Song Smart

Dan and Jonathan are back with an entirely new format, armed to the teeth with some of their favourite songs of all time! Listen along to the tracks ( Song Smart Ep #35: The Best Songs... Ever? - playlist by Song Smart | Spotify ) and discover: why does Jonathan consider 'The Roof (Back In Time)' to be one of the best songs ever written from a lyrical perspective? What is it about Anaïs Mi...

It's finally happening - ! Join Joe on an investigation into Dan's relatively recent (and still developing) love of jazz. How did Dan navigate the labyrinthine world of jazz when he was first starting to explore it in earnest? What impact did World War II have on the history of jazz? Why is it that the titans of jazz played with so many different bands over the years? Whether you don't...

The guys are finally back together and ready to weigh up the assorted values and demerits of musical reviews. What extra information does Jonathan think Metacritic scores can reveal about an artist's career? Why does Dan not consider reaction videos to be a form of review? Are negative reviews ever worth perusing? Ease back into Song Smart with us as we try and decide whether or not reviews ar...

Finally, a short episode - ! This is just a quick update to let you know that we'll be back proper from next week, June 10th.

The Song Smart Awards are back! Join Dan, Joe and Jonathan as they shine a light on some of their top picks from 2025 in categories including 'Best Song', 'Best Album / EP' and 'The New Horizons Prize'. Whose song of the year connects them with their inner child? What gives the edge to Jonathan's pick for best album in a year with such stiff competition? Why is Joe gene...

One man, 13 chart-toppers and no holds barred! Hang out with Jonathan as he sifts through the tracks which went to #1 in the UK this year and decides which of them - if any - are worth getting excited about. Why is he surprised that Kendrick Lamar's 'Not Like Us' managed to top the singles chart? Which two established British pop traditions does he think Lola Young exists somewhere bet...

Dan earns his Santa's helper stripes by getting Scrooge and The Grinch - Joe and Jonathan - to share their feelings towards Christmas music and music at Christmas. How is it that all 3 of us consider 'Driving Home For Christmas' a classic? Who fondly remembers growing up attending carol concerts by the local primarily euphonium (citation needed) brass band? What was Dan's starring...

Card-carrying pop punk lovers Alex and Dan relive the genre's golden era (by their own reckoning circa 1994 - 2009), from Green Day and blink-182 to Sum 41, Avril Lavigne and beyond! Which artists does Alex use as the benchmarks on his 'is it just pop? is it just punk?' spectrum? Why does Dan think the genre felt a little past its prime by the end of the noughties? What important disco...

Join Jonathan as he goes head-to-head with the latest album from the behemoth of pop music herself, Taylor Swift. Which latent theme does Jonathan think critics and fans alike have overlooked? To whom does he think 'Eldest Daughter' is addressed? Why does he have such a problem with tracks 7 to 10? If you're after a review which tunes out the background noise surrounding Taylor Swift a...

To celebrate one year of Song Smart officially launching the gang sit down and talk over the project so far, from the fantastic to the fumbled. Which early episodes were left on the cutting room floor? How did the podcast end up with its squawking seagull logo? What have the guys learnt about themselves through a year of listening back to their own musings? Grab a slice of cake and join us as we c...

Join Alex and Jonathan on a side quest through the fascinating world of music in video games. Which extra considerations need to be made for music in games compared to music in films? How do extreme sports games use music to enhance the atmospheres they are creating? What is it about retro video games' soundtracks that the guys speculate shields them from becoming annoying, even when they'...

Alex introduces the gang to not only his album of the year but one of his all-time favourite albums... ever! What does Alex mean when he says he finds silence in music heavy? How does Jonathan think the album's structure aids in developing and conveying its core themes? Which of the record's guitar parts does Dan find most fun? Join us and bask in the warmth of Alex's admiration for th...

Stop us if you've heard this one before...! Joe leads the gang in a discussion centred around covers while Dan has his co-hosts guess which tracks he grew up not realising were cover versions. How does additional context enhance No Doubt's take on 'It's My Life'? Is it even worth an artist covering something as iconic as 'We Will Rock You'? Did Dan really think 'Sin...

