This month I’ve chosen the new album from Lykke Li, The Afterparty. For the second consecutive month we’ve been gifted an album from an artist much loved on the pod, yet one who has somehow never had a full album featured on either the podcast or the blog. Lykke Li is an artist who continues to evolve, though for me her first three albums remain permanent fixtures in my musical world.
I’ve always found Lykke Li’s music deeply intriguing. Her songs are musically welcoming whilst emotionally devastating — pop music that invites you in before quietly breaking your heart. Her work has long felt centred around a love of love itself; even when the beats are huge, the emotional energy often feels fragile, wounded, or collapsing inward. Where many artists turn heartbreak into empowerment, Lykke Li tends to stay inside the ache — dreamy, self-destructive, romantic, numb, and haunted.
The title The Afterparty immediately filled me with anxiety. Afterparties, in my experience, are rarely parties at all. They’re strange, liminal spaces where the adrenaline, glamour, and euphoria have worn off, leaving anxiety, exhaustion, regret, loneliness, and existential dread. Everyone is quietly planning their exit.
That feeling makes this album title especially fitting. In recent interviews, Lykke Li has hinted that The Afterparty may be her final album after more than two decades in an industry she has repeatedly admitted doesn’t suit her. Her Scandinavian bluntness has often cut through the mythology of music industry glamour. One of my favourite quotes from her remains: “The profession I have keeps dragging me into drama and taking me away from baking, flowering and gardening.”
What makes The Afterparty so compelling is how it feels like the culmination of everything she has explored across her career — from the icy melancholy of her earlier work to the widescreen pop and club textures of later releases and remixes. At just nine songs and roughly twenty-five minutes long, it achieves more than many albums manage in twice the runtime. The soundscape feels simultaneously expansive and tightly controlled, whilst lyrically it moves through themes of love, ageing, alienation, fame, and emotional exhaustion. Glamorous yet emotionally wrecked feels like the perfect description.
From the opening pulse of “Not Gon Cry”, the album immediately establishes its emotional contradiction: euphoric music carrying deeply bruised emotions. Anchored by the lead single “Lucky Again”, the remaining eight tracks orbit with near perfection around her core sound. Throughout, the album bleeds broken positivity — shimmering with hope whilst soaked in melancholy.
The brief spoken line at the beginning of “Famous Last Words” — “I don’t trust anything. I’m going to a dark place, do you need anything?” — perfectly captures the fragility running through the record. It’s darkly funny, vulnerable, and quietly devastating.
If The Afterparty is a comedown, it is an exquisitely crafted one — elegant, emotionally rich, and full of musical joy despite the darkness at its centre. If this truly is Lykke Li’s final album, she has left us with one of the most accomplished works of her career.
Though the eternal fan in me still hopes this isn’t her swan song.
Welcome to Episode 68 of This Is Not Happening, an Album of the Month podcast. In Part 1, we do a deep drive review of our Album of the Month. This month Guy brings a Robyn's latest release 'Sexisitential'. In Part 2, we play Spin It or Bin It, we pick a theme and all pick songs that represent that theme. This month, the theme is 'Sad Bangers'. —— Part 1 | Album of the Month | Robyn | Sexistential ——Robyn is a unique, iconic figure in contemporary music. She's been making and releasing music since 1995, her career spans 4 decades already and she shows no signs of slowing down. Her pop career started when she was 15, she's about to celebrate her 47th birthday, this is insane staying power!Sexistential is her 9th studio album if you count the Body Talk series as full albums? It's only 29 mins long, it doesn't mess about and no track or the album in full overstays it's welcome. There is lots to get into in the discussion, has she still got it? Is she doing new things? Is this still relevant and if so who for? How artists change and what we expect from them as they age?Have a listen, tell us what you think.Listen to the original album here.Watch some of her videos here , particularly the singles from this album.Buy this album or some merch here. And listen to her talk about the album here. —————- Part 2 | Spin It or Bin It | Sad Bangers —————- Robyn's biggest track is 'Dancing On My Own' is the archetype of a genre that Guy made up 'Sad Bangers'. This is our theme for Spin It or Bin It this month. It's got to be sad, and it's got to bang. Simple (in theory).The task is pick a track that fits the theme, the objective, get more 'spins' than your friends. We each pick four tracks for a 16 track play list . We then each pick select 1 track and ask the simple question 'Spin It Or Bin It'?David chose Destroy Everything You Touch by Ladytron.Joey chose 'Teardrops' by Womack and Womack.Guy chose 'Lovesick' by Friendly Fires.Nolan chose 'Blue Monday' by New Order.What would you have chosen? What's missing from our playlist?We've been writing the blog for years come and have a look – https://thisisnothappening.net/
Welcome to Episode 68 of This Is Not Happening, an Album of the Month podcast.
