Our final scores for 2024.
No great moves at the top, but congrats to Snoop Dogg and his buddies for our highest scoring Hip-Hop album of ‘24 just pipping Rakim, and for the TOTW.
St Etienne slid very close to the year’s bottom 5.
Sam keeps the 😀 for the Xmas period. Jim picks up his first ☹️ for over six months with his worst set of scores for over 3 years.
Bruce Springsteen moved a few, with others missing his E-Street band. He spends Christmas with The Who and The Black Keys on the classics ladder.
Andy
Jake Bugg - Musically I really enjoyed this but I just can't get on with his vocal style, it kind of reminds me of Mark Owen when he went solo. It doesn't totally ruin things for me but it goes a long way towards it 5
Courteeners - Landfill Indie klaxon!!!! Not unpleasant but all rather uninspiring, apart from the dong about the night bus, which is bloody dreadful 5.5
Saint Etienne - It's probably a bit too ambient for my tastes but at least Sarah Cracknell pops some pleasant vocals over the top. Got quite excited listening to Ellar Carr until it turned out that talk of cantilever stands and elms was nothing to do with the former home of Reading FC! 5.5
Snoop Dogg - I liked this, Snoop has still got it and the guest features were a good variety of vocal sounds. Plus you can't go wrong with a Tom Petty cover 7
TotW - Last Dance with Mary Jane by Snoop
Bruce Springsteen - Wonderful stripped back magnificence including Atlantic City, probably a top 5 Bruce track for me 9
Guy
Jake Bugg - Never counted myself as a massive Jake Bugg fan, but I really enjoyed this. He’s a really strong songwriter. There is more than a touch of The La’s about his sound and that’s always going to be a good thing. Tracks like Waiting for the World head a bit in the Monkees direction too, which I quite liked oddly – 7.8
Courteeners – As soon as Andy declared ‘Landfill Indie’ on this one, it was pretty certain I’d like it :-). Probably not their finest work but there are still some good sing-a-long tunes on it. First Name Terms, the collab with Pixey, is a good example of that. And I didn’t hate the bus song either! – 7
Saint Etienne – This veered extremely close to Fennesz in places. Way too ambient. Saved by containing one or two ‘proper’ tracks but overall wafty and inconsequential – 4.5
Snoop Dogg – Decent stuff from Snoop. Some good beats and rhymes. Rattled along and overall an enjoyable listen. Another Part of Me was great with the Police samples as were most of the tunes featuring Dr Dre. – 7.2
TotW – All Kinds of People – Jake Bugg
Bruce Springsteen – He’s got something about him, that’s for sure. Such a distinctive sound. Emotional in parts too – so I kind of understand Sam’s weepy comments - 7.7
Sam
Jake Bugg : I’ve always liked him , his debut album is a future classic for sure . Parts of this are absolutely drop dead gorgeous. Back to his best . 8.8
Courteeners: it’s like they are stuck under the weight of Not Nineteen Forever and can’t get out . Pretty weak with the odd singalong . 6
Saint Etienne : powered by Sarah’s golden voice they used to smash out gorgeous pop songs by the dozen . What the hell this disjointed mess is I don’t know ? 4
Snoop Dogg ; best hip hop album we have heard in their group . Restored my faith in hip hop . His use of samples is top notch and it’s all so effortless. Good dogg . 8
TOTW : All kinds of people: by Jake Bugg
Bruce Springsteen: Yesterday I cried yet again listening to Highway Patrolman : I’m welling up now . Such a simple , beautiful album with amazing stories . Stunning . 9.5
Phil
Jake Bugg – 6.5
As Guy points out, there’s more than a hint of Lee Mavers to Jake Bugg’s voice and general sound. That said, this isn’t in the same league as the La’s one and only album, but it ain’t bad. Never said goodbye is a really good track though it does sound suspiciously like an Oasis B-side but Keep on moving is the pick.
Courteeners – 5.5
Apparently Courteeners were voted 15th best Manchester band in a poll by Radio X. Really? This is the first time I’ve heard them and I found them very beige. Not sure this even qualifies as indie landfill - the guitars aren’t loud enough, for a start. What it really is is pop and not very good pop at that.
Saint Etienne – 5
I’d always thought of St Etienne as a pop group and maybe that’s ultimately what they are. But this is anything but a pop record. It is some seriously weird shit and though I tried to like it, after sitting through it a couple of times, I was really looking forward to watching some paint dry.
Snoop Dogg – 6.5
Well blimey! Maybe all this forced exposure to rap is finally getting to me but I quite enjoyed this. It helps that there’s more musical variety than in most of the other rap albums I’ve had to sit through. The main attraction is the way Snoop’s personality comes through strongly – Hard knocks and The negotiator are good examples of this.
TOTW – Jake Bugg – Keep on moving
Classic
Bruce Springsteen – 8.5
Still sounds nothing else in music, never mind Springsteen’s own portfolio. Highway Patrolman is, for me, the killer track but there are so many gut-wrenchers. Peerless.
