The Radio Dept - sleeping in, 2006

"I knew next to nothing about these guys The Radio Dept. A three piece originally from Lund, Sweden – who named themselves after a petrol station which was converted into a new premises repairing transistor radios. But I was already enraptured by the wonderfully dreamy sounds I was hearing from all their YouTube videos. Founded by Johan Duncanson, and joined by Martin Larsson and later Daniel Tjäder, with several other musical collaborators among them: Per Blomgren, Lisa Carlberg, and Elin Almered. The band were a core trio for the most part but often the line-up fluctuated to become a quartet, even a quintet, before once more settling for the trio / duo. Thus it transpires they’d been around a fair while – 2001 when they released their first music – but their genesis started even further back than that in the mid 1990s. To bring things to the present, their recorded output to date has been sporadic, if not exactly wildly prolific, in quantity. Since their formation in 2001 they have issued four studio albums and a dozen or so singles, plus many other download only tracks. The average gap between studio albums during this two decade stretch has been about five to six years. But, crucially, that is hardly of much consequence given that I belatedly discovered their music in 2019, by which time all of their physical singles and albums were readily available to seek out wherever I could, and so that was what I did as much as possible. I glutted on everything they brought out, belatedly picking up all their albums on CD, given that I had already fallen hopelessly in love with their music. Even more significantly, their records offered me solace and provided me with a comfort blanket during those horribly anxious times in 2020 to 2021 when everything – life as we all knew it – fell off a cliff and the world seemingly stood still due to the pandemic and lockdowns."

Pet Shop Boys - hey headmaster, 1993

"In the booklet accompanying the 2001 reissue of Very, Neil notes that "Hey, Headmaster" is one of those occasional PSB songs written almost totally by himself, with minimal input from Chris. In fact, he had composed it in its original form before the two even met."

Best Coast - the only place, 2012

"Crazy for You and its sound, "simple and pungent songs […] toying with 1950s and ’60s melodic structures," had become something of a touchstone for Best Coast and adopted by several other bands. Cosentino hid her vocals behind layers of reverb and distortion, which was an extension of her onstage anxiety. As a result, Cosentino desired to take their sophomore record in a completely different direction."

Isobel Campbell And Mark Lanegan - deus ibi est, 2006

"I am going to try and limit my post (there's just too many bands I want to talk about!). I've started a Morrissey Vox Group... Anyway: Isobel Campbell started off her career in the band Belle & Sebastian (you may have heard of them?), she released two albums under her own band The Gentle Waves. Then followed by a collaboration with Bill Wells and then her excellent solo album "Amorino". That's where she met up with Mark Lanegan, who sang on "Why Does My Head Hurt So?" (off the EP, not the album). Anyway, her second album, "Ballad of the Broken Seas" is the best duet album! It's mostly Mark singing with a little Isobel's sweetness thrown in for good measures."

The Postmarks - run away love, 2009

"Innocence Mission, Hope Sandoval & The Warm Inventions, Autumn’s Grey Solace, The Postmarks... I think all of these groups are fairly well known in the indie/dream pop community, but don’t get enough love for how great they are."

Saint Etienne - side streets, 2005

"A few years back, thanks to SiriusXM’s Coffeehouse channel, I discovered a delightful song called “Side Streets” from a band aptly named Saint Etienne, because the song made me feel like I was on the streets of Paris for some reason. It has a cool, hip (not hipster) vibe, and it immediately took me to another place, even though I was cooking in the kitchen. I immediately had to iTune it. The lyrics were not only animated, but at the same time in a funny way, relatable. I didn’t look anything up, I didn’t need to know anything about the band, I just enjoyed the song for what it gave me, and the vibe it provided me and continues to provide. So I was pleasantly surprised to find out now from Pete Wiggs, who wrote the song, that they’re from the UK. While I can play songs on repeat to where I can’t listen to it again for up to years at times, “Side Streets” has been my go-to song on the weekends, where it’s on permanent repeat mode, especially when I’m whiling away hours in the kitchen."

