The Album Files

"Neutral Milk Hotel’s second and final album, In the Aeroplane Over the Sea (1998), is an indie rock cult classic, a weird and wonderful journey through the mind of a reclusive genius, and an album that’s as provocative as it is intriguing. Sonically it’s rough and unpolished; lyrically it’s largely impenetrable and often unsettling. Ultimately, this is a fascinating and important piece of art and one that’s deserving of all the attention it’s received in the past quarter century." - Matthew

Thank you so much for listening to this episode of the Album Files! We will be back in two weeks to discuss Abby's pick: Prelude to Ecstasy by The Last Dinner Party. Next week we will have a special episode about Lizzy McAlpine's Older

We'd love to hear your thoughts, if you want to send us a voice memo to include in the show you can find our social media links below.

What we've been listening to lately...

"Before the Taylor Swift and Kanye West collabs, Bon Iver's debut album is an insular, inward-looking reflection on its frontman Justin Vernon, originally intended as a demo before going on to sell in its hundreds of thousands and birthing a new generation of singer-songwriter. It's a fascinating record not just because of what it says but what it doesn't - and the considerable mythology behind it." -Iain

Thank you so much for listening to this episode of the Album Files! We will be back in two weeks to discuss Matt's pick: In the Aeroplane Over the Sea by Neutral Milk Hotel.

We'd love to hear your thoughts, if you want to send us a voice memo to include in the show you can find our social media links below.

What we've been listening to lately...

For this episode, we asked our listeners for their suggestions of albums that are worth listening to. The three that we landed on were Japanese Breakfast's Jubilee (suggested by Escape Collective member jlb1705), Alt-J's An Awesome Wave (suggested by Brooke Lendvay), and Camp Cope's How to Socialise and Make Friends (suggested by Andy Gerrie).

We had a blast listening to all three and as always are super grateful you all listen to this podcast, it means the world to us.

We will be back in two weeks to discuss Iain's pick: For Emma, Forever Ago by Bon Iver.

We'd love to hear your thoughts, if you want to send us a voice memo to include in the show you can find our social media links below.

What we've been listening to lately...

"Apart from that I love it, and in a lot of ways it was the first album that I fell in love with without influence from my family, it also feels weirdly “too close” in the current political climate. John Colapinto of Rolling Stone wrote about the album that it "gives voice to the disenfranchised suburban underclass of Americans who feel wholly unrepresented by the current leadership of oilmen and Ivy Leaguers, and who are too smart to accept the "reality" presented by news media who sell the government's line of fear and warmongering." And If that’s not the world we are living in now…It was an album that changed me as a person, a freshman in high school in a lot of ways discovering who I was for the first time, this album became my anthem for a time and was the soundtrack behind a new version of myself and my departure from youth." -Abby

Thank you so much for listening to this episode of the Album Files! We will be back in two weeks to discuss the latest round of listener picks: Japanese Breakfast's Jubilee (suggested by jlb1705), Alt-J's An Awesome Wave (suggested by Brooke Lendvay), and Camp Cope's How to Socialise and Make Friends (suggested by Andy Gerrie).

We'd love to hear your thoughts, if you want to send us a voice memo to include in the show you can find our social media links below.

What we've been listening to lately...

"Meat Loaf’s ‘Bat out of Hell’ holds a special place in my heart. It’s an album I grew up listening to and one that, decades later, still delights me every time I put it on. It’s an album that has everything from nine-minute self-contained mini rock operas, all the way across the spectrum to the most beautiful ballads you’re likely to hear. It’s a wild and bombastic ride and one that, almost 50 years since it was released, still has plenty to offer the listener." - Matt

Thank you so much for listening to this episode of the Album Files! We will be back in two weeks to discuss Abby's pick: American Idiot by Green Day.

We'd love to hear your thoughts, if you want to send us a voice memo to include in the show you can find our social media links below.

What we've been listening to lately...

For our final episode of the year, we revealed our Wrapped/Replay/Iain's concoction of music to each other. Matt broke down all the stats from our albums throughout the year, and we talked about some albums we are excited about in 2024.

Our next episode coming in January will feature Matt's pick of Bat Out of Hell, the debut album by Meat Loaf.

