Nite Songs

  Here we are at the final frontier then. Read on to see what the cream of the musical crop has been this year at Nite Songs Towers... *** 10. EVIL SCARECROW - "Silicon Tea" It's been good to see Evil Scarecrow creaking back into action in recent years and Silicon Tea  shows that they're certainly no less silly than they were first time around, making the new Ghost album seem a bit...well, half-arsed in the process to be honest. Veering from the '90s pop-punk pastiche of Green Bin Day (see what they did there?) through the thrashy riffs of Master of the Dojo  to the none-more-cheesy '80s rockout of The Future Machine , this is the sound of a band who could have been on their last legs following recent membership changes making their comeback in fine style. *** 9. DANKO JONES - "Leo Rising" Similar to the Darkness who we mentioned yesterday, Danko Jones' new album saw a band who a few of us feared maybe now had their best days a while behind them ...

  Getting close to the top of the chart now as we head into the Top 20. Needless to say that anything in this bit you've missed, you really should investigate pronto... *** 20. GULP - "Beneath Strawberry Moons" A genuine unexpected triumph of an album - Gulp's third effort sounds like some sort of cross between the icy electronica of New Order and the laconic psychedelia of Mazzy Star with maybe a hint of All About Eve and Ooberman at their most melancholy. Featuring Super Furry Animals man Guto Pryce, this is another great album which seems to have undeservedly sailed under a lot of people's radars. *** 19. BENEFITS - "Constant Noise" Honestly, I'm not sure if Benefits actually could  have pulled the same trick twice following on from their debut album  Nails  last year. That record was so brutal and uncompromising, veering into pure white noise in places, that it really was the sort of thing you could only really listen to once. However, here's...

  We're well into the top half of our albums of the year list now *** 30. THE DIVINE COMEDY - "Rainy Sunday Afternoon" Neil Hannon's first album in six years and it sees him in a more reflective mood in keeping with the times. Yet even in his more downbeat moments, the guy's skill as a songwriter can't help but shine through from the political anger of Mar-a-Lago By The Sea  to the poignant The Last Time I Saw The Old Man  and Invisible Thread . The sound of a master of his craft at work. *** 29. DU BLONDE - "Sniff More Gritty" Honestly, I'd completely missed Du Blonde prior to this year but having been introduced to their work via Sniff More Gritty , I'm definitely going to check some of the back catalogue out. Mixing icy electro with a snotty punk anger, the likes of Dollar Coffee  and Solitary Individual  are angry diatribes on the superficiality of 21st century life. A confident blast of an album which is well worth a listen. *** 28. COME...

  It's Top 40 time in our Albums of the Year countdown! Cue up your classic TOTP music of choice and let's do this... *** 40. SUPERSUCKERS - "Liquor, Women, Drugs & Killing" Thirty plus years into their career and Eddie Spaghetti and co show no signs of slowing down with Liquor, Women, Drugs & Killing  being a welcome return to form after a couple of so-so efforts. The likes of Maybe I'm Just Messing With You , How Many Turns Will It Take (To Unscrew It Up)  and Meaningful Songs  are the Supersuckers' sense of humour written large with riffs and chorus hooks to match. It ain't big, it ain't clever but you know what? We wouldn't have it any other way. *** 39. THE HELLACOPTERS - "Overdriver" One of the first albums I heard this year and it turned out to be a strong contender in this year's rundown. After the storming return that was 2022's Eyes Of Oblivion , Overdriver  was a worthy follow-up from Nicke Andersson and his cre...

  So here we go, the Top 50. *** 50. LILY ALLEN - "West End Girl" It's probably inevitable that we will end up including at least one "big" album on this list but West End Girl  genuinely is worthy of its place here. A brutally honest dissection by Allen of the end of her relationship, it shows that beneath the pop princess image is a very accomplished and savvy songwriter. Often uncomfortable but always cathartic listening, this might just be her best album to date. *** 49. TULPA - "Monster of the Week" Leeds natives Tulpa might just be one of the most exciting new bands your correspondent has encountered for some time. Taking a mixture of jangly guitars, power pop melodies and some surprisingly dark almost gothy lyrical themes, this brings up the unusual but not entirely unwelcome image of the Wedding Present, the Cure and the Go-Go's going for a few pints down the pub and swapping ideas. Good stuff. *** 48. MANIC STREET PREACHERS - "Critica...