Laughing Stock 2024 Half Time Review - The Best (new music) a Man (or anyone) Can Get
Our half year review
Welcome to edition 50 of Laughing Stock, the big 5-0, the massive half century, the nod of a head to the balcony with an acknowledgement there’s more to do. Today we’re bringing you our traditional half year review, where our regular roster of contributors highlight a few things they’ve loved from H1 of 2024. Dive in, the water’s warm…
Before you do though, all this very excellent music and more is featured in our rolling LS 2024 playlist, have a follow/listen for the very best tracks of the year, on Apple Music and Sp*tify.
Danish Invasion - Astrid Sonne, ML Buch, Erika de Casier
Ok, so ML Buch released her album late in 2023 and Erika de Casier is Portuguese (but resides in Denmark). Aside from those caveats, the Danish trio’s albums have been mainstays in the first half of my 2024. Each offers the listener something distinct: ML Buch’s gorgeous, sun dabbled guitars belie the album’s autumn release; de Casier’s 90’s alt-rnb sheen is pure Matrix in music form; Sonne offers something slightly more experimental and off kilter. Yet all three make a compelling trilogy of where modern Scandi alternative music is currently at, and all three are downright stunners. Fremragende!
UK pop’s preeminent ladies deliver
Despite Taylor Swift reanimating the corpse of her 30+ song snoozefest Tortured Poets Department’ every week to keep any other woman off the top of the US and UK charts, and the sheer amount of press coverage given to her, the best pop returns this year have undoubtedly come from the UK. Anticipation was high for Dua Lipa’s follow up to the LS endorsed pop classic Future Nostalgia, but there seemed to be a lukewarm reaction to Radical Optimism when it came out in May, and I’m not sure why. To these ears, tracks like the unimpeachable ‘Training Season’ and the pure bop of ‘Illusion’ make for some of the best songs of the year so far - maybe expectations were too high, but Radical Optimism is still an undeniable pop banger of an album, and her Glastonbury headline set was a blast.
But the real pop people’s champion, Charli xcx, has delivered her own masterpiece, the brash, thrillingly fun brat, an album about being a messy It Girl and all the things that come with it that thumps its way into your head and lives there rent free for the rest of time. The roll out for the album has been perfection, Charli becoming her own meme factory, and she’s backed it up with bangers for days that sound nothing like anything else in the charts at the moment. More importantly, she’s brought the fun and messiness back to a pop world that has become far too sincere of late. You can keep your special edition deluxe digital only iPhone demo version of Tortured Poets Department; I wanna dance to A.G; I wanna dance to SOPHIE. I wanna dance to HudMo.
Rafael Toral’s immaculate Spectral Evolution
‘Look, it’s 47 mins of strung out, Boomkat endorsed, barely recognisable guitar lead ambient noodling with a blue tit on the front cover, what more do you want?’. Turns out very little else. An extraordinary album of extraordinary sounds, hooked to my veins since its release in February. Take the time to take it in, you’ll reap the rewards.
How To Return Well
It’s been a decent return from some of alt-music’s most cherished acts. Vampire Weekend’s Only God Above Us is a career highlight, coming 5 years after their last effort; Adult Jazz finally released So Sorry So Slow, the follow up to their debut a full 10 years later, and they still sound like little else around. But it’s the return of How To Dress Well that has really captured my heart and mind. Tom Krell is one of music’s most interesting figures. Emerging mysteriously in the late 00’s with skewed emo rnb jams shrouded in fuzzy and blasted out textures, he blossomed to release one of the very best pop albums made in “What Is The Heart”, an album that if it found its way into the hands of Beyoncé would have seen global smashes for the likes of ‘A Power’ and ‘Repeat Pleasure’. After the release of 2018’s more experimental, icy (and great) The Anteroom, Krell went quiet music wise. Turns out he was pursuing a PhD, graduating as a doctor in philosophy in 2022, before kinda rejecting academia in a similar way in which he rejected the industrialised music industry complex.
It’s 2024 now, 6 years since new How To Dress Well music, and out of the blue he’s back, and, perhaps, better than ever. I Am Towards You sees Krell push further into experimentation and lyrics exploring the very meaning of existence (see: ‘Contingency/Necessity (Modality of Fate)’), but also serves up some of his most beautiful moments yet (see: ‘nothingprayer’). It’s a thrilling return for one of music’s most interesting figures, and I really hope he doesn’t take another 6 year break after this. If he does, I’ll be here waiting with Google open to explore the intricacies of his compelling lyrics til he feels the need to open his heart and mind again.
Ilian Tape’s white hot streak
AKA ‘The Little Munich Techno Label That Could’. This year the Zenker Brother’s label has blown all competition out of the water with a set of LP and EP releases that no other label can hold a candle to. Take your pick from their Bandcamp page, nothing will let you down. It started with Atrice’s pitch black, almost dubstep adjacent Multiplex in February, and so far has included mad stormers from Laksa and DJ Plant Texture, and an absolute barnstormer from Deetron presents Soulmate. But the jewel in Ilian’s crown is techno’s prince Skee Mask, his ISS010 EP lighting up March before the surprise drop of his latest stellar LP Resort in June, which feels like the culmination of a series of EP’s exploring both ambient and banger techno, amalgamating both to stunning effect. We’re only 6 months in, but no one is touching Ilian Tape in terms of quality, and it’s hard to see anyone taking their crown.
