TOP TEN ALBUMS 2025

INTRO: I found 2025 to be a very focused year of music listening. Though I sampled well over one-hundred albums this year, those collections that really grabbed my attention (certainly all of the selections below) demanded a lion's share of my listening time. They were all—in their own unique ways—so intriguing and delivered such rewarding returns for close inspection, that I had a hard time walking away. This gathering probably also showcases the widest spread on my varying musical interests within modern rock and pop.

As I choose to do each year, I haven't assigned specific TOP TEN number placements for these albums. Given the right moment and particular mood, they each earned my highest attention and praise. If any of these slipped through your 2025 listening, I highly recommend you correct that wrong. Cheers and Happy New Year!


Ethel Cain / Willoughby Tucker, I’ll Always Love You

Credit where credit is due. Of all the artists that my daughter, June, has exposed me to, Ethel Cain—by far—has made the most impactful impression on me as a fully-formed artist. Purely and completely. Willoughby Tucker—Cain’s third album (and her second in 2025 alone)—is a true stunner. There is a deep organic undercurrent that moves through the entire collection. The songs are haunting and beautiful and the cinematic instrumentals add even more space to allow an unnerving sense of dread and longing. And in the standout “Fuck Me Eyes”, I don't know that I’ve ever heard a more perfectly pitched modern take on 80s essence. Just amazing! This is an absolutely meticulous expression of artistry, and it worked to put a sort of spell over me each time I listened, which was many. It should also be noted that Cain released two collections in 2025, with Perverts (her artistically challenging atmospheric opus second release) also earning her extra points. This is definitely a collection to be listened to in its entirety. Revel in all that makes it such a truly artistic musical experience. 

Pulp / More

Twenty-four years have passed since the last collection of new music by Pulp. Every single high expectation I had for this collection was not only matched - in most cases those were bested. This is English songwriting & performance of the highest order - neck and neck with the most sharply crafted work of Elvis Costello or Joe Jackson. That is to say, simply existing on a higher plane. “Spike Island” starts the album off so strongly that the high bar sets a challenge that the band is forced to answer—and they do, easily. “Grown Ups”—an almost modern reflection of the band’s iconic early single, “Common People”—delivers spot-on humor in perfect British dryness. And “Farmers Market” is moving and elegantly gorgeous in all of its baroque pop brilliance.Truly, there isn’t a single misstep to be found. More is a home run any way you come at it. In fact, I would call it the band’s finest collection thus far. This is a must-listen album. 

Lorde / Virgin

Lorde is another in a small (& unique) grouping of artists that have threaded the needle of thoroughly convincing both my daughter and I of their ample talents. Lorde's latest effort is a true powerhouse. Following the sun-warmed, laidback vibe of her previous collection, Solar Power, Lorde’s fourth album is a career-definer. Before I was even finished with my first full listen I could absolutely tell that Lorde had tapped into an elevated sense of sound and purpose - not unlike exceptional releases by Kate Bush and Madonna - The Sensual World and Ray Of Light, respectively. Lorde’s entire collection is fueled by a deep pulse, a driving heartbeat that summons both urgency and emotion. There isn’t any filler - every song is a complete treasure - and it is such a compelling listen that I kept it on constant rotation for quite a while. This is what artistic pop music is supposed to sound like. In fact, it just doesn’t get much better. 

Mother Mother / Nostalgia

This is a smart, sharp, clever, & artistically intriguing collection. Though I wouldn’t have previously called myself a devoted Mother Mother fan, I have enjoyed previous albums. However, I had never been so convincingly pulled in as I was with this album. There was an immediate reaction of pure admiration that only grew strong as I got to know the songs better. The collection certainly seems to be the best showcase of the group’s three vocal (one male, two female) approach. The more streamlined indie-rock arrangements work beautifully to provide each track with its own identity and character. On the musical-theater front, I was often reminded of one of my all-time favorites in a similar vein, the completely brilliant Hedwig & The Angry Inch. Lyrically they score big points throughout by both earning laughs and heartfelt connections. Hard to imagine the band outdoing themselves following such a stellar release, but I will be happy to continue listening to this one while I wait with high expectations.   

Mogwai / The Bad Fire

Admittedly, Mogwai delivers such a unique on-target sound that you can forgive them not constantly exploring strikingly new musical avenues in the name of staying the course and continuing to provide the goods. The (mostly) instrumental history of this band is that of atmospheric post-rock - with tendencies to lean into dense Sonic Youth/My Bloody Valentine distortion more than many of their likeminded contemporaries (Explosions In The Sky and Tortoise). However, on their latest release, the band expands—in extremely alluring ways—to a sound that incorporates their past foundations with new layers of cleverly palatable touches. As an overall collection, this album just keeps giving and giving. Not only did I stay fully engaged through the high number of listens I committed to, but that extra focus also returned exciting discoveries & deepened appreciation for the stellar tapestries of sound the band forged. 

