A lot’s changed in ten years in some spheres. And I don’t think I’m being too controversial when I say, not all of it for the better.
Donald Trump has become president. Twice. Had you spotted that? Boris never did find his comb and Liz Truss was outlasted by a lettuce. There was a pandemic, but fortunately all those years of careful planning by governments round the world really paid off and assiduously prepared lockdown plans were implemented with the minimum of fuss. It’s reassuring to see how those same governments are skilfully handling the climate crisis. Any day now someone will unearth a benefit of Brexit.
But Australia, the UK and Canada tacked left a bit, which was nice.
And England started playing entertaining cricket which has got up the nose of the traditionalists. Most significantly, Coventry City (unlike Wrexham, not funded by Hollywood) have hauled themselves up from the slough of despond to a series of playoffs and FA Cup semifinals.
If there’s been one boom industry it’s in podcasts. I’ve probably mentioned this before, but when we started Sombrero Fallout in 2017 there were 100,000 of them. Now there are 7 million. At least. I don’t generally regard myself as an early adopter of technology but on this occasion I was in on the ground floor. Well, maybe the second floor.
So, politics and podcasts: unrecognisable landscapes. I did wonder if the music of ten years ago might feel as different – or any different. A 1974 episode would sound strange indeed to a listener from ten years before. Glamrock, Kraftwerk, Bowie, dub reggae, art rock. But honestly, I don’t think anyone would bat an eyelid if all these tracks had come out this year. Or twenty years ago for that matter.
Great songs, mind you. A mix of stalwarts and, as we always aim for where possible, debutants. Perhaps most intriguing is trying to spot who’d still be around ten years on. A shame that the effervescence of Transmitters by Sauna Youth was never replicated. We haven’t heard too much more from Manhattan Love Suicides, Personal Best or Preoccupations either (or have we? Sometimes I check these bands out and they’ve got 100 million listeners.)
Every year’s a good year in its own special way, and 2015 was no exception. Just don’t expect it to sound any different from 2025.
