Welcome to Don't Look Down. It's probably best described as a "blog". It is "written" by Nick Chaffey, and full of things he thinks you'll find interesting. Any questions you have are probably answered here.
Hello! It’s that time of year again! For me, at least, because I’m a stubborn man who insists on waiting for everyone else to do their lists before even starting the ridiculously long process of making my own. But I’ve never been bothered about being late, so long as I end up with something that doesn’t make me recoil in shame.
That said, as I came towards the end of my selection process I couldn't help but feel that my overall picks this year were more…subdued than usual? I can't say for sure why but the general state of things/the world over the last few months is probably a factor. That, coupled with my duties at work significantly increasing without enough preparation, meant that I've been feeling tired and not on-top-of-things and I guess it makes sense that I'd find comfort in generally softer songs than I would usually.
I always look at these lists as being a snapshot of where I am at the time, so I’m not too upset about it being less musically diverse than usual, even if that does sting a little for the part of me that likes to think of himself as musically omnipresent. So, for the first time in a while, I'll have a bonus list of tracks that didn't make the cut at the bottom. I had several energetic tracks fighting for the last two spots, so they deserve a bit of the spotlight too.
SO, the balance may be off compared to other years. But the vibes? The vibes are immaculate, if I do say so myself. Below, you’ll find the list of my 20 favourite songs of 2024 (YouTube links in the headings, Spotify playlist embed at the bottom) in no particular order, along with a few words about why I love each particular one. Let’s go!
Father John Misty - “Screamland”
I frequently start these lists with a song that makes you sit up and take notice. “Screamland”, from returning champion Father John Misty is certainly that. After a short quiet build, the chorus strikes like being buffeted by a strong wind on a coastal cliff. In these moments, the sudden increase in volume and noise crunch makes it feel like the song might collapse under its own weight. I love moments like that, like the emotion being contained is about to break free completely, and the way the ending cuts itself short unceremoniously is perfect. This is my song of the year.
The Cure - “Alone”
“Yep, that’s The Cure”. Not the most enthusiastic response to a legendary band returning after 16 years but, knowing that Robert Smith and the band had been working on Songs of a Lost World for a long long time, there was a small part of me concerned about what it would eventually sound like. “It sounds like The Cure” wasn’t necessarily a guarantee. But I needn’t have worried. The album is a full dive back into the reverb-soaked Disintegration sound. Smith’s guitar and voice still sound immaculate, and it’s kind of perfect that the album opener and lead single “Alone” waits for three-and-a-half minutes before he reintroduces himself, letting the other members of the band set the scene. I’m glad that bassist Simon Gallup has stuck around too, as his contributions are a key part of what makes The Cure sound like “The Cure” to me, especially during this long intro.
Cassandra Jenkins - “Omakase”
Cassandra Jenkins’s “Hard Drive” was one of my favourite songs from 2021, although I burnt myself out half way through that year’s list and didn’t get to write about it. I’m glad I get a chance to make amends this year. She’s a unique talent, capable of weaving a spell through her music and vocal performances.
“Hard Drive” was essentially a spoken word piece, but “Omakase” is practically a torch song by comparison. The title is a Japanese dining phrase that means placing your menu choice in the hands of the chef, and represents the idea of putting your trust in another person. Using it in the context of a relationship is beautiful, and the lushness of the music is a perfect accompaniment to that idea. I love the lyrics that gave the full album it’s title:
“My love, my light, my destroyer, my meteorite”
Speaking of which, the album was also a personal favourite this year, and highly recommended if you find yourself moved by this one track.
Billie Eilish - “Birds of a Feather”
My hipster-ish tendencies haven’t quite died off yet (but I’m working on it), and the thought of praising what became the most-streamed song of the year did give me pause. But then I would listen to it again, and that hesitation would completely melt away.
It took a while. I listened to HIT ME HARD AND SOFT without hearing any standout tracks (my standards are, admittedly, stupidly high), but probably wasn’t listening closely enough. When I saw Billie Eilish performing this song in the Los Angeles portion of the Olympics closing ceremony, I assumed it was a new single I hadn’t heard yet. Surely I couldn’t have missed something this delicate and vulnerable? Reader, I had.
Billie has a reputation for being great at setting a mood, but I don’t think she and co-writer/producer Finneas get enough credit for the way her songs evolve just enough over the running time to keep you engaged. Each verse has a slightly more assured vocal performance, each chorus has a slight addition to the mix to keep things interesting (culminating in the calm but squeaky keyboard line in the outro). It’s great production, is what it is.