King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard / Phantom Island

This was a super entertaining album—the band’s 27th since their debut in 2012. And like the Mother Mother release, it not only pulled me in for lots of repeated listens, but returned the time with a reward of deeper respect for the material and arrangements. Nailing down this Australian band’s sound is tricky. This is made trickier as they have earned a reputation for regularly jumping genres - literally from garage-surf rock to heavy metal to psychedelic prog to synth-pop. Even on this album - which was recorded with a full orchestra and has a fairly uniformed classic rock sound - is an interesting blender of styles. Echoes of Bowie exist throughout, but it competes with The Who’s full-tilt Quadrophenia-era approaches, baroque pop, & modern psych-rock. In the end, it all makes for an expansive and wondrous journey. Lyrically, there is no missing the throughline of flight as a constant touchpoint subject. Escape of some sort through liftoff appears to be the goal, and through genuine humor and playfulness, the layer added to the overall effect is simply fantastic. There is really nothing about this collection that I don’t like and I offer this as a testament to how impressed I am: I will definitely be going back to make sure I haven’t missed any other gems in the band’s prolific output. 

Stereolab/ Instant Holograms On Metal Film
I love Stereolab so much, and over the past fifteen years have greatly missed hearing any new music from the group. I was certainly excited to hear about a new album, but entered with relatively controlled expectations. Boy, was I immediately relieved and impressed. The album is absolutely fantastic. Not only does it completely dial-in on the band’s unique mojo, but everything pulsates with new energy and liveliness. The retro sound of the future thing that Sterolab masters so efficiently is spot-on throughout. My favorite thing about the band is that they are so fun to listen to. There is a sincere playfulness in their choices and instrumentation - leveled by a natural element of ‘cool’ that keeps their sound from devolving. This is more than a strong return to form - it’s a glorious hope for more excellent music from these indie groundbreakers.

St Paul & The Broken Bones / St Paul & The Broken Bones

The southern-based retro soul ensemble blasts back with one of their strongest collections yet. Out of the gate, I was a fan of SP&TBB’s locked-in southern take on this sacred music, but the road between then and now hasn’t always been paved with gold—their last two releases were uneven and lackluster. The story behind this collection’s success is that the devil, indeed, is in the details. Whether folding-in expertly arranged horn section punches, exquisitely deft keyboard work or inspiring female, gospel-propelled backing vocals, the layers work to convince and engage—a must when competing on the high bar set by the classic soul that serves as inspiration. Better yet, the band has shared all of these effective nuggets of attention through their strongest collection of tracks thus far—each delivering comfort-food goodness. 

Arcade Fire / Pink Elephant

This is a fantastic album, and solidifies in my mind Arcade Fire’s status as one of the most artistically consistent ‘modern’ bands. Thematically, you wouldn’t need to be all that clued into the turbulence that band experienced since their last release to pick up the thread of discontent and recovery. The songs practically scream it out, but it does summon a through-line that makes the collection especially connected. Sonically, Co-Producer Daniel Lanois seems to have included the highly capable bag of tricks that helped him elevate projects he Produced with U2 and Peter Gabriel. Texture wins the day and the movement between the various feels displayed offers up a real feast for the ears. From the opening moody instrumental drone to the bombastic seven-minutes plus closer, this album travels a twisty road lined with new discoveries and familiar landmarks. The end result presents a lived-in maturity that makes it succeed on almost every level. Albums like this (and so many  others the band has released) are the building blocks for becoming a ‘classic rock’ act in time. 

Cheap Trick / All Washed Up

Cheap Trick was the first rock band I saw in concert, and their perfect blend of Beatle-worship and 70's AOR made me a loyal fan. With their new album—number twenty-one—nostalgia wins the day, but expertly delivered rock tracks certainly doesn’t hurt. The power-pop godfathers deliver not only their most successful & infectious collection since ‘82’s One On One, but they absolutely sound like they are having a blast doing so. That sense of fun—targeted to make sure the audience is invited to fully participate—has always been one of the band’s trademark calling cards. I found the quality of both the songs themselves & the ferocious joy they are attacked with to be top notch, and it was damn near impossible to get through the album without cracking a few smiles & cranking the volume up. 

TOP TEN 2024

TOP TEN ALBUMS 2024

INTRO

I’ve joked that I listen to music like it's my job. Putting down in words what I like or don’t like about a particular album brings me joy, but not nearly as much joy as the simple act of listening and experiencing. With that in mind, I've decided to streamline a bit and have tried to be as succinct as possible in sharing my TOP TEN 2024 list. 

As I choose to do each year, these are in no particular order. What they represent, out of the several hundred new albums I listened to this year, are collections that made an indelibly positive impact on me - each in their own unique way.

Enjoy - Cheers!

The Cure / Songs Of A Lost World 

This is a monolith of a collection - a huge iceberg sinking slowly into black waters. The songs explore the fragility of life, deep regrets and mournful musings on, well, just about everything. This isn’t an album to turn to for a pick-me-up, but rather an ice-cold stare down of those shadowy corners we all must navigate. The intentionally languid pace of the album plays out in thoughtful and effective ways. To rush things would greatly diminish the impact - and man oh man, does this album move along cautiously and beautifully. The lush production provides such atmospheric fullness, echoing Disintegration (The Cure’s 1989 masterpiece) musical approaches, but layering in a more world-wise understanding. Each time I gave this album a concentrated listen it pulled me further in. Its companionship was emotionally moving and intriguingly unsettling.

Nadine Shah / Filthy Underneath

Though I always try to be fair, it is true that albums released in the first few months of the year - like this one - always face a tougher challenge to end up in my TOP TEN. Time doesn’t (and shouldn’t) topple their impact, but there is a tendency to lean in more intimately to albums that you have recently experienced. The simple truth is that this record got its hooks into me following my first listen and only dug in deeper with each that followed. I came in blind as I had never heard this Pakistani/Norwegian singer/songwriter from England previously, but that didn’t keep me from immediately being excited by this inventive collection. It is immediately obvious that the vibe of these songs is not at all interested in placating a typical pop audience. There are plenty of twists and turns that challenge, but I found the mix to be a really interesting hybrid of familiar and other-worldly. Maybe the best way I can describe it is that Shah shines as if from a different musical galaxy. I especially found the songs to morph and intrigue following repeat listening - offering an alluring opportunity to become more intimate with this unique artist. 

Jack White / No Name

Admittedly, I’ve drunk deeply from the Jack White Kool-Aid (in all of his incarnations - solo work, White Stripes, The Raconteurs, Dead Weather, etc.). It seems impossible to try and deny that the dude is anything but the dedicated heir to the Jimmy Page riff-king crown. More than that - you can actually feel the love, passion, humor, & joy he shares through his music. It is infectious and utterly convincing. This latest (surprise!) solo release is loose and perfectly in-touch with the stripped-down foundations of The White Stripes - in all the best ways. It is a spot-on end-of-summer release, and I can’t stop cranking it. 

St. Vincent / Broken Man

St Vincent (aka Anne Clark) has certainly earned my respect as a consummate artist - one that I am prepared to follow down pretty much any musical rabbit hole she feels inclined to explore. All the better when that exploration wraps tight in classic singer/songwriter approaches that sound as forward leaning as just about any release I’ve heard yet this year. From the intriguing pull of “Hell Is Near” to the epic finality of “All Born Screaming”, this is a perfectly crafted musical statement not to be missed. 

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds / Wild God

Some albums strike in such a way that finding words to describe the experience seems impossible. This is made worse when there is a self-imposed focus on delivering a brief, summary review. In the most accurately economic way I can put it in this space - this collection is an epic stunner. Both musically and lyrically, every moment is sublime and infinitely moving. The loss of two children in 10 years makes an impact at every turn - but is never overwhelmed by a resolute search for meaning and relief from grief. This is an album to listen to again and again - appreciating and benefiting from one of the finest modern songwriters/performers still releasing new music. 

Arooj Aftab / Night Reign

The beauty of Aftab’s music is undeniable. Her alluring collaborative lean into ambient jazz with Vijay Iyer & Shahzad Ismaily (who are both guests on this latest album, Aftab’s 4th) on last year’s brilliant Love In Exile - one of my TOP TEN 2023 selections - seems to have perfectly served as a prelude for this new collection. As the title suggests, there is a formidable layer of shadow and mystery at work - connecting the songs (featuring both English & Urdu lyrics) in fascinating ways. She continues to employ jazz approaches, but there is also a modern touch that is strikingly engaging. While listening I thought - more than once - this is the Sade album I’ve been waiting fourteen years for. 

