Clairo - "Charm" (2024)

One of the pop girls I was getting into last summer that I didn't end up getting round to talking about was Clairo, and specifically her newly released third album, Charm. It's a very easy on the ears and summery album, so when the autumn nights drew in and the weather got worse, it fell out of my rotation and I didn't feel the impetus to write about it. However, I've found it returning back into my rotation again this summer and I think it's worth highlighting because I think its a pretty great album that has only grown on me in the 15 months since it's release.

Prior to this album cycle I was only aware of Clairo as one of the early breakouts from the mid-2010's bedroom pop scene and a mild nepo-baby allegations internet 'controversy', but I had never actually listened to any of her music before. So my first experience of Clairo in earnest was hearing the lead single for this record, Sexy to Someone, on the radio while I was driving. And damn it's a great first impression. The elegant 70s baroque pop instrumentation, subtle groove and Clairo's hazy, whimsical voice all combine to create this dreamy and relaxed atmosphere that feels so out of time against the chaotic barrage of information of the modern world. Lyrically, it is also really thoughtful and unique. As the title suggests, it is about wanting to be considered sexy by someone. But it is not a lustful song, or even a sexy song in any real sense. It's about pining for companionship and to be desired by someone, and for that person to come into your life and shake up the routine you've become complacent in. One of my favourite lyrics in the song is "Oh, I need a reason to get out of the house", which Clairo sings in such an unglamourous, straight-up way.

The rest of Charm further explores these themes of pining for love and connection, but feeling so far away from it - in your own lane and routine, well away from anyone that might come in and shake all of that up. This is all paired up against really gentle and low-key, throwback sophisti-pop, baroque pop and soft rock instrumentals that sound straight out of the 70's and 80's, further aiding that 'out of time' vibe throughout the whole record. On the opener, Nomad, Clairo compares her love life to that of a nomad, and how she struggles to connect with the people she is with and how she has the itching urge to always move on to the next thing, never letting herself settle down with someone. Thank You has similar themes, where Clairo basically admits that she knew a certain relationship had an expiry date from the moment she first met this person. The brazen admition of kind of using this person is really quite stark and not something you see a lot in pop music. Second Nature and Slow Dance are gentle piano led tunes where Clairo in turn expresses her confidence in a relationship and then her insecurities about one that is clearly fading out and in its twilight hours. The tracks are placed back to back in the tracklist and provide a sense of duality, where as much Clairo wants to believe that it will work out, she ultimately knows it wont. 

Terrapin is a jazzy tune that explores the simple things in life, and I really love the pianos and keyboards skittering about in the mix - it sounds really cool. This leads into Juna, which goes one step further and builds something more monumental. The song is certainly the centrepiece of the album with its ascending synth and horn lines and the strident hook of "You know me-ee-ee" that rises up with the instrumentation. Add Up My Love returns to the slightly meatier grooves of Sexy to Something, with some lush woodwind and strings to back it up. The song once again takes the idea of a break up and pining for someone, and spins it with the interesting idea of Clairo wanting to take all the time she is spending thinking about this person and condensing it into one chunk of 'sad time' that she can get through and then be done with. 

Echo feels very late 60's / early 70's to my ears. The hazy vocals, woozey psychedelic guitars and fuzzy moog synths really give off a Nico / Carpenters / Early Pink Floyd kind of mash up; whereas Glory of the Snow gives off a later, pop-era Fleetwod Mac atmosphere with the reverby piano and jovial melody. Pier 4 closes out the record as a simple acoustic ballad that wraps up the record's themes really well, referencing back to the ideas of not feeling romantically seen and kicking it out in your own lane that Nomad brought up at the start of the record.

Charm is a great album, it captures the vibe and atmosphere it is going for perfectly, and has a lot of really interesting things to say about its lyrical themes and ideas. While I did enjoy it last summer when it was first released, it has really taken its time to sink in with me and I like it even more now. I kind of got addicted to Bags from her second album when it went semi-viral on tiktok earlier this year, so I'm exited to check out the rest of her discography to see if it stacks up to this record.

Top Tracks: Nomad, Sexy to Someone, Thank You, Terrapin, Juna, Add Up My Love, Echo, Pier 4

8/10

Fat Dog - "WOOF." (2024)

 

Fat Dog were first brought to my attention last summer when they were added to the lineup of a festival I was attending and featured on Fantano's weekly singles roundup within the same week. I decided to check out those singles, was thoroughly impressed and made a mental note to try and catch their set. The two songs they had released thus far were this insane collision of dance punk, traditional gypsy folk music and EBM with absolutely ridiculous, absurdist lyrics about having a fever dream where the protagonist becomes the king of slugs and the like. While I really liked what I heard, what truly cemented Fat Dog in my mind was catching their set and witnessing the raw, unrestrained energy that these songs have live.

The aforementioned King of the Slugs is this 7 minute surrealist journey into the mind of someone who is really loosing the plot. The thumping two step bass cranks up the tension during the opening verses which is all released in a manic chorus where vocalist Joe Love yells at the top of his voice "I'm the king of the slugs, bitch!" This the proceeds into a slow and drawn out instrumental section that slowly morphs into a bouncy polka bridge that builds and builds until the song just smacks you with one of the hardest breakdowns I have heard in years. Wither, similarly, hits you in the face with an incessant two step groove that never lets up as Love caterwauls "You better wither baby, before you die" over and over. Other album highlights include the other two singles, All the Same and Running. All the Same has a super heavy, almost dubstep-y groove and Running being one of the most intense moments on the record. Love play's the character of an exposed cult leader running away from those trying to seek justice. Flurries of stabbing synths compliment Love's increasingly deranged vocals. I managed to see the band a few weeks ago and Running closed out the set, and felt like the climax to the whole show.

While the highlights are frankly brilliant, WOOF. as a whole is quite a short album, and the over the top, tongue-in-cheek nihilism doesn't translate as well to some of the more restrained cuts on the record. Clowns and I am the King feel more like in jokes that aren't actually that clever compared to the sheer ridiculousness of the singles. That, combined with the fact that the first and last tracks function more as just intro and outro tracks for the album rather than fully fledged songs, leaves the record feeling rather lacking in substance when it comes to the lyrics and themes. But then again, its quite obvious that the point of the album is just to be a vehicle to perform these songs live, so I can hardly critique it too much for not having much to dig into on re-listen. 

The best bits of WOOF. are some of the most exciting music I heard in all of 2024, however as a whole album it feels a little underdeveloped and scant on deeper ideas. It is also short enough that it really doesn't outstay its welcome either. And as a live band, Fat Dog are absolutely brilliant and I would recommend anyone who likes a moshy gig to go see them.

Top Tracks: Wither, King of the Slugs, All the Same, Running

7/10

Remi Wolf - "Big Ideas" (2024)

Another one of the pop girls I was listening to last summer was Remi Wolf. Specifically this, her sophomore record, Big Ideas. And if one word sums up this album, it is summer. I remember discovering Remi through the lead single for the record, Cinderella, being on rotation on Radio 1 last spring while I was driving to and from site for my previous job that at that point I knew I was leaving. The loose and fun synth funk groove of the song was a perfect match for the sunny drives though the Suffolk countryside and the summer of freedom I was looking forward to. Remi's charismatic vocal delivery and the quirky horns and whistles make it the perfect summer party vibe.

Cinderella opens up the record and is followed by the other three singles, Soup, Motorcycle and Toro. Soup is a silky, reverb drenched nu-disco tune that once again shows of Remi's powerful vocal chops. Motorcycle is a stripped back, soulful slow jam where Remi's vocals effortlessly glide across the gentle guitar licks and twinkling keys. This leads into Toro, a raucous and explosive release of energy. Remi wails about an intense and chaotic sexual encounter, comparing the experience to a matador facing up against a bull, backed up by a chunky funk groove and the same goofy sound effects from Cinderella (this time a motorbike revving up). If Cinderella is the start of a summer house party, fizzling with anticipation and good vibes; Toro is the party in full swing where everybody is getting a little too drunk and the impulsive decisions start to commence.

As you can probably tell from the first four songs, Big Ideas is bursting with variety. There's jangly indie rock on Cherries & Cream and Frog Rock; escapist dance pop on Kangeroo; and a full on power ballad in Alone in Miami. I will say that the broad scope of the record means that there isn't as much attention to detail put into the rest of the songs when compared to the singles, but they mostly pass the bar at being fun quirky pop tracks. The only real moments on the record that I'm not really vibing with are the blown out alt pop / pop rock songs, Wave and When I Thought Of You. I'm not the biggest fan of that style anyway and I feel like these tracks are a lot more drab and colourless than the rest of the album.

Despite the whole thing not necessarily being the most mind blowing or revolutionary pop album, the ecstatic energy and sheer charisma on display on Big Ideas kept me coming back to it all summer last year, and I've continued to play it every so often in the months since when I want to gaslight myself and pretend UK winters don't suck and its not actually like 2 degrees outside. The singles are also genuinely really great pop songs too.

