Posed myself a question as to whether I had any further thoughts on Olivia Dean: The Art of Loving? Lady Lady? I already mentioned that one last time. Close Up is also good. Does lose it a bit in the second half of the album until the closing track, I’ve Seen It.

Also, decided I really like Georgina on Coach Party’s Caramel.

Since it’s the last chance of the year there is a lot of stuff here from throughout the year and that I’d missed earlier.

Leftover from September:

• Sprints: All that is over. Don’t love it as much as I hoped I would unfortunately. They will always be great live though. I probably like Descartes best of all, but also like Need, Something’s Gonna Happen, Pieces and Better most of all.
• Wednesday: Bleeds. Punk and country. Very discordant opening. Very abrupt ending. I don’t mind this at all, but nothing stays with me.
• Joy Crookes: Juniper. Probably the single I Know You’d Kill is best. Maybe actually First Last Dance - almost disco vibes. Would listen to this album sat outside in the sunshine or inside in the warmth.
• Frost Children: Sister. Cannot recall how this ended up on my list. Gives me 90s Euro dance vibes. But too cheesy for me. Dirty Girl is ok.
• James K: Friend. Super chilled electronic. Great Tree stage late night stuff. Beautiful vocals. But no standout tracks. I think this is best experienced as a whole. I guess if had to pick a track I’d go for Blinkmoth (July Mix).
• Kojey Radical: Don’t look down. Oh, what’s this? A track featuring Cristale. Was super-excited when I saw that, but it ended up not being by favourite - I think I like the James Vickery one best. It’s a nice enough album, but probably won’t re-visit.

And then:

