2024: My Year In Music

As a music listening community, we are firmly in our playlist era. From viral TikTok hits to Spotify Wrapped, we are fed endless lists of our 'favourite' songs to be listened to ad nauseum. Don't get me wrong, I love a good playlist, but I prefer to curate my own - algorithms don't quite get how putting one song next to another influences the overall experience, so the ever-changing "Upbeat Mix" never quite hits the spot, no matter how much I like the songs on it.

I've written before about my belief that the album is the best way to experience music, and the records on this list are good evidence for my argument. This year I've found myself enjoying albums less for the songs themselves and more for the overall listening experience they create. Compiled with care by their artists, each one is marked by its tonal consistency, and thus becomes more than the sum of its parts. I urge you to listen from start to finish.

NB - As much as I love Brat and The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess (and did seriously consider them), I decided that their overwhelming popularity reduced the personal aspect that's crucial to this list. 'Hot to Go' and 'Apple' were everyone's year in music. Here's mine.

Mountainhead (2024) by Everything Everything

Though I've always appreciated their intricate, genre-hopping work, I never imagined Everything Everything hitting the high reaches of my Spotify Wrapped. But the electronic rock of Raw Data Feel caught my ear in 2022, and this year they captured my imagination with its dystopian follow-up, Mountainhead.

Set in an uncannily close future where society is 'consumed with the building of a giant mountain,' this record is fiercely contemporary, its lyrics exploring many anxieties fuelled and exacerbated by the social internet. From conspiracy theories to the cult of consumerism, each subject is broached with imagination and wit. "The hideous old savagery comes" sings frontman Jonathan Higgs on the opening track; "And it knows what I want!"

In many ways, this LP is textbook Everything Everything - Higgs' motormouth is in full flow on lead singles 'Cold Reactor' and 'The Mad Stone,' and the intricate arrangements throughout reward repeat listening. But what keeps me coming back to Mountainhead in particular is singability. Each listen leaves me singing a different track, planting this outstanding record in my brain as only a conspiracy theory could. All hail the Enormous High-Born Moth.

My highlights: Wild Guess; Cold Reactor; Dagger's Edge; City Song



What A Devastating Turn of Events (2024) by Rachel Chinouriri

The title of this assured debut LP is apt - it reflects both Chinouriri's sharp sarcastic wit, on full display in the album's energetic first half, and the darkness of the emotions explored further down the track list. This split is a musical one too - the album glides easily between the Britpop Revival of singles like 'The Hills' and gritty laments such as 'My Blood' and 'Cold Call'.

At least half of the album's tracks touch on troubled love, but Chinouriri ensures we never tire of this. Each is unique in both its sound and lyrical approach: From the gentle mourning of a long-distance relationship in 'Robbed' to the flippant rebukes of sub-par boyfriends in 'It Is What It Is' and 'Dumb Bitch Juice', she shows musical adaptability and tonal consistency with confidence and ease.

In recent years, I've been entranced by the smooth neo-soul of Celeste and the electronic-infused R&B of the silver-tongued Raye. In my mind, this record sits in the centre of this Venn diagram - an irresistible, radio-friendly sound spiked with eloquent, often acerbic lyrics. It's this combo that makes Turn of Events a joy to listen through, dark moments and all.

My highlights: The Hills; Never Need Me; Dumb Bitch Juice; My Blood



Audio Vertigo (2024) by Elbow

It’s been 16 years since Elbow released their Mercury-winning LP The Seldom Seen Kid, and though they continue to fill arenas around the UK, I still feel like they haven’t been getting their flowers since then. Save for ‘One Day Like This’ and ‘Grounds for Divorce’, your average Spotify user would struggle to name one of their songs; yet their imaginative, intelligent and accessible art rock has enchanted me more than any other artist in recent years.

Audio Vertigo is no exception. In fact, it is perhaps their most adventurous record in years, combining as it does Guy Garvey’s soaring vocals and elegiac imagery with a fresh, arresting rhythm-heavy sound. From the frenetic brass arrangement of 'Lover's Leap' to the grungy 'Good Blood Mexico City', this feels like the first time Elbow have put drums at the centre of their songwriting.

