A wild stab at The Darkness of 2004.

I’m not about to make any daft predictions about 2004’s next big thing. The music business is far too fickle a beast for me to start playing that kind of dangerous game. The following, though, is a collection of quality music we’ve already heard knocking about the Collective office, all of which is definitely worth looking out for over the coming months. And remember, you heard it here first.

There are debut albums next year from a number of artists you may have heard of: Twisted Nerve’s Aidan Smith delivers his first album of offbeat ditties, building on his fantastic home-recorded mini albums, which should see him disappear into the Badly Drawn stratosphere.

As well as recording a second LP for Zero 7, Sia, their marvellously sultry vocalist, releases her solo album in January, which sounds great. In the same gentle vein is the first effort from Grand Central Records’ singing gunslinger Kate Rogers, also very nice indeed, plus the Goldfrapp-like debut from Ilya.

As far as skewed pop goes, there’s the first major release from Bristol’s Chikinki, all squelchy bass and zany keyboards. Plus, Joy Zipper finally get to release their beautiful American Whip album, delayed after their label went bust back in February and now due out in March.

There’s some fantastic acoustic singer/songwriting in the form of The Isle Of Wight’s Drew, produced by those geniuses The Bees, as well as a fella called M Craft with a gorgeously laid-back mini album. These are both fantastic - expect Collective sessions.

If beats are more your bag then there’s the new DJ Shadow, in the form of Ninja Tune’s Blockhead. It’s Four Tet-esque cutting and pasting at its best. Also in the chilled hip-hop groove is the first LP from Grand Central’s Dual Control, plus The Go! Team’s debut promises to be good, on the reliable Memphis Industries label.

And what about rock, hmm? Well - apart from Ludes, The Duke Spirit and 22-20s (see our mini features below) - there’s The Stills, the latest art-punk to come out of New York; Easternlane, possibly the only rock’n’roll to come out of Berwick-Upon-Tweed; and blues rock from Yorkshire’s The Blueskins. Brighton’s rock instrumental chicks Electralane also release an album produced by the great Steve Albini.

My, what a lot there is to look forward to. And on a general note I reckon blues-ridden, bloated prog rock is definitely going to be the sound of 2004. Damn. I said I wasn’t going to make any silly predictions… Matt Walton 12 December 03