I discovered a lot of interesting music this year, most of it outside the mainstream. Glad there’s still new music out there in the styles and genres I appreciate most. My favorites, in no particular order:
Slowdive – Everything Is Alive – The shoegaze stalwarts continue their comeback with another strong album. The band adds swirling synths to their trademark billowing guitars resulting in a plush musical backdrop. The songs successfully adapt differing styles from folk (“Andalucia Plays”) to post-punk (“The Slab”) to pop (“Kisses”) while still sounding distinctly like themselves. I honestly think the music they are producing since they have come back is as good as anything they ever did (yes, even including Souvlaki).
The Whiffs – Scratch ‘N’ Sniff – Vintage late-70s style power-pop simply doesn’t get any better than this. The Whiffs are a Kansas City-based outfit with a knack for marrying tales of romance and heartbreak to hook-laden, curlicue guitar riffs. The band has multiple capable songwriters, which ensures the album is solid all the way through.
Korine – Tear – Over the top goth-pop that grew on me during the year to become one of my most played albums. Addictive synth melodies and heart-on-the-sleeve vocals made it difficult to resist. The compelling songs subsume the darker sounds of the 80s and create something for a new generation of black clad youths to enjoy in their white earbuds.
Beach Fossils – Bunny – Veteran indie-pop band release their most confident and consistent album. Frontman Dustin Payseur focused his songwriting and delivered his finest set of songs.
While the songs have a relaxed, dreamy feel they are meticulously arranged and polished. They capture the blissed out feeling of a great night out and the afterglow of spending the next morning in bed. Simple pleasures rarely sound so appealing.
Hurry – Don’t Look Back – Philadelphia-based singer/songwriter Matt Scottoline has always had a knack for 90s pop/rock melodies a la Matthew Sweet and Teenage Fanclub. But this time around, the songs have a little more depth as he writes about his post-breakup melancholy and the beginning of a new infatuation. His band, Hurry, ensure the ringing guitar lines are sharper than ever and the arrangements include tastefully integrated horns and strings. It’s easily their best album and one that deserves a wider audience.
Uni Boys – Buy This Now! – Best album yet from this Los Angeles based power-pop band. Every song is a deceptively simple, yet carefully constructed, hook-filled gem that sounds like a woulda-been hit from the early 80s. The opener, “Let’s Watch A Movie” is an innocent sounding Netflix and chill invite. “Two Years” is a wistful reflection on a failed relationship. “I Want It Too” is a declaration of fealty and purpose. Power pop has been a niche genre for a long time; Uni Boys are doing a fine job of carrying the torch knowing that riches and fame are probably not forthcoming.
Roller Derby – Singles Collection – A remarkably consistent collection of singles from the Hamburg, Germany based dream-pop band. Each well-constructed song makes the most of straightforward arrangements with Philine Meyer’s subtly accented vocals floating on top. The songs may seem lightweight at first, but have enough emotional heft to keep them just this side of twee. Hopefully this collection is a harbinger of more great music to come and not a career capstone.
Durand Jones –Wait Til I Get Over – Solo debut from the frontman of Durand Jones & The Indications is a poignant meditation on growing up in Hillaryville, Louisiana. The songs are less groove oriented than his work with The Indications. They are by turn, gritter, rawer, and more ambient than his previous work. The album brings to mind the very best of soul legends like Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, and Bill Withers. I would have liked to see what the Indications might have added to some of these songs, but the album is a very personal statement for Jones and it’s right that it’s built around his powerful vocals. True modern soul.
We Are Scientists –Lobes – Party like it’s 2006! We Are Scientists have been around for nearly two decades, pumping out catchy, danceable post-punk. This is the first album since their debut that I have enjoyed all the way through. It’s loaded with barbed hooks that sound fantastic on the car stereo with the windows down. An easy pleasure.
The Evening Sons –tracks – 90s style indie rock with a winsome, youthful charm and catchy riffs galore. Don’t know much about these guys, except they are British (from Brighton), and I don’t think they are that young. But who really cares when the songs feel like a breath of fresh air. Like a day at the beach, this album is revitalizing.
Honorable Mention:
The Hold Steady – The Price Of Progress
The Gaslight Anthem – History Books
The National – Laugh Track
White Reaper – Asking For A Ride
Mike Mains & The Branches – Memory Unfixed
Best re-issues:
Daft Punk – Random Access Memories (10th Anniversary Edition)
R.E.M. – Up (25th Anniversary Edition)
The Replacements – Tim (Let It Bleed Edition)
New Order – Substance (2023 Expanded Edition)