In 2023, I produced a list of my favourite 100 albums of the year, which was clearly a very normal and worthwhile thing to do. Although I have listened to as much new music this year, I have less desire to process and qualify what I listened to this time around.
So, perhaps my 73rd favourite album of the year was Grace Cummings' album 'Ramona', but that's the only such fascinating tidbit you'll get.
All I'm going to do is give you a playlist of 40 songs. Because of the way Apple Music (or Spotify) works, I know exactly what I listened to the most this year. So these songs are drawn from the 100 songs I've listened to the most. They're not even all from 2024 (I'll star the ones that aren't). Anyway, over the course of it, you'll find out, no doubt, what my favourite things were.
https://music.apple.com/gb/playlist/2024-final/pl.u-11aPBHBM0JV
Good Luck Babe - Chappell Roan
I guess this was my favourite song. I first heard it while sitting in the passenger seat at the roundabout of Junction 10A of the M20, a place I hear and recoil from many of the modern pop hits. I heard it and exclaimed "What the hell? This is a great song", and so it is. I'd heard about Chappell Roan by that point, but wasn't sure, from online descriptions of her oeuvre, if she was for me. Turns out, she's for everyone. Let's call this the best megahit since 'Umbrella', or something like that. Bit of Cyndi Lauper, bit of Kate Bush, unforgettable hook both melodically and lyrically. Her album is good, too, though a bit more "not for me", after all.
Right Back to It - Waxahatchee ft MJ Lenderman
This is the song I've listened to the most. I've listened to it a lot of times. It's not even that it makes my heart race with excitement, it's just such a pleasant, fine song to listen to. I sing along with MJ as he does his wobbly Gram Parsons thing on the chorus without even noticing I'm doing it. This replaces the song I listened to the most in 2020, 21, 22 and 23, which was Can't Do Much by someone called Waxahatchee. I didn't actually love Tiger's Blood as much as Saint Cloud, but how could I?
Although it's Katie Crutchfield's most high-profile song, I might have expected it would be an even bigger crossover hit.
All in Good Time - Iron & Wine and Fiona Apple
The Iron & Wine album Light Verse was a favourite of the year. I really wasn't expecting a good Iron & Wine album - my favourite since 'Shepherd's Dog'. This is another country-tinged duet, which might have grabbed more attention, considering it's a rare public appearance by Fiona Apple, whose voice just comes in like a knife (through iron, through wine ...), and prompted me to listen to a lot of Fiona Apple again. [Incidentally, Pitchfork judged her Fetch the Bolt Cutters the best album of the 2020s so far. I may come back to that list.]
Head Rolls Off - Frightened Rabbit *
The Wild Kindness - Silver Jews *
Two songs now which I've listened to a huge amount, which aren't from this year. They're beautiful songs. Inspiring in their way - sung by two mordant, dark, funny, twisty lyricists, Scott Hutchison and David Berman, yet their legacy lyrics are two simple lines of determination and humanity; "While I'm alive, I'll make tiny changes to earth" and "I'm going to shine out in the wild kindness and hold the world to its word". Everything you ever need.
Song of the Lake - Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
Talking of lyrics, it says everything about Nick Cave's understanding with his listeners and his position within his own songs that the line "And all the king's horses and all the king's ... oh never mind, never mind" can be so moving. I liked this Cave album, 'Wild God', a lot. I thought it was a really good reconciliation of his old and new writing styles. There was a hint of classic Bad Seeds, but it was unmistakeably Warren Ellis-era. I loved the Dave Fridmann Soft Bulletin swirl at the start of Song of the Lake, which begins the album. I also loved O Wow O Wow (How Wonderful She Is).
The World's Biggest Paving Slab - English Teacher
The definitive Mercury-Prize-winning/7.4-from-Pitchfork album (don't worry, this is a joke for me and me alone who reads too much music press and has gradually built up 18th century levels of anti-American resentment.) Good on English Teacher - a real nice debut album.
Cards on the Table - Nia Archives
The definitive Mercury-Prize-nominated/7.3-from-Pitchfork album ... fuck dose guys, capisch? Anyway, this jungle-revival pop album was a surprising hit with me. Loved her voice, loved the sound. This was my favourite song on the album.
Bad Friend - Gruff Rhys
One of my favourite Gruff solo songs - a gentle, strangely moving rumination on a perennial problem of middle age - being a bad friend. Also, perhaps, a subtle apology to his fellow Furries for not getting the band back together?
