Introduction
My pals have been running a Monday “Album Club” for a wee while now. Taking it in turns, one of us picks an album to listen to each week. On each Monday evening we jump on Google Meet, blether about “matters of state” for half an hour and then we discuss the chosen album. One song from the chosen album is added to a playlist. Oh, and we each give a score to the album.
In 2024, we have listened to 47 different albums with release dates from 1964 to 2024.
This blog post is my review of 2024; over the festive period I’ve managed to re-listen to a bunch of my favourite albums of the year.
My Approach
I listened to our playlist this a couple of times and short listed songs which attracted me back to their respective album. I also reviewed the scores I gave to albums at the time we reviewed it to see if I’d missed any important ones.
This ended up with a short list of 20 albums which I had a target to listen to over the festive period. Oh, and 6 on a “mibbie aye, mibbie naw” list. I ended up just 5 short of my listening target, mainly the albums which I was already familiar with.
The Spotify playlist can be accessed at: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5BFpMLFFz9Dr5fjJHuid9P?si=6aANhCKNS7Ki2kKuxRQwAw. The Apple Music version at: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5BFpMLFFz9Dr5fjJHuid9P?si=6aANhCKNS7Ki2kKuxRQwAw. Note that the Music Club has been going since June 2022 so some of these songs were chosen before 2024.
My Favourite Listens
The albums that I most enjoyed listening to this year (in order of listening) were:
- Michael Kiwanuka, Love and Hate. A stunning opening track sets the scene for the album, an incredibly talented musician. I’ve not yet listened to his new album but that’s on the list for 2025.
- mewithoutYou, [Untitled]. They do the quiet/loud thing quite well. Not sure that there’s a stand-out banger on the album but almost all the songs are good listening.
- Sprints, Letter to Self. These guys got a lot of radio exposure early in 2024, I remember listening to them on the way to the dentist (yikes). A very punky album which I like. Perhaps a little lacking in range or musical variation but lots of good hooks for me.
- The Flaming Lips, Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots. This is probably my favourite “new to me” album this year. I love it and it makes me cry sometimes. I remember reading somewhere that for you to like a song it has to appeal to your head, your heart or your feet; if it can manage two of these then it’s a banger. There are a fair few bangers on this album. I’m got tickets to see the 20th anniversary tour of this album in May.
- Sleater-Kinney, Little Rope. A quite emotive album (I believe written after family bereavements), quite heavily produced/grand sound with some stronger songs in the mix.
- Blind Melon, Blind Melon. This came across a little Led Zep like, it was also quite long at 55 minutes. The playlist has the song “Tones of Home” which is maybe one of the stronger songs on the album. Not my favourite on re-listening.
- The Mars Volta, Francis the Mute. This was possibly the most different album of the year. Quite long, and very rich almost too varied musically.
- Joy Division, Closer. I know Joy Division quite well but it was interesting to listen to this album and to be kind of a bit shocked, in retrospect, that more people didn’t see Curtis’s suicide coming. Interestingly John Peel’s Festive 50 from the year that album was released, has 4 Joy Division songs in the top 15, but only one from this album. The reason was that the Punk movement at that time frowned on albums containing songs which had already been released as singles; fans should not have to pay twice for the same song. So albums tended to excluded previously released singles.
- Can, Ege Bamyasi. I’d not heard Can before but really liked the sounds on this album, well apart from the more experimental track 5 “Soup”.
- The Beatles, A Hard Day’s Night. This was the first selection from 1964. Perhaps the first Beatles album which showcased their musical development. Every song is a hook and they waste no time in getting to the song; it’s like song starts, bam, hook and you’re right into it. Perhaps the Fab Four have released better albums but this is an amazing piece of cultural history. Oh, I watched the film too. which is also an interesting piece of cultural history.
- Pearl Jam, Dark Matter. I’d not listened to PJ since Ten so this was a good return, an enjoyable album although perhaps a bit patchy with some songs better than others. When listening to 47 albums you realise that many albums have the odd “filler” track or two so that comment is maybe a bit harsh
- The Mountain Goats, Jenny from Thebes. I’d not heard anything by this band and really enjoyed this album. Really happy music, although with some darker lyrics. Made me think of Belle and Sebastian to an extent.