"The Scottish group There Will Be Fireworks is one of the less well-known artists we've covered on the podcast, working without a label and juggling the demands of day-jobs and lives outside of music. Summer Moon, the band's third album – and first in a decade –  made an enormous impression on me when it was released in November and I've spent the last few weeks with the band's skilful blend of indie rock, post-rock, emo and folk. At its core, I think it's a hugely emotionally resonant listen, grappling with nostalgia for the past and hope for the future." - Iain

Thank you so much for listening to this episode of the Album Files! We will be back next week for a year end wrap up episode. We'd love to hear your thoughts, if you want to send us a voice memo to include in the show you can find our social media links below.

What we've been listening to lately...

"Lana Del Rey, in my opinion, changed female-led pop in the music industry with her release of Born To Die in 2012. Listening to it now, you can hear how she influenced a handful of today's biggest pop stars and even though the album has some...flaws....I still enjoy listening to it today. Personally, I discovered Del Rey when the rest of the world did- via YouTube. Her whole aesthetic captivated a 21-year-old Abby and became part of my personality. I was really excited to put this album before Matt and Iain to see what they thought of an artist that continues to break the mould." -Abby

Thank you so much for listening to this episode of the Album Files! We will be back in two weeks to talk about Iain's pick Summer Moon by There Will Be Fireworks, please listen along! We'd love to hear your thoughts, if you want to send us a voice memo to include in the show you can find our social media links below.

What we've been listening to lately...

"The journey that Kendrick Lamar takes us on with this album is one that, for me at least, was unsettling to begin with. His lived experience is worlds away from mine, and listening to this album felt like I was stepping into a world where I didn’t belong. But in time I’ve come to appreciate that experience – this is a fascinating glimpse into a different universe, fashioned with great care and craftsmanship, and an album that rewards repeat (and attentive) listens." - Matt

Thank you so much for listening to this episode of the Album Files! We will be back in two weeks to talk about Abby's pick Born to Die by Lana Del Rey, please listen along! We'd love to hear your thoughts, if you want to send us a voice memo to include in the show you can find our social media links below.

What we've been listening to lately...

"In 2007, the little-known French band Alcest released an album that would go on to be one of the founding texts of an entire genre, blackgaze. A melding of black metal and shoegaze, this album - Souvenirs d'un autre monde - is, 15 years later, still surprising in its delicacy and beauty, filled with childhood visions of fairy kingdoms. It was a gateway into a whole new musical world for me, so I was excited to take The Album Files on this journey." -Iain

"Most musicians evolve as they mature, shedding the trappings of their earlier work to venture out in search of new challenges, and new sounds. Few popular artists embody this journey quite like Post Malone. After breaking out in the mid-2010s as part of the Soundcloud hip-hop movement, Malone’s more recent works show him embracing a wide array of influences, not just those that sparked his earliest releases. His latest album, “Austin”, shows just how far he’s come from those early hip-hop stylings. Sure, the hip-hop flavours are still there at times, but this is a more of a pop record than anything else. It’s also his most introspective, vulnerable, and honest work to date, and arguably his most compelling." -Matt

Thank you so much for listening to this episode of the Album Files! We will be back in two weeks to talk about Abby's pick One Foot In Front Of The Other by Griff, please listen along! We'd love to hear your thoughts. 

What we've been listening to lately...

"After really enjoying a couple of albums by The War on Drugs, their latest didn't really connect for me in quite the same way, for reasons I couldn't really put my finger on - even if all the ingredients seem to be there, from the warm atmospherics to the stirring melodies. So instead of sharing an album I loved, I wanted to share one that I liked, to spend more time with it and see if I could change my own mind." -Iain

Thank you so much for listening to this episode of the Album Files! We will be back in two weeks to talk about Matt's pick Austin by Post Malone, please listen along! We'd love to hear your thoughts.

What we've been listening to lately...

For our first episode back we dust off the cobwebs by chatting about what we've been listening to over the break before diving into Taylor Swift's Speak Now (Taylor's Version).

Thank you so much for listening to the Album Files podcast! In the next episode, we will chat about Iain's latest pick I Don't Live Here Anymore by The War on Drugs.

What we've been listening to lately...

"From the first time I heard this album I was obsessed with it. Months after hearing it I found I kept coming back, whenever I was in need of some good vibes. Although it's not as deep as some of the albums Matt and Iain have suggested or as adventurous, I felt there were elements of this album that would spur discussion, but I also hoped this album and First Aid Kit's other would bring others happiness when listening, so mostly I just wanted to force people to hear it. I hope it brightens your day as much as it did mine." -Abby

Thank you so much for listening to this first season of the Album Files! We will be back later in the Summer to talk about Taylor Swift's Speak Now (Taylor's Version) and more music we listened to over the break.

What we've been listening to lately...

