No Frills Reviews

24

Confidence Man SO WHAT

“Too many days of wasting your life, oh whoa”

With Charli XCX and brat’s runaway success, 2024 was a big year for obnoxious electro-pop. But if you like your electro-pop even more obnoxious, then Confidence Man had you covered. The vocals are borderline terrible, the lyrics are inane drivel, but what a tune! Despite the Australians being native English speakers, they manage to capture the magic of 90’s broken-English euro-pop classics.

23

Yard Act Blackpool Illuminations

“Cos the unknown is the only true hope for a brighter future”

Leeds band, Yard Act, are a little difficult to love. The disco-infused art rock of their second album made them a far more interesting prospect than some of their post-punk peers, but the constant snarky sprechgesang affectations remain tiresome. The beauty of this track is in its balance of their dry humour with some actual earnest feelings. A gentle epic sneakily builds, carried by a mournful riff, as a therapy session recounting formative childhood memories almost descends into imagined farce. It brings genuine laughs and genuinely touching moments; the bit about fearing change as a kid fucking hit me, man. 

22

Sophie Hunter Cha Cha

“I don’t wanna beg, steal, or borrow, Man, I wanna have it”

In a comparison that she’s probably already beyond sick of, Sophie Hunter is hip-hop’s very own Natasha Lyonne; not just in looks, but with her brash yet deadpan delivery. She comes with the dreaded descriptor of TikTok sensation, but with an impressive run of singles, she’s quickly proving that she’s capable of far more than social snippets. On Cha Cha, backed by a fucking King Kong stomp of a beat, she’s full of slick self-deprecating wordplay, full of hooks, and full of charisma. Expect her star to rise even further in 2025.

21

Mura Masa & Big Freedia Wiggle It

“Rock that ass, Shake that booty, It’s your duty, Catch a flow”

This collab between the UK producer and the New Orleans bounce legend is taken from an animated YouTube series about a beat-making bear trapped in space (Good Morning Kevin), clocks in at 73 seconds, and samples one of social media’s great ‘where have I heard that before’ tunes (FYI – it’s Monkeys Spinning Monkeys by Kevin MacLeod). If you think it has the whiff of a novelty…well, yeah. But sometimes you can’t beat a good novelty. A no-nonsense approach of huge pulsating beats and huge hooks for a song that’s pretty much all nonsense. No need to be embarrassed, it’s a banger.

20

Getdown Services I Got Views

“You’re nothing more than your dad’s spaff gone rotten”

Set against a fuzzed-up rockabilly boogie, the Bristol duo offer up an ode to the ever-opinionated gobshites in your life. They grumble at everyday annoyances, laced with a casually absurd humour and Sleaford Mods-style vitriol. An incessant, infectious groove filled with delightfully quotable invective.

19

Sad Night Dynamite Sugabby

“She’s tellin’ me broke boys will never blow out her back”

The standout from the London duo’s debut album may initially read as a semi-misogynistic critique of hollow, transactional age-gap relationships, but it’s actually a tale of aspiration. What more could you hope for in life than to find yourself a cougar willing to fill your pockets with money. Their tongues may be planted firmly in cheek, but there’s also a sneaky commentary on life’s fucked-up power balances in there. Most importantly though, it’s absolutely irresistible; a blend of hip-hop, electro and R&B, with blaring horns laying the scene for a barrage of hooks. An appropriately sugary-sweet slice of pop goodness.

18

Angry Blackmen Dead Men Tell No Lies (feat. Fatboi Sharif)

“Mr Officer, Mr Officer, I wanna put your ass in the coffin, sir”

Taken from the excellent, The Legend of ABM, this is a prime example of the eerie dystopia that Angry Blackmen inhabit. The kicker being that this dystopia is real life, as they tackle racism and police brutality in a way that feels both abstract and hard-hitting. Amidst industrial drones, the beat switch that signals the entry of Fatboi Sharif perfectly encapsulates the otherworldly presence of the underground’s prime proponent of the avant garde. As bleak as it is, ABM also manage to rescue a sliver of light from the darkness. There may be no hooks here, but it’s instantly memorable.

17

The Eggmen Whoooooo! I Don’t Care

“Wake from my slumber in the living room, with a deep sense of impending doom”

I’ll defer to my son’s opinion on this one from the Welsh six-piece: “This is really, really rockin’. But I hate the quiet bit”. He’s partly right, but also he’s four and doesn’t know shit. The beauty of this is that the tension of the quiet bit makes the rockin’ bit even more rockin’. A mundane tale of lethargy becomes a spaghetti western standoff exploding into a crazed shootout of scuzzy garage rock and psychedelia. 

