I only encountered Black Country, New Road fairly recently and they only have 2 singles out as of yet. Somehow, however, they have become one of my most played artists, and haven’t become worn out despite constant play. Their sound is incredibly fresh, drawing on eclectic influence from 90s post-rock, free jazz, and the expressionist movement. Lyrics touch on sexual disatisfaction and irreverent cultural references to Kanye West and Middle English life. BCNR epitomise to me what’s exciting about British indie music at the moment, and how things could sound when new bands stop trying to sound like the Arctic Monkeys.
Tom Leach
There's a reason why this song is so often the soundtrack to montages of happy summery memories in film. I don't think I can imagine ever getting tired of Simon & Garfunkel in general anyway, but this song in particular stands out to me.
It's gentle, it has simple lyrics to sing along to, and I could listen to it on a loop without getting bored. It's not so loud that I can't concentrate with it on in the background, but it's not so plain that it becomes monotonous. It's catchy, but not to the extent that it distracts you from what you're doing. This song is absolutely golden, and never fails to make me feel good. And surely that's what you want from a song you could never get tired of?
Grace Dean
‘Schizophrenia’ by Sonic Youth is one of my favourite songs of all time. From the opening drum beat to the extended grungy guitar outro it’s absolutely incredible. It’s a song that sounds like no other and I don’t really know how to describe a lot of what they’re doing with it, but the end result is a song that’s beautifully evocative, euphoric and as close to musically perfect as you can get in my opinion. No matter how many times I hear it I’ll always be able to lose myself in it and be blown away by the song, it’s certainly one I never get tired of hearing.
Stanley Gilyead
Another stereotypical choice from myself, but this is something I never bore of, and never skip if it comes on shuffle. It feels such a tireless song, and I haven’t been bored of it since its release back in 2017. It’s beautifully written, beautifully performed and beautifully sung- something Ellie Rowsell always nails.
Rebecca Johnson
Whenever I’m skipping through songs on my playlist, this is one that I can’t help but listen to in full. The iconic introduction which blends heavy bass with electronica is enough to get anyone moving, and has cemented itself in Arcade Fire’s setlist since its release in 2017. The lyrics are remarkable, with some of the most moving and thought provoking I’ve ever seen. One that comes to mind is “She dreams about dying all the time [...] filled up the bathtub and put on our first record”. This line is as emotive as it is rewarding for veteran fans, who’ll see the imagery of their first album being called ‘Funeral’. This song doesn’t just need to be listened to. It needs to be heard.
Tom Moorcroft
This song is from perhaps the greatest electronic album of all time, Untrue. A masterclass in sampling, 'Etched Headplate' takes Alicia Robinson's 'Angel' and transforms it from a lighthearted R&B track to something sinister. The shift in the sampled songs tone is achieved through perfect pitch changes and alterations which render 'Angel' unrecognisable in the most faultless way possible.
This song can be found nestled in amongst more cheery tracks on my phone, or tucked away into the dingy corner of my 'sadboy' playlist. In the strangest way possible, listening to this track evokes an obscure hopeful despair. It's the musical embodiment of something being just out of your reach but at the same time its slowly floating towards you. So you'll get it eventually, you're just unsure when. Whatever my mood i will listen to this song and find myself straying into a neutral dark where nothing exists but the melancholic beauty of 'Etched Headplate' repeating itself, again and again.
Joe Smith
Whenever this song comes on my playlist, there is never a time I feel like skipping it. There was plenty of songs I could think that for but this was the first to come to mind. The song is the definition of 'a classic' and it just doesn't get better than this. The slow beat of the song with the undertones of jazz and blues make you feel like you're sat there in New Orleans, seeing the story of the lyrics happen there infront of you. This now signature song of the Geordie men opened up the world to the rest of their music, lucky they heard it and decided to make a cover right?
Patrick Harland
I’m going to come straight out and say it- I think ‘Girl From The North Country’ is one of the greatest songs ever written. There is a beautiful simplicity to Dylan’s lyrics, with his verses encapsulating both sorrow and affectionate as he dwells on the memory of a past relationship. The definitive version is undoubtedly his duet with Johnny Cash from ‘Nashville Skyline’, with Cash’s deep, husky tones acting as the perfect foil to Dylan’s own unique timbre. ‘Girl From The North Country’ proves that sometimes, uncomplicated music is the greatest. Dylan and Cash only need themselves and their guitars to evoke nostalgia and regret, with a combined vocal power that is unparalleled, making this song one that I will never tire of hearing.
Tom Hardwick
John Maus doesn't really fit the profile of a typical musician. Originally an academic in the field of political philosophy, his day job was as a lecturer at the University of Hawaii. He'd work on his music in the evenings and in 2010 began writing an album "in search of the perfect pop song". Ergo, 2011's "We Must Become the Pitiless Censors of Ourselves". For the first time in his career, it got favourable reviews, and the single 'Hey Moon' attracted particular attention. It's a lofi synth-pop cover track and is essentially mellow vibes distilled into a song that I never get tired of listening to. Give it a listen and you'll know what I mean.
Muslim Taseer
I often like to think of Dance music as music in its most pure form. All you're listening to is just a bunch of noises that you somehow decide that you like. That's a real love, you can't really explain why you resonate with particular noises more than others but somehow you feel it. When I first started getting into Dance music a few years back Caribou was one artist I would always go to and this year when I decided to go deep into my love for the genre his music was constant. 'Odessa' is the opener from his 2010 album 'Swim' and it's easily one of my favourite dance songs of all time. Fusing techno-style synths with a classic house bassline straight out of the 90's this is one track that could come on at any time of day and transport me to a dark, sweaty dancefloor. The beautiful thing about this song is that just with noise I can be immersed in another world. 'Odessa' is a track that I can listen to time and time again and I know I'll be going to my happy place.
Dominic Lee