I Don't Hear A Single Albums Of The Year 2023 : 11 - 20

 



For the last few years We have compiled annual Best Of 's because these posts seem so popular and the aim of this Blog is to get exposure (and Sales) for the artists. A reminder that anything reviewed on I Don't Hear A Single is highly recommended. 

Narrowing things down to this 100 has been really difficult. The countdown is posted in reverse batches of 10. For each album, a song is embedded from the album and a link is provided to the IDHAS Review where you can find further details and how to listen or buy the album

11 Thomas Walsh - The Rest Is History      IDHAS Review

12 Chris Church - Radio Transient      IDHAS Review

13 Armchair Oracles - Nothingeveris      IDHAS Review

14 Eyelids - A Colossal Waste Of Light      IDHAS Review

15 The Anderson Council - The Devil The Tower The Star Moon      IDHAS Review

16 Tamar Berk - tiny injuries      IDHAS Review

17 Smug Brothers - In The Book Of Bad Ideas      IDHAS Review

18 Odds - Crash The Time Machine      IDHAS Review

19 Mothboxer - Breathe      IDHAS Review

20 King Black Acid - The Rainbow Lodge      IDHAS Review

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Armchair Oracles - Nothingeveris

 

There seems to be a current theme growing here. It is all coincidence of course, but Armchair Oracles were featured in our first year when we were largely not quite sure which direction we were heading in and still surprised at the amount of  interest.

We covered In Machina, the Norwegian band's second album and it is a wonderful listen, something I still play regularly now. You can read the In Machina review here. Here they are with their fourth album and it as splendid as I expected it to be. The band show a mastery of melodic Pop Rock.

Although centred around the 90s Pop Rock explosion, the band can be anything that you want them to be from 70s gentleness to Glasgow TFC 90s. From The Posies to AOR and with large slabs of Power Pop. Everything is so damn catchy.

You want some latter-day Beatles 60s Pop, well here's Across The Divide. How about some 80s Fuzz Pop, then listen to Undertow, a mesmerising riff driven affair that you can imagine Jon Auer playing. Distorting Mirror is noisy 90s College Rock to shake your long hair too.

Yet, White Horses is incredibly gentle as is Juniper Tree which is wistful 70s Classic Rock. Time To realise is a cross between West Coast Rock and Stealers Wheel. There's even some awesome Psych Pop for this genre obsessive with the magnificent No Reason.

Armchair Oracles master Guitar led Melodic Rock in a Jack Of All Trades, Master Of All way. Nothingeveris is an album to listen through from start to finish and then to start again. It is a fantastic example of how uplifting Pop Rock can be. Completely Outstanding!

You can listen to and buy the album here.

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Armchair Oracles - In Machina

I keep tending to blab on about the strength of Scandinavian Pop at the moment. It's not intentional, there's plenty of great stuff elsewhere, but I've just been enchanted by more than one band from that part of the world and the latest are Armchair Oracles from Norway.

The band aren't strangers to the UK, Atle Skogrand's outfit have been over here in the past for IPO. However it's their latest offering that should captivate a far greater crowd. This is great pop with plenty of variation.




High Wire Walkers sounds like something out of Manchester or Stockport in the early 90's, morphing into a sort of early U2. Jitterbug sounds like a more melodic happier Doves, whilst Scared Of Light sounds Celtic, possibly Runrig. Utility Man is pure Brit Pop, The Lemonheads crossed with The Boo Radleys.

You sense though that the band are happiest being purveyors of sleepy laid back power pop, in TFC mode if you like and that's really apparent on the likes of Phantom Bliss and Long Time.




It's the variance that grips you tough across this splendid 12 track offering. Here Comes The Feeling is pure Psych Pop, Climbing Walls is mid 70's Pop Rock, 10CC springs to mind and Panic King is awash with brass, very Northern Uproar until it blends into great harmonic 60's melodic pop.

The stand out song is Sound Sleep Sound, it meanders wonderfully. I will though leave you the opener Considerations. In Machina is simply ace, a real listen from start to finish. I can't wait to hear more from the band.



You can buy the album at the likes of Amazon here or CD Baby there. You can also listen to more of the band's stuff here.