National Album Day: Yard Act, Hot Chip and Nova Twins pick their favourite debut albums

To celebrate this year’s National Album Day theme, UK artists tell Megan Graye about the debut albums that made them fall in love with music

(Press images )

Today celebrates National Album Day, and this year will be highlighting the theme of Debut Albums.

Founded in 2018, National Album Day is an annual event that encourages music fans to celebrate the traditional format.

Previous themes have included Women in Music and the 1980s. This year’s theme will seek to showcase a broad range of first album releases across multiple genres and decades – many of which have gone on to become classics.

Organisers have also put together a series of special products, events and ambassadors to raise awareness of the occasion. 2022 ambassadors include Scottish indie-rock act Franz Ferdinand, BRIT-nominated rapper and musician KSI, Liverpudlian alternative-rock band The Mysterines, Eurovision 2022 runner-up Sam Ryder and acclaimed indie-folk trio The Staves.

This year, the event has teamed up with broadcast partner BBC Sounds and audio partner Bowers & Wilkin.

To celebrate the theme, The Independent spoke with a number of artists to find out which debuts they believe rank among the greatest ever released.

James Smith, Yard Act

Arctic Monkeys - Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not

“For a long time I don’t think I realised how important this record was to me. Recently I rediscovered it after a long time away and the place it immediately took me back to was quite overwhelming. No one else articulated the beauty of growing up in the mid 2000s as a suburban northerner, or even the beauty of growing up, quite like Alex Turner did. It wasn’t just placeholder references to the tropical reefs and trackie bottoms of the time, it was a reminder that life as we knew it was actually alright. In fact, it could often be beautiful, even when it felt like all we were doing was going round in circles and drinking ourselves to death.”

Yard Act (Phoebe Fox - Press image )

Phem

Radiohead: Pablo Honey

“Every song is memorable and gets stuck in your head. It’s a perfect blend of sonic aggression and lonely nostalgia of memories passed. A soundtrack for growing up and heartache.”

Grandson

The Notorious B.I.G.: Ready To Die

“Too many to count… But the greatest debut album of all time is Ready To Die by The Notorious B.I.G. Biggie’s first album is just…him. It’s the rare combination of supernatural talent with rhyming and songwriting that meets an incredible and compelling life story. Huge timeless singles, deep album cuts, the biggest underdog story, sex, violence, drug dealing, police brutality, even mental health with “Suicidal Thoughts”. I couldn’t get enough of this album growing up. It’s like when superhuman natural athleticism meets an insatiable work ethic in a generational athlete.”

KSI

Bryson Tiller: Trapsoul

“R&B classic. The perfect music to vibe to on long drives on the A41/M1.”

Angus Rogers, Opus Kink

Leonard Cohen: Songs of Leonard Cohen

“At this moment in time I’ll say my favourite debut album is Leonard Cohen’s Songs of Leonard Cohen. Aside from all the classics contained therein I like the idea of a stiff-collared poet in his thirties releasing this album on a whim to try and make a bit of cash, with all of that mind-bendingly beautiful and terrible life in music still to come."

girli

Charli XCX: True Romance

“Charli XCX’s debut album was a very important album for me. I was 15, music and bands were my entire world, and I came across this album. I heard the song “You (Ha Ha Ha)” and the attitude and the sass, mixed with an unapologetic vulnerability completely gripped me. It spoke to me in ways other artists hadn’t before and it really influenced the first music I made in my first band, and very early on as GIRLI.”

GIRLI (press image )

Lauran Hibberd

Weezer: Blue

"Weezer’s Blue album IS the reason I make music. It’s untouchable. I became obsessed when I was 18 – even though it got stuck in the CD port on my first car, I still never got tired of listening to it. It’s for the opposite of cool people and that’s what makes it so cool.”