The result is a heavy-duty rock record that recalls artists as disparate as Genesis and the Vaccines, but it is still indelibly Elbow. Indeed, it feels closer to the rougher sound of their early output than their more recent work, yet imbued with the wisdom they've gained with the years. 'Balu' - a crunchy love letter to the dodgy role models we have as teenagers - is a great place to start.

My highlights: Balu; The Picture; Good Blood Mexico City; From the River

Hit Me Hard and Soft (2024) by Billie Eilish

I won't be the first to say it, but Billie and Finneas might be the most powerful duo in music. On this addictive third LP, it's hard not to hear them challenging each other to push the boundaries of what they've done before - whether it's splitting tracks into two distinct but connected movements, or allowing an inconspicuous synth line to come to the fore, switching up the rhythm and drowning out the lyrics for a climactic moment.

No creative stone is left unturned. Slower numbers like 'Wildflower' and 'The Greatest' might feel like filler tracks in less able hands; but with a well-placed backing vocal here, a deft twiddle of the volume dial there, these quieter moments turn to high points equally deserving of headphones on full blast as the more conspicuous singles.

Lyrically, this record runs the gamut of love and lust - from the pseudo-romantic obsession on 'The Diner' (an echoing, rhythm-heavy piece that harks back to Eilish's earlier work), to the slow burn of a lifelong love on the gorgeous 'Birds of a Feather'. But just as powerful are those moments when the emotions are too much for words, and we are bathed in beautifully-produced sound.

My highlights: Chihiro; The Greatest; L'Amour de ma Vie; Blue



The Secret to Life (2023) by FIZZ

Four UK musicians (and their friends) travel to LA to escape the dreary darkness of Winter. What emerges is a bright, maximalist album that smacks of breaking down creative barriers and revelling in the joy of creating collaboratively. This is The Secret to Life.

Notable among FIZZ's members are YouTubers-turned-solo artists Dodie and Orla Gartland, who lend their considerable songwriting and arranging talents to what might otherwise feel like quite a messy collection of songs. As fun as the record is, I don't think it would have made this list without its more grounded moments, like the gorgeous 'You, Me, Lonely' (clearly a Dodie-led composition) or Gartland's beautiful bridge on 'Hell of a Ride'.

Of course, revelling in the disorder of life is a theme of the album, and comes through in songs like 'Strawberry Jam' and 'Rocket League'. Not to mention all the live takes (complete with studio banter) used in the final mix. Ultimately the album achieves its goal with aplomb. Especially as Winter draws in, it's a comfort to know that I have forty minutes of layered harmonies, infectious melodies and unbridled musical delight to turn to.

My highlights: Close One; I Just Died; You, Me, Lonely; The Grand Finale



Honourable mentions:

• Everybody Needs A Hero (2024) by Orla Gartland
  A true showcase of Gartland's gift for melody, this impressive sophomore album charts the experience of settling into life as a 'real' adult in the current age. I could hardly relate harder. Start with 'Little Chaos'
  
  

• Two Star & the Dream Police (2024) by Mk.gee
  To call Mk.gee's output 'lo-fi' feels unfair - it's so meticulously composed and emotionally rich - but the hypnotic sound and butter-smooth production of this first LP the perfect work soundtrack. Start with 'Are You Looking Up'
  
  

• On Purpose, With Purpose (2024) by Ghetts
  "Brimming with elegant fury" (Observer), this album is my pick from this year's Mercury shortlist. Ever the master of exposing the elephants in our social room, Ghetts is in full irresistible flow on this immersive record. Start at the beginning

5 Chill Albums for your Winter Rotation

Fear not, fans of my annual musical round-up; the big one is on its way. But this year has been so full of excellent new music, I find myself with too many records to review than one post will hold. So, as we head into December, here's a selection of cosy favourites - some old, some new - to warm your ears on a dark and chilly evening.

I've organised these albums vaguely from least- to most-Christmassy, in case you're one of those who refuses to let carols or candy canes cross their lips too soon (though I'm writing this on Advent Sunday, so your time is running out regardless). Enjoy, and let me know what you think!

Shawn (2024) by Shawn Mendes

A male solo artist strips back his production setup to release an introspective, guitar-centred record? Is this Stick Season mark 2? Well, not quite. Not only does the production on Shawn have superstar polish, there's also more scope to the sound; the lyrics might be full of regret and self-reflection, but there are real moments of punch, like the gospel-inspired 'Heavy' and the earworm that is lead single 'Why Why Why'.

