UKNY for December 26
Little Simz's Sometimes I Might Be Introvert album cover
On this Boxing Day night and start of Kwanzaa, unpacking some of my picks for the best albums and songs of the year, ahead of FUV's own "Best of 2021: Listener Poll Countdown" on New Year's Eve. There have been so many good releases this year, especially two exhilarating, career-defining albums: Little Simz's Sometimes I Might Be Introvert, the fourth release from London's Simbiatu Ajikawo, and Self Esteem's Prioritise Pleasure, the second solo release from Rebecca Lucy Taylor, formerly of Slow Club. Both are gutsy, ferocious, witty and wise albums that lay out — in no uncertain terms — a woman's manifesto of self-reliance and redefinition.
Also in the mix are Sofia Kourtesis, the Peruvian-born, Berlin-based producer who released a brilliant EP of grief and light, Fresia Magdalena, and Nala Sinephro, the London-based, Carribean-Belgian composer and harpist who quietly dropped one of the most gorgeous debuts of the year, Space 1.8. The same can be said for New York's Cassandra Jenkins, who stepped into a solo journey with her second album, An Overview on Phenomenal Nature, after the tragic loss of her friend and Purple Mountains bandmate, David Berman.
Northern Irish-Dutch duo Fräulein and Chicago teen trio Horsegirl are two of my discoveries of the year, as is the exhilarating debut mixtape from Priya Ragu too, called damnshestamil.
Much more to get to on tonight's "UKNY," Sundays 11 p.m.-midnight, on 90.7, streaming online, and available in the Weekend Archives after broadcast.
Songs played:
1. Self Esteem, “The 345,” Priortise Pleasure
2. Dry Cleaning, “Leafy,” New Long Leg
3. Little Simz feat. Cleo Sol, “Woman,” Sometimes I Might Be Introvert
4. Little Simz, “Protect My Energy,” Sometimes I Might Be Introvert
5. (Seoul, KR) 박혜진Park Hye Jin “Let’s Sing Let’s Dance,” Before I Die
6. (Zürich, CH) Priya Ragu, “Chicken Lemon Rice,” damnshestamil
7. (Lima, PE-Berlin, DE) Sofia Kourtesis, “La Perla,” Fresia Magdelena EP
8. (New York, US) Cassandra Jenkins, “Hard Drive,” An Overview on Phenomenal Nature
9. Black Country, New Road, “Track X,” for the first time
10. (UK-NL) Fräulein, “Pretty People,” single
11. (BE-MQ-UK) Nala Sinephro, “Space 5,” Space 1.8
12. (Chicago, US) Horsegirl, “Sea Life Sandwich Boy,” single
13. Bleach Lab, “Real Thing,” Nothing Feels Real EP
