The Edge’s Top Albums of 2011: #3

Metronomy — The English Riviera

Released 11th April 2011, Because Music

Number 3 on The Edge‘s Top Albums of 2011 list is the third studio album by English electropop band Metronomy, The English Riviera. Released in April, the album peaked at number 17 on the UK Albums Chart.

Statistics:

Included in the top-ten lists of 31% of contributors
Of those, 38% ranked the album in their top three
Ranked the album of the year by one contributor

Review by Phoebe Cross, reader (ranked the album #1):

It was impossible for any album other than this to be the soundtrack to my summer. Metronomy’s third album lives up to its title by transporting you to a surprisingly pleasant-sounding English south-west coast (check out the music video for ‘The Bay’). Full of solid rhythms interspersed with quirky synths and a general feel-good vibe, this is electro indie at its best, with a notable favourite track being ‘The Look’. Lead singer Joe Mount’s songwriting and production skills are certainly impressive, and the band are pretty hot live too! With skilful bass player Gbenga Adelekan, Oscar Cash on keyboard and sax, along with Anna Prior on drums, what’s not to love?

Review by Matt Wimsett, reader (ranked the album #4):

Starting from 31st January with a free download of lead single ‘She Wants’, the new era of Metronomy resulted in an album containing all the fun of their 2008 release Nights Out, but with a new stylish attitude. Slick self-production from frontman and writer Joe Mount, funky bass lines, handclaps, and even a few toots of a saxophone give just a sense of the diversity of this Mercury Prize-nominated LP. Later singles ‘The Look’, ‘The Bay’ and ‘Everything Goes My Way’ have maintained strong radio play throughout 2011, while the album tracks vary from the slow gliding gondola ride ‘Trouble’ to the frantic synth-laden ‘Corinne’, evoking memories of past up-tempo singles like ‘My Heart Rate Rapid’. Since their 1999 origins The English Riviera is Metronomy’s best album yet, having discovered that holy grail of the indie world — their ‘sound’. Here’s to plenty more organ solos and a similarly melodic, hypnotic and… metronic 2012.

Other accolades: