Best album and band of the year.

I thought it was too early to say, but then I called Wolf Alice in July last year (and I was right) so maybe not. I still have a massive backlog of albums from this year I’ve yet to listen to, of a wide variation of genres as well (really interested to hear TC’s Unleash the Wolves and De La Soul’s latest), but when you know, you know.

This is definitely one of those cases where you hear a good single and then the album turns out to be just as good. I listened to it four times in a row when I got it. There is nothing to not like about this. On first listen it does have an early 90s indie feel to it - which I consider a big plus - but it is more than that.

This interview makes me like them even more.

Album tracks

  1. Breathless - Way more than ok as openers go and sets the tone well for the rest of the album.
  2. ♡ #1985 - Just super catchy, great chorus, good one for the kids to sing along to in the car. Err… if you are us.
  3. ♡ Moby Dick - Just utterly, utterly beautiful. I have very strong feelings about how good this track is and if you don’t agree you are just plain wrong.
  4. Walnuss - The middle of the album is still good and I like these next three tracks, but they are just overshadowed by the brilliant start and end. Maybe: The guitar is pretty magical on this.
  5. Yosemite - See 11.
  6. Free - The slow start misleads you a bit, but the ending sets you up well for the next track.
  7. ♡ Klartraum - This would be so good for some moshpit madness
  8. ♡ Rollerskate - Awesome and if time machines existed it should appear on the soundtrack to Whip It.
  9. ♡ Diamonds - I love the guitar sound on this, both at the start and when it gets super fuzzy. This is no old 90s indie.
  10. ♡ Computer Love - They do choruses so well. Love the guitar on this. Oh they are good. Find myself randomly singing this.
  11. Song For Mildred - Belly gets mentioned in the interview, but I’d say this track is more Throwing Muses. Like Yosemite actually. A nice gentle end to the album. Can sing

I’m extremely unlikely ever to see these live (because in general the days of seeing any live bands are long gone), but I would dearly love to see these.

Listen to it loud and try to sing along.