Nite Songs Top 70 Albums of 2024 - Part 3 (50-41)

 


So then, we've finally got to the place where this list SHOULD have started if I hadn't gone down about thirty different musical rabbit holes in the last few weeks. Guess we'd better make up for lost time, welcome to the Top 50...

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50.    AMELIA COBURN - "Between The Moon And The Milkman"


Middlesbrough folk poetess Amelia Coburn turned in one of the unexpected triumphs of 2024 with her debut album. Taking the listener on a musical trip including everywhere from Mexico to Dublin, it’s a beguiling album perfect for losing yourself in on a rainy afternoon while dreaming of better places.

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49.    WONK UNIT - "Good Good, Glad To Hear It"


Still as unique as ever, it's good to see Wonk Unit returning to the fray in a typically contrary mood. Verging from power-pop through country to punk thrash and covering everything from angry political rants to more reflective musings on fatherhood and the passing of time, there’s only really this band who could cover such a wide spectrum in 30-odd minutes. And we wouldn’t have them any other way.

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48.    STICK IN THE WHEEL - "A Thousand Pokes"


One of the most intriguing and individual albums of the year, Stick In The Wheel take the folk template and stretch it into all sorts of weird and wonderful new shapes. From gentle olde worlde whimsy to twisted oddball horror-folk which recalls the Urban Voodoo Machine, A Thousand Pokes could just be the start of a game-changing journey.

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47.    THE MEFFS - "What A Life"


Having whetted our appetites with their two Broken Britain EP's, What A Life sees the Meffs unleashing their debut long player and following up nicely on the promise those early releases showed. Bristling with anger and packing the same intensity, fury and tightness that made them stand out initially, these Colchester natives might just be one of the most promising new bands in Britain today.

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46.    DESPERATE MEASURES - "Sublime Destruction"

Sublime Destruction sees half-Brit half-New Zealand scuzz-punks Desperate Measures finally starting to live up to their claim of being the missing link between Guns ‘n’ Roses and the Stooges. From full flamethrower scuzz-punk to more sinister mid-paced stuff, Sublime Destruction is the sound of a band properly spreading their wings.

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45.    RIDE - "Interplay"

Interplay is a good album because while the sound is unmistakably Ride, it takes it off in all sorts of fascinating new directions. Taking its cues from the likes of New Order (Peace Sign) and Depeche Mode (I Came To See The Wreck) as much as it does from the band’s trademark shoegazing buzz, this album is proof that old dogs most definitely can learn new tricks to good effect.

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44.    THE BATTERY FARM - "Dark Web"


With punk now being in its sixth decade as a musical movement, it's becoming increasingly difficult to surprise people with it anymore. Which is what makes bands like the Battery Farm such a blessing when you find them. These Manchester upstarts tread the fine line between belligerent punk anger (The Next Decade, John Bull's Hard Times) and moody gothic reflection (Under The Bomb, the title track), you'll hear echoes of everyone from Magazine through Joy Division to the Damned in here but the key is that this album never loses its own identity along the way.

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43.    SNOWGOOSE - "Descendant"


Formed by ex-Soup Dragons guitarist Jim Dickinson and vocalist Anna Sheard, Descendant is the sound of the Scottish jangly indie scene of the '80s growing up. Building on the same influences that the likes of Teenage Fanclub mined in years gone by (the Byrds and Big Star principally), there's a warmth to this album which makes it perfect listening for a lazy Sunday afternoon. The sound of a band well and truly hitting their peak and a highly recommended listen.

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42.    THE DARTS - "Boomerang"


The Darts' profile has mushroomed over on these shores in the last 12 months and Boomerang should give you a good understanding as to why. Ripping through its 13 tracks in just 32 minutes, it's cool-as-you-like pop-punk with catchy melodies and hooks to spare, especially on the likes of Hang Around, Slither and Hell Yeah. On this evidence, the sky really is the limit for them.

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41.    MASSIVE WAGONS - "Earth To Grace"


Lancaster rockers Massive Wagons are continuing to improve with every release and Earth To Grace sees them building nicely on the progress shown on its predecessor, 2022's Triggered. The muscular old school rock of old is still there in spades but the key is that this group are getting better at what they do with every album and their growing profile in recent years is certainly no accident on this evidence.

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Continuing tomorrow as we kickstart the Top 40...

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