Love Story - Taylor Swift *
There was a lot of Swift in this house this year, particularly the Eras Tour Film. Love Story is still my favourite, followed by Betty and Shake It Off, with You Belong with Me not far beyond. Nothing from this year's torture, though, which is a bad album. I remember once writing, in relation to 'evermore', of the value of always listening to an album all the way through more than once, as you'll always hear different sides. But, you know, with this one, forget that. I did listen to it twice, but life was too short. A bloated, boring, piece of work.
I thought the same about Cowboy Carter. These were two textbook "bad albums by great artists". Much better, for me, were the albums by Billie Eilish and Dua Lipa, and of course, Charli XCX. I listend to Brat quite a lot, and almost thought it was as great as everyone else did, but, I guess, if comparing it to Melodrama by Lorde, the most obvious point of comparison, i didn't feel, as i did with that, that lots of the songs would be great broken down to any era, era genre, were just classic songwriting. Doesn't really matter, but that was just what i felt.
All I Ever Asked - Rachel Chinouriri
Rather like a minor version of the Good Luck Babe experience, this landed in my ears and brought a satisfying "Aah yes, they don't make them like that anymore". A lovely, well put-together indie-pop song with a hook and a chorus and a lyric. I think the song originally came out in 2022, but the album What a Devastating Turn of Events, which is also excellent, came out this year. 7.5 on Pitchfork, of course.
Something Like Happiness - The Maccabees *
Just love this song - pleased the Maccabees are getting back together, though I can't see them at All Points East, annoyingly. For me, the best British indie band of that era - missed the boat of having hit singles by two or three years. By the time they were known, indie bands didn't really have hit singles anymore. This should have been a hit single. This is what I wanted Coldplay to sound like. Richer sound, better singer.
I Got Heaven - Mannequin Pussy
Really, though? Are you sure? How about the Mannequins? It's not too late to change your minds ... Anyway, this is a great album. Rage and tunes.
Looking Back - Laura Marling
This song from Laura Marling's family-focused 'Patterns in Repeat' was written by her father many decades ago, and apparently he didn't hear her version of it until the record was released, which is a nice story. It's a very nice song, too.
Where Are You Tonight? (Journey through Dark Heat) - Bob Dylan *
I really thought my most-listened-to artist this year wouldn't be, for the first time in 28 years, Bob Dylan, but it was. There we go. My most listened to Bob Dylan song was Mississippi, but I'll include this one, because it was something of a new discovery. I got really into Street-Legal, and was really surprised how great this song is.
Luther - Kendrick Lamar (ft SZA)
This was the first Kendrick Lamar album I've really liked since TPAB. It was sharp and precise and full of hits. I found the feud with Drake quite the most unedifying thing, though. And i loathe Drake, but really ...
Mahashmashana - Father John Misty
This, funnily enough, is the most I've enjoyed a Father John Misty album. For some reason, he's never quite landed with me before. But I love this epic title track.
Surf - Roddy Frame *
I wrote a little about this beautiful song recently. Magic. Would love a new Roddy Frame album. Only eight (inc Aztec Camera) in 40-odd years. Time for another ...
Burial Ground - The Decemberists ft James Mercer
This was a nice comeback single by The Decemberists, and their album has a few other good moments, though is a bit long. But most of all, Decemberists ft James Mercer of The Shins is the most "my-taste-in-music-in-2006" combination that could possibly exist.
History Lesson Pt 2 - Minutemen *
This seems to be an absolute seminal song of US alt-rock but i only got into it this year. I like it a lot.
We Don't Need Them - Bill Ryder-Jones
Beautiful album this - Iechyd Da. Toured with Gruff. Fragile, ambitious.
We Make Hits - Yard Act
The last line of which is "and if it's not a hit, we were being ironic". It was not a hit. Though i did see it on a US talk show. Quite good with words, Yard Act. Quite fun.
The Purple Rain - Pernice Brothers
Have talked about this one before, too - a tribute to David Berman and others. Beautifully done.
All Now - The Staves
The Staves have made reliably beautiful music for some time.
Don't Forget Me - Maggie Rogers
I loved this album - probably one of my Top 5 of the year. Apparently Maggie Rogers got famous through TV though i hadn't known that. She has a voice that would sound wrenching singing anything.