In Part 1, we do a deep drive review of our Album of the Month. This month Guy brings a Robyn’s latest release ‘Sexisitential’.
In Part 2, we play Spin It or Bin It, we pick a theme and all pick songs that represent that theme. This month, the theme is ‘Sad Bangers’.
—— Part 1 | Album of the Month | Robyn | Sexistential ——
Robyn is a unique, iconic figure in contemporary music. She’s been making and releasing music since 1995, her career spans 4 decades already and she shows no signs of slowing down. Her pop career started when she was 15, she’s about to celebrate her 47th birthday, this is insane staying power!
Sexistential is her 9th studio album if you count the Body Talk series as full albums? It’s only 29 mins long, it doesn’t mess about and no track or the album in full overstays it’s welcome.
There is lots to get into in the discussion, has she still got it? Is she doing new things? Is this still relevant and if so who for? How artists change and what we expect from them as they age?
Watch some of her videos here , particularly the singles from this album.
Buy this album or some merch here. And listen to her talk about the album here.
—————- Part 2 | Spin It or Bin It | Sad Bangers —————-
Robyn’s biggest track is ‘Dancing On My Own’is the archetype of a genre that Guy made up ‘Sad Bangers’. This is our theme for Spin It or Bin It this month. It’s got to be sad, and it’s got to bang. Simple (in theory).
The task is pick a track that fits the theme, the objective, get more ‘spins’ than your friends. We each pick four tracks for a16 track play list. We then each pick select 1 track and ask the simple question ‘Spin It Or Bin It’?
November 2025. We were busy compiling our final iterations of the end of year albums and tracks, luxuriating in the eleven months of fantastic releases and looking forward to what 2026 would bring, and a new single dropped from the sky. Right into the middle of everything.
“I know it’s just dopamine [DOH-DOH-DOH-DOH] / But if feels to real to me [DOH-DOH-DOH-DOH]”.
That voice was so familiar. The lush synths. The euphoria. With her first solo single since 2019, and Robyn was BACK.
Robyn’s been part of my pop culture landscape since way back in 1997 (a ridiculously long time ago, for a pop artist… I was one year out of university!) when she appeared on the Backstreet Boys/Britney-adjacent Show Me Love, an early Max Martin piece that didn’t exactly point to either of their futures directly, but certainly stuck in my head. In terms of semi-informed potted histories, she’d been recording in her home country of Sweden since she was 12, and by the time I next encountered her, in the still banging ‘With Every Heartbeat‘ – a single from her fourth (!) album – she’d already been somewhat chewed up by the pop machine. Having moved from giant BMG to Jive, then exited that deal to find artistic freedom, and formed her own label, the aptly-named Konichiwa Records. This is where she’d release the self-titled album from which her first UK No.1 single would appear, as ‘With Every Hearbeat’, the track she made with Kleerup tacked onto the reissued UK version. At 28, she’d already lived whole careers in that decade since Show Me Love, but found her feet.
After that, she didn’t look back. There has never the superstardom had by others around her before and since – think Britney, Christina, or Adele, Gaga, Katy, Lorde, and now Taylor, or Charli – but she certainly has her own niche to exist in: synth-driven pop music powered by loss and heartbreak. Sound a bit vague? Perhaps it’s Dancing On My Own that defined her more than anything, and stamped the genre she made her own: The Sad Banger.
I’m in the corner Watchin’ you kiss her, oh I’m right over here Why can’t you see me? Oh I’m giving it my all But I’m not the girl you’re takin’ home, ooh I keep dancing on my own I keep dancing on my own
Sure, we’ve all heard lyrics like this, but they were over a ballad, or piano, or various flavours of pop melodies. But this… this was over pumping dancefloor percussion and synths. This was a backing track you’d usually hear without vocals or as the celebratory ‘I’ve won her/his heart’ lyrics. Robyn flipped the script, and leaned into the desolation, but you couldn’t help dance to it. As Robyn said herself, the song “represents the precise moment on the dancefloor when you have to get your desperation, frustration and sadness out”. And I’ve been dancing to it ever since.
It’s oversimplifying Robyn’s long and interesting career, full of reinvention and making music how she wants to, an open book often baring the private, uncomfortable, moving away from the cliche (her previous album, Honey revolved around the loss of her friend and sometime collaborator, Christian Falk). This corner of dancefloor pop music is something she’s created, working with a trusted set of producers and engineers who understand her world, and something that’s been redone by others ever since. And that is the mark of something truly creative. I may not be a Robyn stan (that’s my friend Marco, who still plays that track in DJ sets, and queued up to meet her recently in Manchester), but I’ve loved so much of what she’s done, without ever quite dropping into fanboy territory. Until now.