The Staves

Fleet Foxes: Fleet Foxes

“It seemed to me that the Fleet Foxes’ eponymous debut album was shrouded in mystery - partly because of the album cover (the painting ‘Netherlandish Proverbs’ (1559) by Bruegel the Elder). It appeared to be some sort of forgotten classic, uncovered only now. Sonically it evoked a sense of voyage and pilgrimage, and journeying to some far off place; the hues and historic qualities of that ambiguous cover art somehow reflected in the music and lyrics. Yet, it still felt modern. Something new. Actually what was happening was that a group of men from Seattle, around my age, were singing harmonies with acoustic guitars, seemingly influenced by the bands that influenced us (namely Crosby, Stills & Nash, Paul Simon and the Beach Boys),and that the sound they were making was connecting with a huge audience. I remember first hearing Fleet Foxes in my first year of university when I was finding myself as a songwriter, and we were still finding ourselves as a band and it gave me hope, not to mention inspiration, and it made me feel less alone.”

Laura Mvula

Michael Jackson: Off The Wall

“This album set a precedent for the flourishing of black popular music. It defined an era.”

Laura Mvula (Press image )

Felix Martin (Hot Chip)

Aphex Twin: Selected Ambient Works 85-92

“My favourite debut album is Selected Ambient Works 1 by Aphex Twin, which was released in 1992 on R&S Records. It’s a brilliant album from start to finish and had a big impact on myself and a lot of the rest of the band and our contemporaries. It has a simple but unique sound which blends deeply emotional, almost spiritual feeling with sparse and devastating electronic arrangements.”

Nova Twins

Justin Timberlake: Justified

“This debut had all the bangers on it. The album’s overall sound was that classic The Neptunes production, every instrument recorded was purposeful with interesting textures, which left the music catchy and phat. Justin had killer vocal layers on top, so everything was a hook. There is a documentary on how Justified was made and it’s a great watch. They seem like they had a lot of fun in the studio and this really comes across in the record.”

Nova Twins (Frederica Burelli - press image )

Theon Cross

Mos Def - Black On Both Sides

“I’ve chosen this album because it’s one of my favourite hip-hop records. I remember listening to it often as I started to get into more lyrical hip-hop in my teenage years. The beats are legendary and the features from Busta Rhymes and Talib Kweli are some of my favourite collaborations in rap.”

Jack Martin, Walt Disco

Kate Bush: The Kick Inside

“This album is so unbelievable. Such a clearly defined vocal and musical personality right out of the gate; a stellar tracklist of beautifully written and produced songs with timeless classics amongst it, all done while she was a teenager - and I think they had to choose from something like 200 songs she’d written before being discovered. This is why Kate Bush is the best to ever do it.”

NOAHFINNCE

The Story So Far: Under Soil and Dirt

“My favourite debut album has to be Under Soil and Dirt by The Story So Far because it’s full of exactly what every angsty person needs. I fell in love with the scrappy guitars and the way Parker writes lyrics; “Roam” was also the first song I ever crowdsurfed for.”

Sinead O’Brien

Bjork: Debut

If you had asked me last year the answer would have been different. This year, something about Bjork’s music connected with me on a deep level. It fits. I took a deep dive back to the beginning and found Debut. Over a series of works and eras, Bjork has developed and expanded her music and identity; the creator and characters who write the songs, the worlds and immersive environments which hold the songs. Debut - of course was the first imprint and a mark which has had a truly unique and lasting impact on music since it hit in 1993. My favourite tracks are “Violently Happy” and “Human Behaviour” but “Venus as a Boy” and “Big Time Sensuality” are equally important and vital on the album. The introduction of storytelling on top of these beats and her signature sort of off-kilter arrangements are first heard here. The album is such an exciting statement of intent and in retrospect it did lay the groundwork for what unfolded for Bjork. I like to think of the album in the context of its release during the era of grunge and britpop. The jazz, modern electronic and classical influences blended with Bjork’s melodies and narrative really didn’t sit alongside anything else - and definitely didn’t reference what her peers were doing. She followed her own voice and instinct from the beginning. This is what I really love and find genuinely inspiring about Debut.”

