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Nick’s Favourite Music of 2023

It’s that time of year again (three weeks into January because to hell with arbitrary deadlines) where I look back at the music I enjoyed from the previous year. Once again, I’m sticking with the single post, capsule review format I used last year, because it turns out working full-time leaves you with less time to spend on other stuff (seems pretty fucked up if you ask me).

It never feels like my listening habits are changing year on year, but it’s interesting to note the differences in hindsight. For instance, this will be the first time I don’t crown an “album of the year”. Ultimately, there wasn’t a full-length release that broke through my admittedly ridiculously high standards. That said, 17 of the songs on this list come from albums I really enjoyed listening to, and the other 3 are standalone singles, so it’s fair to say the overall quality of 2023’s music was pretty good. I had to put in the time and listen and re-listen to a lot of different artists to come to that conclusion, but it feels like I’ve gone on a similar journey for the last four years in a row now. And, because I always end up discovering plenty of new acts and settling on 20 songs that I truly love that I’m excited to share, I never feel like that time and energy has been wasted!

Below, you’ll find the list of my 20 favourite songs of 2023 (YouTube links in the headings, Spotify embed at the bottom), along with a few words about why I love each particular one. Let’s go!

Foo Fighters – “Under You”

I wish it had been under happier circumstances, but I was seriously impressed with But Here We Are. I’ve never thought of Foo Fighters as an album band (great singles though), but this might the strongest, most-focused one they’ve done. “Rescued” was an instant knockout, and the title track is a potent reminder that Dave Grohl is still probably the best yeller in rock (as anyone who’s attempted to shout along with “The Pretender” in a crowded club will attest). But the song I kept coming back to was the simplest, and probably the most straight-forward rocker they’ve ever made. Something about the chorus of “Under You” really tugs on my heartstrings, even beyond its clear intention as loving tribute to Taylor Hawkins. I always tend to start these lists with a big bright firework of a song. This was the biggest and brightest of the year.

Ratboys - “Black Earth, WI”

I love a big rock song that wanders off into the horizon and takes its time to get where it’s going, slowly growing before your ears. It seems like we’re getting more bands lately that specialise in that kind of thing, in the wake of The War on Drugs’ breakthrough, and apparently the kids on TikTok are getting into shoegaze so there’ll be more to come. Good!

Big Thief – “Vampire Empire”

Another Big Thief classic to add to their growing pile. This is apparently one they’ve been workshopping in live performances for a few years. That work has paid off beautifully.

Geese – “3D Country”

Another rock stroller. This one has some strong Exile on Main Street vibes, with the soulful backing singers and steely guitar touches really making it stand out from the crowd. The video is just as fun as the song.

Yard Act – “The Trench Coat Museum”

I've commented before on the small explosion of post-punk bands we had in the UK a few years ago. In many cases, it felt like the bands were yet to reach their full potential. Some are beginning to get there. Both Black Country, New Road and Black Midi blew me away last year with bold and unique evolutions of their respective sounds. Yard Act might be the next group to level up, this time by flirting with dance music while keeping the ironic point of view from their previous work. “The Trench Coat Museum” is another track that allows a band to stretch their musical legs, and I love that the song has been stretched to 12” remix length, with all the little shifts in tone you’d expect from dabbling in Madchester town.

Jessie Ware – “Freak Me Now”

Speaking of songs I’d want to hear in the club, Jessie Ware adjusted the disco recipe she was serving in 2020 to add a French house flavour this year. The result was even more delectable.

Olivia Rodrigo – “love is embarrassing”

It seems like I’m going against the grain with this pick. Not that people were disappointed with Olivia Rodrigo’s second album (quite the opposite, she delivered on GUTS), but I haven’t seen anyone else highlight this particular track. I’m not complaining. I’d normally expect a song like “love is embarrassing”, with its fast tempo and new wave-inspired guitars and gated drums to be a perfect pick for a single. The fact is isn’t one (yet) is testament to how good this album really is.

Fireworks – “Veins in David’s Hand”

I’m a simple man. If you start a song with a loud, ringing solo guitar riff, you’ve got my attention. Everything else Fireworks do on “Veins in David’s Hand” holds onto it. Exhilarating stuff.

Model/Actriz – “Mosquito”

As I mentioned at the start, I’m not declaring an “album of the year” this time around. Instead, I want to recommend one specific album that I’d like more people to check out: Dogsbody by New York noise rock band Model/Actriz. When it came time to put together a shortlist from all the 2023 tracks in my collection (trimming down over 400 songs to around 50), I ended up putting five tracks from this album on it, the most from any act by some distance. That’s quite an achievement for a debut release. “Mosquito” is the most attention-grabbing track, due to its pounding industrial chorus, but there is so, so much more where that came from. Check them out.