I adored Dopamine. While I’ve really loved Robyn’s music over the years, this seemed to hit hard. I’ve always liked music that leans into the spirit of the dancefloor unashamedly, given I’ve spent so much of my adult life on and around them, and this transplanted itself into so much of what I felt when I think back to the best times I’ve spent on them, in London, or Manchester, Ibiza, Leeds, or Croatia. Not just her vocals, but the effects that turn them into this warm chorus that wraps the track in this fuzzy haze. The lyrics, which smartly layer the real euphoria of joy, of being in the moment, with a nod to the modern affliction of that online hit, that reply, the like, and how we are so accustomed to micro-highs that tie us to the online world. All wrapped up in three and a half minutes of pumping action. Just as All My Friends does, or Layo and Bushwacka’s Love Story, or The Human League’s Don’t You Want Me Baby? the moment this cranks up, I know exactly where my head is at. Feed it into my veins!
I heard an album was coming soon, and before Sexistential dropped in late March, we got 3 more tasters in what would turn out to be nearly half the album. Talk To Me’s single entendres (“I’m coming fast so guide me in”) over a Max Martin-amped chorus, shedding any societal preconceptions over what a 46-year-old woman should or should not talk about. The title track – and probably one of the album’s marmit-est moments, riffs on her single-mum IVF journey in lockdown, simultaneously horny, lonely, exasperated and laughing at her own situation. Because who else would do a rap about ovaries over a nervous, sparse percussion track and warping bass?
What Sexistential gives us is a fantastically conceived, pocket rocket of a modern pop album – twenty nine minutes and not a single second wasted – that can loop through over and over again before you know it, pulling you in all sorts of emotional directions. It’s the backdrop for the ‘what has she been up to?’ story from a fierce and yet open and searingly honest pop star who has sailed into her 40s and decided the best thing to do is play to her strengths, 8 years on from her last record. What you get on this ninth studio album are some right-up-there-with-the-best moments of pop – It Don’t Mean A Thing’s straight-up wistful remembering of the potential of a relationship no more, to the hopefulness of Light Up, and the closing (and best track on the album, to me) Into The Sun, with Robyn refusing to give up on love, being willing to burn up, just to give it a shot. As much as there’s humour, disclosure and sex on here, the album is as much about the reward of love – lost and yet to be found – as much as anything. And that feeling is something we all need in a fractured, chaotic world.
Music, is, after all, about connection. And for whatever reason that Robyn’s previous albums never quite hit my soul, this one has. Musically, it throbs. But more than that, I listen to each song – even Sexistential – and find something there that talks to me. That gets me right in the solar plexus. I’m 5 years older than Robyn, and a parent, so there’s a definite emotional tug within the songs too (Exihibit C: the cleverly remade Blow My Mind, which swaps the original’s love song for new motherhood), and that is a feeling you can’t control, can’t map or can’t force. It’s either there or it isn’t.
There will be bigger albums. Taylor’s 20 special edition formats chewing up vinyl plants, or Olivia Rodrigo’s upcoming album. Or perhaps one we don’t even know is coming, like Brat’s follow-up. But as they each do their thing, this album has Robyn’s vibrancy running through it like a name in a stick of rock. And it’ll be in my top 10 in November, just in time to hear the first single of one of 2027’s favourites.
Welcome to Episode 68 of This Is Not Happening, an Album of the Month podcast. In Part 1, we do a deep drive review of our Album of the Month. This month Guy brings a Robyn's latest release 'Sexisitential'. In Part 2, we play Spin It or Bin It, we pick a theme and all pick songs that represent that theme. This month, the theme is 'Sad Bangers'. —— Part 1 | Album of the Month | Robyn | Sexistential ——Robyn is a unique, iconic figure in contemporary music. She's been making and releasing music since 1995, her career spans 4 decades already and she shows no signs of slowing down. Her pop career started when she was 15, she's about to celebrate her 47th birthday, this is insane staying power!Sexistential is her 9th studio album if you count the Body Talk series as full albums? It's only 29 mins long, it doesn't mess about and no track or the album in full overstays it's welcome. There is lots to get into in the discussion, has she still got it? Is she doing new things? Is this still relevant and if so who for? How artists change and what we expect from them as they age?Have a listen, tell us what you think.Listen to the original album here.Watch some of her videos here , particularly the singles from this album.Buy this album or some merch here. And listen to her talk about the album here. —————- Part 2 | Spin It or Bin It | Sad Bangers —————- Robyn's biggest track is 'Dancing On My Own' is the archetype of a genre that Guy made up 'Sad Bangers'. This is our theme for Spin It or Bin It this month. It's got to be sad, and it's got to bang. Simple (in theory).The task is pick a track that fits the theme, the objective, get more 'spins' than your friends. We each pick four tracks for a 16 track play list . We then each pick select 1 track and ask the simple question 'Spin It Or Bin It'?David chose Destroy Everything You Touch by Ladytron.Joey chose 'Teardrops' by Womack and Womack.Guy chose 'Lovesick' by Friendly Fires.Nolan chose 'Blue Monday' by New Order.What would you have chosen? What's missing from our playlist?We've been writing the blog for years come and have a look – https://thisisnothappening.net/
Welcome to Episode 67 of This Is Not Happening. An Album of the Month podcast.
