I Don't Hear A Single Albums Of The Year 2024 : 91-100

 

For the last eight 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. A reminder that only new albums are included among these 100.

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.

91 Day Dreems - Day Dreems      IDHAS Review

92 The Duke Of Surl - Borneo      IDHAS Review

 

93 The Proctors - Snowdrops & Hot Air Balloons      IDHAS Review

94 The Duskwhales - Strawflower Lane      IDHAS Review

95 The Hard-Ons - I Like You A Lot Getting Older      IDHAS Review

96 The Successful Failures - Enemy Sublime      IDHAS Review

97 Radio75 - Screaming Out      IDHAS Review

98 Love Fiend - Handle With Care      IDHAS Review

99 Neon Bone - Eager To Please      IDHAS Review

100 Young Scum - Lighter Blue     IDHAS Review

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Defecting Grey - Circuits

 

It is a reflection of how quickly time flies that we haven't covered Defecting Grey since our review of Run Silent (here) five years ago. In the meantime, we've missed 2022's ARC album, certainly not deliberately and arrive at the now.

With six songs present, I would go for this being a mini album rather than an EP and what a six songs these are. You might call the band a Power Trio, but that locked in sound is never affected by over playing. The New Jersey threesome build songs on melody and riffs first and foremost.

Although it feels as though the band's template is conveyed by the opener, Gibraltar, ie beautifully played, noisier yet melodic 90s Indie Rock, even that song has Psych Pop riffs. Indeed, the only song you could label as my description completely is the up and at 'em Backwards Ghost.

Blind Country is top notch Power Pop, given completely away by the hypnotic drumbeat. Low Status Sound gets all Cotton Mather like Psych Pop and Flat Earth Theory flirts with 70s Pop Rock and comes out with a new relationship.

Circuits finds a band at the peak of its powers, very different to what I hear generally from New Jersey. There is a maturity, a preciseness in what they do. They know they can play, but prefer to rely on the massive riffs and memorable choruses. This a a cracking listen.

You can listen to and buy the album here.

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The Voltz - New Times Like Old Times

 

The weather is pretty grim here in the UK and it is about to get worse. However, we have Sheffield five piece The Voltz who are here to liven up proceedings and get you dancing in your pants with this complete bundle of Joy.

For the most part, this is 1974 (a year I am regularly told that I still live in) Glam Rock and captures the enjoyment of that time perfectly. True, it may be Retro, but these songs are so damn catchy, that they just light up your life.

It isn't all Glam and the best song here, English Rain, is a ringer for The Motors in prime time UK New Wave. Starlight is great catch all Pop Rock and Children Of The Stars is adorned by a Telstar like riff that just grabs you.

American Eagle, a tribute to Evel Knievel, rocks things up without losing any of the melody, it fair races along with two solos, one rockier and one Glamtastic.  It is the Glam Rock on show that will grab followers most and it is beautifully done through the riffs, harmonies and handclaps.

Glitter-Bomb is pure Glitter Band stomp, Fire Up Indigo gets all Sweet and Saturday even adds a Saturday Night Is Alright For Fighting riff towards the close. I can't think of a better album to kick off our 2025 new reviews. 

There's even a Christmas song to close the album. Now, you all know how far that I run from the forced jollity of these type of songs, but it is great. Do You Remember Christmas? is totally Bay City Rollers bomb. What a splendid album New Times Like Old Times is.

You can listen to and buy the album here. It is available on CD or as a download. You can find out more about The Voltz here.

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I Don't Hear A Single Album Of The Year 2023 - Mythical Motors

 

 I had planned to review June's Join Her Circus album, but on getting the artwork, I noticed that this had been released in September and so it makes more sense to go with the current one. The last time I wrote about Mythical Motors was the album prior to Join Her Circus, A Rare Look Ahead.

You can read that review here. Mythical Motors get compared to Guided By Voices a lot and there are similarities between Robert Pollard and Matt Addison. Both are charmingly lo-fi and you can add similar prolific tendencies. 

