Top 40 Albums of 2024
Here’s our Top 40 Albums of 2024.
40. Shambolics – Dreams, Schemes & Young Teams (full review)
A fine debut from the promising Fife outfit.
39. Richard Thompson - Ship to Shore
The folk icon’s consistency is showing no signs of waining.
38. Lime Garden – One More Thing
Brighton’s wonk-pop debut has left an indelible mark.
37. The Smile - Wall of Eyes
Two-thirds Radiohead and one-third Jazz drummer Tom Skinner returned with another fine offing.
36. The Rifles – Love Your Neighbour (full review)
Walthamstow’s cult heroes returned with their first album in eight years. Great melodies throughout!
35. Richard Hawley – In This City They Call You Love
Enchanting Orbison and Duane Eddy songs from Sheffield’s romantic treasure.
34. Paul Weller - 66
Gritty and majestic soul music featuring the likes of Noel Gallagher, Bobby Gillespie, and Richard Hawley.
33. Camera Obscura – Look to the East, Look to the West
Traceyann Campbell’s vocals can still melt hearts from distant galaxies!
32. Jack Jones - Jack Jones
Step aside John Cooper Clarke, Jones is ascending to Albion’s poetic throne.
31. Gruff Rhys - Sadness Set Me Free
Recorded in just three days in Paris, Rhys twists from dark to light with a spellbinding freedom.
30. Beth Gibbons - Lives Outgrown
It beggars belief that a talent such as Gibbons has taken this long to release her debut solo album, but it was worth the wait!
29. Ride - Interplay
Bell, Gardener and co’s run form since reforming has written a joyous technicolour new chapter in their memoirs.
28. Bob Vylan - Humble as the Sun
Their anarchy has come of age on this sonic riot!
27. Junodream – Pools of Colour
Breakout performances on tour with Ride and their debut album have put this band firmly in the hearts of a nation.
26. Fightmilk - No Souvenirs
Blending emo, indie, and pop-punk with life-affirming consequences.
25. Kula Shaker – Natural Magick (full review)
The trippy pop-psyche of the 90s superstars made a surprise and welcomed return.
24. 86TVs – 86TVs
Maccebee’s Hugo and Felix White’s side project brought a fresh take to their familiar indie licks.
23. Desperate Journalist - No Hero
Strip away the album's Gothic, Smiths, and The Cure undertones, leaving you with great pop music. Add them back in, and it’s astonishing pop music!
22. Solar Eyes - Solar Eyes
Serge Pizzorno’s soul oozes through this superb Fierce Panda Records release.
21. The Vaccines – Pick-Up Full of Pink Carnations
Great. Indie. Rock ‘n’ Roll.
20. Confidence Man - 3am (La La La)
Weird and wonderful rave-inspired hedonism.
19. Mick Head & The Red Elastic Band - Loophole
Head’s ever-expanding catalogue of excellence keeps the flame of ‘Forever Changes’ burning bright.
18. The Shop Window – Daysdream
Jingle-jangle heaven from the Maidstone outfit.
17. Wunderhorse - Midas
English rock music has been given it’s credibility back!
16. The K’s – I Wonder if the World Knows (full review)
There's an aching amplitude flickering needles and hearts alike throughout this fine debut album.
15. James - Yummy
The mercurial Mancunians continue their tremendous run of albums with another chameleon performance, restoring your faith in the creative process.
14. Bill Ryder Jones – Iechyd Da
The ex-Coral man’s best work since ‘A Bad Wind Blows in My Heart’.
13. Rob Vincent - Barriers
It's an enriching set of songs. Easy to see why Robert Plant took him on tour.
12. Office For Personal Development – Doing. Is. Thinking (full review)
Re-defining all that pop music can be
11. Cast – Love is the Call (full review)
Incredible return to form. On par with ‘All Change’.
10. Fontaines D.C. - Romance
The sound of a band conquering their destiny.
9. Baggio – The Dreadful Human Triangle
Indie-folk steeped in melancholy and the passing of the time.
8. Shed Seven – A Matter of Time (full review)
It is their first UK number-one album. It is a testament to their friendship as much as it is to their anthem-making.
7. Memorial - Redsetter (full review)
It's a pin-drop moment of an album. An alt-folk triumph from Brighton via Texas.
6. Meryl Streek: Songs For The Deceased
Incendiary brilliance from the Irish punk producer. Huge things await!
