10 Most Unappreciated Indie Rock Albums Of The 2000s

3. Babyshambles - Down In Albion

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pOpz_3O5Lho After the inevitable demise of the Libertines in the mid-2000's, band leaders Pete Doherty and Carl Barat went their separate ways to pursue success on their own terms. While Barat's Dirty Pretty Things were generally praised by the music press, the critics took less kindly to Doherty's new ramshackle group of merry men Babyshambles when they released their first record Down In Albion in 2005. A surprisingly positive review from Pitchfork aside, the album sold well but was unfairly lambasted by the majority of music publications because of its messy and unpolished sound. In actual fact the record is one of the the best indie records to be spawned from the noughties because it refuses to be anything but the wild beast that it is. The whole thing is devoid from any sort of blemish remover, instead it remains uneven even in the most sedate instances like the dreamy atmospherics of 'The Loyalty Song' which are offset by cold, dank production or the gorgeously crafted 'Albion' clashing with lyrical mistiming. These little slip-ups help the songs to flow more naturally and pure at the expense of some touch-ups. Key examples of this and overall highlights include the almost shambolic gem 'F**k Forever' (one of Doherty's best ever vocal performances), the close to terrible but ultimately brilliant '32nd Of December' and the vocally fragile but musically brutish energy of '8 Dead Boys', examples of just how good the band are at playing two negatives off against each other to conjure up something unconventionally brilliant. The album's production comes courtesy of Mick Jones of Clash fame and even a seasoned pro like him couldn't get the band as focused as he wanted. There's a lurking feeling when listening to this that there's something not quite right which makes the listening experience even more curious. Libertines did great things but it has to be said that Babyshambles's work on Down In Albion is right up there with the best of them.