Given that I only managed to scrabble nine tracks together last year I wasn't too hopeful of making up a ten this time round. But thankfully, there's been a fair few decent tracks released in the last few months and certainly more variation than we've seen in quite some time. On with the show then...
10 'Easy Money' by Johnny Marr - it seems to have taken a fair few tries for Mr Marr to feel truly comfortable in the skin of a singer/frontman after being the perennial guest-artiste-for-hire. 'Easy Money' indicates he's getting more at ease at this role and means the listener can focus on his trademark catchy guitar lines on display here rather than be put off by the baggage of his past. By saying 'it sounds a bit like Hard-Fi' I do honestly mean it as a compliment.
9 'Full Circle' by Half Moon Run - there's been a glut of 'nice young gentlemen singer songwriters you'd take home to Mum' in the last few years and these chaps probably slip into that category rather well. Still, let's not be nice-chap-phobic. 'Full Circle' is a fine slice of fireside listening, spoilt in my eyes only by realising its on the 'Made in Chelsea' album (and yes...there is a 'Made in Chelsea' album!). The Mumfords you don't want to punch in the face.
8 'Busy Earnin' by Jungle - you always get extra points by having a stomping brass intro to your track round these parts. Another hotly-tipped outfit but one which actually delivered this year, even if they lyrically fell back on a few clichés to do it in the process.
7 'Digital Witness' by St Vincent - definitely filed under 'personal taste', St Vincent can certainly come across a bit like that annoying person at the party telling you how mad and quirky they are. But looking past that, it's still (sadly) uncommonly refreshing to find a female artist doing things on their own terms when that usually means dressing as provocatively as possible in as little as possible. Hopefully, the focus on the kooky won't take away from Annie's music. If you've been waiting for an off-kilter brass-led pop classic focussing on our obsession with living our lives online, your wait is now over.
6 'Don't Mess with Me' by Brody Dalle - and you'd probably be well advised to heed that advice from Mrs Josh Homme to be frank. In a world where we wait for Courtney Love to sort herself out sufficiently to give us the album we all want, Brody is busy both filling that gap and branching out from the boys-with-loud-guitars backing. Another example this year of a powerful female doing things on her own terms (and rather noisily).
5 'Water Fountain' by tUnE-yArDs - lauded by the music press, I hadn't really heard anything from them until they became my Glasto-tv viewing surprise of the year (and made it worthwhile wading through multiple showings of the same Kasabian track). A breath of afrobeat-indie fresh air for a British summer that actually suited it for a change.
4 'Moaning Lisa Smile' by Wolf Alice - swiftly glossing over the pun of the title, Wolf Alice gave us a throwback to the 90's-indie heyday (a Throwing Muses-back if I can join in on the punning - sorry). Fuzzy guitars, catchy yet floataway vocals and it's over in under 2 minutes 40. Fabulous video too.
3 'Teenage Exorcists' by Mogwai - I've never quite 'got' Mogwai despite fervent love from music press and indie-fan quarters, perhaps that was due to misplaced loyalty to Damon Albarn for 'that t-shirt'. That started to change with the wonderfully evocative soundtrack they produced for French tv series 'The Returned'. Then I heard this track on the radio and thought 'Oooh, The Pixies have done a good new track' only to find it was these guys. A fine, fine piece of music.
2 'Shake it Off' by Taylor Swift - obviously I can't play you this on Spotify - Taylor shook them off - but you can probably sing it anyway whether you want to or not. Great pop songs have verses as hook-laden as their choruses and this has it in spades. Add an ultra-cheesy valley-girl rap with 'sick beat' and 'hella-good' in the lyrics and how could you possibly want anything more?
1 'Rather Be' by Clean Bandit - as admittedly great and all-conquering as Ms Swift has been this year, the track of the year has been cruelly snatched from her grasp by this gem of a song (she'll probably write about her disappointment on her next album though). British dance / pop has got into a right old quagmire of late, so it's heartening that we do still get well-thought out quality uplifting pop music every now and again - and with a string section. Here you go then, bet you can't listen without singing along.
And if you fancy a listen to the lot, check them out here. Minus Taylor obviously.
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