music that i think is good

my favourite album of 2023. its got everything. the whole thing is so confident, fully realised and self assured, it’s very hard not to love it. the opening 4 tracks tell you exactly what you’re in for. brash, obnoxious licks, buttery smooth grooves, lush harmonies, unreal vocals. and the production is great, obviously. 3D Country feels timeless, joyous, endless; i am yet to find anyone who doesn’t like it. even the weird bits.

Joshua Burnside is probably my favourite artist of all time. all of his albums are well worth a listen, but this latest LP is pretty damn tasty. there’s a base of tradition at the core that makes it feel like you’ve surely heard all these songs before, but no, he’s just that good at writing tunes. it’s about time, trees, tories, love, loss, birth and death. every song just hits the spot, production and instrumentation are top notch. no matter what mood you’re in, this album will compliment it perfectly.

the boys are back in town with yet another belter of an album. properly fun, shouty, punky good times paired with some class writing and head bangingly funky instrumentals; basically just another very good viagra boys record. i blast it as loud as i can when walking to work. or when i’m in sainsbury’s. or when i’m driving. or just sitting down staring at a wall. perfect for any occasion.

definitely a whole heap of nostalgia attached to this one, it was a firm family favourite for weekends spent at home, I know the melodies off by heart. the first album from Lau, a trio of absolute folk behemoths, it’s a tour de force in all things traditional music. fantastic arrangements of old tunes, proper sad ballads about death of loved ones, unrivalled musicianship. The depth and pure power of the sound created by just three lads giving it a proper good bash is so impressive, it’s hard not to feel the passion behind the whole thing. Lau will be forever and always one of my favourite bands and this was the album that started it all. Not for the faint of heart but one of the best examples of what proper folk music is about imo.

only a very recent discovery for me, but I have more than made up for it in the number of times I have listened to it. there is something magical about it that you can’t quite put your finger on, there is for me at least. the grooves are catchy, sure, but I think the intrigue and repeated listenability come from the poetic lyrics and assured delivery. I feel I understand more on each listen, but that there is always more going on. Going to have to spend more time with this one to try and work out why it’s so good. it is undoubtably good though, I can say that for certain.

probably one of the best debut albums of all time. coming swinging out the gates with the first three tracks being ‘laura’, ‘take your mama’, then ‘comfortably numb’. are you kidding? yes, ‘comfortably numb’ is a pink floyd cover, but I heard the scissor sisters version first so I don’t care. ‘mary’, ‘filthy/gorgeous’. need I say more? to have so many huge hits on a debut album is ridiculous. did I listen to this album far too young (5)? yes. did I love it? yes. is it burned into my brain? yes. is it still one of my favourite albums of all time? obviously.

simply one of the best albums ever made. haunting, poetic, beautiful. an absolute must listen. I can’t say anything that hasn’t already been said.