W/e 02/05/25 - The Moonlandingz, Prima Queen, Self Esteem, Viagra Boys, Editors

It was so very close, in fact I thought it was enough, but Viagra Boys miss out on our 2025 top spot by just 0.05 of a point. But congrats to them regardless.

The Horrors retain top spot for a 6th week.

Moonlandingz have our TOTW.

Annette takes the 😀 with her highest set of scores this year. Andy retains his ☹️.

Editors were popular and sit with 2 other 2025 choices – Madness and Inspiral Carpets - just inside the top third of the classics.

Guy

The Moonlandingz – Eclectic stuff. Loads of variety and some nice collabs including the great Iggy Pop! A little surprised as I expected something heavier for some reason – 7.2

Prima Queen – Female led indie pop is in my wheelhouse, so no surprise I enjoyed this one. Excellent voice and some interesting lyrics. Reminded me of boygenius in places – 7.5

Self Esteem – I’m not sure her dad will be too proud of ’69’. Nevertheless, it was overall pretty decent and a pleasant listen with some good pop tunes – 7.4

Viagra Boys – Solid work as you’d expect from the Swedish lads. Full of energy and clever, fun lyrics. Nice. – 7.1

Editors – One of my favourite Editors albums. Loads of great tunes. Gets off to a flyer with the first two tracks and manages to keep the momentum up to the end. An excellent choice – 8.7

TOTW – The Prize – Prima Queen

Justin

The Moonlandingz - a bit all over the place. Some songs works and some don't but doesn't work as an album. Preferred the second half. 6.5

Prima Queen - overall Fleetwood Mac style classic vibe. Not everything hits plenty of top tunes. 7.4

Self Esteem - nice voice so not sure why she does so much speaking. I find it a bit samey and 69 is just plain embarrassing. 6.2

Viagra Boys - boisterous punk/roxk. Type of thing that is fun live but not really for day to day listening. 6.5

TOTW. The Krack Drought - The Moonlandingz

Editors - classic doom rock indie. The big singles in particular are classics. May drift in places but still a strong album 7.3

Phil

The Moonlandingz 6.5

Bizarre, compelling mix of varied rhythms, mumbled vocals and Iggy Pop’s terrifying croon.

Prima Queen 6.5

Energetic female-fronted indie.

Self Esteem 5.5

Massively over-produced songs of anxiety.

Viagra Boys 7.25

Enjoyed this a lot. Rowdy and scruffy like the best rock’n’roll. Reminiscent of Warmduscher, just not quite as sordid.

TOTW : Viagra Boys – Dirty boyz

Classic

Editors 7

Not as memorable as the first album. Tom Smith’s voice is so well-suited to the gloomier, downbeat tracks that it feels odd when the band go for a more upbeat sound. That said, while there are tracks like Push your head towards the air and Smokers outside the hospital doors you can’t really complain too loudly.

Andy

The Moonlandingz - Utter madness. Some interesting ideas but ultimately far too all over the place to love. And that was before they started going on about crack droughts 4

Prima Queen - This was pretty decent, a slightly less annoying Wet Leg. About time someone memorialised Flying Ant Day in song 5.5

Self Esteem - Some massive pop on here only slightly tarnished by 69, how rude!! 7

Viagra Boys - Cracking scandi rock n roll. A whole lot of fun 7.5

TotW - You N33d Me by Viagra Boys

Editors - Top drawer indie. A couple of tracks that I found familiar but mainly new to me 7.5

Sam

The Moonlandingz : Bonkers ! But some of it quite good so :6

Prima Queen , quite nice but fairly forgettable. 5.7

Self Esteem : 69 was the best bit ! You lot are a bunch of prudes ! The rest was a bit annoying. 5.5

Viagra Boys : they’ve saved this week ! Blistering stuff . 8.7

TOTW : You N33d me by Viagra Boys

Editors : A solid slice of indie . Decent choice Adam . 7.5 .

