«It was the best of times, it was the worst of times,» wrote Charles Dickens in «A Tale of Two Cities.» Right now, it feels like the worst of times. Finding joy and beauty in our personal lives to balance the global situation is crucial. Music plays a significant role in my life, and I believe it does for you too, or else you wouldn’t read this blog or listen to my playlists. Artists continue to create wonderful music, and I’ve prepared a spring collection for you that offers variety and quality. Additionally, we will revisit a classic album from the past and explore the most popular album released sixty years ago. Enjoy!
If you want to go straight to the list, follow the Short List below. If you miss tracks from previous blog posts, or just want to have access to the most incredible and never ending playlist, click on the The Long List. And if you want to listen to a specic reviewed album and suggested single, click on the title in the review.
Let’s start with a down-to-earth cover album, performed by the piano/vocal duo Innlandet. Ingrid Olava & Andreas Ulvo give us a different take on well-known tunes, stripped down to the essential.
Let’s remain in the slow and beautiful sphere, with Belgian indie band Isbells and their newest release. I had not heard about the band before, now I am enthralled by music slowing down your pulse. Their 2018 release was called Looking for the Beauty in the World, which could have been an appropriate title for this album as well.
Turning the metronome speed up a few natches we find happy pop rock from veterans Manic Street Preachers. The group hasn’t changed much over the years, and this their 15th studio album still offers the quality stadium sound of previous releases, solid performances throughout.
Madrugada vocalist Høyem is out with a new solo album, with a timeless feel to it. This is solid rock built around Høyem’s impressive voice. Get your air guitar and hairbrush mic out! After a few run-throughs you will be familiar with these tracks
Is The Weeknd a pop genius? Well, with this album it is harder to argue against than ever before. Most tracks are brilliant contemporary pop compositions, perfectly executed and performed. My only silly regret is that there are maybe too many tracks, making it hard to get a grasp of the album as one entity. Not that it matters.
Moving into the department of guilty pleasures, here is a sultry album from debutante Victoria Canal, with latin undertones but still undeniably pop music at its best. I can’t stop thinking this music is clever as well as oh so pleasing.
OK, so we’ll remain in guilty pleasureland for one more album. Panamanian singer Sofia Valdés has released her second album, which is like a perfect meal, spicy, sweet and sour. No-one can doubt her latin roots , but how she pushes the limits..!
*
In between the album tracks, here are this month’s singles, like a tasting menu for what is to come. I have included tracks you may already have listened to, but mostly lesser known tracks by lesser known artists . And yes, a bit of nepotism as well: My daughter Karoline performs a cover of Cher’s monster hit Bang Bang in her own unique way, with master guitarist Karl Bjorå and his skilled band.
In my youth I was lucky enough to spend some time with Mike McGear, Paul McCartney’s brother, interviewing him in his home. His self-titled album was produced at the time, together with Paul and Wings, and is such an undervalued album that I wanted to bring it to your attention. In more ways than one it sounds like the lost Wings album. Mike is also famous for being a member of comedy band Scaffold, and brings a good portion of fun into his own album.
Yes, it is sixty years ago the world was exposed to The Kinks for the first time. Although there are classic rock hits like «You Really Got Me» on the album, I still think this is more interesting than brilliant. True Kinks brilliance came later. But as with Beatles for Sale, «Kinks» foreshadowed greatness, even though most tracks were written and performed in daddy’s garage. (And, as a footnote, I have added Swedish band Hep Stars hit from the same period, Cadillac. Not to be confused with Kinks’ song. One of the first record I fell in love with)
Welcome to 2025. The music I have picked for you, however, was released in 2024, as the first weeks of the year is always a time of year with few new releases. And – there are always albums I missed at the end of the previous year, great albums that need to be listened to. This time I have ended up with, by coincidence, a playlist filled with more relaxed and contemplative music, with a few notable exceptions. Still, this might be the time of year to be a bit reflective and not hurry so much. And if you disagree, I have added Long Tall Sally with The Beatles to just shake you up. I can please everybody all of the time…
If you want to go straight to the list, follow the Short List below. If you miss tracks from previous blog posts, or just want to have access to the most incredible and never ending playlist, click on the The Long List. And if you want to listen to a specic reviewed album and suggested single, click on the title in the review.
Canadian Joe Bel is a new discovery for me. This is her second album, very accomplished in my view, and covering a wide range of genres, from pop and indie to folk.
A wide range of genres also represent Diane Birch, although jazz undertones are everywhere, maybe somewhat related to Carole King, as one reviewer rightly suggested. She has gone under my radar until now, although she started recording as fas back as 2009.
I said there were notable exceptions to melancholy in this month’s playlist, and Peach Pit offer some of that with their energetic and melodic indie music.
Suki Waterhouse seems to never stand still, she has a very successful model career behind her, even an acting career, and then she decided to get into music. Makes sense. Now she has released her second album of 18 (!) tracks, an impressive collection of lighthearted pop songs.
I can’t make head or tails of Nilüfer Yanya’s music. Normally I like artists that covers a variety of music, but there is something directionless about this album. Still, I have included a couple of tracks, because I also like to be surprised, and she keeps on surprising me throughout the album. Give it a shot.
