Saturday 15th October is National Album Day, this year celebrating seminal debuts. We take a look at some of the best records being reissued for the day.
alt-J – An Awesome Wave
This one certainly made waves when it was released back in 2012. The debut studio album by the self-proclaimed ‘folk-step’ band. It debuted in the top 20 of the UK Albums Chart and features the songs ‘Matilda’ and ‘Breezeblocks’.
Black Sabbath – Black Sabbath
Debut studio album by the English rock band, originally released in 1970. This album is widely regarded as the first in the heavy metal genre, earning it’s spot on our Album Day re-issue top picks.
Supergrass – I Should Coco
Tearing by at a breakneck speed, I Should Coco is the spectacularly eclectic debut by Supergrass. At the time of release, back in 1995, the band were barely out of their teens. The unbridled energy of the album illustrates an eclectic knowledge of their genre and pays respect to their predecessors. Supergrass treat the Buzzcocks, the Beatles, Elton John, David Bowie, Blur, and Madness as if they were all the same thing — they don’t make any distinction between what is cool and what isn’t, they just throw everything together.
This 1LP reissue remaster includes, the jittery “Caught by the Fuzz” which slams next to the music hall rave-up “Mansize Rooster,” the trippy psychedelia of “Sofa (Of My Lethargy)”, the heavy stomp of “Lenny,” and the bona fide teen anthem “Alright.”
I Should Coco is the sound of adolescence, but performed with a surprising musical versatility that makes the record’s exuberant energy all the more infectious.
The National – The National
The National’s self-titled debut album marks the start point for one of the best bands of a generation. Released in 2001, The National landed two years after they formed and came during a time when they were having to juggle band life with full-time jobs. And while nods to the alt rock artists that inspired them (Pavement, Silver Jews) can be heard, so too are the beginnings of something all their own – Matt Berninger’s stunning and unexpected lyrics being pinned to melodies that stop you in your tracks.