King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard – “Supercell”

Since getting my socks blown off by “The Dripping Tap” in 2022, I have now listened to everything King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard have released. Good band! I will confess that I prefer the harder, more rocking stuff that they do less frequently, but that means I was eagerly awaiting PetroDragonic Apocalypse after hearing it was a return to the thrash metal sound of Infest the Rats' Nest. It did not disappoint!

SOFT PLAY – “Punk’s Dead”

In 2022, having been on hiatus for a few years, the band Slaves changed their name to Soft Play. Being a punk band these days comes with the baggage of people projecting their own weird ideas of what “punk” means onto you, and some of their fans (the kind that like to use words like “snowflake” as insults) had did not like this change. So, Soft Play did what any self-respecting punk band would do in that situation: take all of that bad-faith criticism and hammer it into a red-hot poker of a song. For what it’s worth, I think "Soft Play" is the better name for this band. While some punk bands do have lofty aims about sharp political commentary and challenging discourse, this band has never really had those aspirations. Their biggest song on streaming is about forgetting where you parked. Musically, they’ve always sounded like rowdy kids on a bouncy castle copying moves they’ve seen on WWE (I say this as a compliment), and based on the video for “Punk’s Dead”, the band might agree. At its core, “punk” is just about airing frustrations. Sometimes that just means having fun while making a racket. Which is exactly what this band has always done. Isaac Holman stills snarls like a wolf and pounds the shit out of his floor toms which, combined with Laurie Vincent’s chainsaw guitar work, gives the song the impact of a steam-powered sledgehammer. Blunt? Sure, but “Punk’s Dead” is not a song that’s aiming for subtlety. It’s a purposeful spit in the eye of people who cling to a narrow view of a genre that outgrew them a long time ago: “JOHNNY ROTTEN IS TURNING IN HIS BED! I WAS GONNA SAY ‘GRAVE’ BUT THE FUCKER AIN’T DEAD!” Welcome back, lads.

White Reaper – “Fog Machine”

Speaking of things not being dead, any old fart complaining about the lack of rock music being made these days needs to listen to White Reaper and shut the fuck up.

Militarie Gun – “Never Fucked Up Once”

The thing about punk singers is that they don’t so much “sing” as “chant”, as in the vocals are more designed to be sung along with, rather than just heard. So, if a punk band slows things down a bit (but keeps it loud) and gets everyone involved in belting out the chorus? Instant anthem. Despite its title, “Never Fucked Up Once” is a song about regrets. But, somehow, yelling along with it makes those regrets disappear.

boygenius – “Not Strong Enough”

Words can barely express how happy I was to see Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers and Lucy Dacus regroup as Boygenius and break through to the mainstream this year. Having previously sung the praises of their debut EP, my expectations for a full album were high, but the ladies dropkicked those expectations into the sun and scored a boatload of Grammy nominations in the process. As all three members have distinctive voices, people tend to pick apart the songs to identify who wrote what. That’s missing the point, as the songs on the record are stronger than the sums of their parts (regardless of how good those parts are), and it’s the songs that are clear results of the three of them working together that are the strongest. “Not Strong Enough” is one of them, and it just fucking soars. It sounds exactly like the cover art, with Baker, Bridgers and Dacus all extending their reach to the sky. I’m excited to see them rise even further. Song of the year.

Anohni and the Johnsons – “Rest”

By contrast, “Rest” feels like Anohni is digging into her soul for some real catharsis. It recalls the Muscle Shoals soul sound of “Fistful of Love”, but a thousand times rawer. You can feel every cubic centimetre of the studio it was recorded in as the guitars and drums smash into each other and echo off the walls. Spiritual and spellbinding.

Nation of Language – “Spare Me the Decision”

An echo of a different kind, now. I last spoke about Nation of Language back in 2021, when they were specialising in the kind of upbeat synthpop tunes that I enjoy a lot. In 2023, they got darker on their third album Strange Disciple, with sparser arrangements that sound more unsettled. Single “Weak In Your Light” was a genuine shock when I first heard it. “Spare Me the Decision” is brighter than that, but still carries a deep sadness with it. It deliberately holds back from giving too much. Even as multiple synths start to build up, they mostly only play single sustained notes, giving everything a sense of trepidation that befits the title.

Julie Byrne – “Portrait of a Clear Day”

It’s hard to add anything when the title of a song tells you everything you need to know. This is atmospheric and beautiful and the most graceful thing I heard all year.