Sinead O’Brien (Press image )

Bob Vylan

Nas: Illmatic

"My favourite debut album ever made is Nas’ Illmatic. It’s the perfect album, the way it blends soulful rap production with a birds eye view recounting inner city living. It’s a timeless album that still holds up 28 years later and will hold up 28 years from now."

Steve Garrigan, Kodaline

The Killers: Hot Fuzz

“I’ve yet to come across a debut album like Hot Fuss by The Killers with so many timeless crowd pleasing anthems on it. The wall of sound, the synths, the melodies, the Americana feel. The Killers at the time seemed to come out of nowhere, but everyone was singing along and they still do. Those songs will last forever.”

Anna B Savage

Coldplay: Parachutes

“I’m repeatedly reminded it’s not cool to work in music and be a Coldplay fan, but here I am. Parachutes is one of my favourite albums of all time and has been since I first heard it aged nine. It’s built up of contradictions; at once optimistic and melancholy, expansive and intimate, meandering and pointed, and heartfelt and… quite creepy. Its component parts set it up to be impenetrable and unpopular: melodies span every corner of Martin’s vast range, only two songs clock in at under four minutes, bridges which morph into alternate choruses, and strange guitar tunings rendering many songs unplayable to most. As a songwriter revisiting this album a few times a year it has been extremely vindicating to be reminded that such strange songs live firmly in the canon. I feel similarly about “Bohemian Rhapsody” (or, most of Queen?), or “Hey Ya!”, or “God Only Knows”, or “Work It” (it’s backwards!). If we only wrote what would formulaically be ‘popular’ all our choruses would be single note melodies and no song would be longer than 3:30 and it gives me hope to know these truly weird songs are some of the best in the world. From the first crackly, crescendoing strum Parachutes puts an arm around you, encouraging you to share in its awkward and earnest moments. It’s given me immense joy to feel like a co-conspirator for the last twenty-two years.”

Pabllo Vittar

Bjork: Debut

“Debut by Bjork is my favourite debut album. The reason being is it changed the way I looked at music when I heard it for the first time, it was so different from anything I had heard to date!"

Charlie Wayne, Black Country, New Road

Modest Mouse: This Is A Long Drive For Someone With Nothing To Think About

“Picking a favourite debut album of all time is obviously an impossible task - I don’t know how any of the other contributors to this list have been able to come up with anything definitive. I certainly can’t. Saying that, I think the debut album that I’ve gotten the most enjoyment out of recently though would probably be This Is a Long Drive for Someone with Nothing to Think About by Modest Mouse. I only really got into Modest Mouse in a big way this year and I think their first four records are all amazing. The performances and production on This Is a Long Drive for Someone with Nothing to Think About are all wonderful - every song feels weirdly charged and erratic, like it’s all being held together by strings (some that are a bit too tight and some that are far too loose). It kind of captures all the feelings you get after five hours in the car: all claustrophobic, despondent and exhausted. It’s strange, quite sad, quite beautiful and really, really good to listen to in the car during any long, boring journey. It’s also a much more exciting place to start with their music than their most popular album Good News For People Who Love Bad News.

Black Country, New Road (Holly Whitaker - Press shot )

Dan Haggis, The Wombats

The Shins: Oh, Inverted World

“I discovered The Shins through a great film directed by Zach Braff called Garden State. Their song, “New Slang”, is featured in a scene and I immediately got this, their debut album, to find out who this band were. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve listened to its incredible melodies, cryptic, poetic lyrics and DIY-sounding production. The song writing, unique arrangements and the layers of innovative sound to dig through is so good and it has without doubt influenced my approach to music over the years. As with all albums that make a mark on you, this one takes me back to my student days in Liverpool every time I hear it. Do yourself a favour and go listen to it from start to finish now!”

Dodie

MIKA: Life In Cartoon Motion

“I have so many albums that changed my life! I’m not sure I’m able to pick a favourite - but one that was momentous was Life In Cartoon Motion by MIKA, released when I was 11 years old. There were so many voices and instruments - it felt exactly how the artwork looked; loud, busy, bursting with colour! I remember how it helped me to be more curious about the structure and theory behind the songs - why different chord changes made me feel a certain way and how I could recreate them. It was the first time I was recognising certain harmonies, giving them names and relating them back to moments in these songs.”

