Do you believe human beings are using resources faster than the world can replace them?

So as promised I devoured Normal People (Sally Rooney) in two formats. The book was intense, skipping between dates means there was never a need to pad; much like a book I loved but hadn't thought of in a long time, One Day. And while the book touches on class, mental health, and domestic violence it is largely a story about two people - Marianne and Connell - and their relationship. 

It's actually impressive how well they managed to translate a book that is largely about thoughts, feelings, and inner dialogue into an emotional television show, particularly whilst sticking so closely to the source material. There's no loss to the intensity between the main characters and the situations, on the whole, actually feel more believable. The interactions with Jamie, or how naive Marianne seems in the first episode are the exceptions. Paul Mescal and Daisy Edgar-Jones deserve all the success that comes off the back of it.

Talking of Paul Mescal I also saw Aftersun. After seeing a lot of hype online around it, I was slightly... not disappointed, but not completely satisfied. The film follows the holiday of Sophie and her father Calum, and as the film develops it becomes increasingly clear that Calum is suffering from depression. Sophie also spends a lot of time by herself or with other kids (of various ages) at the resort, largely a secondary storyline to her realising that, as we see later in her life, she's gay. It's still an incredibly worthwhile film, one that gave me similar vibes to The Florida Project without quite such a jarring ending. It is exactly the 

It's a bold choice to call a show something that you never want to tell anyone about. Say, The Sex Lives of College Girls. It is, however, a fairly apt title. I had reservations about watching based on ITV's adverts, but a five-star Guardian review piqued my interest. The show was created, in part, by Mindy Kaling but I promise it's better than Velma (apparently, haven't caught up with it yet). That tells you all you need to know, really. Four girls dorm together at University in Vermont, and each have their ups and downs along the way. The show is often at its strongest in the tender moments, be that Kimberly's struggle to afford school or Leighton, the 'it' girl, journeying toward being an empathetic human being.

Richard Powers' Bewilderment was my favourite book I read last year, so I finally picked up a copy of The Overstory. It was shortlisted for the 2018 Booker Prize and won the 2019 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction - so fair to say critically acclaimed. The story follows nine characters throughout their lives, and the history that brought them together, and centres around the natural world - much like Bewilderment. The premise being how incredible trees and the ecosystems they create are, and how much more we should be doing to protect them. Genuinely a book that will change the way you think, they've just cut trees down outside our flat and I've never been angrier.

In both of Powers' most recent books he makes reference to Flowers for Algernon (Daniel Keyes); A science-fiction story about Charlie Gordon, a man with an IQ of 68 who undergoes surgery to make him more intelligent. One of the meetup bookclubs I joined during lockdown, but never actually made use of, had picked it as their next book and it felt like a sign. It's a slightly confusing mix of acknowledging the idea that someone's intelligence shouldn't affect their status as a human being, conflicting with the evident sadness in his regression. Slight aside, I couldn't stop imagining Algernon as Stewart Little which, at times, took away some of the impact.

And finally, on the stereo in the past fortnight-and-a-half - aside from various Eurovision national selections - has been Thrice and their re-recording of The Artist in the Ambulance for its twentieth anniversary. While it was never as raw as their first two efforts, it still feels that it dates from before Thrice settled on a defined production style. Later albums have been notable for how clean everything is, the drums are perfect, the vocals front and centre, separation in guitars. The original recording feels a little muddied and Kensrue hadn't quite found the vocal style he'll settle into. With that in mind, it's genius to marry one of the great emo albums with the artist Thrice have grown into. Any excuse to listen to Paper Tigers on repeat.

Albums, Books, Movies, Things.

Howdy and welcome to another edition (or the first proper edition) of 'stuff that I have recently enjoyed'

For the last couple of years I've been meaning to read James Acaster's Perfect Sound Whatever, a book setting out why 2016 was the greatest year for music in history. I needed to start at the beginning of the year so that I can listen along with his one-album-a-day diet, and I managed to forget the last couple of Januaries. Let's go 2023! The album explanations (they're not really reviews, he deliberately doesn't give much personal input) are interspersed with Acaster's 2017, when he broke up with his girlfriend, was dropped by his agent, and ended up having a bit of a breakdown. The decision to restart this blog clearly has nothing to do with it.

And I reckon we'd be fast friends, to be honest. I know that everyone in the UK thinks that, but we'd get on really well. It's him, Colin Murray (I've already got my Fighting Talk episode all planned out), and Rylan. What a quartet we'd make.

And already PSW is helping to discover some great music, what comes next is effectively paraphrasing the book but still, hopefully there'll be some . Zeal & Ardor is the brainchild of Manuel Gagneux and 4chan. He used to ask the message board for genres to combine, and out of that came Z&A - a thought experiment based on what if American slaves had worshipped The Devil instead of Jesus. Their self-titled release from last year is particularly explosive. 40 Watt Sun went from writing one of 2011's best metal albums to atmospheric, brooding rock that almost tips toward folk. Unsurprisingly there was some discontentment among their existing fanbase, but sometimes we should fight our preconceptions.

