top tracks

Top Tracks: Exploring Birdsong – Romanticise

/ James Fenney

I love a good villain song – they were the highlight of practically every Disney film as a kid. Villains in movies always seem to be having a blast; hogging the spotlight, chewing the scenery, performing ridiculously over-the-top acts of wickedness and skulduggery. The kind of villainy we encounter in real life however is nowhere near as charming. Everyday evil is something simple, banal and empty. We rationalise the actions of those that hurt us as something intentionally antagonistic and spiteful, because that makes sense, moreso than the reality that toxicity is often just their broken default setting. ‘Romanticise’, from progressive pop trio Exploring Birdsong, takes the everyday evil of a toxic relationship and dials it up to moustache twirling levels of villainy.

Written from the perspective of the perpetrator, it depicts someone with a well of malice within, who sees the world through red lenses. Someone eager to cause pain (“I opened up your chest, your heart is on a plate, So I filled the wound with salt, and put it on a flame“) and so cartoonishly wicked as to view positivity with derision and distain (“You could romanticise a car wreck at 80, the sky while it’s raining“). A great villain song delves into a darker place while still being a fun ride, and between the twisted lyricism, the gut-punch metal breakdown, and that addictive earworm chorus, Exploring Birdsong absolutely nailed it. ‘Romanticise’ is one of band’s best tracks to date, and I can’t get enough of it.

Top Tracks: Holly Humberstone – Die Happy

/ James Fenney

I’ve heard it said that falling in love is giving someone the power to destroy you and trusting them not to. There’s danger inherent in being so vulnerable with another person, to let so much of your own happiness ride on them. Holly Humberstone’s latest single embraces the danger. ‘Die Happy’ is all about throwing yourself into love, fully and recklessly. Whatever the outcome, the rush is worth it. Holly’s soft heady vocals carry a dreamy quality in the vein of Lana Del Rey, while the wistful synth work imbues the track with the same level of nostalgia and romanticism as a John Hughes movie. The beating heart of it all though is its gorgeous, bittersweet chorus. That earworm refrain of “if we crash and kiss the dash, baby, tragically, To die with you is to die happy” feels like a line lifted straight out of ‘There Is A Light That Never Goes Out’. This kind of airy gothic romance suits Holly down to the ground, and leaves me eager to hear what other delights her next record will have in store.

Top Tracks: Patricia Atzur – Freddy Krooner

/ James Fenney

Things like grief, trauma and heartache have a way of lingering in the back of your mind long after you thought you were over it. A lovely day can be ruined by something innocuous triggering a memory you thought you’d long buried, or a peaceful night can be ruined by your subconscious mind reopening a dark chapter. Barcelona based artist Patricia Atzur perfectly captures the latter, the moment when dreams turn into nightmares, with her ingeniously titled new single ‘Freddy Krooner’. Opening with a gorgeous soft jazz melody that feels like the soundtrack to a romantic summer getaway on a sun-kissed tropical beach, the track takes a dramatic shift halfway through into darker territory. A frantic pace kicks in, urging you on as though some unseen terror is hot on your heels, as the wailing guitar begins to hum with the menace of a swarm of angry hornets, all before collapsing back into the tranquil setting where we first started. What’s more, the music video really adds to the dreamlike feel with its trippy and unnerving Twin Peaks style visuals, able to slip between the dreamy and the nightmarish with ease. On ‘Freddy Krooner’, Patricia Atzur not only hones in on a great concept, but commits to it wholeheartedly on every level, elevating it into something truly fascinating.

Top Tracks: Del Roscoe – Black Hats

/ James Fenney

The best folk songs are those that feel like they’re telling a story that’s been retold a thousand times. Words of wisdom that get passed down through generations, scary stories flitting from one fireside to another, tales warning about the horrors that lurk just beyond the woods. With ‘Black Hats’, Atlanta based Americana outfit Del Roscoe give voice to a cautionary tale that feels especially apt and timely for the world we find ourselves in. It sees the same old vicious cycle of hatred personified as some skeletal spectre heralding the end times; describing those that peddle fear and lies, stoking mistrust and division, all in order to sate their own greed and desire for control. Nestled within this twisted tale lay sage advice about how best to stand firm against the rising tide of darkness – shoulder to shoulder, in solidarity with one another, and refusing to give an inch. Pairing this prescient message with a wonderfully handcrafted video, with a pop-up book storytelling style and the band sporting uncanny paper mache masks, does wonders to add to the spooky campfire atmosphere. Breathing new life into an old warning that sadly oft needs repeating, ‘Black Hats’ is a story that deserves to be shared far and wide.

Top Tracks: Elina – Scars

/ James Fenney

The way a vinyl record crackles away in the background like white noise. When an artist hits a duff note, or snaps a string. Recordings that capture a singer taking in a breath, or doing their best to choke back tears during an especially emotional ballad. Nothing endears me to a piece of music more than moments of humanity like these. There’s just something so raw, so real, about having those flaws on full display, rather than trying to polish over them and hide them away from the world. If only we could embrace that same mentality when looking at ourselves in the mirror. Swedish singer/songwriter Elina celebrates the beauty in imperfection with her charming new single ‘Scars’. How every scar tells a story, every odd little quirk adds up to make us unique, and to the right person every fault we’d otherwise try our best to hide is what drew them to us in the first place. Teaming up with British singer James TW for this gorgeous duet, their voices intertwine beautifully to deliver a tender message of love and acceptance: “All of your flaws, You make them yours, Has it ever crossed your mind that they are what I love you for“.