Top Tracks: Cinderella, Soup, Motorcycle, Toro, Cherries & Cream, Kangaroo

7/10

Kendrick Lamar - "GNX" (2024)

At the back end of last year Kendrick surprise dropped GNX, his sixth full LP, and I'm glad I've let it sit with me for a couple of months as it has really grown on me. It follows a massive 2024 for him, where he absolutely decimated Drake in their rap-beef and one of those songs rivalling HUMBLE. as his biggest hit yet. That song being the massive sounding, party banger Not Like Us produced by DJ Mustard. It was the kind of transcendent pop-rap jam that Kendrick rarely explores, as when he does go in a more pop direction, it's usually in the styles relaxed neo-soul beats and contemporary R&B, or straight up trap. 

While in retrospect it makes sense that GNX follows in this direction, at first it kind of took me aback a little. Kendrick's last record, Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers, was excruciatingly personal, with the narrative of that record basically being about Kendrick overcoming the pressure he feels on him to be some kind of 'black saviour' figure, alongside his past familial trauma, to basically live his life for himself. It seemed like a massive whiplash for him to make what is quite frankly his most mainstream album to date. Similarly, GNX follows on from the Drake beef, with Kendrick at his most self-aggrandising and self-righteous, taking shots left and right at other rappers and rap culture at large. Which again is a massive u-turn on one of Mr. Morale's biggest themes, that of letting go of ones ego.

But the more I let the record sink in, the more it clicked with me. The pressure on Kendrick with each release to make albums that were simultaneously 'grand artistic magnum opuses' and also pop mega smash hits resulted in both DAMN. and MM&TBS being quite inconstant and cohesive releases; with Mr. Morale in particular being quite a tortured and messy album in retrospect. Looking at it from that angle, it's clear that GNX was the only path forward for Kendrick, as no-one (not even Lamar) can keep topping each release with something 'even more' grandiose and culture defining. And anyway, Kendrick deserves to let loose every once in a while. It also helps that these tracks absolutely bang, and at a trim 45 minutes, it's Kendrick's tightest mainline release.

And yes, while it lacks some of the overtly provocative and deeply personal moments and mental genre-bending experiments that initially drew me to Kendrick's music, it's still lyrically dense and meaningful, and has some great beat switch ups and instrumental flourishes. There is a recurring motif featuring mariachi singer Deyra Barrera, neo-soul slow jams featuring SZA (and Kendrick R&B crooning voice is finally getting better after like 3 albums of trying it), hardcore hip hop bangers and a handful of those loose, reflective west-coast hip hop jams that Kendrick never fails to pull off. GNX is also Kendrick at his goofiest and most fun, with a couple of moments becoming meme status.

All in all, by removing himself from the pressure of being 'the most important artist alive' Kendrick has made his most consistently enjoyable LP since To Pimp A Butterfly, and I wouldn't be surprised if it tops DAMN. as his commercial peak in the coming months / years.

Top Tracks: wacced out murals, squabble up, luther, man at the garden, hey now, reincarnated, tv off, peekaboo, heart pt. 6, gloria

8/10

The Smile - "Cutouts" (2024)

As I mentioned in the last post about Wall Of Eyes, The Smile went on to release a second album in 2024, being this one, Cutouts. Partially recorded in the same sessions as WOE, the band insist that it is not just a leftovers record; but honestly it does kind of feel like it is. Some of the tracks here fit the much more low key, ambient soundscapes of WOE and others are more reminiscent of the more energetic post-punk and krautrock tracks on the debut. It makes the record feel lacking in identity when compared to either - sort of caught in the middle.

This feeling of inconsequentiality is further felt by the general quality of the songs as well. The record kicks things off with the very low key and not particularly interesting Foreign Spies and Instant Psalm. These songs don't really go anywhere and lack the space and texture that made the slow moments on WOE so enveloping. The record then kicks into gear with frankly the two best songs on the record, Zero Sum and Colours Fly. Zero Sum takes the rhythmic post-punk of the debut and turns it up a notch into full blown math rock. Colours Fly is an atmospheric slow burn that slowly builds into a dramatic climax. The jazzy drum patterns and the dynamic guitars and strings that rise and fall in the mix create such a sense of unease. It would have fit snugly on WOE and I wouldn't be surprised if it was one of the tracks recorded from those sessions. 

The weakest track is definitely Don't Get Me Started, which is built around a very repetitive dirge-like electronic beat. Musically the song isn't very interesting, which is then compounded by the way Thom's lyrics read. The come across as very non-specific "You've got me wrong / You don't understand me" pity party, which to anyone in the know about the heat Thom and Johnny have received about their somewhat flimsy stance on the Israel / Palestine this year conflict comes across in such a bad way. The lyrics are, in typical Thom fashion, vague and non-specific; so if it is supposed to be a comment on the criticism they've faced - at least have the balls to say it. And if it's not, surely they knew how it would read.

Nothing else on the album stoops so low, and is the expected baseline of quality for these guys. Eyes & Mouth is a nice middle ground between the the band's two lanes, with groovy lead guitars but a lot of additional layers and flourishes. Tiptoe is a nice bit of ambient piano music, and The Slip is a groovy mix of electronic beats, jazzy drumming and angular guitars. No Words is that driving krautrock jam that Thom and Johnny do so well, but it does feel at this point that we've heard it several times before on previous projects. Bodies Laughing closes out the record in a spooky and unsettling way, with its odd mix of a bossa nova groove and quite eerie and uneasy synths. It's a fine song but pretty underwhelming as a closer in all honesty.

Cutouts is by no means a bad record, and does have a couple of great moments - but it certainly lacks the attention to detail and flow of the previous records. It feels somewhat redundant and lacking in much of its own identity. It's solid enough and enjoyable if you're in the mood for this brand of Radiohead-adjacent music but it definitely has nothing on the first two records from The Smile.

Top Tracks: Zero Sum, Colours Fly, Eyes & Mouth, The Slip

6/10

The Smile - "Wall Of Eyes" (2024)

Nearly a year ago now The Smile released their second record, Wall Of Eyes. It came at a point in time for me that I couldn't truly get into it or appreciate it to its fullest extent - partially because we've had a lot of Radiohead-adjacent projects over the past few years, and partly because the slow and meditative nature of the record didn't fit with how busy and exhausting my life at the time was. But it's intricacies and overall quality has stuck with me over the past year, and is certainly a step up from the already good debut record from 2022.

My main criticisms with the debut record was that it was a bit too long and unfocused, and somewhat lacked its own identity outside of the Radiohead legacy. Many of the tracks felt like they could've cropped up on a number of Radiohead albums. Wall Of Eyes definitely rectifies this, being a tight 8 tracks that takes the subtler more jazz and post-rock influenced moments of the debut and pushes further in that direction. What results is a very quiet and meditative record that really seeps into your bones as you listen.

The record opens with the gentle strumming and distant bossa nova drumming, before Thom Yorke's nazal-y falsetto vocals and layers of washed out synths and strings come into the mix. The structure of the track is fairly simple and repetitive, with the emphasis much more on the texture and atmosphere created. Teleharmonic further builds on this pensive and low-key mood, pairing Thom's voice up with a simple metronomic drum beat and some deep, warble-y synths. The first half of the track is eerily spacious. The bass kicks in from the midpoint and the drum patterns become more complex as Thom's vocals become more impassioned. The linear build of the song is very intricate and subtle and does feel like the band is taking you on a journey through an eerie and unfamiliar setting.

Read The Room is an interesting switch up from the first two tracks, being a more immediate crossover between krautrock and psychedelic Anatolian rock. The guitars are heavier and crunchier, the drumming is rhythmic and hypnotic. The vocal and guitar melodies spiral and wrap around each other. It's something I haven't really heard Thom or Johnny do before and I think they pull it off really quite well. Under Our Pillows continues this more uptempo pace, although it is my least favourite of the record overall. The song is a nervous, twangy post-punk / krautrock track that would have fit snugly alongside many of the tracks from the debut. It just feels like a bit of a leftover amongst the rest of the tracks which are much more patient and focus on texture and timbre rather than the scitzo energy of those moments on the debut. 

Friend Of A Friend is a slow piano ballad that unravels into a jazzy climax with some brilliant chord progressions. The song becomes quite dynamic as it progresses. I Quit is a washed out and reverby bit of ambient pop reminiscent of the atmospherics of A Moon Shaped Pool. The song is drenched in this cinematic strings and would be at home on a film score. This leads into the grand centrepiece of the album, the 8 minute Bending Hectic. This track is just as cinematic as I Quit, as Thom details essentially driving his car of the side of a mountain in Italy with such vivid and colourful imagery. The song slowly builds from discordant strumming and erratic drumming into dramatic and swooning strings, highlighting the difference in emotions between the initial panic of what he's just done into the euphoria of feeling like he flying. The track then progresses into its menacing final section as he's hitting the ground - the guitars are overdriven and wailing, the drums pummelling. It's a brilliant piece of progressive rock. After the climax of Bending Hectic, the record closes out with the quite stark comedown of You Know Me. I think its a great closer for the record. It has a wistful and longing energy that I really enjoy.