But Addison treads a different line, using Power Pop as his base, but willing to tread further afield. When he enters Psych Pop, he does it with verve. Take for instance the magnificent Roll The Distant Dice here, a song that would grace any album in that genre. 

Violet In The Known World is hippy trippy Orgone Box. But Tuesday With Light is gentle Jangle Pop and the title track is low key West Coast Guitar Pop, all harmony and melody. Arthur The Great is a wonderful closer, sparse, but incredibly effective.

The Power Pop is never far away though, All Long Gone, Lilian Midnight and It Belongs To Us All are splendid examples. Unified Lightning Theory is even in The Who territory. Very Pete Townsend. The whole album is a joy. There are no need for complexities, when you have all this melody at your fingertips.

There is still very much a say what you wanna say and get off feel, but Matt Addison remains one of the great songwriters, probably the best you've never heard of. The talent just oozes out of him and The Sunshine Registry is yet another magnificent addition to his catalogue.

You can listen to and buy the album here and maybe even grab Join Her Circus at the same time.

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I Don't Hear A Single Album Of The Year 2022 - Bandicoot

 

Due to my fascination with all things Crash Bandicoot, even calling our old Lurcher Crash, I was always going to be interested in a band called Bandicoot. Fortunately, the Swansea quartet's debut album is outstanding and there is no better label to be on than Libertino Records.

I do hope that the band don't get lobbed in with the Indie Brigade, because there is so much more to them than that. This is inventive and at times dramatic stuff, referencing the Glam Era of 72 - 74. This period has become a popular direction to aim at recently, but this isn't an album of hand claps and big drum stomps.

Black After Dark is more Art Rock, think early Roxy Music, John Cale even. This is helped enormously by both the Saxophone and keyboard sound. The Sax in particular is awesome, very Andy McKay, at times a bit Wizzard Brew. The only real Glam Rock is Fuzzy, which seems deliberately so.

A song like Early In The Morning has so much work in it. Starting like Radiohead, then builds and builds into a real sing along, before crashing back down to earth. It is a marvellous affair. In comparison, Dark Too Long races along, almost Avant Garde, a little Prog at times.

Life Death And Other Things is a little more second half of 80's Rock, yet Rhys Undertown's vocal on the splendid title track is foppish. Shadow Of A Former Time is a corking 70s Pop Rock ballad yet Train Station Mural is all Fuzz Guitar, interrupted by another great Sax break.

Siren is a Psych Freak Out of the highest order whilst Bleed Out is very Morrissey. It is testament to the album that any of the 13 songs could be picked out as a winner. Their is so much invention on show that you notice something extra on every listen.

Black After Dark is an album brimming with ideas, beautifully played and arranged. The Vocals are as magnificent as the Saxophone, an instrument that you don't hear enough in Rock these days. Bandicoot are Album Of The Year contenders, buyers will play this to death.

You can listen to and buy the download here. The Vinyl can be pre-ordered here.

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I Don't Hear A Single Album Of The Year 2021 - The Orange Peels

 

I don't use the term musical genius, because everyone seems to use it for the slightest thing, but if there is such a thing, then Allen Clapp is incredibly close to it. His band, The Orange Peels, suffer from both being ignored and being constantly labelled Power Pop, something they've never really been and are certainly not now. 

In a tortuous year for the band with family deaths and the near loss of their home and studio to the California Wildfires, the band have conjured up their most diverse and impressive album yet, a double no less. With a recent move to the Virgin Islands, this has become a sort of farewell to California and what a goodbye it is. 

The trio of Clapp, Jill Pries and Gabriel Coan make interesting intelligent music that is essentially Pop, but just labelling it that would make it seem far simpler and inconsequential than it is. There is such variety. Compare Whenever, which is a jaunty Sparks with Bates Motel sort of affair with the wonderful brooding 2 x 2.