Sufjan Stevens – “Will Anybody Ever Love Me?”

The incredible thing about Sufjan Stevens is that, despite working for decades within his own specific niche to the point where you could’ve guessed that “Will Anybody Ever Love Me?” was a song of his based solely on the title, he’s still finding ways to push the boundaries of that niche. Like all of his albums (even the ones that are supposedly about specific American states), Javelin was full of beautifully delicate songs of longing. But these songs were more direct than usual, and supported by expansive arrangements that allow them to grow and blossom into much larger statements on life.

Indigo De Souza – “Younger & Dumber”

There’s plenty of great moments across these 20 songs, but none quite as meaningful as the 2:50 mark in “Younger & Dumber” where Indigo De Souza spreads her wings and sings “And the love I feel is so powerful it can take you anywhere”. This is a slow burning fire that will leave your soul singed.

Joanna Sternberg – “I've Got Me”

I hesitate to call this one “cute” considering how much it focuses on self-deprecation, but that is my first thought when hearing songs as understated as this. It feels like every line should be punctuated with an exclamation mark that is both ironic and earnest at the same time, especially as a bouncing bassline makes an appearance and Joanna’s grows in confidence. It’s a song that can be interpreted in opposing ways depending on your mood. As a closer, I think it’s pretty perfect.

Thanks for reading! If you fancy reading more from me, I’ve done similar lists/series for every year going back to 2011 (and basic lists for 2008-2010). Just copy and paste this link (https://dontlookdown.tumblr.com/tagged/best-of-20xx) and edit the year to see them!

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Nick’s Favourite Music of 2022

Those who have followed my work for a while know that I usually start the new year with a collection of reviews looking at my favourite songs of the year. This year, I’m only doing the one post. If my experience with burning out halfway through last years’ list taught me anything, it’s that I can’t commit to the traditional series of twenty-plus blog posts when I know full well that I don’t have the time or the energy to see it through. Maybe things will be different next year. For this year, I’m happy to compromise.

Below, you’ll find the list of my 20 favourite songs of 2022 (YouTube links in the headings, Spotify embed at the bottom), along with a few words about why I love each particular one. Let’s go!

Röyksopp – “Speed King”

I started putting this playlist together with the first and last tracks already in mind, due to their lengthy runtimes. Normally, I’d kick things off with a true opener, something loud and driving. Despite its name, “Speed King” is not that. It’s a slow, electronic burn that builds into something truly formidable. My immediate reaction upon first hearing it was “This is the Daft Punk track I’ve been waiting for since 2005,” but that backhanded compliment ignores how the way the bassline steadily bubbles away in the background is pure Röyksopp, a hallmark that you’ll find throughout their work. The duo released three albums over 2022 and, while there’s great songs on all three (especially the tracks featuring Alison Goldfrapp and Susanne Sundfør), they saved the best for last.

††† (Crosses) - “Procession”

We’re going to stay in a low-key mood for a bit with the next two songs. Considering how I fell in love with Deftones in 2020, it seemed right that I should check out Chino Moreno’s side project when they re-emerged with their first new material in nine years. The PERMANENT.RADIANT EP turned out to be the perfect taster for this group’s softer, more atmospheric sound. I particularly loved “Procession”, which is the perfect showcase for Chino’s distinct voice and a show-stopping bassline that kicks in at 2:40.

The 1975 – “About You”

I find it difficult to pin down my feelings about the 1975. They’re a band I always want to keep at arm’s length, and yet they’ve ended up my year-end lists three times now. That’s an achievement in itself, but doing it with three songs that sound nothing like each other is something else. “About You” is the most U2-ass sounding song of the year. And I like U2 a lot.

Asunojokei – “Diva Under the Blue Sky”

Here we fucking go. Asunojokei are a Japanese band that have picked up the “black metal but happy” torch from Deafheaven and ran a mile with it with their album Island. I keep getting Undertale vibes from “Diva Under the Blue Sky”. Something about the main melody feels very reminiscent of the excellent work Toby Fox did on that game's soundtrack.

The Beths – “Silence Is Golden”

A bit of blistering Kiwi indie rock to get the pulse up.

Phoenix – “After Midnight”

I was not expecting this. A beautiful reminder of what Phoenix are capable of, absolute masters of a slick, twisty pop-rock style that’s very much their own.

Fred again.. – “Jungle”

A true club banger. Turns out you can do an awful lot with a chopped vocal sample, a savage beat and a great sense of dynamics and timing.