Wall Of Eyes really showed why The Smile exists and is an improvement on the debut in every way. It's one of the least rockiest out of any of the Radiohead side ventures, but I think that is to its strength, because these tracks are all about their texture and atmosphere and they sound beautiful and intricate. It's a shame that the 3rd record, Cutouts, was released so quickly after this and didn't really continue in this direction, because I think they had really hit on something here.

Top Tracks: Teleharmonic, Read The Room, Friend Of A Friend, I Quit, Bending Hectic, You Know Me

8/10

The Cure - "Songs Of A Lost World" (2024)

After 16 long years, The Cure have finally released a new album, their 14th, and ooh its a gooden. And honestly, there was no guarantee that it was going to turn out well, which makes it especially enjoyable as a fan. The Cure are one of my very favourite bands, and probably the only one that I have loved so consistently ever since I was a young child. My dad would play the singles all the time when I was young, and as I became a teenager I explored their greater discography and was amazed by the breadth and versatility of their records. And now as an adult I feel like they are one of the few artists who I still feel so strongly towards as I did in my early teenage years. 

While I regularly come back to pretty much all of the band's releases up to and including Wish, the following 4 records the band released in the late 90s and 2000s are considered a significant step down be me and many others. It felt like Robert Smith and Co. were just running out of steam; either rehashing their past glories or bringing half-arsed and shallow gimmicks to the table in the place of genuine inspiration. This all cumulated in 2008's 4:13 Dream; and while better than the preceding album (2004's self titled, and baffling mess of a record that for some reason the group got nu-metal super producer Ross Robinson to produce), it was essentially a complete damp squib of a record that sounded more like a touched up b-sides compilation than anything genuinely inspired or meaningful.

And then nothing... for 11 years. Smith did suggest for a while that a sequel album to 4:13 would be released featuring other songs from those sessions, but that never materialised. The band essentially became a touring legacy act during the 2010s (which resulted in some excellent live albums). Then in 2019, Robert announced that a new album would be on its way that very year - which didn't happen. The years rolled by again, with Smith promising it was still coming but with nothing to show. By the time 2022 rolled around with the band on a tour literally named after this album (Shows Of A Lost World) and it still wasn't out, I had given up hope that we were ever going to hear this album. So when the opening cut, Alone, was dropped by the band at the end of September as the lead single for the album, and it was easily the best song they had released in 30 years, I was beyond exited to hear the full thing.

In some ways, Alone is vintage Cure: the long drawn out intro, the slow and steady bassline and Smith's melancholic vocals. In others, it feels more Cocteau Twins than The Cure. The piercing, reverb-gated drums and skittering, reverby synth effects create this disorientating and otherworldly atmosphere; and the whole mix is close and claustrophobic. Lyrically, while certainly in keeping with bands previous work, it does tread new water for the group. The song quite overtly deals in the themes of mortality, death and facing the end of times in a very stark and raw way. Shaped by the deaths of his parents and older brother, and Smith facing his own aging and mortality; Songs Of A Lost World is more upfront and raw than the bands previous 'doom and gloom' records, set to really dense and claustrophobic instrumentation and production.

The second single, A Fragile Thing is a more typically radio friendly single for the record with its higher tempo and catchy chorus. It's still very dark, with Smith describing the song as a flipside to their classic track Lovesong. Where that track was literally a wedding present from Smith to his wife (and a moment of hope within the darkness of Disintegration), A Fragile Thing is about how fragile and all consuming love is. The momentum of the track is carried by rigid, staccato hits of piano that gives the effect of a timer ticking down to inevitable doom.

The middle of the record is occupied by the two 'rockiest' cuts of the album, Warsong and Drone:Nodrone. Warsong slowly builds and builds though its drawn out intro, where thundrous blown out drums clatter against roaring guitars. When Smith's vocals finally come in, he sounds like prophet of the apocalypse, howling about humanity's innate desire to hate and to fight and to kill. The song is deeply nihilistic and presented in such an immense, monolithic context. Drone:Nodrone on the other hand is a song about complete and utter bewilderment. It inspired by a drone flying above Smith one day and making him feel like a man out of time who doesn't connect with the modern world around him. The song has a bit more of a groove than the rest of the album, and spacy synths which calls back to the band's excursions into alt dance and baggy from the early 90s. The disorientating, spiralling keyboards and whining lead guitars also give off a vibe similar to the heavier stadium rock songs from Wish.

The album descends deeper into the darkness in the second half, starting the with the really quite harrowing I Can Never Say Goodbye. The song is a slow and stark ballad directly referencing the death of Robert's Brother. The dense, claustrophobic production that characterises the rest of album makes way for more space to allow the pain and grief in Smith's words to sink in. All I Ever Am dials the intensity back up with clattering, pummelling percussion, sirenning synths and crunchy bass as Robert confronts his own mortality, beliefs and regrets. This leads into the ten and a half minute behemoth of a closer, Endsong. The song slowly builds through its six and a half minute intro before Smith's vocals finally come in. The song has an immense sense of finality to it and is the perfect way to wrap up the record. Robert is promising that another Cure record will be on its way soon, but if that doesn't happen Endsong (and the record as a whole) is a fitting book end to the band's discography.

The main critique that the album has been receiving by some is that the production is a little bricked out. And while I don't agree with this for most of the album (I feel like the production creates this oppressive, suffocating feeling), the second track And Nothing Is Forever does feel a bit unbalanced. Everything in the high end of the mix (Smith's vocals, the synths, the guitars) feel like they're fighting for space, while the low end (bass and drums) seems really set back and distant. It does lessen my enjoyment of an otherwise great cut.

Songs Of A Lost World has achieved something that the band hasn't managed to in 30 years - it's a concise, focused record with something really meaningful to say. Smith has always written about death, impending doom and the destruction of the things in life he holds dear; but here he is coming from a much more grounded and real-world angle. Faith and Pornography are records obsessed with grotesque imagery and the angry nihilism of youth. Disintegration is a yearning and romantic under it's apocalyptic imagery. SOALW is Smith staring down the barrel of the gun with no façade, no pretence.

Top Tracks: Alone, A Fragile Thing, Warsong, Drone:Nodrone, I Can Never Say Goodbye, All I Ever Am, Endsong

9/10

Charli XCX - "BRAT" (2024)

As promised, here's what I think of BRAT. Like many others, my experience of Charli XCX was mostly her smash hits of the early to mid 2010s - the likes of I Love It, Boom Clap and her feature on Iggy Azalea's Fancy. However by the time of 2016's Vroom Vroom EP, Charli started shifting into the emerging genres of hyperpop and bubblegum bass, a much more subversive and less commercial sound. Coincidentally the EPs title track is probably the last time I remember a Charli XCX song having a significant pop-culture presence. Pretty much everything Charli put out following this creative shift has gained huge amounts of critical acclaim, but never really captured the pop-culture attention that some of those early songs did. It's a sentiment I can certainly understand, as while I would occasionally hear some of the newer singles on the radio (and enjoyed them well enough), I never felt compelled to check out the records despite them consistently making year end lists.

What was different about BRAT (bar the effective marketing with the lime green aesthetic and 'x is brat' memes), is that the singles did compel me to check out the full thing. They weren't just somewhat edgy pop songs, they had depth and heart that fitted into a wider narrative that's presented on the album. Charli is being open and vulnerable on these songs and I think that is what has connected with me and many others. BRAT at its core is a record about the transitional period of your mid to late 20s, where you can feel yourself growing and maturing, but still not ready to let go of the adventures and chaos of youth. In Charli's case, it is framed around her competing desires to be a part of the hedonistic party scene that she grew up a part of (and has made a big part of her stage persona) and a longing to have an identity (and legacy) beyond that.

The album opens with 360, which almost serves as pres music for a big night out. Lyrics centre around looking in the mirror and hyping yourself up. The repeated synth riff of the song also becomes a bit of a motif that reoccurs later on in the record. This leads into Club classics, which is a straight up club banger. The booming bass and skittering synth lines, alongside Charli's lyrics about wanting to party with her friends to the 'club classics' make it a perfect party tune. Sympathy is a knife is the first time the record really delves into something deeper. The song is not so subtly about Charli's relationship with Taylor Swift and how their interactions have made Charli feel. But it isn't really a diss track, as Charli is more reflective on how her own insecurities are shaping her perception of Taylor, and how it's more coming from her as opposed to Taylor slighting her in some way. The song has a soaring hook (one of the catchiest on the record) searing synths and a skittering drum beat, creating a very high stakes tension to the song that really pays of. Its definitely one of my favourites of the record.

