The Avalanches debut, and so far only, album was released almost 11 years ago. Yes, that long ago. I thought I'd review it anyway, mostly because it's one of my favourite albums of all time, but also because I'm still holding out hope that they'll eventually release a second album (which in this case is definitely going to be a difficult second album).

The great thing about this album is that it's like going on a journey. Every song blends seamlessly with the next, yet each has a distinct style, beat and tone. From the half melancholy, half upbeat opener Since I Left You, to the urgent, desperate Flight Tonight, and of course the downright weird Frontier Psychiatrist, each track stands on it's own. That said, the best way to listen to them is still by listening to the entire album at once. According to Robbie Chater, it's the story of...

"an international search for love from country to country. The idea of a guy following a girl around the world and always being one port behind." [via Pitchfork]

The inspired sampling process used during the creation of this masterpiece is probably the reason it sounds so unique, and it's definitely the reason that no other album has come out like it. Getting the rights clearance to use all these song and film samples must have taken ages, and it'll have definitely had a nice fat financial cost. It would've been interesting to hear the album before they altered it for rights purposes, and how different it sounded. Apparantly, it had an entirely different intro.

The fact that this album still stands above so many others released today is testament to the quality and specialness of it. It's a one-of-a-kind album, and I doubt it could be repeated (even by The Avalanches themselves).