My Top 10 Albums Of 2019

10: Sleeper – The Modern Age

“I wish that I was someone different, somewhere different on a different day”

An incredible comeback considering Sleeper’s last album was a staggering 22 years ago. Time has been very kind to Louise Wener’s band or they are still catchy, still fun but with more of an emotional edge to boot ‘The Modern Age’ is the sound of no distilled youth. It feels like no time has passed at all and incredibly with age they might just have hit their prime

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9: Idlewild – Interview Music

“It’s complicated with mainstream values”

Roddy Woomble’s random lyrical tangiets are matched this time in the musical department. Idlewild’s ninth album is psychedelic and discordant with plinky pianos, strange brass and off-piste guitar wibbling but through it all the band’s year for a melody shines through. It has an energy the band have been lacking for a while making it their best work in years.

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8: Drenge – Strange Creatures

“There’s a sewer with a sound system churning away”

Drenge took their heavy, combative rock to the theatre and created a tense pantomime thriller. At times tense and uneasy, the story invokes dark imagary and spooky daftness. There’s a massacre at a high school prom and an actual bonfire of the city boys. In places this is their sparsest sounding material but its deep driving bass and strange atmospherics give it a unique vibe.

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7: Marika Hackman – Any Human Friend

“I dig for life in the aisle of my thighs”

Glamorous yet grimy songs like perfectly manicured finger nails with dirt underneath, Any Human Friend explores the darkness and insecurities of sexuality with traces of eighties synth. It’s your permanently horny mate who never gets any but doesn’t talk about anything else. So much so that ‘Hand Solo’ is an ode to masturbation. Lo-fi but catchy, filthy but sexy, ‘Any Human Friend’ appeals to more than just perverts.

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6: Lana Del Rey – Norman Fucking Rockwell

“Think about it, the darkness, the deepness”

Lana’s voice has never been in finer fettle and more than ever before she has the songs to match that incredible talent. Norman Fucking Rockwell is a cinematic yet desolate thing of beauty. It’s Lana sitting alone in the theatre commenting on the world’s bleakest film. Pianos crash and strings ache together but they can’t can’t compete with the real star of the show. Woozy, anthemic and very fucking heartbreaking, we salute you Lana Del Fucking Rey.

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5: Fidlar – Almost Free

“Was that too fucking real?”

The topics of drug addiction, alcoholism and the general shitness of L.A may not have changed but against the same backdrop FIDLAR have once again managed to stand out by progressing their sound further. There’s Beastie Boys rap, surf guitars, punk aesthetics, chirpy brass and full on rants in what is a mish mash of an album that’s chaotic and self-destructive in equal measure. It’s all done with FIDLAR’s trademark humour and catchiness. Introspection never sounded so welcoming.

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4: Blood Red Shoes – Get Tragic

“I feel like nothing and I love it”

Five years in gestation, Get Tragic surfaced from troubled beginnings to glorious success, comparively speaking anyway for an alternative rock band. In do so the duo have stolen victory from the jaws of defeat. Never ones to stay still they’ve added another new twist to their sound. This time electronic glitches stab the punchy guitar sound. Blood Red Shoes sound like they’re having the most fun they’ve ever had.

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3: Nervus – Tough Crowd

“We’re all living with austerity too, but we’re not killing for a living wage”

The third album from Nervus pulls no punches in its hatred of authority. Tough Crowd is perfectly titled because it confronts the listener with a direct rage. Subject matters include police brutality, the environment and mental health. If that sounds bleak then don’t worry because these tunes are massive and fuelled by heavy guitars. In ‘Engulf You’ they encompass the hopelessness of a system working against us (They’ve been pissing in the cup and we drink it up / I can’t be grateful for a big society that fails me systematically.” The record is fun yet political. These are anthems for the disillusioned without the emo. If you let this album pass you by then it’s your tough luck.

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2: Honeyblood – In Plain Sight

“I got bit babe, the poisons inside of me”

Now essentially Stina Tweeddale’s solo vision, Honeyblood’s direction for the third long player is a pleasant surprise. While ‘Babes Never Die’ was pure Halloween this is a birthday celebration. Yes, the lyrics are fierce and full of references to abusive and toxic relationships but the volume has been dialled up to eleven and the clean, loud production serves up Stina’s funnest album to date. Not only does she sound like she’s having a riot, the bass and drums send things into the stratosphere. In parts glam-rock, in parts indie disco, ‘In Plain Sight’ is a heady thrill-ride and in ‘The Tarantella’ might just have the song of the year.

