5. Pete Astor - Spilt Milk
Astor's foray into his past delivers richness and warmth much, which, in year beset by iconic loss, is needed ever so badly. 'Really Something', 'Mr Music' and 'My Perfect Life' act as a holy trinity of alternative pop music. Simplistic tunes to warm the heart but with complex discourse. Bravo!
4. Savages - Adore Life
‘Adore Life’ is an album that delivers on the potential of the debut and explores new possibilities simultaneously. They have gone from being an exciting post-punk band to one threatening greatness on this record.
3. Hooton Tennis Club – Big Box of Chocolates
The slackers from Wirral have emerged from their debut album with astonishing results. Their follow up has invoked several new styles including fuzz, rock n roll and an all round more emotive edge. 'Statue of the Greatest Woman I Know' has put The Vaccines on notice for rock n roll kings. 2017 is theres to take on the live circuit.
2 Boxed In - Melt
From the early days of Keith, Oli Bayston has been threatening this kind of breakthrough. This album will hypnotise you and gently release you onto a sun kissed wave of bliss. Boxed In were once Annakin Skywalker to Hot Chip's Obi Wan. Now they are the masters!
1. Trampolene – Pocket Album Five (Divided Kingdom)
Yes this may be an EP but, we've not heard anything over a longer format that compete with these 4 songs and poem. Divided Kingdom's glorious social comment is set to devastating guitars. This is a real single of the year contender.
'Dreams So Rich / Life So Poor' continues the rich vein of British cultural observation. It wraps itself up in Strokes-esque rock n roll but, crucially, has personality oozing from every pore.
'Blue Balls & A Broken Heart' suggests the brilliance of the Libertines wasn't lost on a fashion of trilby hats and lies about being at Filthy McNasty's. This ballad encapsulates Blake, Morrissey, Doherty and anyone who ever dreamt of Arcadia in Albion.
Like the aforementioned Blake, head honcho Jack Jones can self reflect beautifully in his natural surroundings. Even with a slug. Today's political climate is so centered around on burying 'the other', well, this finds beauty in the outsider and encourages everyone to embrace the different.
Closing this glorious EP is 'She Is A Nice Girl'. A sprightly Libertines via The La's acoustic number which relays the fondness of yet another who is misunderstood. 2016 has been a year of misunderstandings on a monumental level, let this track guide us back to humility in 2017.