And now something completely different. Folk music from Menorca, courtesy of brilliant, expressive singer Anna Ferrer. Meditative, simple and oh- so beautiful. Give that a shot, too.
Jacob Banks – what a voice, and what a performer. I have not seen him live, but I understand he is awesome. This man also knows his beats; Yonder Book is full of it.
This 2012 album is as much fun today as when it was released. Lily Allen defined cheekiness and girl power, and complacent men full of themselves were the main target. Still, there is also vulnerability in Lily Allen’s lyrics, at least some of the time.
I couldn’t take more of the mid 1970s with Bay City Rollers and the like, so as an experiment I have jumped a further ten years back, introducing my new column «60 Years Ago». And what better than to start with The Beatles and their For Sale album, with a number of songs that are now evergreens, like Eight Days a Week and No Reply. My favourite Beatles period followed this album, starting with Sgt. Pepper, but I just loved their take on classic rock’n’roll like Rock’n’roll Music. Better than the originals. (I couldn’t resist adding Long Tall Sally to the list, my favourite cover by the Beatles ever…)
As has become a yuletide custom, I give you a list of the ten albums that I have enjoyed the most in 2024, albums which I have kept coming back to throughout the year. This year I have also added 10 great single releases, so what more could you want?
The value of music, as the value of any art, lies in the eye of the beholder, so my list may not necessarily be equal to your list. Still, I hope it inspires many of you to listen to albums and singles you might otherwise have missed.
80% of of all the listening on Spotify is supposedly to no more than 20% of the tracks available. Which means you are probably missing a lot of good stuff. The whole purpose of my blog is to bring to the forefront new music that wouldn’t normally get the attention it deserves. As my logline says: I hunt the best music so you don’t have to.
Below you will find my final 10. Click on the album or single title, and you will be taken directly to Spotify. I have also put together a separate playlist with the top 10 albums and singles, found HERE:
Overall, it’s a testament to the world-class songwriting of The Lemon Twigs that at no point does the record fall into the realms of ‘too much’. For most, it would be hard to strike that balance, but The Lemon Twigs absolutely master the art of crooning sugary pop-rock in the best of ways.
Harlequin is a brash and goofy mess that will surely be kryptonite to those who were never willing to buy into her many, many eccentricities. For everyone else, it’s a three-word proclamation: GAGA IS BACK.
Pallot remains a prized secret to her devoted fans, and one senses that she is happy keeping it that way; that her brief flirtation with mainstream fame was enough to show her the vapid and destructive nature of that narcissistic beast. A Psalm For Emily Salvi is a great addition to the oeuvre that is Pallot’s journey through songwriting.
‘Everybody Needs A Hero ’continues Gartland’s signature storytelling style but pushes her artistry in new intriguing directions, one that is sure to leave fans satisfied.
Wild God is a profound and provocative addition to the substantial Cave canon. It is an audacious, reaching record. It may just be the masterpiece of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds’ remarkable career.
The album teeters eloquently between introspective folk, twangy roots pop, and bashing psych-rockabilly numbers. Musically, the album is a nice balance of the sounds and influences he’s pursued throughout his career.
The story arc LeBlanc has stitched into the songs never get in the way of sheer enjoyment of the tunes he’s created. Grand concepts are a tricky move for any artist, but LaBlanc pulls it off with plomb.
They’re back in the studio together, finding profundity in the commonplace, from a cheap cup of coffee to watching an infant’s first steps, on nine songs which range from the acoustic balladry of “Never Apart”, with its banjo and folk harmonies, to the scorching cowpunk of “Love Of AGirl”, via the classic country-rock of “Country Kid” and the plaintive melancholia of “2020 Regret”.
Uncut
IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER:
(click on single cover to listen)
Pushing Daisies – ASHE & SUKI WATERHOUSEYoung Lion – SADECabriolet Tour – CLUB DES BELUGASI Guess Time Just Makes Fools Of Us All FATHER JOHN MISTYI Wish I had a God – HOHNEN FORDWalking After Midnight – EVA CASSIDYLa Noia – ANGELINA MANGOSlice – O.A New Bohemia – PET SHOP BOYS
Judge Tenderly of Me – ANNE FAGERMO & DAG ERIK OKSVOLD
..and of course a number of other known and unknown artists who have issued new music before the end of 2024. ! And since Christmas is coming up, I have added at least one new Christmas album, and a couple of singles to assure your holiday mood. It is a good list to end the year with, if I may say so myself. And in a few days I’ll give you the 2024 Roundup and my own Top 10 list.
You might notice that there is no 50 Years Ago album this month. It shook me to the core to add Bay City Rollers last month, and when the no. 1 album (except Elton John’s compilation album) was by David Essex – and just so unbelievably horrible – I decided to leave it out. You’ll thank me later. Not every album released in 1974 was brilliant, far from it.
If you want to go straight to the list, follow the Short List below. If you miss tracks from previous blog posts, or just want to have access to the most incredible and never ending playlist, click on the The Long List. And if you want to listen to a specic reviewed album and suggested single, click on the title in the review.
We’re hitting off with 70s funk and soul – and delicious vocals from debutante Lynda Dawn. It is so tastefully done, her voice reminds me of sadly deceased Minnie Ripperton. I was such a great fan of her.