The Big Moon - your light, 2019

"The infectious beat and bassline are present from the start of the track, setting the perfect backdrop for frontwoman Juliette Jacksons’ powerful voice. Typical of The Big Moon, the harmonies and overlapping layers of voices soon come to light and builds to the chorus. Lyrically, the chorus is simple, yet as upbeat, compelling, and formidable as ever."

Love is Dark energy (actually it should be called "Light energy")

"Independently of its actual nature, dark energy would need to have a strong negative pressure to explain the observed acceleration of the expansion of the universe. According to general relativity, the pressure within a substance contributes to its gravitational attraction for other objects just as its mass density does."  

“I had jumped off the edge, and then, at the very last moment, something reached out and caught me in midair. That something is what I define as love. It is the one thing that can stop a man from falling, powerful enough to negate the laws of gravity.” Paul Auster, Moon Palace.

America - ventura highway, 1972

"Dewey Bunnell, the song's vocalist and writer, has said that the lyric "alligator lizards in the air" in the song is a reference to the shapes of clouds in the sky he saw in 1963 while his family was driving down the coast from Vandenberg Air Force Base near Lompoc, California, where they had a flat tire. While his father changed the tire, he and his brother stood by the side of the road, watched the clouds, and saw a road sign for Ventura."

Allo Darlin - europe, 2012

"It’s fair to say that Allo Darlin’ succeed by building a world in their songs that’s different to the one we see everyday – people still wear ties, buy records and send letters to their loved ones proclaiming deep and meaningful messages. Throughout Europe, they manage to make that sound like a pretty nice place to be, and also serve a timely reminder that there’s life in such a simple but effective style of music."

The Waterboys - december, 1983

"Whimper, whimper. This week's 90th moody, tremulous ballad with lashings of tearful vibrato and acoustic twelve-strings. A record to sit down and listen to as the leaves fall, it informs us that 'December is the cool month'. Oh really?"

The Radio Dept - domestic scene, 2010

"Four years is smoothed into nothing with opener ‘Domestic Scene’, which picks up where they left off, all low-key shoegazey textures and Strokes-y vocals. There’s no fanfare, no triumphant comeback sound – the big statements are left to samples, like the one that opens ‘Heaven’s On Fire’ – "I think we should destroy the bogus capitalist process that is destroying youth culture". It voices the most interesting aspect of underground music in 2010, especially scenes like chillwave: the reigniting of DIY culture, with the bedroom the studio again, the cassette in vogue – a complete rejection of mainstream industry."

Barclay James Harvest - poor man's moody blues, 1977

"Poor Man's Moody Blues" was written after a journalist angered the band by referring to Barclay James Harvest as a "poor man's Moody Blues". In response, guitarist John Lees wrote a song which sounded like the Moody Blues song "Nights in White Satin", but in fact was cleverly not the same - the words would not fit."

The Postmarks - all you ever wanted, 2009

"I don't even remember where I first heard the Postmarks. It was on some college radio station driving through somewhere, I would guess. I love the sound... Tim Yehezkely has this very, very quiet voice that just makes you think the tune is a dream floating in through the open window (and makes you fall in love, really)."

Stars - look away, 2014

“I was born the year this record came out and I’m here because you’re my favourite band.”

The Carpenters - they long to be close to you cover, 1973

"The song was first recorded by Richard Chamberlain and released as a single in 1963 as "They Long to Be Close to You" (without parentheses). However, while the single's other side, "Blue Guitar", became a hit, "They Long to Be Close to You" did not. The tune was also recorded as a demo by Dionne Warwick in 1963, was re-recorded with a Burt Bacharach arrangement for her album Make Way for Dionne Warwick (1964), and was released as the B-side of her 1965 single "Here I Am". Dusty Springfield recorded the song in August 1964, but her version was not released commercially until it appeared on her album Where Am I Going? (1967). Bacharach released his own version in 1971. But the version recorded by Carpenters with instrumental backing by L.A. studio musicians from the Wrecking Crew, which became a hit in 1970, was the most successful."

