ‘Stand By Me’ on the deluxe album.
Thought-Provoking
Sabre doesn’t fear singing politics either and that is expressed in ‘Shooting the Stars’ about the discriminatory hate from the police towards those from lower class areas. He speaks about rapists getting shorter sentences than men who have robbed to feed their children. Meanwhile, there’s those who are also getting locked away for nothing, with no proof, but they (police) will still get away with it; bringing up the issues of police brutality and murder by police; “while two officers hold him down, shoot him in the back of the head, like nobody ever hears a sound.” An incredibly powerful and thought-provoking track.
This album just speaks to me. The lonely ARE the brave. With a distinctive soul and blues voice that’s akin to 90s Brit-winner Finley Quaye at times, evocative lyrics, and its sombre tone this album is one for when you need to unwind. Another forgotten-about album that was only mainly known for its top hits (‘I Need’ and ‘Let Me Go’) and his work since then has achieved minimal recognition in comparison to what Mr.Sabre is definitely owed.
4. The Streets - A Grand Don’t Come for Free
Release date: 17-05-2004
Genre: Rap
UK Weekly Charts Peak: 1
Producer: Mike Skinner
A Grand Don't Come for Free is the second studio album by English rapper and producer Mike Skinner, under the music project The Streets. It was released on 17 May 2004. The album is a rap opera and concept album that follows the story of its protagonist's life, relationship with a girl named Simone, and the mysterious loss of £1,000 from his home (the eponymous ‘grand’).The first single from the album, ‘Fit But You Know It’ reached number four on the UK Singles Charts with the second single, ‘Dry Your Eyes’ entering the UK Charts at number one and ‘Blinded by the Lights’ at number 10. The album itself reached number one in the UK Album Charts, number 11 in Australia and number 82 in the United States.
After all, this is a record that starts with its protagonist trying to return a DVD and ends with him crying
On A Grand Don't Come for Free - the follow-up to his internationally acclaimed debut, Original Pirate Material - Mike Skinner weaves an 11-track narrative over an often bare and low-fi musical backdrop whilst spitting spoken word. Cynics could sneer at Skinner's off-beat delivery and that his flow is too rigid within this album (more so than his debut) - particularly when compared to the majority of hip-hop artists, but the record's beats and melodies are reflective and complimentary to its story. After all, this is a record that starts with its protagonist trying to return a DVD and ends with him crying. Mike Skinner’s gritty rap opera about trying to just grab a hold of his life was well ahead of its time, and is still as hilarious over a decade later.
The album opens with a melodramatic pseudo-classical orchestral flourish, suggesting that what you are about to hear has great importance. In fact, what you are about to hear is a song about life’s complexities of failing to return a rented DVD on time and having a cashpoint refuse your card on the first track ‘It Was Supposed to be So Easy’. It's witty, cocky and self-deprecating in equal measure, you stay won over for the next 50 minutes, as the album drags you from a bookies, to a holiday takeaway post-night out, to a flat littered with empty cans of Tennant's Super and everything in between.
The whole album is one big story - in fact it is classified as a Rap Opera!
I think artistically this piece of work doesn’t get the appreciation it deserves. A few singles blew up (‘Dry Your Eyes’, ‘Fit But You Know It’ and ‘Blinded by the Lights’) however not many people know about the album in its entirety. People can figure from ‘Blinded by the Lights’ it’s a narrative about taking too many drugs, losing control, and waking up with an unclear conscious as to what happened the night before. Even though many may listen to that song as a story, most are oblivious to the fact the whole album is one big story - in fact it is classified as a rap opera! A tale of the adventures of a feisty working class lad, getting pissed, overdoing it on the uppers, f*cking his relationships up, and holding a narcissistic 'me against the world' attitude.
The closing of the rock opera has two endings to the plot; both with a different atmospheric mood; a bitter ending and a happy ending (the former where he and a TV repairman get into a physical fight over the repairman's fee, and the latter in which Scott offers to help him with his TV and they find the £1,000 had fallen down the back of the TV, making it malfunction).
What has become of the concept album?
What has become of the concept album? Original Pirate Material was no doubt a great debut, but I’m going to go out on a whim here and argue that A Grand Don’t Come For Free is Mike Skinner’s true magnum opus. Sharp, witty, with hard hitting truths littered throughout.
Original Pirate Material asserted Skinner as one of UK garage’s most iconic figures, but A Grand Don’t Come For Free - and excuse the pun- pushed things forward. Skinner’s delivery is awkward and charming, only further developing his characterisation. Partly as a result of Skinner's delivery: like a teenager forced against his will to read out loud in an English lesson, he obeys rigid rhyme schemes at the expense of natural rhythm, lurching from line to line, putting emphaSIS on unlikely syllaBLES and break ... ing words up in order to make them fit, making it sound as if he was reciting them for the first time - specifically for your benefit.
