Yes.Are these going to be in a single Spotify playlist @Northern Voice ?
Finally a song I have heard of! But only because it was on your NP top 31 in the MAD 2 countdown.#14 - Pontius Pilate's Home Movies - The New Pornographers
Dan Bejar/Destroyer didn't participate in this TNP album, so Carl Newman decided to write a Destroyer song. Sure, works for me. It's dark and brooding to start but soon enough we have Neko Case coming over the top rope with her massive voice. It has a great groove/steady drums, saxophones harmonize alongside Case and Newman. I have absolutely no idea what its about.
#15 - Not Strong Enough - boygenius
We're in a little run here of songs that were near the top of a lot of critics lists here but these are undeniably great and we will be back in left field soon enough. The boygenius album/project is great but a lot of times it feels like a solo song from Phoebe Bridgers then a song from Lucy Dacus etc... this one is more cohesive and feels like a full band with big harmonies, multiple sections for everyone, I wish there were more like this. I wouldn't argue with anyone who thinks this is the best song of the year, it might only be this low because I wore myself out on it a bit.
Not Strong Enough
boygenius, Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers, Lucy Dacus · Song · 2023open.spotify.com
Listened to this album and Laugh Track by The National more than anything else last year. The Nation of Language gives me those Human League, Yaz, OMD vibes for sure. A New Goodbye is my favorite track, but there are at least 4 or 5 gems on that album.#11 - Too Much, Enough - Nation of Language
I saw these guys last month and I'm convinced they're going to be the next big rock band. Their front man has massive rock star energy and they just sound so damn good. This song sounds like it was pulled straight off an 80s synthpop album (Human League?), dusted off, given some shine and shot into my ear holes.
Love this song. I felt out of touch that it took a best of 2023 list (from Dec 2023) for me to find a Chicago band. Good stuff. Agree with you that The Window is their best track this year. Sorry about your FIL.#3 - The Window - Ratboys
I'm not going to say too much about this song, I know some of you know my father in law passed away in a nursing home a couple months ago and I can't really listen to this song outside of that context. I think it's an absolutely beautiful and heartbreaking love song and it really touches me every time I listen to it. I love the 90s Goo Goo Dolls-ish production too. Sue, Sue, you'll always be my girl
One small benefit of getting older is that I now really dont GAF what others think about my musical tastes. Years ago I would've rejected Olivia Rodrigo and Taylor Swift because C'mon Bro.#9 - vampire - Olivia Rodrigo
It should be pretty clear by now that I'm a sucker for slow moving piano ballads that explode into massive singalong choruses. This one does that but it also keeps growing outward the whole way getting bigger and bigger, moving faster and faster and hitting peak after peak. "bloodsucker, fame ****er, bleedin' me dry like a ******* vampire."