16

Waxahatchee Right Back to It (feat. MJ Lenderman)

“I let my mind run wild, I don’t know why I do it”

This highlight from Katie Crutchfield’s excellent, Tigers Blood, is a brilliant pop song. A gentle country rock anthem that’s on edge, yet sweetly soothing. Contrasting metaphoric imagery with flashes of raw emotion as she traces the internal ups and downs of a relationship. The chorus harmonies between her and MJ Lenderman beautifully representing the sense of minor tensions and anxieties melting away into the comfort and security of long-term intimacy.

15

Korda Korder What Have You Done?

“Left me holding nothing, take my dreams away”

The Hastings duo immediately marked themselves as ones to watch with this mesmerising debut single. Three minutes of ethereal dream-pop elegance with grungy guitars gently breaking through the haze; raw yet tranquil. The vocals present a similar contrast; an otherworldly, angelic whisper masking an accusatory ode of heartache and broken dreams. Absolutely entrancing.

14

Dog Race The Leader

“To find salvation, there is a premium”

A manic psych-goth banger from the up-and-coming London five-piece. Katie Healy’s falsetto vocals are jittery and jubilant, echoing the cadence of Talking Heads-era David Byrne, while not sounding anything particularly like him. Backed by ominous stabs of distorted organ notes and choral chants, they blend cult imagery and religious overtones. It’s unsettling, yet utterly euphoric.

13

MJ Lenderman She’s Leaving You

“It falls apart, we all got work to do”

Indie rock’s big critical darling of 2024 partly proved why he’s worth the hype with this. A relaxed country rock ballad that erupts into an emphatic grungy chorus. Lenderman demonstrating his knack for balancing restrained beauty with raucous riffage, as a vivid character sketch becomes a bold call to action. The Neil Young comparisons seem completely justified when he throws out songs as good as this. (Read more)

12

Finnoguns Wake Blue Skies

“My heart just feels so reckless and tired these days”

The debut from Sydney’s Finnoguns Wake marked the return of former Royal Headache frontman, Tim “Shogun” Wall, as he joined forces with newcomer, Finn Berzin. Shogun quickly re-established himself as punk’s most soulful vocalist on this cathartic singalong; combining garage rock scuzz with Oasis-style stadium anthemics. A raw, emotionally-charged performance, where the increasing quivers in the vocals betray an escalating sense of desperation.

11

Antenna Cubes

“Sunday morning, out of cash, with nothing else to do”

A double header for Shogun, as his other new project was even stronger (their self-titled debut was our top EP of the year). Cubes is an almost pitiful tale of Shogun falling back into bad habits as he drops psychedelics out of a lack of anything better to do. But it sounds like one of the most exciting things imaginable. Propelled by the triumphant riffs of Hideki Amasaki, it’s a rip-roaring punk shredder. Mirroring the mind-altering effects it describes, it’s music as pure escapism.

10

Liquid Mike American Caveman

“Got older, but act the same”

“Got older, but act the same” – the refrain from American Caveman is many things. It carries the weight of a mass of emotions. It’s an essay. It’s a mission statement. It’s a defiant appeal to always keeping it real. It’s a pathetic realisation that you’re trapped in the habits of your youth. It’s a reminder to embrace the present. It’s an epiphany. It’s history repeating itself. It’s a condemnation of humanity’s inability to save itself. It’s what makes this song great…That and some glorious blasts of harmonica.

9

Paul Crowe Ayda

“I’ve been waiting many years to lay my eyes on you”

On this standout from his debut album, the Liverpool singer-songwriter conjures up some of the mystic magic that Van Morrison was working with on Astral Weeks. An ode to the women in his life, where he elevates them to the scope of myths and legends as he truly does justice to the phrase ‘miracle of life’. A cosmic beauty.

8

Kendrick Lamar Not Like Us

“Tryna strike a chord and it’s probably A minorrrrrr”

Some songs are notable for their impact as much as anything, and few songs had a bigger impact this year. The great rap beef of 2024 saw Kendrick on some diabolical, art of war shit; offering up full-blown character assassinations, while Drake struggled to comprehend what game was being played. Amongst the barrage of attacks, Not Like Us would be the one to stick in the memory. It foreshadowed the hard-edged West Coast sound to come on GNX, and it sounded like a party. Kendrick was on the attack, but he was also on the defence; defending the culture he loves from the vultures, from the colonisers, not just from Drake but from those like him, from dudes like me revelling in it all from half the world away.