The (silver) tongues are out for another game night! Play along as Alex, Dan and Jonathan try to guess the correct endings to lyrics while also attempting to sell their own fake offerings as the real deal. Can Dan reclaim his crown as game episode champion? Will Alex's theory of the best option usually being the correct one take him to victory? Does Jonathan have too much faith in anaphora? Li...

Alex, Dan and Joe earn their 'biggest gigger' credentials by talking over the many-splendoured world of festivals, shows and tours. What does Dan love about folk gigs in particular? Which aspect of recently seeing Motionless In White live really impressed Alex? How important does Joe find show bill construction? From the methodologies of artists forging a connection with their audiences to...

This time Alex leads the charge and introduces Dan, Joe and Jonathan to the synth-heavy, industrial world of Aesthetic Perfection in those all-important 10 tracks. Give Alex's picks a spin ( Song Smart Ep #21: Aesthetic Perfection In 10 - playlist by Song Smart | Spotify ) and contemplate with us whether industrial pop is inherently something of a paradox, the ways in which Aesthetic Perfectio...

Join Alex, Dan and Jonathan as they light the candles and burn the incense for a soothing round of musical therapy - that is, a discussion all about the ways in which music and emotion interact. Is the main purpose of music to engender an emotional response? What exactly does 'emotional tourism' mean in a musical context? Which childhood memory does Jonathan still associate with 'Happy...

Alex, Dan and Jonathan ponder the occasionally apocalyptic undertones of Miley Cyrus's new album Something Beautiful . Why does Jonathan think there's tension beneath the album's hooky, fuzzy soundscape? Which track is Alex's clear, unexpected standout? What is it about 'End Of The World' which divides opinion within the group? Join us as we put another of this year's big name pop releases under t...

Alex and Joe pool their resources to assess the world of heavy music as it currently stands. Why does Alex think nu metal bands like Korn have enjoyed such a resurgence in the last year or so? What are Deafheaven doing which keeps Joe so excited and engaged as a listener? How does Joe measure whether an act is ready to headline a festival? From Sleep Token to Calva Louise and Spiritbox to Electric...

As the weather heats up the guys let off some steam by sharing a few of their musical hot takes with each other. Who thinks sound design > rhythm > melody? Which modern modifications does Dan think classical music is overdue embracing? Why does Jonathan think success is the worst thing to happen to Adele? Join the gang for a good-natured exorcism of some very particular musical opinions! (Re...

The gang tackle one of life (or at least this podcast)'s great mysteries: does genre really matter? How does Alex think genres are similar to Italian food? Could Dan fairly be accused of gatekeeping the emo playlist at his climbing gym? Is pop even a genre? Discover the answers on our journey through one of our most labyrinthine prompts yet! (Recorded February 2025.)

It's Dan's turn to take the plunge and introduce Alex, Joe and Jonathan to an artist whose discography he adores - this time Scottish star Hamish Hawk - in just 10 tracks. Listen along to Dan's picks ( Song Smart Ep #15: Hamish Hawk In 10 - playlist by Song Smart | Spotify ) and join us as we discuss how Hamish Hawk's lyrics serve as his own mission statement, the progression in st...

... you all saw this coming, right? In the wake of their 'Beginner's Guide' the gang come together again to discuss Lady Gaga's new album MAYHEM. How does the album's visual direction complement its core themes? Why does Jonathan love 'Vanish Into You' so much? Has anyone softened on their feelings towards 'Die With A Smile'? From the magic of Gesaffelstein'...

Dan shares one of his favourite albums with fellow folk enthusiast Joe (who yes, already knows it) and Jonathan (who most certainly doesn't). How did Johnny Flynn's sound mark him out from his contemporaries on the nu-folk scene? What does Dan love so much about 'The Wrote & The Writ'? Has Jonathan uncovered a dark secret within the dense lyrics of 'Sally'? Roll around...

The guys put their heads together to see if they can agree on any essential quality a theoretical perfect album must contain. To what extent should an album's length be tailored to its soundscape and energy level? Which factors do the gang feel anchor an album most coherently as a unit? Just how long is a piece of fish? Alas, not every question has an answer but that won't stop us from try...