In Part 1, we do a deep drive review of our Album of the Month. This month Joey brings a slice of sophisticated, R&B tinged pop with Eliza’s Jill latest album ‘The Darkening Green’.
In Part 2, we play Spin It or Bin It, we pick a theme and all pick songs that represent that theme. This month the theme is ‘Sophisticated Pop’.
——Part 1 | Album of the Month | Eliza | The Darkening Green ——
Eliza is an enigma. She has recorded under a different name but has been recording under ‘Eliza’ for the past 10 years or so.
After 3 long, very complex albums on the pod we take a new direction, 9 tracks and 35 minutes of sophisticated pop, stylish soul driven vibes. Its full of grooves, it’s full of tunes and its full of all of the emotions. I have become quite obsessed with this and am recommending it to everyone.
—————-Part 2 | Spin It or Bin It | New Music—————-
The theme is Sophisticaed Pop … but we also get a bit confused between this and ‘sophisti-pop’ and to be honest, Nolan loses his shit.
The task is pick a track that fits the theme, the objective, get more ‘spins’ than your friends. We each pick four tracks for a16 track play list. We then each pick select 1 track and ask the simple question ‘Spin It Or Bin It’?
Welcome to Episode 68 of This Is Not Happening, an Album of the Month podcast. In Part 1, we do a deep drive review of our Album of the Month. This month Guy brings a Robyn's latest release 'Sexisitential'. In Part 2, we play Spin It or Bin It, we pick a theme and all pick songs that represent that theme. This month, the theme is 'Sad Bangers'. —— Part 1 | Album of the Month | Robyn | Sexistential ——Robyn is a unique, iconic figure in contemporary music. She's been making and releasing music since 1995, her career spans 4 decades already and she shows no signs of slowing down. Her pop career started when she was 15, she's about to celebrate her 47th birthday, this is insane staying power!Sexistential is her 9th studio album if you count the Body Talk series as full albums? It's only 29 mins long, it doesn't mess about and no track or the album in full overstays it's welcome. There is lots to get into in the discussion, has she still got it? Is she doing new things? Is this still relevant and if so who for? How artists change and what we expect from them as they age?Have a listen, tell us what you think.Listen to the original album here.Watch some of her videos here , particularly the singles from this album.Buy this album or some merch here. And listen to her talk about the album here. —————- Part 2 | Spin It or Bin It | Sad Bangers —————- Robyn's biggest track is 'Dancing On My Own' is the archetype of a genre that Guy made up 'Sad Bangers'. This is our theme for Spin It or Bin It this month. It's got to be sad, and it's got to bang. Simple (in theory).The task is pick a track that fits the theme, the objective, get more 'spins' than your friends. We each pick four tracks for a 16 track play list . We then each pick select 1 track and ask the simple question 'Spin It Or Bin It'?David chose Destroy Everything You Touch by Ladytron.Joey chose 'Teardrops' by Womack and Womack.Guy chose 'Lovesick' by Friendly Fires.Nolan chose 'Blue Monday' by New Order.What would you have chosen? What's missing from our playlist?We've been writing the blog for years come and have a look – https://thisisnothappening.net/
Welcome to Episode 66 of This Is Not Happening.An Album of the Month podcast.
In Part 1, we do a deep drive review of our Album of the Month. This month David brings Neo-Soul back into focus with Jill Scott and her comeback album ‘To Whom This May Concern.
In Part 2, we play Spin It or Bin It, we pick a theme and all pick songs that represent that theme. This month the theme is ‘Neo-Soul, and it’s a belter.
—— Part 1 | Album of the Month | Jill Scott | To Who This May Concern ——
Jill Scott’s debut was released in 2000, it played a big part in some of our lives. But most of us lost touch after this release. It’s 26 years later and Jill has been through some shit.
