CLICK ON TRACK TITLES OR ALBUM COVERS TO LISTEN TO OR WATCH EACH TRACK
60. Goldie Looking' Chain - Wellend A GLC Shanty.
With apologies to several friends of mine who sport said ex-Jam man's hair-do, you can't ignore the well-observed Welsh humour in this little ditty.
59. The The - I Want To Be You
The first of many surprise returns during 2021 saw Matt Johnson's The The back with the career-defining live show from The Royal Albert Hall. This track was actually released on the 'Muscle' soundtrack and blends Matt's trademark rudimentary keyboards and brooding aesthetics.
Fresh from their triumphant showing in 2020's Vinyl Revolution end of year best of (number 14), Kiwi Jnr released second album 'Cooler Returns'. Full of slacker pop anthems, 'Tyler' neatly channels early-nineties indie rock.
57. Jim McCulloch - Chorus of Lists
Ex Soup Dragon Jim McCulloch has made a rather lovely little folk album (released on the ever-excellent Violette Records) and this is one of the stand-out tracks from it. Not a dry eye in the Highlands...
Soulful and sad, Valerie June has made a great album with 'The Moon and the Stars'. 'Stay' is quite possibly the standout track from this rootsy slow-burner.
55. The Goon Sax - In The Stone
With just a little nod to his father Robert Forster (The Go-Betweens), Louis Forster and co-conspirators have made an arch, slyly addictive pop album with 'Mirror II'. 'In The Stone' gets better with each listen.
54.The Band of Holy Joy - A Leap Into The Great Unknown
Another unexpected return, BOHJ were a band I used to go and watch a lot in the early '90's. Live shows were always unpredictable but life-affirming, and this is perhaps the best way to describe 2021's 'Dreams Take Flight'. Still speaking out for the underdog, Holy Joy remain a powerful force.
53. The Coral - Lover Undiscovered
The Coral remain a band of real substance and 2021's sprawling 'Coral Island' a thing of rare beauty. 'Lover Undiscovered' is a pure pop treat and yet another in a long line of formidable Coral singles.
52. Damon Albarn - Royal Morning Blue
'The Nearer The Mountain, More Pure The Stream Flows' is a wintery delight, cold sunlight on fresh snow. 'Royal Morning Blue' is one of the more immediate moments on an album that grows if you give it time. Quite lovely!
Caustic and un-relenting, Bob Vylan are a bomb in the basement of rock music. 'We Live Here' is a mini-album of unconcealed rage broadcast live from the grubby streets of Tory England.
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