Chez Wombat

Oh 21st will just be annoying (if a lot better than I thought!), but I'm surely not through over FARC

Real shame for Ennea, that was a real grower and thought it might have a decent chance at qualifying. Bronzil sadly was one of many I couldn't find room for.

Whattt, I thought Kathaldazia was a cert?! </3 Will be counting my lucky stars if I make it through over what's left, they all sound like qualifiers!

Not got a great feeling about tonight going by predictions, seems I picked too big a contest to go quite niche x Excellent to see Deandria and Dalisska through though

Culture Club - Do You Really Want To Hurt Me? The Clash - Should I Stay Or Should I Go The Clash - Straight To Hell Tears For Fears - Mad World Abba - The Day Before You Came Tiebreak: Grandmaster Flash And The Furious Five - The Message Honourable mention to Wonder Dog, a masterpiece x

Chez Wombat's top 50 of 2025 1. Chappell Roan – The Subway 2. Night Tapes - helix 3. Ethel Cain – Nettles 4. Snapped Ankles – Pay The Rent 5. Kashiwa Daisuke - Ice 6. Daniel Avery & Allison Mosshart – Greasy off The Racing Line 7. Maria Somerville - Projections 8. Addison Rae – Headphones On 9. Sudan Archives – DEAD 10. Future Utopia feat. Lava La Rue – The Pleasure Trap 11. James K – play 12. Wolf Alice – Bloom Baby Bloom 13. Oklou feat. Underscores – Harvest Sky 14. Gorillaz feat. Trueno & Proof – The Manifesto 15. Florence & The Machine – Everybody Scream 16. Gelli Haha – Funny Music 17. Princess Nokia – Blue Velvet 18. Bambie Thug - REDRUM 19. Another Country $$$$ - TETHER 20. Barry Can’t Swim – The Person You’d Like to Be 21. Model/Actriz - Cinderella 22. HAIM – Relationships 23. Tame Impala – End of Summer 24. Merely & Malibu – Arpeggiated Romance 25. Mark Pritchard & Thom Yorke – A Fake in a Faker’s World 26. Ethel Cain – Amber Waves 27. PinkPantheress - Tonight 28. Lady Gaga - Abracadabra 29. Kieran Hebden & William Tyler – Secret City 30. Mount Palomar & Makeshift Art Bar – Pass The Parcel 31. CMAT – Euro-Country 32. Sofia Kourtesis & Daphni - Unidos 33. Robyn - Dopamine 34. Jane Remover & Danny Brown – Psychoboost 35. Tropical f*** Storm – Dunning Kruger’s Loser Cruiser 36. Kelly Lee Owens – ASCEND 37. Nuovo Testamento – Picture Perfect 38. bdrmm – Lake Disappointment 39. Smerz – You Got Time & I Got Money 40. Ionna Lee – STILL BLUE 41. Saltillo – Hair on the Head of John the Baptist 42. Kneecap & Paul Hartnoll - Sayonara 43. Perfume Genius feat. Aldous Harding – No Front Teeth 44. Huntr/X - Golden 45. Cindytalk – Memories of Skin & Snow 46. Jinkasei - angels 47. Fcukers – I Like It Like That 48. Four Tet – Into Dust (Still Falling) 49. Sabrina Carpenter - Manchild 50. Blood Orange – Look at You Whew, I finally worked up the energy to finish that x Thank you for everyone who read, commented and reacted throughout, I really appreciate them and will try and check out a few others before I disappear from this part of the forum. I aim to check out a few more critically acclaimed albums I missed at some point, but this is a pretty accurate picture of my favourite this year. Thank you for following and will see you (later) in 2026 x

Wish she'd gotten more discussion on here </3 -x- 1. Chappell Roan - The Subway I've been a bit slow to properly appreciate Chappell Roan, Good Luck Babe! I heard a good few months after it charted well and while I did like it, the power of the lyrics and vocals combined with the throwback 80s production took a while to worm it's way into my affections and though it did make my EOY, I'd now rank it one of my favourite songs of 2024. Pink Pony Club which managed a belated climb to number 1 this year also took it's time, I completely discarded it when it was in BJSC years back but now really appreciate it's storytelling and how it was the making of her identity, it feels quite poetic that it took a while for the world to embrace it just like she herself is doing in the song. I've ever grew to like Hot To Go, even if it's a bit more throwaway, maybe The Giver will grow on me in time, but sadly that's not yet even though I do appreciate how much it shows her range. All this to say is that you could read me putting Chappell at number 1 now is partly me making up for that slow burn but also this was an incredibly instant love for me and the first time a UK number 1 has topped my poll in about thirteen years IIRC. Returning to much of the same sense of dejection that was present in Good Luck Babe, The Subway's lyrics reflect her desperately trying to heal from heartbreak and the pains of seeing an ex on the Subway and being reminded of her everywhere, the stunning outro then has her crying in pain alternating between 'She's got a way' and 'She got away', the juxtaposition between them reflects the feelings that she lost her but also frustration at being continually haunted by her charms. The musical backdrop to this heartbreaking story is that harkening back to early 1990s dreampop and shoegaze, the Cocteau Twins being the most prominent reference but you could link it to many in that genre, this not only further shows her range coming off the back of The Giver but suits her incredibly, the guitars and dreamy production merge with her sorrowful voice perfectly and makes it near impossible not to feel every word she says. It's a shame, despite it's chart topping status, it didn't quite do as well as the aforementioned songs here, but for me, this is everything I really enjoy about Chappell and makes all the hype justified, I was late to the other songs, but I'm not late here.

