Sorry it’s another rock album, both threatening and melodic. Still you can sing along as you dance to it, laughing out loud to the scabrous lyrics. Sung in a flat Lou Reed style, yet the guitars are constantly chiming and spiralling away. No, I had not guessed when listening to Another Girl, Another Planet by The Only Ones 45 years ago, that the lead singer would make my album of the year in 2024!  The production is great, you can hear every word, with unexpected sounds and background vocals which can become choruses. There are 20 tracks, probably a few too many, but they remain varied and concise enough, within their genre. It’s the lyrics which keep you listening, mainly concerned with death and romance, just packed with black humour designed to upset. Hence the following song titles give you some idea how crazy and unpleasant the songs can be – I Wanna Go With Dignity, Secret Taliban Wife, Do Not Resuscitate, Art Is A Disease – to name a few. All credit to his sons on guitar and bass, who keep it all moving forward in a sprightly manner, along with a few famous rock greats such as Johnny Marr and Bobby Gillespie. Get your fucking head on right!

Not so many albums of note this year (tho’ some great gigs), but did spend time listening to Night Reign by Arooj Aftab, The Border by Willie Nelson, Funeral for Justice by Mdou Moctar and Sonic Wires by Katia & Marielle Labèque. Classical listening was inspired by the work of Lili Boulanger (1893-1918) and her sister Nadia Boulanger (1887-1979). Roomful of Teeth with Caroline Shaw (Vocal) and Lankum (Irish indie folk) also regularly featured on my playlists. Yet it is evident that the era of the album is over, music no longer is no longer defining culture, contemporary pop is both vapid and retro. The best of it, as every one said this year, is Brat by Charli XCX.