Welcome To Condale? More like…WELCOME TO THE BEST ALBUM OF 2011. Seriously, I wasn’t going to allow myself to love analbum this year as much as The Horrors, The Kills or Florence- but I’ve decided that I have far too much love to go around to limit myself to one record. What I mean is- I lied. All those times I claimed to have found the best record of the year-I lied. Until RIGHT NOW. I can safely say not only have Summer Camp put out the best album of the year but it is also the best debut album of the year.

If you’ve been daft enough to read anything I’ve written or if you know me (I’m sorry) you will have probably had me tell you that I Want You by Summer Camp is the best thing to have happened this year. Since February I have played it every day. It’s taken over my life. Well, not as dramatic as that but I do love the song a hell of a lot. It’s about how love should be. Is it a stalker song? I don’t think it is, but I can see why someone would think that. Personally, I think it is the best song to have come out this year. I’ve spent most of this year listening to a lot of records. Some have made me nauseas, some have made me happy, some have made me weep- but NO song apart from I Want You has made me feel so stupidly happy. I have no idea what it is. It’s the music, Elizabeth’s voice, the lyrics, the production- EVERYTHING. I love when the drums kick in and the synths just blow your mind. I’ve written about this song so many times and I can sense I’m going to go off on one if I don’t move onto a different song.

The album opens with their last single, Better Off Without You. It’s my favourite “fuck you, you’re a massive wanker” song of this year. I like songs that tell someone to sod off in a roundabout way. Probably because I’m too much of a coward to do it myself. Not that I need to right now, but you know what I mean. I love how the intro sounds like something from an awful 80s film. I’m not dissing the song. You know those awful 80s films that you have to watch because they are so bad- they are good? That’s what I mean. I’m giving a compliment, I’m just making a massive mess out of it. In short, Better Off Without You sounds very 80s and is bloody brilliant. I probably should’ve said that in the first place.

I want to draw your attention to Jeremy’s vocals on Brian Krakow. They are amazing! I love love LOVE this song. Basically, how I feel about I Want You- every song on this album makes me feel. It is that AMAZING. I cannot praise this record enough, I really can’t. During my last two years of Uni I was a huge fan of Jeremy’s music. I thought it was so heartfelt and passionate. A fantastic musican with a lot of heart and talent for him to be part of my favourite band of 2011 (and part of 2010) is just mind-blowing. I think it is safe to say that Elizabeth and Jeremy are the best duo around (this doesn’t include The Kills because I’m mentally married to Alison.) Their voices work so bloody well together, it’s just perfect. Perfection does exist, you can find it on this record.

Oh look, I seem to have gone back a few tracks and I’m listening to I Want You again. It’d be rude to skip this song.

This album was funded from the Pledge Music site. Jeremy and Elizabeth made stuff, sold the stuff to then make this album. Everything from demos to brownies to a gig in your home was part of the pledge. Is this the future of how all records are going to be made? Possibly. It’s a bloody good way of doing it. It means the artists get full creative control and can make the music that they want and not have some chubby boss in an ill-fitting suit telling them what to do.

I have been looking forward to this record for so long. I don’t get excited about much. Well, music wise I suppose I do. More than one should I guess, but I’m not sorry. I don’t know what I was expecting from this record. I knew it was going to be a solid record, but I honestly didn’t expect every single track to make me feel so fucking happy and just want to hug someone. I do like a good cuddle, but you know what I mean. The drums, the guitars, synthy things- it is all perfect. There are some sad songs on this record but the music just makes you ignore that. The lyrics are ridiculously brilliant. They don’t need to write pretentious bull-turd to make a point or to make you feel what they are singing. “This house isn’t big enough for the both of us.” such a beautiful line, taken from Losing My Mind. Another favourite. Their vocals sound so beautiful together on this record.

I love Summer Camp (the track) and the intro has a wonderful “YOU CRAZY BITCH!” sample from a film on the intro. This is another reason as to why I love the duo. They use brilliant film samples in their music. It makes you feel really part of the record. Sometimes artists create amazing music, but you cannot feel part of it. Summer Camp don’t do that. You feel like you are living in Condale in this record. You feel like you know Brian Krakow. We probably know someone like him don’t we. A brilliant name too. Very 80s German porn star-ish. I’m joking….or am I?! 😉 When a band have a song named after the band, it is always amazing. My only reference to this are Summer Camp and Warpaint. Oh look, two of my favourite bands. I’m biased, don’t judge.

Nobody Knows You is wonderful. I honestly feel like a massive wanker picking apart the songs and telling you about them. Can’t you just go out and buy the record on Monday? Go on. Do it. Go to your local record shop and buy this wonderful work of art. It is truly a masterpiece.

It is hard to believe that this is their debut full length album because it sounds like something a band well into their career would make. I’m not just saying this because I love the band I lot. If I thought the record was toss- I wouldn’t write over a thousands words telling you about why it is amazing. Welcome To Condale makes you feel like you are living in the 80s. Hopefully not wearing neon legging and a shellsuit/tracksuit jacket. Actually, I hear wearing that whilst listening to this record gives it a different vibe. Go try it. I won’t tell anyone. Don’t send me a photo.

Their new single, Down is UHHHHHHmazing. Have you seen the video? Do you want to? Of course you do. It’s directed by Chris Boyle and it’s probably the best video if the year.

I don’t think I’ve ever written this much about a record before, maybe it’s because I’ve never heard anything like this before. It is truly wonderful. I don’t care if you hate synths or anything that sounds a bit 80s- I’m like that. I’m not really a huge fan, but fuck it- Summer Camp do it in a way that deserves your attention. So, on Monday I want you (see what I did!) to go out and buy Welcome To Condale. Then I want you (I’m not sorry) to send the band a nice message on Twitter telling them you love the record and it is the best thing you’ve heard all year. Can you do that? Good. Oh and make sure you go see them on their UK tour in a few weeks.

Elizabeth, Jeremy; THANK YOU for this wonderful record. It is obvious how much love and hard-work has gone into this record. It is truly mind-blowing.