We’re back to the samba and to the delicious music of Brazil. Rogê doesn’t stick with the obvious; he is covering the whole field of latin music and adds his own.
This is a mellow EP, with songs in minor for the most part. It is beautifully executed, though, emotional and with a sense of truth to all that is said and sung.
She’s in her seventees and has released more that 20 albums, but she doesn’t relent. The songs are better and catchier than ever, and she has prodced the album herself. So much for retirement.
The second debut album this month, from singer songwriter Wallice from Los Angeles. With her playful lyrics and melodies this is a fun album to listen to in the pop/indie genre.
A new epic album from one of the most talented artists living today, so confident and powerful as pop and rock music can be. Timeless in its expression. I have loved so much of what he has produced before, but this could easily be his best album. Yet.
Canadian folk singer Myriam Gendron is out with her third album, her most accessible till now. Her deep and rich voice gives us songs that seem to have been around forever, whilst still feeling fresh. The music is sad and beautiful and hopeful, including the instrumental tracks. Just lovely.
In France Luciani is a massive star and many of you may have seen her perform at the reopening of Notre Dame. Her new album offers soft pop in droves, but very catchy and at times even touching. The album was written during her pregnancy, which may have added a layer of sweetness.
The title track of this complicated album by Kim Deal, is worth the whole listening experience, a slow, seductive track with Kim Deal’s voice (perhaps) feigning innocence. Many of you might enjoy the whole album, but too much experimentation for my taste. Still, a number of very strong tracks. These are of course in the playlist.
Nerina Pallot has become a kind of female Elton John, with her well-crafted piano pop. The only real difference is the level of fame the two of them enjoy. Pallot has her devoted fanbase, incuding me (and hopefully many of you), and keeps releasing one brilliant album after another. Musicians line to perform on her albums, but that doesn’t bring fame. Not that she seeks it, in interviews she describes herself as perfectly happy in the shadows of the business.
Another artist who keeps churning out great multi-genre music is Ben Folds. His Christmas album is very different from most December releases, jazzy, with entertaining lyrics and without many standards. There is Christmas spirit in there if you just listen close enough, but it is a fun album nevertheless.
Michael Kiwanuka has an impressive back catalogue, and here comes another accomplished album, with relaxed singer songwriter pop, and with songs that grow on you through every listen. Kiwanuka creates a certain atmosphere in my ears every time he starts performing.
Now to the strangest album of the month. St. Lenox wordy lyrics can be a bit much at times, but he forces you to listen to his ramblings on life in general and work life in particular. His style is highly original, there is a message at the core of each track, and everything, from arrangements and vocal performance, is built around that message.
This is the newest of all classic albums I have introduced you to. In fact, I discovered the album as part of the work for this blog, and I have kept listening to it for more than 10 years, also waiting for new music from the band. Just after the release of Tale to tell, Mark Horwood, a key member of the band, comitted suicide, a horrible tragedy for both the band and for listeners. Hopefully more music will come our way, but until then enjoy this fabulous album, particularly the silver voice of Raissa Khan-Panni and the exquisite brass band arrangements that is the band’s foremost trademark.
Keep reading, keep listening in 2025, and don’t miss the year-end roundup in a week’s time.
Who can turn down a happy Nick Cave, a female tribute to Willie Nelson, soundscapes at its loveliest, blues at its purest and world music at its most interesting? Together with pop, rock, jazz, folk, country and everything else from five continents that I have found hidden in the Spotify vaults. Including a true classic and a not-so-classic fifty year old release. So enjoy!
If you want to go straight to the list, follow the Short List below. If you miss tracks from previous blog posts, click on the The Long List. And if you want to listen to a specic reviewed album and suggested single, click on the title.
Brian and Michael D’Addario, the brothers behind pop sensations The Lemon Twigs, are back with a new album, filled to the brim with enthusiastic new pop music, sharing the style of Beach Boys and Beatles and other classic bands. A Dream Is All We Know is not as faultless as last year’s Everything Harmony, but most albums recorded this year would fail when compared to that classic.
Jazz virtuoso Nala Sinephro has created an album of soundscapes for you, an album you could easily turn to when you need some space in life and just want to get away from it all. The Guardian calls it «mystical jazz», and you may choose to listen carefully to all the wonderful turns of the music, or just let it flow all over you.
Terje Formoe has for decades thrilled children and parents alike with his amazing theatre and film Captain Sabertooth universe. I have had the pleasure of cooperating with him as co-producer for one of his films. But Terje is also a sensitive and creative composer and singer of pop and folk, in Norwegian. His latest album is by far his best, with more intricate melodies and personal lyrics than every before.
Irish Orla Gartland is back with another energetic and oh-so-sophisticated album, her second. Gartland has, however, been at it since she was 14, when she started posting songs on YouTube. These days we are definitely listening to a mature, full-fledged artist, a great songwriter with her own cheeky and inimitable style.
Another artist who is totally in control of her own career is Lady Gaga. Her musical versility is well-known, from electropop to jazz. She is the manifestation of what this blog is all about: don’t limit yourself musically (or in any other way, for that matter.) Harlequin is a playful album of standards, accompanying the motion picture Joker: Folie à Deux, with a curious collection of songs, from When The Saints Come Marching In to That’s Life. I enjoyed every second of it.
