OK, here we go again: the third annual Music Observer 10: Singles. My previous Music Observer 10s can be found by clicking on this link. My top albums can be found here, and EPs will be coming soon. …
THE MUSIC OBSERVER 10: SINGLES
As I suppose I can now call "my custom", here is my pick of the 10 songs which have most impacted me over the past 12 months. Truly, another great year for new music. There are some honourable mentions further down the page, too. (Note: These are not ranked, but are in alphabetical order by artist name.)
Charlotte Carpenter - You're My Reason Why This is an utterly beautiful song, composed with deliberate care, and it was a very easy decision to include it in my top 10 this year. It's truly lovely: extremely well written, and romantic without being at all twee or sugary. That's a hard balance to get right. It's from Charlotte's album released a few months ago, which contains some other songs which were close contenders for this list (see 'Not Good Enough' and 'Dolores').
There's something very special about the apparent simplicity of the song: it starts and remains almost acapella for a while, Charlotte's pure and reflective vocals doing the heavy lifting, with just the barest of piano accompaniment. Then, in comes the acoustic guitar and some subtle drums, to launch the rest of the song. It's very satisfying, scratching all the itches; uplifting and inspiring; euphoric and emotive. You'll not forget this one.
[Listen here, and read my interview with Charlotte here.]
Hannah Grae - I Missed The Joke This track could possibly be the perfect modern indie angst-rock ballad, encapsulating the feeling of being ostracised and struggling with the trials of youth.
It starts with a gloomy, muted guitar while Hannah sings softly overhead. "Dressed up all nice just for nothing, to end up staring at the walls" ... The song is left bubbling ominously along for a couple of minutes, with hints of the power to come. Patience is a real virtue, though. That power is not finally unleashed until there's less than a minute left to go. It's beautifully planned and very, very well executed.
[Listen here, and read my previous thoughts on this song here.]
Jack Rasmussen - Round in Circles Jack has an amazing voice, mature, firmly wistful and just slightly tinged with a pleasing graveliness, when it matters most.
The song is heart-rending and delivered with the impression that Jack is pouring his whole heart and soul into it (as with all his work, to be honest). Beginning with muted acoustic guitar, built with a lone vocal line, and developed with further layers of guitars and harmonies. No drums or other instrumentation here.
It comes across as effortless, but in reality a lot of work has gone into crafting a musical story. This is a good old-fashioned piece of solid, skilled song-writing; no frills added or needed.
[Listen here.]
It was a very close run thing between this one and ‘I Think They’re Leaving Me Behind’: a powerful and dramatic song written for the Nick Drake tribute compilation, ‘The Endless Coloured Ways’ ... imagine if Massive Attack made a dark alt folk power ballad and you'd be getting close.
The song I've chosen, however, was a late entrant, released on 8th December, and just edged it for the element of surprise it hit me with. I really didn't expect to hear that spaghetti-Western brass and rattling drums; paired with Katherine's remarkable voice this song is both pretty and entertaining. It zooms along, but takes you along for the ride in a warm embrace.
[Listen here, and read more of my thoughts on Katherine's music, here.]
Olivia Rodrigo - bad idea right?This song, from America's new princess of pop (let's not get into an argument about whether this is punk, or pop-punk, or alt-pop, or anything else - that's been done to death in the Guardian Music comments section), is now so well-known that I hardly feel I need to say very much about it. But I'll explain why I've included it here.
For a pop record, there's actually loads going on with it: listen closely a few times, and you'll see what I mean. There are so many subtle inflections in Olivia's voice, interesting twists in the backing vocals, and properly chunky guitar riffs.
The production is neat and enriching, too. It just sounds great and I enjoy listening to it every single time.
[Listen here and read my thoughts on OR's album here.]
She's In Parties - Summer Haze One of my most played songs of the entire year, it possesses a certain something which feels totally addictive. Steeped in '80s sounds, this is nevertheless really fresh and modern.
I was captivated the first time I heard the song (and have been again each time after that), by the way the song kind of seeps into your consciousness at the start: you become aware of a bubbling, buzzy synth loop approaching at high speed and then it's with you almost before you can comprehend. Later, it becomes celebratory, while the hazy but upbeat rhythm and overall atmosphere of the track continues.
[Listen here, and read my previous thoughts on this song here.]
Sigrid - Ghost Oh my gosh, it's just beautiful. Full stop.
