10 Massively Underrated Albums From The 2000s

10. Art Brut - Bang Bang Rock And Roll (2005)

Art Brut released their first album Bang Bang Rock and Roll in 2005 when British indie-rock was coming to the peak of its popularity, however if anything they’re more vital than ever now. Perhaps the band were ahead of their time or perhaps they’ve gone on to influence the boom of modern British indie punk, but regardless Art Brut are sorely underrated.

Bang Bang Rock and Roll saw Art Brut cleverly jab at the music industry and how serious it had all become and with three chords and a whole load of attitude wrote the prototype for what bands like IDLES would come to popularise. Full of clever observations, brilliant one liners (like “We're gonna be the band that writes the song that makes Israel and Palestine get along”) and sweet optimism, the band embodied the best of British attitude.

Art Brut should have been massive and they probably know this however when the album came out in 2005, people wanted their British poetry in the form of Arctic Monkeys and the consequent bloated rock of Radiohead, Franz Ferdinand and The Fratellis. Nothing will take away the brilliance of Bang Bang Rock and Roll though, give it a listen, hear their rants and listen to the sweet simplicity that comes with being that smart.