This album is big, it’s a lot. There is a lot to take in digest and consider. It works big time for some of us … not so much for others. Have a listen, let’s get into this!
Tiny Desk concerts are getting better and better, here is Jill’s.
Watch some videos, interviews and performances here.
—————- Part 2 | Spin It or Bin It | New Music —————-
The theme is Neo-Soul, the task is pick a track that fits the theme, the objective, get more ‘spins’ than your friends. We each pick for tracks for a 16 track play list (that is fire).
We then each pick select 1 track and ask the simple question ‘Spin It Or Bin It’?
Eliza, formerly known as Eliza Doolittle has done a lot. She’s been signed since 2008 but has been performing for ever by the looks of it. It seems inevitable that this would be the case. Her mum is a Tony Award winning Musical Theatre performer and represented the UK in 1994 Eurovision Contest. Eliza is also the Grand Daughter of Sylvia Young of the eponymous Theatre School.
So she’s been on a journey – The Darkening Green is her 5th Studio Album across her two identities, the ‘Doolittle’ was shed back in 2017 where it looks like she adopted a more mature approach. My history with her is non existent. The algorithms were insistent that I listen to the Single ‘Cheddar’ in February and as usual, the algo was right, I loved it, nearly chose it as my Spin It track last month, did chose it in my 4 track shortlist. So when the album dropped on 6th March I was straight in.
The album is short, it is only 9 tracks and 35 minutes long. This goes against the recent trend of what I often feel are bloated albums with poor decision making on what should and shouldn’t be included. I am very happy about this. At this point in the year, in my current mood, I want a short, tight and direct album and this is exactly what we’ve been given.
Thematically the album is about love, relationships, the pressure of modern life, nature, city life and the connections between these. However, the songs manage to blend these themes into one, feeling or mood regardless of the specific theme. The album was finished a week or so before Eliza became a mother. I think I can hear the calm contemplation of impending parenthood? In interviews she talks about flowers being strong enough to push up between concrete, a visual that is captured on the cover, this feels like over arching theme.
Genre-wise … what is this? Let’s do a quick genre-roll-call; R&B / Alt-R&B / Soul / Pop / Sophisti-Pop / Neo Soul / Indie-Soul / Chamber-Soul is a new one that I came across when researching this /
I have looked into critics (and this album has not been widely reviewed) and listeners reviews to look at how they describe this and there is very little consistency. I am tempted to return to my on running joke sub-genre title ‘Soul Driven Sophisti-Pop’ … cause that’s exactly what it is. We can call it Soul. I’m happy with R&B but that has become close to meaningless. What ever we call it, I do think there is something particularly British about this album? I am not sure I can imagine an American Artist creating this? As we discussed last month, Neo-Soul in my mind at least, is an American genre and of a specific time (late 90’s / early 00’s). I can’t think of any any British artists that I would describe as Neo-Soul but this album has been described as Neo Soul. Go figure.
Stylistically speaking, it’s very tightly produced, razor sharp, crisp, clean and bone dry! There is nothing remotely moist about any track on this album. It’s relatively sparsely instrumented soul music. There is a lot of space, bone-dry-air in the production. This type of production can sound clinical and lacking emotion and I would understand someone who didn’t like this using that kind of language. There is a degree of separation of presentation that is undeniable but there is a lot of vocal warmth even when singing some of the most withering lyrics.
The album feels very coherent, a collection of tracks written, rehearsed and recorded as one. I am not sure if this is the case? But it feels like that. It feels like it captures a feeling of a certain time and mood. There are 2 producers but the end product is beautifully consistent. There are deep grooves (Cheddar), funky up tempo tracks (Pleasure Boy) and slower jams (Major) but they all feel like the blend and weave together into a coherent sound.
There are moments when these tracks sound like Prince, on Spiral there is a definite sound of Billie Eilish, there’s 80’s soul pop moments that remind me of many artists, on some tracks I hear guitars played in a similar manner to Nilifur Yanya (Because We Can). I am sure you can all name numerous other artists that you hear? However, I think she never sounds like any other single artist though, she’s distilled the last 40 years of Soulful R&B pop into 35 mins which is pretty impressive.
The bass guitar does a lot of work on this album, as does the rim shot! The percussion is sparse, but perfectly so. Is there a single cymbal other than a hit hat very low in the mix? We’ve commented recently on guitar focused R&B albums and this is another one. Given the sparsity of the instrumentation there is a fair amount of complexity in the guitar parts which feels quite focused (again a nod or similarity to Nilifur?
I am loving the simplicity and quality of this album. It is what I want at the moment. Will it work for your guys?
