DRONES - Wait Long By The River And The Bodies Of Your Enemies... 2LP

Double vinyl housed in gatefold sleeve.

It's a beautiful record, really. Whether a linguist would call them deceptively sloppy or deceptively tight I don't know, but they're certainly deceptive - the initial impression given is of a gloriously sloppy rock band, but with time it feels more like the kind of sloppiness that only comes with a lot of time spent playing together; the Drones are a wonderfully cohesive, tight group, which is maybe what makes the racket they produce so satisfying to listen to. Not every song is equally brilliant, but 2005's required listening should certainly include the two that stretch over 7 minutes, and song-of-the-year "Shark Fin Blues".

Originally released in 2005, it draws influence from the likes of Neil Young and The Birthday Party, though it has been described by lead singer/guitarist Gareth Liddiard (TFS) himself as a punk rock album. The lyrics, penned by Liddiard, deal with issues such as death, depression and alcoholism in its depiction of Australian working-class life. The album received critical acclaim upon release, regarded later on as the band's "break-out" and one of their most popular releases. In 2008, The Age ranked it the best Australian album of the 21st century. Three years later, the band's contemporaries and "industry experts" would vote it the 24th best Australian album of all time.