As we enter 2025, I would like to leave a little comment on the handful of achievements that I didn’t really expect to have reached given the entirely low-maintenance nature of this blog. For a start, I have managed to reach over 1000 views for this year which is impressive all things considered! Posts like the one with Jordaan Mason’s most famous album or the trans allegory in one of the Hotelier’s signature songs have earned a lot of tractions and are still counting up slightly which makes for a promising prospect as I try to continue to develop this blog. For one that’s centered around an industry/hobby that’s as wide-reaching, yet relatively limited in the areas of analysis as music itself, this gives me a lot of hope for the future. For one to the viewers, thank you all!
Now, for the future, I would like to preface a few updates surrounding my blog for the upcoming year. If you are around long enough (somehow as I don’t really have a lot of views), you might know that I put out some announcements that I have a big update be it branching out or remaking the website. The big bummer is that I didn’t really do a whole load of work on them, if at all. Let the resolution be as such:
– That I will try and grow out a bit more from music in general and maybe focus more on in-depth analysis on video games or streaming/television series. I have played a bit of Disco Elysium for a start and am very aware of its political subtexts. It would be very interesting to analyse one of the character’s relationship with liberalism and how that might substantiate the game’s representation of the ideology especially in light of recent events.
– That I will remake the website as had originally hoped. It’s clear that outside of the homepage that none of the other pages are used. I will try and make it a largely one-page form of website outside of the blog posts.
– And lastly, that I will try and broaden up the kind of music that I listen to. By that, I mainly mean that I want to focus a bit more on music that doesn’t entirely reside in the US or the UK that are done by larger names (as good as they are) and instead prioritise the more unknown names alongside those who reside in other countries like South Korea or Turkiye. This can be largely found through RateYourMusic’s esoteric chart which is a very fun way to get into artists who are surprisingly good in spite of their obscurity. To put it this way, albums that receive high ratings on my Capsule Reviews piece deserve a dedicated article especially if they’re from an artist that I might not be aware of prior to listening to them while more well-known ones will instead appear in small-ish summary
Best Album of 2024
Sky Hundred – Parannoul
Back in 2021, a young South Korean music artist around my age broke through with To See the Next Part of the Dream. Last year, he embraced the entirely maximalist direction of his style with After the Magic with its dreamy concept, a whirlwind of emotions through the intersection of shoegaze and emo, and largely beautiful lyrics in the Korean language. Now, Sky Hundred sticks out as the ultimate cumulation of his past projects and what a devastating masterpiece it is. On top of polishing up his style with a diverse range of instrumentation, he went straight for the hard-hitting reality of his emotive journeys. He instead sings of the tribulations of being a young adult in a time that sucks out all his dreams and passions, of the anxieties of growing up, adapting to an unforgivable corporate world, and changing beyond all recognition. It might not be an entirely world-changing release itself, but it will be a treasure for those who relates to it. And what a devastating, devastating relationship that must have been.
Honourable Mentions
SMILE! :D – Porter Robinson
In what is only his third album, Porter Robinson decides to take a bit of a risk. At the time of the album’s release, everyone was clamouring for a similarly lush type of electronic pop style that was found on Nurture which shows that his style did not age at all. Instead, he directs his music towards a more abrasive, thematically dissonant direction where the tunes itself are so damn fun to listen to. However, his lyrics instead tackles his self-doubt and anxieties in a way that feels more sincere than most artists do and, while many names ought to sing of their fandom in only a handful of ways, Robinson instead puts his relationship with his following to the spotlight. They are at the emotional core of his biggest highlights on the album and with a lot of nuance put into the parasocial side of the bond, he doesn’t admonish them nor spoil them entirely. Instead, there is gratitude to be found.
Imaginal Disk – Magdalena Bay
While I did not do a full review on the album unfortunately, let me preface my shoutout to this – Imaginal Disk should not have to go this hard as a potential vision for how pop music should sound. Magdalena Bay’s breakthrough with Mercurial World did not at all foretell the more progressive song structure, the sheer creative use of production, the ethereality of the instrumentals, that comes with this album. The duo should be proud of somehow managing to come off as potential threats to Charli XCX’s reign as the most creative pop artist in the near future and they have the momentum on their side. Mica Tenenbaum’s singing in particular stands out as one of the best and more unique I have heard of which is surprising as while she isn’t exactly one to hit the high notes, her whispery delivery plays a decisive role in the music’s more widespread appeal. In a different world, this should raise alarm for the big music labels to break the formula and let their Lady Gagas to wild with their imagination.
