The best songs of 2020 so far......

Blossoms – ‘If You Think This is Real Life’ – Blossoms’ attempts to combine melodic songwriting with eighties synths has not always proved successful but this track, the opener to their new record ‘Foolish Loving Spaces’, is a pleasing exception. Bursting with energy from the first bars, and never taking itself too seriously, this is one of the band’s best songs and one of the highlights of the new album. 

Vampire Weekend – ‘Houston, Dubai’ – Vampire Weekend enjoyed a highly acclaimed comeback in 2019 with ‘Father of the Bride’ – a treasure trove of a record which cherry picked from a range of influences and wove them all into the band’s trademark preppy melodic sound. This gentle summery romp, a bonus track from the Japanese edition of the album, should never have been left on the cutting room floor.

Howie Payne – ‘Into Daylight’ – For those who have never heard of Howie Payne, do yourself a favour and explore the back catalogue of perhaps Britain’s most underrated singer songwriter – start with his band the Stands and move on to his solo records. ‘Into Daylight’ is a departure from the acoustic melodies he has favoured of late and see’s him return to the style of songwriting that made ‘All Year’s Leaving’ by the Stands a classic. Distorted guitar solos and an urgent bass line swirl together in a storm of modern pyschedelia.

Dr Pepper’s Jaded Hearts Club  - ‘Nobody But Me’ – This is the first original cut from the Beatles inspired modern day supergroup that includes Graham Coxon, Matt Bellamy and Miles Kane in its ranks. It’s Kane that’s the star on this number, living out his sixties rock star fantasy with his raw vocals perfectly capturing the spirit of the Small Faces and the Who.

The Strokes – ‘The Adults are Talking’ – Opening the brand new record ‘The New Abnormal’ this song is the clearest reference back to the band’s past and arguably one of the best moments on the album. A signature Strokes’ riff leads in to a perfectly understated chorus. Strip away some of the excess and this song could have fit comfortably on ‘Is This It’.

Neon Waltz – ‘Thanks for Everything’ – Scottish rockers Neon Waltz have been building a steady following over the past few years with their straight forward melodic guitar rock -  you can find their best tracks collected together on their 2017 debut ‘Strange Hymns’. This new single sees the band continue to evolve their epic soundscapes in miniature to great effect.

The Big Moon – ‘Waves’ – The Big Moon’s debut ‘Love in the 4^th Dimension’ was jam packed with upbeat indie anthems and the band have bravely explored a different path on follow up ‘Walking Like We Do’. The new album sees them explore a much broader range of sound and this song, a gentle piano ballad that builds to a crescendo, shows their willingness to try something new. ”I never saw the tide come in, I only saw the waves” Juliette Jackson sighs as she tells the tale of a relationship that has fallen out of sync.

Passenger – ‘The Way that I love You’ – He may never have shrugged off the middle of the road prime time FM label, but Passenger has the ability to write delicate and tender love songs in the vein of Cat Stevens or Billy Joel. This latest wears its heart on its sleeve throughout as he tells his lover of the depth of his love.

Declan McKenna – ‘Beautiful Faces’ – Teen prodigy Declan McKenna released one of 2017’s finest records ‘What Do You of the Car’ which heaved with his unusual and musically detailed takes on modern life. This new single gives some hint of the direction he will take on his follow up record as he croons “Tonight I want to be on Broadway and in Cabaret. Tonight I must go out and celebrate St Patrick’s Day”. The stream of consciousness lyrics about a night out with so called beautiful faces accompany a rolling funky 3 minute stomp.

Mac Miller – ‘Good News’ – This song, taken off the album ‘Circles’ released after Miller’s death, is a perfectly understated balance of a gentle melody with Miller’s lyrics delivered in a tired but delicate drawl. 

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