There isn't really any other album like this. It reveals Skinner's eerie intellectual ability to manipulate the listener's emotions, to make you believe that he is a friend, feeling sorry for him for all of his life’s mishaps - but I’m glad he got his money. This is definitely Skinner's best piece of work; holding most of The Streets classics, and telling a story near enough every lads lad can relate to with controversial pure unadulterated poetic elegance .
5. Jamie T - B-Sides (06-17)
Release date: 2018
Genre: Rap/ Hip-Hop
UK Weekly Charts Peak: N/A
Record Label: Virgin EMI
Jamie Treays, better known by his stage name Jamie T, is an English singer, songwriter, rapper and record producer from Wimbledon, South London. Jamie released his critically acclaimed debut album Panic Prevention in 2007. He released his second studio album Kings and Queens in 2009. In 2014, Jamie released his long anticipated third studio album Carry on the Grudge. He then released an EP - Magnolia Melancholia (2015) which was shortly accompanied by his fourth studio album Trick in 2016, then by his (06-17) b-sides collation in 2018.
Growing up, Jamie suffered from panic attacks, hence the name of his debut album, Panic Prevention
On 17 July 2007, Jamie T's debut album Panic Prevention was shortlisted as one of the 12 nominees for the Mercury Prize. Panic Prevention has also received frequent name-checks in the ‘best albums of the decade’ lists, including: No. 13 out of 50 in Observer Music Monthly and No. 53 out of 100 in NME.(Maybe not so?) fun fact: growing up, Jamie suffered from panic attacks, hence the name of his debut album, Panic Prevention. Kings & Queens reached number two in the UK Albums chart. After its release, Zane Lowe, on his BBC Radio 1 show, declared Kings & Queens his favourite album of 2009, describing the album as "flawless" and "a brilliant, poignant, incredible observational record".
Released in 2018, B Sides (06-17) is Jamie T’s most recent album and it contains a mix of released and unreleased demos from his whole career hence the (06-17) in the album name. A political, narrative, musical mastermind and Lo-Fi loving Shaksperian like poet - Jamie T has always slid under the radar of the charts and further exposure beyond the UK. With his loveable rogue charm and beyond intelligent songwriting skills, he really did - and still does - deserve more acclamation.
Jamie T has always been a Fantastic Storyteller
Although I love all of the songs from the collection, stand outs are amongst; politically angst driven, ‘The Likeness of Being’, upbeat and carefree, ‘Feel Me’, controversial ‘Fox News’ and catchy ‘Oh My Girl’. Jamie T has always been a fantastic storyteller, look at his hits, ‘Sheila’, ‘Emily’s Heart’, ‘Sticks n Stones’, ‘Jilly Armeen’ for example.‘The Likeness of Being’ would’ve been an absorbing centrepiece perfectly fit for ‘Trick’; the track is currently relevant in parts, as a reflection to what we are going through now in terms of the shockingly awful Sarah Everard case. One verse is dedicated to a story of a missing woman. The verse begins with, “police out looking for a blonde haired woman, about 5 foot 5 last seen alive, by the southern fried chicken on the high street bookin’, cab from a man that you can’t describe. Her friends scream “rape”, police they flash by, holding everybody up, but it’s over now. Found a tossed soul in an old suitcase and a head floating high in the old canal.”
When tweeting about the album release Jamie said, “I have written a lot of music over the years. Most of it unreleased living on three dusty computers in a very secure location (under my bed). Those songs will have their day at some point, in the meantime I hope this collection of tracks will satisfy those who want a more comprehensive set of songs available digitally. From those written in my childhood bedroom, to Thomas Dunn written in Corktown Detroit, it spans many years of b-sides from limited edition vinyl to tracks released for free on the net.”
I love the nitty-gritty, scatty essence that exudes from Jamie T, and it’s reflected in the solo acoustic ska track, ‘Livin’ With Betty’ from his 2006 ‘Betty And The Selfish Sons EP’ and ‘Meet Me On The Corner’ and hectic punk thrasher ‘Fire Fire’ - a non-album warm-up for Kings & Queens.
"They are what they are and I’m proud to put them out together as a strange mutant piece of work."
The collective, titled B-Sides (06-17), features ten songs which see some being apparently “more finished than others, they are what they are and I’m proud to put them out together as a strange mutant piece of work for you now” according to Jamie.