Much hyped at the back of last year before its release early this year, Kali Malone delivered her most ambitious album to date. Making the pages of the Guardian – with having ‘Thom Yorke-approved’ in the standfirst lol (validation!) – the album leaves a lasting mark and changes how you feel within an instant. Passage Through The Spheres is classic, and worthy of 9 mins of your time.
First Plate by Atobe from 2017 is a song which rarely leaves my mind. It’s perfectly balanced in the space that is unquantifiable; indescribable. It has always been this beacon in Atobe’s catalogue. If you too loved the track, then you can file the B side from this EP right alongside it, in that indescribable place. Undoubtable the dance EP of the year so far.
Actress returns this year and rekindles the atmosphere of the sounds he released on Honest Jon’s. Hazy, fuzzy, woolly. Whatever you want to call it, it’s right up there with one of his best yet. Must listen.
Feel like every list features a Shed EP but for good reason: this one’s a beauty. You know what you are going to get with all of Shed’s aliases. EQD, Head High, WK7, Shedd, and, of course, Wax. The Wax EP’s are one of the first dance records I came across which made me realise that there were different dance sounds to find. Maybe like the first records I heard which captured the sound of Hardwax and Berlin, in the moment of the late 00s. For DJs, they’re essential tools that are far more than tools. 90009 follows that lineage. The B side is the anthem, conjuring up the anticipating feeling dance music can give you. Like something wonderful is about to happen. Long may it happen to you this summer…
There’s a picture of an ocean on the cover of Mining’s Chimet. And the opening track Ophelia is like being frustrated down the bottom of the ocean, being forced constantly down the abyss, taking up full distraction in one’s mind as you search for air.
Mount Kimbie - Boxing feat King Krule
The post-dub teenage fan always keeps tabs on artists from the past. Mount Kimbie being one of them. Their latest album on the whole is enjoyable. However, it’s this song with King Krule which stands out. Easily the best pop song of the year imo. You can listen to it over and over and over.
This anthem from DJ Mayhem, which featured on the great reissue of breakbeat hardcore from 1991 - 1994, is truly beautiful. From the vocal to the bass line: perfection. And with it being a reissue, the YouTube comments are always gold.
This song was actually released in 2023 but it’s having its era now. “You’re looking good, you’re looking sharp,” bellyaches Tom Grennan as we see blokes shaving. It’s the Gillette song and it is the sound of the summer. You can’t escape the optimism it gives you when you hear the melody come after a bland advert during the Euros. The belief. England. Ian Wright. Luton Town. The best a man can get. Drink it in.
BNNY
Another cab in the impressive rank of bedroom soft rock artists. But there is separatism in their sound. On 2021’s Everything, BNNY’s lead Jessica Viscius dealt with personal grief and delivered songs that were short and captivating. Like an espresso shot of longing. A gentle and really melodic dig in the arm. This year's One Million Love Songs is a nice build on all that, there’s a fuller sound but Viscius’ vocals are at their soft and shimmering best. I’ve found a lot of time for the album and its punchy nostalgia. Best evidenced on ‘Good Stuff’ and ‘Nothing Lasts’.
Declan Mckenna: The boy king sheds his skin
You could dismiss Declan Mckenna as catchy Radio 1 core. You'd only be half right and doubly wrong. His infectious and considered ear for an anthem has long captivated me but What Happened to the Beach, with it’s experimental pivot and knowing lyrics, is exactly the developmental third album it should be. Things get a bit weirder, whimsical and more introspective. Full marks lad. The latter end of the record is defined by light, swirling tracks that invoke thoughtfulness but only after we’ve been treated to the likes of ‘Mullholland’s Dinner and Wine’, ‘Mezzanine’ and ‘I Write the News’, songs which absolutely drip in character. Nothing Works is back to his previous formula but the line “Not like I'm up and coming anymore / So, what if they hear me singing I love war? I'm sure they're big enough now” is a lovely signifier of his intent to move on from the progressive voice of a generation (Z) mantle. The eccentric ‘Sympathy’ takes the biscuit though, a hallmark track for this new era. Undeniably jaunty and Beatles-esque but fuck it, I’ll compare his arc to Bowie. So far as that statement can carry any validity in 2024. Also to be both a pop showman and an endearingly unserious, nice, modest lad is a top trait. Just look at how buzzing he is with Son.
What You Like
So far it’s been a remiss year from me on the electronic front. I properly enjoyed the single ‘What You Like’ from Sydney born, Berlin based Logic1000 a few years back. An unfussy, unapologetic deep house bop with some nice industrial breaks. It transported me back to the buzzy early exchanges of club nights. Listening to the 2024 album Mother it felt a bit flat, but the pulsating track ‘Heartbeat’ is well worth a listen. Let it crawl all over you.
