2025

Here we go again, my playlist of the year. I’ve stopped listening to music during the day, preferring Radio 4 but their wonderful ‘Add to Playlist’ show introduced me to Ezra Collectives ‘God Gave Me Feet For Dancing’, marvellously ironic in my case. As winter wore on a little slice of Ibiza-style sunshine by way of Luke Alessi’s ‘Daydream Of Beaches’ kept spirits high. I was fortunate to make a trip to Shanghai in March and whilst there I visited a Belgian bar, naturally. It was unseasonably warm during my visit and this song was playing as I enjoyed a Jupiler or two, Summer vibes. Back home, I must have been driving somewhere as I recall stopping the car to make a note of this cracker, ‘Checking Out’ by Divorce. I’ve tried to listed to more full albums this year and the new Matt Beringer solo album was a standout, I could pick a few tracks for consideration but the lead track ‘Inland Ocean’ is as good a choice as any. The world went mad for Oasis and their reunion tour in the Summer but, lest we forget, there were other great bands around in the 90’s. The Gideon Coe’s late night 6Music show is a good source of forgotten classics like this beautiful track - ‘Save Me, I’m Yours’ by Gene.

Another trip in late May to Donegal in Ireland. I shared some long car journeys with a fellow traveller and I have him to thank for introducing me to Bonny Doon and their ‘Longwave’ album from which this track comes. June found me in Nashville and a pilgrimage to the Johnny Cash Museum. Whilst there we landed in an old dive bar, Bobby’s Idle Hour and it was here that I was introduced to the delights of Pickle Beer, a southern speciality (yes, beer and pickle juice). I also had the great fortune to see a set by Luke Levison and his sublime ‘Escambia’, it stayed on my playlists for the rest of the year. In fact Americana in general was to influence many of the following choices.

Early July saw us in Finsbury Park to see a magnificent, triumphant headline show from Fontaines DC supported by Kneecap. Further down the support bill were Blondshell, the song ‘T&A’ a standout from a strong set. I was transported back to the city of my birth when I head the joyous, uplifting ‘St Anthony’ with it’s Age of Consent refrain - the new Manchester National Anthem. There must have been something in the water because next up is ‘The Field’ by Blood Orange, featuring the exquisite guitar work of Vinni Reilly. The summer of 2025 will be remembered as one of the best in recent memory, even for Mid-August in Wales the sun shone relentlessly during our visit to the Green Man festival. In a weekend of highlights, the Saturday line-up was peerless. The afternoon began with Ishmael Ensemble and their song ‘Leviathan’ a particular memory, pounding out over the sun-baked crowd. I was a few Welsh Ciders deep by the time man-of-the-moment MJ Lenderman took to the stage for a set of perfectly crafted alt-country rock. As the sun set and MJ left the stage, we woozily wandered over to the Rising Star stage to catch Westside Cowboy. Is there anything more life-affirming than seeing a bunch of kids having the time of their lives on stage, knocking out perfectly crafted songs with evident joy. Green Man, we salute you.

Summer subsided into Autumn but the musical legacy of the previous months lived on. Big Thief's album, and the track ‘Los Angeles’ soundtracked many a wine-soaked evening. Some artists are an ever-present for me on these lists and making it 3 years in a row are Kieren Hebden’s Four Tet, with his supreme, glacial ‘Into Dust’. Bringing things down a notch or two, the languid ‘Wood Knot’ by Dutch Interior. Thanks to the Guardian, I was alerted to a new album from Dublin’s ‘For Those I Love (FTIL)’. Irish music is having something of a moment, alongside heavyweights like FDC and CMAT the year saw Kneecap, Sprints and Murder Capital all break into the big-time. For me though, FTIL depict Ireland through a harsher, more forensic prism. The track ‘For The Sorrows’ throws everything at it; folk, trad, reels et all but the central message a caustic commentary on contemporary life in the Republic. My song of the year. This year’s penultimate track followed a deep dive into the back catalogue of the very fine Go-Betweens, their early 2000’s classic ‘Apology Accepted’. So, to close out the year. It’s hard to know if these more recent tracks will stand the test of time but something tells me the band Friendship are keepers. With its wobbly guitars, tense structure and anguished lyrics ‘Resident Evil’ perfectly captured the mood of the moment, of the year. Wishing you all a merry Christmas and prosperous New Year.