There are some standouts on this album which really elevate it. Nick is obviously no stranger to grief and the way he explores it here is fascinating. Some of the arrangements and dynamics really make the songs pop. Also, his vocals really seem to be aging gracefully.
Top 3 Tracks:
Wild God
Song of the Lake
O Wow O Wow (How Wonderful She Is)
When Scrooge asked the young boy to fetch him the fattest Christmas goose, this is what he meant. Cameron’s signature vocals and bizarre approach to the singer/songwriter solo record make for an excellent project. The lyrics are wacky, and their delivery even wackier. Some of the instrumentation and song structures are pretty off the wall too. A wonderful listen.
Top 3 Tracks:
Nina + Field of Cops
$0
Try As I May
There’s a lot of promise here. Clearly the group has copious amounts of talent, and the unique vocal-work really makes them standout. I think some work on song structure and dynamics could really make them a force to be reckoned with.
Top 3 Tracks:
Hands of Man
The Wheel
I’m Happy You’re Here
Cor blimey this album is very dense and has lots to unpack, but will reward those who afford it the time. I love how vast the soundscape is across the record but how Phil still manages makes the whole thing very cohesive.
I dig your style too, man
Top 3 Tracks:
I Spoke With A Fish
Night Palace
Non-Metaphorical Decolonisation
Completely gorgeous. I have dipped in and out of Laura’s work before but this album has really grasped me. The guitar work here is so effective, albeit subtle, which partner with the comforting vocals beautifully.
Top 3 Tracks:
Child of Mine
Caroline
No One’s Gonna Love You Like I Do
I wasn’t really aboard the St Vincent hype train until now, but I will certainly be revisiting her previous works after hearing this. The pacing sometimes feels a bit strange with the album starting quite modestly before eventually erupting during the third track, but there aren’t many tracks I’d skip. Definitely one I will be coming back to!
Top 3 Tracks:
The Power’s Out
Flea
Hell is Near
If Azpilicueta was an album, he’d be this. Every song is consistently good and the album is really beautiful. While none of the tracks are quite going to make SOTY, I’d have a hard time picking a song I don’t like.
Top 3 Tracks
Swallow
Untitled
My God
Papa returns with a solid collection of tunes. At this point, I’m not sure we’ll get another album from him on quite the same level as ILYHB or PC, but when you’re bashing out tracks like Mahashmashana and Mental Health, I’m more than willing to forgive some of the weaker cuts.
Top 3 Tracks:
Mahashmashana
Mental Health
I Guess Times Makes Fools of Us All
With this excellent debut, English Teacher have rightly garnered a lot of attention this year. Most of the tracks here are a great listen, even if the album might have benefited from being cut down a little. The talent here is definitely still quite raw and needing some refinement, but if this is the band not yet at their peak, then we have a very exciting future ahead.
Top 3 Tracks:
Sideboob
Daffodils
The World’s Biggest Paving Slab
IT’S. FUCKING. FAT. DOG. BABAAYYYY. I was lucky enough to see Fat Dog play the late set at Glastonbury’s Strummerville in the summer. It was absolute carnage (in all the right ways). The album is a whirlwind and passes by in a flash, but most of the tracks here are great. Even the more transitional pieces work well to bridge the otherwise relentless gnashing of dog’s teeth at the moon.
Top 3 Tracks
Running
Vigilante
King of the Slugs
Emo is back on the menu, boys! This album is a wild ride that spans several genres, with a smattering of indie and emo tunes all with some interesting and experimental takes. I really enjoyed it. There’s a little fat that could have been cut, but generally the great songs make up for it.
Top 3 Tracks:
Greyhound
Barking
Spit
The AI art is distasteful and a huge barrier for enjoying this album. I think without it, we’d have a much more favourable view of it. The Voidz don’t really explore too much new territory here, but I actually think it’s a fairly solid collection of tracks.
Top 3 Tracks
7 Horses
All the Same
Square Wave
Someone turned the Vampire Weekend styliser up to 11 on this one. There is a lot to like here, be it the loose and jazzy bridge in Classical or the ever-changing soundscapes across Hope. I went and gave the whole back catalogue a good listen after hearing this.
Top 3 Tracks:
Hope
Classical
Mary Boone
The duality of Grant. You can separate the tracks on this album into two categories: funktastic dancefloor boppers and slow, autotuned reflections on past trauma and familial relationshi[ps. The songs that fall into the latter category are much stronger in my opinion.
Top 3 Tracks:
The Child Catcher
Father
Daddy
The boys are back! MGMT will always get a favourable rating from me, but I feel like this album is objectively a great effort. Most of the singles are exceptional, and Loss of Life is a wonderful closing track with one of the best melodies of the year.
Top 3 Tracks:
Bubblegum Dog
Mother Nature
Loss of Life
Adrianne is one of the best songwriters around at the moment. Absolutely love the progression of the narrative in Sadness as a Gift, and also the juxtaposition of A failing romance and the end of the world in Donut Seam.
Top 3 Tracks:
Donut Seam
Sadness as a Gift
Free Treasure
Maybe a few tracks too long for me, but there are enough bangers smattered throughout to make this a very agreeable listen indeed! I especially like that the production is so crisp and the bass cuts through the mix even in the car (an underrated achievement).
Top 3 Tracks:
1. Cry for Me
2. Death & Romance
3. That’s My Floor
I struggle with half of this album but the tracks that are good are *very* good. The narrative throughout is seriously impressive, which starts totally absurd and ends in total devastation. Possibly one of my favourite narrative albums ever.
Top 3 Tracks:
The Magician
As If Waltz
Holy, Holy
This is certainly one of the most beautiful albums of the year. Bill’s mopey and beaten down vocals are somehow elevated triumphantly when paired with a wall of lush instrumentation and gorgeous chord progressions.
Top 3 Tracks:
This Can’t Go On
Thankfully for Anthony
We Don’t Need Them
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