Sarah Blasko performs pop music for grown ups, there are no frills around her music. It is serious and performed with broad strokes, often with elaborate orchestra arrangements and with an intensity that is infectious. Australians love their Blasko; it is about time the rest of the world get a proper sense of this unique artist.
Let’s take a quick trip across the Tasman Sea to New Zealand, there we’ll find Tami Neilson, a truly versatile singer, mastering a number of musical genres equally well. She is a great admirer of Willie Nelson (who isn’t) and decided to record an album with his songs. The result is remarkable and shows off the skill and talent of both artists.
When you enter Ollee Owens’ web site, her pottery and jewellery are offered side by side to her latest album. There’s no hypocrisy about Owens, what you hear is what you get. Nowehere to Hide offers true and uncomplicated blues and spirituals performed in a pure form, like it was supposed to.
This album offers true world music. Mariama Ndure is a Norwegian artist born to Gambian parents, and she brings all her influences from her two cultures into this highly wide-ranging, but oh so personal album. I only knew Mariama from her children’s concerts with my daughter Karoline. Listening to Rituals I was taking into a whole new universe of African folk, modern jazz, and even poetry.
Eliane Elias was considered a wonderkid when she started performing as no more than a child. Now she is 64 and has released more than 20 albums, both as a singer, a pianist and band leader, sometimes all of it at the same time. Her full, laid-back voice is an invitation into Brazilian and Latin jazz, and her latest album shows off all her strengths and why I just never tire of the bossa nova.
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds: Wild God Australian artist Nick Cave hasn’t always been a performer of happy music. And one could be fooled by his claim that Wild God was written and performed during a truly happy period for him and his band. «We’ve all had too much sorrow, now it is time for joy.» he sings on «Joy». And I am converted. In fact, I keep listening to this remarkable album, and it actually makes me, yes, happy, despite its darker tones.
Like too many other young artists, Radka Toneff died very young. She managed to record a number of albums before she died, Fairytales being the most famous and with the broadest reach. Steve Dobrogosz has continued to record, as listeners of this blog know well. Fairytales was for me the gateway to songs like Moon is a Hard Mistress and My Funny Valentine. Radka Toneff’s vulnerability shines through her renditions, and nobody can emulate her performance in my view.
What has been amazing to discover going back 50 years to no. 1’s at that time, is how many releases really have withstood the ravages of time. Rollin’ by the Bay City Rollers is not one of them ( and the same goes for the cover photo). Still, they were incredibly popular among the youngest listeners with their chewing gum pop. I have left a few songs in the playlist; it is still pop music history.
A varied menu for you this month, pop, soul, country, electronica, rock, jazz, but hopefully cohesive, nevertheless. Fewer albums than normal, instead a number of interesting singles, perhaps previews of albums to come. And for the nostalgic, two albums that will never fade, from Eagles and Paul McCartney & Wings.
If you want to go straight to the list, follow the Short List below. If you miss tracks from previous blog posts, click on the The Long List. And if you want to listen to a specic reviewed album and suggested single, click on the title.
This is already a contender for top ten albums of the year. Such confidence of two brothers and their band! San Fransisco Cronicle said it better than I can: a novel sound with the «heavy sadness of Towne Van Zandt, the light popo concision of Buddy Holly, the tuneful jangle of the Beatles, the energy of the Ramones.»
Amanda Mammana became a star on Americ’s Got Talent, with her story of how her speech impediment, stuttering, limited her in every way except singing and performing. Her debut album with her major hit, Back to Life, must surely be inspiring to everyone with a similar infliction.
Remi Wolf is a feisty artist, performing what she herself calls funky soul pop, an accurate description in mye view. This is music bursting with mood enhancing energy and exhaltation.
The Bygones are Allison Young and Joshua Lee Turner, two musicians stuck in the past, and thank god for that. Their mostly original music stretches from the sound of the 1930s to country to South American bossa novas.
A fairly new genre that emerged from the democratization of recording music, is bedroom pop. Social Media is full of examples, and some artists make the transistion to an even larger format. deClair is one of them, and one of the most interesting.
One of my favourite voices belongs to Richard Hawley, a Sheffield boy, who has collaborated with bands like Pulp, Elbow and scores of others, but he is in his home territory on his solo albums, with his silky Roy Orbinsonesque rockabilly sound. I can’t get enough of this, and love his latest album.
Tucker Harrington Pillsbury, started his professional career as a rapper, but realized he was a better singer than rapper. We should be very happy he changed from the artist Tucker to the artist Role Model. Kansas Anymore offers spicy pop with some really catchy tracks. You’ll find them in the playlist.
I discovered the talented pianist Steve Dobrogosz when he collaborated with Radka Toneff in the 1980s. Their Fairytales is still one of my favourite albums of all time (coming soon to a playlist near you, I imagine). Dobrogosz has continued recording, mostly giving us new versions of popular music. His latest album, Relived, is no exception. I love how he uses familiar themes, but presenting them to us, often in a totally new way. I bet you’ll recognize most songs from the album.