Del Amitri - behind the fool, 1992

"Mostly though “Change Everything” is just choc full of wonderful songs, like “Behind The Fool” – they nail not letting your guard down here – and there’s a sort of The Faces feel to the last one “Sometimes I Just Have To Say Your Name” and I think I knew that then, too."

Saint Etienne - teenage winter, 2005

"one of the saddest, most melancholy tunes of the 'naughties'. Taken from their 2005 album Tales from Turnpike House contained a song that will bring tears to your eyes – especially if you are of a certain age. An immensely British song..."

Pet Shop Boys - hit and miss, 1996

"a superb job of conveying the almost ineffable sorrow of lost love, all the more sorrowful on account of the joy it brought before its loss"

Keats - hollywood heart, 1984

"Keats were a short-lived British rock band, which produced one eponymous album in 1984. It was an Alan Parsons Project offshoot. Its members were Colin Blunstone (vocals), Ian Bairnson (guitars), Pete Bardens (keyboards), David Paton (bass and backing vocals) and Stuart Elliott (drums and percussion)."

The Housemartins - happy hour, 1986

"an impossibly catchy song about London office workers"

The Radio Dept - memory loss, 2010

"The Radio Dept. are famously shy and soft-spoken, traits distinctive enough to overlap into even their most ferocious songs. The shoegaze-heavy tone of debut full-length Lesser Matters featured frontman Johan Duncanson’s soft-spoken vocals and heavy layers of caressing guitars and keys, while follow-up Pet Grief retained the elegant beauty of the debut with more emphasis on electronica and dream-pop."

Tracey Thorn - plain sailing, 1982

"The album, featuring just voice and guitar, was in fact recorded in Pat Bermingham’s garden shed studio, and there is marvellously delicate and dulcet ambiance, that conversely puts the directness and emotionally charged nature of this song, and others on the album, fully into the foreground."

Letting Up Despite Great Faults - numbered days, 2012

"There’s no end, so just do the best you can!"

Violens - totally true, 2012

"The band's music eludes classification, expertly blending percussive guitar work and silky harmonies, seeking the silver lining yet to be discovered between the sounds we know and love. With a wash of 90s sonic pop drawn from artists like Pale Saints, Cocteau Twins and McCarthy, Violens paint soft watercolor notes across their compositions, adding crucial emotional depth via layered vocal harmonies."

The Radio Dept - always a relief, 2006

"I love Always a Relief, Where Damage Isn't Already Done, The City Limit, 1995 (the lyrics are so sweet) and of course, Pulling Our Weight, from the Marie Antoinette soundtrack."

Enya - afer ventus, 1991

"The moment experienced when everything in life suddenly makes sense – when everything fits into place and we know why – is a rare moment, but it does happen. If we are lucky enough we can bathe in the brevity of that moment for it passes as quickly as it arrives. Like Joyce’s ‘Epiphanies’ they can sometimes seem trivial, but are always crucial and revealing moments in our lives, delicate and fleeting. In ‘Afer Ventus’ it is those moments of pure enlightenment which are described."

The Postmarks - go jetsetter, 2009

"If the Postmarks' delightful, weather-obsessed, self-titled 2007 debut didn't quite catch fire, blame the times. As bands of musicologist types fronted by fetching lady singers go, the Miami trio doesn't quite have the cosmopolitan chic of seductive NYC labelmates Ivy nor London's dance culture-conscious Saint Etienne."

James - we're going to miss you, 1999

"It was a "strange, unpredictable and at times perplexing" album, which is why "it might just be the best album James have ever made."

