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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Odds - Crash The Time Machine

 

It is great to have one of my favourite Canadian bands are back. I make it 10 years since their last album, Universal Remote. To return with such a strong album is testament to the talent within the band and the variety shows the strength of the writing partnerships.

You've had a couple of trailers on recent Listening To This Week Playlists and it was those songs that seem to garner the biggest interest. They manage to mix a blend of Classic Pop Rock with the quirkiness of Indie Guitar Pop and they do it so well.

So that allows them to sound Henley or Petty-ish, but more importantly to us, they have bigger reminders of the likes of The Mommyheads, Sloan, XTC and The Pursuit Of Happiness. They are masters of allowing a song to start as one thing and end as another.

All the tricks of their trade are on show here. The Jangle Pop of Walk Among The Stars and the Brass and Baroque Pop of The Travelling Light with its gobsmacking arrangement. The Mayor Of Simpleton-ness of the title track and the way the 80s Film Soundtrack like Fall Guy changes into something from The Eagles' The Long Run.

Then there is the great Power Pop of Staring At A Blank Page. 25 Words is Tom Petty does Surf and Revolution Singing lands somewhere between McCartney and Sloan. Winning Is Everything is great 70s Pop Rock and emphasises the lyrical adeptness across the whole album.

An album that is essentially upbeat and jaunty concludes with the moody, melodic slow down that is Somehow In A Dream. a lighters out affair. Crash The Time Machine is the sound of a band at ease with itself and not afraid to take chances. Album Of The Year potential! You betcha!

You can listen to and buy the album here. It is available on Vinyl, CD or as a download.

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