I might say something stupid slows it down and brings some quite raw and intimate lyrics where Charli is vulnerable about her insecurities regarding her level of fame and how she feels "one foot in a normal life", not quite belonging in the celebrity world but also at a level of fame where she doesn't feel like she belongs in a normal life either. Midpoint Everything is romantic hits similar vibes, as Charli repetitively lists off mundane, day to day items and experiences and romanticises them against a very rigid drum beat and contrasting cinematic strings. Talk talk and Von dutch sit in between these tow tracks and bring back the feel good party vibes. Talk talk is a sensual piece of synth pop, and Von dutch goes hard with it's throbbing base and whining synth lines. The lyrics centre around tearing down someone who is obsessively jealous of Charli. It has a huge It Girl, 'no fucks given' vibe to it.

The back half of the record is not quite as strong in my opinion, but has some real highlights on it. Rewind recycles and permutates the 360 motif, and while I get what it's trying to achieve by using the same musical ideas to emphasise it's themes of wanting to go back to the start, reminiscing on the past and trying to undo your imperfections, I don't find this version of the 360 beat nearly as engaging. From a lyrical front, So I is a beautiful ballad dedicated to the late hyperpop pioneer and Charli's friend, SOPHIE. It is heart wrenchingly vulnerable and touching. But on a musical front the song is by far the safest on the record, and feels rather plain compared to the rest of what's on offer. B2b is an atmospheric club track with minimal lyrics, but I can say it's something I'm excited to get to when listening through the album.

However the best parts of the second half are so good! Starting with Girl, so confusing. Much like Sympathy is a knife, the track deep dives into Charli's relationship with another pop star, this time being Lorde. However, the angle here is much more about Charli trying to reach out to Lorde and be open about a perceived miss-match and misunderstandings between the two because she really respects her and wants their relationship to grow. (As a result Lorde featured on the even better remix where she is equally candid and vulnerable). Apple has grown on me massively since first listen, as it's a very catchy synth pop jam with a great analogy about generational trauma being an apple rotten right to the core. Mean girls acts a sort of last hurrah for the party girl vibes from earlier on in the record as Charli describes the party girl / It Girl archetype with such allure against a throbbing house beat and skittering jazzy keyboards.

The record closes with the duo of I think about it all the time and 365. I think about it all the time strips the song back to basically just a drum beat and a few low key synths as Charli discusses meeting up with her friends who just had a baby and how that has caused her to reflect on whether she wants a child, her own biological clock and the career sacrifices she might have to make if she chooses to start a family. 365 brings everything full circle and remixes the 360 beat with a fresh set of lyrics primarily focused around drug usage. While I get what what Charli has done placing it as the closer to the record, essentially saying that while she's having these desires to move away from the party scene, she's still not ready to leave it behind quite yet; it does kind of lessen the impact of the arc of the record, especially I think about it all the time.

BRAT has the majority of the best pop songs I've heard this year on it and all wrapped up in an incredibly tight and thematically complete record. There are a couple of moments where I thought it could've been a little more daring but every song on here is at the very least really good and well worth your time. I would also recommend checking out the remix album as well, as much like the Lorde remix of Girl, so confusing, the tracks are more than just remixes - they are further extensions and reinterpretations of the themes of the original tracks.

Top Tracks: 360, Club classics, Sympathy is a knife, I might say something stupid, Talk talk, Von dutch, Everything is romantic, Girl, so confusing, Apple, Mean girls, I think about it all the time, 365

8/10

Magdalena Bay - "Imaginal Disk" (2024)

I've got to thank Tiktok for this one. I knew absolutely nothing about the synth pop duo prior to the release of this record (their second), and immediately upon release my Tiktok was filled up with videos claiming it to be the best record of the year. And as I have been on a bit of a pop-girl kick this year (BRAT review will be coming at some point, and maybe a few others if I get time), I decided to check this out. I am so glad I did, as I can totally see where all those Tiktoks were coming from and it probably would've been my favourite record this year if the new Cure album that has just come out didn't turn out as well as it has.

The sound of Imaginal Disk is a kaleidoscopic collage of early 00's synth pop and dance pop, indietronica, psych pop and progressive pop, and even a bit of chillwave and late 90's female singer/songwriters. It is such a tightly written and amazingly produced record. Every track has so much attention to detail, little quirks, and leftfield switch-ups or unique progressions that makes the record envelop you, as you get lost in the sound. The tracks seamlessly flow into each other, making the album feel like a real cinematic journey over its 53min runtime.

Lyrically and thematically, the record is just as ambitious, exploring the ideas of an idealised 'perfect' sense of self and struggle between chasing the idea that we have to be perfect to be happy (or to please others) and forging your own unique path where you can be fulfilled without fitting neatly into a predefined box. Going hand in hand with this is a lot of lyrical focus on the difficulty discerning between 'true love' and love and companionship out of convivence and comfort and whether the former is actually real and obtainable, and the latter inauthentic and ultimately unfulfilling. These ideas are left open ended, which I think really adds to the experience of the record as if its almost trying to get you to ponder these concepts yourself as opposed to just throwing them at you as a definitive worldview. They're also not really obvious on first listen, rather layered into the subtext, which is giving the record huge replay value for me.

The first leg of the record is phenomenal, opening with building opener She Looked Like Me!. The first half of the song builds up with glitchy synths and booming drums, before switching up into a tension building second half with triumphant horns. The lyrics depict a strange encounter with the protagonists doppleganger, and the existential reflection on ones own uniqueness and identity. This leads into the woozy and groovy Killing Time, which explores the themes of 'killing time' and constantly putting of dreams and waiting for the ideal moment. The dreamy Enya-sounding True Blue Interlude segues this into the album's lead single, Image. The song is an absolute banger of an alt-dance tune with an infectious groove and Mica Tenebaum's silky smooth vocals gliding above the beat. "Ooooh my God, Make me in your image" is the leading hook and damn it sounds so sexy. Death & Romance follows straight after and somehow tops Image. The house-esque staccato piano hits, spacy synths and Mica's vocals sounding like Kylie give the song a very 00s dance-pop feel. The track just keeps ascending and ascending to this euphoric place - which juxtaposes the ecstatic feel against some quite heavy lyrics pondering whether there is anything more to life beyond the songs title. This run comes to a close with Fear, Sex, which serves as an outro to Death & Romance that unwinds the beat and reworks it into something more sinister as the driving forces of death and romance are presented under a different light - being fear and sex.

Other highlights include the sombre and sprawling ballad, Watching T.V. (a track about the prevailing fear during the 2000's that watching too much T.V is mentally damaging and also the idea of losing yourself in the screen while avoiding reality) and the epic Tunnel Vision. The song starts out as quite a stripped back synth pop song with chiming synths, before the protagonist realises that they are developing tunnel vision in their life and that they need to get out. At this point the song flips on its head for a hypnotic space rock outro. The thick, heavy base and skittering, lazer-like effects sound so sinister and menacing. This is followed by the super light and breezy synth funk jam, Love Is Everywhere, a perfect antidote to the darker middle section of the record of the record that has preceded it. The bombastic dance pop vibes return with the very in your face That's My Floor, a track all about taking life by the scruff of it's neck and making it your dancefloor. It's kinda garish but in the best way, with a sitar middle section and a scratchy funk-rock guitar outro. Similarly, Cry for Me is a straight up throwback to the groovey Nu-Disco of the early 00's and is great fun.

The record closes with Angel on a Satellite and The Ballad of Matt & Mica. Angel on a Satellite strips out all the synths for an approach akin to late 90's pop-leaning singer / songwriters. The song is a nice change of pace for the record and really highlights the emotionality of the lyrics of trying to forge your own path against the metaphysical will of an 'angel on a satellite' above you. All of the records themes are tied up and brought into the real world with The Ballad of Matt & Mica, a joyous ode to the duo, their friendship and their pursuit of the dreams over a pre-determined 'easy life'.

What I truely admire about Imaginal Disk, is that as heavy and thoughtful the lyrics and themes of the record, it is so thoroughly enjoyable and uplifting. Literally every time I put it on, I come away in a better mood than when I started. That is on top of how intricate and well constructed it is, alongside that it is damn catchy. I'm so glad that I've been turned onto Magdalena Bay because this album is such a refreshing and unique experience.

Top Tracks: She Looked Like Me!, Killing Time, True Blue Interlude, Image, Death & Romance, Fear, Sex, Watching T.V., Tunnel Vision, Love Is Everywhere, That's My Floor, Cry For Me, Angel on a Satellite, The Ballad of Matt & Mica.

9/10

Wunderhorse - "Midas" (2024)

Wunderhorse's growth has been quite the slowburn since the release of their debut, 2022's Cub. It seemed to go under the radar for me - I don't think I checked it out until months after release when one of the songs cropped up on my TikTok fyp and peaked my interest. The band's style was very much an homage to 90's alt rock and grunge. And while there was a handful of really great songs on the record, overall it felt rather derivative - so many of the moments felt like imitations of Nirvana and The Bends in particular. Midas is an interesting follow-up, as it sticks to its guns on the aesthetic choices (there is very little growth in that regard) but pairs it with a crop of better written tunes that really play to the bands strengths.