This is an album completely swept under the rug by all critics and radio stations, this is what you call a piece of artistry. A collective variety of an accumulation of songs written over the span of a decade; proving the strong talent he has had over the length of his creative career. Yes - some of the songs were already released but there’s usually a few preceding tracks to an album - so what’s the difference here? A rock solid piece of artistry that - without a doubt - got nowhere near the recognition and respect it deserves. This is the last piece of work Treay has released bar his contribution on Miles Kane‘s latest LP ‘Coup De Grace’ (2018). Will the eclectic street poet return to releasing new music after his hiatus again? I sincerely hope so.
6. Plan B - The Defamation of Strickland Banks
Release date: 12-04-2010
Genre: Hip-Hop/ Rap/ Soul
UK Weekly Charts Peak: 1
Record Label: SMV
Ben Drew AKA Plan B is an English rapper, singer, songwriter, actor, film director and producer. He first emerged as a rapper, releasing his debut album, Who Needs Actions When You Got Words, in 2006. His second studio album, The Defamation of Strickland Banks (2010), was a soul and R&B album, and debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart. He has also collaborated with other artists such as Chase & Status, most notably on the 2009 top ten single 'End Credits'.
Wow...what an absolute masterpiece
After releasing several mix tapes, Plan B reached mediocre success with his debut hip-hop rap album ‘Who Needs Actions When You’ve Got Words’ which came in no 30 on the UK Charts in 2006 - definitely another underrated album of his but due to it not being very ‘pop’ that’s probably why it didn’t receive as much critical acclaim and airplay as his second album ‘The Defamation of Strickland Banks’ - and wow...what an absolute masterpiece - in every sense of the word! The whole album is flawless and it flows to create a whole narrative about a character ‘Strickland Banks’ who has been falsely charged of a crime within a sexual nature against a groupie - a crime he did not commit.
The album takes you through start to finish of the events in which the story behind the defamation of a fictional sharp-suited British soul singer, who finds fame with bitter-sweet love songs like the album's opener ‘Love Goes Down’. From going on a night-out, meeting a girl (‘Stay Too Long’), having a one-night stand, said girl being in love with the singer then gets envious, he wants nothing else as he has a partner at home (‘She Said’). The groupie feels used, and reports him to the police - and due to him being a successful artist he has a reputation on the line that he needs to protect and a life that could be ruined beyond measure. That is exactly what happens.
He goes to prison (‘Welcome to Hell’), battles with his mental health (‘Hard Times’) becomes outcasted (‘The Recluse’) then is given an ultimatum to kill someone, or to be killed (‘Traded in my Cigarettes’). Long story short, someone serving a life sentence saves him and takes the blame for him (‘Prayin’). He then gets extremely paranoid in prison (‘Darkest Place’) and the album closes off with awaiting the verdict; a mystery of whether he truly did get sent down for a crime he did not commit (‘What You Gonna Do?’).
The Butterfly Effect eh...
The way the album reflects the story in the music videos; the sex was consensual, but after he got what he wanted, he wasn’t that interested - and that’s where it backfired for him. The Butterfly Effect eh.. Imagine had that one thing not happened how different your life may have been. In an interview with Thomas H Green for the Art Desk Plan B confesses, “The story of ‘The Defamation of Strickland Banks’ reminded me a little of the Bob Dylan song ‘Hurricane’ about the boxer, Rubin Carter, who was convicted of a murder he's always claimed he didn't commit.”
You follow his path through prison and the struggles he faces in prison ‘The Recluse’ and ‘Darkest Place’ and where he kills someone to survive, and someone else takes the blame in ‘Traded In My Cigarettes’ and ‘Prayin’. The older I get the more I appreciate this album and the more I appreciate Plan B as an artist, his creativity and artistry as a whole.
Drew said that he had taken time off from the music industry to focus on fatherhood
On May 18, 2017, Drew released his first single in five years titled 'In the Name of Man' and announced that he had been in the studio recording an album via Twitter. The album, Heaven Before All Hell Breaks Loose, was released on April 13, 2018. This album is a lot less hip-hop orientated than his first two albums; this album is rather contemporary - definitely an ocean apart from his original works - it seems somewhat experimental.
Drew said that he had taken time off from the music industry to focus on fatherhood, and also to connect with friends and family he says he felt alienated from after the release of Ill Manors. "I felt spiritually lost at the end of Ill Manors. I hadn’t seen my family, really, since 2009. Certain friendships were just completely dissolving. I’d always felt like I was fighting to be taken seriously, fighting for recognition, and suddenly I had it all, and I thought, ‘Shit, I’ve got nothing to fight for.'"
Ben Drew clearly felt established enough to be able to take a step back out of the industry and come back re-invented with a new experimental style, but why is no one speaking about this definitive album anymore? An absolutely incredible concept album which engagingly carries you alongside his character, through the events of a life destroying and soul crushing moment that is sure to tip anyone’s life upside down. Not to forget Plan B’s unreal falsetto vocals on the ‘She Said’ chorus. What a man. What an album.