Jill Scott is deeply entwined in my life, but at the same time, I probably haven’t listened to her much in years. Her debut album, Who Is Jill Scott? dropped in 2000, on the cusp of a new millennium, and became an instant classic in what became known as Neo-soul. Like a lot of genre, it’s a nefarious business trying to pin down what makes something Neo-soul as opposed to R&B or soul, but it definitely leans into an organic sound – real instruments, live drums, and strong, powerful vocal performances. Philadelphia obviously has an extraordinarily rich history in soul music, and Scott became the latest on a long line of legends from that city to pick up the baton and run with it into a new era.
Right from the off, she created a sensual, rich sound full of tight performances and expansive songwriting, and that’s before we even get to that voice. She has a unique ability to sound sexy, authoritative, contemplative, in your face, gentle. She can sing, she can rap, she can sound like spoken word poetry. She’s the real deal and she quickly found herself at the top of the true alongside the likes of Erykah Badu and D’Angelo.
And then onto my own personal with this music. I had just got together with Caroline the year before – and indeed had just met Joey at the same time, and this genre was the so much the part of those years. I can think of scores of soul and R&B albums we all rinsed to death at that time – Lucy Pearl, Raphael Saadiq, Maxwell. And Jill Scott. They felt politically conscious very much like the Native Tongues hip hop of a decade previously, big on Afrocentricism and positivity. It was optimistic music. And I want to come back to that point.
Those first two Jill Scott albums I loved so hard. I don’t know why, but they just spoke to me and they soundtracked our early relationship. But like a lot of artists, she kind of fell of my radar a bit. I remember spinning her Woman album in 2015 a few times and thinking – yeah, I’ve heard this before, nothing new here. That was her last album. It’s been ten years.
So this could go one of two ways. It could be a tired old retread. Or it could be a revelatory return to form. I’d seen some preview reviews that suggested this might be the latter. And boy, they are not fucking kidding. I cannot believe how much I love this record.
Firstly, let’s get some housekeeping out the way. It’s not a short album. It’s 19 songs and 58 minutes. But personally, I have never had something slip down so easily. She sounds energised, excited to be making music, and so fucking cool. There’s an incredible array of genres on here – slow jams (Pressha, Beautiful People), hip hop (Norf Side, a real highlight for me), Afrobeat grooves (BPOTY), club friendly dance tunes (Right Here, Right Now). The whole thing is a total tour de force.
I know everyone is having their own journey here, so let me raise a couple of things that are worth considering. One is this – let’s be honest, this album could been made in 2002. It is not rewriting the history books, it’s just very, very good at what it is. But what it is is a very positive record, it’s a 53 year old woman rediscovering her joy at making music after a long gap. But it’s also full of that early 00s positivity vibe. I guess I’m wondering – does that feel a bit out of place in our fucked up, bleak world right now? For me, it’s just giving me life. But maybe it doesn’t quite for everyone…
The other factor is that this is plugging into my past and probably even my relationship with Caroline. Remove that and does it mean so much to the average listener? Perhaps not.
Anyway, this is the first record I’ve heard this year that could be in my top 10. But that’s just me. Over to you, brothers…
Welcome to Episode 68 of This Is Not Happening, an Album of the Month podcast. In Part 1, we do a deep drive review of our Album of the Month. This month Guy brings a Robyn's latest release 'Sexisitential'. In Part 2, we play Spin It or Bin It, we pick a theme and all pick songs that represent that theme. This month, the theme is 'Sad Bangers'. —— Part 1 | Album of the Month | Robyn | Sexistential ——Robyn is a unique, iconic figure in contemporary music. She's been making and releasing music since 1995, her career spans 4 decades already and she shows no signs of slowing down. Her pop career started when she was 15, she's about to celebrate her 47th birthday, this is insane staying power!Sexistential is her 9th studio album if you count the Body Talk series as full albums? It's only 29 mins long, it doesn't mess about and no track or the album in full overstays it's welcome. There is lots to get into in the discussion, has she still got it? Is she doing new things? Is this still relevant and if so who for? How artists change and what we expect from them as they age?Have a listen, tell us what you think.Listen to the original album here.Watch some of her videos here , particularly the singles from this album.Buy this album or some merch here. And listen to her talk about the album here. —————- Part 2 | Spin It or Bin It | Sad Bangers —————- Robyn's biggest track is 'Dancing On My Own' is the archetype of a genre that Guy made up 'Sad Bangers'. This is our theme for Spin It or Bin It this month. It's got to be sad, and it's got to bang. Simple (in theory).The task is pick a track that fits the theme, the objective, get more 'spins' than your friends. We each pick four tracks for a 16 track play list . We then each pick select 1 track and ask the simple question 'Spin It Or Bin It'?David chose Destroy Everything You Touch by Ladytron.Joey chose 'Teardrops' by Womack and Womack.Guy chose 'Lovesick' by Friendly Fires.Nolan chose 'Blue Monday' by New Order.What would you have chosen? What's missing from our playlist?We've been writing the blog for years come and have a look – https://thisisnothappening.net/
Welcome to Episode 65 of This Is Not Happening. An Album of the Month podcast.
