Songs of the year, number 19: I, Doris – HRT (Official Video)

London's premier 'middle aged' girl band have excelled themselves this year. Their most recent release - the ode to self love that is 'Do It Myself' - appropriated the Go-Go's 'We Got The Beat' and also included an elegant salute to the Divinyls classic 'I Touch Myself', but it was 'HRT' that did it for me this year.

It comes across like a lighter Poison Girls (think 'Real Woman' rather than 'Abort The System'), with the same kind of clever wordplay and sense of humour set to a rollicking tune. And it's probably done more for positive discussion of the menopause than a million so called 'menopause influencers' could ever achieve. 

I, Doris – HRT (Official Video)

'HRT' marks a welcome return for the Dorises, with a tune that slaps (as the young people say) and which feels very much in the vein of a more jaunty, tongue in cheek Poison Girls track (think 'Real Woman'. Seriously. Hunt for the video on YouTube.) As with the Poison Girls, there's a serious message here but it's one that's being delivered deftly with humour and the resulting song - and video - will do you much more good than a sackful of whispered adverts about anti-aging creams or books by celebrities who think they're the first people to have a menopause. Check it out.

Song of the year, number 19: I, Doris – It's the End of the World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine) – 2...

This irresistible, not to mention timely, update of the REM classic clearly kept London's premier 'mummycore' band busy this year. Bar staff waiting to be sacked ahead of lockdown one last year were playing the original version to customers as they waited for the plaguey apocalypse to happen and, for that reason alone, the song is due a considered, intelligent, not to mention very funny update. Dorises, we salute you. 

I, Doris – It's the End of the World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine) – 2...

I can't believe I missed this when it came out in August.