Which brings me nicely to Emily Ratajkowski's series of essays that make up her critically acclaimed My Body. I didn't expect to find many parallels between Acaster and Ratajkowksi, but there are some between their absence of joy when it comes to success within their professional fields. Admittedly, Acaster's was exacerbated by other issues in his personal life and Ratajkowski's largely revolves around horrible people treating her horribly. I must admit, I was as guilty as some in the book when it comes to underestimating her, and I'm sorry for that.

One thing noticeably absent from my 2022 post are movies. At this point, it feels like it's been a few years since I've seriously invested time into films, instead mainly binge-watching almost endless TV crime dramas (and Gilmore Girls). So 2023 is going to be the year of the film (and book, and album, and football). Initially, I've been catching up with some releases from last year that I never got around to - and there are many. 

(There may be some spoilers below)

Good Luck To You, Leo Grande is almost entirely set in a single hotel room. Daryl McCormack (who was also great in Apple TV's Bad Sisters) plays a sex worker, and Emma Thompson the woman hiring him (Nancy). The film runs through some bog standard criticisms of sex work (Nancy worries that "Maybe you're an orphan") but also delves beneath those surface-level arguments. 

If anything the film tries to fit too much in, it turns out Leo was shunned by his mother after she walked in on him and some friends when he was younger - a fact discovered after Nancy effectively doxxes him because she was reading too much into their relationship. Ignoring personal boundaries is an interesting angle, but Grande shouldn't need a backstory to be angry at someone breaking his rules. 

At times it's hard not to hear Thompson's lines delivered by Sharon Horgan ("Sometimes I wonder whether what you young men need is a war") but equally, it's hard to imagine this not being Emma Thompson. Her bold decision to show her body is genuinely striking in a world where we so rarely see real bodies. And in the end, the film is about dropping the shame around sex and personal pleasure.

Almost the other end of the spectrum is The Menu. A critique of the mega-rich and also bad movie stars? A troupe of foodies descends on the renowned chef, Julian Slowik's (Ralph Fiennes) island and restaurant. The casting is excellent with fellow Brits Anya Taylor-Joy and Nicholas Hoult being particular standouts. Hoult's character, Tyler, is a highlight given that he has prior knowledge of what happens on the island, and yet his behaviour doesn't seem to have been massively altered by it.

They brought in people who had worked on Chef's Table and that decision really does elevate things, with each dish being professionally staged in a way that wouldn't be out of place on Netflix. There were subtle changes from the initial script - the relationship between Tyler and his date in particular - and the film was stronger for it.

Next on the chopping block for me personally, Normal People (book) probably followed by Normal People (TV). And also to decide whether sitting through three hours of Babylon is going to be worth it.

The Year of Our Lord 2022

One of the problems with working from home over the last couple of years is the lack of a commute. Don't get me wrong, I hate commuting. It's tiring, you have to either cocoon yourself into a seat on the train or pay too much attention to the traffic in front of you. One thing it isn't (or isn't always) is wasted time. It's the only time in the week when I feel truly guilt-free for just reading a book, listening to an album, or telling whichever football podcast they don't know what they're talking about. Anyway, here's some stuff I liked from 2022.

I have not listened to nearly as many albums as I would have liked this year, but my rough list of favourites pic.twitter.com/8YGCfttNwb

— Matthew Williamson (@Photomattic) December 21, 2022

Over the years I've become far more receptive to the beauty of pop music. Two albums stick out on that journey from pretentious teen to now. Taylor Swift's 1989 and Carly Rae Jepsen's EMOTION. Both released new material last year, but neither quite lived up to the hype. Swift's Midnights tried to recapture some of the style of 1989 but didn't quite succeed. Meanwhile, CRJ's The Loneliest Time had some hits on it - Beach House and Talking to Yourself in particular - but largely passed by without incident.

One pop artist that's been on the playlist since Day dot is Lights. She slightly drifted off my radar after The Listening, but 2017's Skin & Earth, followed up by EPs with i_o and MYTH, put her very much back on it. PEP feels like the natural progression of her career so far. Singles Prodigal Daughter and Salt and Vinegar set the tone for an upbeat dance-adjacent album and, while that is largely the vibe, the closing track Grip is at odds with what came before and is all the better for it. A moody, building monster. Also, a quick shout-out for Okay, Okay, a track I largely glossed over on the first listen before catching it live and falling in love.

Then there are a couple of newcomers. I stumbled across Hatchie and her album Giving the World Away almost by accident when I saw Drift Records tweeting about their Dinked edition vinyl. Her introspective dream pop is a melancholic listening experience, she poses questions about almost every aspect of her existence but never seriously manages to resolve any. And my favourite pop album of the year was Rosalía's Motomami. Even the fact that it's Spanish doesn't seem to make it inaccessible. The switches between the traditional melodies and more contemporary beats keep things interesting, but it also doesn't detract from Rosalía's (occasionally) awesome vocals. There are some albums that feel like art (hi 22, A Million) and I'm filing this one amongst them.