The New Sound – Geordie Greep
The frontman of Black Midi stuck out on his own following his abrupt announcement that the band had gone on an indefinite hiatus. Not one to shy away into songwriting, he instead add a note that he’ll be working on a new album as his solo debut with a handful of songs taken from the band’s shelved works. The New Sound is a bit misleading as he doesn’t enter entirely original territories, but he does put a wild spin on his love for progressive rock. Satiric ordeals surrounding sexual frustration and inflated egos sizzle and shake with an infectious deal of Latin influence and sheer theatrical will. When you have strong singles like ‘Holy, Holy’ or emotive deep cuts like ‘The Magician’ which is reminiscent of Black Country, New Road’s ‘Basketball Shoes’ in its quality, fans should rest well in peace knowing that Greep has it in him to embark on quite a legendary journey as an independent artist.
Critterland – Willi Carlisle
Who on earth is Willi Carlisle? That’s the question that both I should be asking and the rest of the world should be needing more of after the distinct country kick of Critterland is laid bare. The twangy guitar riffs and folkish backings are one thing to be worth the charm, it’s another to see the genre, divisive in feelings around its effectiveness, saw its potential reach its fullest in the album. One would rarely hear of a singer reminisce about being gay in a conservative environment or have sympathies with overt left-wing views like communism in a scene that feels rife with meandering love songs and materialistic desires. It is a largely well-shined record that should deserve all the love it could get because the truth is that Carlisle needs the shoutout to show how there’s new grounds to break in country music.
Bright Future – Adrianne Lenker
Adrianne Lenker, frontwoman of Big Thief, is easily one of the best singer-songwriters in working today. Her deft lyricism that emits heartbreak and sorrow alongside tranquility and introspection makes her a beloved staple among those who want to listen to poetry. Bright Future, without a doubt, offers that experience in spades. From sharp wits to be had in examining our experiences with palindromes in ‘Evol’ to bittersweet memories of a love long gone in ‘Sadness as a Gift’ to the inevitability of ageing in ‘Already Lost’, Lenker is essentially out for blood in proving herself to be next in line for being a lyrical legend. It was especially thanks to the unfiltered urgency in her vocals and the minimalism in the production and careful use of other instruments outside of the guitar that hammers home her literary talent that’s been put to immaculate use. Fans will not only be overwhelmed with the album, both in acclaim and in emotions, but they’ll be joined with an array of newcomers who will find themselves with one of the very best of our time.
Best Songs of 2024
‘The Ballad of Tim Ballard’ – Cime
Cime is no big name when it comes to an experimental kind of progressive rock music. They are also not the kind of group one would think of when it comes to progressive or socialistic singer-songwriter stylings. That they stick out like a gold mine to me when it comes to ‘The Ballad of Tim Ballard’ as my pick for one of the best songs of the year over the likes of Greep, Vampire Weekend, or Kendrick Lamar is an indication that you should check them out. Now. The song feels like one big middle finger against our seeming obsession with idolising the executives and their non-profit organisations even as news got out that their acts should disqualify them of being role models. And it should not feel catchy. The instrumentation feels weird yet danceable, the vocals is amateurish but it fits perfectly with the melodic attempt, and the lyrics are nothing short of satiric snarks and quips.
‘Piece of Mind’ – Rain Recording
Rain Recording is a pretty unknown band from Sweden who, with a love for Midwest Emo and a more dramatic type of chamber pop, have concocted one of the potential classics for the fans to fall in love with. Idle in Terms is already a worthwhile listen as an album, but ‘Piece of Mind’ nails the whininess in the vocals, the melodrama in the piano, the murkiness of the production, into a treatise on depression and self-isolation. No doubt, the track has a certain quality to it that feels comparable in its grandeur to My Chemical Romance. Yet, it clearly doesn’t match up exactly to the technical prowess that makes the likes of The Black Parade come off as a fan favourite. Instead, it plays off of the feeling of being a wimp on a whim. It feels pathetic, it should come off as such, and yet it hurts painfully hard in its execution. A must-listen if you ask me.