Simon
Jake Bugg: romps along with plenty of catchy hooks, but at times (All Kinds of People) I thought I was watching a lost Monkees track on a BBC4 '60s retrospective, and Still Got Time sounds exactly like Oasis. Unlikely to revisit. 6
Courteneers: lightweight indie fluff with absolutely no edge or spark - sound the klaxon! 4.5
Saint Etienne: have a soft spot for this lot and will always give them the benefit of the doubt, but struggling a bit with this so far - nothing wrong in principle with the concept but the downtempo, somnambulant textures and atmospherics haven't quite resonated with me yet. Maybe it just needs a few more listens. 6.5
Snoop Dogg: lost interest in this very quickly - by the end all I could remember of it was a Police sample and lots of expletives. Can't say I'm a fan of his music but I did enjoy seeing his reportage from the Olympics in the summer. 5.5
Bruce Springsteen: I think this is first time I've ever listened to a Springsteen album - apart from State Trooper (which weirdly reminded me of Suicide) it didn't do much for me, have never been a big fan of these storytelling albums. Too much harmonica as well for my liking. 6
TotW: Saint Etienne - No Rush
Justin
Jake Bugg - Beatles tracks and Dylan tracks but actually a lot of the ones that aren't too sixties are better. Still a bit of an underrated artist. 7
Courteneers - good band live and sure this would sound great live but listening at home it is pretty MOR indie. 6.5
Saint Etienne - listened to this a few times. I quite like it but it really needs a few more underlying beats as it can drift in places. 6.7
Snoop Dogg - Snoop Doggy dog dogg and repeat. Pretty much what you would expect. 5.7
Totw Jake Bugg - Never Say Goodbye
Bruce Springsteen - Brucie has recycled the same few lyrics and themes to death. Sometimes it works really well and othertimes it doesn't. If this was the only album I would rate it higher, but as it stands this would not be my goto Springsteen album. 5.9
Jim
Jake Bugg 5
Tunes are ok if a tad one dimensional, Oasis light. But I’m with you Andy, I don't get on with his voice, which at one point make me think of George Formby so i kept hearing 'When I'm cleaning windows' as this progressed
Courteeners 4
Boy, this weak, flacid indie. Night bus is dreadful, and the tame swipe at the state of nation that followed was as out of place as it was pap. Just had a listen to "what took you so long?" to remind me what they once had in their locker.
St Etienne 3
At least Fennesz, whilst poor, did what it said on the tin. No fricking clue what this was supposed to be.
Snoop Dogg 8
Saved the week, and a great way to end the year. Cracking beats, decent samples and an all star cast knocking out some top quality, up tempo rap. The combo of Dogg and Dre really works.
TOTW - Snoop's Pressure.
Bruce Spingsteen 6.5
Sorry Sam, Andy and probably Mark. I know he is a ledge, but whilst the storytelling may be first class and heartfelt, I need just a bit more music and his band behind him.
Mark
Jake Bugg - I'd kind of written JB off as a one trick pony after his breakthrough Lightning Bolt, but have to say this was surprisingly good. Yes there's plenty of skiffly LAs mersey beat (which I like) but there's also more depth and variety to the songwriting, so all in all a decent effort, played this quite a bit this week - 7
Courteeners - diminishing returns over the past few albums unfortunately, airbrushing out the guitars almost completely so you just end up with this anodyne radio friendly mush. He's got an ear for a tune but needs to think about what he wants this band to be, should go back to basics and turn the guitars up - 5
St Etienne - long time fan and had all their early singles and albums, I guess they're not chasing hits anymore and content to lean into their own musical indulgences. There are some lovely moments on here, and they're no strangers to the melancholy bridge, shame they don't feel the need to do at least a few big 60s inspired synth pop bangers anymore, but hey, I still love them - 6
Snoop - musically good, plenty of variation and slamming production, but lyrically repetitive and ridiculous. So a Snoop Dogg album then... - 6.5
TOTW - Preflyte by St Etienne
Adam
Jake Bugg - a Bugg fan since his first album (12 years ago?!). This one feels a bit moodier/grittier and Zombieland is a cracking track to kick off this album. 7
Courteeners - hard not to compare to the heady days of their first album, can’t imagine crowds singing out any of these tracks like ‘Not Nineteen Forever’ 5
St Etienne - some sophisticated soundscapes and vocals on this album, felt like I need to be in art college to appreciate this more. 3
Snoop doggy dog - from looking at the alums title, cover and first track name, you know this is going to be a good bit of snoop dog fun. Not sure which, if any, of these tracks will crystallise into classics but it gave what I was expecting - rude, in your face hip-hop. 6
TOTW - Jake Bugg - Zombieland
Bruce - bit more folksy than what was to come next with Born in the USA but good for a moody, reflective bit of folky rock 5
Annette
Jake Bugg: 6.5
Cournteers: 5.5
St Etienne: 4
Snoop Dogg: 7
TOTW: Snoop - Gorgeous
Classic: 6.5
Erol
Jake Bugg - like others I find his voice challenging. If you can get past that, this is a cracking album with lots of 60s rock threads flowing throughout. There’s more than a tad of Oasis here too. 8
Courteeners - mostly forgettable flaccid indie. 5
St Etienee - lovely vocals but not enough music. Just lots of weird emptiness and the occasional noise. 4
Snoop Dogg - there’s something about Snoop that makes me smile. He’s less aggressive than most other rappers and he seems to have more fun with the genre. Cracking collaborations and some super samples made this one of the best rap albums I’ve heard in quite a while. 8
TOTW - Snoop, Pressure.
Bruce - beautiful story telling and stunning vocals. I can understand why this makes Sam cry. A little less harmonica would have been welcome though. 7
Matt
Jake Bugg - pleasant enough selection with that early 60s feel about them but nothing outstanding for me. 6
Courteeners - yes it was a bit Radio 2 meets Elbow in parts but a thoroughly listenable album. 6.5
St Etienne - fair play to them for doing their own thing but I was disappointed with the lack of actual music. 4
Snoop Dogg - He's a cheeky chappy all right but we like him. Lavish and slick West Coast rap, with some of his showbiz chums and smart samples. Proper pedigree chum. 8
TOTW - Pressure, Snoop Dogg
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