This 1976 album by the American group Eagles is considered by many to be one of the best albums of all time. I don’t think it is, there are quite a few run-of-the-mill tracks on it. But I still consider it ground breaking and a true classic, with its allegorical lyrics that will keep any drunken afterparty debate alive for hours. The title track is the most memorable, but I take great pleasure in a number of lesser known tracks, all of wich are in the playlist.
Can you believe it is 50 years ago? Half of the music press who hated McCartney who they blamed for the Beatles breakup, suddenly agreed with the other half that this album was McCartney’s masterpiece. Recorded in Lagos, Nigeria, it is truly great and so impeccably produced it is almost like a symphony, with repeating themes and a wholeness to it that lacks in most other albums.
Once again I must start with an apology (yes, it has happened before…) – actually two apologies. First, sorry for being late with new music. Second, sorry for having to be very brief this time around. These are busy times, but I vow to come back stronger and make it up to readers and listeners. What I can promise, is that there’s a lot of great music in this blog playlist! So listen, read my ultra-short notes on each album, enjoy the singles, the classic and the 50-yearold and yes – the best of Eurovision Song Contest. New list as soon as I can get my head around it. Promise.
From to left to bottom right. Click on the almum to listen to it.
AUDIO VERTIGO – Elbow. Indie band/Alternative rock from England. One of the best.
Bright Future – Adrianne Lenker. Indie folk. Quiet and marvellous.
Deeper Well – Kacey Musgraves. Needs no introduction. Nu-country, New brilliant album.
Iechyd Da – Bill Ryder-Jones. Welch whisper-singer. The songs are magnificent, but a little disturbing with the whispering. But you get used to it.
Leslie Stevens – Leslie Stevens. LA sound, reminding one of Lana del Rey, perhaps. Love the sound.
Liam Gallagher & John Squire – Liam Gallagher & John Squire. Need no introduction either. The return of Oasis in many ways.
Natural I – ALEPH. Japanese chanteur. Quiet and fragile. Great songwriting.
The Pendelum Swing – Katherine Priddy – English folk drifting in to pop. Again, this woman can write.
Salvage Enterprise – The Polyphonic Spree. Rich pop music. Summery and kind.
Tigers Blood – Waxahatchee. American verging into rock. One of the best vocalists in the business.
Until We Meet Again – Sy Smith. Soul and jazz. Maybe not be to everyone’s taste, but I find it interesting and cool.
Singles
Barefoot . Jo Benoit
Don’t Forget Me – Maggie Rogers
Heavy Rain – Richard Hawley
On the Corner – Charlie Rowe
So Sick of Dreaming – Maggie Rogers
TEXAS HOLD ‘EM – Beyoncé
Tokyo Laundry – Keaton Henson
Used to Lovin’ You – Diane Birch
Young Days – Annprincess
Bridge over Troubled Water – Simon & Garfunkel. Can you believe it took me so long. Thankfully I never said I would do them in order of importance. There’s not a weak track on this album. If you get a chance, watch the documentary about how it was made. You’ll be even more dazzled. My favourite track is Song for the Asking, I can’t listen to it without sensing a tear on its way.
50 years ago Queen released the worst album in their career, in my view. The only reason it was worth listening to, was because it portended what brilliance was waiting for us out there in the future. There are some half decent tracks on the album – I have hidden away the rest, but click on the cover if you want to listen to the whole thing.
This month’s earworm is actually an ESC-entry, from France, the song by Slimane that perhaps should have won. When I have listened to it, it sticks to my brain for at least a day. It is annoyingly simple, but beautiful and moving in its simplicity. Here’s the rest of the decent entries from ESC:
La Noia – Angelina Mango – Italy
Fighter – TALI – Luxembourg
Pedestal – Aiko – Czechia
Hollow – Dons – Latvia
Jako – Ladaniva – Armenia
Always on the Run – ISAAK – Germany
And the winner, of course. Switzerland. The Code. With Nemo. Had you forgotten?
50 years ago this month, the Carpenters siblings made it to the top with their singles collection. There are virtually no tracks on that record that one wouldn’t consider true classics 50 years later, including Yesterday Once More. Karen’s silky voice and Richard’s backing vocal arrangements were trademarks of their music that no-one could copy. Perhaps a bit overused today, but still worth listening to properly. You’ll find eight songs from the album in this month’s playlist.
Yesterday Once More is a good title for the playlist this month, for both new and old artists have looked back to yesterday for either inspiration og actual tracks
No, it is not Don Henley of the Eagles, it is Dylan LeBlanc from Louisana, with a concept album – rare these days, Coyote, a story of a man on the run. It was not the story itself that drew me to this album, but the pure quality of the music, an exceptional country rock album that reminds me of Eagles in more ways than the vocals.
Great songwriting is the trademark of Real Estate’s 6th album Daniel as well. Although some of the tracks are a bit bland, most of the album is enjoyable, with its soft rock feel, melodic and sunny.
Blog followers know I am a fan of Gaby Moreno, even when she lacks a certain direction, like on her new album, Dusk. At least you’re never bored, as Gaby jumps from latin to pop to rock and back, and she does it all in style, with her warm and expressive voice, whether she sings in English or Spanish.