In Part 1, we review our Album of the Month. This month Nolan brings a big chunk of country (or is Heartland Rock?) with Zach Bryan’s latest release ‘With Heaven On Top’.
In Part 2, we play Spin It or Bin It, we pick a theme and all pick songs that represent that theme. This month the theme is ‘New Music’, tracks released since January 1st.
__________Part 1 | Album of the Month | Zach Bryan | With Heave On Top ____________
Zach Bryan is a relatively divisive, country artist who is HUGE in the states but can his latest album help him become (even more of) a global superstar? At 25 tracks and 1hr 18 mins he’s giving the album every chance of making an impact.
This album has genuine, authentic heart. It’s length is a big talking point, so is it’s genre, is it country? Americana? Something else?
Listen to the acoustic version released 3 days after the original here.
Watch an interesting conversation with Bryan and Springsteen here.
___________________Part 2 | Spin It or Bin It | New Music _____________________
Every 3 months we pick the theme ‘New Music’ and each pick 4 tracks that have been released in the last 2 month. Listen to our 16 track play list that we created for the New Music theme.
We then each pick select 1 track and ask the simple question ‘Spin It Or Bin It’?
Having the album of the month choice in January is always a tricky scenario. In past years we’ve opted instead for flashbacks to albums we may have missed in recent months or all time classics we wanted to chat about instead of the dried up release schedule that January usual provides. Differing from previous years, 2026 has already shown some early green shoots (IDK, Dry Cleaning and A$AP ROCKY), especially my choice for album of the month, Zach Bryan’s With Heaven On Top. Heavily anticipated for many this will be a new artist for the majority of us. Whilst he is a new name to This Is Not Happening, Bryan has swiftly become one of the fastest growing artists globally.
Personally, I’m not going into this blind. I’m a fan. But only for a matter of months. He hit my radar last summer (2025) when a friend mentioned that he had seen Bryan play at Hyde Park the previous weekend. I’d never heard of him? He explained Zach Bryan was a country artist that had just played two sold out shows to over 65,000 people a night in London. Although I was hesitant due to the dreaded ‘C’ word, I was curious about this Zach Bryan guy. He must have something about him to sell out two massive shows in London. London and the wider UK haven’t traditionally clicked with US country stars. I’d explain Zach Bryan’s sound (to my relief and happiness) as americana drenched folk with a dusting of country that naturally comes with being a product of his environment.
Bryan was born in Yokosuka, Japan, where his parents were stationed as part of a U.S. Navy deployment. When Bryan was in the eighth grade, his family moved to Oologah, Oklahoma. Continuing a family tradition, Bryan was an active-duty member of the United States Navy for eight years, enlisting at the age of 17. Whilst in the Navy, he used his spare time to write songs, eventually posting them on YouTube to nominal success. His breakthrough came when his track Heading South went viral (to date it has gained 34m streams). Ahead of leaving the services he released two independent albums ahead of leaving the Navy and signing to Warner music. Ahead of With Heaven On Top He has released 3 albums on Warner with multiple number 1’s. His singles ‘I Remember Everything’ and Something in Orange’ have both had over 1 billion Spotify streams, with way more in the plus 100m streams.
With expectations high, and knowing I’m putting my neck on the line for an artist that undoubtably will be marmite for the other three I’ve decided to double down on Zach Bryan. Early reviews for With Heaven On Top are mixed. This may not be the best album to intro an artist with.. plus it’s long (most of his albums are)… but it’s jammed packed with stories, emotion and big sounds that are not to be sniffed at.
Being mindful that this should be an album intro and not a review here are some key points from me:
I think this album in every way is very accomplished and polished yet raw. He very much seem like a guy that you could start chatting to sitting at a bar somewhere.
Bryan’s extensive touring and large audiences undoubtably have had an influence on tracks like Appetite, Say Why and Anyways. They will all sound brilliant and will have crowds singing along (vocal solos and large crowd claps a-go-go).
Songs like Slicked Back are simplified perfection and remind me of the lyrical masterstrokes that the likes of Bruce Springsteen and Bob Dylan were made household names by.