But old habits die hard. The Wonder Years also decided to hark back to older sounds on The Hum Goes on Forever, though the lyrics have matured. Instead of singing about high school, Dan Campbell reflects on his newfound status as a parent. Similarly, you know what you're going to get with Toronto's PUP. THE UNRAVELLING OF PUPTHEBAND somehow contains a song written from the perspective of a computer finding love and makes it genuinely quite emotional.

My absolute favourite record comes from the mind of Nova Twins. Late each year I try to cram in as much as I've missed over the course of the year so my end-of-year list doesn't feel quite as sparse as it normally would be. That's how I found 2020's Who Are the Girls?, and Supernova just builds on where they were forced to pause during the pandemic. Whatever genre you want to attach to the duo, there's just no way to not enjoy a track like Fire & Ice. Part of the reason to attempt to write again is to give me the vocabulary to express what I like about albums like this, so maybe later in the year I'll be able to express it.

Nice to actually be able to do a book list too. Admittedly not a book list from 2022, but books read in said year. pic.twitter.com/5T7EjdCQuF

— Matthew Williamson (@Photomattic) December 22, 2022

Turns out that travelling over to Europe is quite a good time to read, and I managed to get Richard Powers' Bewilderment done in almost one sitting. Theo's wife had recently died, and his relationship with his neurodivergent son is explored throughout the book. The slightly lonely nature of travel probably combined with a lovely book, as it always has to do to properly resonate. There's beauty in their relationship, in the relationship between both of them and their missing third part, and in the World they end up trying to save.

Bewilderment may have been top overall, but the absolute best thing I read was The Garden of Forking Paths, the first half of Fictions by Jorge Luis Borges. The selection of surreal short stories interrogates everything from the structure of stories, to language, to dreams and manifestation. The Circular Ruins in particular is a magnificent piece of writing, quite possibly the best. I found Fictions (or Ficciones in Portuguese) via recommendations after reading Umberto Eco's Foucault's Pendulum, and it's clear why. Many of the same themes run through both men's work. The latter can be dense and hard to digest at points, but perfect for those who love the sort of conspiracy theorist mysteries popularised by Dan Brown (though with some added literary prestige).

Amazon have been giving away books for free for a few years now under their First Reads program, and one was Take What You Can Carry. A story surrounding an American woman, Olivia, who falls in love with Delan - from Kurdistan. The two travel to northern Iraq for a wedding within Delan's family, but Kurds are a persecuted people and Olivia stands out with her height and red hair. The story is based on Gian Sadar's own family which makes it all the more powerful.

In 2020 Michael Holding's speech about racism went viral. The next year he effectively curated a number of stories from elite sportspeople about their own experiences of racism. I'll be honest, I went in slightly sceptical about the power of the written word being able to maintain a similar power. Why We Kneel, How We Rise manages to keep the urgency while expanding beyond just Holding's personal experience.

I asked Meg to start buying me some 'award-winning fiction', I'd grown a little bit tired of mainly reading crime dramas, and she picked out The Colony by Audrey Magee. An English painter and French linguist travel to a remote Irish island, and the story investigates how they take advantage of the residents for their own end, and how those on the island react. The backdrop to everything is The Troubles, which start to bleed into the story as things progress.

I'll gloss over the frankly unhealthy number of Christmas films (the only films I really watched) during the year and just a quick final shout-out for the TV adaptation of One of Us Is Lying. I hate how much I love teen dramas, and it was the perfect binge-watch. I'm sad that the books didn't quite live up to it - though some of Karen McManus' twists are bonkers. 

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New York, The Big Apple, NYC

New York is, perhaps, the most recognisable city in the world. The Statue of Liberty, The Empire State Building, Central Park, yellow taxis, and car horns. It's the backdrop for every form of media you can imagine.

That said, I hadn't come to see the sights. I have a fear of heights that negates many of the top attractions, and other than watching Madagascar and Night at the Museum I'd done very little research on what there was to do in The Big Apple. I had come solely to watch The New York Rangers. So it was nice to discover that our hotel was literally across the street from Madison Square Garden (I hadn't planned the trip). Which turned out to have added benefit; with nothing to do on our first evening, and desperately trying to stay awake until a reasonable hour, we decided that we'd also try to catch a New York Knicks game.

I have never had an interest in basketball. Coming from a hockey town, if Bracknell is anything at all, the NHL has always been on the radar. More generally the NFL seems to have been the primary of the 'Big Four' that managed to penetrate the UK market, and I've been involved with the MLB in my work, but The NBA has always been relegated to the fringes.

But at MSG I was mesmerised (or as mesmerised as it's possible to be after the best part of a twenty-hour day on the back of four hours sleep). The game was completely different from the one I had imagined. It wasn't just running from hoop to hoop, hitting everything they try. Instead, there were continuous set plays. Setting screen after screen as the ball was thrust between jerseys, looking for an open shot. The Knicks season had been over for a while before we visited, so it's not as if there was ever any tension. And they were never really in the game, against the much better Oklahoma City Thunder, at all, but I've been watching basketball almost non-stop since I've been home.