Pearl Jam / Dark Matter

Some acts will always get a biased positive reaction from me. That is, one built on decades of love & trust in their artistry. Pearl Jam is certainly an example of the first order. Now, this doesn’t necessarily mean I give them a ‘license to kill’, but I go in listening to new music with high expectations. With their first new music in four years (& their 12th studio album), the band hits with an urgency that measures as equal parts adventurous foraging & well-deserved reflection. This is a ferocious & thoroughly thoughtful album of first-rate American rock, and I absolutely love it! 

Faye Webster / Underdressed At The Symphony

I knew it would happen! You spend all the formative years doing your best to expose your child to excellent music in hopes that they will someday gravitate to music beyond Disney pop stars. Enter Faye Webster - the first artist that June exposed me to that I can absolutely endorse. Extremely solid songs, spot-on arrangements & a winning overall vibe. Of course, the sophisticated pop trappings and jazzy leanings deeply remind me of post-folk Suzanne Vega, Aimee Mann & 10,000 Maniacs - all artists June had plenty of ear-time with on road trips growing up, so I’ll take a tiny bit of credit - HAHA! And to give June another nod, one of their other favorites, Clairo, also released a highly impressive album (Charms) that only barely missed out on making this year's Top Ten - so squeeze that one in too if this style is to your liking.

Nada Surf / Moon Mirror

On their 10th studio album, the NY quartet continues to deliver the same clever rock/pop that was displayed in ‘96 through their Ric Ocasek produced debut. This is smart, well-crafted bursts of the sort of quality orchestrated rock that has its foundational roots in the blueprints of Cheap Trick and the modern flourishes of ‘90s contemporaries like Guster and Death Cab For Cutie. Music that feels familiar and earnestly alluring at the same time. This felt like the perfect summer record, even though it was released in October (though in S Florida, that almost still counts!). Even if you live somewhere that has a nip in the air, roll the windows down and turn this one up! I’d also pick “In Front Of Me Now” as one of my most played (& deeply enjoyed) standout rock singles of the year.

Nala Sinephro / Endlessness

With some music, I love to be kept guessing and appreciate the adventure of not knowing what is around the next corner. On her second album, Caribbean/Belgian composer Sinephro has created the first jazz album in some time to so strikingly grab my attention. I would be hard-pressed to label this collection with a definitive, all-encompassing genre label. Jazz fusion, atmospheric ambient, electronic/synth soundscaping, art-film soundtrack. They all work! A continuous 45-minutes of sound - I discovered this album to work on lots of levels, not the least of which was an enveloping guide helping to navigate this hypnotic and alluring musical topography. Don't make the mistake of treating this as calming background music. The intricate attention to detail found within this music definitely deserves closer attention.

TOP TEN 2023

 TOP TEN ALBUMS 2023

It’s true - I take pride in my wide ranging musical interests. Love for punk & jazz coexists with rock, hip-hop, & world music. The greater the variance in textures & approaches, the more I feel I keep myself open to the joy of new discoveries. And it is those discoveries that make me love experiencing and writing about music.

In that spirit, my 2023 TOP TEN ALBUMS may represent the most diverse gathering I’ve ever selected. I didn’t necessarily search-out such a range of musical flavors, but they found me just the same. What they do represent, in retrospect, are TEN collections incredibly apt in stirring and defining a range of emotional responses. In other words, covering a vast wash of the human experience through music. 

As I choose to do each year, this list is presented in no particular order. The albums are too different and my musical moods shift too dramatically from day to day to be able to commit beyond selecting only ten releases out of the many outstanding records I have listened to all year long. What I did add, which is a bit different for me, is a list of CONTENDERS that, though not ultimately earning a TOP TEN spot, are all great albums and worth checking out if you haven’t done so already.

Give these a listen if you feel drawn to them and, as always, I'd love to hear your thoughts. Also, please consider sharing with friends. Cheers!

2023 TOP TEN ALBUMS

Peter Gabriel / I/O - If pressed, it would be hard for me to put any artist above the sheer love and admiration that I hold for Peter Gabriel. That said, I enter any listening experience of a Gabriel project with an unavoidable amount of favorable bias. Waiting twenty-one years for the release of new original music was somewhat akin to a form of torture - not to be too dramatic or anything. While I can admit that this album might not be one of Gabriel’s masterpieces (though echoes of one of those masterpieces, So, certainly feels very intentional), I/O is totally worth the wait and delivers convincingly on pretty much every front. In particular, I found the combo of “Playing For Time” & “I/O” to be breathtaking in its impact and scope. I would absolutely go to the mat in saying that I don’t believe there is another pop album released this year that sounds as good, is as incredibly smart, or plays out as throughly engagingly as I/O. It would be hard for me to imagine any music lover not finding very positive connections to this fantastic collection.

