Like any other self-respecting rock fan, I'm a firm believer in the importance of the album. A curated collection of nine to fifteen songs is surely a better way to explore a period of an artists' creative journey than a series of disjointed singles strategically released for maximum radio time. The excessively manufactured sound of chart music in my teen years grated on me, not only because I wasn't a fan of the music, but because of the industry's apparent focus on grabbing attention rather than intriguing or delighting.
At the other end of the spectrum is the concept album - a work so intent on intriguing that it devotes a full-length record to telling a brand new story or exploring a single idea in great depth. So, never shy to review and share my favourite music with you, I've compiled five concept albums that I think make the best use of that precious 40-60 minutes. I hope you'll listen along with me.
Clockwork Angels by Rush (2012)
Whether or not the idea originated there, classic rock is the spiritual home of the concept album. Narrative lyrics, an abundance of sci-fi fans and a penchant for long, multi-episode tracks make Prog Rock the perfect genre for records that explore a single story or setting. Rush's 21st Century output is far from their most popular era, but if you're a fan of their more famous concept album - 1976's 2112 - then their nineteenth and final record is well worth a listen.
The dystopia of Clockwork Angels is more steampunk than the space-age 2112, a move reflected in the heavy guitars and synth-shy mix of the more recent record. But familiar hallmarks of Rush prevail through the heavier sound. Clean guitars and soaring melodies represent the hopeful, ambitious voices rebelling against an indifferent, mechanical world that favours chuntering bass lines and walls of distorted guitar. The result is a sound at once radio friendly and deeply atmospheric, a combination especially evident on the album's leading singles - 'Caravan,' 'BU2B' and 'Headlong Flight.'
In every sense, this album is an epic. Sweeping strings on "Halo Effect" and "The Wreckers" make even the more intimate moments feel larger than life. And the lyrics tell a cohesive story, each song accompanied by a short passage in the liner notes of physical releases. While the world in which the album is set may be fantastical, the themes explored could not be more relevant - we are warned not to accept the world as it's presented, to be careful what we believe, and to and to respond to cruelty and misfortune with love rather than violence. A stunning, focused album that makes a fitting final gift to the world from one of its finest rock acts.
My highlights: Caravan, BU2B, The Wreckers, The Garden
Trench by Twenty One Pilots (2018)
Of the albums on this list, Trench definitely has the most comprehensive world to explore. From cryptic online clues before the album's release to the deep lore explored in the lyrics, Twenty One Pilots work hard to immerse listeners in the dystopian city that the record's characters are trying to escape.
On Blurryface - the band's breakthrough album and predecessor to this one - the sonic landscape is deliberately raw and frenetic, as doubts and stresses attack from all sides. The music of Trench, on the other hand, is maturely crafted and cleanly produced. Pilots' famous genre hopping is still present, but the focal point of the album's narrative blends them all into a cohesive sound. The echoing piano, the drum machines, the reggae guitars all march to the purposeful beat of the banditos' attempted escape.
Like Blurryface, this album explores themes of friendship, loyalty and the drive to overcome one's insecurities; but exploring them through this allegorical setting emphasises the universality of these ideas. The banditos are running through the valley of Trench from the prison city of Dema, a reference to the Zoroastrian Tower of Silence, where corpses are placed to be eaten by vultures. But they are not merely saving themselves from their own vultures, they are a supportive collective. "Though I'm far from home," goes the final track, 'Leave the City'. "In Trench I'm not alone." The journey to self-actualisation is fraught with peril, but we can make it together.
My highlights: Jumpsuit, Neon Gravestones, The Hype, Nico and the Niners
Broadsword and the Beast by Jethro Tull (1982)
I was introduced to this album by my dad, and no car journey with him is quite complete without it. Though reviewers weren't kind when the album was released, it's a particular favourite of ours, and we're in good company - Genesis guitarist Steve Hackett puts it at number 9 in his list of favourite Prog Rock albums.
