In utero / Nirvana
In Utero is an album of two halves. Polished (relatively) pop songs such as “All Apologies” and “Heart-Shaped Box” sit alongside punk/thrash noise fests like “Scentless Apprentice”. Either way, Kurt Cobain’s song-writing remained as impressive as ever, making this a worthy follow-up to the era defining Nevermind. Sadly, this would be the last collection of original material Nirvana released before Cobain’s suicide in 1994.

Songs of faith and devotion / Depeche Mode
Among the acts influenced by the alternative rock explosion was synth-pop pioneers Depeche Mode, who adopted a much harder, guitar heavy sound for their eighth album. As per its title, Songs of Faith and Devotion drips with religious imagery, with tracks such as “Condemnation” and “Judas” sounding downright gospelly.

August and everything after [deluxe edition] / Counting Crows
The album where it all began for Counting Crows (still going strong thirty years later) is a supremely assured debut. The band’s jangly, rootsy sound provides the perfect backdrop for Adam Duritz’s sad, throaty whine and the massive hits it spawned —”Round Here”, and “Mr. Jones” still sound as fresh as they did in 1993.

Dusk / The The
Matt Johnson leaves the quirky synth-pop sound of his earlier albums completely behind for a set of hook-filled, blues-soaked rock. Featuring the guitar of Johnny Marr (formerly of the Smiths), Dusk takes us on a trawl through the psyches of the lost and lonely of London town. As always, Johnson’s lyrics inhabit his characters with uncanny skill and the band is tight and focused. Highlights include the grinding “Dogs of Lust” and the uplifting closer “Lonely Planet”.

Bat out of hell II : back into hell / Meat Loaf
Reuniting with songwriter Jim Steinman for the first time since 1981’s Dead Ringer, Meat Loaf produced a direct sequel to his classic first album. Despite being, on the face of it, hopelessly out of date in the grunge era, Bat Out of Hell II was a monster hit with songs such as “I’d Do Anything for Love (But I Won’t Do That)” and “Life is a Lemon and I Want My Money Back” being as epic as their titles.

Republic / New Order
New Order’s sole release of the nineties was made at a time of tremendous acrimony and financial pressure on all the members (the group would effectively disband following Republic and didn’t release another album until 2001’s Get Ready). Surprisingly though, it’s a catchy and cohesive set of songs with more of a pure pop vibe than previous efforts. Lead-off single “Regret” remains one of the defining songs of the decade and the rest of the record is right up there with it.

Together alone / Crowded House
For their fourth album Crowded House decamped to the remote Karekare Beach with producer Youth (formerly of Killing Joke). Together Alone is a heavier and stranger album than its predecessor but it’s another excellent set of Beatlesque guitar pop with a distinctively New Zealand flavour, especially on the Māori choir heard on the title track. Other highlights include opener “Kare Kare” and the single “Distant Sun”.

Black tie white noise [bonus CD + DVD] / Bowie, David
Inspired by his recent marriage to model Iman (the opening instrumental “The Wedding” is based on the very music they used for the occasion), David Bowie reunited with producer Nile Rodgers (producer of 1983’s Let’s Dance) and came up with his best record in years. A distinct RnB/funk flavour permeates the album, most notably on the title track and the skittering groove of “Jump They Say”. Although a success in the UK, the albums momentum in the US was halted by its stateside distributor going bankrupt. Consequently, Black Tie White Noise tends to get a bit overlooked these days. It’s long overdue for rediscovery.

World gone wrong / Dylan, Bob
Having spent the eighties releasing a series of albums best described as patchy (except for 1989’s great Oh Mercy), Bob Dylan returned to the music that inspired him in the first place. World Gone Wrong continues in the vein of its predecessor, 1992’s Good as I Been to You, consisting entirely of traditional folk and blues songs performed with solo acoustic guitar. The album has a raw, rough sound and the song selection leans towards the bleak, so this record may not be for everyone. Those who do take the plunge, however, will find a fascinating snapshot of a musician reconnecting with his roots, a journey that would culminate in the astonishing artistic rebirth of 1997’s Time Out of Mind.