‘Chaos Space Marine’- Black Country New Road

‘Chaos Space Marine’ brings you on a roller-coaster of organised musical chaos. Building you up in crescendo before ruthlessly tearing you back down. Instead of listening to a song you are taken on a journey, where it is far too easy to become lost staring at the flowers on the side of the path. The flowers in particular here have to be Lewis Evans’ Saxophone, something which adds to the undeniable uniqueness of Black Country New Road’s repertoire. It broke our hearts when lead vocalist and guitarist Isaac Woods left the band, leaving us without any further live performances. However, I think we can all find a bit of joy with his recent career move. Working in a bakery in Camden ironically contrasts with the mayhem of his music.

‘The Passenger’- Iggy Pop

‘The Passenger’ is post punk pleasure at its finest. Iggy Pop makes us a passenger in his musical exploration. The vocals sound like they are being played through a radio, something which will shake up your playlists and make you tune back in on a listening binge. With 4.5 million listeners he is the biggest artist I will mention, and ‘The Passenger’ sits pride of place as his most played song. This track is from his solo album Lust for Life, where Osterberg’s talent is blatantly showcased. The riff in the background here shouldn’t be overlooked and is characteristic to this track.

‘Banquet’- Bloc Party

Overall ‘Banquet’ is a largely post-punk track with an even split between vocals and instruments. There is something slightly ominous about the droans dispersed throughout this song. ‘Banquet’ is a solidly good song, you can rely on it to be a staple in your music taste and always a good conversation starter when talking to like-minded music fans. It’s bridge has to be the best part of the song, slowly building up its ‘rock level’ and bringing the riff which has been a constant to a conclusion. This would be a great one to hear live and really appreciate the drums and guitar in person over some good loud speakers.

‘Co-op’- Bess Atwell

Compared to the range of rock and post-punk I’ve recommended to you so far, Bess Atwell brings a softer and more emotional side to the table. Her songs feel strangely familiar and the emotion she portrays in her voice creates consistently vulnerable pieces. This is the type of song which will well up tears at an intimate gig and mesmerise any listener in emotion. Her album Already, Always finds the perfect balance between the uniformity of tracks and the ability to play the entire thing from start to finish. Her distinctive style never fails, whilst each song builds on the next creating a beautiful and plush discography. My favourite thing about ‘Co-op’ in particular has to be the mundane lyrics combined with such a stunningly beautiful melody. It perfectly captures the romanticisation of everyday life, which has to be inherent to both the making of music and listening to any kind of soundtrack in general.

‘False Confidence’- Noah Kahan

Noah Kahan’s classic raw and emotional lyrics have made him a statement in all of our playlists recently. ‘False confidence’ seems to begin slow and melancholy, but quickly chases down a catchy beat. As the layers build up it becomes increasingly more dynamic, it is music like this which envelops us all in a blanket of sound. Whilst beginning as a deceiving sound track for late night tears, ‘False Confidence’ is the type of song you will find yourself addicted to. Kahan layers a catchy combination of tambourines, his own vocal harmonies and applause to create a kind of depth which all too many artists fail to reach.

‘Ghosts (How Can I Move On)’- Muse

It is a special kind of joy that you feel when classic bands like Muse can still bring out new material as good as the old days. Euphoria was released on Will of the People in August 2022. It brings elements of their album Absolution (from all the way back in 2004) together with a slightly questionable Halloween bop and the very unapologetically named song ‘We Are Fucking Fucked’. Out of this range my favourite by far must be ‘Ghosts (How Can I Move On)’, with its beautiful piano melody it brings out a style from Muse which has only been touched on before in starlight. This song will bring you a new-found admiration of a classic
band and I guarantee whatever your music taste, you will not be able to help pausing for a moment to feel the music hit you. Ghosts (How can I move on from that?).

‘Territorial Call of the Female’- BODEGA

‘Territorial Call of the Female’ feels like a satisfying brain itch. The intonation of Nikki Belfiglio’s voice is absorbingly satisfying. Her vocals dance across the lyrics effortlessly and jump between raspy and exacerbated. The beat throughout this song is so addictive that it will be dancing across your brain in the same way. The founders of Bodega, Belfiglio and Ben Hozie double as filmmakers, something which seems to influence their discography. This song is as interesting and intriguing as a feature, you could spend hours analysing the depths which BODEGA manage to incorporate into their music.

‘Great DJ’- The Ting Tings
It is impossible not to move to ‘Great DJ’, with its catchy recurring motif and simple lyrics. It is the one song I will not complain about when it is inevitably recurring in my brain. This track would be a part of a ‘Great DJ’ set itself, clubbing would be even better if you found yourself dancing to The Ting Tings instead of your local Przym’s playlist. The very beginning has an uncanny likeness to the start of ‘Mamma Mia’ by ABBA, specifically the first drum beat which kicks off the rest of the song. Whether intentional or not, the inspiration is effective. The Ting Tings are like Wet Leg’s edgy cousin and you certainly can’t say that they don’t like their drums.

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