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1: Martha – Love Keeps Kicking

“No happy pill, no drinking bleach, no permanent lobotomy”

On a personal note, 2019 has been a very difficult for me but since the spring there’s been one record injecting some uch needed positive energy into my veins. That means one thing, Martha’s third album does what it says on the tin because the themes of ‘Love Keeps Kicking’ are, without being cheesy, the power of love and togetherness in the face of bigotry even if the odds are stacked up against you. It’s a punk pop masterclass with clever wordplay, monumental hooks and driving guitars. Most of the songs are short sharp slaps of mischievous joy and the rare quieter moments are a thing of beauty. “I diluted you like ice in orange juice, I don’t know what to do now” comes the helpless but catchy ‘Orange Juice’. There are drunken thumblings in ‘Into This’, which has all the sparkle of Oasis’ ‘Stay Young’ with, appropriately, the naivety of youth. In the title track we’re moshing joyfully to Huey Lewis And The News. If 2019 needed more of something it was love and Martha did more than their fair share of putting it into the world. Give this album your heart and it won’t ever let you down.

My Top 20 Shows of 2019

20: GameFace (Channel 4)

Roisin Conaghty returns for a second series as Marcella and while her character might be falling apart at the seams, Roisin herself has raised the game with this improvement on the first run. Marcella’s family are still weird, her love life is still a mess and to make matters worse her crap therapist has a crappy sidekick. It’s still quirky and potty mouthed, just more so. However, the ending might mean GameFace has reached its endgame.

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19: Taskmaster – Series 9 (Dave)

After an iffy eighth installment at the start of the year when the contestants didn’t seem to gel and the tasks weren’t up to scratch, Taskmaster came back firing on all cylinders. Everyone was brilliant. Ed Gamble’s competitiveness made up for Jo Brand’s lack of interest and David Baddiels general confusion. It was all brilliant and hopefully the move to Channel 4 won’t mess with a winning formula.

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18: Dead To Me (Netflix)

A farcical comedy with a dark heart. Jen has recently lost her husband in a tragic accident and soon meets Judy at a support group. Her world is about to be flipped over again as the two become close friends with a lack of trust as the unspoken third wheel in the relationship. Dead To Me is a sensitively played out story with plenty of laughs and emotional pathos.

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17: Catastrophe (Channel 4)

Sharon Horgan and Rob Delaney’s potentially final installment as a bickering, troubled couple offered plenty of the gross out moments and arguments we’ve come to love over the years but there was an even sharper edge this time round. We loved Sharon and Rob through some very questionable behaviour over he years nd that is a credit to the writers . Sharon and Rob. If this is goodbye then let’s at least end on good terms.

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16: Brexit: The Uncivil War (Channel 4)

A riveting take on a very British storm. In parts factual and in parts exaggerated, The Uncivil War was a comical spoof which summed up the ridiculousness of the whole thing. Let’s face it, facts aren’t important these days anyway. Benedict Cumberbatch plays Dominic Cummings, the man behind the madness as we see see his methods behind the political revolution. It’s a fun, engaging thrill ride which can’t be said of Brexit itself.

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15: Sex Education (Netflix)

A bright, bold tale of teenage sexuality told through the eyes of Otis who ends up giving advice to fellow students despite having no direct life experience himself. Sex, drugs, body image and bullying are just some of the topics handled in a direct and funny manner. It pulls no punches with the headstrong storytelling. The setting is actually the main thing that causes unease because its British students dressed as American students in a British school which looks like an American school. It’s very discombulating indeed.

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14: The End Of The F***ing World (Channel 4 / Netflix)

The teenage tearaways Alyssa and James don’t get things any easier when a woman named Bonnie who is set on revenge comes into their lives. Still artfully shot and masterfully told, the story surprises in the direction it takes. The End Of The F***ing World is lo-fi Tarrantino set in Britain and it’s still f***ING brilliant.

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13: Santa Clarita Diet (Netflix)

The gruesome foursome of Shiela, Joel, Abby and Eric continue their take on surreal suburbia. The show with all its gore and lunacy has impressed with every series. There’s not much new on the plate here but to stay urgent and hilarious despite that is credit to the performances from a pitch perfect cast. Netflix, like Sheila with her victims has cruelly cut Santa Clarita Diet off in its prime. We left things on a cliffhanger that could have taken the show to new realms. It’s sad to say goodbye.

