My Album of the Year 2025: Brian Bilston and The Catenary Wires - Sounds Made by Humans

Of course I knew The Catenary Wires (the ever prolific duo of Amelia Fletcher & Rob Pursey), but had no idea who poet Brian Bilston was when this collaboration was announced.  Well now I do, and I love him too!  The three came together to create "Sounds Made by Humans", a collection of song poems that has won the most prestigious title of the 16h "Ooberus Oblivious Album of the Year"!!

When it was announced, I had a feeling I was going to quite enjoy the album. I used to write a lot of poetry years ago; performed in a couple poetry slams and even won one! And what are your standard song lyrics but poetry w/ a chorus! There's plenty to relate to on this album as well, as a middle-aged human. Tons that makes me chuckle and a few moments of deep emotion.

Favorite tracks include opener & lead single "Alexa, What Is There to Know About Love?" featuring AI's answers to a few of life's most philosophical questions. The jangly pop perfection of "Might Have, Might Not Have". My favorite track "To Do List", with it's most infectious doo-doo-doo chorus lead-up makes me wiggle with joy every time! "Compilation Cassette", the extremely relatable tale for any music lover who has labored so much over the perfect compilation of tunes only to never know how the receiving party felt about, or if they even listened to, your labor of love! "31 Rules of Midlife Rebellion" is a song about lists that tell you not to listen to songs about lists, but there are quite a few great rules to follow like "ignoring your Fitbit" and "listen to the radio while eating TV dinners" and especially "never wear Ramones t-shirts"! Love it! "She'd Dance" is an absolute stunner of a track, bringing a bit of melancholy to the mix.

 
The Catenary Wires are the perfect backing band for such a project. Their music and melodies blend seamlessly with Bilston's poems and each lift the other to greatness. I'm hoping there may be more collaborating between these folks in the future! And even if they don't, we'll always have this album to cherish.