5. Kasabian - Happenings (full review)
Pizzorno lays the Meighan ghost to rest on this record. Pizzorno owns the record, and the record owns the night!
4. Jake Bugg - A Modern-Day Distraction
Bugg returns to his roots and his very best. Classic songwriting and endless guitars chime, and chime big!
3. Deadletter – Hysterical Strength
Wayward post-punk and feral psyche unite on this fine second album.
2. The Libertines – All Quiet on the Eastern Esplanade (full review)
An ode to friendship and staying alive. From the soul-crushing to the envigorating, the likely lads rediscover form and reinvent all they were and could be.
1. The Dream Machine – Small Time Monsters
Modern Sky UK’s golden goose lay another golden egg on their second album. Magical. Whimsical. Perfection!
Top 30 Albums of 2023
Top 30 Albums of 2023
What a year. Perhaps the best in recent memory for new rock ‘n’ roll acts striking out. Social comment has begun to forge bonds with the devil, and the results have been breathtaking. It’s seen plenty of 00s stalwarts prove they’re not done creatively.
Find out where they’ve ranked in our top 30 albums of the year:
30. NGHFB – Council Skies
Some great moments blended with average ones. Lockdown and pending divorce may have hit the consistency, but there’s enough melody to keep you returning for more.
29. The Kynd – Timelines (full review here)
The long-awaited second album from 90s outfit The Kynd is a touch of baggy-mod class.
28. Neev - Catherine
Heartfelt folk from the Glaswegian songwriter who will surely go on to bigger and better things.
27. Adam Nutter – Badlands On Fire
Celestial instrumentals from The Music’s lead guitarist.
26. Andrew Cushin – Waiting For The Rain
The Geordie singer-songwriter’s debut shows glimpses of a much brighter future.
25. Emy P - Lights // Chaos // Action
Intense tales of love, coming-of-age, and mental health. Raw Kai Tempest meets Scroobious Pip vibes.
24. Bag of Cans – We Are A Band
Lunacy. Brilliant, hilarious lunacy!
23. DMAs - How Many Dreams?
Polished anthems from the Aussie heroes.
22. The Boo Radleys - Eight
The cult Scouse heroes continue their fine run of form since returning in 2021.
21. Egyptian Blue – A Living Commodity
Off-beat but cohesive post-punk striving for glory.
20. Death of Guitar Pop - Be Lucky
The third installment from the DIY Ska outfit.
19. Grian Chatten - Chaos For The Fly
The Fontaines frontman strikes out with a timeless sense of songwriting.
18. The Shed Project – Our Fear Is Their Power (Full Review here)
What began as mates in a Shed playing for fun has become the do-or-die rock ‘n’ roll generations live for! Their attempt to convey their moods has given a window into a nation teetering on the edge of revolt at its politicians, media, and institutions falter.
17. Mull Historical Society – In My Mind There’s A Room
Colin McIntyre’s literary project is littered with melodic gold and award-winning author cameos.
16. Jasmine Minks – We Make Our Own History
The former Creation Records maestro’s prove they can still cut it with the best.
15. Treasures of Mexico – Burn The Jets (full review here)
Three albums in, Treasures of Mexico show no signs of tailing off. ‘Burn The Jets’ is a heartfelt slice of guitar joy that all should bask in.
14. King Creosote - I DES
Fife’s finest fok artist continues to find pockets of magic twenty-five years after his debut.
13. Afflecks Palace – The Only Light In This Tunnel Is The Oncoming Train (full review here)
The rise of Afflecks Palace continues steadfastly. It’s beautifully aimless, passionate, and soul-enriching. 100 years from now, they will not be forgotten!
12. Slowdive - Everything Is Alive
Utterly spellbinding.
11. Das Koolies - DK.01
Four members of Super Furry Animals strike out with breathtaking results.
10. Trampolene – Rules of Love and War (full review here)
The journey from ‘Swansea To Hornsey’ youthful fire to ‘Rules Of Love and War’ measured prose has been six years of hope, self-doubt, escape, self-discovery, and now, one of triumphant return. The mission statements they dreamt up in bedrooms in 2017 are now becoming fully realised via richer creative palettes. Coupled with Jack Jones’ purist of souls, long may Trampolene’s ship sail on.
9. Senses – Little Pictures Without Sound (full review here)
‘Little Pictures Without Sound’ is an album by dreamers for dreamers. Even in its most lo-fi moments, it’s touched by the hands of fantasy. It breeds a vision of a better life at every turn.