The biggest strength being frontman Jacob Slater's passionate and powerful vocal delivery, and raw and heartaching lyrics. In typical grunge fashion, Slater switches up between a gruff howl and and a hushed, lowkey drawl with song topics dealing with loss, depression and trauma quite starkly and upfront. To use the Nirvana comparison again, the way Slater writes about these topics captures that same intoxicating darkness that Kurt Cobain did so well. Tracks like Superman and July really make your heart wrench.

The songwriting has also improved, the tracks are sharper and the hooks catchier. The record runs at a breakneck pace - being 40 minutes with nearly 9 of those taken up by the closer. The album opens with the title track, a super punchy two and a half minute banger before leading into the much moodier and sinister Rain. The layers of jangly guitar build up to a massive crescendo. The mid-paced riffs and anthemic chorus of Silver are matched with quite a dynamic mix which in places leaves loads of space for the chugging rhythm section, but in others is overwhelmed by the reverb-y lead guitars and Slater's vocals.

The midpoint of the record is marked by the 1-2 punch of the aforementioned Superman and July. Superman is the first time the record really slows it down for quite a harrowing acoustic ballad. The song details the dissociation and suicidal ideation that can be brought on by depression. Slater details being in an office block, looking out of the window - daydreaming about either jumping or flying. The lyrics are left deliberately vague, allowing the imagery about becoming Superman to really sink in. The simplicity of the sing is commanding and quite haunting. July, on the other hand is the heaviest and loudest song on the album. The sludgy riffs and shout / screamed vocals recall the heavier side of grunge of the likes of Soundgarden and Stone Temple Pilots. The song has some pretty violent imagery around drug addiction and seizures, with Slater howling "I'm ready to die" over and over on the chorus.

Not everything is quite as exciting. The vocals on Emily veer a little too close to a Cobain impression for my liking, and the instrumental is a pretty standard post-grunge affair. Arizona also feels a little flat and by the book. The back end of the record is fine although feels a little underwhelming after July. Cathedrals and Girl sort of just breeze past. Again the lyrics and vocal performance are solid, although musically they feel quite dime a dozen 90s alt rock. I do quite enjoy the closer, Aeroplane. It is another slow jam with some great lyrics comparing Slater's mental state to having a grounded aeroplane stuck in his garden. But the song is nearly 9 minutes long and it really doesn't do anything to justify that length.

Midas is certainly a step up from Cub, and has a pretty solid baseline of quality. However it does still feel a touch derivative in places - staying firmly in the 90s alt rock aesthetics and doesn't do anything novel or new with the genre. It scratches a certain itch, and is a good time while it does - so I would still recommend to anyone who has a soft spot for that era of rock music.

Top Tracks: Midas, Rain, Silver, Superman, July

7/10

Fontaines D.C. - "Romance" (2024)

Fontaines D.C.'s popularity has exploded since the release of their third record, 2022's Skinty Fia, mainly off the back of that album's stellar singles. While I was initially not as hot on it as I was it's predecessor, A Hero's Death, I have grown to love the heavy, thick atmosphere of those songs and it is certainly the group's deepest and most thought out work on the lyrical front. So the pressure has been on the band to follow it up with something monumental.

And the lead single to this record, Starburster, is exactly that. It is a volatile cocktail of a clattering, industrial drumbeat, piercing trip-hoppy synth stabs, a crunchy and meaty guitar line and Grain Chatten's hypnotic, unnearving semi-rapped vocals. The whole track is captivatingly unhinged with breathy vocal inflections and guttural gag noises interspersing each line of the chorus. The band have been selling the record as something forward looking and futuristic, and Starburster certainly is that. It's so rare to hear a song that is so fresh and edgy, yet so catchy and sticky. Radio 1 have been playing it loads since its release, and I don't recall ever hearing a Fontaines track on there before.

Unfortunately the rest of Romance doesn't really match the band's description of it. Rather than a bold new step into the unknown, it's more a pivot from the post-punk and gothic rock of the past three records into more commercial 90's and early 00's alt rock and indie rock. Not that the album is by any means bad, but I do feel slightly disappointed after the promise and hype of Starburster. The second single and closer, Favourite, epitomises this. The song is a beautiful jangle pop tune, reminiscent of pop-era Cure, James, The La's ect. The song is cathartically bittersweet, and hits that nostalgic vibe perfectly, but forward looking it is not.

The following singles released have double down on the more commercial-friendly stylings and songwriting. I like the scratchy and noisy grunge aesthetics of Here's The Thing, but it is definitely the most direct chorus the group has ever written. The way it also launches straight into the first chorus makes it feel like the track has been chopped up and arranged for American rock radio and to trend on Tik Tok. Similarly, In The Modern World comes across as very run of the mill string-laden alt rock ballad to me. It's perfectly acceptable but feels very done before, and its themes of social disconnect and lack of sense of belonging feel quite basic and thinly sketched compared to when the band has tackled these ideas in the past. These two songs aren't bad, but you can feel the band shifting their focus from people listening to and contemplating their ideas in private to crowds at festivals and arenas (and if that is the case, it has certainly worked - I saw the band live at a release show and these two songs got a great reaction from the crowd).

There is one other moment that feels tailored for festival fields, and that is the midpoint track, Bug. The song has these hollow, jangly guitars and driving rhythm section that gives the song a very Britpop feel to it, alongside a great set of lyrics about a mismatched relationship where Grian can't seem to fully commit to or take responsibility for himself in. However, the song features literally only two simple vocal melodies for it's entire runtime - one for the verse and one for the chorus. The sheer melodic simplicity and repetitiveness drags down a song that I otherwise really like from an arrangement and production side of things.

Luckily the rest of the album feels like more or less classic Fontaines (if yet again not the revolution of rock promised by Starburster). The opening title track feels like an evolution of the gothic rock of AHD and Skinty Fia, with the drama amped up with these eerie, plinky-plonky mellotron lines and stabs of thunderous bass. Desire is the same kind of string laded alt-rock slow burn as In The Modern World, but has a much more interesting set of lyrics and progression to it. The song slowly flourishes from this bare, skeletal form into a lush, dramatic piece. Motorcycle Boy and Horseness Is The Whatness feel the most in keeping with the band's past output. Motorcycle Boy is a solid post-punk slowburn, if somewhat redundant after 3 albums of the band playing in that space. Horseness Is The Whatness is this record's simple stripped back ballad akin to the likes of Sunny and Couple Across The Way ect. However, this time the format is mixed up by this clattering percussion that is initially set way off in the back of the mix and is super quiet; but slowly grows to encompass and overwhelm the tune by the end. It creates such a tense and eerie atmosphere that I really like.

That leaves Sundowner and Death Kink as the two tracks I've yet to mention, and I think they're two of the best tracks on the record. Sundowner features guitarist Conor Curley on vocals and is an atmospheric and hazy dream pop tune. The song is straight up Slowdive worship, but I don't mind as I think the band really pull it off and is a good tune at the core of it. Death Kink brings back the grunge aesthetics of Here's The Thing and matches it with the deranged, batshit energy of Starburster. Grain seems to be playing the character of a dangerous, damaged person who knows he's going to end up hurting his partner and is so just so brazen in admitting it. The vocal performance is so commanding and punches through the mix with lines like "Shit shit shit, Battered!" It's the only other track on the album that comes close to the in your face edginess of Starburster.

As mainstream leaning, modern rock albums go, Romance is still really good, but I can't help but feel like it is a bit of a victim of its own hype. It's not this futuristic shot in the arm for the genre the band was promising us, it is a 37 minute record of mostly accessible interpretations of the styles they are drawing influence from. It is also the least cohesive and has the least to say out of all of the bands records. That being said, some of the band's best material is on here and Starburster is probably going to be my favourite song of the year (pardon the pun!).

Top Tracks: Romance, Starburster, Desire, Sundowner, Horesness Is The Whatness, Death Kink, Favourite

7/10

Glass Animals - "I Love You So F***ing Much" (2024)

Glass Animal's last record, 2020's Dreamland, was a massive disappointment for me, as the group stripped out all of the interesting art pop and indietronica elements that made their first two records such captivating releases and replaced them with a boring, washed out and often overproduced dreamy synth pop sound with little engaging songwriting and a handful of real dud tracks that made listening through quite a chore to be honest. While I would've liked the band to have course corrected for their fourth album, I wasn't that hopeful due to the track Heat Waves becoming the groups first pop crossover hit and a global smash at that - I was expecting the band to double down on that sound. While Heat Waves was far from the worst track on Dreamland, it was so meh and middle of the road I didn't even mention it in my review back in 2020. I also feel that Heat Waves' success is more a product of circumstance rather than it being a particularly good song, as the lyrical content about melancholic nostalgia and warm, summery vibe kind of unintentionally captured the zeitgeist of 2020 (everyone being locked up in their houses all summer) and was just alternative enough to appeal to indie kids whilst also being radio-friendly enough to get airtime on pop radio.

