11. The Blue NileA Walk Across The Rooftops
To me, this is an album that’s handed down from person to person, this album and Hats which often people say is the best one. This I think was a tip from Simon White, a member of Menswear who later became a music manager. He was like, ‘No, trust me, this is the ultimate sad boy indie album’. Weirdly, I think where the Blue Nile influence is shown the most in modern music is The 1975, there are little bits that are exact lifts. But in terms of British synth indie guitar albums, there’s not much at all with the lightness of touch that The Blue Nile had. The other person who put me onto it was Bryndon Cook, his artist name is Starchild and he plays in Solange’s band. When a Black kid from Maryland is telling you what the best British indie album is, you’ve got to stand up and listen. I think this album didn’t have a label and was paid for by Linn drums, who provided all the equipment for free. So it’s simultaneously a great album but acts as an advert for the gear that was used.