Swans / The Beggar - I don’t know that I can think of another album that has made such a deep impression on me that I have had such a hard time explaining or fully coming to terms with. Michael Gira has, for 40 years, led Swans (among other projects) through the complicated labyrinth that is his dedicated and uniquely-focused musical mission. Clocking in at just over two hours, The Beggar lands as a monolithic sound statement. Foolish to assume anything about Gira’s future trajectory, one wouldn’t be wrong to notice the disarmingly honest look at fragile mortality - impressions of a somber and final look at life definitely prevail. However, the songs are so expertly crafted and arranged that even the most cutting lyrics are often countered by a myriad of uplifting (& unique) instrumental settings. A prime example being “Michael Is Done” with its wall-of-sound, 60’s girl-group stride backing some of Gira’s most brutally finite lyrics. Like so much of Gira’s output over the years, I will continue to work through the deeply intertwined layers of this album - knowing that the work put in will be worth it as I am rewarded with real insight into one of the most original artists of the last half century.

Lankum / False Lankum - I admit it, I’m a sucker for great world music. This attraction was stirred by pop artists - with full blame/credit belonging to Peter Gabriel, Paul Simon & David Byrne as they each planted the seeds from which this particular forest has grown. Lankum were completely unknown to me before stumbling onto this album, but boy oh boy did they get their hooks into me. This entire collection plays out like the musical equivalent of a haunted carriage ride completely enveloped in thick fog. The interwoven textures of Irish musical traditions with a darker, more ominous tone create something wholly unforgettable. I found this album to be a hypnotic soundtrack to a horror movie I’m sure I’d love.

MOLLY / Picturesque - I sometimes come across bands/artists that - while not necessarily putting out strikingly original or groundbreaking music - manage to use familiar sound approaches and styling to create a wholly satisfying end-product. Case in point, this release by Austrian duo MOLLY. If you hear stirrings of Sigur Ros you're not wrong, but the skillful touch of melding those modern-rock musings with their own brand of art-rock leanings produces a highly attractive landing place. The album is full of hazy and minimal musical landscapes punctuated by epic-leaning bursts and atmospheric rock pulse. The undeniable high point is the gorgeous “The Golden Age” - all swelling waves of sonics over an alluring, hypnotic drum rhythm. Layered echo and tons of natural reverb keep things just cloudy enough to be mysteriously interesting. 

Ryuichi Sakamoto / 12 - Listening to these compositions written during Sakamoto’s  recovery from major cancer surgery, it is hard not to reflect on the emotions of life’s fragility that he must have intentionally fused in the core of the making this album. The various tracks feature an absolutely lovely acoustic & electronic hybrid. Like many Sakamoto releases previously, I immediately appreciated the organic nature of this sensational collection. The entire album felt much more complex than the simplicity the music first conveys. As you allow yourself to be drawn more deeply into the alluring pool of sound, uneasy stillness exists alongside resolution and comfort. This is an album that I will come back to again and again - confident that it will return high yields in maturing appreciation the more intimate I become with it. (**Sakamoto would pass two months after this album’s release.)

The Necks / Travel - While several of the albums previously released by this Australia trio simply consist of a single 45-minute-plus track, the choice to include four (roughly) 19-minute numbers feels comparatively luxurious in its approachability. Whereas most instrumental jazz is about song structures that support the individual players as soloists, The Necks have claimed exalted ground in offering densely connected and expertly connected sonics - menacing, darkly curious, and unsuspectingly uplifting. The various textures employed equal an album that is as hypnotically meditative as it is fascinating to experience. This is definitely the instrumental album that I listened to the most this year as each listen never failed to completely draw me in.

Arooj Aftab, Vijay Iyer, & Shahzad Ismaily / Love In Exile - I was first exposed to Pakistani Urdu vocalization by Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan’s work with Peter Gabriel. I was immediately won-over by the mesmerizing phrasing and inherent beauty. This collection, fusing the gorgeous vocal work of Arooj Aftab (the first female Pakistani to win a Grammy) and the forward-leaning, jazz-inspired electronic instrumental work of Iyer & Ismaily, probably earns the highest percentage of my accolades by being so foreign and yet so immediately alluring at the same time. The lack of drums or percussion often allow the tracks to skim a settled ambient home, but a murmur pulse seems to drive the numbers just the same. I found the entire collection to be such a winning combination of the adventurous spirit from the quieter moments of Miles Davis’ late ‘60s/early ‘70s electric recordings and the dreamy atmospheres pioneered by Brian Eno & Harold Budd. 