Ibibio Sound Machine – “Protection From Evil”

I’ve got a lot of love for tracks that find ways to keep building and building upon themselves. Having a truly magnetic presence like Eno Williams front-and-centre on the microphone would’ve been enough, but having her vocals and the rhythm behind her slowly rising in intensity before colliding together with horns for the climax is downright magical.

Beyoncé – “Pure/Honey”

Never bet against Bey. There’s a reason RENAISSANCE was the near-unanimous critic’s pick for album of the year, that’s because it’s just so damn fun to listen to in full. “PURE/HONEY” splits the difference between the album’s two moods: hard-edged house to start, with shiny disco as a chaser. The way the songs shifts between those two gears makes it the perfect pick for this playlist.

The Weeknd – “Take My Breath”

I remember first hearing “Take Me Breath” and thinking “this needs something extra”. That something extra turned out to be the extended version on the Dawn FM album. Almost twice as long as the single version, it allows the backing beat room to stretch out, with the chugging muted guitar and arpeggiated vocoder properly setting the scene for song to make more of an impression. It doesn’t just benefit the song, but the album as a whole. The three-song-run of “How Do I Make You Love Me?”, “Take My Breath” and “Sacrifice” is a thrilling moment from an artist with a career full of them.

Spoon – “Wild”

“Wild” is my favourite song of the year. I knew that the second I laid ears on it. Spoon have been one of my favourite bands for a long time, and the fact that they can still come up with songs this good after 25 years is awe-inspiring. “Wild” is such a perfect Spoon-esque song, it’s honestly incredible that they hadn’t written it already.

Alvvays – “Belinda Says”

A blast of aural sunshine, with a key-change befitting of its namesake.

Camp Cope – “Running with the Hurricane”

This was a late discovery for me in December. While making my way through all of the hyped releases I’d missed, it was refreshing to come across music that was so direct and earnest. A true breath of fresh air, which I assume a hurricane would also have plenty of.

Shamir – “Reproductive”

By contrast, this was an early favourite that I rediscovered while combing through my existing collection. It always takes me a few plays to properly acknowledge the lyrics of songs. Once I noticed the streak of self-loathing running through this one, it just made the deep sadness of the music hit harder.

The Smile – “Free In the Knowledge”

Choosing my album of the year was tricky. This and the next four acts on the list were all contenders for the crown, though none jumped out as instant picks like previous winners have. In the end, I gave it to A Light for Attracting Attention by The Smile (the new band featuring Thom and Jonny from Radiohead, and Tom Skinner from Sons of Kemet), simply because I had a nice little moment to myself while listening to it for the first time. Relaxing alone in the park, in the warm sunshine, feeling at peace with everything. By the time I’d gotten to “Free In the Knowledge”, I felt a calmness I hadn’t felt in months. Other albums just can’t compete with those personal moments.

Big Thief – “Change”

One last quiet moment before things pick up again. “Change” is a cool breeze of existentialism on a warm day, the kind of vibe Big Thief have been very good at for some time now.

Black Country, New Road – “The Place Where He Inserted the Blade”

I’d said in the introductory post for my 2021 blogs that, after being slightly disappointed by their debut, I was looking forward to Black Country, New Road delivering on their next album. And boy, did they. Ants From Up There is a record that was fascinating on first listen, and keeps revealing hidden layers on repeat plays, especially when digging into the lyrics. “The Place Where He Inserted the Blade” (it’s about cooking, not killing) is a rich portrait of domestic malaise, the kind Jarvis Cocker used to dabble in. It’s sad that vocalist Isaac Wood has decided to move on, but I’m glad he’s putting his mental health first. That can’t have been an easy decision. And, once again, I’m very interested to see where the band goes from here.

Black Midi – “Sugar/Tzu”

I’d lumped Black Midi together with BC,NR and Squid (or Black Midi, New Squidi, as I liked to call the grouping) in that 2021 post, but they really couldn’t sound more different from each other. While BC,NR spent the year chasing a deliberately pastoral sound with strings and all, Black Midi made a record that sounded like an arson attack at a Cole Porter recital. Hellfire is Black Midi’s most accessible record yet (not a high bar, admittedly), and it’s helped grow my appreciation of their previous work too. If you’re in the mood for hearing three musicians (plus a brass section) playing the ever-loving shit out of their instruments, “Sugar/Tzu” is the song for you. I’m a very big fan of the little guitar break at 3:20.

SpiritWorld – “Relic of Damnation”

My ferocious appetite for metal and hardcore did not diminish in 2022, and SpiritWorld’s DEATHWESTERN was the best the genre had to offer this year. It’s loud as hell, yes, but there’s a buoyancy to this band’s music that harkens back to the thrash metal of the late ‘80s. A song like “Relic of Damnation” isn’t just interested in pummelling your ears, it also wants to propel you forward, smashing through whatever boring chore you have to finish. This band is almost single-handedly responsible for me processing as many invoices as I did this winter. I’d listen to Randy Moore make that demonic horse neighing sound with his guitar all fucking day.