Nilüfer Yanya - “Like I Say (I runaway)”
Speaking of setting a mood. One of the things I enjoy about my shortlist-building method of sticking every song from a year on shuffle (it’s longwinded, but effective) is that the songs that stand out really stand out. So it was with this single from Nilüfer Yanya. That buzzy acoustic guitar and programmed woodblock beat leap out immediately. And that’s before the chorus turns everything super-sized after 40 seconds. Nilüfer remains a calming presence throughout, guiding your ears through choppy waters to safe harbour.
Charli xcx - “Von dutch”
I completely accept that Charli “won” this year. Although Brat wasn’t my personal album of the year, it’s an incredible piece of work. Two works, technically, as I consider the remixes that were slowly rolled out over the year to be an essential part of the experience. Despite the “remix” label, a lot of these songs function as sequels to the original tracks, that expand on the stories and feelings in interesting ways. You probably already know about the great story behind Lorde's appearance, so consider this other example: Caroline Polachek takes the lead on a new version of “Everything is romantic”, in which she ponders the same anxieties of life that Charli did on the original, only for Charli herself to call her in the middle of the night in an attempt to quell her own fears.
It’s a truly great album, and I’m not surprised it conquered the zeitgeist in the way that it did. My pick from the album is “Von dutch”, an overdriven club banger that was not only the immediate standout for me, but also a track I was actively anticipating when I was re-listening to everything for this list. I had everything sorted alphabetically by song title, so when I hit the “v”s…I was ready for it. That alone makes it literally one of the top 26 tracks of the year!
Creepy Nuts - “Otonoke”
Friends…I have become an Anime Guy.
This will probably not be news to most people that know me. I’ve been watching it for a long time. I grew up with Pokémon, had a formative experience discovering Cowboy Bebop on DVD as a teenager, and have essentially become a One Piece evangelist in recent years. But in 2024 I reached the point where I was actively keeping track of new releases each season, and watching shows as they were airing instead of coming to them late. Because of this, there are three anime-related songs on my list this year, and that number probably won’t be going down on future lists.
Selecting my favourite music is an exercise in repetition: what holds up over repeat plays, and what do I want to hear multiple times? And what song heralds the arrival of a new episode of the most exciting show I’ve seen in years? Had I only heard “Otonoke” once, it might not have ended up on this list. But, as the opening theme to Dandadan, I heard it once a week for three months and, let me tell you, it didn’t take long before my head was bopping along with gusto.
I have a lot of respect for the musical acts that are asked to tackle an anime opening. Not only do you have to come up with a song designed to get the audience hyped for the episode, you have to match and compliment the mood of the show itself, and then find a way to do all that in a strict 90 second runtime. That can’t be easy, but some people find ways to thrive within those constraints. Hip-hop duo Creepy Nuts had already established themselves as one of them (I would love to know how they settled on that name), and “Otonoke” hits right out of the gate. It’s the perfect lead-in for the show, and a great piece of music in its own right, with some thrilling mood swings between the verses and the chorus.
Wishy - “Love on the Outside”
Wishy’s debut album Triple Seven perfectly captured a 90s-pop-rock-from-blown-speakers vibe that I didn’t know that I wanted. While there weren’t many bands from that era that actually sounded like this, songs like “Love on the Outside” have enough of that fluorescent sunshine feel to convinces you there were. Turns out you can just make your own nostalgia.
Blondshell feat. Bully - “Docket”
This was a collaborative gem I discovered through BBC 6Music. The driving chorus is a killer, one that always takes me by surprise.
Regal Lily - “Twinkling Ash”
Our second anime song on the list, this time from the wonderful Delicious in Dungeon. I actually went to Japan this past October (did Japanese Duolingo lessons for 10 months to prepare and didn’t have to use a single phrase in the end lol) and, while I promise I wasn’t stumbling around constantly thinking about anime while I was there, this song did end up playing in my head an awful lot.
That’s probably because it’s got such a perfect travelling feel (as befitting the show it’s from), with a constant momentum that recalls blurred views from outside a train window, yet remains comforting. Even the inclusion of a rendition of “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” somehow adds to the cosy vibe, instead of disrupting it. Some very strong guitar work on this one too.
MJ Lenderman - “She’s Leaving You”
Wednesday guitarist MJ Lenderman nails a specific idea of ‘Rockin’ against the melancholy’, much like Neil Young and Built to Spill did before him. The second verse on “She’s Leaving You” is a crusher:
You said
"Vegas is beautiful at night"
And it's not about the money
You just like the lights
Though you know what is implied
When your room is free
You're feeling lucky
Christopher Owens - “Do You Need a Friend”
This one’s another heartbreaker. Girls frontman Christopher Owens returned this year, having had to live through some extremely rough stuff. There are songs on I Wanna Run Barefoot Through Your Hair that were supposedly planned for a new Girls record, before bandmate JR’s untimely death, and “Do You Need a Friend” could well be one of them. It returns to some of the same tricks as a previous favourite, 2011’s “Vomit”, with Christopher’s fragile voice, some heavily reverbed guitars and passionate gospel backing vocals.