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12: The Capture (BBC1)

Holiday Grainger plays D.I Rachel Carey who gets caught up in a world of make believe that takes her straight to the heart of conspiracy and law. Shaun Emery, a recently cleared British soldier is the man at the centre of it all and how can he prove his innocence when the evidence shows otherwise? The Capture is a thrilling emotional rollercoaster with twists that’ll mess with your head. There is style, substance and almost certainly a second series in the offing. When do we start?

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11: Year Of The Rabbit (Channel 4)

Think Ripper Street visiting Garth Merenghi’s Dark place hospital in Victorian times. Got it? Weird isn’t it? Matt Berry plays Inspector Rabbit and yes, he’s being very Matt Berry here but it suits the madness. Rabbit teams up with Mabel and Wilbur to solve crimes in ways only they can – badly. Quick-fire jokes, great visual gags and complete nonsense are the order of the day and it’s an absolute riot.

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10: Guilt (BBC Scotland)

Max and Jake are brothers for better or worse and in Guilt, mostly worse. Late one night they drunkenly kill an old man with their car and what follows is a tale of cover ups and repercussions. Through it all they meet Angie, an American with her own secrets. Guilt is a steadily paced farce that questions whether family is really stronger together.

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9: Dead Pixels (Channel 4)

Meet Meg a gamer who has a mind murkier than some of the darkest frogs of the internet and her curious gaming friends. They don’t want to live in the real world but their fantasy lives within the game blur into every aspect of their day to day. Dead Pixels is fun, rude and genuinely funny as fuck. Meg and Nicky are completely awful people but just like them we can’t keep our eyes from the screen. The mashup of in game play and standard settings is a visual treat.

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8: Giri / Haji (BBC2)

The English translation of the title is Duty / Shame. Kenzo is carrying out his duty, Yuko is his shame. Giri / Haji is set in Tokyo and London and the beautiful cinematography perfectly captures both cities. The direction throughout is crafted with an exception eye for detail. Kenzo is a detective sent to London to find his missing brother, who’s been involved with the Yakuza and accused of murder but the ramifications are the heart of the matter here. Giri / Haji is brooding, intelligent drama with plenty of revelations.

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7: Line Of Duty (BBC1)

Line Of Duty was almost back to its best after a disappointing fourth series. Steven Graham as the main antagonist was a big reason for this but throwing Ted Hastings in at the deep end was the real masterstroke, taking AC-12 into uncharted territory. Our little hearts couldn’t take Ted being corrupt and the way writer Jed Mercurio weaves in so much from the show’s history means the viewer can never relax. The levels of complex storytelling are unparalleled. This run was short on the long interrogation scenes, maybe as a way of not turning into a spoof of itself. The ninety minute finale was tense event telly at it’s very best. Is the strange ‘H’ reveal at the very end a double bluff?

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6: Ghosts (BBC1)

Horrible Histories goes ghastly ghouls on our asses and comedy is a better place as a result. There’s still that brand of humour from them we love but with a slightly more adult twist. Alison and Mike get the keys to a rundown country house but the dead inhabitants don’t taken kindly to their new housemates. They’re all larger than life characters but Lolly Adefope’s Kitty might be the standout. What follows is a madcap twist on the genre. Ghosts is odd, charming and already commissioned for two more series.

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5: Peaky Blinders (BBC1)

Peaky Blinders took a change in direction this year and it wasn’t to everyone’s taste. This was a study of Tommy’s personal demons. Read all my reviews of series five here and cast interviews here:

https://yekimmikey.wordpress.com/category/peaky-blinders-series-5/

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4: Brassic (Sky Atlantic)

From the mind of Joe Gilgun and starring the man himself, Brassic offers a working class way of life not often given airtime on television. Brassic is Vinnie’s fight against depression but told through the medium of stealing ponies, bum exposing wrestles snd getting stuck in sewers. His gang of friends, with Dylan his closest buddy pulling away from him, get themselves in all sorts of scrapes with diminishing returns. The opening monologue of episode one is a northern take on the famous ‘Choose Life’ diatribe in Trainspotting and sums up Brassic’s mantra from the off. Though however bizarre things may get Gilgun and fellow writer Danny Brocklehurst manage to keep it grounded. Crude and sincere in equal measure, series two follows in 2020.

