Songs of the year, Number 6: Ellur - Close To You (Official Video)

Halifax singer/songwriter Ellur released 'Close To You' in the summer, and it's seaside themed video (filmed in Bridlington) coupled with a ferociously self recriminating take on infatuation made it the perfect wistful heatwave soundtrack. 

The doleful vocals contrast well with the intricate but subtle guitar work, urgent pounding drums and catchy but clever lyrics. There are echoes of nineties grunge and more recent indie singer/songwriters such as Ailbhe Reddy, but Ellur's more recent output suggests that 'Close To You' was unusual in its use of guitar and that synth driven pop might be closer to her usual sound. 

Whichever direction she goes in, 'Close To You' is still a sun soaked summer banger and future tracks are awaited with keen anticipation. 

Songs of the year, Number 7: Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Burning (Official Video)

Taken from the indie rock legends fifth studio album (and their first in almost ten years), 'Burning' harks back to everything that was ever good about the Yeah Yeah Yeah's while also signalling where they might go next.

It's a taut, stylish slice of soul tinged rock that opens with hazy strings and increasingly dominant piano chords. Karen O is in soul girl punk preacher mode here and the track has a passing resemblance to the Dusty Springfield favourite 'I Close My Eyes And Count To Ten', at least initially. An abrupt shift in mood and sonic atmospherics gives it a cinematic feel to rival any of the John Barry songs for the James Bond franchise. There's also echoes of Standing In The Way of Control era Gossip. The result is a giddyingly intense white knuckle ride which sweeps the listener along in its wake.

It feels like the song at the end of the world in many ways, such is the overwhelming nature of the piece. Almost apocalyptic. Brace yourselves. 

Songs of the year, Number 8: Ibeyi - Lavender and Red Roses feat. Jorja Smith (Official Music Video)

Afro-French-Cuban twin sister duo Ibeyi released their third album Spell 31 back in May. The title is a reference to a passage in the Egyptian Book of the Dead, which is quoted within the album's soundscape. 

On 'Lavender and Red Roses' they perform three part harmonies with Walsall superstar Jorja Smith and the effect is stunningly good. Minimal beats and subtle instrumentation serve to provide a bed for the vocals, which are very much the star of the show here. Lyrically, it seems to be about the anguish and powerlessness that comes from trying (and failing) to save a loved one from an indeterminate darkness while knowing that, sooner or later, you will have to cut the chord. 

That Smith's vocals blend and weave so seamlessly with those of Lisa-Kaindé Diaz and Naomi Diaz is at the heart of the tracks success. It would be nice to hear future collaborations between the three of them in the future, either as an Ibeyi release or as a Jorja Smith release, but independently and together, all three artists are always worth a listen. 

Songs of the year, Number 9: TWICE - Gone

Premier K Pop band TWICE formed in 2015 and quickly built up stratospheric sales and giddying levels of fame in both South Korea and Japan. In recent years, they've begun to look towards the international market but have yet to reach the giddying levels of international stardom achieved by the boyband BTS.

'Gone' is taken from their 2022 EP, Between 1&2 and it begins dramatically with atmospheric strings that signal the brooding nature of the song, which appears to be about an unhappy relationship. The band are multilingual, and this is reflected in the ease with which they switch languages. The killer hook ("I see the lies on the tip of your tongue") begins in English before switching back and forth between languages. There's also an immaculate rapid fire rap, which adds additional attitude and dimension to the track, increasing its level of pure pop irresistibility. 

Fellow K Pop girl band BLACKPINK have built similar levels of global recognition to TWICE but there seems to be a preference for the boys over the girls which I don't entirely understand. Someone who knows more about K Pop than me will no doubt be able to explain it to me but, for now, I remain bemused.

Songs of the year, Number 10: Sampa The Great - Never Forget ft. Chef 187, Tio Nason, Mwanjé (Official...

An ambitious salute to Zamrock, 'Never Forget' sees Zambian born Sampa return to her roots literally and figuratively (she left Australia for Zambia at the start of the pandemic) with a fiercely proud sprawling, collaborative track that mixes hip hop with the sounds of Zambia, past and present. 

A collaboration between Sampa, her sister and singer Mwanjé, their cousin singer/songwriter, designer and director Tio Nason and Zambian hip hop artist Chef 187, the result is an incredibly moving and powerful track than transcends genre and instead becomes a cross between a tribute and a statement of intent. It has an incredibly moving sense of dignity and power that is only enhanced by its evocative and atmospheric video. 

Songs of the year, Number 11: Lucky Iris - [i'm not good at writing] love songs

A particularly irresistible ear worm courtesy of the Leeds synth pop duo, who describe themselves on their Facebook profile as making "Passive aggressive pop bops for the faint hearted". They also have a good line in charmingly self depreciating tweets.

'[I'm not good at writing] love songs' maintains the bands refreshingly candid lyrics but marries them to a strong hook and memorable chorus, guaranteeing that the resulting track will be stuck in your head for days. 

"How does one go through so much pain? Cos I'm not used to it" singer Maeve tentatively asks, adding later "Give me a break, I think I need it. I'm hard enough on myself - I don't need any feedback".

If Portland's electro dream pop band Wild Ones were still going, I'd be fantasising about a joint tour. As it is, Lucky Iris are slowly but surely building up their repertoire and their following and I look forward to whatever they decide to do next.

Songs of the year, Number 12: Nova Twins - Cleopatra (Lyric Video)

Metal queens Nova Twins scored the unlikely double whammy of both Mercury and Hercury nominations this year with their second album Supernova. It's easy to see why their modern metal sound, fuelled as it is by a combination of musical innovation, enthusiastic freshness and attitude would chime so well.

In 'Cleopatra' they swagger and boss their way through a taut three and a half minutes of riff driven rock with lyrics that embody empowerment while also taking swipes are racist stereotypes and hypocrisies. "I'm a boss bitch" snarls Amy Love, "I'm Cleopatra" and the listener can only agree.

Tremendous.