The Statue of Liberty (Probably don't need to caption this tbh)

Anyway, away from sports stadia there are, obviously, the key landmarks. Central Park may have been lacking some of its summer panache in early March, but it's incredible how quickly you lose the bustle of the city streets. The nearby American Museum of Natural History, with its impressive dinosaur collection and Easter Island head (you know, Dum Dum) more than killed a couple of hours. The Statue of Liberty is omnipresent in virtually every American production, but still an impressive sight. Perhaps more so is Ellis Island, oft-discussed but not nearly as ubiquitous on screen. Brooklyn Bridge is probably equally spectacular, but there's something that doesn't sit quite right about walking over a wooden boardwalk, forty metres in the air. I was concentrating more on getting to the other end than taking in my surroundings.

The 9/11 Memorial

It's redundant to say that the 9/11 memorial is a moving tribute. On the birthday of each victim, a white rose marks their name.

Grand Central Station

I'm sure you're meant to get a rush from the main concourse at Grand Central Station, but I'm not sure it quite lives up to the hype. I kept thinking back to the terminal at Milan Central, although it's true that there are no fascist undertones in New York. There's no doubt that it's a striking space, with stars and stripes hung high as always. Around the corner, there's The New York public library which can be worth a wander around, although as a quick google image will tell you there's really only a couple of points of interest inside.

Washington Square Park and its triumphal arch wouldn't be out of place in any European City. Plus it's the penultimate track on one of the seminal albums of my teen years (is it even about New York?), so there wasn't really a question about going. It's also where Impractical Jokers often shoot, so that's fun too. To digress slightly. DO Cookie Dough, just a street away, is the only thing in the entire trip that I would not bother going out your way for. Facebook videos may make it look great, but the reality doesn't quite match. Especially on a hot day with no water (that may partially be our fault).

'The Vessel'

From WSP it's a nice walk through Greenwich Village to the beginning of the High Line. The former railway line has been repurposed as an elevated, mile-and-a-half walkway through the West Side of Manhattan. Even on a weekday in March, it seems busy, and artificially warm given the glare from the buildings as you head toward Hudson Yards. At the end of the walk, 'The Shops and Restaurants at Hudson Yards' - which an awful name - are a good place to stop and refuel. There's also 'The Vessel', a forty-five-metre structure that widens as you go up. Safe to say, I stayed on the floor.

It's not just monuments that are famous in NYC - the food is a key part of its appeal. Central Perk may be fictitious, but you can still eat where Sally ended up getting carried away in Katz's Deli, or at Westway Diner where Seinfeld was 'born' - a show I'm sure it's criminal I haven't seen. You'll be hard-pressed to find a place without framed photos taken with famous clientele.

Honestly, this was too much after more muscles than I've ever had but it was v good

We didn't manage to pick up a hot dog on the side of the road, as my brother wished, but we still had pizza in Little Italy, where we sat next to a lady who lamented her connection Donald Trump, cocktails in Brooklyn, and just so many pancakes. A special shout out is reserved for Big Daddy's waffles. Light, fluffy, topped with chicken (if you want). I will also never forget Mexicue, on 5th Avenue. I need proper tacos in the UK.

Chelsea Market, too, deserves more than a mention. Home to numerous food outlets, it's a crime to only choose one. As big fans of Mexican, Los Tacos is a must, and a nice pizza slice from round the corner to help it all down. Hell, there's even an unnecessarily fancy Starbucks next door where I tried cannoli for the first time. Big fan. Not only that, but there are numerous shops to peruse. Pearl River Mart sells an excellent face mask collection for anyone whose skin hasn't fully recovered from the plane's atmosphere.

You really have to reserve more than a little time for shopping. The frankly oversized Macy's can take basically the whole day by itself if you wanted it to. I was dragged to the Glossier flagship store (thankfully I got some cute selfies out of it - they have a room). The adorable Strand bookshop (bookstore) proudly declares it stocks over eighteen miles of books, and it's always nice to browse classics you could never afford. Only issue is you need to have left plenty of space in your luggage when you end up coming back with a boxset of The Iliad and The Odyssey.

I think it goes without saying, but if your one reason for coming is hockey, make sure you pick a match they actually win. We managed to get to the NYR-NJD derby, and safe to say that did not happen. As an aside, how does it cost so much considering there are forty-one home games a season? At any rate, Rangers, 2-1 up after the opening period, conceded four times in the second, and couldn't bring it back in the final third. The only benefit of that being that it meant Shesterkin was pulled for Lundqvist. I can die saying I got to see The King in action.

