Every month, Uproxx cultural critic Steven Hyden makes an unranked list of his favorite music-related items released during this period — songs, albums, books, films, you name it.
1. The Smile, Wall Of Eyes
Earlier this month I wrote a column ranking every album in the Radiohead Cinematic Universe, including solo records and side projects. I put this album at No. 13, which feels right to me. It’s a very good, high-end-of-the-middle entry in the Radiohead canon. Thom and Jonny’s sophomore effort as The Smile isn’t as groovy as the first. On A Light For Attracting Attention, they strutted like a British art-rock redux of Booker T. And The MG’s, with Thom and Jonny clearly vibing on Tom Skinner’s relentless syncopations. Wall Of Eyes is rockier and, well, more Radiohead-esque. The eight-minute “Bending Hectic” is their most twist-turn-y epic since “Paranoid Android,” while tracks like “Read The Room” and “Friend Of A Friend” could pass for OK Computer B-sides. Above all, Wall Of Eyes is an album designed for luxuriating in the plush velvet that is Thom Yorke’s remarkably well-preserved voice and Jonny Greenwood’s elastic guitar playing. I listened to it on a recent frigid Saturday morning while drinking coffee, and it felt cozier than The Holdovers. I understand “Cozy” might not seem like a positive adjective in the context of a Radiohead-adjacent record, but the warmth of Wall Of Eyes hits like an invigorating balm given how chilly it has been under the Radiohead umbrella for much of the 15-plus years.
2. Katy Kirby, Blue Raspberry
The Brooklyn-by-way-of-Texas singer-songwriter seems to make slow-burn music by design. Her 2021 album Cool Dry Place was a word-of-mouth grower among critics, and her latest LP similarly seems poised to ingratiate itself, slowly and quietly, in the upcoming months. At first listen, her songs seem slight and pared-back to near-skeletal forms. But repeated exposure somehow makes Blue Raspberry sound fuller and richer, as the meaning and power of Kirby’s lovelorn songs sink in. Alexander Payne once talked about the dictum of “feel a lot and show little” for understated but emotionally overwhelming films, and that also applies to Blue Raspberry.
3. Waxahatchee featuring MJ Lenderman, “Right Back To It”
If the year ended today, it would be extremely short year. But if 2024 did end now, this would be my favorite song of the year. I listened to it at least 35 times the weekend after it came out. Also, in the video, Katie Crutchfield rides around in a boat piloted by MJ Lenderman. She has officially embraced the Boat Songs lifestyle! Her forthcoming album due in March, Tigers Blood, is destined to be great for that reason alone.
4. Rosali, “Rewind”
My second favorite song of the hypothetically one-month 2024. I’ll have a lot more to say when Rosali’s new LP, Bite Down, drops in a few months. But for now I’ll say this: This is my favorite record I have heard so far this year. I highly recommend checking out her previous album, 2021’s No Medium, if you haven’t already.
5. David Nance & Mowed Sound, “Mock The Hours”
Speaking of Rosali, both Bite Down and No Medium also involve this hard-rocking Nebraska band, who function as Rosali’s very own ersatz Crazy Horse. Nance is a fine singer-songwriter in his own right, and his music has continued to grow more refined since the time I interviewed him in 2018. His new album out next month, David Nance & Mowed Sound, is his most sonically varied effort yet, ranging from the chunky choogle of the single “Mock The Hours” to quietly vibe-y numbers that evoke heavy 3 a.m. mystical feelings.
6. Glass Beach, Plastic Death
I appreciated this band’s previous record, 2019’s The First Glass Beach Album, more than I enjoyed it. That LP had loads of ideas and energy, but listening to it felt like running on a treadmill cranked at top speed. I suspect that many listeners will feel similarly exhausted by the second Glass Beach record, Plastic Death, but I have really connected with it. While The First Glass Beach Album submerged their prog-leaning tendencies in emo aesthetics, Plastic Death goes full-on Geddy Lee. Imagine if Tool hired Brendan O’Brien in 1996 and decided to sound like Primus, and you get a sense of the inventive mania that’s cooking here.
7. Phosphorescent, “Revelator”
Most singer-songwriters would have retired after writing a song as beautiful as “Song For Zula.” But Matthew Houck has admirably continued to plug away. This month he announced his first album in six years, Revelator, and it’s about what you would expect — there are lots of absolutely stunning tunes that ruminate on the human condition with crushing clarity. I plan on making it one of my go-to listens at dusk in the summertime. The title track typifies that mood.
8. Labi Siffre, “Crying, Laughing, Loving, Lying”
Fellow members of The Holdovers hive have surely been playing this in regular rotation this month. I propose a new Oscar category: Best Old Song Used In A New Film. While I know many people will rightfully stan for Sophie’s “Murder On The Dancefloor” from Saltburn, I have to go with this melancholy gem from my favorite movie of 2023.