• Nightbus: Passenger. Very, very cool late-night electronic x shoe-gazy stuff. I should listen to this more, will probably pick Angles Mortz as my fav. Although False Prophet is really cool too.
• Princess Nokia: GIRLS. For me it’s all about Blue Velvet. Pink Bronco deserves a mention because it’s not actually Lana Del Rey.
• Skullcrusher: And Your Song is Like a Circle. Suitably morose. Really beautiful and flows as an album. Exhale had already made it to my picks of 2025 list.
• Florence + The Machine: Everybody Scream. Music by Men makes me sad and is my favourite .The Old Religion similarly (just pipped by Music by Men - I think)
• Allie X: Happiness Is Going to Get You. I preferred the craziness of Girl With No Face. Stay Green is probably the best.
• Rosalia: Lux. Not for me. For sure she can sing, but a bit too churchy for me.
• Sigrid: There’s Always More That I Could Say. Didn’t hate it. Didn’t love it. Kiss The Sky best for the chorus? Hush Baby, Hurry Slowly maybe pips it? Two Years is pretty much a banger too. On that note, Sigrid will forever make me think of Christmas because of Hjem til Jul; She’s definitely “Christmassy, but not Christmas” music.
• Florry: Sounds Like…. I missed this from earlier in the year, but the standout is the very first track and the one I already liked, First It Was A Movie, Then It Was A Book.
• Rio Kosta: Unicorn. Same deal as Florry, but you have to wait until the very last track, It’s Starting; Extra credit for the name for the last track on the album. Snocaps: Snocaps. Not as good as just Waxahatchee for me unfortunately.
• Anna von Hausswolff: ICONOCLASTS. Undeniably good, but also not really my thing. Skip the Iggy Pop one. Struggle With the Beast is interesting. Quite jazzy.
• Luvcat: Vicious Delicious. Was really looking forward to this based on the earlier single, Lipstick, because it is superb. It’s the opening track on the album and also easily the standout track.
• Daniel Avery: Tremor. Daniel Avery, but different! This is really cool. I think my favourite is The Ghost of Her Smile just because it features Julie Dawson from NewDad, but Rapture in Blue, A Silent Shadow, and I Feel You are great too. This is a good album, that deserves more listens than I’m going to be able to give it.
• Low Girl: Is It Too Late Too Freak Out? Just SUPERB. Up there as album of the year contender with Heartworms and Carla Aakre for me. The best of the best (since it’s all good) are 2007, Driveway, Overgrown and Handbrake. Oh and I Love All My Friends. How does this make me feel? All the feelings. Like someone reaching inside of you and making you dissolve.
• TYGERMYLK: Local Girl, Always Tired. Really rather beautiful, Confetti is the clear standout. The Deverills is for Taylor swift fans (it’s good though).
• The Hellp: Riviera. The Country Road song is pure class. This is good. Gives me The Dare / The Itch vibes… But that could just be the name.
• Still Blank: Still Blank. Supporting Royel Otis at the moment which would have been good if we’d got tickets as A could have gone for the main act and me for support. All about Ain’t Quite Right for me. Which is better than anything Royel Otis have written (sorry).
• False Reality: FADED INTENTIONS. So good. Reality Slips is the best but this is all perfect for those angry dog walks to vent and de-stress.
• Runo Plum: Patching. Can’t remember now what I heard off this to make me pre-save the album. Really beautiful and chill. Probably Lemon Garland? No it must have been Halfway Up The Lawn. Oh my! So beautiful.
• Swim School: Swim School. Very underrated. Say It All (massive tune) and Am I Good Enough Now are my favourites. These are easily New Dad / Wolf Alice levels of good.
• Mollie Collins: Another Day in the Office. She has had some bangers in the past, but drum and bass albums are hard to pull off. I guess Call Me is the massive choon on this one. Dancing Til The Sun Comes Up for the festivals (but a bit too cheesy for me). Thayu Bass is pretty cool though.
• Ella Eyre: everything, in time. Adding because randomly saw her performing in Camden the day elder M moved down and I just thought “what a life she’s going to be living”. I like High On The Internet.
• Lorde: Virgin. Not really my thing. Intentionally didn’t go and see her at Glastonbury and have zero regrets. I can appreciate her though (Green Light is so good it gives me goosebumps: Ribs I don’t get the huge appeal of though. Also Solar Power seems underrated. Will love Disclosure’s Magnets forever. As if that is ten years old). Anyway… What Was That has a great chorus. Cool Vermont (I will forget this joke one day and have to listen to the album again to work out which song I’m referring to) makes my smile. There is something about Favourite Daughter I like.
• Dogshow: Coming out Canine. Much much better live than on record. Definitely interesting to watch. The last song, End of the Night is my favourite.
• Oklou: Choke Enough. Very chill. Not quite my thing though. Blade Bird is good. Probably won’t revisit the rest.
• The Belair Lip Bombs: Again. Not quite my thing, although Back Of My Hand is really nice and comes close. Burning Up too.
• Sorry: COSPLAY. Today Might Be The Hit is the obvious standout and sounds a bit different from everything else on the album too. It reminds me of some early 90s stuff. like Linus’ Yougli or Deus. Life In This Body is very different, but I like that too.
• Lausse The Cat: The Mocking Stars. Not for me. Nice and chilled rap/spoken word though.
• The Last Dinner Party: From the Pyre. This is the Killer Speaking is the big/obvious single. Think I prefer The Rifle though. I don’t like it as much as the first album.
• Vagrant Real Estate: Neither Collar Nor Crown. Would I like this as much (or even listened?) if it wasn’t (mostly) from Aberdeen? Maybe not. But All I Want is a banger (it’s in my Picks of 2025 list).
• Doja Cat: Vie. Feel like this didn’t get much attention. The are some good songs, but none I absolutely love. Probably the start of the album (Cards, Jealous Type, Ahhh Men!) is the strongest. Silly! Fun! Is pretty cool. Love Doja Cat’s voice. Come Back sounds like it’s from a different album though.
• Ninajirachi: I Love My Computer. Interesting late night noise and raving.
• Ceebo: blair babies. The politics is 100% my thing, the music less so unfortunately.
• Eliza McLamb: Good Story. Is really nice. Just going to get over-looked as I’ve listened to too much other stuff. Like The Boys, California, Talisman, Girls I Know and Getting Free are all worth a listen.
• bloodsports: Anything Can Be a Hammer. Great album name. Mostly noise. Don’t hate it: Don’t love it.
• Bedridden: Moths strapped To Each Other’s Backs. Another great album name. More noise. Kind of same as bloodsports, don’t hate it, don’t love it. Younger me would have probably listened more.
• Humour: Learning Greek. I picked a run of noisy bands to listen to here. Surprisingly these aren’t American, but from Glasgow! I never would have guessed it. If they pop up in Aberdeen I would be inclined to go see them.
• They Are Gutting a Body of Water: LOTTO. More (noisy) music where I like the band or album name more than the actual music.
• FKA Twigs: EUSEXUA (Alternative). Much prefer the original one. Listened to them back to back to be sure. But no Perfect Stranger!
• FKA Twigs: EUSEXUA Afterglow. Starts hard. Wild and Alone is ok. And ends HARD… As in everything after the fourth track just blends to the background for me which is a shame.
• Yazmin Lacey: Teal Dreams. Two Steps is good. Then Wallpaper is nice. Actually this album is kind of beautiful. No Promises could be my favourite? Ooh, Wild Things is good as well. And Ain’t I Good For You. Also Ribbons. She’s very, very good. Crutch is ok too. Hmm, it’s hard to pick - it’s all good. The chorus on Longest Way Round. Oh my. Makes me want to melt. That’s the one. (Although Water before it is ace too).
• Sudan Archives: THE BPM. Enjoyed this more than I thought I would since it’s not really my thing (which is the whole point in listening) I’ll probably pick MY TYPE as my favourite. Funky.
• KPOP B!TCH: The Deep. Listened because of the single KPOP B!TCH, but also liked Lucky Star and SOLO.
• Paria: Love Don’t Come easy. Actually really good. Listened to this a few times. Overly Attached uses the chorus from Superstar, but it works really well in this song. Also love Selling Art.
• Eli: Stage Girl. Not for me. A bit too X-Factor groupy for me.