2. Night Tapes - Helix One thing I did last year which I honestly could've never seen myself doing before is going to an organised foraging trip with the band, Night Tapes with a friend who is an expert in the subject. I have never been foraging before, so that was an eye opener albeit one I'm not sure I'll actually try much (I'd pick a poisonous plant way too easily x), but meeting an artist and the fans in a unique setting was really quite a lovely experience, me having a lot of social anxiety anyway, it was certainly awkward in places, but I never felt completely out of place and everyone was incredibly welcoming. I have really enjoyed Night Tapes' music since I discovered them in 2024 and have continued to enjoy them into the next year, but meeting them adds an extra dimension to the music them being such free spirited and creative types in real life. So this 2nd place really could house all their songs as portals//polarities was a fantastic album, but by my self-imposed rules, I have to pick a favourite, so I could've given this to the dark, trip hop vibes of baby girl (like no1 else), the epically huge Storm or even one of the wonderfully dreamy album tracks, but I think overall, Helix is my favourite. This track sees them combine their hazy dreampop sound to shoegaze elements with more emphasis on guitars and hard synths, it suits them amazingly and Iiris' ethereal vocals still work fantastically, it's a perfect song for a walk in the summer evening haze. It's solidified them as one of my favourite new artists of the last few years and hope they continue building in strength.

There is definitely something of the spirit of David Bowie in him in his continuous reinventions every era, it's wonderful to see, especially, as mentioned earlier, when popular male artists consistently play it safe. A five minute plus song debuting with those numbers is proof that you can use your platform to experiment. I'm liking this on first listen, might take a while before I enjoy it as much as As It Was, but the modern disco sound and techno works really well. The video reminds me a bit of Fatboy Slim's Weapon of Choice which probably isn't entirely coincidental given the sound.

Heavyweight Champion of the World got big points from me as I knew it wouldn't get many more, it's a great throwback to the late 2000s landfill indie era and the lyrics actually have held up pretty well. Walk This Way and Summertime feel quite big songs to be that low down (I guess wrong time of year for the latter x)

So, so pleased. What an amazing outcome for them both, it's so rare seeing traitors that stick together no matter what and don't jump on any bandwagons so seeing them triumph feels like the only right one this year. Especially impressive as they really seemed like such clear dead people walking for a while now, but they really carried each other well. I didn't dislike the Faithfuls as much as last year with Jake and Leanne but Faraaz and Jack would've been really underwhelming after all that. I was really sad for Jade though, I think that's the one faithful I would've been happy with winning, she'd really been targeted so much and it clearly was starting to hurt her a bit, it stung even more that they didn't know that she was innocent at that stage. Such a contrast to last year's damp squib of a final, think it's been a great series overall, yeah maybe a bit too many created dramas and huge oversights, but still very entertaining, I thought the tasks (always the weakest part of the game) were noticeably improved this year.

I mean Rachel certainly won't win and will be the first banished if she's in the final likely, but still hopeful as it would at least more entertaining than the rest of the faithfuls. Very poor move not murdering Faraaz, they had Roxie under her thumb!

Oh darn, National Express would've got points from me but I must've missed it on the list :'( probably not enough to get through mind, very funny and infectious song.

Amazing for Sinners, and a horror film as well! Still seems like One Battle After Another will likely take the Best Picture. I've seen all but F1 and The Secret Agent, the former definitely sticks out a bit. I really wasn't expecting Bugonia to get on, nice to see but I wouldn't put it amongst his best. Amy Madigan is a real surprise to me, but wonderful to see some representation for Weapons as well as I was sure it would get nothing. Hamnet is one I'm really not getting the hype with, it felt rather empty and emotionally manipulative outside of the great cinematography and acting, hoping that doesn't sneak up.

3. Ethel Cain - Nettles Two different projects means two different entries for Hayden Silas Anhedönia, and while Perverts was a wonderfully inaccessible work of dark experimentation, Willoughby Tucker... continues with her beautiful brand of storytelling serving as a prequel to the events of Preacher's Daughter. Taking place five years before the tragic story, This details Ethel's teenage years and the romance with the title character and the ultimately tragic outcome of their relationship. Hayden has said they have always wanted to make films and this album does feel suitably cinematic, especially it's epic last two tracks, but the lead single definitely shows why she is a master of emotional, gut-wrenching storytelling. It's place in the narrative comes as Ethel is fantasising darkly about Tucker dying which mirrors her fear of losing him forever and the nettles serving as a metaphor for the pain she feels she causes making her difficult to be loved. It's rolled out slowly over eight minutes with Cain's delicate voice and light guitars telling a story and uses the synths that was used by the late, great composer Angelo Badalamenti for Twin Peaks which adds a suitably unsettling air to the mournful nature of the song, it is truly beautiful how a song so stripped back can succeed so well in projecting the insecurity, fear and yet raw emotion, they just have the perfect voice for it and there is that definite authenticity that reflects that universal fear of the fragility of life. Every time I've listened to it, I've noticed a new intricacy and feel that makes it just so heartbreaking, her storytelling isn't always this perfect throughout her albums, but when it's this good, it's as immersive and beautiful as stories can be.

As frustrating as Roxy is to watch (hilariously so though, her essentially asking Rachel if she's a traitor and that clearing things up was gold), she's a useful idiot and will help in getting both traitors to the final, which I am hoping for at this point as they've played a fantastic game and the rest of the faithfuls aren't especially rootable except Jade who I think has held herself together well, I think they'd be taking a huge risk not murdering Faraaz, it will certainly come back on Rachel, but keeping him in feels too risky and he won't have the same self-destructive nature that Fiona and Harriet did. I do agree that there may be something in the edit for Jack though, I still find him incredibly uninteresting though it would fit in with last year's winners. I'd be surprised if Rachel and Steven made it another round table together, feel like they need to throw some bait to the faithfuls ahead of the final.

And when has he ever tried to fabricate a situation to make it seem more beneficial to him than it really is? x

Definitely more on board with the number 1 than the runner up! Umbrella definitely reminds me of that wet summer, I got super sick of it at the time as I was more into quick turnover at that time and I was sad it beat Icky Thump (though experimental rock like that getting as high as #2 is a huge achievement looking back), she has definitely done better since and it's not got the more adventurous nature of her later work, but it's still a very likeable pop song. Bleeding Love however I've just never been on board with, similar to a lot of her songs in that she definitely sings it well but it's just lacking as an overall package and the chorus doesn't hit hard enough, credit to her though for legitimising X Factor and she did record a genuine modern classic with One More Sleep that's secured her retirement fund x My own top 10, I've got a lot of nostalgia attached to this year, but quality-wise it's definitely not as strong as the previous few: Robyn feat. Kleerup - With Every Heartbeat Mika - Grace Kelly Timbaland feat. Keri Hilson - The Way I Are Rihanna feat. Jay-Z - Umbrella Sugababes - About You Now Timbaland feat. Nelly Furtado & Justin Timberlake - Give It To Me Kaiser Chiefs - Ruby Kanye West - Stronger Take That - Shine Beyonce & Shakira - Beautiful Liar Thanks for the great countdown, Scene, looking forward to 2008 as we are still in my golden years in terms of being an avid chart follower x

4. Snapped Ankles - Pay The Rent My introduction to Snapped Ankles, a post-punk group with elements of performance art and art rock, whom keep their identities secret, performing in ghillie suits, claiming to be 'forest folks...descended from the trees' (was I ever not going to stan them with that description x) came earlier in the year with Raoul that was played on 6Music, it was a rather brilliant standout song with a great electro-rock chorus to match the quirky vocals. The follow-up though was when I knew that I was fully on board - Pay The Rent is a fast-paced song with quickfire vocals focusing on social commentary of the cost of living crisis in the UK and how it affects people in the arts, presumably including small-scale bands themselves. They have called it 'dancing at the misery of the situation' and you can certainly believe that, it's an immediately infectious track with a synth line that echoes throughout and a wonderful industrial soundscape, it feels raw and homemade and that is certainly intentional given the subject matter and is the sort of thing you won't find on mainstream radios. The accompanying album, Hard Times Furious Dancing, expanded this moribund dancefloor to a whole album and was one of my highlights of the year. Oh yeah, and this one DNQed in BJSC as well, you're all weird xx