Despite its mixed reception, frontman and flautist Ian Anderson believed this album to house some of the band's best music, and I have to agree. The melodies are compelling and full of imagination, and the 80s synth leads blend remarkably well with Jethro Tull's trademark folky sound. Broadsword is full of moments that I listen out for every time - from the close harmonies in verse 4 of 'Clasp' and the reversed clap sound on 'Fallen on Hard Times.'
So what makes it a concept album? There's no dystopian narrative here, though for folk-rock giants like Tull, a fantasy-adjacent nautical aesthetic is much more apt. It's perfect for exploring the album's themes, too. Despite the lack of story, the ten songs are connected by a desire for the romance of a life of adventure, expressed through maritime imagery. The title tracks 'Beastie' and 'Broadsword' - one upbeat, the other quiet and brooding - both ask for the strength to face our fears head on. "I see a dark sail on the horizon," sings Anderson on the latter track, but he will not back down. "Bring me my broadsword and clear understanding. Bring me my cross of gold as a talisman." Fan-folking-tastic.
Electra Heart by Marina and the Diamonds (2012)
From Ziggy Stardust to Sasha Fierce, character-based concept albums have been around quite as long as narrative or thematic ones, and Marina Diamandis' Electra Heart is an excellent example. Tongue firmly in cheek, she presents a brilliant pastiche of a materialistic wannabe popstar, each song like an entry in her diary that we cannot help but sing along to.
Marina has never been one for lyrical subtlety, but her persona's voice matches this directness perfectly. Through Electra's twisted desires, we see the hypocrisy of gender politics from a disturbingly innocent perspective. "I want to be a virgin pure / a 21st Century whore," she sings on 'Teen Idle'. "I want blood, guts and angel cake / I'm gonna puke it anyway." Electra is capricious, vindictive and vulnerable by turns. But who can blame her in a world that constantly betrays her sense of self?
The music is as much part of the pastiche as the lyrics. As James Christopher Monger says in his AllMusic review, "Diamandis is trying to expose the artifice of big-box pop music by using its own voice." Electra reveals her darkest secrets, and often contemplates her death on this album, yet the music is designed to keep us listening. Catchy rhythmic hooks and layered, Katy Perry-esque mixes will leave you wondering why choruses exploring mental illness and emotional manipulation are stuck inside your head. It's rare that a pop album with this much emotional depth is so accessible, and Electra Heart is a gift that gives more with every listen.
Psychodrama by Dave (2019)
Using a concept album to explore an artist's own life is not a new idea, but Dave's first full-length record is a veritable coming-of-age story in musical form. Starting with an exploration of his childhood environment ('Black', 'Streatham'), Psychodrama uses the framing device of a therapy session to explore what it means to be a young person of colour in 21st Century London. With the concise eloquence that we have come to expect from the Brit-Hop scene, Dave contemplates the incarceration of his brother ('Drama'), his own role in consumer culture ('Screwface Capital') and his transition from a working class London boy to an international music star.
Dave's use of double and triple meanings laced with contemporary pop culture references give the lyrics depth without slowing down a fast-paced, indelibly contemporary album. "Only Ls I'm hiding in my closet have a V after," he quips on 'Environment' - some people may be out to watch him fail ('L' meaning loss), but he always bounces back with a win (a 'v'). L and V together stand for Luis Vuitton, perhaps a reference to his rich lifestyle, or to his authenticity and lack of real secrets. From the deft but unassuming lyricism to the varied musical styles, it's no surprise that a debut album filled with so much musical nous earned Dave the Mercury Prize in 2019.
But for me, it's the collaborations where this album really shines - Dave understands the power of a second voice to deepen meaning. Ruelle's ethereal contribution to 'Lesley' solidifies a female presence in this story of an abusive relationship and lends a spine-tingling end to an already haunting track. Dave's back and forth with J Hus on 'Disaster' contrasts brilliantly with the alienating voice of the therapist and his forced optimism. The album even ends with the voice of Dave's brother, calling from a prison phone, truly driving home the reality that this stunning debut is all about.
My highlights: Black, Location, Lesley, Drama