"From the moment I first heard this record (late at night in a dark, suburban lounge room) I was entranced. The beauty and the chaos; the light and shade; the juxtaposition of spoken-word recordings and heartfelt musicianship – 'Slow Riot' still has so much to offer 25 years after it was recorded. More than just about anything else I've heard, this EP is a journey, and a mesmerising one at that."

- Matt

"Through his vast, diverse discography, I never really felt like I understood Sufjan Stevens – he was an enigmatic figure hidden behind other people’s stories. With his 2015 album Carrie & Lowell, that all changed. The album is a shockingly candid collection of songs about his harrowing upbringing, and the troubled relationship with a mother that would repeatedly abandon him throughout his childhood. This album is remarkable not just for its music, but for its intense humanity – the forgiveness, the longing, the shame, and the acceptance he navigates. This was a surprisingly emotional one for all of us, and I’m glad to put this beautiful, sad album in front of more people." - Iain

"After a few heavy albums, it felt right to me to pick something I can't help but dance to. I find this album sounds, to me, like a love letter. A plea to put our phones down and connect with the people around us. Plus, Matty Healy's questionable personality on and off the stage I think gives us something a bit extra to talk about." -Abby

Episode 11 features Iain's pick: Sufjan Steven's Carrie & Lowell

What we've been listening to lately...

"Few Australian bands were as big as Silverchair in the 1990s and 2000s and no Silverchair album was more important than Diorama. An evolution from the trio's earlier, grungier works, Diorama was a fascinating, meandering journey through a fantastical dreamworld conjured up by frontman-genius Daniel Johns. It's an album that meant a lot to me when it came out, and listening to it again 20 years on, I'm delighted to discover that it holds up remarkably well." - Matt

Episode 10 features Abby's pick: Being Funny in a Foreign Language by The 1975.

What we've been listening to lately...

A warning: This episode discusses suicide.

"Scottish band Frightened Rabbit’s breakout album, Midnight Organ Fight (2008), has had an enduring legacy. It’s been described as 'an album about breaking-up and fucking up', and one of the greatest break-up albums of recent times, and it is that – but there’s much more to it. At its core it’s a showcase of songwriter Scott Hutchison’s self-awareness and journey towards acceptance in the midst of personal turmoil, set to deceptively upbeat indie rock with a heartfelt performance. It’s not always a happy album and it is trailed by tragedy, but its journey is a worthwhile and important one." - Iain

Episode 9 features Matt's pick: Silverchair's Diorama

What we've been listening to lately...

This week we were really excited to feature three albums suggested by listeners! We pulled three albums out of a kid's helmet and each of us picked one to dig into. Hope you enjoy and thank you so much for your suggestions.

Episode 8 features Iain's pick The Midnight Organ Fight by Frightened Rabbit.

What we've been listening to lately...

"2020 was a transformative year for me in terms of music. In a year when I had a lot of free time I started to dive into new music and the year I really discovered Jack Antonoff. When digging through Jack's history I found Fun., a band he was part of for a few years, and discovered I had heard a few songs but not the whole Some Nights album. I wanted to revisit the album with this podcast and see if it holds up because when I first heard it I thought it was quite amazing." - Abby

Episode 7 features three listener suggested albums. Neil Young's On The Beach, The XX's The XX, and Rachel Kann's Ptolemaic Complex.

What we've been listening to lately...

“They say not to judge a book by its cover but what about an album? It was the busy, fascinating album cover of Jackson Jackson’s 2007 debut, The Fire is on the Bird, that first caught my attention. The album itself turned out to be one of the most interesting and eclectic recordings I’d ever heard. I’ve enjoyed it ever since, but I know it’s as challenging a record as it is interesting. All of which makes it perfect fodder for discussion on The Album Files.” - Matt

"I chose the Guillemots' debut album, Through the Windowpane, for this episode. An eclectic offering from 2006, there's a daring sense of adventure to this, and a personal connection through what it represented to me at the time. It's also a journey – a messy, chaotic and beautiful one." -Iain

Stay up to date and listen to Matt's pick before episode 5: Jackson Jackson's The Fire Is on the Bird

PLUS for episode 7 we will do our first listener-suggested episode! Tweet at us @TheAlbumFiles and let us know what you want us to listen to. 

What we've been listening to lately...

Abby's pick for episode three is Little Simz's Sometimes I Might Be Introvert and Iain and Matt have some thoughts. And for episode four make sure to listen to Iain's pick Through the Windowpane by Guillemots. 

What we've been listening to...