Mika - any other world, 2006

"There is a little spoken introduction that many people may miss. It's about a family friend of mine who lost her eye during the war in Lebanon and I realized in everyone's life their comes one point, or several points where something happens and you have to completely change the way you have lived your life because of one event. And it really makes you readjust and rethink and rejudge parts of your life all over again. That happens to some people in a dramatic way like Rafa who lost both her eye and her husband within 6 months. Or it can be in a much quieter way like when you are 22-years-old and you finally leave university after being in education all your life or when you lose your job. I wanted to put that in the song, because when you're 68 or 14, it's still the same feeling and it's still just as hard. I wanted to try to capture that quite difficult period that people have to go through at least once in their life."

Pet Shop Boys - closer to heaven, 1999

"this song revolves around the age-old "so close and yet so far" conundrum—the common, almost paradoxical human experience of being in one sense extremely close to something highly desirable, while at the same time, in another sense, being as far away from it as ever."

Etienne Daho - sunday morning cover, 1987

DJ Young Pioneer · Etienne Daho - Sunday Morning (The Velvet Underground Cover)

"The song "Last Ride" on Beach House's 2018 album 7 "was inspired by" Nico, according to lead singer Victoria Legrand."

America - hideaway part one, 1976

"Hideaway is the sixth studio album by American folk rock trio America, released by Warner Bros. Records in April 1976. The album was produced by George Martin, the third of six consecutive albums he produced with America."

Soft Cell - torch, 1981

"Torch" is a song by English synth-pop duo Soft Cell. It was released as a single in 1982, and in mid-June peaked at number two on the UK Singles Chart, ranking 45 for the year. It also reached number 31 on the Hot Dance Club Play chart, number 12 in the Netherlands and number 6 in the Flemish Ultratop 50. Singer Marc Almond duets towards the end of the song with Cindy Ecstasy, an American clubgoer the band had met at the after-hours bar Club Berlin in New York the year previously. The single was originally intended to be double A-sided, coupled with the eventual B-side song "Insecure Me"; as such, both songs were included in the band's 2018 singles compilation Keychains & Snowstorms: The Singles. "Torch" ranked 49 in the New Musical Express critics' list of the year's 50 best singles."

James - english beefcake, 2001

“English Beefcake” has a somber low pulse and prominently features Saul Davies’ maudlin violin before completely switching gears midway through the song and becoming an almost triumphant chant."

The Waterboys - church not made with hands, 1984

"From the outset there would be something spiritual about all things Waterboys without a doubt influenced by their main man Mike Scott’s mother, an English teacher, reading him CS Lewis’s Narnia Chronicles when he was a child."

The Postmarks - no one said this would be easy, 2009

"the intrigue of a Spaghetti Western soundtrack"

The Alan Parsons Project - don't answer me, 1984

"Instead of the art rock and progressive rock sounds for which Alan Parsons was well-known, Parsons crafted "Don't Answer Me" in the style of Phil Spector and his Wall of Sound technique. Eric Woolfson, the co-writer, handled lead vocals on the single, with Mel Collins providing a saxophone solo with a "soothing yet destitute wail".

The Waterboys - don't bang the drum, 1985

"The trumpet in the song's intro was performed by Roddy Lorimer, which Scott described as being a "luminous high flying freeform trumpet solo in the style of 'Sketches of Spain' by Miles Davis, set against a dark 12 string guitar and piano landscape"

Keane - day will come, 2012

"this is a good Keane song. It’s got optimistic lyrics, it’s got a catchy beat. It’s definitely one of Keane’s happier songs, which is always nice to hear"

New Order - sub-culture, 1985

"Sub-culture" is the tenth single by English rock band New Order. It was released as the second and final single from their third studio album, Low-Life (1985) on 28 October 1985 by Factory Records."

Air - cherry blossom girl, 2003

"Cherry Blossom Girl" is a song by French electronic music duo Air. It was released in February 2004 by Virgin Records as the first single for their third studio album, Talkie Walkie (2004)."