Everything I Know Kai WarriorHold The Girl Rina Sawayama
There’s a bit of direction confusion on Rina Sawayama’s second album as well, Hold The Girl. But as with Moreno, perhaps it doesn’t matter that much. I am at least glad she has added more ballads and less run-of-the-mill r&b this time. It is a daring move, she could easily be up there with the Lady Gaga crowd, but like Gaga she refuses to stay on track. I will keep listening.
There is considerably less punch in Kai Warrior’s voice, and that’s the point. The songs on Everything I Know were mostly written in their bedroom and sounds like it, but they are lifted by a band that surrounds and embraces the fragile songs.
Bombay Bicyle Club from England has released a new EP, Fantasies, a happy album with catchy tunes and great harmonies.
ITEIAD Sessions The Japanese HouseHurray For The Riff RaffGruff Rhys
In the end it always does is the name of The Japanese House’s album of 2023, and she (yes, her real name is Amber Mary Bain) has rerecorded some of the songs on ITEIAD Sessions, including a unlikely and different version of Super Trouper by ABBA, defintely worth listening to.
Another artist that performs as a band is Alynda Segarra, aka Hurray for the Riff Raff. Although the theme of The Past is Still Alive is quite sombre, about growing up under difficult circumstances, the music is feisty and positive indie with a touch of Americana.
Gruff Rhys of Super Furry Animals has issued nearly as many solo albums as with his more famous band. On his latest, Sadness Sets Me Free, the songs are again built around his dark and introvert voice, with a calming effect, at least on me. But if you’re looking for fireworks, go elsewhere.
We end this month’s album reviews with three albums that defintely look back at yesterday. Nouvelle Vague is a French band specializing in covers of New Wave music but with a very different take. They could have fitted right in at a night club with music that wouldn’t be there otherwise. Should I Stay or Should I go contains tracks that extend from the interesting to the bizarre.
Rod Stewart and Jools Holland’s brilliant big band stay on the rails when recreating some of the great songs of the big band and rock’n’roll era on Swing Fever. No surprises here, just hipswinging, delightful rhythms, with Stewart’s crooner voice at its best.
Joe Jackson goes one giant leap further, flawlessly recreating the music hall sound on What a Racket!, even creating an alter ego in Max Champion, a performer from that era. I love artists who allows themselves to leave the safe area that have created their fame. Jackson had a number of major pop hits as far back as in 1979, like Is She Really Going Out with Him.
New Singles
I have put a lot of enjoyable singles in the jukebox for you, from Florence + The Machine’s almost hypnotic White Cliffs of Dover to Walter Trout and Beth Hart’s power ballad Broken, with a guitar solo the way they used to make ’em. And the rest covers more genres than you can name: ballads, classic piano, world music, country, rock’n’roll, latin… I’ll stop there. Just jump in.
One of my favourite singers, Kirsty MacColl, recorded Tropical Brainstorm in 1999. The songs had a true Cuban/Latin feel, but the lyrics were feisty, funny and literate, mostly about men who didn’t match up to MacColl’s standards. Like with all albums I call classics, I never tire listening to Tropical Brainstorm, but always with a certain sadness of what could have been. Kirsty MacColl was killed only months after its release, by a speedboat in Mexico while out swimming with her two sons. She probably saved her son’s life by pushing him out of the way, but died instantly after being hit by the boat. Because this album turned out to be her last, it is even more precious to me.
1974
I wrote about this amazing album in the intro. But even Singles 1969-1973 brings out a certain sadness in me when I listen to it, because Karen Carpenter, like Kirsty MacColl, also suffered a premature death, a heart failure at 32 following a long fight with anorexia, probably caused by dealing with fame. Richard’s career as a superstar also in effect ended with her death, although he continues to perform and produce.
I can’t get Turn the Lights Back On out of my head, so it’s abolutely this month’s ear worm, the first release from Billy Joel in 17 years, and I would argue one of his best songs ever, co-written with Freddy Wexler. It is an amazing, well-written ballad that feels true and real, whatever meaning you decide to give it. The video, directed by Wexler, is equally amazing, using AI to recreate Billy Joel from the 70s (when I saw him perform) the 80s, the 90s and today.
Unless we are to wait until January to release the best albums of the previous year (perish the thought!) , we have to accept that a «year» in blog terms will run from about December to November. So this short list – as wonderful as it is – contains songs from last calendar year. Naturally. Enough said.
New year requires new feature. Well, it was kind of introduced last year in the «best of»- blog : Ear worms, but from this month I’ll test it out on you on a more regular basis, songs that stick in your ear – in a good way.
I am leaving to others to review this time, a kind of army of substitute reviewers. I promise to return with my own reviews soon, when I have more time on my hands…
I do hope you still enjoy the new look and the slightly altered way of presenting the music to you. The links to Spotify are now found in the text itself.
Jazz group Come Shine’s return after many years, with Coming Home, reviewed by Jazzlandrec, «Come Shine is always on the hunt for a new way into an old song, finding small keys to unlock big doors»
Jonathan Wilson’s new album Eat the Worm, reviewed by No Depression «Fearlessly experimental and deeply immersive, Eat the Worm is the distillation of a true artist in all his wacky, visionary glory.»