But everything gets maximised about a third of the way through, as the volume peaks and crunches and slows slightly. It sounds like the song is self-immolating. “If you really want to know, I’m barely making it through the days”, Christopher sings, and we completely believe him. It’s impossible to do anything else while this song is playing (speaking from experience, don’t listen to it at work). It’s awesome, in the traditional sense of the word.
James Blake - “Like the End”
I didn’t get much work done listening to this one, either. The last time James Blake made an appearance on these lists, it was with a song overflowing with an appreciation for beauty. “Like the End” is about as far away from that as you can get, while still clearly being the work of the same man. It’s a little exhausting how well he nails the tone of ‘the soundtrack to planet Earth’s end credits’, but I have to applaud the execution. “Doesn't it feel like the end?”, he asks. It definitely sounds like it, I say, shivering with new-found existential dread.
Vampire Weekend - “Hope”
We probably need some uplift after that, and “Hope” is…not really that, sorry. It’s an ironically-titled defeatist anthem (“The enemy's invincible, I hope you let it go”), and honestly kind of a bummer.
But it’s also a great song, and my favourite from Vampire Weekend’s Only God Was Above Us, my album of the year. The album was a not just a return to form, but a return to the textured, rougher sound of Modern Vampires of the City (which has become one of my favourite records of all time), following the underweight, squeaky-clean sound of Father of the Bride. Every instrument on this record sounds rusty but well-loved, and there’s an overall lack of polish (that I love) to the songs that still feel complete. “Hope” closes the album strongly, which is why I’ve placed it here, in [checks list] spot 14 out of 20?
Adrianne Lenker - “Ruined”
This, er, downer section is only going to continue for just a little bit longer, I promise, but I can’t deny that Adrianne Lenker is really, really good at making feel-bad songs. Her solo album this year didn’t even have that many on it, admittedly. It was even called Bright Future, for god’s sake. I almost went for “Sadness as a Gift”, which has that full-band Big Thief vibe I love, but “Ruined” scratches an itch that only solo Adrianne can, lamenting the presence of people in your life that you just can’t quit, despite feeling like you really should. An enthusiastic but tear-stained thumbs up from me.
Riria. - “Antanante.”
I talked a little about the restrictions faced when making an anime opening theme with “Otonoke”. The rules are similarly tight for ending themes too, but the assignment is less about getting viewers hyped and more about bringing them back down to earth. “Antanante”, from this year’s remake of Ranma ½, is a masterclass in doing just that. Consider that the show in question is a madcap screwball romantic comedy with fantasy elements, and then consider that the song is one of the gentlest on this list, ignoring all the wilder parts of the show’s presentation to focus on its beating heart: the earnest and slow-blooming romance between the two lead characters (the official English captions on this video were a big help in understanding this).
It’s a bold decision, and one that pays off beautifully. The title and opening lyric may translate as “I couldn’t care less about you”, but the musical choices aren’t fooling anyone. Everything is delicate and soft, floating along as if it were a dream, and there’s an intentional yearning to Riria’s vocal performance. I’ll confess to raising my eyebrows when the oriental riff makes an appearance. For the record, it’s usage in Japanese media is usually to indicate a connection to China specifically (which is a key part of the show), whereas its usage in Western media usually indicates that you’re about see/hear some really racist shit. However you feel about that, it doesn’t spoil the mood, which is kept charming by the cutest keyboard solo I think I’ve ever heard.
Waxahatchee feat. MJ Lenderman - “Right Back to It”
Here’s another floater Speaking of songs that float along nicely…
I promise I came up with that segue before seeing the video for “Right Back to It”, in which Katie Crutchfield and MJ Lenderman ride a boat slowly drifting across a Texas lake at sunset in gorgeous super-widescreen cinematography. I like that this song was a deliberate attempt at writing a song about a long-running romance, as opposed to one that had just sparked into existence. It understands that unromantic gestures can be the most romantic in the long run. “That’s the good stuff,” as Robin Williams once said.
Chappell Roan - “Good Luck, Babe!”