8. Tom Clarke– The Other Side
2023’s best kept secret! The Enemy frontman’s second solo album is his finest set of songs. Timeless songwriting showcases what a generational talent he is!
7. The Goa Express - The Goa Express
Life-affirming indie that’ll soundtrack a generation coming of age!
6. The Coral – Sea Of Mirrors (full review here)
The drifters charter. Masterful songwriting.
5. The Dream Machine – Thank God It’s The Dream Machine (full review here)
The Wirral has a new set of outsiders to idolise!
4. Joel Stoker – Undertow (full review here)
After two decades with The Rifles, making any solo album was a brave decision. To tackle his living nightmares and chart a musical course a world away was truly courageous.
3. The Velvet Hands – Sucker Punch (full review here)
Skint, downtrodden, and overtaken by those who can afford it or the artistically redundant. Despite the odds against them and cultural pressures pushing them toward a boring mainstream landscape, the band have funnelled their joyous punk debut into something more studied and grander this time out.
2. Pynch – Howling At A Concrete Moon (full review here)
Pynch’s debut album is full of such great era-defining couplets it's easy to overlook just how many great musical moments it possesses. The dreamy Real Estate and Horrors-esque (circa ’V’) synths of opener ‘Haven’t Lived a Day’ or the solos on ‘Tin Foil’ and ‘Maybe’, to name just a few.
A truly great moment in a sea of political despair. Viva la hope!
1. The Utopiates – The Sun Also Rises (full review here)
Whether you’re coming of age or finding a new lease on life, The Utopiates are the band to soundtrack it. From ‘Devolution’ to ‘It’s Coming To You’ they clutch onto hope with their fingernails as their sonic tumbles towards the darkness. Like all great bands before them, they find a way to lead the mortals out of their doldrums. During the introspection of ‘The Sun Also Rises’ the fog begins to lift allowing the rhapsodic ‘Ups and Downs’ conjures a moment of unrivalled happiness. The journey to their promised land is completed on the angelic reflective come-down piece ‘Simple Minds’.
Undeterred by Spotify’s influences, they take their time on intros and solos alike. They’ve allowed rock ‘n’ roll to breathe once more. The results are nothing short of a perfect debut album.
The Great Escape Festival 2023 - Preview Part 2
Brighton’s Great Escape festival began in 2006 and has been a beacon of light for new music ever since.
As we approach this year’s festival, we pick out (in alphabetical order) our favourite acts to look out for. Here is part two of run down.
Brighton’s Great Escape festival began in 2006 and has been a beacon of light for new music ever since.
As we approach this year’s festival, we pick out (in alphabetical order) our favourite acts to look out for. Here is part two of run down. (Read part one here)
Sammy Copley
The Irish artist casts minds back to the days of 2007 when Laura Marling emerged to stardom. Classic songwriting married with a supreme vocal.
Key Tracks: To The Bone / Irish Goodbye
Spangled
Their expansive sound has headline act oozing from its blood. It’s the sound of a band with one hand on their destiny and the pushing at end of the galaxy to make things bigger.
Key Tracks: That Farm In Dunham / Charlie Hills
Moreish Idols
The Cantebury outfit are utterly vital indie-rock! From Sea Power to Fontaines DC to Pavement, their warped magic is to die for.
Key Tracks: Chum / Hangar
The Murder Capital
The second album has been a joyous breakout moment in 2023. Guttural feeling and punk integrity to their core.
Key Tracks: Don’t Cling To Life / Ethel
The Kairos
The Liverpool outfit are toying with the 00s hook-heavy scene and more expansive rock music with the skill of seasoned masters.
Key Tracks: The Thick Of It / P.O.P
The Heavy Heavy
The Brighton band taking the early Bee Gees and Hollies for a trip with to the Laurel Canyon.
Key Tracks: Go Down River / Miles and Miles
The Facades
Wigan four-piece The Facades are a mesh of beguiling psyche and wry post-punk.
Key Tracks: That Letter / Beautiful
The Goa Express
The finest indie band in a generation.
Key Tracks: Second Time / Everybody In The UK
The Chase
Nottinghamshire’s The Chase are a ball of ska, punk, indie-rock magic. Ferocious and raw angst meets the hallmarks of great youth culture in their anthems.
Key Tracks: I’m The Man / Trumpet
The Dream Machine
The only natural heir to The Coral’s throne!
Key Tracks: Always On My Mind / Sweet Mary
Click the image below for tickets:
