James Auton's Tracks of the Year

1. Desperate Journalist – Satellite

Three and half minutes of indie pop perfection with the guitar solo of the year.

2. The Murder Capital – Don’t Cling to Life

Stunning post punk single from the Dubliners.

3. Vex Red – Air

Heavy, droning epic shout-a-long brilliance

4. Squid – The Cleaner

The most brilliantly bonkers song this year from the most exciting new band in the country.

5. Fontaines DC – Roy’s Tune

Melancholic and thought provoking from the band of the year.

6. Sorry – Right Round the Clock

Genre bending brilliance from my most anticipated debut LP in 2020.

7. Elbow – Dexter and Sinister

A return to form for the Bury Boys. Sinister is the word.

8. Aldous Harding – Treasure

Brittle and beautiful.

9. Jesca Hoop – Shoulder Charge
Spellbinding live and heartbreaking on record.

10. Julia Jacklin – Turn Me Down

That middle bridge crescendo is spine tingling.

11. Black Country, New Road – Sunglasses

Scrap the above, this is is the most bonkers song of the year but captivating across all 9 minutes.

12. The National – Light Years

Simplistic but beauteous.

13. Bodega – Shiny New Model

More concise and melodic than their debut LP but unmistakably Bodega.

14. Sports Team – M5

Massive bouncing indie pop about the M5 motorway with one of the most infectious choruses this year, with a ‘Robin Hood Prince of Thieves’ type geographical poetic licence by referring to Aldershot.

15. Big Thief – Not

Intense and slow burning epic first single from their second record of 2019.

16. Mark Morriss – All the Wrong People

The Bluetones frontman is still banging out the hits as good as their Britpop heyday. Summery pop brilliance that takes a swipe at Trump and blinkered Brexiteers.