Like the season Noah Kahan sings about, this album is stuck between Autumn and Winter. But listen through it in the car this December and you'll see why it made the list. Singable choruses, infectious rhythms and a warm acoustic sound perfect for the long drive home for Christmas.

My highlights: That's the Dream, Heart of Gold, Heavy, The Mountain

The Brightness (2007) by Anaïs Mitchell

With its long-awaited arrival on the West End, 2024 has been the year of Hadestown. But while the musical may well be remembered as Mitchell's finest work, her back catalogue is a deep trove of inventive songwriting. The Brightness is much more intimate than the grand scope of Hadestown, but no less compelling.

Like the album art suggests, this record feels like a diary of observations from a high, lonely window - some concrete and nostalgic, others romantic and mythical. We hop from jazz to country to folk and back again, but binding the LP together is Mitchell's Dylan-esque lyrical storytelling, coupled with a very un-Dylan-esque gift for a soaring melody. If you loved Hadestown, you'll love this too.

My highlights: Your Fonder Heart, Of A Friday Night, Santa Fe Dream, Old Fashioned Hat

Sparrow (2024) by Jeff Talmadge

I usually associate country music with fierce summers, homely wisdom and the golden harvests of rural America. But this plaintive, unassuming folk record makes a great case for Winter country. Though the lyrics can be corny on occasion, Talmadge does have a talent for metaphor, transporting his listeners to the past or imagined world of his bittersweet ballads.

In the wrong hands, an album made mostly of one man and his guitar would get boring fairly quickly. But Talmadge's butterscotch voice and masterful finger picking make this a truly delightful listen; one that I've turned to on many a gloomy workday this year.

My highlights: Hurricane, The Sound of Falling Snow, Maybe Next Year, Top of the Hour

Gufigis (2024) by Goofy Geese

One could argue that this album's bright, often sultry tones lend it more to Summer than any other season, but I would disagree. Perhaps it's the Norwegian twang in the vocals, or the ethereal synth pads layered beneath many of the tracks, but for me it's much more evocative of a cosy log cabin in the snow than a lazy day on the beach.

This record punches above its weight in more ways than one: it's very assured and tonally consistent for a debut LP, and its layered musical landscapes belie that Goofy Geese consist of only two members. (I give particular kudos to the intelligent use of backing vocals, all too rare these days.) A warm inviting fireplace on a dark winter evening, this album really is a gem.

My highlights: Divine, Gooseberry, Sensational Bliss, Station REM

Songs for Christmas (2006) by Sufjan Stevens

This album is actually a box set of five EPs, nicely completing the snowflake-like fractal of this fivefold article. As you might expect this record is replete with carols, each given Stevens' trademark indie-folk treatment, which makes it perfect background music for putting up your tree. But it's also peppered with originals that wouldn't sound out of place on Illinois.

But what really cements this as a Christmas favourite is the way it's produced - unpretentious and deliberately rough around the edges, with imperfectly-layered vocals and plenty of room noise, it really feels like listening to a house full of musical family members sitting around the piano, playing their way through favourites old and new.

My highlights: We're Goin' to the Country!, Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing, Come on! Let's Boogey to the Elf Dance!, Joy to the World, Get Behind Me Santa!

Sam Marshall: Published Article Archive

-- In Print --

Music review | Melody for Tiamat EP by Roshan Sabet | LeftLion April 2024 | Link (page 39)

-- Online --

LeftLion

Book review | The Body in the Library by Graham Caveney | July 2024 | Link

Gig review | "Larkins at Rescue Rooms" | September 2023 | Link

Listicle entry | "7 Book to Screen Adaptations Actually Worth Watching" | February 2023 | Link

Film review | The Feast (2022) | September 2022 | Link

Film review | My Old School (2022) | July 2022 | Link

Listicle entry | "7 of the Best Underdog Stories in Cinema History" | July 2022 | Link

Other

Opinion | "How Football Manager Became an Unlikely E-Sport" | WhyNow, April 2021 | Link

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2023: My Year In Music

As the years go by, I sometimes worry that music can't surprise me anymore, but it always proves me wrong in the end. It's often these moments of unexpected delight that lift an album into contention for my annual list, and this year is no exception.

