W/e 18/10/24 - Paul Heaton, Goat, Gut Health, The Linda Lindas, Lorde

Guy McConnell
Oct 26, 2024
8 min read

Congrats to The Linda Lindas who are our winners this week. They are well inside our 2024 top 20, just outside the overall top 100, and this follow up is 100+ places above their 2022 debut.

Goat have the TOTW.

Sam has his first 😀 for a couple of months. Phil’s back in ☹️ territory.

Lorde won plaudits for her output at such a young age rather that converting many to her tunes, and says Hi to Def Leppard and the Beach Boys on the classic list.

Andy

Paul Heaton - A delightful slice of extremely English pop folk with touches of Madness, Squeeze, The Divine Comedy and of course all the previous PD Heaton projects 7.5

Goat - Definitely expected this to be more psych rock but it turned out have more than a touch of afrobeat sprinkled in, when there were vocals it was almost Sault like, very funky thank you very much 7

Gut Health - Aussie punkers are busy these days aren't they? Like a slightly less eggy Amyl and the Sniffers. Decent stuff 6.5

The Linda Lindas - Not quite as good as their thrilling debut but even so this improved on second listen and a few more runs through will make this a firm favourite I reckon. Not bad for a bunch of kids 7.5

TotW - Small boats by Paul Heaton

Lorde - Quite the debut at just 16, very good 7

Sam

Paul Heaton : he is a national treasure, and it’s all quite clever and nice but it’s a bit twee in parts . 6.5

Goat : this type of bonkers stuff could fall flat but this is good fun ! Great guitars . 7.3

Gut Health: stupid name but it’s pretty damn cool . Well made . 7.2,

The Linda Lindas: i absolutely loved this . Why can’t more guitar bands realise bouncy fun guitars are the way to do it . 8.9

TOTW: could be anything from the Linda Lindas : I’ll go for : Cartographers.

Lorde : You can see who Billie Eilish was listening to at elementary school . This is very confident, beautifully constructed pop. All the more amazing that she was 16 . 7.7

Phil

Paul Heaton

Paul Heaton, all-round great bloke, salt-of-the-earth and that rare creature, a successful musician who still puts the fans first. You want to like the album, don’t you? But Hell’s teeth, he doesn’t half make it hard. First though, credit where it’s due – the lyrics are mostly excellent. But that’s about it for the plus column. Too many of the arrangements are just so old-fashioned. It wasn’t until the penultimate track that they finally got it right. Couldn’t get dead is great, like Squeeze at their best. But too many of the other tracks are just jaunty and “let’s have a knees-up, shall we?” and it’s not a good look (or sound) when the best vocal performances are by the guest singers, not the artist himself.

Sorry Paul – I’ll buy you a pint anytime you like, as long as I don’t have to listen to this album again 5.5

Goat

I’ve generally enjoyed what I’ve heard by Goat, although I rarely play the one album of theirs that I do own. Listening to this album I hear the same issues. They do a lot of things that I enjoy – funky, distorted guitars, unusual instruments, irresistible rhythms – but somehow they always manage to be less than the sum of their parts.

The final track is a good example of what they’re capable of when they hit a groove but apart from that and the gorgeous but atypical Fools journey, the rest of the album is frustrating because it could have been so much better 6.5

Gut Health

A band clearly in thrall to the post-punk years 1979-82 and, in particular, the No Wave likes of James Chance and ESG. I loved the spidery instrumentation - the prominent bass, shredded guitar and the razor sharp rhythms. There are even echoes of Gang of Four, early ACR and, on one track, even Duran Duran.

This is a band that knows exactly where it’s going and, given that there’s no one at the minute that sounds remotely like them, my bet is that they’ll get there. Hope they’ve got some gigs lined up in the UK! 7.5

The Linda Lindas

Can’t think of much to say about this. It’s a perfectly serviceable indie rock album, well played and sung but, for the most part, very samey. Not for me, Clive 6

TOTW : Gut Health - Stiletto

Classic

Lorde – Pure heroine

Not your average pop by any means and there are some good tracks on here, Royals and Team being perhaps the best. But as with even thoughtful pop, after a few songs my attention starts to wander. Not an album I shall return to but at least I now know what Lorde sounds like – or did ten years ago 6

Jim

Paul Heaton 5.5

I’m sure his fans will enjoy the quirky pop storytelling. It’s pleasant enough if a bit quaint and I didn't warm to it

Goat 7

Some quality, funky big beat moments on here, in particular the brilliant finale - very Bentley Rhythm Ace with a touch of Moby. Couple of hard to listen to tracks brought it down half a point.

Gut Health 7.5

We've reviewed a few jazzy art rock newcomers, but this lot showed that if you don't overdo it (aka wankery!) and keep the tempo up it can be a bit of a bonza treat. First half in particular is excellent. Imagine they go down very well at Melbourne’s version of AYL and I'll also look forward to a chance to catch them

Linda Lindas 8

Great stuff from the kids. A couple of levels above most of the frat rock acts we’ve covered, including some headlining old timers. Packed a punch whilst maintaining its rhythm and harmonies. Simple but very effective. Cartographers, Loose Yourself and Nothing Would Change were particularly good.