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3: Pure (Channel 4)

Newcomer Charly Clive excels as Marnie, a 24 year old sufferer of ‘Pure O’, an extreme form of OCD that involves near constant violent, sexual and taboo thoughts. She runs off to London but can’t escape her own mind and Pure is the engrossing tale of her adjusting to her new life and getting to grips with her illness. There’s awkward thumbles, workplace terrors and difficult friendships aplenty but her brain is the biggest hurdle to overcome. Pure is a realistic, heartfelt and refreshingly honest work.

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2: Years And Years (BBC1)

Russell T. Davies covers fifteen years through the eyes of a family that sees a rapid, frightening shift of the world’s axis. Back near the start of the year it already felt like an uncomfortable watch as what should be sci-fi was almost mimicking our daily news. A few months down the line and the show’s themes are even more relevant. Covering so many big political and technological moments in a domestic setting is the biggest achievement of many that Years And Years achieved. Read my reviews of all the episodes here:

https://yekimmikey.wordpress.com/category/years-and-years/

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1: Stranger Things 3 (Netflix)

Stranger Things 3 is the brightest, boldest and funniest series yet. There wasn’t just a tone change but more urgency and a different sort of peril. If series two felt like a rehash of the original run then this subverted expectations. There’s so much to love from Steve and Dustin’s bromance reaching new levels, the introduction of Robin, the cynical heroics of Hopper and so much more. Using the mall as a centrepiece was another masterstroke as well because we needed to see more of Hawkins, we needed to see these great characters in different settings and different situations. It’s rare for a show to improve as it goes on but Stranger Things has done so in style. The gut wrenching ending pulled the rug from under our feet and it looks like we won’t be seeing anymore of Hawkins at all from now on.

Peaky Blinders Series 5 Interview: Harry Kirton

It’s sweltering in London town today. The heatwave has reached thirty five degrees and it might be getting a bit to Harry.

How’s Finn settling into life as an adult Peaky Blinder?

“You know when you’re in hot weather and you have a jacket on and you get a bit dewy and frustrated? You probably need the toilet as well so you just want to get home. I think in Finn’s mind all he’s wanted is to do missions on his own, have that freedom to see what’s on the other side. When you finally get home, to go with this analogy or whatever it is I’m saying, you finally take the jacket off and you feel that freshness. I’m doing what I wanted to do. Season five definitely provides Finn with opportunities to express his inner Shelby that eagerly wants to come out. It foolishly leads him into circumstances. He’s too big for his boots”

Is he trying to fill John’s shoes at all?

“Death is a weird thing. None of the Peaky Blinders are unfamiliar with it but I’d say Finn is the most unfamiliar and when it’s someone so close…

All the other brothers went to war and though that (John’s murder) was caused by gang violence it provides the opportunity for Finn to express his anger in a world he probably hates at this point. He has some very interesting antics”

Now Finn is full of confidence, does he find a lady that doesn’t have to be paid for?!

“Less so lady, more so ladies. Finn has a heart, he really does. There’s a gentleman in him but he also has the family name to live up to. You’d expect the puppy to match that of the pack”

So, in both senses, he gets more action?

He’s enjoying the snow, the whiskey, the girls, the violence and just like any dangerous animal they’re already threatening when they’re a puppy but now he’s full blown it’s a pretty scary beast. You don’t want to get in front of him this season. He’s got street smarts but not enough.

The younger generation are learning and getting Finn and Isaiah together is always going to cause straight up antics! He has his own small gang and whatever we do we do with a heavy hand. You see it on his skin. Anthony (Byrne, the director) wanted my face paler and to have more scars”

Harry certainly has a boyish charm about him that clearly helps his character but thankfully he has a much better haircut in real life. Every question he ponders over studiously and he answers with hand gestures and a willingness to say the right thing, like a student keen to show his workings.

What’s it like to work with such an impressive ensemble cast?

“It’s an honour. I’m passionate about this career I have and seeing so many different backgrounds, energies and ages on set gives me a decent stage and a decent arsenal to mimic and learn from while going forward with this season’s bigger script.

I was a lot more nervous with this one because there’s more to do so there’s more to go wrong. It’s a real pleasure that Steven’s progressed my character and I’ve progressed as an artist. As I say, the arsenal that is next to me is that much greater than what I would learn at college or university. Everybody is very experienced and I’m more comfortable on set. This season I’ve been given more opportunities to explore. The comfort the other cast members have given me has provided a sureness”

Just so you know, for the record, Harry wasn’t wearing a jacket for this interview.