In the first few minus degree weeks of March 2018, the real month that lasted forever, the ray of sunlight that kept me going through the snow, was Superorganism's self titled début. It proved to be exactly the record I wanted to hear from them. While some may have bemoaned the lack of experimentation, what sold this album to me was the quality of the songs and the positivity within them. Mixing inventive samples and quirky song structures, 'Superorganism' is one of those rare albums that is as eclectic and forward think to listen to as it is fun, breezy and enjoyable.I had no idea what to expect from the first play of David Byrne's 'American Utopia' LP, the opening track 'I dance like this' offered little of an answer, being both a cold slab of industrial electronic and a quiet piano ballad. The rest of the album indulges the African rhythms and nods to funk and electronica that made Talking Heads so loved. Yet the tense paranoia of David's former band is replaced by a sense of joy and optimism which the world sorely needs right now, which is best heard on the highlight 'Everyday is a miracle'. On which David notes of how little importance human problems are to the rest of the worlds creatures and how we need to 'love one another'.
In recent years the term pop punk has revolved less around knob gags and more around the earnest, self pitying white male types who currently dominate the scene. Needless to say Nervus are not you're average pop-punk band, fronted by the proudly trans Em, and lyrically focussing on everything from the trials of growing up as the wrong gender to the end of the world itself. Em has clearly put her heart and soul into the ten songs on 'Everything Dies'. Yet what really makes the album special is that all this angst and anxiety has been put into 10 of the most irresistibly catchy pop rock songs that you will likely hear all year.
One of the few good things about bands you love parting ways is getting to hear the various members start making solo and side projects and hearing the individual elements of each member that made the band tick. From hearing Insecure Men's début album it's clear that while Lias Saoudi gave the band is anarchic punk edge, it was Saul Adamzewski that gave Fat whites the druggy narcotic sound that made their songs so sinister. While Childhood's Ben Roman's Hopcraft is also on the cover this is very much Saul's band. Much of the album falls between the decadence of Fat Whites and the feel good soul-pop of Childhood's last album. Saul takes familiar elements of everything from 'Silent Night' to We Will Rock You' are turned into songs that are familiar yet are disturbing and catchy in equal measure. Much of the album is relaxing as it is eerie, Insecure Men create a lush sound that gives the feeling of being sedated, that becomes more enjoyable with each listen.
Honourable Mentions
Jack White -Boarding House Reach
Twenty two in blue - Sunflower bean.
Stop Lying - Raf Rundell
New Material - Preoccupations
