I'm not wishing I was back in the USA, coz I come from Morecambe and the skies are grey

Continuing my trip forward in time through the album charts

15/11/24 : Earth To Grace - Massive Wagons

I will listen to the new entry at #1, but there's absolutely NO WAY I'm writing a whole entry on it - so instead we have this which I know absolutely nothing about. But it has to be better than the abomination at #1.

Well, it's something you don't hear too much of these days - I guess "hard rock" is probably as good a description as any. It’s not going to win any awards for musical complexity but it’s quite catchy - I was reminded of Gary Moore in his heavier days that teenage me used to like. It also certainly doesn't take itself too seriously - "Free And Easy" tells us "I don't shoot guns, it's not healthy - I drive a Ford C-Max I got off my dad and it's filthy" and "Rabbit Hole" offers up an amusingly sceptical take on conspiracy theories and then abruptly ends "Auf wiedersehen, adios - this song fucking sucks". It's not what I'd normally listen to but it was nice to have something a bit different - it's also got quite the album cover!

We're at #4 with a new entry this week and the rest of the top five are - nope, I'm still not ready to talk about it, Sabrina Carpenter, The Cure (well, I got that one wrong, didn't I?) and Chappell Roan. OK - deep breath, let's do the other new entries (but in reverse order to give me the most time before I have to face the horror).

Myles Smith (#63)
This is similar to Hozier or George Ezra - perfectly listenable if nothing remarkable. The most unusual thing about it is that there's only 21 minutes of it.

Nathan Evans (#26)
This is the "Wellerman" guy - he comes across as something like a very Scottish Frank Turner. And I quite liked it.

Primal Scream (#24)
I've seen some stinking reviews of this so I was intrigued as to what it was like. And well, it's extremely odd, that's what it's like - it's kinda jazz-funk-disco-gospel. And who doesn't want that, right? I don't think it's dreadful, but it's also very much not great.

Fimiguerrero/Len/Lancey Foux (#23)
Whereas this is perfectly dreadful rappy nonsense, which I spent no more than five minutes on - but it did mean that I finally had to face my fear.  Yup, at #1 this week we have...

Michael Ball & Alfie Boe (#1)
Yes, it's their usual collection of random covers - and every single one of them is not in any way improved on the original. I actually don't mind their voices (particularly Michael's) but everything is just sooo over-harmonised it just sets my teeth on edge. Either of them could do a very decent version of Take That's "Rule The World" but put them together and they just ruin it (even more than Take That manage). And I'd love to know who thought it would be a good idea to give them "Dirty Old Town" to massacre. Sorry - in case I haven't made it clear, I don't like this album (but it's still better than the Fimiguerrero offering).

Last week I said that The Cure would drop out of the chart entirely, but I did also say I'd be happy if I was wrong - I can only assume that the great reviews it got (such as mine) brought it to wider attention, but for an artist that isn't young and female or Ed Sheeran to keep such a high position is impressive. I somehow doubt Massive Wagons are going to manage to do quite so well - I fear I have to go for another "one and done" guess. And this week's Taylor stats are four in the top forty and seven in the entire chart.

Wikipedia doesn't have an entry on the album, but there is one on the band - they've been going since 2012 and this is their seventh album and their fourth to chart, with three of them having made the top ten. But that's all I've got for you!

"Customers also listened to" Airstrike, Gun, The Hot Damn! and Doomsday Outlaw - some subtle names there! But it's not a subtle style of music, so there's no point in pretending it is - best to let people know what they're going to get, like Massive Wagons do. And I enjoyed this a lot more than I was expecting it to - I imagine they're a load of fun live (although I suspect I'd hang back rather than getting involved at the front).

08/11/24 - A fine album
22/11/24 - Not for me