Nell Smith – Anxious
Chosen by Duncan Seaman
A fatal car accident in Canada in October 2024 deprived the music world of a remarkable up-and-coming talent who who had been fêted by Nick Cave for an album of covers of his songs that she recorded with her friends The Flaming Lips in 2021. In the months before she died Nell Smith, who was born in Leeds, had been readying her first album of original songs largely recorded with Jack and Lily Wolter of the Brighton band Penelope Isles. It was released posthmously by Bella Union in April. Brimming with youthful innocence, it offers a poignant insight into Nell’s mind as she negotiates the ups and downs of her teenage years, but even better, it positively fizzes with great tunes – not least the title track, the woozy psychedelia of Daisy Fields, the twinkly Bubba and the joyfully insistent Boy in a Bubble, a homage to her friend the Flaming Lips singer Wayne Coyne. A tremendous testimony to a musician taken far too young.
Ghost – Skeleta
Chosen by Andrew Steel
After five records charting their transition from psych-doom tinged curiosities to fully-fledged festival headliners, the Swedish metal favourites scored the biggest album of their career with this sixth collection, cementing their place as prime purveyors of pop-glossed arena rock, built with preposterous pantomime glee and wall-of-sound riffs at every turn. Frontman Tobias Forge, firmly ensconced in his latest guise of Papa V Perpetua, delights in the pomp and circumstance; Peacefield and power ballad Guiding Lights are among his best yet.
Get Sunk – Matt Berninger
Chosen by Tom Newton
The National frontman Matt Berninger returned with his second solo album following his debut offering Serpentine Prison. Whilst his debut sounded more sparse and isolated having been recorded during the lockdown years, here Berninger brought in more electronic sounds and female vocals akin to The National’s I Am Easy To Find from 2019. One of the best The National tracks that isn’t The National is one of the single cuts Bonnet Of Pins. Typically romantically sarcastic and upwardly downbeat, it is a big highlight of the album. Throughout, the instrumentation and composition is much more akin to his band than the acoustic and piano led debut. All choppy drums and sweeping synth keys. Berninger has found the perfect balance between what he is best known for whilst doing it on his own terms. Fans of The National’s recent output First Two Pages Of Frankenstein and earlier work Sleep Well Beast will get a lot of joy from this solo offshoot. It is one of the best The National albums that is not in their own discography.
Poor Creature – All Smiles Tonight
Chosen by Susan Darlington
The resurgent Irish folk scene is widely regarded to centre on Lankum and their producer John ‘Spud’ Murphy. Rather than dominate it, however, their love of collaboration and experimentation has created fecund ground for diverse voices. A case in point is their involvement in two of the strongest albums of the year: Anna B Savage’s You And I Are Earth and Poor Creature’s All Smiles Tonight. The former is rich, pastoral folk. The latter reinterprets traditional songs through brooding atmospherics. Alongside the standard fiddle and accordion, it deploys a Hohner organetta (a vintage table-top electric organ) and otamatone (a Japanese toy synth) to create Krautrock drones, psychedelic textures, and trip-hop rhythms. By combining old and new, the album boldly redefines folk for a new generation.
Jim Ghedi – Wasteland
Chosen by Janne Oinonen
That Jim Ghedi’s fourth solo album was fuelled by dextrous folk-rooted guitar virtuosity, indignation at a world heading ever more resolutely in an unhealthy direction, the lure of the natural world and deep-rooted traditions wasn’t much of a surprise. The muscular folk-doom-rock electric band dynamics, Ghedi’s newfound confidence as a falsetto-frequenting singer, a heavy atmosphere of rumbling drones and most of all a selection of fierce, bruised yet defiant and elegiac original tunes were a jaw-droppingly startling development, however. With the masterful, wounded majesty of Wasteland (released on Todmorden’s reliably exemplary Basin Rock imprint), the South Yorkshire-based guitarist catapulted from a gifted upholder of traditions to an unmistakably contemporary songwriter of rare substance.
Deftones – Private Music
Chosen by David Hodgson
Few things have hit harder than the tenth album from Deftones, a dark, thrilling ride, propelling them to festival and arena headliners in one fell swoop. Private Music welds bruising riffs and dreamy atmospherics to deliver something simultaneously heavy and ethereal, with tracks like My Mind Is a Mountain and Infinite Source balancing brutal intensity and ghostly beauty. Chino Moreno’s vocals hover between whispered melancholy and raw power. It’s mature, aggressive yet melodic, and emotionally rich. For long-time fans or newcomers drawn to atmospheric metal-rock, it’s a worthy evolution and finally places the band amongst the greats of the genre.
Dead Pioneers – PO$T AMERICAN
Chosen by Neil Chapman
Following on from their self-named debut, Dead Pioneers launched PO$T AMERICAN into the chaotic landscape of American political commentary. It is obviously just a record, and one that was even written before the latest round of turmoil became a stark reality. The mix of hardcore punk and spoken word delivers a powerful commentary from the perspective of indigenous people. The multi-talented Gregg Deal delivers poetic judgement on Mythical Cowboys, whining youthful social commentators, and the irony of white men taking a tough stance on immigration. The words are delivered over pounding drums and fast-paced punk guitar riffs. Political punk at its very best!