This is not even everything. There will be albums I’ve forgotten. And this obviously doesn’t include the random singles, etc that are in my “Picks of 2025” list. That’s coming tomorrow. And is excessive.

• Tags:
  • owtelse

Came very close to it being Heartworms with Glutton For Punishment, especially because I saw them live, but then I thought Lambrini Girls have five tracks in my “Picks of 2025” list and I saw them live (excellent!), but it doesn’t feel like album of the year emotionally to me. Then there is also Carla Aakre’s things i forgot to tell you, which is outstandingly beautiful. Oh, and NewDad’s Altar. But I went with Low Girl after a recent re-listening of them all. I can’t recall how this ended up on my radar, but it is just superb. I don’t really have much to say about each indiviual song, but have highlighted my favourites. In general, the layering of all the instruments and vocals is so good - I know that is the point of a band, but it’s just done so well here.

• This House Is On Fire - Initially I overlooked this, but the more I listen the more it sticks in my head and I find myself singing it. It’s a beautiful building opening to the album and just transitions seamlessly to…
• ♡ 2007 - Which is just stonkingly good.
• Doing My Time - Great use of piano.
• Ctrl - Great use of guitar.
• ♡ Driveway - Reminds me (emotionally) of Embrace’s Gravity. Really, really breaks you down, but in a most beautiful way - you really don’t mind being desolated. Plus the brass! And piano! Oh my.
• ♡ Overgrown - The lyrics suggest otherwise, but the chorus in this really picks me up after Driveway.
• ♡ Handbrake - Is just utterly beautiful with an uplifting chorus (actually, here again, the lyrics are in opposition to the mood of the music).
• No Reasons - Has a really good ending.
• White Gown
• Spite
• ♡ I Love All My Friends - Just a beautiful ending to the album. I actually love the fake/extended ending on this too. I assume they finish all their sets with this and everyone in the crowd just hugs and cries?

How does this make me feel? All the feelings. Like someone reaching inside of you and making you dissolve.

I guess if I went for a top five albums it would be: 1) Low Girl, 2) Heartworms, 3) Carla Aakre, 4) NewDad, 5) Lambrini Girls. Maybe. Probably.

I used the word beautiful as many times as was appropriate.

• Tags:
  • owtelse

It took me a bit to get up and running after getting the laptop, but did want to point out that I am actually making use of it now:

• I make use of the excellent pdh on my NetBSD server so it means I can somewhat have an unofficial PagerDuty client on my phone (for “reasons” I can’t use the official one). But it bugged me that plain output was broken and that I couldn’t snooze alerts. So I fixed them both; Technically I didn’t need local NetBSD hardware for this since I only run pdh on my server, but just having a portable computer which is mine doesn’t half make it easier to do this.
  • I spent quite a bit of time looking at pre-commit and ruff-pre-commit as part of this. In the end I’ve not pushed anything, but I patched pre-commit locally so it works after I install pysqlite3, but then still ran into issues building ruff-pre-commit on NetBSD and I couldn’t find a work-around even though I could install ruff itself fine.

    diff --git a/pre_commit/store.py b/pre_commit/store.py
    index 1235942..ba2469a 100644
    --- a/pre_commit/store.py
    +++ b/pre_commit/store.py
    @@ -3,7 +3,11 @@ from __future__ import annotations
     import contextlib
     import logging
     import os.path
    -import sqlite3
    +try:
    +    # Primarily for BSDs that don't have built-in
    +    import pysqlite3
    +except ImportError:
    +    import sqlite3
     import tempfile
     from collections.abc import Generator
     from collections.abc import Sequence
  

• One of the first things I did on this machine was build helix. It built fine outside of Pkgsrc, but I wanted to update the Pkgsrc package and having local NetBSD hardware meant I could finally do it. Now I just need someone to merge it.
• Similarly with spotifyd, especially since I’m the supposed maintainer of the Pkgsrc package. That really can only be tested on local hardware.
• And libvips too.
• I had some thoughts about trying to setup my own taskwarrior sync server and put together a Pkgsrc WIP package for taskchampion-sync-server, but I don’t think I’m going to pursue this as using the mobile app requires running CCsync as well which just seems silly. Maybe I’ll re-visit this at some point. Maybe I’ll go back to TeuxDeux.

• Tags:
  • program