Kendrick won the battle on every conceivable level, but this one beat Drake at his own game – metrics. Unprecedented gets thrown around a lot these days, but this really was unprecedented; a smash hit that not only makes multiple accusations of pedophilia against one of the world’s biggest stars, but makes them into certified hooks. Drake will probably stop knocking about with young streamers at some point and may even come back with some hits, but I don’t think he can ever truly recover from this; this felt like his death knell, and it felt like a celebration.

7

Father John Misty Screamland

“Stay young, Get numb, Keep dreaming”

Flourishes of poetic philosophising, vivid metaphorical imagery, and iconic sloganeering combine on a muted orchestral ballad that escalates into a mutated wall of sound. An anthem of anxiety, desperation, and hope. The best thing that Father John Misty has ever done.

6

Armand Hammer Doves (feat. Benjamin Booker)

“I know it can slip away slow, you can lose it all in a moment”

The acclaimed New York duo push the boundaries of hip-hop on this 9-minute epic. A hauntingly beautiful, abstract opus contemplating mortality and mental health. The sounds of apparitions float above as Benjamin Booker delivers fractured, plaintive vocals; gorgeous yet unspeakably grim. Lush ambience escalates into a noisy squall as the words of Billy Woods and ELUCID seek clarity, but only become more mired in confusion. Foreboding dread hangs in the air; never quite clear whether they’re mourning the inevitable loss of a loved one, in the midst of deciding their own fate, or a combination of both. The sound of a limbo between nirvana and oblivion.

5

Adrianne Lenker Sadness As A Gift

“The seasons go so fast, thinking that this one was gonna last”

The high-point from Lenker’s near-classic, Bright Future, is a masterpiece of earthy beauty. A freewheeling jaunt of mellow, roots-rock simplicity; tender acoustic guitar and piano, tinged with sombre strains of violin. A breakup song unlike your typical breakup song. Lenker doesn’t quite mourn for love lost, rather commemorates having experienced it at all. A mature reflection on a failed relationship, tainted by the melancholic realisation that this is another coping mechanism as Lenker clings onto hope that it’s not quite over yet.

4

Milc & TELEVANGEL Just One More Time

“Pour my brew out for The Mighty just one more time”

TELEVANGEL provides beautiful, despairing production which sets the scene for an outpouring of grief as the Portland rapper eulogises his recently departed friend; fellow Portland rap fixture, Mighty Misc. Simply the most heart-wrenching song of 2024.

3

Joyce Hum Hotline

“There’s nothing wrong with a little pain, right?”

Joyce’s debut album is a chaotic kaleidoscope of sound, and this track encapsulates its vision best. Atmospheric, spoken-word ambience gets caught in a storm of industrial-rock noise. There’s flashes of insight, but its lyrical inscrutability mirrors the musical pandemonium. Four months later and I’m still none the wiser on the chorus’ lyrics, but I’m still convinced that they’re absolutely vital. A song that’ll leave you disoriented, yet desperate for more. (Read more)

2

070 Shake Winter Baby / New Jersey Blues

“Found a girl and she’s worth all of the pain”

The restless genre-hopping of 070 Shake’s latest album often felt disconnected and confused, but she executed the concept to perfection on this delightful two and half minute fever dream. A doo-wop, Christmas jingle that morphs into a menacing modern soundscape. This disconcerting backdrop perfectly complements the paradox of Shake’s absorbing vocals; almost androgynous, part-detached, but with flashes of raw passion. It’s a warped encapsulation of human relationships; love and lust, intimacy and jealousy, desire and despair.

1

Bruiser Wolf 2 Bad (feat. Danny Brown & Zeelooperz)

“She’s bisexual, going crazy on the pole – bipolar”

Re-purposing a sample that’s already been popularised always risks lame-duck copycat status, but producer, EJay Beatz, deserves plaudits for this one. He lifts the same Syrian pop sample from A$AP Rocky’s 2013 posse cut, 1Train, and helps transform it into one of the best party cuts since Rocky’s Fuckin’ Problems from that same album. Danny Brown appears here, as he did on 1Train, alongside Bruiser Brigade labelmate, Zeeloperz, who brings a similar high-pitched hyperactivity; their contributions providing the track with a frenzied energy. But, as he often does, it’s Bruiser Wolf who steals the show; a magnetic, one-man punchline machine. Rapturously fun and gloriously depraved.