Randi Tytingvåg Trio’s Hjem (Home), Norwegian folk/Americana, reviewed in Norwegian by Stavanger Aftenblad. «Do you need comfort? Try this.»
Chanteuse Emeli Sandé’s new album How Were We To Know, reviewed by Pop Passion, «Full of fresh new sounds, How Were We To Know mixes elements of dance, reggae, and gospel music with commercial pop.»
The National is already out with a suprise new album Laugh Track, reviewed by The Guardian, «it’s challenging to write about middle-class malaise and make it sound so gripping»
Delara’s Shahrazad, reviewed by Intersect, «a rising multifaceted artist with a rich Iranian heritage and a global perspective, has created a distinctive musical identity and emerged as a local sensation.»
Tate McRae’s THINK LATER, reviewed by Irish Times, «not one track you wouldn’t want to hear again.»
Sondre Lerche’s Understudy, reviewed in Norwegian by Puls, «a cover album that in every way makes it an original Sondre Lerche album. Overwhelmingly, overwhelmingly good.»
Finally Krissy Mary’s Americana album, Virago, reviewed in Norwegian by Aftenposten, «The best album you missed last year came from Krissy Mary.»
As has become a yuletide custom, I give you a list of the ten albums that I have enjoyed the most in 2023, albums which I have kept coming back to throughout the year. The value of music, as the value of any art, lies in the eye of the beholder, so my list may not necessarily be equal to your list. Still, I hope it inspires many of you to listen to albums you might otherwise have missed.
80% of of all the listening on Spotify is supposedly to no more than 20% of the tracks available. Which means you are probably missing a lot of good stuff. The whole purpose of my blog is to bring to the forefront new music that wouldn’t normally get the attention it deserves. As my logline says: I hunt the best music so you don’t have to. (I have added Metacritic’s total rating out of 100 and Pitchfork’s out of 10, when available. The fact that only a fraction of the albums are universally reviewed, tells a story of how difficult it is to break through for an artist or an album that doesn’t break the surface. And hopefully proves the point that a blog like mine serves a purpose)
Below you will find a number of great runners-up albums (in alphabetical order) , followed by my final 10. Click on the album cover, and you will be taken directly to the whole album on Spotify. I have also put together a separate playlist with the top 10 albums, found HERE
Blómi Susanne Sundfør Metacritic: Not Rated Pitchfork: Not rated
Late Developers Belle and Sebastian Metacritic: Not Rated Pitchfork: 7.6 of 10
Love And Money Kate Melua Metacritic: Not Rated Pitchfork: Not Rated
Luna Ingrid Jasmin Metacritic: Not Rated Pitchfork: Not Rated
My Mind Wanders and Sometimes Leaves Completely Lola Young Metacritic: Not Rated Pitchfork: Not Rated
Seraph Tine Thing Helseth & Ensemble Allegria Metacritic: Not Rated Pitchfork: Not Rated
Studio Ghibli Anime Music Joe Hisaishi Metacritic: Not Rated Pitchfork: Not Rated
Then on to my special favourites. Albums that stood out and that I enjoyed more than anything else I have listened to this year.
So, these are my top ten choices of 2023. (Some of the albums were released in 2022, but reviewed by me in 2023. )
To see how others review the album, I have added quotes from other blogs and publications.
You’ll find a link to the individual albums by clicking on the cover.
Sensibility Bill Cantos Metacritic: Not Rated Pitchfork: Not Rated
«Featuring artistic collaborations with legends like Burt Bacharach and Johnny Mandel, Bill Cantos’ latest album ‘Sensibility’ takes you on a journey into the beautiful realm of Brazilian-infused pop and jazz symphonies. This phenomenal album is a tapestry of Cantos’ original pieces as well as soulful renditions of tracks like “No Halfway” and “This Can’t Be Love”, and a stirring cover of Cole’s song “That Sunday That Summer”. Rooming the mastery of various talents, this magical house, crafted over the past few years, boasts an exceptional team of musicians that bring a diverse range of elements to the table. Bill Cantos has breathed new life into the album.»
Muse Chronicle, August 3, 2023
Gullokk Solveig Slettahjell Quartet Metacritic: Not Rated Pitchfork: Not Rated
For many vocalists around the globe, it has been a natural exercise to pay The Great American Songbook a visit at one time or another during their career. Slettahjell has also done it – in her own way. It can be heard, among other things, on «Live at Victoria». Now she has made a totally great twist on this concept and created a songbook album that is totally unique both in terms of repertoire and way of interpreting it. Slettahjell, with a voice that is very much her own… has covered several of her favourite Norwegian and Swedish songs and spiced them up with two of her own.
Tor Hammerø, Nettavisen, February 2023
First Two Pages of Frankenstein The National Metacritic: 79 og 100 Pitchfork: 6.6 of 10
«First Two Pages of Frankenstein is yet another dose to remind you why – and how – the band have managed to carve their own special place out in the cultural landscape»
Apr 27, 2023 The Line of Best Fit
Voice Notes Yazmin Lacey Metacritic: 89 of 100 Pitchfork: Not Rated
Voice Notes is conceptually and musically accomplished, flourishing with inspired narratives and sensuality at every turn. It seamlessly blends jazz, soul and electronica without overpowering the singer-songwriter’s supple vocals. There’s so much to love and savour.
