Forgotten Pop Rock: 4 Albums from the 2000s You’ve Never Experienced (But Should)

Pop-rock is a staple subgenre and there are so many ways to go when you consider the elements that go into it. You can lean pop, or rock, or electronic, or piano-and-percussion heavy. Overall, pop-rock is diverse and wide-reaching. Here are four albums from the 2000s you may have forgotten about that touch on the subgenre but also take it to new heights.

Ella Riot’s Dancethink was released in October 2008 when the Michigan band was still called My Dear Disco. They changed their name in 2011 with the release of their EP Love Child. The sound is more on the electronic side in ways that are reminiscent of early MGMT, but Michelle Chamuel’s vocals add a layer of club-pop brightness to the album. Still, on tracks like “My Dear Disco,” there’s an edge of grunge that elevates the work past simple clubby bangers. Similarly, on “All I Do,” there’s an element of Two Door Cinema Club in the guitar work that brings out Ella Riot’s groove.

The Figgs’ seventh studio album, Slow Charm, dropped in September 2002. Their influence is felt in bands like The Strokes, who released their debut album in 2001. Slow Charm is definitely more rock-leaning, but the pop elements come through in its danceability. Put The Figgs on at a house party and everyone is going to gather in the living room to dance immediately. Follow The Figgs with The Strokes and follow that with early Arctic Monkeys for a full-circle playlist.

Searching for New-To-You Pop Rock Albums of the 2000s? Look No Further Than Right Here

Bahamut by Hazmat Modine was released in August 2006, and it’s one of the more unique pop-rock offerings for the fact that it can’t be contained within a single genre. It’s experimental, bluesy, jazzy, and takes inspiration from world music for its one-of-a-kind sound. As much as this album can be categorized as pop-rock, it’s equal parts avant-garde. There’s an otherworldliness to tracks like “It Calls Me,” which is elevated by the inclusion of the Tuvan throat-singing band Huun-Huur-Tu. Bahamut is truly a precious gem of an album, blending genres, instruments, and cultural music to create a sonic masterpiece.

In 2007, A Fine Frenzy—AKA Alison Sudol—released One Cell in the Sea, her debut album. It relies heavily on Sudol’s piano, but also features electronic elements, strings, and interesting percussion. One Cell in the Sea is reminiscent of Sara Bareilles or even early Florence + the Machine. Overall, the album conjures up a creative wonderland not only lyrically but sonically as well.

Featured Image by Fred Hayes/WireImage for Sundance Film Festival