TOTW: Goat - Ouroboros

Lorde 9

Billie E has taken the soothing minimal electro-pop Queen mantle on, but for me, along with The XX, Lorde really broke some of this ground, and I think this is just a terrific feel-good debut. Half a dozen superb numbers in here, Ribs and Team in particular, great lyrics, and little filler. All the more impressive considering she was only 16 when it came out.

Simon

Paul Heaton: basically the same thoughts as everyone else - whilst there's much to admire in Paul Heaton's songwriting I just don't find his quintessentially English brand of music-hall stylings very appealing. 6

Goat: this started off like it could been beamed in straight from 1967, but spreads its wings to take in all kinds of influences from jazz funk to Afro-beat and everything in between. It's a bewildering combo, but there's plenty to like and it held my interest until the excellent closer, Ouroboros. 7.5

Gut Health: plenty of interesting new music down under these days - liked this a lot, as Phil mentioned there's shades of early ACR in the skittish rhythms and brass interludes and it has the same urgent vibrancy as Bodega. A great debut. 8

Linda Lindas: from what I remember of their debut I think I enjoyed this more - seemed to be a bit more variety of styles whilst remaining just as energetic and fun. Once Upon A time is a cracker. 7.8

Lorde: an accomplished album, particularly for a debut by a 16 year old, but can't say it grabbed me enough to go back for more. 7

TotW: plenty of contenders this week but will go for Stiletto by Gut Health.

Guy

Paul Heaton – You know what you’re getting with Paul. Catchy tunes and clever lyrics. That said, I’m not sure it had enough for me to be coming back time and time again. I admire the bloke (as others have said) but I find it all gets a bit samey after a while – 6

GOAT - A weird mix of styles but quite compelling for it. You’ve got afrobeat, rock, funk, dance and even Asian influences – all sorts. Particularly enjoyed Frisco Beaver which went full on James Taylor Quartet at one point and dancey outro Ouroboros– 7.4

Gut Health – There must be something in the water in Australia. They seem to churn out most of the latest post-punk bands. This one is full on funky, with all the energy you’d expect from the genre. Enjoyable stuff – 7

The Linda Lindas – A fun bit of punk-pop. Not the most complex of offerings by any stretch of the imagination but it’s full of va-va-voom. I particularly enjoyed tracks such as All in My Head, Cartographers and Nothing Would Change. Not sure of the Weird Al Yankovitch collab though. Good work for a band of kids – even if they got a healthy foot up from their parents – 7.7

Lorde – Pretty amazing that she knocked this out at 16 tbf. It’s definitely one of the better female vocalist pop albums of recent times. Team is an absolute banger and Royals is also up there – 8

TOTW: Nothing Would Change – The Linda Lindas

Justin

Paul Heaton - walk on, slow down is a great track. Otherwise the lyrics could get a bit twee and the music was a bit vaudeville for me. 6

GOAT - world music danger on a couple of tracks but otherwise some cracking guitar and general weirdness. 7.1

Gut Health - some really good songs on here. I imagine it will grow the more I listen to it. Sometimes the quirky indie is a bit much 7

The Linda Linda's - nothing bad but pretty standard indie guitar 6.5

TOTW Oroboros - GOAT

Lorde - very impressed. Surprised it was so old. Good pop/electeonica mix 7

Erol

Paul Heaton - he is a national treasure and some of this is charming. The female vocalist is very talented too. But most of the album is too quaint, flat and uninspiring. I doubt I’ll listen to this again. 5

GOAT - often edgy and moody, with some great scuzzy guitar riffs and rhythms. The vocals were a bit shaky but with a stronger vocalist this could have been really impressive. Shame the percussion didn’t play a bigger part but overall this was still very good. Would like to see this bunch live 7.7

Gut Health - a bit chaotic at times but overall this was an enjoyable

funky jazz fest with some strong numbers here and there. Two Steps in particular stood out. 7.4

The Linda Lindas - I’m with Sam on this. No pretensions, just upbeat bouncing girl-band guitars. What’s not to like? 7.6

TOTW - Goatbrain, GOAT.

Lorde - Lordy, Lordy, Lorde. Decent pop but too slow and uneventful for me. Hats off to her for managing to make this record while she was only 16 though. 5

Mark

Paul Heaton - such a national treasure he even has a song by that name here. Ok, he's not breaking any new ground but he has an ear for a catchy tune and a wry lyric, and his recent Glastonbury afternoon set was pure joy. Nice guy, writes nice tunes. Nice. - 6.5

Goat - fab funky craziness, King Gizzard meets Led Zep via Africa. And Sweden. Bet they're amazing live - 8

Gut Health - not as much a fan of this as some others, thought it started off a bit dreary and only picked up a little after that. Plenty others do this kind of thing better I'd say - 6

Linda Lindas - another cracker from these kids, just good time singalong guitar songs full of the infectious exuberance of youth, would love them to be booked in the tent at Reading next summer - 7

TOTW - One More Death by GOAT

Annette

Paul Heaton: 6

GOAT: 6.5

Gut Health: 7

The Linda Lindas: 7

TOTW: GOAT - Goatbrain

Classic: Lorde 8

Matt

Paul Heaton Likeable and quirky but veered into an odd honkey-tonk, pub-rock thing too often. 6.8

GOAT: Just wasn't feeling this. 6

Gut Health: Nice post punk energy. 7