Monaco - under the stars, 1997

"When New Order went on hiatus after 1993's Republic, bassist Peter Hook took the group's sound and spirit with him. After his previous side project Revenge was shredded by critics and snubbed by record buyers, Hook returned to the New Order formula - one he helped shape - when he collaborated with David Potts (guitar, vocals) as Monaco in 1996."

Saint Etienne - been so long, 1998

"The album was a departure for the group, who had been associated with the indie dance genre. Tiger Bay, their previous album, had added many acoustic and orchestral elements but still belonged to the synth-pop and dance genres, while Good Humor is more acoustic, having more in common musically with their 1993 hit single "You're in a Bad Way". Good Humor was demoed in the UK using synths and drum machines, but was recorded in Sweden under the guidance of Tore Johansson, who augmented their sound with a full band and a horn section."

Aimee Mann - little bombs, 2005

"‘Little Bombs’ was the first song from this album to leap out at me and it remains one of my favorites. I love how it’s quite busy musically — with layers of atmospheric percussion, a propulsive acoustic guitar and the piano and electric guitar trading off accent notes — but somehow feels achingly intimate. And I love the metaphor of a person’s life as an unexploded shell."

Liquido - wake me up, 1999

"Liquido was a German alternative rock band formed in Sinsheim, Germany in 1996 by four friends: Wolle Maier (drums), Wolfgang Schrödl (vocals, guitar, piano), Stefan Schulte-Holthaus (bass) and Tim Eiermann (vocals, guitar). Their only notable international hit, "Narcotic", was first released on a demo in 1996 and sold over 700,000 units when Virgin re-released it in 1998. Since then, Liquido hasn't been able to repeat this success, which led to a split from Virgin after two unsuccessful albums. 2005 saw the release of an equally ill-fated album on the new label Nuclear Blast."

Monaco - happy jack, 1997

"Released on June 9, 1997, on Polydor Records, Music for Pleasure may be regarded as the pinnacle of Hook’s songwriting prowess outside of his former bands, Joy Division and New Order; but, of course, not discounting the equally important contributions of Hook’s effective co-songwriter in Monaco, David Potts (drums, guitar, keyboards, vocals, bass). It also inadvertently gave away a hint of which New Order songs were borne primarily of Hook’s ideas or, at the least, his preferred musical direction, considering the almost purely Electronic Dance Music excursion of his New Order bandmates: Bernard Sumner, in his own side project in the same period; as well as that of The Other Two, Stephen Morris and Gillian Gilbert."

Cocteau Twins - rilkean heart, 1995

"Rilke supported the Russian Revolution in 1917 as well as the Bavarian Soviet Republic in 1919. He became friends with Ernst Toller and mourned the deaths of Rosa Luxemburg, Kurt Eisner, and Karl Liebknecht. He confided that of the five or six newspapers he read daily, those on the far left came closest to his own opinions. He developed a reputation for supporting left-wing causes"

The Postmarks - let go, 2007

"The sad and sunny Floridian classic pop trio Postmarks join the ranks of and the Women And Children and the Fiery Furnaces, with this hazily sylvan clip, rays of light pouring through green leaves, chem major Tim Yehezkely occasionally mouthing her happy/sad lyrics."

Marillion - script for a jester's tear, 1983

"Script For A Jester's Tear is a spontaneous feeling lyric; it seems to be set quite soon after a break-up, whereas The Web gives the feel of months wallowing in depression. It is for me quite the most beautiful expression of the pain of rejection."

The Radio Dept - messy enough, 2009

"Some people are weekend warriors, getting up and out early on Saturdays, taking the kids to soccer or swim lessons or karate, getting their grocery shopping out of the way, etc. That’s not us. When Saturday rolls around we all like to have slow, leisurely breakfasts at whatever time it is when we come down stairs, catch up on some reading, just take it easy. What’s the rush? To me Saturdays are like summer vacations; you have to appreciate them while you have them because they’re gone before you’re ready. Slow it down. The dishes can wait."