‘Get Numb To It!’ – Friko
2000s’ arena rock had just called – they said that they want a piece of Friko’s debut album. While the band’s style doesn’t borrow a lot from from Arcade Rock, Broken Social Scene, and a lot of other names who are in love with being a constant stage presence, they do share with them a love for writing a kind of tune that demands to be sung out loud. That’s what ‘Get Numb To It!’ excels at best; an anthemic triumph to the disillusioned and to the stoic. The build-up to the chorus, comparable to Car Seat Headrest’s ‘Bodys’, is almost therapeutic in how the lyrics and the riveting rock instrumentation leads you onto the feeling of relative despair and it all blows up into an all-time chant that demands to be said out loud and a guitar solo that demands to be listened to.
Shout-outs of 2024
Cristóbal Avendaño and Silvia Moreno – Lancé esto al otro lado del mar (19 April 2024)
A relative latecomer to the list of albums I have listened to throughout the year, the duo’s work is nothing but pure Spanish poetry itself. The way that it examines the theme of relationship with what is largely just a guitar are all comprised of imagery after imagery, vivid pictures to illustrate the desire to reunite long after the love is entirely lost. It is, in a way, reminiscent of Bob Dylan or Leonard Cohen with how a lot of literary sharpness can transcend a simple folk song into an odyssey of the listener’s imagination. If you know the language yourself and you also don’t mind the fingerpicking style being used as a form of stage direction, this album is a masterwork that should not be easily dismissed.
Binjari – Kimbanourke
Kimbanourke isn’t by all means one of the most well-known names in South Korea’s folk music scene, let alone to the entire country’s music scene. However, for Binjari, also known by Absence, the album is remarkably pretty as a tune to listen to. The way that the guitar was played is glistening with each note that was played, a watery quality that emanates with the mixed feelings felt from the longingness of a long-gone relationship from the lyrics. On top of it, the production makes the album have a quaint ethereality to it which makes for one of the absolute diamonds in the rough. Please, give it a listen. You will not regret it.
Restful Tales of the Shapeless Seasons – Queen Willow
Speaking of a band that’s more similar to Arcade Fire or the Decembrists, Queen Willow has what amounts to a solid debut that ravels in its ambition and scope. Restful Tales of the Shapeless Seasons is not a perfect album, but there sure are spots where you get the impression that a French band like them are going to make shockwaves if words do get out with regard to the quality of their music. The blend between rock, folk, and chamber instrumentation compliments the concept that imagines a fantasy world as an allegory of being sober after a startling dependence on drugs or substances. There’s no doubt that the band have the very real potential to eventually make their way to the top given both the recognition and the time for their work. They are very likely to make wonders happen.
Like Our Friend Murphy – Wapddi
Another South Korean artist although he’s more similar to Parannoul than Kimbanourke, Wapddi’s Like Our Friend Murphy trends similar grounds as his contemporary under more conventional means – a clean indie rock record with a mix of Midwest Emo and power pop influences. What it lacks in sheer innovation, it sure well makes up for it through its relative precision in its technicality and a bit of twinkly chord progression that leans toward math pop. For those who might feel drowned out in K-pop and are in want of a bit more variety from the country’s scene, this album shows that there are a lot that could be worth exploring once you venture into a different culture with their own type of music. Once you get over the language hurdle be it with a bit of knowledge on the lyrics or accepting its quality as a part of the music, you may find a ore mine’s worth of albums to enjoy and this is a good example for how it’s worth the risk.
Dos Atomos – Dos Monos
Just because an album gets a relatively low-ish rating doesn’t mean that it’s worth casting away compared to the other records on this list. Dos Atomos offer an insight into the more creative side of Japan’s hip hop scene as its embrace of the abrasiveness comes off different from Death Grips for instance. It feels as chaotic, wild, and unexpected as the aftermaths of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki which inspires the creation of the album even if there are notable spots that needs to be addressed. It might not be for everyone and I would not blame you especially if you might not like it; I ultimately gave it its rating due to its inconsistency in how its references play out. Yet, the production not only benefits the album’s direction, but it forebodes how different production can shift the impact of the music when it’s not in the US or the UK.
GutterPutter 
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