Whether it's finding intelligent songwriting in unlikely places, or hearing an artist breathing life into an outmoded genre, this year's list is full of albums that dropped my jaw when I least expected it. I hope you'll give them a try, and that they give you the same joyful surprises they've given me.

It's All True (2023) by MALINDA

The biggest surprise of the lot, I stumbled upon this stunning debut album completely by accident. As an online creator famous for her Google Translate parodies of existing songs, I admit that I didn't expect too much when an unsolicited YouTube short from Malinda Kathleen Reese led me to her newly-released record. I listened to the title track open-mouthed, pausing only to eat my words.

From the scintillating 5/4 groove of 'Brooklyn' to the layered harmonies of 'Like It's the End', this gem of an album is bursting with musical intelligence. It's a folk album at heart, filled with gorgeous flowing melodies and flute and violin arrangements that Wildwood Kin would be proud of. Yet many of the tracks would be equally at home on a Broadway stage. Reese's voice - which matches the album's scope and ambition - is in full pomp here, especially on the dark and sultry 'Good Intentions'.

This transcendent clash of folk and musical theatre is present in the lyrics too. 'Between Us and Them' is a beautiful story about those left behind in times of war, whose verses span the whole 20th Century. It's a startlingly affecting folk tale with the subtle cadences of of an emotional West End solo. I've come back to this album many times over 2023, and it keeps on giving.

My highlights: It's All True, Good Intentions, Between Us and Them, Collage

Hold the Girl (2022) by Rina Sawayama (2022)

It's a testament to Rina Sawayama's songwriting that an album exploring such sober and complex subjects is so compelling and entertaining throughout. Guiding us through themes of racial anxiety ('Minor Feelings'), generational trauma ('Send my Love to John') and even her experience of being groomed as a teenager ('Your Age'), Sawayama's powerhouse voice and ingenious melodic choices turn these raw expressions of emotion into the most sincere, intelligent pop music I've heard.

Hold the Girl's pop influences are many and varied. We hear echoes of Lady Gaga and Marina on the more bombastic tracks like 'This Hell', but my favourite moments on this record are when she reaches even further for inspiration. From the sparkling synth leads on 'Holy (Til You Let Me Go)' to the key-change-chorus of 'Catch Me in the Air', Sawayama gives these classic pop tropes her own twist, owing as much to the music of India and Japan as to the heavily-produced pop of the 2000s.

The result is a timeless pop album with an arena-worthy sound. The fine brush of the record's production allows even the most intimate songs room to breathe, crafting them into cathartic anthems promoting forgiveness and self-belief. "They'll tell you to sit up, and shut up, and grow up," Sawayama sings on the title track. "What the hell do they know?"

My highlights: Minor Feelings, Catch Me in the Air, Frankenstein, Phantom

Stick Season (2022) by Noah Kahan

Penned largely during periods of COVID lockdown in 2020 and 2021, Stick Season expertly captures the world of contradictions that we find ourselves in since the pandemic. The New England winter for which the record is named is overwhelming despite its desolation, and each track is a struggle between the stifling comfort of a lonely home and the longing for deeper connection.

This latter sentiment shines through the musical decisions on this album. Kahan has stripped back the heavy rhythms and guitar effects of his previous work in favour of a simpler folk sound that brings his voice to the fore - especially on the plaintive 'Come Over' and 'Strawberry Wine'. But he wears it well, and has lost none of his quiet fierceness - with more upbeat tracks such as 'Northern Attitude' and 'All My Love' recalling Mumford & Sons at their peak.

Stick Season is a fount of well-considered lyrics. 'Homesick', for example, is a wry parody of a love letter to Kahan's hometown. Here he notes the irony that one of its notable natives is an Olympic runner: 'This place is such great motivation / for anyone tryna move the f*** away from hibernation.' But despite its bleak, elegiac tendencies, this is an album of reflection and perseverance - where nostalgia wins out over regret, and Spring will follow Winter in the end.