King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard – “The Dripping Tap”

This isn’t the longest song I’ve featured on these year-end lists, and it sure-as-shit won’t feel like it either. Of the five (yes, five) albums worth of music Oceanic overachievers King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard released this year, “The Dripping Tap” is the crown jewel. While I’ve found some of the band’s other work to be somewhat meandering, this song is 18 minutes of pure, focused, fast-paced psychedelic rock. It’ll take you on a wild ride without even leaving your living room, and the time flies by whenever I put it on. The way the opening verse returns with a vengeance (and the full band behind it) for the final minute feels like a real gift, and the perfect way close out both this playlist and 2022 in general.

Thanks for reading! I enjoyed writing this! If you fancy reading more from me, I’ve done similar series for every year going back to 2011 (and basic lists for 2008-2010). Just copy and paste this link (https://dontlookdown.tumblr.com/tagged/best-of-20xx) and edit the year to see them!

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dontlookdown · 2 years

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Nick’s Favourite Music of 2021 CONVERGE & CHELSEA WOLFE - “CRIMSON STONE” [YouTube] [Spotify]

As previously mentioned, I had a metal heavy year. Maybe going deep on Deftones in 2020 unlocked some deep-seated desire to get absolutely pummelled by the music I listen to. It feels good to feel things. In addition to listening to old stuff last year, I kept abreast of new metal releases too. Bloodmoon I was one of the most anticipated, which saw the celebrated mathcore band Converge teamed up with the equally celebrated goth singer-songwriter Chelsea Wolfe to terrific effect, running through the door that Emma Ruth Rundle & Thou opened in 2020. I’m not too well versed with either (beyond “Dark Horse”, which rules), but it’s a formidable combination that seems to bring out the best in both parties. “Crimson Stone” is the album’s big climax, a massive ominous build-up that pays off with the sound of pure doom. The “I” in the album’s title suggests there’s more instalments to come in the future. Sign me up.

#best of 2021 #converge #chelsea wolfe #music

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dontlookdown · 2 years

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Nick’s Favourite Music of 2021 RID OF ME - “MYSELF” [YouTube] [Spotify]

I still don’t understand why music publications don’t wait until the year is actually over before releasing a “best of the year” list. Use the holiday break to mull things over! Put that shit out in January (or wait until February, that’s what all the cool kids are doing now). Admittedly, I only get aggravated about this when I end up loving something that dropped mid-way through December, so it’s fitting that the release in question is full of aggravated-sounding music.

Say hello to Traveling by Rid of Me, an intense noise-punk record that recalls the most full-throttle moments from Fugazi and Sleater-Kinney, soaked in reverb and punctured by dagger-like guitars. The band is signed to a small indie punk label, and I would have never discovered if it wasn’t for a short but glowing write-up from Stereogum’s Tom Breihan, so credit where it’s due. I’m hoping that this post of mine could be someone else’s introduction to these great songs. At the time of writing, “Myself” has just 1,981 plays on Spotify. Seven of the remaining nine tracks on Traveling don’t even have a count up. Let’s change that!

Winner of this year’s ‘Requires More Attention From Everyone’ award [Last year’s winner]

#best of 2021 #rid of me #music

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dontlookdown · 2 years

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Nick’s Favourite Music of 2021 IDLES - “THE BEACHLAND BALLROOM” [YouTube] [Spotify]

Punk doesn’t have to be political, just personal.

2020 was a year where people felt the need to speak up about, well, just about everything. It’s only natural that Idles wanted to be part of the conversation too, with a frontman as outspoken as Joe Talbot. I wasn’t as down on Ultra Mono as others were. Musically speaking, it was really good, as blunt and dynamic as Joy as an Act of Resistance, but darker. Lyrically, though, it often felt half-baked. The attempts to refute their critics were clumsy, and occasionally lapsed into condescending. The moments where they were reaching for capital-I Important statements, like “Grounds” and “Model Village”, also didn’t stand up to scrutiny. “Model Village” in particular was going over well-trod ground, with no new insights in its Middle England critique. In 2020, we were asking for more than that. Even the ironic metaphors on the fun “Mr. Motivator” had nothing on the almighty “I’M LIKE STONE COLD STEVE AUSTIN! I PUT HOMOPHOBES IN COFFINS!” from “Colossus”.