While the stinker tracks really drag down the experience of Dreamland, it does have a core concept and narrative being frontman Dave Bailey's coming of age story. I don't think it's executed particularly well, but it's there. Whereas on ILYSFM, it's virtually non-existent. As the title suggests, it's broadly about 'love' and 'human connection', but none of these songs really have anything interesting or profound to say about it. (The weirdly self-censored title is also pretty pointless, but that's an aside). Similarly, on a musical level, the dream pop aesthetics of dreamland were boring at best and clunky at worst; but they're certainly more interesting than what we have here - which is incredibly bland, predictable synth pop that's way too overproduced with way too many layers and a complete lack of fidelity to anything in the mix. Everything here sounds like blown out mush. ILYSFM is essentially 40 minutes of songs that sound like Heat Waves without the earwormy hook and 'vibey' production.

While Dreamland had lower lows, it certainly had higher highs - with a fairly mid track like Heat Waves being better than this entire album. The melodies are simple and repetitive, the lyrics are unremarkable, the production is crap. The best the album gets is Wonderful Nothing, which is built around a massive sounding buzzing synth bass and a darker vocal performance from Bailey which is reminiscent of moments on the band's second album. And it's not like the song is even that memorable, but stands out as having a core idea that isn't just the standard verse-chorus-verse-chorus-bridge-chorus pop song format with layers of mushed up synths on top. whatthehellishappening? sounds like Currents era Tame Impala with way too much reverb and fader and an awfully repetitive melody. The singles Creatures in Heaven and A Tear in Space (Airlock) try their best to be the Heat Waves of this album (Creatures in Heaven's chorus is basically just a rework of Heat Waves), but they're just so overblown and melodramatic. The back half of the record isn't quite as egregious, but again none of these song's come together into anything memorable or unique.

I think the dud tracks on Dreamland really dragged it down in my opinion, because in reflection I'd definitely prefer to listen to that over this. At least it tries something, and there are a couple of tracks I like on that album. I Love You So F***ing Much, on the other hand, is just plain boring. I genuinely think I won't remember any moment from a single one of these songs after a couple of weeks. The fact that this is the same band that made such invigorating and exciting songs like Gooey, Life Itself, Take A Slice is baffling. It has been such a fast and steep fall from grace.

3/10

SOFT PLAY - "HEAVY JELLY" (2024)

SOFT PLAY used to go by the name Slaves and have taken some significant time off as a band due to due some significant life events happening to both members of the group (Isaac Holman - drums and vocals, Laurie Vincent - guitar). Their last appearance was on Gorillaz' Momentary Bliss track way back in January 2020, and the last release of their own was in 2019, and was just essentially a leftovers EP from their last full record in 2018. So it has been a while! Understandably so, considering Laurie lost his wife to cancer in 2020 and Isaac has alluded to having a mental breakdown and has been struggling with OCD, alongside the duo experiencing the loss of a few other significant people in their lives during this time.

Now the band are back with a new name as they were fed up of having to continually justify their previous name choice to a pretty valid criticism that they themselves actually agreed with. The name change is the core conceit of their comeback single (and lead single for HEAVY JELLY), Punk's Dead. The track is essentially a pre-emptive piss take of fans angry about the apparent 'wokeness' of the name change. The song is super heavy, with gnarly garage punk riffs, and also super funny, with some killer lines and a feature from Robbie Williams on the bridge. 

I think Punk's Dead epitomises the change in sound on HEAVY JELLY, it's heavier and also funnier than the group's previous output. Not that the band were ever serious, but on their records in the past, the humour was much more observational and targeted at others (think Girl Fight and Rich Man). Whereas on HJ, the band lean more into absurdism or writing from a first person perspective - making the jokes feel less cynically targeted at individuals and more of a wink and a nod just to bring a smile to peoples faces. On the sound side of things, the sound is much heavier, with super heavy, fuzzed out riffs that border on metal in places. Similarly, Isaac's shouty vocals are so much more intense and also border on a metallic scream - particularly on the opener All Things.

As the record is just a straight up 30 mins of blistering punk rock, I don't feel the need to going in depth into every track here, but here are a few highlights. The story of someone knocking Isaac's shopping out is hand and his completely disproportionate reaction on Act Violently is hilarious, as is his outsized reaction to a leaky bin bag on Bin Juice Disaster. Worms On Tarmac is an absurdist tale of a worm that is lost in the human world of tarmac and concrete who is longing for mud and swamps. Isaac Is Typing... humourfully details Isaacs struggles with OCD against sludgy alt-metal riffs. Mirror Muscles and Working Title are more akin to older targeted piss takes, being about 'roided up gym freaks and people playing the Hollywood game. Both are worthy targets, and make great songs.

That leaves the closer, Everything and Nothing, which is a bit of an oddball in the tracklist, being a jangly mandolin led post-punk / indie rock tune and is the only one that is explicitly about the trauma the duo has been through over the past few years. It is an outpouring of grief that feels so earnest and beautiful. It really touches a nerve, being dedicated to a friend of Isaac who he lost, but with lyrics referencing the death of Laurie's wife and just general isolation and the longing for connection. 

I think that the fact that Everything and Nothing follows a record that up to this point has been silly, fun and irreverent only enhances its impact, and the profundity of the record as a whole. Instead of falling into it all and losing themselves, Isaac and Laurie reformed the band, made a bunch of fun songs that brought a smile to their faces, the faces of their fans, and reconnected with the world around them. And in doing that, the band have made their best album to date.

Top Tracks: All Things, Punk's Dead, Act Violently, Isaac Is Typing..., Bin Juice Disaster, Worms On Tarmac, Mirror Muscles, Working Title, Everything and Nothing

8/10

Declan McKenna - "What Happened to the Beach?" (2024)

Declan McKenna's first two records were albums that showed promise, with a handful of impeccable songs on each, but were contained within messy records that felt less than the sum of their parts overall. I liked him enough that I was always going to check out his third record, but I am pleasantly surprised by how into it I am, and how frequently I have been giving it a spin in the months since its release.

On What Happened to the Beach?, Declan has ditched a lot of the glam rock aesthetics that characterised his previous release, Zeros; replacing them with influences of 60's psychedelic pop and sunshine pop, alongside more modern neo-pysche and hypnagogic pop. I can here shades of The Kinks, The Beatles, MGMT and a whole host of others on the these tracks, and I think this vibe suits Declan's persona much better. On WHTTB? Declan comes across like some weird Hollywood old-timer, who's spent a little too much time in the sun and is just on a planet of his own. He sells this subtle off-kilter weirdness so much more easily than the ostentatious glam rockstar he was playing on Zeros. Similarly, the hit or miss social commentary of Declan's previous work is largely absent, replaced with more personal and introspective lyrics mostly focusing on the social disconnect and pressure of expectations that come with fame. All of this together creates a woozy and hazy vibe, like some sort of summer malaise.

The record opens with the worbly and distorted intro track, WOBBLE, where the album title is repeated again and again, before launching into the breezy but moody Elevator Hum. This track, alongside Mullholland's Dinner and Wine capture this summery yet melancholic vibe perfectly. Both have this feeling of existential longing to them, and are the best tracks on the album. On Elevator Hum. glistening synths are set against a trip-hoppy breakbeat and faint distorted horns that finally poke through the mix towards the end of the track. Mullholland's Dinner and Wine similarly fuses a chill synth-funk bassline with woozy distorted horns and some really existential lyrics where Declan describes all of the things fame has given him but how he's still not satisfied.

There are some other great moments on the first half of the record. I Write The News starts off as a Lennon-esque acoustic guitar cut with lyrics that in typical Lennon fashion appear to be profound on the surface, but are actually just nonsense upon closer inspection. The track then flips on its head, with the guitar swapped out for bouncy psychedelic synths. Nothing Works is a catchy indie pop rock tune, with fuzzed out and noisy production that gives it a real sense of energy that matches some of Declan's biggest hits. This is followed by the raucous The Phantom Buzz (Kick In), which is about the last remnant of the glam rock aesthetic of Zeros. The guitars roar and Declan Howls on the mic.

Not everything on the record lands as well as these moments. Lead single Sympathy is such a straightforward sunshine pop tune, it feels kind of derivative and lacks any of the genuine oddball energy that permeates the best of the record. It just sounds like a Kinks pastiche in all honesty. Breath of Light feels like an attempt at the weirder, uncommercial side of MGMT's music, and is fine but nothing particularly interesting. Honest Test is a crooning lounge pop song that reminds me of Arctic Monkey's excursions into the genre, although I'd say its closer to one of the duds on The Car than the genuinely interestingly written stuff on Tranquillity Base. 

The record comes to quite a sleepy and uneventful close, although the final couple of songs have grown on me to an extent. The gentle acoustic guitars and simple vocal melodies of Mezzanine have such a low-key summery vibe, and the subtle swelling of horns and electric guitar as the song progresses is actually really nice. The penultimate track, It's An Act, is in effect the closer, as the final track is essentially just a short little coda, and is perfectly serviceable, although pretty uneventful and unimpactful.

