Hello, precious - show off your colours

I did The Guardian's list of the top 50 albums of the year last year and (mostly) enjoyed it, so it seemed sensible to repeat the exercise with this year's list, particularly since I've not listened to a great deal of new music this year except that which has been thrust upon me by the album-of-the-day channel at work.  So, here goes...

#50 : Magic Still Exists - Agnes

The Swedish pop star’s long-delayed fifth album embodies the platonic ideal of pop disco, steeped in Gaga (invigoratingly stern vocals about freeing one’s mind and body), Abba (piano stomps and trills), Donna Summer (the thumping 24 Hours) and Queen (melodramatic balladry). It transcends pastiche on the strength of her songwriting (you could swap almost anything here on to Dua Lipa’s Future Nostalgia) and the going-for-broke intensity of it all.

I've heard of Agnes (which is a step up from a lot of last year's list already), but couldn't tell you anything about her - from the description above I was hoping for something Robynesque.  And, yeah - that's pretty much what we've got here.  It's a pretty strong set of songs which definitely call back to Gaga, Abba (the little trill from "Gimme Gimme Gimme" on "Here Comes The Night" is very cute) and Donna - I'm not so sure about the Queen connection though.  I'm not convinced it's quite as strong as Future Nostalgia, but that was #2 last year and this is #50 this year, so it's probably not all that surprising - but if all the other 49 albums are better than this then I'm in for a treat (and I'll also be amazed).  And, at 34 minutes, it was too short - we want more Agnes!

Wikipedia has no entry for the album, but has something on her and all of her other albums so hopefully someone will address this soon enough - a quick check of other reviews on the internet suggest it was very well received.  And yes, they nearly all mention both Abba and Future Nostalgia.  "Customers also listen to" Melanie C, Nicola Roberts, Kylie Minogue and Donna Summer - but not Abba or Dua Lipa.  Overall, I think this is a very strong start to the list which I thoroughly enjoyed.

#49 : Diorama - MØL

Blending the blast beats and acid-gargling glottal mayhem of black metal with the uplifting, even sentimental guitar dynamics of shoegaze, “blackgaze” has become a vibrant corner of heavy music – and Danish quintet MØL became one of its best exponents with their second album. The moody breakdowns allow the explosive choruses to land all the more righteously, with vocalist Kim Song Sternkopf – a survivor of faith cults as a child – venting majestically into the mic. Tracks such as Serf bring in a groove metal sensibility to help it all swing.

In my previous visit with blackgaze (Deafheaven's Ordinary Corrupt Human Love), I liked the tracks but not the vocals - and I had concerns that I was in for a repeat performance here.  And those concerns were well and truly founded - if anything I like these tracks even more, but I just can't get with the shouty vocals.  I think I need some dreamblackgaze in my life, which is obviously blackgaze tracks combined with Cocteau Twin style vocals - can someone knock some up please?

Wikipedia doesn't have anything on band or artist, but there are some very positive reviews for the album out there - and I can quite believe it's one of the better blackgaze albums out there.  Just don't make me listen to any others in order to try and convince me.  "Customers also listen to" LLNN, Ghost Bath and Wolves In The Throne Room - none of whom I've never heard of, which will not surprise you in the slightest.  This just isn't for me I'm afraid, but I can see it's well done - if you're a fan of blackgaze, then check it out, but I'm just going to wait for someone to come out with some dreamblackgaze.

#48/47 - Two completely new introductions