My highlights: Stick Season, All My Love, Strawberry Wine, Growing Sideways

My 21st Century Blues (2023) by Raye

The last few years have been a whirlwind for Raye, beginning with the fight to part with Polydor for withholding this album's release and culminating in her nomination for prestigious prizes as an independent artist. My pick from this year's Mercury Prize playlist, I can't understand why anyone would delay My 21st Century Blues - but boy was it worth the wait.

Like many albums on this list, Blues deals with some heavy subjects - addiction, anxiety and sexual harrasment to name just a few. But fittingly for the record's backstory, Raye's main target here is hypocrisy - from manipulative partners in 'Oscar Winning Tears' and 'Flip A Switch' to ignorant executives in 'Body Dysmorphia' and 'Environmental Anxiety'. For each of these topics Raye has a confident, silver-tongued response, truly marking her debut as a blues record.

It couldn't be clearer that Raye is a born songwriter. Lyrics, beat and melody feel less like well-combined elements than a single natural flow of infectious R&B. Inspirations mingle effortlessly into something new and irresistible: neither the smooth neo-soul of 'The Thrill Is Gone' nor the languid 'Mary Jane' would feel out of place on a Frank Ocean or Lauryn Hill record. Personal, theatrical and viciously original, I cannot recommend this album enough.

My highlights: Incredibly for a 15-track album, there are no skips. Just listen to the whole thing.

Unreal Unearth (2023) by Hozier

An album inspired by Dante's Inferno is the perfect project for Hozier, whose lyrics so often touch on mythology, politics and the disconnect between Christian doctrine and modern life. The album is a contemporary journey through the circles of Dante's hell: we see the gluttony of rich nations profiting from warfare in the punchy, tongue-twisting single 'Eat Your Young'; and humanity's violence against our own world in 'To Someone from a Warmer Climate (Uiscefhuarithe)'.

Yet despite this lofty, thorny subject matter, Unreal Unearth never feels preachy. Hozier's poetic skill, fully on display here, is in blending the personal with the universal. On the macro level, 'Damage Gets Done' explores how young people are often vilified by older generations for causing problems in society; but that doesn't stop it being a lilting duet about two lovers travelling the world together.

More than anything, this record showcases Hozier's mastery of modern rock music. It combines the grungy folk of his debut that some felt was missing on Wasteland Baby, with the polish and flair of that second album. The headbanging 'Francesca' is perhaps his purest rock song so far, while the soaring 'Who We Are' and 'Abstract (Psychopomp)' cement him in my mind as the finest balladeer of his generation. It's a true masterwork, and my only worry is that he may never top it.

My highlights: Francesca, Eat Your Young, Damage Gets Done, Abstract (Psychopomp)

Honourable mentions:

• The Crowned (2023) by Che Aimee Dorval - Symphonic rock and soul are strange bedfellows, but this album combines them with ease, and to great effect - Dorval's vibrant and powerful voice is a highlight throughout. Start with 'Lionize'
  
  
• Confidence (2023) by The Hoosiers - The closest this duo has come to recreating the whimsical ingenuity of their acclaimed debut album, their latest effort makes for a highly entertaining 35 minutes. Start with 'Hello Sunshine'
  
  
• five seconds flat (2022) by Lizzie McAlpine - Flush with frenetic rhythms, rich melodies and well-crafted metaphors, this immersive, assured sophomore album was very unlucky not to make the top 5. Start at the beginning
  

Every Episode of Cabin Pressure, Ranked

In 1989, Victoria Wood produced a series of six half-hour TV plays, featuring all her classic collaborators - Anne Reid, Celia Imrie and of course Julie Walters to name a few. My dad - the biggest VW fan I know - introduced me to them, and they really are brilliant (here's a link to watch the first one). But almost as impressive is my dad's almost word-for-word recollection every line in every episode.

My equivalent of this is Cabin Pressure, a radio sitcom following the adventures of a tiny charter airline - one jet, two pilots, the CEO and her flight attendant son. For all of his sketch comedy prowess, it's in this show that John Finnemore (also a huge Victoria Wood fan) shows the real subtlety of his craft. I can quote most of the lines before they come, and its delightful familiarity has earned it the status of 'noise that I put on in the background as I fall asleep.'

Before you ask, yes I did just turn 27, and that means it's time to focus on the important things in life. Like putting every episode of my favourite Radio 4 sitcom in order of preference. For reference, each one is named for the destination the characters are flying to in that episode, and alphabetical order roughly matches chronological order.

