I Don't Hear A Single Albums Of The Year 2022 : 11-20

This year, the standard has been the highest since IDHAS began six and a half years ago. Narrowing things down to this 100 as been really difficult. For each album, I've posted a song from it and a link to the IDHAS Review where you can find further details and how to listen or buy the album.

A reminder that anything reviewed on I Don't Hear A Single is highly recommended. 

No 11 : Lannie Flowers - Flavor Of The Month     IDHAS Review





No 12 : Custard Flux - Phosphorus    IDHAS Review

 

No 13 : Tamar Berk - Start At The End     IDHAS Review

 

No 14 : Maple Mars - Someone's Got To Listen          IDHAS Review

      

No 15 : Ward White - Ice Cream Chords    IDHAS Review

       

No 16 : Amoeba Teen - Amoeba Teen       IDHAS Review


 


No 17 : Greg Pope - Rise Of The Mythical Creatures     IDHAS Review

No 18 :  Communicant - Sun Goes Out   IDHAS Review

No 19 : Fuzzbubble - Cult Stars From Mars   IDHAS Review

          

No 20 : Skeleton Staff - Malapropism         IDHAS Review

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Lannie Flowers - Flavor Of The Month

 

As a long term fan of Lannie Flowers, I marvelled at the trilogy of albums culminating in 2019's Home. I did wonder what the next direction would be and at the time, a monthly series of free downloads seemed to be a stopgap. 

What those singles did allow was an opportunity to experiment and provide a chance to show that there was far more to Flowers than his Power Pop label. His fearsome live prowess and excellence with a chorus deserved far more than easy labelling. Releasing the singles as a collection was always a great idea. The difference and variety in each song would open up a whole new audience.

Then something even more inspired occurred. With the delays experienced due to Covid, Flowers had time to revisit the songs for the planned album. On remixing Let It Go, the song sounded so different, more modern if anything and the result was so good that it was decided to remix all 14 songs from the March To Home download series.

So what had started as a series to release songs that didn't fit on Home has come full circle. The songs were different in many cases, but remixing them has put an even bigger slant on them. Flavor Of The Month as a soundscape, has more in common with Modern Commercial Pop Rock. The best example is the excellent opener, Don't Make Me Wait.

This doesn't mean that the old Lannie has faded into the background. Songs like the title track and Summer Blue still nod to what has gone before. But elsewhere, it is as though a new whole world has opened up.

Lost In A Daydream is a magnificent slab of Toytown Psych Pop whilst Good is all Jangle. Day Glow All Night is 80s AOR and About You is in 70s territory with a wonderful George Harrison like Guitar break. What Did I Know has a chorus steps back further to the previous decade.

Where Did All The Fun Go is top notch UK New Wave with a Guitar Riff that is very Another Girl Another Planet. The closer, My Street is all Camp Fire Country, yet Doin' Fine is all Miami Vice synth in feel. There really is so much here to like.

There is enough here to please long time Lannie Flowers fans, but even more to welcome the new. Big Hooks, bigger choruses and melody at its core, Flavor Of The Month works as a stand alone album. Pop Rock / Guitar Pop at its very best.

You can buy the album and find out more about Lannie Flowers here. You can also listen to the album and buy on Bandcamp here.

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Lannie Flowers - Home

The Big Stir and Spyderpop tie in allows the latest Lannie Flowers album to get a second wind and Home is magnificent. It is as magnificent as his previous solo albums and as magnificent as his music with The Pengwins. The man not being massive is one of those great injustices and surely this is the album to change this.

As a long time fan, I continually look for reasons why. I'm not sure that the previous Power Pop label does him any favours. Flowers is much more than that. Indeed on Free To Dream and I Got A Secret, there is far more of s Van Morrison feel. It certainly isn't Material Issue.

Anyway and In Time verge on great mellow Beatles Pop. Flowers is just as great when he lets loose as  he does here on the wonderful It's All Over and Running. Across the album however the noise is held back a little and that further demonstrates the song craft.

