If It's Too Loud...

Back in 2021, as we slowly exited the pandemic doldrums, we were gifted an album of Nick Cave covers by The Flaming Lips with then-14-year-old Lips fan Nell Smith. That album, Where the Viaduct Looms , was a favorite of mine that year and I waited somewhat impatiently for a proper album from the young woman at the center of it all. We got that album this year in Anxious , a record that, in so many ways, cannot and will never be separated by the way it came into existence. In so many ways, Anxious is an album that grapples with modern teenage life in a way a 44-year-old man will never fully understand, but is so musically mature that it is truly shocking that someone in their middle teen years put it together so well. With that maturity, however, comes some true sadness, as it was the release of this album that made me aware that she passed away in a car accident in late 2024 . This album was mostly complete at the time, so it's very much a last will and testament of an artist ...

Artist : Nell Smith Album : Anxious Quick Thoughts : Nell Smith's Nick Cave covers record with the Flaming Lips a few years back was one of my favorites of the year. At the time, she was a 12 year old that forged a connection with Wayne Coyne and I have impatiently waited for her debut album ever since. I must have missed the news, however, because I learned upon release that this solo album is also a posthumous release, having died in a car accident last fall at only 17. It's always tragic when a teenager dies, but for those of us who love music, this one hurts a little harder, especially when the musical bookend we get here is so, so good. One of the best of the year, in fact, which I wouldn't have seen coming. It's a little weird, a little poppy, a little indie... what's kind of stunning is that she shows a range here that feels more appropriate for someone ten years old. Songs of Note : "Anxious," "Daisy Fields," "The Worst Best Drug...

I've never really been able to get into Nick Cave, but Nell Smith and The Flaming Lips changed that for me. Nell Smith is a 14-year-old Flaming Lips fan, while "She Don't Use Jelly" was 14 years old when Nell Smith was born. She somehow struck up a friendship with Wayne Coyne, he sent her some Cave records, and they collaborated on this masterpiece. Nell Smith brings a unique, measured perspective to these songs, and The Flaming Lips do their thing to it and turn nine songs you've heard before into something fresh and different. Granted, I think four or five different versions of "Red Right Hand" have dropped in recent years, slightly fewer versions of "The Ship Song" (a highlight here), and yet these feel both new and different while still keeping the haunting feel of the originals. That's difficult to do for any covers album, never mind accomplish at age 14 in a remote collaboration. This is just golden, and I'm glad it exists. Son...

Clearing the decks... Artist : Kylie V Album : Big Blue Quick Thoughts : This album is incredible, and I hate that I missed it early on. Kylie V has done something truly special here in that it's a unique voice and tone while still feeling as familiar as a lot of recent efforts. This will likely end up on a few year-end longlists, including mine, because it's that good. Songs of Note : "A Story If You Want It," "On My Mind" Artist : Galactikraken and Jonathan Young Album : Starship Velociraptor Quick Thoughts : This will be divisive for most people, but think about if The Darkness did synth rock and you might scratch the surface of what's going on with Galactikraken. It's an absolutely insane album of music that is loud and caphophonic, but is somehow still incredibly compelling. I know this isn't going to be everyone's cup of tea, but it's certainly mine. Songs of Note : "Glory or Gold," "Settle It With a Sword...