- Bob Marley & The Wailers, Exodus. I knew this album very well. It’s amazing well put together, obviously a band at the top of their game. Some killer tracks, definitely one of the best of the year.
- Pink Floyd, Obscured by Clouds. Another one which motivated me to watch the movie (I don’t have a strong recommendation for the movie either). I love Pink Floyd and whilst this does sound like them at times it does not quite hit the heights of their other work.
- The Cure, Disintegration. I knew The Cure of old, Killing and Arab and all that, but had not heard this album. “Plainsong” is the track chosen for our playlist and it was probably the most “wow track”, when reviewing the playlist, that made me want to listen to this album again. It’s a stand-out opening track! Super album overall, really mature sounds.
- Hawkwind, Warrior on the Edge of Time. Another album which I knew very well. Absolutely stunning opening track (two tracks) although it has some fillers, notably Moorcock’s tracks which kind of felt “mailed in”. I have listened to a lot of Hawkwind and this album is possibly just at the tail end of my favourite Hawkwind phase. I remember listing to this album, on my noise cancelling headphones, whilst on holiday travelling on a train bound for Stockholm, with a huge smile on my face.
- Explosions in the Sky, The Earth Is Not a Cold Dead Place. A completely vocal absent album, a little Mogwai like in the way the songs progress musically. The songs on the album build (in volume and tempo) and also have quiet bits. At times I felt that they over elaborated the quiet bits and don’t make enough of the loud ones.
- The Last Dinner Party, Prelude to Ecstasy. Our one selection from the Mercury Prize short-list. This album felt really mature for a first album, and had lots of contributors. I like the construction of the songs and felt that they were quite powerful. Will be interesting to hear their second album.
- Geese, Projector. This band, who felt quite Television like, had some powerful vocals typically with a driving beat. A quite distinctive sound.
- Elvis Costello, This Year’s Model. I’d not listened to Elvis for ages, so this was a refreshing listen. He’s an extremely talented singer songwriter as evidenced by this album. I like it but it doesn’t grab me at times.
- Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Wild God. I have listened to a lot of Nick Cave and was keen to hear his new album, not least since I had tickets so see him like a couple of weeks afterwards! Whilst I’m not sure that this is his best release even in recent years it’s a strong album. Good to have the full band back featuring in this album.
- Paolo Nutini, Caustic Love. I was aware of Paolo but had not really listened to his stuff. I was under the impression that you had to be either a teenage girl or a woman of a certain age to like Paolo. How wrong I was, This is a fantastic piece of music, super vocals really mature and with a great range, and the music is really good too. What a pleasant surprise.
- Talk Talk, The Colour of Spring. Musically this works for me; each instrument seems to occupy its own space aurally which I really like. It felt a little too electronic at times but I really liked it.
- The Handsome Family, Singing Bones. This was recommended by one of my pals. To begin with it felt a bit too country but as you listen to the lyrics you get that it’s largely allegorical. Musically very different but again it seemed to take up a lot of space aurally; good listen, goes to prove that you should listen to your pals and take their advice.
- Portishead, Dummy. This album had a different pace, lovely vocals and again with the large space. Two bangers for me; Sour Times and Glory Box.
- The Rolling Stones, Let It Bleed. I like The Rolling Stones and had a good week listening to this as well as “Exile on Main Street”. Let it Bleed has some great songs (some bangers for sure) but, in comparison to Exiles, you can tell that the band were still developing their sound and craft.
- Jeff Buckley, Grace. For our last album of 2024, we listened to this absolute classic. Jeff had such a talent and it’s so sad to have lost him so early. Grace is an amazing album, the covers are perhaps among the stronger songs on the album but Jeff has written enough of his own to demonstrate his abilities.
Top Albums of the Year
My favourite “new to me” albums were: The Flaming Lips, Paolo Nutini, and then maybe Can or The Mountain Goats or The Cure.
Adding in albums which I already knew, Exodus, Love and Hate, Warrior on the Edge of Time and Grace probably have to be added into the list as my favourite listen of the year,.