TV Off ventures into Psych Pop successfully with a killer Blues solo, but, as an album, Home, at heart, is very reflective, a real storytelling album. Never more so than on Missing You Tonight, He's Going Home and Anyway. The latter is pure McCartney Pop.

It's All Over is a four minute epic and the title track is bouncy pop of the title track is joyous. I never expected this album to be anything other than great. It fully deserves a reissue. Home still contains the hooks, but is a much mature and reflective affair and this maturity results in one hell of an album.

So if you like Home (and I can see no reason why you wouldn't), tell everyone that you do. It really is time for Lannie Flowers to breakout across the whole wide world, not just a few American States. Home is fantastic, shout it from the rooftops.

You can listen to and buy the album here. You can also purchase the album here.  Home is available on CD, Double Vinyl LP and as a download. It is released on Friday 23 July.


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I Don't Hear A Single Albums Of The Year 2019 : 11 - 20

It's been difficult to get these choices down to 100. I'm also not a believer in saying one album is better than another. Most of the time you are comparing Apples To Oranges. I'm not a List person, I just think what's the point.

However, for the last couple of years I have compiled Best Of 2019, normally I just said what my favourite album of the year is. I've done it again, because these posts seem so popular and the aim of this Blog is to get exposure (and Sales) for the artists.

There is no meaning or judgement on an album that is Number 1, Number 100 or not on the list. Anything that I review on here, mention on Social Media or play on the Radio Show is as highly recommended.

I would also add that the Top 100 includes albums available as Download Only. To suggest that they are anything less than equal to a Physical release is patently nonsense and omits many wonderful albums.

I will compile a Top 20 of Reissues and Compilations combined after all this is complete. For each album, I've posted a song from it and a link to the review, where you can find further details on how to listen or buy the album.



11 Andy Bopp - Maker       IDHAS Review










12 Lannie Flowers - Home       IDHAS Review

13 Mounties - Heavy Meta       IDHAS Review

14 Empty City Squares - 337       IDHAS Review








15 Daystar - The Complete Recordings       IDHAS Review








16 The Bobbleheads - Myths And Fables       Review







17 Project: Ghost Outfit - Project: Ghost Outfit       IDHAS Review

18 Scott Gagner - Hummingbird Heart       IDHAS Review








19 The Bishop's Daredevil Stunt Club - End Over End       IDHAS Review







20 The Mommyheads - Future You       IDHAS Review










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Lannie Flowers - Home

The new Lannie Flowers album is magnificent. It is as magnificent as his previous solo albums and as magnificent as his music with The Pengwins. The man not being massive is one of those great injustices and surely Home is the album to change this.

As a long time fan, I continually look for reasons why. The column inches and web words always seem to come from the same direction and the label Power Pop doesn't do Flowers justice. He isn't Power Pop, he's a Rock artist, call it Indie Rock if you like, but he is definitely Rock.

It is also a tad frustrating that the album has been released so late in the year. Too late maybe for many Magazine Best Of Years and also a risk that in 2020, it is treated like last year's news. But it is what it is and it is a masterpiece.

Home more than any other Lannie Flowers should put this Power Pop thing to bed early and for good. Indeed on Free To Dream and I Got A Secret, there is far more of A Van Morrison feel. It certainly isn't Material Issue.

Anyway and In Time verge on great mellow Beatles Pop. Although Flowers is great when he lets loose and he does here on the wonderful It's All Over and Running certainly do that, overall here the noise is held back a little and that further demonstrates the song craft.

TV Off ventures into Psych Pop successfully with a killer Blues solo, but Home, at heart, is very reflective, a real storytelling album. Never more so than on Missing You Tonight, He's Going Home and Anyway. The latter is pure McCartney Pop.

It's All Over is a four minute epic and the title track is bouncy pop of the title track is joyous. I never expected this album to be anything other than great. The monthly digital singles had promised this, but it is nice to have it more than confirmed.

So if you like Home (and I can see no reason why you wouldn't), tell everyone that you do. It really is time to breakout in the whole wide world, not just a few American States. Home is fantastic, shout it from the rooftops.

You can listen to the album here. You can buy the album from Spyderpop here and everywhere. Find out more about it here.


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