I feel like Declan has found a sound that really fits him on this record, and has produced his most consistently enjoyable album thus far. Not every song hits as hard as others, and there are points that feel a little derivative, but its a good time with more wins than losses.

Top Tracks: Elevator Hum, I Write The News, Mullholland's Dinner and Wine, Nothing Works, The Phantom Buzz

7/10

Everything Everything - "Mountainhead" (2024)

EE's last record, 2022's Raw Data Feel, never really clicked with me despite generally being critically acclaimed and viewed as something fresh and new for the band by many. It stripped away a lot of organic grooves and progressive, linear song structures that characterised a lot of the bands older work, and replaced them with a much more rigid synth pop aesthetic and a smattering of glitch pop and alt dance stylings that felt more gimmicky than genuinely inventive. Similarly the core lyrical concept of the record focusing around AI generated lyrics and the messy, half formed narrative also came across rather gimmicky and almost a self-parody of the band's usual eccentric 'logical extremes' writing style. 

Thankfully, Mountainhead is a return to form for the band, returning to a lot of the kinetic grooves and colourful sound pallets (with that menacing and uneasy undertone) that put the band on the map. I'd say its the closest sounding thing the band has made to their magnum opus, Get To Heaven, in the years since. The record, much like RDF, has a core concept and a semi-linear narrative; however it is much more clearly defined and thoroughly explored. The lead single, Cold Reactor, is essentially the blurb for the world the band has created on Mountainhead and captures the mood and tone of the record effortlessly. Mountainhead is a world where people try and climb the titular mountain by digging deep into the earth for materials to ascend, growing the mountain ever larger and the pit ever deeper. At the top sits only a mirror for those who mange to climb to the top, and at the bottom of the pit roams a giant golden serpent ready to consume those who fall too far in. Quite an obvious allegory for the modern capitalist world, but one that allows for some pretty evocative imagery and for the band's eccentricities to really flourish. Cold Reactor as a song is quite a straightforward driving new wave tune, but probably the bands best crack at that style, with dense lyrics that evoke strong feelings of loneliness and a desire for connection. 

Wild Guess opens up the record in quite a ballsy way, with a minute and a half driving, fuzzed out guitar solo, before Jonathon Higg's vocals come swooning in like some deranged salesman, with rhetorical questions and telling us "this will be the most important thing you'll ever buy from us". It's not clearly painted out for us, but my interpretation of the song is that it is from the perspective of one of the 'Hellcat priests' within the lore of the album, a religious organisation who's end goal is to grow the mountain and keep believing in the cycle and that one day they will make it to the top themselves.

The second single, The Mad Stone, is more obviously from this perspective, and is sonically probably the most out there on the record. The track bounces between these weird 'plink plonky' verses and these massive multi-tracked choruses, it sounds like some deranged cult chant.

The rest of the first half is really consistent as well. The End of the Contender is quite a stark pop song that really focuses on the lyrics inspired by an incident where some armature boxer from the 70's got in a road rage incident and was acting as if he was some sort of celebrity, even though the other person had no idea who they were. The pulsating bass heavy groove and hazy guitars of Buddy, Come Over is very reminiscent of A Fever Dream, and the ear-catching lyric of "Elvis sitting dead on the toilet" really draws you into the moody and sinister atmosphere of the song. The snappy dance beat R U Happy? reminds me of what the band were trying to go for RDF, however feels much more natural and less gimmicky here, without the entire kitchen sink thrown in. TV Dog rounds out the first half with a simple string laden cut that we haven't really seen from the band since Arc. The weird reversed backing vocals sound really sinister and ominous.

While the first half is probably the most consistent 30 mins of music the group has made since Get To Heaven, the band settles into more predictable pop song writing into the second half, which makes the record feel a little lopsided overall. The skittering percussion and deep bass of Canary are juxtaposed against the delicate vocals and woozy lead guitar, which really sells the 'canary in the coal mine' themes of the song. Don't Ask Me To Beg features some really prominent vocal melodies set against a meaty alt dance groove. Dagger's Edge is the closest the record comes to that pure batshit energy of the likes of Blast Doors or Ivory Tower, but is honestly quite reserved in comparison. The song acts as sort of the turning point of the albums themes, from the perspective of someone who has made it to the top of the mountain, but is still not content, watching over his shoulder for people in this dog-eat-dog world and realising he could fall off the 'dagger's edge' at any time. It is the moment where the social commentary on the record turns to the listener and essentially tells us that the game of life presented through the mountain is ultimately all consuming and will never leave you fulfilled.

It does make the tone of the closing two tracks rather nihilistic and gives no real satisfying conclusion the the album. They're both quiet and reflective, and on their own are decent songs, but the placement as the album's final impression is quite unsatisfying. Following the revelations of Dagger's Edge, City Song is from the perspective of someone stuck in the corporate 9-5 where no-one in their company even knows their name. It is very OK Computer, but very mid-point OK Computer, before the rejection of that way of life on the last two songs of the album (Lucky and The Tourist). Everything Everything know this too, as on Get To Heaven, the insanity of that album was rejected in the last two songs, offering an alternative - hope. I do understand the creative decision behind this, its probably more realistic to say that there is no real escape from the mountain, but its certainly not a satisfying conclusion to the record and sours the experience overall; especially as Dagger's Edge was building towards that and it feels like a bait and switch.

Mountainhead has a lot going for it, the concept and narrative are solid and inventive, it features the return of the band's more progressive and challenging song writing. I just wish it went a little further, as the second half is nowhere near as ambitious as the first, and ended in a more satisfying way. But as it stands, it is a return to form that is certainly better than the band's last couple of records.

Top Tracks: Wild Guess, The End of the Contender, Cold Reactor, Buddy, Come Over, Mad Stone, TV Dog, Don't Ask Me To Beg, Dagger's Edge

7/10

Elbow - "AUDIO VERTIGO" (2024)

I had a suspicion that Elbow's previous album, 2021's Flying Dream 1, would grow on me; and it definitely did. Recorded during the malaise of pandemic lockdowns, it was a very subtle and patient album that was soaked in nostalgia and appreciation for the smaller things in life. When it first released, I was not in a place in my life where I could really resonate with its beautiful simplicity and wholesomeness, but with time I grew to really appreciate it. AUDIO VERTIGO, by contrast is in some ways pivot back to the larger scale anthems that the band are know for; although quite the shake up in the methods used to achieve those arena sing-alongs.

On AUDIO VERTIGO, the band has made a conscious effort to include more prominent and groovier drum rhythms, resulting in 'chunkier' feeling tracks with more urgency and kinetic energy to them. Alongside this, the symphonic string sections that are hallmark of Elbow's sound have been replaced by bombastic horns and fuzzy 80's prog-rock synths. The songs are shorter and more immediate, and at twelve tracks (ten if you don't count the two interludes) and a trim 39 minutes, it is as about as in your face as the band have ever been. For a band that is known for their delicacy and 'sophistication', it is far from that.

Guy Garvey's trademark lyrical prowess is still firmly on display, though. The opening track, Things I've Been Telling Myself for Years, details an alternate history of the band if they broke up after the release of their first record, Asleep In The Back. Garvey plays the character of a smarmy, washed up rockstar against a chugging rhythm section reminiscent to Asleep In The Back's opener, Any Day Now - a nice call back which fits the moody atmosphere of the song perfectly. This launches into the two big singles of the record, Lover's Leap and Balu. Lover's Leap is built around a rumbling drum and bass groove and looping triumphant horns. The lyrics are fairly broad and non-descript, painting a picture of a dramatic, all-consuming romance, but they are merely set dressing for the bombastic groove of the song. The brief interlude before Balu describes the following song perfectly. "Give it fat, wide wheels" Garvey remarks in a studio snippet, which is exactly what the song sounds like. It's gnarly and raucous, with chunky riffs and and fuzzy, descending synth lines. The titular character is an amalgamation of all the 'bad-influence' drinking buddies Guy Garvey has had over the years, and the lyrics of the song imply a kind of 'Icarus flying too close to the sun' motif to the story, which adds a lot of depth and intrigue to the track.

The album slows down at this point, while retaining the chunkier and blockier feel to the rhythm section. Very Heaven is a nostalgic look back at Garvey's late teens after moving out for the first time. It's a cute and simple song, but I feel it is a little restricted by the bands desire for every song to have a more prominent grooves on every song. The rhythm on this one feels a little clunkier than those that preceded it on the record, and stops me fully seeping into the dreamy nostalgia the lyrics try and convey. The song is at it's best when the groove takes a backseat and is swallowed up by the atmospheric synths and chiming guitars during the chorus. On the other hand, I really like the way the grooves on Her to the Earth are presented. They're much stronger, and slightly funky, allowing for Guy's beautiful vocal range to show off a bit (with the addition of a nice backing choir for a little extra). The track contrasts between these funky, synth-y sections and more traditional Elbow chiming guitars and swooning vocals. It's the track most reminiscent to me of the sounds of the 80's prog rock that I mentioned earlier.

