By James Hyland

Featured image: Georgina Hurdsfield / Festival Republic

Ah, January. The weather is miserable, you’re miserable as you return to work or school, and worst of all, the miserable boards of film companies release their worst films! Luckily for you, we’ve got the perfect list of albums to soundtrack your month and help you forget about those blues until February.

Abbey Road – The Beatles

An old favourite, The Beatles’ final masterpiece deserves a place on this list. Whether it’s the oppressive heat of the swamp-like ‘I Want You (She’s So Heavy)’ or the sun-drenched background vocals on ‘You Never Give Me Your Money’ transitioning towards the laid-back ‘Sun King’, Abbey Road is sonic serotonin. And who can forget the classic ‘Here Comes The Sun?’ It might feel like a long and lonely winter but Abbey Road makes sure that time flies by.

Suburban Light – The Clientele

From a rock classic to something a little bit more obscure, The Clientele’s lo-fi debut is an underrated and forgotten gem of 2000s jangle pop. The trademark sound of this album is Alistair McClean’s hushed vocals combining with his delicate fingerstyle guitar to create a lush, dreamlike atmosphere, like on standout ‘Reflections After Jane’. That’s not to say bassist James Hornsey and drummer Mark Keen aren’t equally important; Hornsey’s melodic bassline and Keen’s frenetic drum fills on ‘Kinksian Joseph Cornell’ show off a more playful psychedelic side to the band. Along with a hazy shot of street lamps and headlights as the album cover, this makes for perfect late night January listening.

Heaven or Las Vegas – The Cocteau Twins

The best album released by 4AD? Maybe. The title track could make the case on its own, with Elisabeth Fraser’s voice soaring triumphantly over Guthrie’s catchy lead guitar lines and Raymonde’s drum programming and swirling synths. Other tracks like the playful ‘Fotzepolitic’ and peppy ‘Iceblink Luck’ are immediate earworms, with Fraser’s descending and ascending vocal melodies sending chills down the spine with her flawless delivery over the top of the bright icy guitar tones. Although some tracks are tinged with melancholy, like ‘Fifty Fifty Clown’ and the Cure-esque closer ‘Frou-frou Foxes in Midsummer Fires’, the album as a whole is a joy to listen to, and should definitely be one you visit this January.

Rum, Sodomy and The Lash – The Pogues

Everyone knows ‘Fairytale of New York’, but this list is about forgetting the January hangover from Christmas. The Pogues’ debut Rum, Sodomy and the Lash punches you awake with the Celtic punk of ‘Sally MacLenanne’ and ‘The Sick Bed of Cuchulainn’. That’s not to dismiss the album’s more contemplative moments, like the standout ‘Rainy Night in Soho’, where Shane MacGowan ditches his snarling vocal for a more sincere croon, pouring his heart out to his partner. And we wouldn’t be a Manchester based magazine if we didn’t mention MacGowan’s ode to Salford, ‘Dirty Old Town’.

Being Funny In A Foreign Language – The 1975

There’s a case to be made that The 1975 shouldn’t make lists like this because their output is so derivative. The problem is this album is just too damn good. From the funky slap bass on ‘Happiness’ to the pure pop simplicity of ‘I’m In Love With You’, the band pull no punches in displaying their mastery of catchy songwriting. And there’s even room for experimentation! ‘Part Of The Band’s’ percussive string section recalls the brilliance of Kate Bush’s ‘Hounds of Love’, but with a tinge of Berlin-era Bowie in its stream of consciousness lyrical style, creating a unique song that still feels mainstream in its execution. The closer ‘When We Are Together’ is also one of the most relatable songs Matty Healy has written, the folk-rock instrumentation and confessional tone only serving to shatter the heart even more on repeated listens.  The most accessible collection of songs The 1975 have released, this album will definitely put a spring in your step this January.