Top 50 of 2024 / #15-11: A Return to Greatness, God and A Brit Pop Comeback

We are all still in the glow of the top 20, but we must march on to the top 10. We have a return of Aussie artists to this block and some huge comeback records for some iconic bands. So, enough with the appetiser, let’s get into it:

15. Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds: Wild God

Australia is back! Nick thought up the concept for this new record and brought the Bad Seeds back into the fold to truly realise his vision. The title track is what we would expect from a Nick Cave track, which is a discussion of spirituality, love and death. He has a talent to ground large concepts of religion and conflicts of faith in personal stories about men, women and love. In this track God is left searching the world for his people and for one girl in particular. Only Cave can ground religion, questions of faith and human suffering within a song about the heart. Musically, The Bad Seeds are at their height keeping up with epic backing vocals and Cave’s frantic pace. This is a return to form for one of Australia’s iconic bands.

14. Tears for Fears: The Girl That I Call Home

The original music Tears for Fears has been putting out since their hit comeback record The Tipping Point has been stellar. The band has come back into another golden period where they are once again leaders in music. Not as dreary as Tipping Point, this track has some lighter electro pop with soaring hooks and lyrics about love, forgiveness and connection. Whereas Tipping Point spent time chronicling the band’s regrets and mortality, The Girl That I Call Home offers hops and light. More than that, this is a powerful pop track that really moves and is the closest thing to the band’s epic 1980s that I have heard in decades.

13. Luke Combs: Ain’t No Love in Oklahoma

Part of the Twisters soundtrack, this is some classic country rock that will cause you to slam some Jack Daniels and get in a bar fight. Luke Combs is known for helping bring back classic country (along with Chris Stapleton, Zach Bryan and Sturgill Simpson) with his personal, deeply emotional and genuine country tracks. Well…there is none of that in this high octane country napalm bomb. It reminds me of Jon Bon Jovi’s Blaze of Glory. That is a country rock song not embarrassed to be a country rock song that is going to bust the door down and kick your ass. I’d be afraid to run into Ain’t No Love in Oklahoma in a dark ally, but if I apologised and bought it a beer I think this track and I would be bros. I just love how Combs goes for it at 100mph on this track. It will get your heart pumping and that’s what music is for.

12. Shaboozey: A Bar Song (Tipsy)

One of the songs of the summer, Shaboozey shook up the country world. Lil Naz X started the shift with his country work, which was then taken to new heights by Shaboozey and Beyoncé. A Bar Song was one of the songs of the summer and not only challenged traditional country, but challenged ideas of race and what it means to be country. Aside from that, it is a very catchy song and Shaboozey’s vocals soar above a traditional country arrangement of acoustic guitar, hand claps and fiddle. It is a song that you want to sing at the top of your lungs around a campfire putting back Coors or Wild Turkey. Shaboozey had been grinding and working hard for years, so it is great to see him get such a big track.

11. Elbow: Lovers’ Leap

It has been a minute since Elbow has released a track that got everyone excited. One of the original Brit Pop bands, their mix of brooding and emotionally resonant songs put them above the copycat cash-ins of the time. This track sees their sound evolve into a modern indie pop vibe with horns and Radiohead-esque bass lines, but still retain Guy Garvey’s deep brooding vocal. This track both soars and lulls you into a warm cocoon as Guy sings about jumping off a cliff. This is classic Elbow, emotionally powerful vocals about dire subject matter. This track has great guitar riffs and a sense of doom that is pierced by epic horn lines. A complex track that is a fitting comeback to a complex band.