If you've never listened to Cabin Pressure before, this is my fervent recommendation. (Series 2 is well worth an audible credit, at least.) If you do heed my advice, let me know what you think! And if you're familiar with the show, I'd love to hear what you think of my ranking.

Tier 3

26. Helsinki
25. Rotterdam
24. Abu Dhabi
23. Boston
22. Fitton
21. Johannesburg

At this point, it’s worth saying that there isn’t a single episode of Cabin Pressure that I don’t like. These bottom six episodes are the ones that I don’t instinctively come back to when I want to listen to one episode on its own. Mostly this is because their plots are slightly weaker and less inventive than average, though there are exceptions.

Helsinki, for instance, takes bottom spot because I can’t stand listening to Carolyn’s great nephew Kieran - despite a compelling B plot concerning Douglas’ small-time smuggling business. And while Cabin Pressure’s bottle episodes all showcase Finnemore’s pleasing knack for one-act plays, Fitton is the weakest among them.

Most of series 1 ends up here, but that’s largely because later seasons are an improvement. I'd still urge the keen radio 4 listener to start at the beginning, because early episodes like Abu Dhabi and Boston do an excellent job setting up the main cast and their relationships. It's always a pleasure to hear how the characters grow from colleagues who don’t really like each other to true friends over the course of the series.

Tier 2

20. Edinburgh (Birling Day #1)
19. Wokingham
18. Timbuktu (Birling Day #3)
17. Molokai (Christmas Special)
16. Uskerty
15. Paris (Birling Day #2)
14. Douz
13. Cremona
12. Yverdon-Les-Bains
11. Ottery St Mary

The middle group is made up of episodes that aren’t my favourite, but that I’m always in the mood to listen to. All of the Birling Day episodes are here - a series-long tradition similar to Brooklyn Nine Nine’s Halloween heists -  along with the stand-out episodes from season one.

Excellent guest performances from Helen Baxendale (Cremona) and John Sessions (Douz) keep their respective episodes close to the top of this group, while the revolting posh boy Mr Birling is another larger-than-life jewel in the crown of Geoffrey Whitehead’s BBC comedy roles.

Wokingham, though an excellent episode, loses points for me because I’m not hugely fond of Martin’s relationships with his siblings - though his mum Wendy, played to wholesome perfection by Prunella Scales, is one of my favourite single-episode characters.

By the same token, Yverdon-les-Bains and Ottery St Mary earn the top spots in this group partly because Anthony Head’s recurring character Herc (short for Hercules - after the aircraft, not the hero) is always a welcome addition to the cast.

This middle group represents the real essence of Cabin Pressure. The world’s smallest airline bites off more than it can chew, hijinks ensue, and everything’s wrapped up in time for tea (with the exception of Yverdon-les-Bains, the cliffhanger at the end of series 4). The comedy is bright and original, and even the most fleeting of characters have a depth and warmth that Finnemore always brings to his writing. Each one is sure to brighten any commute, or send this veteran listener to sleep with a smile on his face.

Tier 1

10. Xinzhou
9. Vaduz
8. Zurich (Two-part Finale Special)
7. Newcastle
6. Qikiqtarjuaq
5. St Petersburg
4. Kuala Lumpur
3. Limerick
2. Gdansk
1. Ipswich


And finally, we have the top ten. Episodes that are, in my humble opinion, among the best half hours of comedy Radio 4 has ever seen (or heard, I suppose). This group is mostly made up of episodes from the second and third series, which I think represents the show’s peak - though it was only once I’d put season 2 episodes in each of the top four spaces that I realised which is my favourite.

There’s a strong showing from the final series as well, though. Vaduz introduces us to the delightful Theresa, who disappoints only by turning up so late into the show’s run. Xinzhou is a charmingly silly bottle episode, fitting for the final stand-alone instalment before Yverdon-les-Bains and Zurich tie up all the loose ends. And then there’s the finale itself, a heartfelt ending that is far more than a victory lap, and which truly is worthy of all that came before it.