It seems that the band feel the same way, and Crawler is designed as a pivot point. More varied in tone and style than any of its predecessors, Idles are honestly challenging themselves on this record. The highlight is “The Beachland Ballroom”, a slow-burn soul ballad, which is a sentence I never would have imagined typing back in 2018. Talbot puts in the most honest performance I’ve ever heard from him, without a hint of sarcasm. It’s a reminder that this is still a band that covered Solomon Burke on their breakthrough album. It’s as stunning as “Colossus” was when I first heard it, and a wholly pleasant surprise.

#best of 2021 #idles #music

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dontlookdown · 2 years

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Nick’s Favourite Music of 2021 BLEACHERS - “CHINATOWN (feat. Bruce Springsteen)” [YouTube] [Spotify]

I have mixed feelings on Jack Antonoff. As a producer, he teamed up with Lorde and Lana Del Rey to oversee the incredible Melodrama and Norman Fucking Rockwell, but also the lacklustre Solar Power and Chemtrails over the Country Club. As an artist, with his band Bleachers, he seems to want to instil a sense of earnestness in every song, but often overdelivers in a way that can be cloying. I can shrug that off when it comes to recorded songs, but not when it manifests in the downright cringeworthy live-from-the-holiday-camp performance on Saturday Night Live in January. (I try to avoid being negative in these posts, which is why I’m not linking to it, but fucking hell the theatre kid energy was off the charts)

There are worse problems for a songwriter to have, though, and sometimes he gets the balance spot-on. Take the guitar and saxophone interplay towards the end of “How Dare You Want More” for example. Corny? Yes. Effective? Also yes.

There were two advance singles from Take the Sadness Out of Saturday Night that I loved instantly (long-term readers may remember me alluding to this last year). “45” was one of them, a blistering acoustic number about leaving your hometown behind. It left a mark on me, and I like the busker energy, but I can’t shake the feeling that maybe it could have used a little more oomph, or a drumbeat. That leaves “Chinatown”, a song that hooked me with woozy MBV-esque synths before blossoming into a titanic Bruce Springsteen pastiche. I mean, you don’t put a glockenspiel on your track unless that’s your goal (I’m looking at you too, Sam Fender), and who better to improve your Springsteen pastiche than the man himself? It’s an admission, which gives the song an edge of honesty. It’s only fair that I do likewise: I’m a sucker for this kind of thing.

#best of 2021 #bleachers #music

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dontlookdown · 2 years

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Nick’s Favourite Music of 2021 NATION OF LANGUAGE - “ACROSS THAT FINE LINE” [YouTube] [Spotify]

When I highlighted Nation of Language’s 2020 album as an honourable mention, I referred to it as “the best New Order album of the year”. While witty, it’s a backhanded compliment in hindsight, and the band deserves more respect than that, especially when their music is scratching an itch of mine that no other band is right now.

As it happens, A Way Forward casts a wider net when it comes to inspiration (with a fitting title too). The gorgeous “Wounds of Love” finds a comfy spot in-between Kraftwerk’s softer side and OMD’s Architecture & Morality. “This Fractured Mind” is built around a synth riff so pure and perfect that I’m astonished that one of the early synth-pop bands didn’t get to it first 40 years ago. “Across That Fine Line” starts off less confidently, sounding like the bass and drums are both ready and waiting for something else to kick things off. But when it arrives, an echoed guitar jangle that heralds the start of the chorus, it snaps everything into focus. The song loosens up, as if its finally found the one thing it needs to be complete, reflecting Ian Devaney’s lyrics about “that feeling of being on unsure footing and the thrill and confusion and possibility” of a friendship becoming a relationship. It’s a simple move, and it wins me over every time.

#best of 2021 #nation of language #music

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dontlookdown · 2 years

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Nick’s Favourite Music of 2021 TORRES - “DON'T GO PUTTIN WISHES IN MY HEAD” [YouTube] [Spotify]

Speaking of acts that have been steadily putting out work outside of my vision cone: Torres. “Don't Go Puttin Wishes in My Head” is the sound of the meek ripples of 2013’s “Honey” coming back to my shore as big fucking self-confident tidal waves. Glorious.

#Best of 2021 #torres #music

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dontlookdown · 2 years

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Nick’s Favourite Music of 2021 SLEIGH BELLS - “JUSTINE GO GENESIS” [YouTube] [Spotify]

It’s surprising how easily bands you enjoy can slip under your radar over time, as new acts rise up to grab your attention. Unless you’re following their every move on social media, or paying attention to the weekly release lists, they’ll slip by you once they stop making headlines. Unless they put out an eye-catching music video that reminds you that they still have it.

