Today we reveal more of our favourite albums of 2019 - from twelve to nine.
Our list so far :
20 : Nev Cottee - River's Edge
19 : Emily Capell - Combat Frock
18 : Mano McLaughlin - Then Lightning
17 : Fontaines D.C. - Dogrel
16 : Molly Sarle - Karaoke Angel
15 : Patio - Essentials
14 : The Blinders - Live At The Ritz
13 : Slow Riot - G.A.D.
Can't Tell Me No is Summer Cannibals' fourth album and their most direct yet in the aftermath of them scrapping a whole album rather than releasing a record tainted by a predator who they'd worked with on it and many of the songs, such as lead single False Anthem and the title track deal with the fall out and Jessica's response to that situation. As a result the record was written and laid down very quickly and it benefits from its birth process, having both a hard edge to it yet incorporating some of the more traditional poppier elements of Jessica's solo album No Fury. It's the most successful album artistically yet from one of the US's hardest working underground bands.
Summer Cannibals' website can be found here. They are also on Facebook and Twitter.
Most of Dave Fidler’s second album Songs From Aurora were written as part of his thirty-one day challenge in August 2018 where he wrote a song every day of the month as he toured round in his camper-van (called Aurora, hence the album’s title). The album’s more fleshed out than his debut I’m Not Here, but still showcases Dave’s ability to craft songs that talk to the heart and emphasise the importance of family to finding happiness. Musically it is a record where he blossoms from the acoustic style of the debut into something more adventurous yet still steeped in traditional classic songwriting styles.
Our review concluded : "Songs From Aurora is an impressive varied piece of work, one that takes the songwriting template of I’m Not Here and fleshes it out, paints it in colour and covers it in a rich emotional tapestry that’s both evocative and honest in the situations it describes. It does so without wallowing in self-pity or pathos, instead encouraging people to focus on the positives, look to the future and learn the lessons and remember the good things from the past. It’s also easy, like its predecessor, to immerse yourself into despite the sometimes difficult subject matters and relate them to your own life and hopefully find solace, advice or solutions."
His track-by-track walk through the album can be found here.
Dave Fidler's website can be found here. He is also on Twitter and Facebook.
The Slow Readers Club’s rise from the circuit venues of the Northern Quarter to selling out Manchester Apollo has been one of the stories of the decade, building from a DIY outfit that couldn’t buy a support slot or media coverage (except for a few of us that knew) to one of the city’s most-loved bands. Live At The Apollo captures the whole of the celebratory night that was their biggest headline show to date in full - with songs from their three albums from their self-titled debut, their independent breakthrough Cavalcade and their surprise top 20 success Build A Tower. With a new album expected in the first few months of 2020, their star is set to rise even further.
Our review concluded : "When Aaron says before the final song On The TV, he tells us "it's a dream come true" you know it's not the usual glib comment a band makes at the end of a set. This genuinely is a moment where a band reached heights it could previously only have dreamed of when they were opening a four-band bill at The Castle across town to ten people just three and a half years earlier. They always had the potential for this, but Live At The Apollo is more than just a perfect capture of a moment, of a band at the peak of its power, it's an inspiration to any band with a rock steady belief in what they do that dreams can come true. It ends with bassist Jim telling us to bring a friend next time to make this even bigger next time round. In one sense their hard work starts now given this sets the bar of future expectations so high."
The Slow Readers Club's official website can be found here. They are also on Facebook and Twitter.
Our review of the momentous night last December can be found here.
9 : THE TWILIGHT SAD - IT WON/T BE LIKE THIS ALL THE TIME
The Twilight Sad’s It Won/t Be Like This All The Time finally got them the level of recognition they’ve deserved for many years, cumulating in their biggest ever shows in November to audiences who live on every word James Graham reveals the darkest thoughts inside his head and sings them refusing to suppress his Scottish accent. It’s music that connects with an audience that want their bands to bare their hearts and souls and talk about the most difficult and rawest of emotions and events - and helping us all cope.
Our review concluded : "Excitement levels surrounding the release of this record are increasing and I can openly admit I welled up and shed a few tears on first listening to this new material. This band excite me like no other. They force you to ask questions about yourself and others. You feel every ounce of effort they have put into this latest chapter and this is precisely what only The Twilight Sad can do to me and many others. They have poured their heart and soul into this record and there’s nothing left to give. It won’t be like this all the time? I sincerely hope it is. They should be immensely proud of this record….I most certainly am."
The Twilight Sad's official website can be found here. They are on Facebook and Twitter.
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