I’ve had a real resurgence of discovering new music this year. It’s a combination of finally working in a workplace with the radio on, so picking up new releases on Radio 1, and that last year I finally saw Blossoms live, and it was so incredible that I fell back in love with music in a way I hadn’t felt in years. Instead of just picking and choosing a track or two, I’ve been delving deep into albums and replaying some over and over. Here are my top 5 albums of the year so far.
Bradley Simpson – The Panic Years
The Vamps were the band of my teenage years, and as they veered into a style that didn’t really suit mine (a bit too brash and electronic), I always hoped that Brad would embark on solo music at some point, knowing that he’d end up producing an indie rock sound like the bands that inspired him. ‘The Panic Years’ are how he has coined the insecurities you feel during your twenties, resonating fans like myself who grew up with his music and now are now experiencing the feelings that fuel his album. As hoped, its sound is indie-leaning and driven by electric guitars, with anthemic songs that are just as great live as on the album. Going from one of his first performances of his solo music last year at The 100 Club to an acoustic performance on the day of The Panic Years launch at Kingston’s Pryzm was really special, and I can’t wait to see where his solo career goes next.
Tracks to check out: Cry at the Moon, Getting Clear, Always Like This
Sam Fender – People Watching
One of the most anticipate new albums of the last few months was Sam Fender’s People Watching – after all, it is the bestselling vinyl of the year so far. It feels weird to me how mainstream Sam Fender is now – the titular track, People Watching has been so overplayed and also makes me think of the intro to BBC show ‘Alison Hammond’s Big Weekend’ (a fun easy watch, fyi). But there’s plenty of music on People Watching true to Sam’s roots – TV dinner in particular echoes the brutal honesty in the likes of White Privilege on his debut Hypersonic Missiles. If you love the album, I’d recommend checking out his headline slot at Radio 1’s Big Weekend on BBC iPlayer, as he really thrives live.
Tracks to check out: Nostalgia’s Lie, Little Bit Closer, TV Dinner, Something Heavy
Inhaler – Open Wide
After Blossoms’ back catalogue, Inhaler’s Open Wide is my most listened to album this year so far. I can’t get enough of it, and it’s definitely my current go-to. I have to admit, I’m a little new to Inhaler; I knew a couple of their songs, but it wasn’t until I heard A Question of You on the radio that I was completely hooked and devoted to getting to know Open Wide in full. It’s an album packed with top quality songs from start to finish, I could easily say half a dozen of them are my favourite track! I’m very excited to see it live at the final date of their Open Wide tour at the Royal Albert Hall in October.
Tracks to check out: Eddie in the Darkness, Your House, Concrete, Little Things
Lady Gaga – Mayhem
Now for something a little different to those indie rock guys: I was super excited by all the mumblings about Lady Gaga’s new album sonically returning to her roots of The Fame Monster and Born This Way, both albums that I was obsessed with back in the day. It’s true – Mayhem is fun, chaotic and dance friendly – but also has moments of raw honesty; I adore Perfect Celebrity, that explores the darker side of fame. If only I had £200 to spare to see her live; this October will see her perform in London for the first time in over a decade, and it will no doubt be a knockout night.
Tracks to check out: Vanish Into You, Disease, Perfect Celebrity
HAIM – I quit
The most recent release on the list, the HAIM sisters really did say ‘single girl summer’ and run with it for their latest album I quit. Its uplifting opening track Gone is a confident opener; it celebrates independence by sampling George Michael’s Freedom ’90 in its backing vocals and mixing in some incredible guitar solos. It’s the sort of music that makes you feel like you’re in a film; Take Me back would fit right into a 90s teen movie like Clueless, and Lucky Stars makes me think of a dreamy New York rom-com. It’s also a great one to work to; I recommend popping this on for a super productive writing session!
Tracks to check out: Gone, Relationships, Take me back, Lucky stars
And there’s even more great music to come in the second half of the year – I’m especially excited for Tom Grennan’s ‘Everywhere I Went, Led Me to Where I Didn’t Want to Be’, Wolf Alice’s ‘The Clearing’, and Red Rum Club’s ‘BUCK’. What new music are you looking forward to?