I told myself I don't like New York, and it's true that in many respects I'm not a massive fan. It's loud, even being on the seventeenth floor didn't help much, it's busy, and it doesn't even smell particularly nice. Maybe it's just being on holiday that's great - that's certainly possible, but there is some charm to New York. The people in New York are nice. I'm pretty sure that goes against the conventional wisdom of New Yorkers, but it's true. The food is unreal, and there's always a thrill to end up somewhere you've only ever seen on the TV. I wouldn't like to live there, but maybe I'll go back again, even if it is just to see my two New York teams in action.

Oscars 2017

Best Animated Film Kubo and the Two Strings
Zootopia, easily the bookies favourite, has every right to win, but there's something about Kubo which sets it apart from the pack. The stop motion aspect is interesting, of course, but it also tackles storylines that Disney seem to have distanced themselves from. The death of a young boy's father may reek of The Lion King, but that's almost 25 years old. Combined with more mythical storytelling and I truly believe Kubo to be deserving of the Oscar.

Best Adapted Screenplay Moonlight
Much like Best Animated Film there are so many deserving winners here. Fences, which you can tell came from the stage given the way it's been adapted, and Lion which is heart-wrenching and europhic simultaneously - all of the clichés. However it's Moonlight that surely has to win, set in three parts it follows the development of a young gay, black man and the challenges he has to overcome and the way that his sexuality in particular informs those choices.

Best Original Screenplay Manchester By The Sea
While La La Land is expected to win awards all over the shop I'd be surprised to see it pick up this particular category. I expect it to go to Manchester By The Sea, which is gloriously written. It somehow manages to be about the absolute worst things one could imagine in life, and still manages to be funny. Initially I found it a little confusing the way it cuts between time periods without notice but as the film develops that's part of its allure - the way the characters slowly unfold before you.

Best Director Damien Chazelle
In my mind Damien Chazelle has to take home the award, La La Land perfectly sums up his vision to an absolute tee. It's clearly a labour of love, and while you can pick holes in a number of areas the artistic vision is one you'd be hard pressed to find fault in. This combined with cinematography are the two that I would expect LLL to pick up easily.

Best Supporting Actor Mahershala Ali
In many ways the following doesn't make sense - I think the nominations tilts this in favour of Mahershala. I do not know how the voting system works - whether they cast ballots openly across all films, or if the nominations are first released (or a combination of the two - however I think Aaron Taylor-Johnson is probably who I would have chosen. Failing that I really don't see much competition for Ali; yes Dev Patel won at the BAFTAs but I'm not sure how much the British bias came into that. The only real advantage Patel has is he's the star of his film, but it honestly shouldn't be much of a competition.

Best Supporting Actress Viola Davis
It's not even close, Viola Davis absolutely nails her role in Fences. There's literally nothing else to say.

Best Actor Denzel Washington
If this were to be given for pure acting and irrelevant of how good a person I find particular actors it would probably be edging toward Casey Affleck rather than Denzel - who criminally wasn't even up for the award at the BAFTAs - but that's not the way these things work with me so I'm going with Denzel. Fences relies on its acting; everything about it is very much taken directly from the theatrical production. The entire movie is set in one scene, and that means that Washington and Davis are relied on, and they deliver.

Best Actress Natalie Portman
Slight caveat here that I've actually only seen two of the nominations - Jackie and La La Land. Portman completed embodies Jacqueline Kennedy, the film is quite literally all about her. I wasn't that taken with the film itself but at times I forgot who I was watching. It's a wonderfully immersive performance.

Best Picture Manchester By The Sea
It's actually fairly difficult to call Best Picture as there're a few different ways it could go. The most likely, and most unsatisfactory, is that La La Land scoops. But for me there are two films that deserve it more than Chazelle's entry - Manchester By The Sea and Moonlight. Ignoring the hate for LLL, Manchester By The Sea is a better overall picture. It's funny, emotive, beautifully shot. Moonlight is groundbreaking in many ways. You don't see many films with people of colour playing complex leads, let alone factoring in the sexuality aspect. MBTS edges it for me; I can't name a film that manages to stretch so far while seeming so genuine. The only downside is it stars Affleck.

Albums 2016

My favourite 34 (I miscounted when writing and it's too late to think of a 35th) albums of the year. I know I missed a lot. Please don't judge me too harshly.

34. Macklemore & Ryan Lewis This Unruly Mess I've Made (Metacritic: 59%)

33. Pretend Happy Tired Eyes (-) 

32. Travis Everything at Once (60%) 

31. Moose Blood Blush (-) 

30. Aesop Rock The Impossible Kid (85%) 

29. Like Pacific Distant Like You Asked (-) 

28. Childish Gambino Awaken, My Love (77%) 

27. The Weeknd Starboy (67%) 

26. Raleigh Ritchie You're a Man Now, Boy (-) 

25. The 1975 I like it when you sleep, for you are so beautiful yet so unaware of it (75%) 

24. Keaton Henson Kindly Now (69%) 

Where up 'til now Henson's solo albums have been almost entirely himself and his guitar there are hints here of his other projects sneaking in. Right from the off you can hear the influence from Behaving in 'March' where he uses samples from the rest of the album to create an opener, and 'NW Overture' wouldn't have been out of place on 'Romantic Works'. Combined with his usual lyrical talent – my personal favourites being found on 'Comfortable Love', "Don't be sad, love. I'm amazed that you ever loved me.", and virtually the entirety of 'The Pugilist'. – you have yet another beautiful heartbreaker.