Barclay James Harvest - vanessa simmons, 1971

"Vanessa Simmons" is a simple but effective number with just acoustic guitars under the vocals."

Amy Macdonald - this is the life, 2007

"This Is the Life" is a song by Scottish singer-songwriter Amy Macdonald from her 2007 debut album of the same name. It was released on 10 December 2007 in the United Kingdom and in 2008 in most European countries. It became Macdonald's most successful single to date, topping eight European singles charts and reaching the top 10 on nine other European music listings. Conversely, the song did not match the success of "Mr Rock & Roll" in the United Kingdom, stalling at number 28 on the UK Singles Chart. The music video consists of pictures of Macdonald and her friends' night out."

Pet Shop Boys - luna park, 2006

"if "Luna Park" is indeed the United States, then what does the line "It's always dark in Luna Park" suggest—aside, of course, from the historical fact that the original Luna Park was open only at night? In what ways is America an amusement park where it's always dark? That, in effect, is the subject of the song. To much of the rest of the world, rightly or wrongly, the United States must indeed seem like a vast national amusement park, an "unreal" place where people are devoted to entertainment and enjoyment, to keeping themselves amused, and to keeping themselves in the dark—though whether that darkness is merely a means to an end or an end unto itself is a matter of debate."

The Waterboys - the whole of the moon, 1985

"AllMusic instead suggests that its subject is a number of people who inspired Scott, including writer C. S. Lewis and the musician Prince. Scott himself says that he "couldn't have written" the song without having read Mark Helprin's novel Winter's Tale, but goes on to state that the song is not about Helprin. The official Waterboys website's Frequently Asked Questions clarifies that Scott has said that the song's subject is "a composite of many people", including C. S. Lewis, but explicitly states that it is not about Prince."

Aimee Mann - she really wants you, 2005

"For The Forgotten Arm, Mann hired a new (for her) cast of studio pros and had them play mid-’70s roots rock in the style of The Faces and Lynyrd Skynyrd (or in the album’s softer moments The Band and Tumbleweed Connection-era Elton John). For some of these players, this sort of meat-and-potatoes country rock was second nature; guitarist Jeff Trott, for example, who made his rep on Sheryl Crow’s second album. Others were slightly removed from their usual sphere; fellow guitarist Julian Coryell is more associated with jazz than cowboy-chord rock. At times the wailing guitar crosses the line from authentically 1970s into schlock, with the worst excesses come from Trott. On She Really Wants You, he sounds like a wind machine is blowing his hair. His solo on Dear John, which is similar in style, tone and technique, is even more stadium; the vibrato is so foot-on-the-monitor over the top you wonder whether Trott could possibly be being serious."

Azure Ray - safe and sound, 2001

"Azure Ray is an Athens, GA, duo composed of Orenda Fink and Maria Taylor; their self-titled debut album is a quiet, gentle set of lovely songs that doesn't fit neatly into any current pigeonhole. Both women have contributed to more well-known projects - both have played in the ever-changing Bright Eyes touring band and Fink has played with the interesting Japancakes instrumental ensemble (but she didn't hint at the sort of lovely and emotional soul-searching found on Azure Ray)."

Memoryhouse - caregiver, 2010

"We’ve all felt like ghosts at one time or another."

Genesis - one day, 1969

"From the abundantly pleasant pastoral opening, the song transitions into a verse of lovely backing music that the boys forgot to put a melody on. Really, the verses of this one might as well just be William Shatner doing spoken word; they wouldn’t lose anything from the switch. But then the horns pick up, and we enter a fairly effective chorus."

Indochine - sweet dreams, 2005

"When watching a show about albums on French TV, I came across a very interesting band I had never heard before, Indochine, pronounced Ondo-sheen. In the video, they were playing to a packed out arena with a lot of fans, mostly female, screaming their appreciation of the band. I came to the conclusion they were a huge sensation in their native country, which my good buddy, The Vintage Toy Adviser, has since confirmed."