Mark

Moonlandingz - Fat White Family for the dance floor with added Iggy, liked this a lot and probably my most played of this week, it's also got the bloke from Working Men's Club on it. The Iggy collab sounded like the slower comedown tunes off Screamadelica, then it's spaced out floor fillers through to the end - 8

Prima Queen - pleasant enough confessional modern singer songwriter stuff a la Girl In Red / Beabadoobee, and the title track is a lovely jingle jangler. Impressive for a debut album - 6.5

Self Esteem - the tracks with the gospel backing get a bit syrupy but I do quite rate her, potty mouth and all - 6

Viagra Boys - I love these guys and was great to finally see them at Reading last year where they didn't disappoint. Man Made Of Meat, You Need Me, Dirty Boyz all ace, full of attitude - 8.5

TOTW - Stink Foot, by Moonlandingz

Simon

Moonlandingz: crazy stuff, almost schizophrenic in the way it jumps around between different styles and moods, but I enjoyed it - has a strong sense of fun, plenty of scuzzy rhythms and Ewen Bremner's indignant rant is my favourite guest appearance of the year so far. 7

Prima Queen: there's an awful lot of this stuff around these days and I'm pretty bored with it as a genre - on the plus side, this had a bit more spark than a lot we've heard although I doubt it'll live long in the memory. 6.2

Self Esteem: I never understood the plaudits lobbed in Self Esteem's direction last time round and having listened to this I'm still mystified - it's mostly second rate pop fodder dressed up with the usual confessional/feminist lyrics, hardly ground-breaking imo. 4

Viagra Boys: according to my review I thought their last album was a bit patchy, but no such complaints this time round - this is a riotous blast from start to finish, not a million miles away from the Moonlandingz but it's tighter and more focused and a stronger album as a result. Great stuff. 8.3

Editors: always remember Editors as being a cut above your usual indie fare and this confirmed my recollection - not much filler here, a solid set of tunes even if a bit on the gloomy side at times. 8

TotW: Viagra Boys - The Bog Body

Erol

Moonlandingz - bonkers eclecticism with some great dance vibes. Good to hear Iggy Pop again too. 7

Prima Queen - pleasant

female indie pop with an occasional folksy edge. A bit tiresome after a while though. 6.6

Self Esteem - meh. A choral oddity with some rude bits at the end. 5

Viagra Boys - a blast of high energy edgy fun. 7

TOTW - Yama, Yama, Moonlandingz

Editors - love this album almost as much as their first. I saw them at Reading the (only) year that Ox came and have enjoyed them ever since. So many great tunes. An End Has A Start is for me a near perfect indie rock tune. 8.9

Annette

The Moonlandingz: 7.5

Prima Queen: 7.5

Self Esteem: 6.5

Viagra boys: 8.5

TOTW: Medicine for horses by Viagra boys

Classic: The Editors - 8

Matt

The Moonlandingz - 7.8

Prima Queen - 7.

Self Esteem - 6.4

Viagra Boys - 7.5

TOTW: The Moonlandingz , Yama Yams

Jim

The Moonlandingz 6.5

I quite enjoyed this unusual mix of moody folk and chaotic electronica, but it was ultimately too disjointed

Prima Queen 7

Decent indie pop , a cut above much that we’ve listed to in their swim lane, with a few TOTW contenders

Self Esteem 6

Some powerful soulful pop as well as some tosh. For some reason I thought she was American, but then checked and realised she’s 🎶not from NYC she’s from Rotherham

Viagra boys 7.5

Thought they were a bit novelty when we first came across them, but they seem to have found their grove . Cracking energetic rock with plenty of roll.

TOTW: Prima Queen - Meryl Streep

Editors 8

A first listen for me, and it’s a cracker. A few tracks get close The Killers and Bloc Party at their pomp.

Adam

Moonlandingz - fun tour de force of disco funk rock. Assault on the senses. 7

Prima Queen - Upbeat poppy vibes but didn’t quite stand out as much as Self Esteem. 6

Self Esteem - was a fan of Slow Club when she was a part of them. Actually quite liked this mix of orchestral pop. Even the 69 song. 7

Viagra Boys - lyrical blast of rude words and rock. Excellent at Reading, excellent new outing. Hope to see them again. 8

TOTW - Self Esteem - If not now, its soon

Editors - glad others had enjoyed this, this one will stay with me for life. Will likely be back with another second album some point soon 9