23. Taking Back Sunday Tidal Wave (73%) 

'Tidal Wave' starts with a bang. 'Death Wolf' is the kind of track that the new-era Taking Back Sunday do so well, it's not subtle, the lyrics aren't going to change your life, but the vocal lines may. It basically screams 'live show' at the top of its voice. The rest of the album is slightly more reserved, maybe overly so. 'You Can't Look Back', 'All Excess', and 'Call Come Running' all occupy the same space. They would have been quite at home on 'Happiness Is...', but leave you craving something slightly quicker which never materialises. 'I'll Find A Way to Make It What You Want' is a noble attempt to recreate 'Nothing at All' but doesn't quite hit the same heights. 

22. Apologies, I Have None Pharmacie (-) 

I think you can infer the contents of 'Pharmacie' from the track listing – 'Love & Medication', 'Goodbye, Peace of Mind', and, mostly tellingly, 'Everybody Wants To Talk About Mental Health'. It's a deeply personal LP, touching on everything from the aforementioned mental health to toxic masculinity. That said in many ways it feels like 45 minutes of self-flagellation, the theme of not being good enough runs throughout. There's very little light here, on the album closer Josh McKenzie concedes, "This confession has meant nothing... Nothing is redeemed. I've gained no deeper knowledge of myself". Music is meant to be sad, right?

21. Måns Zelmerlöw Chameleon (-) 

Eurovision champion continues success, or at least should do if he can crack the UK market but at the moment it's criminally still confined to his native Sweden. These, however, are pop anthems at their very best. 'Fire in the Rain', premiered during his champions reprise in Stockholm, is not so different from the Scandinavian folk-pop that's propelled many to superstardom levels recently, while 'Happyland' ebbs and flows, and allows Zelmerlow to show off his obvious vocal talents. It's ironic that it may be the focus on those vocals that stop this from going international – in a world where the Top 40 is predominantly dance tracks with big name producers and club anthems maybe it's not the right time for 'Chameleon', which always has that Eurovision feel in the back of its mind.

20. Joyce Manor Cody (79%) 

'Cody' is Joyce Manor's longest record yet and it still manages to fit ten songs in 24 minutes 32 seconds. It is actually hugely noticeable that songs are allowed an extra thirty seconds here, an extra minute there. 'Eighteen' - which I'm convinced would have been 1:15 had it been on 'Of All Things...' - gets a little outro, "Everybody gets a little lonely sometimes.", which feels like it sums up Joyce Manor. 'Fake I.D.' is one that will show up in emo clubnights for years to come, with just the right amount of smugness about Kanye West, and 'Reversing Machine', probably closest to fitting in on 'Of All Things...', is the track you look for your friends to sing with at shows.

19. David Bowie Blackstar (87%) 

Bowie's last album is always going to be tied to his death, that was part of the point, and that makes it almost impossible to uncouple from the feelings of last January. That said, trying to detach the songs from the emotion, it's a terrific final effort. Only seven tracks but clocking in at over forty minutes, he is the antithesis of Joyce Manor. My favourite being the indecipherable 'Girl Loves Me'. Being written half in Nadsat and half Polari it's deliberately dense, as Bowie constantly questions "Where the fuck did Monday go?".

18. Luca Brasi If This Is All We're Going To Be (-) 
My favourite new find of the year are Australia's punk-rock Luca Brasi, who came onto my radar after their split with London's Apologies, I Have None. Combined with a support slot with everybody's favourite emo band, Moose Blood, they've had a pretty solid start to trying to break the UK. In an interview with Rolling Stone the band said - "The idea going into this record was to try and nail down the guitar side of the band, which is super important to us, and the melody aspect"; It's a pretty apt description of what they've managed to accomplish.

17. Every Time I Die Low Teens 

Shouty bands have somewhat made way for pop musicians in my music taste recently but 'Low Teens' is too good to ignore. That and it features Actual God Brendon Urie. ETID, famed for their live show, are one of the bands I see mentioned all the time but had never checked out before now – and what a terrible decision. 'Low Teens' was written in the face of lead vocalist Keith Buckley dealing with his wife and child's medical issues and nowhere is that clearer than on 'C++'; "I gotta plead with your machines. I'm at the feet of your machines; show me anything at all".

16. Craig David Following My Intuition (-) 

I don't think I ever truly enjoyed Garage so Craig David's decision to bring his own twist to the UK Dance – or whatever you actually call it – Scene being such a success was a little bit of a surprise. It probably shouldn't be, teaming up with producers like Sigala and Kaytranada, plus rapping over the top of Jack Ü's Bieber track, it's a pretty solid base to work from. In '16' David shows off his legitimately angelic voice and rapping ability – I'm not sure if there's anybody right now that can match his diversity. The only downside is that 14 tracks are too many, especially when the 'hits' are front-loaded. Maybe that's the beauty of not being tied to formats, but 10 would be more than enough.

