6. Blondshell – If You Asked for a Picture

One of my favourite artists to emerge in recent years, Sabrina Teitelbaum – aka Blondshell – has followed up her excellent self-titled debut record (#11 on this List in 2023) with an even stronger collection of indie rock songs. If You Asked for a Picture doesn’t ever quite match the very best tracks from its predecessor (there’s no ‘Salad’ here, unfortunately), but it is a considerably more consistent affair. Every track on show is excellent. Teitelbaum’s appeal for me, first and foremost, is in her knack for writing extremely catchy indie rock: this whole record now lives permanently in my head. Nothing here is wildly original musically, but If You Asked for a Picture is a perfect example of how to write deceptively simple indie songs of the highest quality. Teitelbaum’s other great skill – and where she really does carve her own path – is that she nails the lyrical content here (again, even more so than she did on her debut as Blondshell). Her words are personal yet universal, uncomplicated but unexpected, and socially conscious but never value-signalling. The result is a record of power and vulnerability, propelled by an impressive ear for a tune. More please.