January marked a really strong start to 2024. It was an absolute killer of a month, with too much good music to write about. My playlist runs to more than 60 tracks (embedded below - be sure to listen to all of it, and check out my other playlists, too) but here I’ve honed it down to just 10 highlights.
Andrea von Kampen - A Fox, a Bird Andrea always writes with magnificent minimalism, and this song is a characteristically beautiful gem. It’s particularly lovely for its stark simplicity, and subtle promises of warmer times.
There are no alarms and no surprises here - it’s lulling and peaceful from start to finish - but it captures and then tightly holds your heart and attention from start to finish. I really appreciate the way it finishes, as Andrea brings her tune to a careful stop with a satisfying resolution. [Listen here.]
Ber - Room For You A richly beautiful song where Ber explores restless, lonely but liberating feelings through honest and richly accented vocals. It's about making space and letting go of past damage, and this is a song which hits its brief dead centre.
The impact is emphasised by the stark, emotive piano chords which seem to ring from the other side of an empty room, and then by a subtle layering of sounds and vocal filters with capture a sense of swirling emotions. It's gorgeous and beguiling, and deserving of a deep listen. [Listen here.]
Bob Vylan - Hunger Games A band known for their outspoken strength, and pinpoint analysis of society’s ills, and this one captures their excellence brilliantly. The sardonic refrain works perfectly: “Spin the wheel for the chance of a hot meal” they snarl, and elsewhere joke darkly of a world burning, price rises, and tragic inequality. Seeds of rebellion have been sown, carefully tended, and seen through to towering heights. [Listen here.]
Gen and the Degenerates - Kids Just Wanna Dance This one surprised me, in the best way, when I first listened. It’s a really creative track, beginning with sublimely retro synths which build into something nervy and urgent — a panicky, restless base for a protest cry against the mindless powers of this world.
I wish the reasons behind this song (environmental catastrophe, reckless leaders, wars and weapons of mass destruction) didn’t exist, but perhaps dancing in the face of these seemingly hopeless odds may just help turn the tide… If not, nihilism never sounded so good. [Listen here.]
Katherine Priddy - Anyway, Always This track cements the feeling that KP's star is quickly ascending, and that she is on the cusp of even greater things. She’s developed her sound and style over the past couple of years and is shifting gently to a new era, showing brilliant creativity and allowing her music to lead.
Here, Katherine delivers a relaxed and profound but emotional and poignant song. It's emotional and poignant, tinged with regret and all the more beautiful for that; it's also majestic in its intimacy, paced steadily, and a song which showcases her incredible crystalline vocals to perfection. It opens with the sound of a failed phone call before Katherine starts singing, conversationally, with a non sequitur. The song rises and rises breathlessly from there before slowing to a gentle surrender which leaves questions unanswered. [Listen here.]
Loupe - Tested Waters Loupe's latest offering is light and airy on the surface; bubbly but it’s the effervescence of introspective energy.
Drumstick clicks keep uneasy time while singer Nina makes earnest use of her urgent style, the music swirls and becomes almost relentless, euphoric with the intimate message being shared. [Listen here, and read my interview with the band for LeftLion here.]
Lizzie Esau - Impossible + Strange Here we are given a perfectly formed and beautifully judged three minutes of building fury. It’s toothsome with forceful, fuzzy guitars — and the bass is warped into a thunderous sound. Lizzie is a great and unique artist, and really needs no comparison, but I hear gorgeous shades of Wolf Alice in there, too.
I’m hoping this song is part of a lead up to an album; and I know that whenever that album comes, it will be a great body of work. [Listen here.]
Moonlight Parade - Strange Times Perfectly titled for this age we’re living in, and for personal reflection too, this is one of Moonlight Parade’s best to date. Built for a while on a slow, rising and falling arpeggio, layered with synth beats and distorted vocals, the track then launches of a cliff with triumphant and slightly discordant guitars, plus vocal harmonies joining the mix.
The tune then takes its time wandering around the theme, rising and falling, seemingly departing before coming back for a while. All the while we’re led by the hand through this odd landscape. It’s a great conjuring of intense imagery by the band. [Listen here.]
Quiet Houses - What My Heart Is For Jumping right in with a relentless, thickly-layered, jangly guitar riff, there’s a sense of openness to this track, like wandering in wide fields under even wider skies. The song dwells on themes of searching, questioning and a sense of longing, ending with an uneasy and incomplete resolution. [Listen here.]
YONAKA - Predator Released on day two of 2024, this track is pure YONAKA power and a clear line in the sand. Starting with almost subtle electronic rhythms, Theresa’s characteristic vocals begin to snarl early on and clearly she means business.
The band excel themselves here, assailing our ears with furious sounds as they channel a dark persona with a menacing story. This is noir alt-punk at its finest. [Listen here.]