15. Kevin Devine Instigator (-) 

There are few people out there with voices fit for purpose than Kevin Devine, and on 'Instigator' it's his greatest weapon. The album leans more toward 'Bubblegum' out of his 2013 dual release, in terms of style at least, but while politics may not be the sole focus of the album there's still a good smattering of political critiques. Freddie Gray Blues, No History, No Why all try to tackle the current climate – something which Devine has always been adept at doing. However there's a clear level of introspection as well. Acoustic closer 'I Was Alive Back Then' features stories of his brother, wife, and finally about his becoming a father. 

14. Matmos Ultimate Care II (76%) 

Sometimes people do things that I just can't believe – I still don't understand half of the things (magician) Dynamo has done; my mother is convinced that he can actually see the future. Making an entire album with no sounds other than those made by an Ultimate Care II washing machine falls under that category. Consisting of one, long 38 minute track – unless you're listening on Spotify where they've helpfully been split into nine excerpts – there is an immersive quality as the water swirls round you. In many ways it's impossible to fully explain, but I've found it's very good music to work to. I implore you to give it a go.

13. Thrice To Be Everywhere Is To Be Nowhere (78%) 

Finally back with another effort after coming off hiatus in 2015, 'To Be Everywhere' is in many ways just a vehicle for Dustin Kensrue's exasperation at politics and the wider world. Thankfully the quartet haven't lost what made them darlings of the rock scene. 'Whistleblower' is perhaps a little on the nose, and there have been times where I have genuinely thought I was listening to Bon Iver during 'Salt and Shadow' – not to say they don't do it well, but that's easily offset. 'Blood on the Sand', about how fear corrupts decision making, and 'Black Honey', an attack on American foreign policy and how that relates to oil, are probably the stand outs.

12. Ariana Grande Dangerous Woman (76%) 

Queen of My Heart hones her craft on this Grammy Nominated – although to be fair what isn't? – pop fiesta. The features which held back predecessor 'My Everything' have mostly disappeared – no more Gambino rapping about school lunches – and while there are still nods to her previous overly-cute style in 'Moonlight' and 'Be Alright', these are thankfully limited. Gone completely is the innocence, that really started eroding with partnering up with The Weeknd, and in comes flagrant sexuality. 'Side to Side' was a Worldwide hit, going Platinum in seven countries, and its not even the best song on the album. Transformation from Nickelodeon star to Pop Goddess most definitely complete.

11. Muncie Girls From Caplan to Belsize (98%) 

Muncie Girls are the new face of punk and the best band in the country. Straight from the off lead singer Lande Hekt muses, "The systems we rely on aren't for you, they're for the lucky fucking few." A woman championing feminism in the music scene shouldn't feel refreshing in the current year, but it still does in an arena still dominated by men. And the whole album feels like it could have been recorded live, there's not a whole lot of divergence from simply piano/bass/drums, but it adds to that punk-ethos feel. Truly one of the most important bands about right now due to both their political stances, and songwriting ability.

10. Daughter Not to Disappear (74%) 

I hadn't really ever heard of Daughter before they popped up to headline a sold out Cambridge Corn Exchange on the day of 'Not to Disappear's release – and incidentally singer/guitarist Elena Tonra's birthday. Each piece feels like soundscape. I saw someone talk about the tracks in terms of Massive Attack, and it's a great comparison. It may not be exact, but I hear the opening to 'Teardrop' all over the place. The instrumentation is sparse, and expertly layered; It feels like a perfectly constructed jigsaw.

09. Pinegrove Cardinal (84%) 

Pinegrove blew up this year, thanks in part to honing their sound and upping the production for their sophomore album. Shown perfectly on a couple that have been reworked from previous efforts, 'New Friends' and 'Size of the Moon'. In many ways they don't fit in the genre that they seem to be occupying, while they seem to appeal to those that enjoy the likes of Modern Baseball, The Hotelier, and Foxing, they seem to fit more naturally into the sphere of Americana. There's banjo, there's what I can only describe as country-vocals, and it's all absolutely glorious.

08. Weezer The White Album (71%) 

While Weezer have had 'hits' that would sustain any festival crowd they've never really been able to master the longer format, and since the turn of the 10s they've been on a particularly barren run. So it's with an elated heart that I'm able to proclaim that Weezer are back with their strongest LP in near two-decades. 'Everything Will Be Alright In The End' sounded like a deliberate attempt to recreate their 90s success, but this sounds like a transformation. Where those guitars had been overbearing River Cuomo's vocal lines are now allowed to take centre stage; piano has a much bigger part, allowing for legitimate contrast when those guitars do finally hit home; and there are builds, so many builds. Nothing sums up the transition as well as stand-out 'Thank God for Girls' – celibacy was a long time ago.