SMYL / The Day My Father Died - If you are at all familiar with the stellar work songwriter/vocalist Brian Fennell has crafted with his band Barcelona, you will have a pretty good idea of the brand of adult-contemporary pop that he (working under the moniker SMYL) serves up on this solo sophomore effort. “Laughing at the Storm” may simply be my favorite stand-out pop single of the entire year - it is absolutely pitch-perfect on every front. The bonus is that the entirety of the collection is packed with similar high points. Like the work created by the bands Elbow & The National, these exquisitely crafted songs carry tendencies that equally belie melancholy & hopefulness - balancing both with a deft touch. 

Extreme / Six - Every once and awhile I don’t mind tripping over the roots of my early years of musical discovery. One such prominent root was the arena hard rock that I adored during high school. I was especially drawn to rockers that carried a pop sensibility. That is, an ability to bring fist-in-the-air drive & bravado within the structure of a catchy pop song. Van Halen, Night Ranger, Triumph, Cheap Trick - there was definitely a time when I just couldn’t get enough! So color me totally surprised when this album (by a band I had never really liked all that much previously) really worked its magic on me and became the dark horse contender of this year’s TOP TEN list. This collection was such a fun bit of nostalgic escape delivered at the right moment that I simply couldn’t deny it. Sure, lots of worn rock cliches lurk around every corner, but as opposed to sounding rehashed, the entire collection fits like a comfy jean jacket - complete with jaw-dropping guitar work by Nuno Bettencourt, certainly one of the finest guitarists currently working in rock. And if the ridiculously hooky “Other Side Of The Rainbow” doesn’t suck you in, you might want to check your ‘too-cool-for-school” status at the door.

Everything But The Girl / Fuse - You wouldn’t be wrong if you’ve noticed a nostalgic streak winning out in these last two TOP TEN selections, but sometimes you just have to surrender to such attractions. Just slightly beating out Gabriel with length of time between albums (it has been 24 years since the last EBTG release, Temperamental), husband-&-wife duo Ben Watts & Tracey Thorn (though very busy over the years with separate projects) have very clearly picked the right time to creatively reconvene. At the forefront, as it has always been, is Thorn’s stunningly emotional vocals. She is simply one of my favorite singers to listen to. The good news is that this album perfectly lays out the in-the-pocket sound that always makes EBTG such a satisfying listening experience. What the time time-off has positively provided is an even more confident approach to their particular musical niche. I’m not sure I can exactly explain the full components of downtempo, but if this is it (which would make EBTG downtempo royalty) then sign me up.

CONTENDERS

(Though these albums didn’t make my TOP TEN, I found each to be excellent collections and definitely worthy of checking out)

Eluvium / (Whirring Marvels In) Consensus Reality

Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds / Council Skies

boygenius / the record

Blur / The Ballad Of Darren

Altin Gün / Ask

The Drums / Jonny

M83 / Fantasy

Sparks / The Girl Is Crying In Her Latte 

Lana Del Ray / Did You Know There’s A Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd

Wilco / Cousin

Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit / Weathervanes

GUEST TOP TEN - A RESPONSE

GUEST TOP TEN - A RESPONSE

I have always felt that it is important to have friends you can count on exposing you to music that wouldn’t normally fall on your radar. My college roommate, Johnny, fits that bill perfectly. Though there are many artists & bands we absolutely agree on, Johnny has a tendency towards much more aggressive metal & punk than I can normally process.

Like me, Johnny is an avid fan and also toils annually over selecting his favorite albums.

As an exercise, I decided to tackle his Top Ten of 2022. Seven of the ten he selected were albums that I hadn’t listened to at all - several by bands I was completely unaware of. Which - whether I end up loving the music or not - is always exciting to me.

His 2022 Top Ten is:

1. Ghost / IMPERA

2. KEN Mode / NULL

3. Absent In Body / Plague God

4. Zeal & Ardor / Zeal & Ardor 

5. Kowloon Walled City / Piecework

6. Chat Pile / God’s Country

7. Watain / The Agony & Ecstasy of Watain

8. Brutus / Unison Life

9. Cult of Luna / The Long Road North

10. The Fixx / Every Five Seconds

Though I don’t personally assign a specific number to my Top Ten choices, since he does I decided to pretend that his ten albums were the only ones released in 2022 and that I had to rank them in order as well.