Porij

SOPHIE: OIL OF EVERY PEARLS UN-INSIDES

“SOPHIE’s debut album was earth shattering. Not an over statement. Her impact on the world of dance music was monumental and evident on numerous tracks she wrote and produced, both for herself and other artists. SOPHIE’s vision was perfectly distilled in her first (and tragically only) album OIL OF EVERY PEARLS UN-INSIDES. This album is beautifully well rounded. She creates sounds that are so saturated they overwhelm all your senses, in tracks like “Ponyboy” and “Faceshopping” and then she flips it and destroys you emotionally with delicate, heart wrenching moments in tracks like “Infatuation” and “Is It Cold In The Water?”. Her influence on production in the music industry was so innovative and wildly exciting - she will be sorely missed. Rest in Power.”

Johnny Took, DMA’s

The Stone Roses: The Stone Roses

“This album has been renowned as the gateway to the Britpop genre of the 90’s. It’s very likely that the genre wouldn’t exist without them, with bands like Blur and Oasis citing them as one of their major influences for starting their respective bands. My personal favourites off this record are “This Is The One”, “She Bangs The Drum” and “Waterfall” but you can’t pass the single “Made Of Stone” or “Fools Gold” which you would have heard on countless movie soundtracks over the years. I can safely say this album was a huge inspiration for me in my formative years, and I know it is still the reason many young bands are still forming today.”

DMAs (press image )

Dan Kjær Nielsen, Iceage

Baby Huey - The Baby Huey Story: The Living Legend

“One of my favourite albums of all time, this is Baby Huey’s first and only album, one that he didn’t even live to see the release of as he died from a heart attack in a Chicago hotel room before. It’s packed with soul and attitude and his voice wailing on tracks like hard times and running really sounds like he’s singing for and with his life, tearing at your heart and with a band so strong and energetic I can’t help but lose my sh**. The long psychedelic version of “A Change Is Going To Come” on here is one of the wildest rides and this whole album is an absolute masterpiece, what music to me is all about.”

Diarmuid Brennan, The Murder Capital

Animal Collective: Spirit They’ve Gone, Spirit They’ve Vanished

“Hearing Spirit They’ve Gone, Spirit They’ve Vanished felt like tapping into the frequency of a cosmic walkie-talkie and listening into the conversations from the telly in the background. I was instantly fascinated with Animal Collective. I’d never heard anything quite like this up to that point. The unconventional song structures and production, the synths and soundscapes that drives the record out into space in bursts of energy and delicate sweeps. The exploration is beautifully grounded in acoustic guitar, piano, drums and vocals which keeps the entirety of the record delicately between the ears. A smooth ride from beginning to end blending rhythms and dynamics along with erratic vocal deliveries - [it’s the] same buzz I’d get off the vocal screeches on Surfer Rosa by Pixies – that only compliment the swaying intensity of the acoustic guitars.”

Nic Blom, Ocean Alley

Black Sabbath: Black Sabbath

“Black Sabbath has to be my favourite debut album of all time. It was recorded in one 12 hour session with little to no overdubs, which is pretty crazy! I’ve always loved this record from start to finish. I think the eponymous track “Black Sabbath” is a perfect song to open a record with, it builds slowly and then finishes with such power and intensity. If you’ve never heard this record before you should definitely give it a listen!”

Franc Moody

Daft Punk: Homework

“Potentially the record that spawned the dance music culture we know today. All so mysterious still even now, both musically and as a project, two and a half decades on from when this record was released, those precious few video clips that lurk in dark corners of the internet of the early french rave scene are maybe the only thing to go by with what was influencing them at the time. They were using the studio in a totally different way and still there are so many sounds on this record that I can’t get my head around how they were made. A magic touch. Definitely a huge influence on Cassius’ 1999 album which is a close contender for favourite debut album! Favourite track: “Revolution 909”.”