07. Jimmy Eat World Integrity Blues (76%) 

Much like Weezer the last few Jimmy Eat World albums haven't resonated with me in the same way as their early work – apart from the magnum opus that is 'I Will Steal You Back'. Thankfully that's been rectified with 'Integrity Blues'. There seems to be a trend from all my emo-faves to talk about legitimate grown up things, or at least use them as themes, now they're all actual adults and I'm glad that 'Pass the Baby' has benefitted from that. In many ways a more aggressive, cut-down 'Goodbye Sky Harbor', at least in part. The longing from early albums – particularly Futures – has been replaced with feeling good about where they are. It's optimistic, happy, and that is thankfully matched by the quality.

06. Tiny Moving Parts Celebrate (-) 

'Celebrate' manages to combine beautiful, technical, math-rock guitars with huge emo vocal hooks – literally starting off the album with the somewhat angsty "Nothing's ever good enough". Arguably at its best when combining with Foxing's Conor Murphy on 'Common Cold', Murphy's softer vocals help give a moment to breathe around Dylan Mattheisen's more frantic approach. Part of the appeal is that nobody else is really doing a similar thing, at least not as successfully. It's incredible that they can reproduce the tracks live with just the trio – the emo/math-rock Biffy Clyro.

05. Modern Baseball Holy Ghost (81%) 

Split 50/50 between songs written by Jake Ewald and Brendan Lukens, 'Holy Ghost' is in some ways two separate pieces of work; It's a testament to how in-sync the band are that it flows half as well as it does. The opening half, written by Ewald, is generally a tad more poppy, and contains what many consider to be the stand out in 'Wedding Singer'. There's also 'Everyday' which sounds not dissimilar to Best Song Ever Written, 'The Thrash Particle' from 'The Perfect Cast EP'. 'Coding These to Lukens' sees the only song where the two share vocals, a handing over of the torch. Lukens' half deals mostly with his much-publicised mental health issues. 'Apple Cider I Don't Mind' and 'What If' from the backend represent my personal favourites from the album. Modern Baseball seem to be hitting all the right notes at all the right times, musically they're excelling. They just played a huge show at The Forum where all the toilets had notices telling people gender diversity was welcome. A great band, and great people to boot. 

04. PUP The Dream is Over (82%) 

I wonder what the feeling in the room was when 'If This Tour Doesn't Kill You, I Will' was pitched to the rest of the band. I'm incredibly glad it was, though. 'The Dream Is Over' is a total whirlwind, kind of like how Not Moby from HIMYM has an all-high party mix. In many aspects it's just a refined continuation from their self-titled. I actually find it quite hard to pin point why it's quite so far up this list, but trust me it absolutely deserves to be. It's chaotic, but if there is an overarching theme it's that of relationships. With his bandmates, with his pet chameleon, and with old flames. It's success is probably that it's just so damn relatable.

03. Panic! at the Disco Death of a Bachelor (69%) 

I was actually incredibly late to the P! party, not really getting into them until a couple of years back but thankfully I didn't miss the best part. Death of a Bachelor is Panic's first since Brendon Urie became the only member, and I think you can tell. While there's been a definite transition toward more mainstream pop in their sound over the years I think this is the first that's gone all out with it. It's an insane half hour of huge hooks, massive production, and, of course, falsetto. It is the only album, up to this point, that has made me want to go to LA and party until I can't stand up. That said passing out in drain pipes still feels a little much.

02. The Hotelier Goodness (85%) 

'Home, Like Noplace Is There' is a modern masterpiece, so it was unlikely that The Hotelier were going to be able to match that again, but the amazing thing is that they've come so close. 'Goodness' is not as instantaneous to make an impact; it takes time to get into. To understand the nuances, and the storyline that runs throughout. If the poems and birdsong throughout function to break up the album, then it's the second 'act' that I've truly fallen in love with. 'Two Deliverances' is dripping with emotion, "If I choose this too does it count as my move? I can't drop my history just to become new." howls singer Christian Holden. Whereas 'Opening Mail For My Grandmother' is the other, quieter end of the spectrum. Exploring the idea of getting older and, inevitably, passing via an anecdote of opening mail for his grandmother. 'Goodness' feels more like a piece of art than an album, I can listen to it over and over and come away with new things every time. 

01. Bon Iver 22, A Million (Metacritic: 88%) 

In many ways 22, A Million feels like the counter balance to Death of a Bachelor. It's heart breaking. Gone, almost entirely, are the acoustic guitars – continuing the evolution towards synth which started before the band's hiatus. Not only synths but vocal effects abound, the album virtually begins with Justin Vernon's voice being manipulated. Littered throughout are samples from other artists, made his own. Mahlia Jackson to Paolo Nutini have been co-opted to suit Vernon's need. It feels like an album that's exploring Vernon's depression, his views toward religion, and religion in regards to his depression. There are references to God, to prayer, to the devil. It's the album that consistently evokes the most emotion. AOTY.