Johnny 2022 Top Ten (the Ankrom Remix)

1. Zeal & Ardor

2. Ghost

3. The Fixx

**Consider a HUGE chasm between these first 3 albums and the following albums - reasoning explained below.

4. Brutus

5. Cult of Luna

6. Watain

7. Chat Pile 

8. Kowloon Walled City

9. Absent In Body

10. KEN Mode

**I should say that these last 7 selections fall into a non-genre-specific category I refer to as ‘black coffee music’. I love coffee, but no matter how bad I want the caffeine-kick or morning warmth, I just can’t bring myself to drink it black. I need creamer or latte steamed milk. With music, ‘black coffee’ usually means one of two things - 1) I just can’t find anything musically that is interesting enough for me to connect with OR 2) I can’t get past the particular vocals/vocal-styling employed. This ‘black coffee’ vocal-issue is, very obviously, a completely personal musical opinion. I automatically respect and will ALWAYS check-out an album Johnny recommends - but, when it comes down to a pure listening experience, I just can’t find a way to get past vocals that do absolutely nothing for me. What I will concede to is that I am absolutely sure that these bands carry much more convincing weight live - and I know Johnny has seen all of them in that setting (some several times). It takes no imagination to see that point fully. But, in the end, I don’t have the added benefit of that to fold-in and - truthfully - I always try to keep (as much as possible) all outside influences from ‘tainting’ the singular experience of digesting an album as a collection - especially if I plan to write about it. 

All that said, here are my thoughts on those ten albums:

Zeal & Ardor / Zeal & Ardor This was an album that received several solid listens as a possible contender for my personal Top Ten. Though I still think I made the right choice in not including it, these recent re-listens certainly continued to make a strong case.  Put it this way - If there was one album on Johnny’s list that would stand the best chance of making mine, it would definitely be this one - by a long-shot. With the DNA connection to NIN - perhaps my favorite heavy industrial band - this record is firmly in my wheelhouse on that front. Deep musicality, complex layering, and just the right combination of relentless power is convincingly combined with textural atmospheres. Very skillfully so. I was especially won over by the truly unique inclusion of call-&-response gospel elements - what a unique & fascinating hybrid. There is real depth to this collection - along with plenty of musical surprises - always a winning combination in my book. Gagnuex has definitely earned my attention and I’m already interested to hear what he does next.

Ghost / IMPERA
Color me surprised. Not one, but two very accessible albums in my buddy’s Top Ten list. Under the distortion and 80’s-metal, arena-rock tendencies, there is no hiding that this is a well-crafted and undeniably catchy collection of pop-metal tracks. And I fucking loved it!! 

I’m not knowledgeable enough of Ghost to know whether they’ve been up to this sort of approach all along, but either way - consider me a newly converted fan. 

I’m not sure this is a strong enough collection to ever make my Top Ten - there are plenty of cliches and well-worn pop-metal traditions hard at work here (meaning, though certainly solid, the end-product is ultimately pretty rehashed) - but it sure was a ton of fun to listen to, and of all the albums on Johnny’s list I can see myself returning to this one the most often. 

The Fixx / Every Five Seconds
In my review of the 2022 Tears For Fears album (which made my list) I share that “nostalgia is an interesting alchemy” - and so I won’t even bother to debate what is very obviously a personal connection that I know Johnny has with this great band and their very winning sound. 

The truth is, the similarities between the new TFF album and this one are many - and though I find The Tipping Point to be a more strongly complete artistic statement, I absolutely understand why one would be drawn to the alluring nature and high points of this album. 

The opener is fantastic and I was also especially taken by the killer one-two combo of the mid-tempo deep cuts (“Wake Up” & “Suspended In Make Believe”) - both just absolutely first-rate numbers. Even though it doesn’t necessarily factor specifically into how I respond to the music, there is also something very satisfying about the solid core members of an 80s band you loved as a teenager coming back 30+ years later to deliver something that not only doesn’t tarnish their legacy, but honors it. 

Brutus / Unison Life
In the early 90s I was introduced to Cranes, as they had the opening spot for The Cure. They had an interesting mix of horror-movie doll vocals and pounding augmentation - more experimental/indie than Brutus, but they share some definite similarities. If you are a fan of Brutus you may already know Cranes, or should definitely check them out later when you have a chance - their tracks “Starblood” or “Adoration” would be great samples of their unique formula.

Mostly, this Brutus album moves by in fairly agreeable ways. 

I like the lead vocals, the song structures are generally interesting (though not necessarily all that unique/original) and some songs (like “Victoria” & “Dreamlife”) fall squarely in what I would categorize as more alternative than metal or rock - which, in this particular case, is a plus for me. 

Unfortunately, I think the mass-produced sheen that exists in the production really works against what is happening in the songs - and I believe the collection would be much more successful if things felt a bit less sterilized. An edgier rawness in their sound would have served them well. As it exists on this album, they come off as a sort of tenacious kid-sister to Evanescence.