Point is: I’ve been sleeping on Sleigh Bells when I shouldn’t have been. Back in 2010 I identified that Treats was a unique combination of noise-rock and dubstep, and that combo has since evolved into an entire subgenre: hyperpop. What this means for Sleigh Bells is that, despite having been around for over a decade now, they still sound fresh. Their cheerleader-taunts-meet-industrial-biker-gang vibe still holds up, even as a younger generation uses it as inspiration for their own forward-thinking music. “Justine Go Genesis” is less abrasive than the songs on their debut, which I likened to “[being] punched in the face by a guitar”, but it still gets the blood pumping (it’s more like a runner’s high, with a tempo to match) and it’ll still knock you on your ass if you aren’t expecting it.

Winner of this year’s ‘Oh Shit!’ award [Last year’s winner]

#best of 2021 #sleigh bells #music

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dontlookdown · 2 years

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Nick’s Favourite Music of 2021 TURNSTILE - “MYSTERY” [YouTube] [Spotify]

Looking back at previous winners, my “album of the year” always seemed like a mathematical decision. It’s the one with no skips. The one that, were I to grade every single track, would end up with the highest average score. That’s probably true for this year too, but I settled on GLOW ON almost immediately for another reason: It was a reminder that the sequence of an album can make a big impact on how much you enjoy it.

Think about it. If you’re re-listening to an old favourite, do you play it on shuffle? Probably not (given the option). It might work out well for some albums, but I can’t imagine, say, Loveless not starting with “Only Shallow” or not finishing with “Soon”. Even on albums where the tracks fade into each other (Dark Side of the Moon and Since I Left You, for example), where not-shuffling is a given, it’s the different moods and sounds of each song that propel you through the experience.

And you want to start strong. First impressions are important, so you put your strongest statement at the front. So many of my favourite songs are album openers, because they have that frame of mind. Consider: The instant foreboding of “Colossus” and “Violet”, The drums of “Do I Wanna Know?” and “Running Up That Hill”, The taunting fake-outs of “Fight Fire with Fire” and “Teen Age Riot”, The steady evolution of the xx’s “Intro” and “Perth”, And the vocal and piano lead of Patti Smith’s “Gloria” and “Green Light”.

Isolated, they still excel as songs. But as the starting steps on a longer journey, they keep you in your seat, buckled up and ready for more. This was my experience with “MYSTERY”. There’d been some hype building for GLOW ON but, of the advance tracks I’d heard, only “MYSTERY” had me properly engaged. And yet, the glowing reviews kept me curious. I saw one person comment that this album could do for hardcore music what Nevermind did for grunge. That got my attention. “I really liked that one song,” I thought, “I’ll give it a shot.”

But “MYSTERY” isn’t just a song. With its arpeggiated synth intro, brick-wall bass and drums and scorching flanged guitar solo, “MYSTERY” is a fucking opener and, after it set the table for me, everything afterwards just…clicked. The transition to track 2, “BLACKOUT”, left me stunned as the band takes the brightness of “MYSTERY” and inverses it, digging deeper into its sound. “UNDERWATER BOI” and “HOLIDAY”, two of the singles I’d heard previously, work better as a pair contrasting each other, and “T.L.C.”, the final single I’d dismissed, works wonders as a penultimate thrashabout with its yells of “Thank you for letting me be myself”.

Of all the albums released in 2021, GLOW ON is the only one that caused me to consider what albums are, and mean, to me. Mathematics can’t dictate that.

Winner of this year’s ‘Best Album Ever’ award [Last year’s winner]

#Best of 2021 #turnstile #music

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dontlookdown · 2 years

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Nick’s Favourite Music of 2021

Hello everyone. As is annual tradition, I’ve assembled a list of my Favourite Music of 2021. Un-traditionally, however, it’s going to be a bit longer before I can write the usual blog posts about each track. I simply didn’t give myself enough time to get everything done. I was half-way through December before I even got started. By that time in 2020, I’d already put together my final list. Oops!

So, the plan is to get those posts rolling out on February 1st. That should give me enough of a buffer to put them together. I know that there’s no real imperative for this writing exercise of mine to be out by a certain deadline, but it’s nice to be timely, and it’s nice to definitively see off a year in this way.

As I mentioned at the start, I have the list ready, and you can find it further down the page. But first! Some honourable mentions:

black midi – Cavalcade Black Country, New Road – For the first time & Squid – Bright Green Field

I love all three of these bands. In theory. The idea that three of the biggest current British bands are all working deep in the post-punk niche, with influences that span from King Crimson (bm) to Slint (BC,NR) to The Fall (Squid), is incredibly exciting to me. They just haven’t quite lived up to that promise yet. At least, not in a way that concludes in me naming one of their songs as one of my favourites of the year. They still might though. Black Country, New Road are already releasing material from their upcoming 2022 album, and it’s shaping up to be a real contender for next years’ list.