The second half of the record kicks of with The Picture, which is just a raw unleash of energy. The band ditches the drum grooves for something more straightfoward, and the guitars chug along. There are little progressive touches to the song (the little countermelodies just before the chorus kicks in are a lot of fun), but at its core, its just a straight up energetic rock song. The lyrics are also some the best on the record, focusing on the breakdown of a messy relationship, but their being a picture on the internet somewhere of the couple just enjoying themselves before it all hit the fan that is unable to be located and deleted. The idea using a picture to convey the decay and shades of grey in a relationship dynamics is a really inventive lyrical device and the song has a lot of fun with it.

Despite the strong start to the second half, as whole it feels a little thin on the ground compared to the first leg of the record. Poker Face is less than two minutes and is over in a flash, and Embers of Day is another short interlude track. In-between these sits Poker Face, which is a song that has grown on me quite a lot since first listen. It is a sombre break-up ballad, and much like Very Heaven, on first listen I thought the chunkier groove to the song didn't suit the vibe all too well. But on repeats I've really begun to appreciate the way the track layers up as it progresses, creating an atmosphere that is subtly disorienting, particularly as the jangly and chiming guitars come in during the last minute.

Embers of Day brings us into the grand finale of the record, which in typical Elbow Fashion is a massive sounding anthem in the penultimate spot followed by a quiet and reflective comedown to close out the record. Good Blood Mexico City is this records 'anthem', but in reality its nothing like One Day Like This or Open Arms. It is just a straight up rock banger that is just shy of three minutes. The song opens with a short verse section with chiming guitars before the chorus hits with a wall of thrashing distorted guitars and chanted vocals. It's even kind of punk-y (for a band that is about as far from punk as rock music gets). From the River slows it down again, and is the longest song on the record, but unfortunately I don't feel it does all that much with the length and suffers from the same problems that a lot of the other slower cuts have thus far. The groove is just a bit clunky and I feel subtler instrumentation would have suited the whimsy of the song much better.

AUDIO VERTIGO has some really excellent moments, and shows that the band have no ideas of just settling into safe and predictable song writing that a lot of artists do at 10 albums into their career. However it doesn't always pay off and it is probably the groups least consistent record for me. But there still isn't even a meh track here, and I can see the merits in all of them (even if some of the aesthetic choice don't land 100% of the time). I had the pleasure of seeing the band live last month and I can say these songs certainly hold up in the live setting next to the bands very best.

Top Tracks: Things I've Been Telling Myself for Years, Lover's Leap, Balu, Her to the Earth, The Picture, Knife Fight, Good Blood Mexico City

7/10

The Last Dinner Party - "Prelude to Ecstasy" (2024)

This year's indie up and comers chosen to be championed by the UK press are The Last Dinner Party, an all female and one non-binary band from London that had been building hype during 2023 following the release of their debut single, Nothing Matters. The track melded catchy, singalong indie pop with theatrical baroque pop and dramatic glam rock - showing the band had a clear identity and sound from the off (and the gorgeous production courtesy of James Ford further sweetened the deal). I caught onto the hype at the very tail end of the year after the group had released a few more singles leading up to the release of the album, all of which were really great and had me very excited to hear the full thing. 

Prelude to Ecstasy really follows in the footsteps of Nothing Matters, being an extravagant fusion of modern indie and pop rock with 70s glam and baroque pop throwbacks that's exquisitely produced. The sound of the record is what really jumps out first listen, as the opening title track operates as a grandiose orchestral intro to the album like the opening to a stage play before leading into the first proper cut, the bombastic Burn Alive. The thundering drums and meaty synths alongside vocalist Abigail Morris' commanding vocals have such a powerful aura about them, demanding that you stop and pay attention to them. The following track Caesar on a TV Screen alternates between fairly stripped back verses and a melodramatic, theatrical chorus that borders on being something out of a stage play. Both songs lyrically play in ideas of femininity, sacrificing yourself an unworthy partner and the fantasies of power and escaping the unlevel playing field many women face trapped in relationships with thoughtless, self-aggrandising men.

These are the running themes across the album, and are at their most blunt on the following track, The Feminine Urge. The track is an expertly crafted throwback to 60's and 70's female singer / songwriter tunes, with an effortlessly catchy yet lyrically dense hook. "Do you feel like a man when I can't talk back? / Do you want me or do you want control?" Morris belts out at the back end of the chorus. It perfectly encapsulates the clever writing present on the entire record. It's not your average 'girl power / you don't need no man' angle to female empowerment that typically occurs on a record like this, its taking a deeper look at why so many men fall short. It's not that they intrinsically misogynist, but more an outward projection of the lack of control over their own lives. Midpoint track, Beautiful Boy, similarly covers the complex power dynamic between the sexes, tackling the power that women can have through their sexuality and desirability but ultimately concluding in the face of male violence that power means nothing. "What use are red lips when you're faced with something sharp?" The opening line of the song doubles down on this, claiming "The best a boy can be is pretty", clearly stating that while women only have the power of  desirability, men can have both. They can be violent and dominating, and also be attractive and charming. The song took a little while to grow on me, due to how stark the instrumentation is compared to how lush the rest of the album is, but the power of the lyrism on show here really pulls it through.

Sat in between these two is On Your Side, a lush, slowburning ballad. The track beautifully envelops you with layers of sound. Its one of the less outwardly theatrical songs, but its ability to just absorb you is equally as strong. Gjuha is a short vocal interlude that seamlessly transitions perhaps the best song on the record, Sinner. The track has drawn comparisons with with Sparks over its breathy staccato verses and explosive chorus. The track is pop-rock perfection, with its catchy singalong chorus, fuzzed out lead guitars and bouncy bassline. Again, the lyrics of the song focus on a really unique and interesting idea, the concept of wishing you knew someone while you were young and 'untainted', before the cynicism and mistrust had time to grow, before you have been hurt and let down.

The album goes on an absolute run from Sinner all the way through to its finish, rolling out banger after banger. My Lady of Mercy is definitely the heaviest the record gets, being indebted to the more swaggering side of glam rock. The meaty guitar riff stomps around as Morris evokes religious imagery to convey the obsessive idolship that many women end up placing on other women they look up to. Portrait of a Dead Girl reprises the themes of sacrificing yourself for a toxic relationship from earlier on in the record, but spins it into the perspective of someone managing to escape from that cycle. Similarly to the Feminine Urge, the chorus is dense and wordy, but still catchy and melodic. There are some great one-liners in it, with my personal favourite being "The time I wasted in your mouth", its just so scathing and petty.

Nothing Matters follows this as the penultimate track, before the album is closed out by the slower and more theatrical Mirror. The song refers back to the themes of Burn Alive and the idea of suffering for someone else for a sense of purpose. The concept focuses on Morris 'just being a mirror' for whoever she's talking to - the audience, a partner, whoever, and how she 'doesn't exist without their gaze'. The track slowly builds into a grand climax with swooning strings, over the top glam rock guitars and choir backing vocals, before the album closes with a short orchestral outro. It gives the album a very cyclic and 'real' feel to it, as the issues detailed in the lyrics wont just disappear because a band made an album about it. It gives it a sense of weight and drama that a happy ending could not.

Prelude to Ecstasy is an incredibly well written and tightly crafted debut from a band that I can see being one of the biggest names in indie rock in a few years. It's my favourite record I've heard so far this year and well worth your time. Every Track is great and can stand on its own.

Top Tracks: Burn Alive, Caeser on a TV Screen, On Your Side, Beautiful Boy, Sinner, My Lady Of Mercy, Portrait of a Dead Girl, Nothing Matters, Mirror

8/10

Little Simz - "Drop 7" (2024)

 

Little Simz is back with another EP in her Drop series, which sporadically intersperse her main LPs and are generally used as a place for her to experiment a little without the perfectionism and burden of expectation that is a common theme within her music. This one comprises of 7 tracks that incorporate techno, trap and grime with a bit of Latin and afrobeat rhythms - a stark contrast to the soul and funk instrumentals of her past few main albums. 

These tracks are all pretty short, with much less attention to detail than the lush instrumentals of SIMBI and NO THANK YOU. They're repetitive and somewhat hypnotic, and Simz' vocals and lyrics feel much more off the cuff and frankly background-y than the commanding presence she usually has. It's all a bit vibey and unfinished. I've had the pleasure of seeing Simz live a couple of times now, and I just can't see any of these tracks penetrating her live set the same way a couple of the tracks off Drop 6 did.

The opener, Mood Swings is definitely the most complete song on the EP, and midpoint SOS is quite a nice Latin meets deep house track that I can vibe to. The closer, Far Away, brings back some of the jazz and soul that Simz is more known for and I vibe with that also, even if its a lot more lightweight that I'd expect from a Simz track. 

Drop 7 is perfectly listenable but on the whole it just doesn't leave much of an impression. I would have rather this had spent a bit longer in the oven and had more of its own identity, because it is a significant step below everything Simz has put out since 2018 and I'm definitely going to forget about it within a few weeks.

Top Tracks: Mood Swings, SOS, Far Away

5/10