Found among these episodes are the show’s most memorable moments. Comedic ones, like Arthur’s struggles to improve his stewarding skills in Kuala Lumpur; and more solemn, character-driven moments, especially between pilots Martin and Douglas. Newcastle deserves a special mention here, not only for its excellent guest appearances by Mark Williams and Anna Crilly, but also for that of Tom Goodman-Hill, an emergency understudy for Martin who steps into the role with fidelity and aplomb.

There is so much more I could mention about this show. I haven’t even mentioned its stunning, star-studded central cast, which includes a very non-Sherlock-sounding Benedict Cumberbatch. But to say any more would only ruin your enjoyment. So please go find it for yourself, and I sincerely hope that you - like myself and Arthur - think it’s brilliant.

2022: My Year In Music

The thing about priding yourself in your wide music taste is you have to be able to back it up. This year’s list features several artists and subgenres that I’ve come to appreciate only recently, after long periods of indifference or even resistance. That’s why this year’s list features albums from across the last 20 years, rather than any shortage of good music in 2022.

So, as always, enjoy my Christmas present to you all. A feast of highlights from my 2022 soundtrack, and a post-turkey cheeseboard of new music to bring you into the new year. If you want to join in, let me know which artists and albums you’ve discovered or particularly enjoyed this year in the comments.

Blue Weekend (2021) by Wolf Alice

My brother has been trying to make me a Wolf Alice fan since they released My Love Is Cool in 2015, and not without reason. A female-fronted British rock band with a sense of humour, they should be right up my street. But I found their early work a little too atmospheric for my tastes, and I’ve always  been content to shelve them alongside indie one-hit wonders like The Temper Trap.

But everything changed when Blue Weekend attacked. On this record, they experiment with the noise-rock formula that has served them well so far. Where their first albums’ double whammy of mumbled lyrics behind echoing walls of sound failed to inspire me, the imagination and craft of songs like ‘Delicious Things’ and ‘Feeling Myself’ keep me coming back for more.

This is an album of contradictions. Lyrically, tracks like ‘How Can I Make It OK?’ and ‘The Last Man on Earth’ are mired in fragility and uncertainty, yet here the band feel more at home than ever, and frontwoman Ellie Rowsell finally has room to showcase her true vocal talents. A vein of dry wit runs from track to track, yet their music has never felt more urgent and deliberate. The result? A masterwork of 21st Century rock, which has - my brother will be pleased to know - increased my fondness for Wolf Alice’s earlier work as well.

My Highlights: Delicious Things; Lipstick on the Glass; Smile; How Can I Make it OK?

Punisher (2020) by Phoebe Bridgers

Yes, this album did get an honourable mention on last year’s list. But Punisher has been so central a part of my musical landscape this year that it deserves a review of its own. You might think it’s rich for someone who labelled Wolf Alice’s early work ‘too atmospheric’ to be effusing about Phoebe Bridgers, but bear with me.

It’s a testament to Bridgers’ musical skill that arena rock fans like me find themselves enjoying her lilting, low-energy music. The melodies on Punisher are particularly entrancing (epitomised by tracks such as ‘Kyoto’ and ‘Savior Complex’), as is her ability to create drama and tension with the simplest of flourishes. An audience of thousands singing the title track along with her was a highlight of Glastonbury this year, and as thrilling a live moment as any U2 performance.

Not in genre, instrumentation or vibe is this an emo album. Yet it serves a similar function to me, as I imagine it does for many others. Its lyrics are honest, elegiac poems that explore overwhelming experiences. Yet they are bathed in spine-tinglingly immersive musical arrangements - a cathartic paradox that even My Chemical Romance would be proud of.

My Highlights: Punisher; Savior Complex; Graceland Too, I Know the End

Big TV (2013) by White Lies

Dark, baritone-led, post-punk bands are enjoying something of a golden age at the moment, with established acts like Editors and The National perhaps more popular than they’ve ever been. So this was the perfect time to revisit White Lies - a band I hadn’t listened to since the noughties. A friend of mine introduced me to Big TV not long ago, and it’s been a staple of my work soundtrack ever since.

This album is at once familiar and innovative. The singable hooks and potent electronic landscapes of ‘Mother Tongue’ and ‘There Goes Our Love Again’ recall Depeche Mode at their height, and truly live up to the sonic ambition of the record. But this is an addition to, rather than a replacement for, White Lies’ signature sound. The driving, bass-led arrangements and creative drum lines cement Big TV as a rock album - a true space-age rock album.

