Ahoy all, it’s been a whole year and I’m back again, ready to complete the annual tradition of shouting into the void about songs I like.
I’m going to try and keep things a bit shorter this year, both in an attempt to take myself generally less seriously (again, a feat I certainly didn’t achieve last year despite making the same claim) and as a writing exercise to present my opinions more articulately (off to a great start). So, without further ado, let’s dive right in.
10/9. Black Country, New Road – For the First Time/Squid – Bright Green Field
Told you I was keeping things brisk! These two albums are grouped together as my comments on them are pretty identical; when in full flow they feel like the new wave and next step of indie/alt rock that will be around for a while to come, but at the end of the day sometimes I just can’t be arsed with an 8 minute long song.
Listen to: Athens, France/Narrator
8. Idles – Crawler
I’d very much like to get a peek into Idles’ creative process, because it’s rare that a band can release albums at such a pace and keep the quality this high. Crawler is as bombastically on the nose as last year’s Ultra Mono but in a very different way, covering more introspective topics and a wider range of musical ground to reflect that, and is ultimately yet another strong arrow in Idles’ already impressive quiver.
Listen to: King Snake
7. Snail Mail – Valentine
Upon a first listen I was a teeny tiny bit disappointed by Valentine. Much grander in its production than Snail Mail’s – in my opinion, perfect – debut, seemingly only for the sake of being a follow up, this slightly takes an edge away from how emotionally raw the listening experience is. After a few plays though, that same addictive yet heartbreaking insight that can only come from being young, naive and in love is bubbling away beneath that perhaps too polished surface.
Listen to: c. Et Al.
6. Clairo – Sling
In stark contrast, this record felt like such a natural progression from Clairo’s first, elevating her from being just another bedroom hero and into one of the voices coming out of America right now, at the ripe old age of 23. The production on this album is on another level, elevating each and every song to new heights, which ironically enough makes them capable of spiralling you down into a self reflective, blubbing pit.
Listen to: Amoeba
5. Courtney Barnett – Things Take Time, Take Time
She just doesn’t miss. That could be the review in full of yet another slacker-rock gem from Ms Barnett, but instead I’ll add the anecdote that my first time listening to “If I Don’t Hear From You Tonight” during a recent drive home was the happiest, grooviest and downright sassiest experience I had with music all year – and this infectious joy is sprinkled throughout the 10-track run.
Listen to: If I Don’t Hear From You Tonight (duh)
4. Drug Store Romeos – The world within our bedrooms
Winner of the highly desired ‘most apt title’ award, this debut has an incredibly distinct voice. The instrumentation in particular creates such vivid soundscapes, real canvases for the vocals and individual fills to explore. It’s seriously impressive that only three people are achieving this absorbing energy, sort of like a floaty Royal Blood (that’s a terrible comparison but give it a listen and see if you know what I mean).
Listen to: What’s On Your Mind
3. Lunar Vacation – Inside Every Fig is a Dead Wasp
Winner of the highly undesired ‘what on earth were you thinking with this title’ award, this debut is packed to the brim with campy, catchy Canadian goodness. Every song has at least one moment that utterly delights in its own creativity, and whilst this could come across as gimmicky or as a lack of internal faith in the band’s ability, it instead creates a rich tapestry of ever-changing styles and melodies you can’t help but sing along with.
Listen to: Mold
2. Goat Girl – On All Fours
Feeling like a band coming of age, On All Fours is an absolute tightrope walk of a record, simultaneously incredibly listenable yet somehow intrusive and personal – almost like you’re being watched throughout its runtime – in a way I am in no way qualified to talk about as a man. So, all I’ll say is that this album feels unflinching and important, driven by this contradiction to create something truly exemplary, and I would highly recommend it.
Listen to: Jazz (In the Supermarket)
1. Wolf Alice – Blue Weekend
Who’s surprised? It’s more of the same excellence from the London outfit, another strong step forward that both expands the band’s horizons yet retains that now signature core sound. Rowsell sounds the best she ever has on this record for me, anchoring each track in her chameleonic abilities and oh dear I’ve taken myself too seriously again. It’s just damn good alright, and I can’t wait for the tour.
Listen to: Delicious Things
So there we have it, another year down. I do enjoy documenting these silly little opinions of mine, as well as coming back to them at a later date and seeing which of them have stood the test of time. So hello future Dan, I suppose, do you still hate the Lunar Vacation title as much as me or are you over your wasp phobia now? No, I didn’t think so.
Conversations with my future self aside, next year’s list is already lining up to be an exciting one! With albums from both Arctic Monkeys and The Orielles on the schedule, it’s the 2018 rematch you’ve all been waiting for. I’ll see you all there.
‘Til the next time,
Dan
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