10. Dirty Pretty Things – Waterloo to Anywhere (Mercury)

For someone who hated The Libertines, this may be an odd choice; in fact I could possibly be the only person in the country to find any merit in this album.
With Pete Doherty living up to the reputation of freakshow junky and supermodel love interest given him by the tabloid press, Carl Barat did the right thing, dusted himself down and got a band together. What with Gary Powell (drums) and Anthony Rossomando (guitar) already being in the Libertines at some point, this is Barat continuing what they started syringe free.

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10. Ed Harcourt – The Beautiful Lie

A steady downturn in commercial fortune for Ed doesn’t seem at all fair considering every album betters the one before it. ‘The Beautiful Lie’ like ‘Strangers’, showcases some of his finest material, lyrically fascinating and musically stunning, he uses his influences wisely and respectfully. This 70’s nod to Brian Wilson being something to be very proud of indeed.

Standout Track – Braille

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