Channel Beads - Your Day Will Come
Apparently good on the NYC circuit and toured with Mount Kimble. I’d previously clocked their single ‘Police Scanner’, a dreamy and wistful listen, but to call it purely shoegaze is a disservice to all the impressionist influences. Then one morning, somewhere on Burnham’s Bee Network in an absent state of mind, I found myself on the follow up album Your Day Will Come. With an infusion of ambient electronic, pop and stringed elements it’s really well arranged and beautifully recorded. Music that feels curated as if by nature.
The twinkly storytelling of Waxahatchee
Waxahatchee’s 2020 release, Saint Cloud, was a real balm during the darker days of lockdown. It represented the first real tonal move away from the 90s indie sound of Katie Crutchfield’s early-mid 2010s albums and into a new, soulful americana. 2024’s Tigers Blood not only builds on this sound but remarkably manages to improve on it. Featuring LS-favourite MJ Lenderman on guitar, the record is all gorgeous harmonies, intimate lyrics and southern-style guitar. You can feel the dense Alabama humidity on the first single, ‘Right Back To It’. It’s a slow and almost sultry fable on settling back into the groove of an old friendship, Crutchfield and Lenderman’s harmonisation is simply irresistible. Crutchfield’s song writing has a subtle theatricality. On the twangy ‘Crowbar’, Crutchfield’s abstract lyricism soars; “you can take it pretty far on a prayer that’s pale & synthetic, bending my crowbar with tension that’s telekinetic.” Does this abstraction need demystifying? Absolutely not. It’s all the more beautiful and honest for it, and the major themes of delicacy and unease remain. The big hitter for me is the self-titled final track, ‘Tigers Blood’, where Crutchfield’s and Lenderman’s glorious intertwining reaches previously unmatched heights. There’s a certain heft to the entire album, but the emotional pummelling of this one gets me every time.
Backstage Raver
This short and hazy shoegaze-esque record from Joanne Robertson and long time collaborator Dean Blunt is absolutely gorgeous. There’s a delightful airiness to Backstage Raver that makes you feel like you're floating aimlessly toward a nameless and unimportant location far, far away. Throughout the record, Joanne’s dreamy vocals drift, evoking the sad ethereality of the wonderful Hope Sandoval. Stand out tracks include ‘repeat offenders’, where the duo collaborate with Iceage’s Elias Rønnenfelt and ‘MOTION’, where Blunt’s melancholic piano production coalesce perfectly with Robertson’s lullaby.
Mach-Hommy’s fight back against the music industry
Mach-Hommy is known for his reclusiveness. The Haitian rapper keeps his face covered, not once revealing his true identity on tour or during interviews. He doesn’t allow his lyrics to be transcribed and lyrics sites such as Genius are banned from posting his songs. Much of his back catalogue isn’t even available for streaming. 2024’s #RICHAXXHAITIAN is one the lucky releases to have graced the airwaves of music streaming services. Of the 27 solo studio albums I count on Wikipedia, just over half are available on streamers. He’s also been known to randomly take down tracks and albums where he sees fit, happening as recently as last month with #RICHAXXHAITIAN, before it swiftly (and thankfully) returned.
On this latest record, Mach Hommy’s smooth and meandering style regularly changes tone and speed, mixing rapping and even crooning over an array of coarse samples. Lyrics like “white phosphorus fell on civilians in Gaza/Troglodytes squadron yelling epithets in a jogger” on ‘POLITickle’ feel radical by the very nature of the rarity of modern musicians to incorporate the Palestinian cause into their own creative work. It’s an expansive album from a prolific artist who’s constantly pushing the boundaries of his own industry.
Mannequin Pussy I Got Heaven
This one should fill the Wednesday-shaped hole in your life. This is Mannequin Pussy’s fourth album and their first in five years, it’s loud and mucky and will have you shouting lyrics like “what if Jesus himself ate my fucking snatch?” at the top of your lungs. The four-piece slow it down where necessary, producing stand-outs such as ‘I Don’t Know You’, which see lead singer Marisa Dabice muse on the butterfly-inducing excitement of a first crush. It’s a record that’ll have you dancing in a crowded, intimate club but that would also bring down stadiums.
This whole world is dying, don't it seem like a good time for swimming
Beyond Waxahatchee, I’ve rarely been so obsessed with a release as I have with Adrienne Lenker’s Bright Future. Lenker’s hit rate is phenomenal and it feels like there’s very little left to say about a craftsperson operating at this sheer dizzying level. That said, I have lots to say! On ‘Candleflame’, Lenker is uncomplicated in her trust of devotion. Picking her guitar and singing sweetly over lines such as “to the ocean of your love, I am a river” and ending by repeating “don’t know what i’d do without you, don’t know where i’d go without you,” it’s heart-on-your-sleeve simplicity is something i’ve returned to again and again. ‘Donut Seam’ sees Lenker fusing environmental anxiety with the end of a beloved and amicably-ending relationship; “this whole world is dying, don’t it seem like a good time for swimming, before all the water disappears.” This is only scratching the surface of a supremely rich and satisfying record. Everytime I listen I have a new favourite track.
Be gone, look at the sky, for the answer is not on this screen.