Our Top 10 Lists have been named in honor of late Blog Director and DJ Clarence Ewing, who pioneered and published this annual feature for nearly a decade.
Our next list is from Mike Bennett.
10. Horror by Bartees Strange (4AD)
With each record, Bartees Strange further harnesses his facility with multiple genres and styles, creating music that is passionate, emotional, and sometimes quite driving. While the lyrics detail interpersonal struggles, he goes big and rocking on some songs, for songs that would probably work in arenas. But there are quieter moments, with strumming acoustic guitars or gentler R&B rhythms. He never seems like a dilettante and the record never lacks cohesion, as he infuses his songs with meaning and belief.
Listen: Bandcamp
9. Sad and Beautiful World by Mavis Staples (Anti-)
In the early ‘90s, Mavis Staples recorded for Prince’s Paisley Park label, and then her solo recording career stalled until getting signed by Anti- in 2004. For the past 21 years, Staples has consistently put out quality LPs, confirming that she’s one of the great interpreters of song. Producer Brad Cook and Staples have chosen a great set of material and backed by an amazing set of musicians, the 86-year-old sounds as good as ever. From the rocking opener (Tom Waits’ “Chicago” with Buddy Guy on guitar), to renditions of everyone from Kevin Morby to Curtis Mayfield, this is a stellar effort.
Listen: Bandcamp
8. Long March Through the Jazz Age by The Saints (Fire)
When Ed Kuepper left The Saints, lead singer Chris Bailey took them in a different direction, away from the greasy, R&B-fueled punk of their first three albums, into passionate songs that could sometimes be anthemic. It’s no wonder Bruce Springsteen covered one of their songs. Bailey passed away in 2022, but recorded these songs in 2018, and it might be the best Saints album since 1986's All Fool’s Day. At times fiery, and if not, certainly simmering, there are songs with big hooks, more personal numbers, and one song (the quasi title track “Carnivore (Long March Through the Jazz Age)”) that actually has some jazz elements. I don’t know if this was intended as a final statement by Bailey, but regardless it’s an excellent display of his talents.
Listen: Bandcamp
7. Neon Grey Midnight Green by Neko Case (Anti-)
Case has been blessed with a wonderful, distinctive singing voice, and her ability to take it into unexpected places has informed her songwriting throughout her career. As a result, she creates songs that simply sound like no one else. On this album, she works with an orchestra on most tracks, which works as wonderfully as I would have expected it would. As she has progressed, the qualities that made early records like Blacklisted and Furnace Room Lullaby are still there, as she still works on big musical canvases, creating songs that have real emotional impact.
Listen: Bandcamp
6. Portrait of My Heart by SPELLLING (Sacred Bones)
Chrystia Cabral started out making electronic music under her stage name SPELLLING, then moved towards more of an orch-pop sound that seemed to touch on both the ‘60s and Kate Bush. Never one to stay in one place too long, for this album, Cabral turned towards the ‘80s, making passionate guitar rock that sounds like it could come from a lost Brat Pack film, and sometimes evoking Q “Goodbye Horses” Lazzarus. Her soulful vocals match the power of the music. I look forward to Cabral’s next genre shift.
Listen: Bandcamp
5. Begging the Night to Take Hold by Emma Pollock (Chemikal Underground)
The ex-Delgados singer/guitarist has carved out a distinctive solo career, with astute lyrics supporting memorable songs that find the mid-point between singer-songwriter and indie pop. On her first album in nine years, Pollock puts the guitar in the background for a set of songs that are more piano-based. In so doing, there is less driving music than on prior efforts, but this is a wise and warm collection from a truly overlooked artist.
Listen: Bandcamp
4.Talulah's Tape by Good Flying Birds (Carpark)
A band named after a Guided By Voices song, with an album title referencing ‘80s Brit indie cult favorites Talulah Gosh help place this music right away. Mid-fi (or whatever is between lo-fi and mid-fi) rock tunes with reference points from the ‘60s through the ‘80s, littered with hooks. Main Bird Kellen Baker’s amazing guitar work fuels everything, whether its his lead playing (often hooks in the songs) or the great tones he gets when he plays rhythm guitar. This immediately grabbed my attention and has yet to let go.
Listen: Bandcamp
3. Vendrán Suaves Lluvias by Silvana Estrada (Glassnote)
The folk songs that the 28-year-old Estrada composes on her cuatro guitar (a four-string guitar that’s smaller than a normal guitar, but bigger than a ukulele) are rooted in traditional Mexican folk. But Estrada is also attuned to contemporary music, which comes more to the fore on her sophomore album. Fuller instrumentation and more developed choruses, along with a singing voice that keeps getting better make this album even better then her excellent debut LP, Marchita. The passion she puts into her music comes through the speakers.
Listen: Silvana Estrada webstore
2. Lux by Rosalía (Columbia)
It seemed hard to imagine how Rosalía could go bigger after her breakthrough genre-blending Motomami LP. Thankfully, she imagined. On almost every track, she is accompanied by the London Symphony Orchestra on a swooping, magnificent concept album inspired by the stories of saints. This album establishes Rosalía as an auteur on par with her sometime collaborator Björk. This is pop at its most experimental, with songs that have melodies and refrains that a listener can hang onto, following this Spaniard on an amazing sonic journey.
Listen: Rosalia webstore
1. Phonetics On and On by Horsegirl (Matador)
Rather than go bigger after their acclaimed 2022 debut Versions of Modern Performance, these three young Chicagoans (who all went to New York City for college) pared everything down. Citing influences such as Young Marble Giants, The Velvet Underground, and Faust, this is a collection of minimalist music with the lyrics that are sometimes mantras, with low key grooves and delicate melodies that are just so easy to sink into. It takes a great deal of confidence to make music like this, and aided by producer Cate Le Bon, this trio made an album I kept going back to.
Listen: Bandcamp