Top 50 albums of 2009, part five (15-11)

15. FAKE PROBLEMS: It's Great To Be Alive

Sounding like the bastard love child of about a dozen of your favourite bands - Against Me!, Gogol Bordello, Flogging Molly, even The Arcade Fire and Frank Turner at times - it's quite remarkable that Fake Problems have actually managed to create an album that so deftly delineates an identity of their own. 'It's Great To Be Alive' is a rapturous record, bursting with life and bristling with ingenuity. You just can't help but fall for its illustrious charms and in so doing, you'll probably end up feeling a whole heck of a lot better too.

14. MUMFORD AND SONS: Sigh No More

London's Mumford and Sons make the kind of gritty, grass-roots folk music that gives Conor Oberst, nay Bob Dylan, morning glory. 'Sigh No More' is an astutely cohesive collection of impassioned songs that feels truly heartfelt. Whether they're raging against injustice or turning the microscope inwards, this ragtag bunch always command your attention and will have you repeating every one of their delightfully addictive refrains for eons.

13. PROPAGANDHI: Supporting Caste

In a year that's been unusually quiet, or perhaps more accurately, somewhat disappointing, on the punkier side of that rock 'n' roll thang, thank the heavens for Propagandhi, the most consistent bunch of serially pissed off noiseniks we have. There's no other way to describe 'Supporting Caste' than as fucking brutal: the riffs are almost metal-esque in their ludicrous flamboyance, while the rhythm guitars sound like they're unloading shotgun shells into your skull. Typically, this is a highly political record and one that is angry about, well, pretty much everything, and it's all the more amazing for it. Definitely one to crank up to full volume on your iPod headphones while on any form of public transport and watch the carnage ensue.

12. THE TWILIGHT SAD: Forget The Night Ahead

Who needs Glasvegas when you've got these Scottish miserabilists? 'Forget The Night Ahead' does seem to borrow a fair deal from the world's favourite Glaswegians but given that their self-titled debut was one of the best things about 2008, and probably the decade, can you really blame them? So this achingly pained debut is awash with My Bloody Valentine guitars and cold, bittersweet melodies; you know, the sort that make you cry your bloody eyes out during 'It's My Own Cheating Heart...' and 'Daddy's Gone'. 'Reflection of the Television', 'I Became A Prostitute', 'Made to Disappear'... they all hold their own against Glasvegas's finest and have the sort of epic heart that guaratees you'll come back for more.

11. TWIN ATLANTIC: Vivarium

Twin Atlantic capture the exquisite essence of their music by giving as succinct a statement as possible, thereby whetting our appetites perfectly. Simultaneously delicate, gargantuan, moving and absurd, ‘Vivarium’ is a gorgeously rich record, a near flawless snapshot of a band destined for greatness. Treasure this hidden gem while you still can.