Well, OK, I know I need to write a bit more than that, but for this one I genuinely struggle to put the feelings evoked into words. 'Ghost' brings together a magical combination of beautifully icy vocals and a timeless song-writing style to work its way into your subconscious every time you listen. It's well structured, the chord progressions are spot on, and the production gives the song all the room it needs to breathe and live.
Beyond that, this is one you really just need to listen to in order to fully appreciate it.
[Listen here.]
Swim School - Bored These guys have always written strong songs, and they really do keep getting stronger. With 'Bored', I think they've reached their best yet. It's ever-so-slightly shoegazy and dreamy, but determinedly dirty and grungey.
There's attitude in spades, right from the moment discordant guitars come in, build, and then keep building. Alice's vocals are swirly and reverb soaked but powerful all the same, especially when they come in with distortion at the first drop. The use of ups and downs, subtle builds and false endings is masterful here, too. The song has an attractive rawness - a live feel - which reflects the fact that Swim School are a great stage band as well. See them whenever and wherever you can - they do not disappoint.
[Listen here.]
The Empty Page - Big Nasty Palpitations Released back in May, this is an immersive, power-punched track; absorbing and slightly scary; one of those songs which feels like it just keeps building and building, relentlessly approaching breaking point. This is deliberate and very clever, reflecting the theme of the song: the individual and collective anxiety of current times.
It arrives in a rush of angular, tense guitars over a thrummy bass-line and urgent drums. There's an enveloping sense of creeping menace, heightened by a swirling flange effect on the guitars.
The fact that bad news and worrying times can produce wonderful art like this is something of a redeeming feature of this world and humankind.
[Listen here, and read my previous thoughts on this song here.]
Queen Cult - BLACKHOLE This masterpiece opens with a nod to the spacey title: a reverbed, psychy few bars of floating in the void before more familiar sounds arrive: overdriven guitars, settling quickly into a chugging riff which provides just the right base for Maisie Johnson's voice. At this stage those vocals are melodic and thoughtful; later, Maisie adds much more of an edge, embracing the energy of the song and channelling it to her listeners.
It's a brilliant example of how to express emotion and feeling, and a specific life event (a break up, and moving on) through music and words, not mention a fully committed performance.
[Listen here, and read my previous thoughts on this song here.]
HONOURABLE MENTIONS
There are so many more great songs I could list; these are just a few top picks. For more, check out my monthly playlists from 2023, all linked here.
Cinder Well - Two Heads, Grey Mare One of the most haunting songs, but beautiful with it. It's the perfect vessel for Amelia’s ethereal and softly rasping vocals which create an immersive experience: we swim together in cold but crystalline waters. [Listen here, and read my live review for LeftLion here.]
Ella Clayton - Mesmerist Smoky and lazily reflective, a hazy late night bar captured in song. Ella continues the best traditions of the best jazz vocalists in modern alt-folk style. [Listen here, and read my live review for LeftLion here.]
Girl Scout - Bruises If any song of 2023 can push me close to tears, it's this one. The purity melds with a sense of building passion; you anticipate unfolding beauty, but the reality exceeds expectations. [Listen here.]
Holly Humberstone - Into Your Room Beginning brilliantly with a soaring vocal, “I will run”, you're then hit with shades of '80s power-pop anthems before the song establishes itself into a bouncing but progressive rhythm. It's catchy and memorable, with reflections of one of HH's writing sessions in California, but there's balance, too, with plenty of the essence of her more indie background. [Listen here.]
Lizzie Esau - Roadkill Crafted with genius around a punchy and thoroughly catchy guitar-led chorus, Lizzie expresses rage, frustration and strength using that incredibly powerful voice to maximum effect. [Listen here.]
Lucy Spraggan - OCD A song written with the kind of straightforward, clarity that I admire, without pretension or faux emotion; and musically very satisfying, with a juicy, stripped back feel — guitar-based but also absolutely pop. [Listen here.]
Saint Sappho - Broken Again Rich and gorgeously yearning; incredible 90s guitar sounds come floating in from somewhere in space, with vocals which are dusky and intensely melancholic, but unmissable. [Listen here.]
YONAKA - PANIC This really should be in my top 10, too. A genius song: the spoken word intro, packed with nervy paranoia, moving into a rich, soaring chorus and then a middle 8 perfect for a live singalong [Listen here.]