The Observer 18 April 2023
I Don´t Know What Love Is Stacey Ryan Metacritic: Not Rated Pitchfork: Not Rated
I Don’t Know What Love Is is a strong and unique debut from Stacey. It melds elements of jazz, pop, and R&B together flawlessly. Creating her own distinct sound and niche in the pop scene, the six tracks feel and sound similar to a few of the tracks on Ariana Grande’s debut album, Yours Truly (2013). Something back in 2013 was rarely heard and seen as unique. It still hasn’t been replicated at all since that particular album -until now. Unquestionably, this debut from Stacey Ryan is not a copy of anything in the past but an ode to her upbringing of influences. Stacey Ryan is rising in popularity as the days go by.
Samuel Stephens, Crucial Rhythm, April 2023
TIMBRE Salvador Sobral Metacritic: Not Rated Pitchfork: Not Rated
«Salvador Sobral, the Portuguese winner of Eurovision 2017, has made a comeback with his latest album, TIMBRE. This album features 11 songs that blend a unique mixture of genres: jazz, soul, and alternative music. Compared to his previous releases, TIMBRE exudes a more joyful and experimental vibe. Salvador provided a glimpse of this new direction with his heart-warming previous release, «pedra quente» (hot stone)… Notable collaborations are also featured on the album. Salvador collaborates with Mexican star Silvana Estrada on «de la mano de tu voz» (from the hand of your voice), he joins forces with the globally recognized Uruguayan singer Jorge Drexler on “al llegar” (arriving), reunites with his sister and composer of his Eurovision entry, Louisa Sobral, on “a distância não é lugar” (distance is no place), and teams up with the French artist Barbara Pravi, who represented France in ESC. «
Ruxandra Tudor, Wiwibloggs
Driven Gilbert O’Sullivan Metacritic: Not Rated Pitchfork: Not Rated
In the decades after his mid-’70s commercial peak, Irish singer/songwriter Gilbert O’Sullivan maintained a prodigious output of well-written, quirky piano pop records, somehow sticking it out long enough to enjoy a career renaissance with his self-titled 2018 album…. His 2022 follow-up Driven is, if anything, an even better record. At age 75, O’Sullivan sounds half his age, delivering sharp-witted rockers like «Love Casualty» and «You Can’t Say I Didn’t Try» with infectious energy and zeal. Produced this time by Andy Wright (Simply Red, Simple Minds), Driven retains some of the fuzzy, laid-back ’70s charm that characterized his 2018 set while also harking back to the tasteful soft rock orchestrations of his heyday, especially on standouts like the marvelous «Blue Anchor Bay» and the piano-and-strings ballad «If Only Love Had Ears.» Driven also benefits from an inviting group energy with lively backing vocal interactions, a nimble rhythm section, and scintillating guitar leads«.
Timothy Monger, AllMusic July 2023
Be the Wheel Theo Katzman Metacritic: Not Rated Pitchfork: Not Rated
Opening an album with the title track is a bold move, a statement that you’ll start strong and only get better. For his fourth studio album, Theo Katzman takes the menagerie of ballads and rock classics he’s known for, and refines them into a masterclass of storytelling through song.
Jonah Lefkoff, WRBB March 2023
Everything Harmony Lemon Twigs Metacritic: 87 of 100 Pitchfork: Not Rated
«The songwriting never dips below classic. The teen stars of the late 50s would have coveted the midtempo ballad Any Time of Day, with its ripe key change; What Happens to a Heart’s period-detail harpsichord builds to an orchestral chorus that puts it among the most gloriously histrionic breakup songs ever written; In My Head reminds us that in an age of copyright lawsuits, there are still so many new and perfect songs waiting to be written. In love with the past but making the present so bright, the Lemon Twigs are, in the end, timeless.»
Marina Hyde, The Guardian
The Reset Macy Gray & The California Jet Club Metacritic:Not Rated Pitchfork: Not Rated
«Her new album, The Reset, is her best and rangiest work in years, with a renewed sense of purpose and a mix of styles that gives plenty of scope for her outsized personality to shine.»
Alan Pedder, Best of All Fit
«The Reset reveals 360 degrees of Macy Gray at her lyrically introspective and vocally exuberant best. The trio of Tamir Barzilay, Billy Wes and Alex Kyhn wraps around Macy like a glove. And she, in turn, provides them full license to shine as bright as front of stage spotlights… The album is titled The Reset because Macy, like so many of us, feels like that’s what this awkward, often painful period is like to live through. “God is telling us to rethink the things that we are doing… How we’re livin’. Like Pandora’s Box, a lot of things have sprung out that people had stopped paying attention to. The world is having a reset. Whether it’s a good one or a bad one, we’ll find out. I use to believe everything happens for a reason. Now…I just don’t know.»
Ronnie Scotts review
Earworms 2023
As an added feature this year, I would like to introduce you to the songs that more than any others have stuck in my ears this year. Earworms are considered a nuicance by some, but I am not implying that these songs are annoying, rather that they are brilliant and will outlast the year. The five songs have a common theme: love. Perhaps the best theme to bring with us into 2024, together with a sense of community, security and freedom.
Music Hunter 