I took myself and landed on the scrapy underglass

 Continuing my trip down The Guardian's top 50 albums of 2022. 

#38 : Un Verano Sin Ti - Bad Bunny

The year’s most streamed album is an old-fashioned romantic epic. Un Verano Sin Ti’s achingly wistful tale of hedonism and heartbreak has a booze-soaked, tearstained mood; it feels tangentially indebted to classic literature (I hear the Bad Bunny of Un Verano Sin Ti, constantly jerking between the heat of partying and ice-cold alienation, as a perverse analogue to Neddy Merrill, from Cheever’s The Swimmer) as well as cinematic worldbuilding breakup albums such as Lorde’s Melodrama. Bad Bunny pairs his heartbroken missives with sublime reggaeton, dembow and bachata, as well as surprising moments of softness courtesy of indie artists such as the Marías, Buscabulla and Bomba Estéreo. He flits effortlessly between raucous party-starting and moments of wounded introversion, distilling all the divine drama of summer into 81 intoxicating, all-too-short minutes.

Unlike the last time we met him, I am at least aware of Mr Bunny now - but I can't say my expectations are sky high, even if this is the year's most streamed album.  I'd also have to say The Guardian's description is ridiculously bombastic - there is no danger of anyone thinking "hmm - if I'm not mistaken, this is a perverse analogue to Neddy Merrill, from Cheever's The Swimmer".

Hmmm - this is all perfectly fine I guess but I struggle to see what makes it special for anyone, let alone everyone.  I can also assure you that full 81 minutes is neither "intoxicating" nor "all-too-short".  It's not going to make me any friends, but "modern day Julio Iglesias" sprung to mind for me.  I'm just mystified by it all.  And also by the album cover.

As, to a large extent, are the rest of the UK, it appears - it did chart but didn't exactly set the country alight spending one week at #62.  It did slightly better in the US though, debuting at #1 becoming the second all-Spanish album to top the charts.  And yes, his last album was the first to do so.  And it stayed at the top for THIRTEEN weeks.  It also did surprisingly well in other countries - #3 in Switzerland?  #5 in The Netherlands?!?  Wikipedia tells me the album is "primarily a reggaeton, cumbia, and indie pop record" - I only know anything about one of these and I can assure you it most definite is NOT an indie pop record.  All very odd.

"Customers also listened to" Daddy Yankee, Ozuna and Wisin & Yandel - obviously I can tell you everything you need to know about them all.  There are obviously plenty of musical genres that I don't appreciate as much as others, either through ignorance or dislike - but reggaeton is up there with the least appreciated for me.  I don't hate it - I just don't see what there is to like.

#37 : Loggerhead - Wu-Lu

Loggerhead is a little like a zombie movie where Wu-Lu is the lone survivor, a muffled voice of humanity trying to make out any remnants of life in an environment that no longer feels familiar. He stalks the album’s diffuse post-punk landscapes, alternately yelling and mumbling, singing and rapping, letting out a harsh, piercing scream during South, the record’s centrepiece. The closest comparison for this remarkable, haunted debut album would perhaps be enigmatic London experimentalist Dean Blunt, but where Blunt’s main mode is detachment, Wu-Lu seeks out the visceral and the guttural, making an indelible impression in the process.

Never heard of Wu-Lu - is that even their real name?  I can't say the description above has me particularly looking forward to listening to it though...

And, you know what?  It's not nearly as bad as they make it sound.  I'm not entirely sure I'd call it remarkable, but it has some decent enough tracks on it - I was reminded of 80s goth indie kinda stuff.  I would say that "South" is a bit too challenging for my ears, but the rest of it feels like they could be growers given a chance.  Which they won't get.

I can't believe it charted though - nope, not a dickie bird.  There's nothing on Wikipedia either about him or the album - all I can find on the internet at first glance is that his real name is not Wu-Lu, it's the somewhat harder to remember Miles Romans-Hopcraft.  Apart from that, all the internet really has to say is that people liked his album.

"Customers also listened to" Melt Yourself Down, Crack Cloud, Traams and The Lounge Society - yup, never heard of any of 'em.  I can't say I loved this, but it's an interesting listen and I didn't mind it - I just wondered why The Guardian were bigging it up as more challenging than it actually is.

One massively successful album and one that's barely made an impression anywhere - and I know which one I'd rather listen to again.

#40-39 - An odd pair of albums and no mistake

#36-35 - Two ladies not to be messed with