I remember a time when Wham’s “Last Christmas” held a reputation of one of the very worst songs to be unleashed on the public every winter, which is why I find it so fascinating that that reputation has essentially flipped around entirely in the last few years (George Michael’s unexpected death at the end of 2016 was definitely a factor). I always quite liked it myself, largely due to the sound of the synths that lightly pulse throughout the song (I like Paul McCartney’s “Wonderful Christmastime” for similar reasons, and it’ll be interesting if that song can achieve a similar 180 once Paul passes on. De La Soul have already put in the effort).
Having observed the growing tidal shift on “Last Christmas”, it made sense that another song about heartbreak built upon a similar sound would become a massive hit. I’m not making that connection to be flippant. All great pop songs build upon what’s come before, and George would have loved this, a queer break-up song that is upfront about its queerness and still broke through to the normie mainstream. I’ll admit that I hadn’t cottoned on to that side of things until doing research for this post, having not looked too closely at the lyrics, so that was a fun thing to learn!
As I’ve said, the songs that end up on these lists are the ones that hold up over repeat plays, and this was one of them. By the fifth go-around (yes, I keep track of these things), I truly got it. Chappell’s vocal performance anchors the whole thing (that falsetto in the chorus? chef’s kiss), playfully defensive until she allows some righteous anger to sneak in during the bridge, where the strings and drums ramp up to support her, as she builds up to the most devastating “I told you soooo!” ever committed to tape.
Bully - “Atom Bomb”
“Atom Bomb” is another song anchored by a vocal performance, if only because the musical accompaniment is mostly limited to just a single piano. But what a vocal performance it is (as befitting its title), with Alicia Bognanno’s howl barely containing her pain until it cracks completely during the final moments of the song.
Jessie Ware & Romy - “Lift You Up”
As you can probably guess from the title of this one, I wanted to send this list (and the year) out with some positivity. Jessie Ware is our reigning disco queen, and this collaboration with The xx’s Romy Madley Croft that she debuted during her hugely enjoyable Glastonbury set was a nice surprise. It’s simple enough, a believe-in-yourself banger, but I can’t think of a better way to ring in…*checks calendar* the 20th day of the new year. Happy Saint Sebastian Day, everybody!
Thanks for reading! If you fancy reading more like this, 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!
(The spaces in the link are correct. Apparently, Tumblr has adjusted how certain URLs work, and now most of the links I’ve used in previous posts don’t connect properly. Great.)
And, as promised, here’s some bonus tracks:
Geordie Greep - “Holy, Holy”
I described Black Midi’s last album as sounding like “arson attack at a Cole Porter recital” . Now that frontman Geordie Greep has gone solo, he has refined that sound into “Steely Dan on meth”. Both of those descriptions are compliments, and “Holy, Holy” seems like the perfect representation of what the mind of a middle-aged, overly-charismatic sociopath would sound like (again, this is a compliment).
Gojira, Marina Viotti & Victor Le Masne - “Mea Culpa (Ah! Ça ira!)”
What a moment this was, a real shot of adrenaline in the first half of the (overall excellent) Paris Olympics opening ceremony. Death metal band Gojira, suspended on the side of the Conciergerie, performing a furious rendition of a French Revolutionary anthem with opera singer Marina Viotti sliding in on a boat, surrounded by the spectres of decapitated nobles with fire and red ribbons exploding everywhere. I can see 2028’s Los Angeles ceremony trying to pull off something similar with Metallica. Good fucking luck.
Jessica Pratt - “World on a String”
The world of audio mixing and mastering is largely a mystery to me. One thing I can say though, is that Jessica Pratt’s vocals on Here in the Pitch are the perfect volume, and “World on a String” is like a warm bath on a cold day.
SPRINTS - “Up and Comer”
This punky rattler was one I clocked as a potential final-list-er early in the year. It didn’t quite get there but, considering the song is about being unfairly dismissed and looked-over, that’s somewhat apt.
Tommy Richman - “Million Dollar Baby”
I don’t pay much attention to what charts, so I didn’t encounter this until December, but I’m pretty taken with it! This is a rich mix of several flavours: I hear G-funk, Soulquarians neo-soul, even some of George Clinton’s more electronic work, and yet it still manages to sound very now.
Tyler, The Creator feat. Doechii - “Balloon”
Tyler remains the most entertaining rapper working today, partly because he manages to experiment wildly while still playing to his strengths. He’s just fun to listen to. I want to give a shoutout to Doechii as well, who not only matches Tyler’s energy perfectly on “Balloon”, but also had one of the best albums and singles of the year in Alligator Bites Never Heal and “Alter Ego”, respectively.
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!
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!
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.
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]
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.
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.
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.
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.
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]
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]
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.