Rap/Hip-hop in general

This is the first year since 2009 that no rap tracks made my final list. I’m a little bit embarrassed by that, but it wasn’t for lack of trying. Here are five songs that caught my ear, if not my heart. Tyler, The Creator – “Lumberjack” Little Simz – “Woman (feat. Cleo Sol)” Brockhampton – “Chain On (feat. JPEGMAFIA)” Tion Wayne & ArrDee – “Wid It” RXKNephew – “American Tterroristt”

The Metallica Blacklist

I went on a massive Metallica binge in March (those first four albums are as good as everyone says! St. Anger is as bad as everyone says!), which might be why this covers compilation somehow became my most anticipated album of the year. I won’t deny the absurdity of it. Does the world need 12 new versions of “Nothing Else Matters” and a Weezer take on “Enter Sandman”? Of course not. Did I still listen to the whole thing and enjoy as the ridiculously uneven rollercoaster that it is? Absolutely. If you’re curious about some of the highlights, check out Moses Sumney’s beautifully meditative take on “The Unforgiven”, and Jason Isbell’s upbeat rockabilly stab at “Sad But True”.

Sons of Kemet – Black to the Future

Some albums, to my relief, speak for themselves. This is an unflinching and raw take on the experience of being black in 2021. The poetry is stunning and the music, granite-hard jazz, is uncompromising. If your idea of jazz is smooth elevator music that blends into the background, give this a shot. There are moments on this record that will force you to recognise the human being on the other end of their instrument.

Gojira – Fortitude

I had a very metal-heavy year. Besides my aforementioned Metallica March Madness, I took deep dives into the back catalogues of Black Sabbath, Judas Priest and Slayer. I was right in the middle of an Iron Maiden jaunt before this end-of-year business, and you can bet your ass I’ll get right back to it after I’m done with it. And the first album I bought 2021 was by Gojira, a French metal band that I’d never given much attention to. But a couple of the early singles really got me interested, and I guess it was just the album I needed at that moment. Seven months later, it still holds up.

Magdalena Bay – “Hysterical Us”

This one’s just pretty. It struck a chord with me when I first heard it, and came really close to making the final cut.

Lil Nas X – “Sun Goes Down”

I’m glad that Lil Nas X is around. It’s good that queer kids have someone like him to look up to.

GAYLE – “abcdefu”

I genuinely don’t know if I’m supposed to feel guilty about it, but I kind of love this? It’s like bubblegum industrial pop? It’s the musical equivalent of being flipped off by an eight-year-old. You can’t help but smile and respect the directness.

Olivia Rodrigo – “drivers license”

I’m not made of stone. The pop music industry was built on songs with lyrics that fire up your brain’s emotional center, and this is absolutely one of them.

And now, here’s the final list of my favourite songs of the year, sequenced (as always) for musical effect:

Turnstile – “Mystery” Sleigh Bells – “Justine Go Genesis” TORRES – “Don't Go Puttin Wishes in My Head” Nation of Language – “Across That Fine Line” Bleachers – “Chinatown (feat. Bruce Springsteen)” IDLES – “The Beachland Ballroom” Rid Of Me – “Myself” Converge & Chelsea Wolfe – “Crimson Stone” Low – “More” Aeon Station – “Leaves” CHVRCHES & Robert Smith – “How Not to Drown” The War on Drugs – “I Don't Live Here Anymore” Sharon Van Etten & Angel Olsen – “Like I Used To” Chubby and the Gang – “Lightning Don't Strike Twice” The Chisel – “Retaliation” Unknown Mortal Orchestra – “That Life” Big Red Machine – “Latter Days (feat. Anaïs Mitchell)” Jazmine Sullivan – “Lost One” Cassandra Jenkins – “Hard Drive” Lucy Dacus – “Triple Dog Dare”

Quite a mix! Some new faces, some returning champions and around 25% punk/hardcore volume. I’m looking forward to writing more about these songs later on.

Here’s the link to the Spotify playlist, and if you want to revisit my posts from previous years, they can all be found here using the “best of 20xx” tag.

Happy New Year! See you soon-ish.

Nick

#best of 2021 #black midi #black country new road #squid #moses sumney #jason isbell #sons of kemet #gojira #magdalena bay #lil nas x #gayle #olivia rodrigo #music

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