Although many try; nobody can nail the sound of Americana you’re from North America (IMO). Moving from a sound and a twang to painting a picture is the hard part. Bryan has a lovely way with words and storytelling. DeAnne’s Denum, Plastic Cigarette, Cannonball and You Can Still Come Home take you to the place of their reactive songs with ease.
Globally (and internally) there’s a lot of confusion and pain about the current state of the United States is in. Bryan gives you a taste of the America that many of us (even if secretly) all romance over in our minds. Open skies, country roads and dreams. It’s nice to remember this. He also faces into the state of the nation on Bad News. A song that has split his fans, though it feels like he’s arguing on both sides of opinion.
On paper Zach Bryan should tick all the boxes for all of us. His Americana drenched folk nicely sits centre in our combined music vin-diagram.. BUT for at least 2/4 of us there is going to be some walls that need to be broken to fully embrace this album.
At time of writing this, he has done limited PR for the album, has yet to release a music video yet the album has entered the US Billboard chart at number one and the UK charts at number 3. He has also released an acoustic version of the album to silence the fans and cretics that have previously stated that they miss the Zach Bryan of old; just a dude, a guitar and some packet full of great songs.
3 weeks into the album I’m still learning it. I’m still understanding it. I’m still intrigued by it. I think it’s a lovely piece of work and I hope you do to.
Welcome to Episode 68 of This Is Not Happening, an Album of the Month podcast. In Part 1, we do a deep drive review of our Album of the Month. This month Guy brings a Robyn's latest release 'Sexisitential'. In Part 2, we play Spin It or Bin It, we pick a theme and all pick songs that represent that theme. This month, the theme is 'Sad Bangers'. —— Part 1 | Album of the Month | Robyn | Sexistential ——Robyn is a unique, iconic figure in contemporary music. She's been making and releasing music since 1995, her career spans 4 decades already and she shows no signs of slowing down. Her pop career started when she was 15, she's about to celebrate her 47th birthday, this is insane staying power!Sexistential is her 9th studio album if you count the Body Talk series as full albums? It's only 29 mins long, it doesn't mess about and no track or the album in full overstays it's welcome. There is lots to get into in the discussion, has she still got it? Is she doing new things? Is this still relevant and if so who for? How artists change and what we expect from them as they age?Have a listen, tell us what you think.Listen to the original album here.Watch some of her videos here , particularly the singles from this album.Buy this album or some merch here. And listen to her talk about the album here. —————- Part 2 | Spin It or Bin It | Sad Bangers —————- Robyn's biggest track is 'Dancing On My Own' is the archetype of a genre that Guy made up 'Sad Bangers'. This is our theme for Spin It or Bin It this month. It's got to be sad, and it's got to bang. Simple (in theory).The task is pick a track that fits the theme, the objective, get more 'spins' than your friends. We each pick four tracks for a 16 track play list . We then each pick select 1 track and ask the simple question 'Spin It Or Bin It'?David chose Destroy Everything You Touch by Ladytron.Joey chose 'Teardrops' by Womack and Womack.Guy chose 'Lovesick' by Friendly Fires.Nolan chose 'Blue Monday' by New Order.What would you have chosen? What's missing from our playlist?We've been writing the blog for years come and have a look – https://thisisnothappening.net/
Welcome to Episode 64 of This Is Not Happening. An Album of the Month podcast.
In Part 1, we review and Album of the Month. This month Joey brings perhaps the most critically acclaimed album of 2025, Rosalia’s ‘LUX’.
In Part 2, we play Spin It or Bin It, we pick a theme and all pick songs that represent that theme. As it’s January and everybody is back in the gym or re-starting running program’s we’ve picked ‘songs to get injured to’.
_______________________Part 1 | Album of the Month | Rosalia | LUX________________________
This is a big one. Big in many ways. Massively popular, globally. But more importantly MASSIVE in scope, scale and ambition. Rosalia’s 4th album takes a major turn from the reggaeton, digital urgency of Motomami. This a symphonic, spiritual, complex and challenging collection of songs presented in 4 movements (if you’re on vinyl). It requires you to focus, engage and consume with purpose.
It’s undeniable that it is ambitious, its brilliance is clear … but will any of us actually like it? Does it make you want to listen to it? Are you drawn to come back to it?
Check out the Zane Lowe interview with Rosalia here.
___________________Part 2 | Spin It or Bin It | Songs To Get Injured To _____________________
New Year New Me. The gyms are packed. People are begging to get injured. What should you chose as your soundtrack to that achilles rupture or that rotator cuff tear? The answer is probably in this 16 track play list that we created.
We each pick 4 tracks for the playlist and submit 1 track and ask the simple question ‘Spin It Or Bin It’?
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