Houdini - Dua Lipa
Listening to Dua Lipa as a political act. There are three things about Dua Lipa 1. she's a genuine outspoken leftie. Commits to causes and says things other pop stars don't say. 2. the American music press designated her 2024 album Radical Optimism as a flop. The narrative went elsewhere. But her Glastonbury headline was a triumph where SZA's was a flop. And, the most obvious, important thing, 3. she's got about 15 songs which literally anyone in the UK with even a casual acquaintance with pop music will sing along to. I enjoyed her album more than plenty of others this year.
Impossible Germany - Wilco *
Different versions of Impossible Germany on youtube. Always the same set-up. The bunch of six dads - different kinds of snazzy dad hair. Stocky grumpy feller in the middle, noodles away, sings the gentle song with the odd lyric "Impossible Germany, unlikely Japan". The tall, skinny, even older fellow with quite extravagant 14-year-old boy hair screen left, taking the baton after two or three minutes, winds it up, increasingly thrilling - after some amount of time, while the rest of the bands have been ignoring him and noodling away, they reconnect, they find a riff they play together, and then he's off again, even more extreme, another couple of minutes. I'm not a guitar heroics rock music fan, not usually. But Impossible Germany, all the different live performances where Nels Cline has his moment (he could have his moment on any song, but the fact it's just Impossible Germany where it happens like this makes it all the more), I will never watch/listen to it enough.
Triumph - Wu-Tang Clan *
Wu-Tang forever! This, the first single from their second album, is the one Wu-Tang track that contains every member. All time fun.
Distant Sun - Crowded House *
Sometimes one just wants to listen to a bit of the old Crowded House.
The Place Where He Inserted the Blade - Black Country New Road *
I'd listened to the BCNR albums, but got really into them this year for some reason. Somehow works ...
Iceblink Luck - Cocteau Twins *
I liked watching Netflix's One Day a lot, and I loved the music in it, both in terms how closely it matched up sometimes with my own taste, and a few songs I didn't know. This Cocteau Twins song is fantastic.
Something on My Mind - Karen Dalton *
As is this Karen Dalton song. I tried to get into Karen Dalton years ago, as Dylan raves about her in Chronicles, but this recording is so eery and timeless.
She Still Leads Me On - Suede *
Have discussed this before. A great vocal, a great chorus.
She's Leaving You - MJ Lenderman
I think, if i had to name one, i'd go for MJ's Manning Fireworks as my album of the year, as it took me by surprise. I thought his songwriting would be goofy, like Mac De Marco or something, and it's not, it's sharp and poignant. This is one of several great songs on the album. Nice bit of guitar. MJ had quite a year - I even saw him on stage doing his day job, as guitarist for Wednesday.
Look to the East, Look to the West - Camera Obscura
For a while, this was my favourite. Such a great band, and I think this is one of their best sets of songs.
The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll - Aoife O'Donovan
A really well judged cover of Dylan's greatest, or second greatest, song.
The District Sleeps Alone Tonight - The Postal Service *
Weird to have been at the Death Cab/Postal Service fandango at Victoria Park considering i was never a huge fan of either, but really enjoyed it, particularly the latter. Ended up listening to this album a lot. Struck again by the weird status of Jenny Lewis. The most famous non-famous person in the world, or the least famous famous person. When people saw her on stage, half the crowd was like "wow, Jenny Lewis is here", the other half was "who's that?" ... anyway, apparently there'll be some Rilo Kiley in 2025. Marvellous.
Tell Me Who You Are Today - Beth Gibbons
Great. Just a great singer.
Rise Up Singing - Paul Weller
And a really enjoyable Weller album. Probably my 5th favourite of his solo albums.
Starburster - Fontaines DC
Do you know, without going all Jordan Petersony, in Pitchforks's Best 100 Albums/Songs of the 2020s so far, there's barely anything by bands of blokes - just one each by The 1975 and Vampire Weekend in the lower reaches. It all used to be bands of blokes, didn't it? Not that that was a good thing, but, i do slightly feel that something that is lost in the world of critically acclaimed music now is the weird alchemy of a bunch of not particularly charismatic or handsome or officially special young men getting together when they're kids cos there's nothing better to do, and, from an absence of beauty, creating some beauty. Like The Coral, you know? Or The Jam .. or countless others ... maybe that was actually a good thing for young men to do. Anyway, having said all that, Fontaines DC is Number 2 in the year's aggregated list, so someone still loves a bunch of blokes. Nowhere to be seen on Pitchfork's Best albums, list, though ...
Ha, i'm a little obsessed. Anywhere, there we go.
