“Wuh? Huh?” I hear you saying. “It’s the end of February! Why is the January playlist coming out now?” Because I forgot and then procrastinated but I still really liked these songs, that’s why. The February one will come out tomorrow. It’s my diary, I make the rules.

Here’s the playlist.

I love how somber and pensive this song is. Feels just like January and perfectly captures all the navel gazing we inevitably end up doing all month, till it eventually bursts in a fit of determinate potential. It was the note I needed my year to start with.

I played this track a lot back when Laurel Hell first released, but I found it stuck in my head a lot more at the start of this year. I’ve been feeling very creatively drained/stuck recently and the lyrics of this song really resonated with that. A cathartic car singalong. Excited for the new record to emotionally destroy me!

A theme emerges.

You know that you’re in a really solid mental state when you have Elliott Smith and Mitski within two songs of each other on a playlist. I was really captured by the beautiful simplicity of this track. It’s almost a story song? But it lacks some key details so you have to kind of fill in the blanks with your own baggage and experiences. It’s great! Nothing better than nothing more than double tracked guitar and vocals. I also think I maybe hear like an egg shaker or something wayyy in the background but that barely registers. Perfect textural detail.

She’s back baby! Really cannot wait for the new album. The production on this one is a little smoother than what I’m used to from Barnett, but I like it. It’s still clearly her style of songwriting, things have just been polished a lot more. Love what Katie Crutchfield brings to the harmonies as well.

This record never really stuck with me when it came out but I remembered this song in January and found myself continuously putting it back on. I should probably take the time to give the rest of the record another chance at some point. I’ve been noticing that a lot of the stuff I’ve been into recently is things that feel like matured versions of the things I liked as a kid. Where the DNA is visibly the same and it still feels like itself, just a more grown-up version. This is unfortunately most likely a sign that I’m rapidly aging but oh well. It’s familiar, but still new. Not a couple old guys trying to act like they’re still 20. It’s still The Strokes, but it’s different. Y’know?

Doolittle was one of my top 10 albums in high school and I put it back on after a time away from it. It still absolutely rips. Really enjoyed finding new things to appreciate about this album basically a decade (oof) after first falling in love with it.

Gladie continues to serve up absolute hitters as they develop their sound and style. Really rare case where I’m so completely in love with the new project I don’t have any grief over the loss of the old one (still though, RIP Cayetana). This song is a really special reflection of that feeling where you want to take care of your friends, but everything is big and scary and there’s not really anything you can do but be around.

“All I could think of was to whisper in your ear: hey, you’re invited, and we’re glad you’re here.”

Heard some people were not as into this first single for the upcoming album and honestly those people should chill. It’s the Snail, baby! She’s gonna deliver. This has all the riffage and melancholy I look for in a Lindsey Jordan joint and that’s all I could ask for.

Been really getting into Fontaines D.C. recently. This is not their usual sound or even my favorite song from them but it’s just so sugary sweet that I couldn’t stop spinning it in January.

I’ve been seeing everyone going back to how i’m feeling now and reevaluating it as the great album it is and I just wanna say for the record that I’ve been here the whole time motherf*ckers. “Claws” has been my most played song on TouchTunes since 2021 I ain’t messing around. But jokes aside, I’m glad this record has been getting the praise it deserves. “party 4 u” does rule, but I also want to make sure the other tunes are getting some shoutouts.

The best Ayesha Erotica song and it’s hardly even close. If you’re already familiar with her work, something about her trading her usually comedic, over the top lyrics with a really raw portrayal of missing someone so bad it hurts should grab your attention. If you’ve never heard Ayesha’s music before then you might just enjoy the danceable, loud-as-f*ck beats. Either way, like me, you’ll end up blowing out the speakers in your car.

Okay that’s it for January, I’ll see you tomorrow with February and then we’ll be all squared up, k?

-Seanan