5. KASHIWA Daisuke - Ice Acclaimed Music was a great music geek resource listing aggregated lists for the most acclaimed songs and albums of all time and serves as a great directory to the best music, I loved browsing the lists and going on the attached forums. Sadly this year, they announced there would be no more updates as the creator has various personal commitments that means time for it is limited, however I still make several good discoveries on their forums that are still continuing, I was fortunate enough to check this one out in the Unacclaimed section listing albums that haven't got enough attention and it really gave me one of my favourite artist discoveries. I already have a penchant for Japanese modern classical/art-prog-type music (see films/ricco label for more on that x) so adding another one was great. KASHIWA has been making music a while, but remains quite under-the-radar, I'm not sure how to describe his music other than quite transcending - taking the genre of classical and spanning various genres including electronic, ambient, shoegaze, industrial, his songs really take you on journeys and throw just about everything at them to create a truly rich and absorbing soundscape. His hour long composition Sons is a great example of it if you do happen to have a spare hour, I very nearly trolled BJSC with this but decided this one was more apt x Ice (nothing to do with US Immigration thugs don't worry x) starts with a calm, serene piano that instantly pulls you into a calming atmosphere, it blossoms throughout with strings, orchestra, drums, percussion, just about everything you can throw at it and yet stays around that core piano melody to create an immersive experience. It really made me wonder where this artist was all my life and I will be quick to check his future work out x

6. Daniel Avery feat. Allison Mossheart - Greasy Off the Racing Line Daniel Avery has established himself as one of my favourite dance producers over the last few years, his intense, atmospheric and dark industrial style really stands out and Tremor was an excellent album. There were several great collaborations on the album, including Ellie from Wolf Alice finally getting her time to shine not to mention the instrumentals, but this one, featuring the lead singer of The Kills, is my favourite. A sense of menace surrounds this track, from the very hushed verses to harsh drops in the chorus and the gritty techno-industrial production , it's sold particularly well by Mossheart who sounds positively ready to pounce with her restrain in the verses turning into full grown lust in the verses and adds a post-punk edge to a song, which adds to the diversity and genre exploration that really marks the album out.

Congrats Scene, I forgot you won last year as well, very impressive! Despite what I said earlier, I do think it is good that we have a more inspired winner, and it was a really good one (most I've liked a Marina song in a while). I'm very happy with 3rd behind those two juggernauts, obvs this definitely had the well known factor, but I still wasn't quite sure it would catch on that much so that veto was a blessing in disguise! many thanks all for voting x Would've liked Artemas, Sophie Powers and especially Aitana doing a bit better but it's always quite hard for less well known songs here. Thanks for hosting, Jonjo!

I know I have deducted for cheapness before, but in this case I can't pretend the next best song was even a tenth as good as Headphones On, so I am happy for the obvious winner on this occasion x CUNTISSIMO is a hell of an earworm too so glad to see that doing well. Very pleased with 3rd so far, thanks very much all, it was my second choice, my first one wasn't quite pop enough, (doing really well with the vetoes recently *__) but it is my favourite from her songs this year and shows her incisive and emotional songwriting and this has made me appreciate it further.

Survivor - Eye Of The Tiger Sylvian Sakamoto - Bamboo Houses / Bamboo Music (Favourite discovery made here, always love more Sakamoto) Pink Floyd - When The Tigers Broke Free Duran Duran - Save A Prayer Grandmaster Flash And The Furious Five - The Message The Cure, Talk Talk and Carly Simon just missing out

Yes, this was a really great film. I did enjoy the first one, but I did understand some of the criticisms with regards to tone and focus throughout, this one got it much more on point. One plot strand being a brutal and bloody exploration of the depravities of evil and also the loose nonsense that can arise from cults (I do gather the Saville look was meant to add to them being evil, although in the timeline of the films given the outbreak was in the 2000s, his crimes weren't widely known then so I'm wondering how they symbolised him given he wasn't that prominent in the 90s and they were also children of the Teletubbies...but that's just my mind picking at things x) and one being a rather beautiful exploration by Kelson with him bonding and treating the Alpha, it was really wonderfully done with his gradual transition and little hints like him initially seeing the human as an infected, eating berries, saying 'moon' and the train scene which felt like a brilliant, poetic ending to it. The conversation between lead Jimmy and Kelson was excellent too, felt like a real meeting of minds that was intense yet calm. Asides though, it was still wonderfully brutal and yet very funny at the same time. The Iron Maiden scene is indeed fantastic, Ralph was having the absolute time of his life there x Pleased to hear the third one has been greenlit, it looks like it can expand a lot on the themes of this one and with some original characters back as well. I did read this had underperformed a bit in it's opening weekend, but hopefully it can stabilise, especially as there is certainly viral potential with THAT scene!