Least Favourite Albums
The Albums I least liked listening to this year were (in no particular order):
- Johnny Cash, I Walk this Line. I’m not a big fan of country music. I’m sure there’s a Billy Connolly sketch on country music which sets out the template for these songs: your mum and dad have suffered a tragedy, you’ve been brought up by your grandma, your favourite pet has just been run over, your grandma’s shack has burned down … I just didn’t identify with these songs at all and kind of felt it had little to offer musically. My pal had the best review when he said “if this is the music our chums across the pond were listening to in the early 60s, it’s no wonder the British Invasion was so successful”.
- Metallica, Master of Puppets. This was a challenging listen, there was little to no variation in the musical offering and little to attract me to it in return. In comparison to (say) Portishead, the sounds on this album seemed really squeezed together as if each instrument was trying for the bit of aural space. Not a fa.
- Wu-Tang Clan, Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers). Again this doesn’t offer much musically to me, and I find the lyrical delivery style to be too hard to listen to. The lyrics are obviously important and delivered with volume and passion but I found that I kind of needed to stop doing everything and really focus on them to even begin to understand what was being said. Which kind of left no head space left to actually appreciate it. Not one for me.
Some Overall Statistics
Just to prove that we’re not all old guys stuck listening to music from the 60’s our album selections were spread across the decades:
- 60s: 3
- 70s: 11
- 80s: 7
- 90s: 6
- 2000: 4
- 10s: 6
- 20s: 9. That’s the second most popular decade and we’re only half way through.
The most disagreed about album (based on the difference between the highest and lowest scores from each of us) was Enter the Wu-Tang or Francis the Mute by Mars Volta.
The highest rated album on average was Exodus, closely followed by Jeff Buckley and The Beatles. The lowest rated album on average was Metallica.
Full List of Albums
The full list of albums reviewed is:
| Artist | Album | Year Released |
|---|---|---|
| Michael Kiwanuka | Love and Hate | 2016 |
| mewithoutYou | [Untitled] | 2018 |
| Blood | Lianne La Havas | 2015 |
| Sprints | Letter to Self | 2024 |
| Two Door Cinema Club | Tourist History | 2010 |
| Bruce Springsteen | Darkness on the Edge of Town | 1978 |
| The Flaming Lips | Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots | 2002 |
| Sleater-Kinney | Little Rope | 2024 |
| Blind Melon | Blind Melon | 1992 |
| The Mars Volta | Francis the Mute | 2005 |
| Hüsker Dü | New Day Rising | 1985 |
| Joy Division | Closer | 1980 |
| Royal Blood | Back to the Water Below | 2023 |
| Can | Ege Bamyasi | 1972 |
| The Beatles | A Hard Day’s Night | 1964 |
| Pearl Jam | Dark Matter | 2024 |
| The Mountain Goats | Jenny from Thebes | 2023 |
| Redd Kross | Phaseshifter | 1993 |
| IDLES | Tangk | 2024 |
| The Smiths | The Queen Is Dead | 1986 |
| Bob Marley & The Wailers | Exodus | 1977 |
| Pink Floyd | Obscured by Clouds | 1972 |
| The Cure | Disintegration | 1989 |
| Johnny Cash | I Walk the Line | 1964 |
| Hawkwind | Warrior on the Edge of Time | 1975 |
| The Police | Outlandos d’Amour | 1978 |
| Black Sabbath | Sabbath Bloody Sabbath | 1973 |
| Squeeze | Cool for Cats | 1979 |
| Explosions in the Sky | The Earth Is Not a Cold Dead Place | 2003 |
| The Last Dinner Party | Prelude to Ecstasy | 2024 |
| Geese | Projector | 2021 |
| Wu-Tang Clan | Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) | 1993 |
| Elvis Costello | This Year’s Model | 1978 |
| Genesis | Three Sides Live | 1982 |
| Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds | Wild God | 2024 |
| Metallica | Master of Puppets | 1986 |
| Paolo Nutini | Caustic Love | 2014 |
| Talk Talk | The Colour of Spring | 1986 |
| Bad Company | Bad Company | 1974 |
| The Handsome Family | Singing Bones | 2003 |
| David Bowie | Blackstar | 2016 |
| Red Rum Club | Matador | 2019 |
| Fiona Apple | When the Pawn | 1999 |
| Portishead | Dummy | 1994 |
| The Rolling Stones | Let It Bleed | 1969 |
| Jeff Buckley | Grace | 1994 |