And here we are - our favourite ten songs from 2016. Do you agree or disagree with my countdown? Let us know in the comments! 10 Ward Thomas - Guilty Flowers (Released: October)
06 Gwen Stefani - Make Me Like You (Released: April)
05 Robbie Williams - Party Like a Russian (Released: September)
04 Jesse & Joy - More Than Amigos (Released: September)
03 Tegan and Sara - Stop Desire (Released: November)
02 Travis - Magnificent Time (Released: April)
01 Tom Odell - Magnetised (Released: April)
Before we go there's also time to do our top 10 albums of the year! 1. Travis - Everything At Once 2. Ward Thomas - Cartwheels 3. Kaiser Chiefs - Stay Together 4. obbie Williams - The Heavy Entertainment Show 5. We Are Z - Animal 6. Dave Hanson - Almost Horizontal 7. Seafret - Seafret 8. Tom Odell - Wrong Crowd 9. Izzy Bizu - Moment of Madness 10. Dick Valentine - Quiet Time
Here's our latest pick of ten songs you should be listening to! Fickle Friends - Brooklyn
'Brooklyn' is a great bouncy poppy number that shows promise for the band for future releases. (6.5/10) Hifi Sean Ft. Crystal Waters - Testify
With tinges of gospel, this musically straight forward track wins you over thanks to Crystal Waters' listenable vocals and the building funky backing. (7/10) Honey G - The Honey G Show
Having not watched the X Factor (ever) Honey G was only familiar to me through the tabloid pieces and social media. This song will split the crowd: it's incredible cheesy and naff but hasn't a certain catchiness to it. (6/10) Izzy Bizu - Talking to You
Izzy Bizu scores highly with another sunny pop number highlighted by her delightfully light vocals. (6.5/10) Kings Of Leon - Find Me
'Find Me' isn't their most distinctive ever song but it has enough indie-rock love to keep you interested. (6/10) Lukas Graham - You're Not There
'You're Not There' is a touching gentle like ballad that brings Graham backs into our consciousness after a while away. (6/10) Red Hot Chili Peppers - Sick Love
Here is something a little bit different from RHCP, a retro-sounding gentler song that bypasses their usual pop sensibilities but still feels like a worthwhile listen. (6.5/10) Rick Astley - Wish Away
After a string of single successes in 2016 Rick Astley delivers another great little single. Though less bombastic and memorable than his recent records it still has plenty of heart. (6/10) Sage the Gemini - Now & Later
One of the artists highlighted as 2017's must see 'Now and Later' shows there may be some truth to those pieces. A fun, understated piece. (6/10) Zayn Malik & Taylor Swift - I Don't Wanna Live Forever
Taken from the upcoming 'Fifty Shades of Grey' sequel this doesn't have the catchiness of last year's Ellie Goulding number but it's sultry enough to keep the yummy mummies happy. (6/10)
Released as a limited edition CD release, Jenn Bostic's 'Christmas EP' includes five tracks, each beautifully sung and produced, offering a smooth, gentle and choral soundtrack for the festive season. Opener 'Hope of the World' is a powerful, touching and dramatic opener with Bostic's vocals complimented by the building choral sound. 'It's Christmas Time' is a poppy, more jaunty, offering with tinges of gospel flowing into it alongside it's radio friendly guitar, piano hook and chorus. 'Light A Candle', the longest track on the piece, has echoes of Alicia Keys on its stripped back, slower feel, giving Bostic's powerful voice time to shine. 'Love You This Christmas' is the black sheep of the record, offering something a little different in sound, feeling like the most jovial on the record. Things wrap up with the gospel-heavy 'What Love Feels Like', a great number and one of Bostic's best. If you can still grab a copy of the record then make sure you do. The Christmas EP has five great tracks on it to get you in the seasonal mood. (7.5/10)
After eleven years we finally get full quality copies of the Killers' series of charity-fundraising Christmas singles, collected together as 'Don't Waste Your Wishes'.
Included in release order the songs do hold up as a solid album rather than a collection of one-off singles. The track-listing does live and die on the order and the best songs do come at the start, the first trio the highlights of the record particularly the opener 'The Great Big Sled' which is, in my eyes, already a Christmas classic. That said later songs like 'Christmas in LA', 'Dirt Sledding' and particularly the Jimmy Kimmel-featuring 'Joel The Lump of Coal' are stand-outs and even lesser tracks like 'Boots' and 'Dirt Sledding' slot into place nicely. Only the last and most recent track, part-monologue, part-song, feels like a mis-fire but somehow comes to life more as the closing shot. In a time when Christmas records are having a resurgence, this is a brilliant example of what one band can achieve over a decade. I just hope this doesn't mean the end of their annual treat, but if it does at least this is a superb record of the songs. (8/10)
Another ten tracks we recommend! Adam Lanceley - Those Rose Tinted Days 'Those Rose Tinted Days' is a driving indie-number with a positive vibe that lifts it up, creating a strong indie feel to the piece. (6.5/10) Chromatone - Fever With a funky seventies vibe, 'Fever' boasts a catchy chorus and a great electro-synth vibe. Great. (7/10) The Everly Pregnant Brothers - Chip Pan
There's a bit of a karaoke feel to this record that makes it less appealing but in terms of witty lyrics and a retro throwback it's hard not to laugh and enjoy the parody of Kings of Leon. (6/10) Fancy Cars - Set Me On Fire
'Set Me On Fire' is a soaring indie-club number that builds up and avoids some of the expected tropes as it gets a little more dance-focussed. (6/10) Hayley McKay - Unspoken
McKay boasts some great vocal chords and when combined with this touching, well written stripped back pop ballad it shines. (7/10) The Imagineers - Utopian Dreams (Radio Edit)
There's a bit of a Muse feel to this dark sounding record, before it gets into more of a sixties-indie feel. Great and different. (6.5/10) Janet Devlin & Jason Nevins - Outernet Song (Remix)
Here is a great bouncy remix of one of our favourite songs of the year, keeping the message whilst adding a more club-friendly feeling. (7.5/10) The Lancashire Hotpots - Hotpot Funk (Don't Forget The Red Sauce)
We don't really need another Uptown Funk parody, especially one year on, but the Hotpots have recorded a cracking little parody, and though the music is more karaoke backing track than their usual offerings this is very funny and even boasts a sing-a-long section. (7/10) Steve Aoki & Louis Tomlinson - Just Hold On
It's perhaps a little generic but there's something upbeat and likeable about the record that keeps you listening. A good one for the clubs. (6/10) Tony Shaw - Take Me Away (Karrades Club Mix) 'Take Me Away', in its remix form, is a catchy, fast club track that grows with each listen. Well worth a punt. (6/10)