But despite the cosmic aspirations of the music, the lyrics could not be more earthbound. ‘Getting Even’ and ‘Tricky to Love’ tell of unreliable relationships, while the title track explores what it means to be at the mercy of a materialist society. This, combined with the new-age-inspired music, gives Big TV the feel of a dystopian novel - an album about the present, wrapped in the high-octane trappings of the future.

My Highlights: Big TV; First Time Caller; Mother Tongue; Be Your Man

Sometimes I Might Be Introvert (2021) by Little Simz

Little Simz’ breakthrough album Grey Area was my favourite among the 2019 Mercury Prize nominees. Her vicious, unflinching approach to her craft meant that even as a relative minnow in the British hip-hop scene, she could hold her own with the best. Her next effort is more considered and introspective, but no less compelling.

Lyrically, Simbi is just as sharp as ever. From the outset, she glides effortlessly from armed conflict to class war to the moral battles within ourselves. Opening track ‘Introvert’ sets out her stall clearly, emphasising how inextricable the personal and political are. And this continues right up until the final track, where her personal and professional struggles are woven carefully with nods to other black women who have had to fight for their place in the spotlight.

It is musically where this album surprises and delights the most. Little Simz joins fellow Mercury nominees Kojey Radical and Ghetts in flawlessly blending seductive hip hop with other genres, from the jaunty R&B of ‘I love You, I Hate You’ to the African influences and ska beat of ‘Fear no man.’ It’s a diverse, mature album from an artist at the top of her game, and diverting from start to finish.

My Highlights: Two Worlds Apart; I See You; How Did You Get Here; Miss Understood

A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out (2005) by Panic! At the Disco

One of my musical highlights of the year has been Hayley Williams' BBC Sounds show Everything Is Emo. Equal parts 'Intro to Emo' class and tour of the Paramore frontwoman's varied music taste, it's a pleasing combo of familiar tunes and new music to explore. And while it hasn't found me many new favourites, it has helped me dive further into artists I thought I already knew pretty well.

One such band is Panic! At the Disco, whose early work I knew very little of. Content with singles like 'I Write Sins Not Tragedies' and 'Nine in the Afternoon', I went on to enjoy the opulent, polished pop-punk of their later albums. But little did I know what I was missing. If Vices and Virtues is the high-end music hall of their florid oeuvre, then A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out is the seedy but pretentious speakeasy down the road. And I mean that as the highest of compliments.

Acerbic lyrics fly past at breakneck speed, processing death, jealousy and criticism of their work with eloquent disdain. The punk aesthetic of the instrumentation belies the musical prowess that shows itself in brief a-cappella arrangements and well-chosen electronic elements. Panic! have always been the divas of the emo scene, and this pulsing cabaret of breathless drama and raw emotions is a perfect manifesto.

My Highlights: The only difference between Martyrdom and Suicide is Press Coverage; Nails for Breakfast, Tacks for Snacks; But It’s Better if You Do; I Write Sins Not Tragedies

Honourable mentions: 

• Of Brine and Angels’ Beaks (2021) by Azure - Voted ‘best unsigned band of 2021’ by readers of Prog magazine, Azure are all the evidence one needs that Prog Rock is alive and well in the UK. Adventure and scope, humour and tenderness - this epic sophomore album has it all, and I can’t wait to see what they have in store. Start with ‘The Jellyfish’
• Raw Data Feel (2022) by Everything Everything - Beating out Taylor Swift, Harry Styles and Rina Sawayama for my pop album of the year, Raw Data Feel is as enjoyable as it is prescient. Its lyrics (co-written by a custom AI programme) find connection and hope within our demanding, tech-focused world, while addictive and nuanced melodies hold even the shortest attention span right until the end. Start with ‘My Computer’
  
• Birds with Broken Wings (2015) by Ben Caplan - A Johnny Cash for the 21st Century, Ben Caplan’s captivating voice guides us through existential heights and lonely nights with equal dexterity. One of few artists truly deserving of the term ‘troubadour,’ his gift for metaphor can spin even the most mundane threads of thought to gold. Start at the beginning