by James Hurley, MSN Music Editor

Guillemots: Exclusive Album Tracks & Interview

Click on the thumbnails below to hear album tracks

I feel like I've been singing the praises of this new Guillemots album for months. Most likely that's because I have. However, now that Red is finally out, I've decided to assemble my various strands of thought about it once and for all, not least so we can all draw a line underneath it and move on.

And it's a good place to stick my video interview with the band too.

• Watch interview: Guillemots

By way of background, I wasn't a huge fan of their first album, Through The Windowpane. I gave it a few listens on account of the rave reviews and its Mercury nomination but for whatever reason it didn't quite grab me. Some nice tunes in there, I thought, but a little self-consciously delicate for my taste.

So it wasn't as though I was hugely star-struck when I was invited to meet the band in their East London studio back in early January. I was also one of the first journalists to hear the album when it was played for me in the car on the way.

You can only tell so much from a first listen, particularly one punctuated by the conversation of an especially chirpy driver, but I remember thinking it sounded bolder, meatier, poppier… less… fey, I suppose. I thought I liked it anyway.

I certainly didn't guess it would become my favourite new record in a very long time. Another thing I didn't bank on was that anyone would think it anything less than genius. Yet, to my bewilderment, the reviews have been decidedly mixed. I won't repeat my rant about the NME's slating of it but let's just say I disagree strongly.  Opinions, eh? Everybody's got one.

Anyway, you can make up your own mind (or at least begin to) because we've managed to sweet talk those lovely people at Polydor into letting you hear four tracks for free. Simply click on the thumbnails in the gallery below.

• Come on then, what do YOU think of what you've heard?
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by James Hurley, MSN Music Editor

Guillemots: Exclusive Album Tracks & Interview

Click on the thumbnails below to hear album tracks

I feel like I've been singing the praises of this new Guillemots album for months. Most likely that's because I have. However, now that Red is finally out, I've decided to assemble my various strands of thought about it once and for all, not least so we can all draw a line underneath it and move on.

And it's a good place to stick my video interview with the band too.

• Watch interview: Guillemots

By way of background, I wasn't a huge fan of their first album, Through The Windowpane. I gave it a few listens on account of the rave reviews and its Mercury nomination but for whatever reason it didn't quite grab me. Some nice tunes in there, I thought, but a little self-consciously delicate for my taste.

So it wasn't as though I was hugely star-struck when I was invited to meet the band in their East London studio back in early January. I was also one of the first journalists to hear the album when it was played for me in the car on the way.

You can only tell so much from a first listen, particularly one punctuated by the conversation of an especially chirpy driver, but I remember thinking it sounded bolder, meatier, poppier… less… fey, I suppose. I thought I liked it anyway.

I certainly didn't guess it would become my favourite new record in a very long time. Another thing I didn't bank on was that anyone would think it anything less than genius. Yet, to my bewilderment, the reviews have been decidedly mixed. I won't repeat my rant about the NME's slating of it but let's just say I disagree strongly.  Opinions, eh? Everybody's got one.

Anyway, you can make up your own mind (or at least begin to) because we've managed to sweet talk those lovely people at Polydor into letting you hear four tracks for free. Simply click on the thumbnails in the gallery below.

• Come on then, what do YOU think of what you've heard?
• Listen to the new Supergrass album