Larkitekture is very mechanical, Bowie-esque yet at the same time a bit Marc Almond. Little White Bird is a crooner, yet Human has an all encompassing chorus. Then there is Mindego Hill is top notch Psych Pop, Toytown excellence. Magical Thinking is jaunty Synth Pop.

Those listening to just the first two thirds of the album would be forgiven for thinking that the album was a wonderful example of mid 80's UK Pop, but then you get to the real meat. Bookmarking the magnificent three part soundscape that is From The Sunflower To The Nightshade are two absolutely stunning songs.

From The Rosemary To The Rose is hypnotic, but Pastels may be the best thing that The Orange Peels have ever done. It is an incredibly captivating seven and a half minutes. Melody springs from everyone, it is a real feel good affair that despite its length, finishes way too soon.

Anyone expecting 65 minutes of jangling Something Strange Happens Guitar Pop are in for a surprise. A listen to the 2020 Autumn Fills The Skies Mix of that song would confirm the direction now. The Song is just as great in that mix, but very different.

Those who follow the band closely could have seen this album coming and will realise how outstanding it is. Newbies or Returners should listen to Celebrate The Moments Of Your Life as a debut album. This should be the soundtrack to your life. Open The Doors and let The Orange Peels in.

You can listen to and buy the album here.

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I Don't Hear A Single Album Of The Year 2020 - The Corner Laughers

The Corner Laughers are a special band. Karla Kane rightly gets a lot of the main attention, but they are very much the sum of their parts. Khoi Huynh throws up McCartney-esque Basslines and provides a fine rhythm section with drummer, Charlie Crabtree. Meanwhile Guitarist and longtime IDHAS hero, KC Bowman's playing allows the band to genre hop as they do, effortlessly.

Both Huynh and Bowman are both multi instrumentalists which allows a lot of freedom and inventiveness, the latter also recorded and mastered the album. However, it is not just the case of the singer getting the attention, Kane is the songwriter and her Ukelele playing is prevalent. Her sugar sweet voice is all encompassing, coming in somewhere between Rachel Sweet and Kirsty MacColl.

The band are generally hard to pin down sound wise and on their fifth album, their first for Big Stir, this is even more so. You can feel the West Coast air on the songs, but they are also draped in UK Indie, a bit of Americana and some wonderful Psych Pop. There are at times hints of Xtc in Skylarking mode or Robyn Hitchcock, so it makes complete sense that the only cover on the album is written by a Cleaner From Venus.







This versatility is probably best demonstrated by Lomo Alta, which is borders on freeform Jazz. Where as The Calculating Boy is top notch Psych Pop with some fine guitar leads, Sister Of The Pollen could be sung on Ready Steady Go and Wren In The Rain is pure St Etienne. Changeling is Kirsty MacColl borrowing Madness's piano and what a guitar break! It is an absolute gem of a tune.

The Lilac Line has a bass line to die for, enhancing a sort of Americana Pop, this band are so good that they've invented a genre. The Accepted Time is a song for an imaginary film and Skylarks of Britain is an outstanding slice of Canterbury Folk, the band turn into minstrels. Lord Richard comes across like a Robyn Hitchcock song written for The Seekers.

The album is like an IDHAS wish list with appearances from Rex Broome of The Armoires and Bradley Skaught of The Bye Bye Blackbirds. Topped off by a cover of Martin Newell's Goodguy Son, I am a longtime fanboy of the great man. The thing is though that this cover fits the album perfectly.







Getting The Corner Laughers on the label is a massive coup for Big Stir. A label that is the brightest spot of the last decade and is set up to dominate the next decade. Big Stir, despite all the press, were never a Power Pop label and now they have hooked one of the most innovative bands of this century. Temescal Telegraph is an absolute joy. Album Of The Year Material for sure and well worth raiding your purse for.

You can pre-order the album on Bandcamp here or on the Big Stir site here. You can buy the band's back catalogue here.


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