Top Tracks: St. Paul & The Broken Bones – Sitting In The Corner

/ James Fenney

There’s such a vast library of music out there that it could take a hundred lifetimes to hear it all. While part of me wishes I had all the time in the world to listen to every single artist who would otherwise slip past my radar, I feel like that would somewhat diminish the joy of discovery. Half the fun of finding something special is knowing that it could have easily slipped through your fingers. Though most of my time is spent championing up and coming artists, often my most thrilling discoveries come from hearing an established act for the first time. Up until now, powerhouse soul ensemble St. Paul & The Broken Bones have managed to pass me by like a ship in the night, but upon hearing ‘Sitting In The Corner’ it feels like I’m just now stumbling upon a band that I was always destined to meet. Those soaring soulful vocals, the rich brass arrangement and sumptuous strings, the boundless energy of the drum beats – it’s just divine. Where has this band been all my life? You’re telling me I have half a dozen records of this splendour to dive into? Marvellous!

Top Tracks: Amelie Lucille – Polar

/ James Fenney

There’s nothing like hearing a voice that just stops you in your tracks. The world grinds to a halt, there is nothing else in that moment. That’s how I felt hearing ‘Polar’ for the first time – and every time since. It doesn’t dazzle me with intricate runs, or by belting out big notes; I’m instead utterly entranced by how assured and effortless it feels. There’s a deep soulful melancholy as dark and rich as a fine wine, coexisting alongside moments as airy and delicate as a dandelion seed carried by the faintest breeze to pastures new. It follows every mournful cry and elegant uplifting swell of the gorgeous string accompaniment as easily as breathing. Everywhere it wanders there’s a comforting warmth to be found. Amelie Lucille’s voice feels like the golden glow of sunset. How it’s able to seep into every leaf, cascade down every roof tile, permeate every crack in the pavement, and in that one moment make the world feel like a more beautiful place. That in itself is something special, but to then emerge from my reverie, and discover that this spellbinding singer is only seventeen, just left me even more awestruck. To have such expressiveness, confidence and emotion in her vocals this early in her musical journey is simply astonishing, and I can’t wait to hear what’s next.

Top Tracks: The Paper Kites – Every Town

/ James Fenney

When they’re at their best, Australian indie folk outfit The Paper Kites are one of those bands whose music just feels like home. There’s a sense of comfort and familiarity to their sound that keeps drawing you back. With the warmth of its dreamy arrangement, and the affecting tenderness of its melodies, their latest single ‘Every Town’ is a shining example of that magic in action. Taken from their new album If You Go There, I Hope You Find It, out 23rd January, it has a gently uplifting energy to it that feels like being seen. Being known. That heartening hand-on-shoulder feeling you get when a friend says that something reminded them of you. When you return to an old haunt and they still remember your regular order. When you visit family for the holidays and you all slip into time honoured routines and traditions like it’s second nature. ‘Every Town’ feels like a celebration of all the small moments of love and connection that we carry with us. The ties that bind us, ground us, that persist through all manner of change, and time, and distance.

Top Tracks: Amelia Coburn – Something Wild

/ James Fenney

Humanity likes to think of itself as evolved, civilised, elevated above the natural world, but in reality people are animals just like any other. We’re not a cut above the world we share, we are part of it, connected to it. We are of the wild, and the wild lives in us still. Yet so much of modern society’s expectations seem to revolve around taming that part of our spirit and putting us in neat little boxes. We’re told to grow up and bury our inner child deep within. Women are conditioned all their lives to be prim and proper, seen and not heard. But in trying to rise above our deeper nature, we lose touch of what makes us human. Anger, joy, sorrow, desire – they’re made to be felt, not hidden away.

Hot on the tail of last year’s singular debut record Between the Moon and the Milkman, rising star Amelia Coburn returns with her empowering new single ‘Something Wild’. An impassioned reminder to remain true to yourself, and break free of the shackles of societal expectations, it truly feels like Amelia’s best work yet. The gorgeous, sweeping string arrangements. The galloping rhythm that has all the momentum of a feral beast on the prowl. The striking video that flips the script on a classic fairy tale and sees Red Riding Hood release her inner wolf. It all adds up to make ‘Something Wild’ the most bewitching slice of gothic folk I’ve heard all year.

Top Tracks: The Belair Lip Bombs – Don’t Let Them Tell You (It’s Fair)

/ James Fenney

There are days when I’ve found myself listening to so much music, for hours on end, that it all starts to blend together. The same few trends being chased time and again, melodies so similar they could be long lost twins. I find myself longing to be surprised, but by its very nature it’s hard to search for the unexpected, you simply have to trust that it will find you. This time it arrives in the form of ‘Don’t Let Them Tell You (It’s Fair)’, the new single from Australian quartet The Belair Lip Bombs. Taken from their forthcoming album Again, out this Halloween, I find myself so awed by and enamoured with this track’s guitar work. So many gorgeous and varied moments – rock solid riffs you could set your watch by, bright soaring licks swooping in and out, light ethereal harmonics gently tinkling like raindrops – all of it just so casual and fleeting, not giving you a moment to process before the next dazzling flourish catches your attention. There’s an energy and playfulness here reminiscent of The Only Ones ‘Another Girl, Another Planet’, and a timeless quality that reminds me a little of Violent Femmes’ ‘Blister in the Sun’. This track is one of my favourite discoveries of 2025; like an open flame that leaves you mesmerised by the way it dances and flickers.