Jeff's Best of 2024 - #8: Agent blå - STAB!

Sometimes a band comes along that you feel criminally late to the party on, and Agent blå is one of them. A Swedish shoegazey band, I feel like I've enjoyed songs from them time and time again but it was STAB! that truly clicked for me.

There's a truly anthemic quality to STAB! that sets it apart from so many other albums in this genre. The opening track (following an intro) sets the tone right away, with a piano melody over a crush of distortion, and the rest of the album doesn't let up on the gas. Song after song with waves of walls of sound, accompanied by oft-ethereal vocals that give the experience an otherworldly vibe. If this album has a flaw, it's the 30-minute runtime, but there's also the argument that it doesn't outstay its welcome. All it did for me was make an excuse for me to hit repeat.

A wonderful listen this year, and a real treat across the board.

Songs of note: "Ebb and Flow," "Discount," "Rain to You," "The Fascination of Self-Sabotage"