Badly Drawn Boy - Hour of the Bewilderbeast

My favourite album of the last decade was glaringly missing from all the 'best albums of the decade' yawn fests that I had scanned over toward the end of 2009. It is the Hour of the Bewilderbeast by Badly Drawn Boy (Damon Gough). Winner of the mercury music prize in 2000 (where he famously lost the cheque) and one of the most under rated albums of the last ten years. Featuring label mates Alfie and backed by Manchester band Doves on some tracks the album covers many genres with acoustic ballads reminiscent of Nick Drake(the shining), all out rockers(everybodies stalking and funky seventies disco rock (Disillusion). At first listen it is difficult ot pick up the flow as things drift along in a seemingly random order. After a few rewarding listens, everything clicks and makes sense.

He went on to soundtrack the film of Nick Hornby's - About a boy with similar creative flourish and some of his biggest hits. This however will always remain my favourite and one that I don't think he'll ever match.

Listen on Spotify

1. "The Shining" – 5:18


2. "Everybody's Stalking" – 3:39


3. "Bewilder" – 0:48


4. "Fall in a River" – 2:17


5. "Camping Next to Water" – 3:50


6. "Stone on the Water" – 3:58


7. "Another Pearl" – 4:27


8. "Body Rap" – 0:45


9. "Once Around the Block" – 3:44


10. "This Song" – 1:32


11. "Bewilderbeast" – 3:30


12. "Magic in the Air" – 3:43


13. "Cause a Rockslide" – 5:55


14. "Pissing in the Wind" – 4:19


15. "Blistered Heart" – 1:50


16. "Disillusion" – 5:19


17. "Say It Again" – 4:41


18. "Epitaph" – 3:50