XL Recordings announced a compilation titled Pay Close Attention to celebrate the label's 25 years in our ears, and the last 15 of those years have provided us with a shelf's worth of amazing music. Music Times looked through the imprint's release catalogue and chose ten albums that are most worth the purchase price.
Note that much of the label's earliest years were spent dedicated to the British rave scene, which often resulted in singles versus actual albums. By all means check out the XL Records "Chapter" series for a better look into that music.
10) Arular by M.I.A (2005)
M.I.A. has been pushing the world's buttons now for four albums, and every one has been via XL. Although she got mainstream attention for 2007's Kala, it was 2005's Arular that caught critics' ears and, by our estimation, hasn't been surpassed in terms of quality. The bigger the performer has become, the tougher it's been to take her revolutionary notions at face value but this album rings particularly sincere with all the same electro-world background music.
09) 21 by Adele (2011)
Adele is another perfumer who has thus far dropped all of her records via XL, a label that's evidently long gotten away from its rave past. The album has been one of the bestselling sets of the millennium, and proved that pop could be done without baring any midriffs or using any autotune. "Rolling In The Deep" and "Someone Like You" helped reap in the Grammy trophies for the performer as XL notched another champion performance on its belt.
08) Modern Vampires of The City by Vampire Weekend (2013)
One more performer that's dropped all of its record thus far on XL: Vampire Weekend. Every one of those releases has gathered critical acclaim but Modern Vampires of The City pushed that renown through the roof. It's difficult to find anyone who could badmouth the evolution of songwriter Ezra Koenig and his gang for this release. If this list gets made again for XL's 35th anniversary, don't be surprised if a few more listens causes this album to jump a few more spots.
07) The Hour of Bewilderbeast by Badly Drawn Boy (2000)
Perhaps an inspiration for the previous album, Badly Drawn Boy (the performance alias of Damon Gough) and The Hour of Bewilderbeast raised the question of just how much can a performer get away with in one song? It's a limit that the best have always been willing to push, from Brian Wilson to Kanye West, and Hough's experimentation goes way too far in the best kind of ways. It's the first XL release that would bring home a Mercury Prize, Britain's premier music award.
06) I'm New Here by Gil Scott-Heron (2010)
Gil Scott-Heron is among the foremost godfathers of what we call hip-hop, but his legacy looked to be marred permanently by jail time and drug problems late in his career. His first new work in 16 years, I'm New Here brought word of Scott-Heron to a generation that only new him from a Kanye West sample. The performer's voice wasn't up to spirited vocals of classics like "Comment No. 1," but his low, smoky tone carries the sound of someone who's seen it all and lived to tell about it. That's the essential experience of I'm New: He wasn't new at all.
05) In Rainbows by Radiohead (2007)
Radiohead had always been an uncomfortable listen, even if it was wonderful. The band decided to be decidedly pretty and melodic on In Rainbows however and introduced fans to a whole new side of the group. All of that was nearly overshadowed by the Radiohead's revolutionary sales method however: In Rainbows was released online only, giving fans the option of paying whatever they wanted for it. Some in the genius hailed it as the future of music retail while others lashed out, claiming it would doom smaller performers. It's better now that we can just listen.
04) xx by The xx (2009)
It's odd that a label so invested in the madness of the rave (xx was actually released on Young Turks, an imprint of XL) would find such success in an electronic act that made minimalism its weapon of choice. Subtlety is a trait that allows for more precision and every note on The xx's debut album seems perfectly placed. Another Mercury Prize winner for XL. We'll see if the group can ever live up to its debut, but it's certainly stayed consistent in the years since.
03) Boy In The Corner by Dizzee Rascal (2003)
The Streets have always, excuse us, benefitted by the fact that vocalist Mike Skinner has a British accent. Dizzee Rascal takes the same garage beats, which hail back to XL's electronic origins, and delivers gripping oratories that we would warmly embrace regardless of what accent he delivers them in. The album took home another Mercury Prize for the label and cemented Rascal as the finest rapper in UK history. It doesn't seem like much of a challenge but no one has come close since.
02) The Fat Of The Land by The Prodigy (1997)
The Prodigy was among the first acts signed to XL and it hit its peak with 1997's Fat of The Land. Entrenched in an electronic scene on the opposite end of the spectrum from The xx's minimalist approach, The Prodigy didn't stop at making chaotic music, also using the few lyrics uttered to stir things up further. "Smack My Bitch Up" created mosh pits at festivals and headaches at Parliament, where its lyrics were recited in censorship discussions. "Firestarter," perhaps the album's biggest hit, is also its least quality song.
01) White Blood Cells by The White Stripes (2001)
The best White Stripes album is a subject of argument among fans, but regardless of your choice, it was probably released on XL. Our choice, White Bloods Cells, was the first released by the British imprint and we feel it best defines the garage rock sound that has made Jack White the most acclaimed ambassador for the instrument in the new millennium. "Dead Leaves and The Dirty Ground" and "Fell In Love With A Girl" are just two of the great songs on an album that features 16 of 'em.
