A band who I'll admit weren't even on my radar this time last year but after hearing this, their second album, that definitely changed. Hailing from Sheffield, the Mourning After peddle an attitude-laced take on '60s garage rock complete with scowling vocals, tightwire guitar lines and swirling organ as evidenced on songs like "Get Wrong Off Me", "Caught Red Handed" and "Space Rendezvous". Definitely well worth a look.
19. GHOST - "Prequelle"
I have to admit to finding Ghost's previous album, 2015's "Meliora", a bit of a disappointment, sacrificing a bit of the tunefulness of old in favour of bog-standard riffs to try and please the Metal Hammer crowd. However, "Prequelle" had them taking a huge step back in the right direction with a more melodic approach being reinstated on songs like lead-off single "Rats" to good effect. Definitely deserving of the praise it got and an album well worth listening to.
18. PETE SPIBY - "Failed Magician"
Following the break-up of his former group the Black Spiders, "Failed Magician" saw Pete Spiby taking a more methodical approach to his music with the acoustic-led approach on songs like "Bible Studies" and "Guiding Light" being reminiscent of Alice In Chains in their more thoughtful moments. Released to the fans as a triple-album set featuring electric and acoustic versions of the songs plus a bonus set of cover versions, Spiby deserves credit for giving the fans value for money with this one as well.
17. THE SPANGLES - "Sweet FA" (Review here)
Take two members of the Main Grains and one from the Idol Dead, give 'em an arsenal full of Ramones riffs and Undertones melodies and you've got the Spangles. Powered on by a mix of power-pop melodies and scuzzy punk attitude, this was a supremely confident first effort and definitely marks these guys down as a band to watch. (NB - No videos on Youtube yet unfortunately, c'mon lads, sort it out!! ;) )
16. SMASH FASHION - "Rompus Pompous" (Review here)
Another group who I'll confess to being ignorant of prior to being sent this album for review back in the summer but this definitely changed things on that front. Hailing from LA, Smash Fashion take the Bowie/Bolan '70s glam template and drag it kicking and screaming into the 21st century with nods to everyone from the Sweet to Starz and even roping in former Spider From Mars Mike Garson to lend some swirling "Lady Grinning Soul" style piano to closer "Smiles And Daggers". A great effort which should bring Smash Fashion to wider audience if there's any justice.
15. THEE DAGGER DEBS - "Thee Dagger Debs" (Review here)
Signed to garage rock specialists Damaged Goods, Thee Dagger Debs sound like what would happen if you crossed the pub rock swagger of Dr Feelgood with the glamour puss purr of the Runaways. Yes, it's very much indebted to the sounds of the mid-seventies but TDD very much put their own stamp on it making the likes of "Eight While Ten" and "Whitechapel Blues" a supremely intoxicating brew. Well worth a listen.
14. THE INTERRUPTERS - "Fight The Good Fight" (Review here)
Having being marked as "one to watch" with their previous album, 2016's "Say It Out Loud", "Fight The Good Fight" saw the Interrupters very much make that decisive step from "could be's" to "will be's" as songs like "Not Personal" and "Rumours And Gossip" saw them wrest the ska punk legacy away from the baseball caps 'n' shorts fratboy brigade and adding some much-needed Specials/Rancid style belief and fury back into the genre. It's official - the Interrupters have arrived.
13. FRANK TURNER - "Be More Kind"
After a couple of albums which saw him taking more of a look at affairs of the heart, the age of Brexit and Trump saw Frank Turner reverting to the more political leanings of his earlier material with songs like "1933" and "Make America Great Again" seeing him railing against the injustice of the world in 2018 while "Don't Worry" and the title track see him desperately searching for the pinpoint of light at the end of the tunnel. A good reminder that Turner still has plenty of fire in his belly.
12. RYAN ROXIE - "Imagine Your Reality" (Review here)
Ryan Roxie has always been a very under-rated songwriter going right back to his days with Sunset Strip should've-beens the Electric Angels in the early '90s and "Imagine Your Reality" was twelve glorious slices of sunshine-soaked California rock 'n' roll with hooks and choruses designed to get whole stadiums singing along. Definitely an album to put a ray of sunlight back into your life.
11. SUPERSUCKERS - "Suck It" (Review here)
Now thirty years into their career scarily, the Supersuckers' recent run of form continued apace with "Suck It" seeing them returning to their more typical scuzzed-up rock 'n' roll after previous album "Holdin' The Bag" saw them take one of their occasional diversions into country music. Alternating between angry frustration at the state of modern music ("History of Rock 'n' Roll") and the band's more traditional spit 'n' sawdust rock 'n' roll humour ("All Of The Time", "Parking Lot"), it's proof that Eddie Spaghetti and co are showing no signs of slowing down with age.
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