Devine And Statton - crestfallen, 1990

"There was always something so exotic about Les Disques du Crepuscule, the Belgian label and European cousin (in essence) of Factory Records. Thus it was perfectly suited for the sophisticated pop music that Alison Statton came to be associated with. She had already been involved in two bands that had reached cult status overnight (Young Marble Giants and Weekend), so it is only fitting that her third musical venture ended up being held in equally high regard. Partnering with Ian Devine (who was part of forgotten Mancunian band Ludus), they continued in a similar vein to Statton’s work with Weekend: light, jazzy pop music that was reminiscent of early Everything But the Girl. Their first release, 1989’s The Prince of Wales, was a glorious showcase for Statton’s exquisite voice and the pair’s devotion to Welsh nationalism, even if it was done in a subtle, melodic way. 1990’s Cardiffians followed a similar template to its predecessor but in this case, more of the same was a very welcome thing. It featured a more substantial band (including New Order’s Peter Hook), although it is hardly noticeable, yet the under-riding Welsh theme is still evident."

Saint Etienne - woodcabin, 1998

"Good Humor generally opts for a live band sound, which stands in direct contrast to their past studio-centric output. Opener “Woodcabin” eases into this style with an isolated, mechanical-like rhythm that may or may not be a drum machine. Then, a funk bassline kicks in, followed by jazzy Fender Rhodes electric piano, acoustic guitar and muted trumpet filigrees. However, it no longer resembles a Cardigans song once Cracknell’s inimitable vocals appear."

Of Monsters And Men - lakehouse, 2012

"A close contender for the album’s emotional climax shows up here, in the second-to-last slot where such things are usually appropriate. If “Your Bones” was Raggi’s big, weepy anthem, then this is Nanna’s. It’s got a warm hint of nostalgia to it, but also a slightly haunted feeling, her clear, youthful voice hinting at a loss of innocence as she begs, “Can you chase this fire away?” Beyond that and her reminiscence about a special house she used to visit in her younger days, this one’s abstract enough that I’m not quite sure what it’s about. Whatever the subject matter, it would certainly make a fine concert closer for the band, as it doesn’t take long for everyone to come crashing in at the same time, with brazen electric guitar chords, loud and proud accordion, and rolling snare drums, turning the song into an up-tempo march that work together with another spirited round of “la la la”s to make the song feel like it could be played at the world’s happiest funeral. Admittedly, if you’re not a big fan of groups filling space with stuff like “la la la”, then you might find some of these bigger, more climactic songs near the end of the album to be a bit repetitive. But I’ll give them a pass for that since even without everyone singing in unison at the end, the musicians are playing their hearts out and the whole thing is rattle-the-rafters exhilirating."

Pet Shop Boys - liberation, 1993

"an ex-cynic who suddenly discovers the joy of love after a lifetime of dismissing it. Though he had always feared that falling in love would be constricting, he has found, on the contrary, that love has given him a sense of freedom he's never felt before."

The Golden Dregs - the company of strangers, 2025

“The Company of Strangers is a business empire into which one might invest their best life years, best health, best thoughts, every last hour of daylight in the winter months, to expire, become surplus to requirement, served notice, redundant. The Company doesn’t care about you but you are better than that. Godspeed The Company.”

The Waterboys - glastonbury song, 1993

"Glastonbury's a holy centre, a place of great spiritual power, and there are lots of spiritual legends associated with it, among them that Jesus came here when he was a boy. And Joseph of Arimathea – Jesus' uncle – brought the chalice, in which he'd collected Jesus' blood from the cross, and he buried it at Glastonbury and that's the legend of the Holy Grail. And when you go there, the place does have a power. You can really feel it."

Enya - someone said goodbye, 2005

"Everywhere life happens to everyone. Sometimes, when the day is over, reflection might bring saddest times to mind. This song is about those feelings."