London Quireboys

This is going to sound crazy, but this comeback album from England's London Quireboys is one of my favourite albums of the year, and one of the best rock and roll albums to come out in a long time. This Is Rock 'N' Roll takes the gritty, dirty, melancholy pub rock of old, subtracts the distracting glam overtones and adds in a healthy dose of maturity. Vocalist Spike has one of the best whiskey-soaked voices around, belting out his tales of woe with enough emotion to keep naysayers quiet. Not unlike genre leaders the Black Crowes, the rockers here make you feel good to be alive, while the ballads make you glad to be down and out. Indeed, this is rock and roll, and some of the best you'll hear all year.