Unfortunately, in the end, the overall album just doesn’t make much of a lasting impression on me and it sort of felt like each time I worked through it that I had neither much of a lingering memory, nor a desire to return.

Cult of Luna / The Long Road North
While I can appreciate the almost prog-metal approach to some of the longer numbers and the general epic musical dynamics that can be found throughout, the vocals just lose me and keep me from finding any real footing in deeper enjoyment.

My favorite track (by far) is the atmospheric anomaly that is the too-brief “Beyond I” - not surprising, as it is the one track to feature guest vocals. 

The two tracks featuring guest woodwinds (“An Offering To The Wild” & “Beyond II”) both manage to summon some of the most interesting and dreamlike musical moments and the fact that they are mostly instrumental play in their favor. Am I asking too much for a no male-vocals remix?

Watain / The Agony & Ecstasy of Watain
I get this band’s reputation & prowess, but….

Nice double-bass drum playing. At least I can distinguish some riffs & guitar solos here and there. They use piano on their 1-minute interlude. What else? For me - not much. 

They do have a song named “Black Cunt” and they feature a big gong hit at the end of “The Howling”, so there’s that. 

The very slight reprieve I get is the opening of “We Remain”, when Farida cameos on vocals, but that ends before I even adjust my ears - at least the tempo/structure of that one is more in-line with metal traditions I appreciate.

That is, I find this to be much more ‘Agony’ than ‘Ecstasy’.

If you told me that this was a parody of BLACK METAL, I might enjoy it a tad more, but at face value - there is just not much for me here. 

I will finish by saying that I believe the spectacle of seeing a band like this live might be worth the experience of enduring the music for a few hours - and I would definitely consider going just to take it all in, but don’t misread this as any sort of musical endorsement. I just can’t give it.

Chat Pile / God’s Country
Another victim of vocals throwing the train off the track - and, in this case, no one surviving. A little break happens here & there as the guttural scream melds with a sort of drunk-classic-Bobcat-Goldthwait spoken word (focus on that at the beginning of “The Mask” and honestly tell me if you’ll ever be able to hear anything but that from now on). However, it's not enough to make the songs ever get elevated. 

In fact, this collection blurs together, song-to-song, in more negative ways than any other on this list.

Add to that, the production quality throughout really sucks (oddly, some songs significantly more than others - as if they patched together tracks recorded in strikingly different studio settings) - this is way too tin-can/low-fi for me to stand and that definitely hinders a deeper connection.

Kowloon Walled City / Piecework
Turning into a broken record, I realize, but sometimes vocals can REALLY sink a project. Boy is that the case for me here. There are a few elements in the musical approach of this band that I’m drawn to (though the repetition of the sludgy-pace definitely wore on me and added to the monotony by the end), but fuck - these vocals are so one-note and unmercifully annoying. Like a sustained whine - way more Veruca-Salt-tantrum than cathartic release.

The brevity of the album plays in its favor - though I won’t lie, it felt like it took MUCH longer than 32 minutes to get through. 

One positive - I think the album cover is my favorite of any on Johnny’s list.

Absent In Body / Plague God
Satan, is that you? I feel certain that if I could have mustered listening to this collection twice (which I couldn’t) I would feel compelled to do his dark bidding without question. And even just the one listen made me yearn slightly for the taste of roasted goat.
The slight inclusion of more atmospherically-interesting musical moments raises this one (barely) above the disdain I hold for the KEN Mode album, but just by a sliver. 

I’m going to guarantee you that if the U.S. still uses all-night music torture sessions to break prisonors into revealing intel, this is the record they reach for. 

I was also super turned off in reading about the unforgivable actions in the singer’s personal life.

KEN Mode / NULL
This was definitely the most challenging entry in Johnny’s Top Ten for me to get through - or even comprehend. Aggression galore, but try as I might, I simply couldn’t find anything even slightly positive to comment on. I mean, the drummer seems decent, but….

Again, I listen to all kinds of weird stuff - so I’m definitely not out to judge (people like what they like, and I get that some of my jazz or abstract ambient stuff or straight pop might drive Johnny equally insane) - but this album was literally nearly impossible for me to get through. I desperately wanted to appreciate the addition of sax into the fray, but it felt like it just didn’t bring anything interesting to the onslaught - just jarring noise (though that most certainly was the intent).

Thankfully it was one of the briefest albums on the list. If I could invent a sub-par, bottom-of-the-well Top Ten list, this would be #1 with a bullet.