It’s been a extraordinarily good year for new music as far as I’m concerned. I’ll post my songs of the year shortly. In the meantime, here are some pre-list lists. You can never have too many lists.
Album of the Year
Islet: Illuminated People
From the Six-Million Dollar Man sound effects which mark the opening of this album to the Russian-style chorus which ends it, ‘Illuminated People’ fizzes with so much musical and lyrical invention that it’s never less than exhilarating despite the repeated plays I’ve put it through already this year.
But although it’s uncompromising in its experimenting, this isn’t one of those art-rock albums which focus on the art and forget the rock: there are some fantastic tunes amidst the eccentricity and artistry.
- Sharon Van Etten: Tramp
- Soulsavers: The Light the Dead See
- Sinead O’Connor: How About I Be Me (And You Be You?)
- Richard Hawley: Standing at the Sky’s Edge
- Beth Jeans Hougthon: Yours Truly Cellophane Nose
- Leonard Cohen: Old Ideas
- Cate Le Bon: Cyrk
- Mark Lanegan Band: Blues Funeral
- David Byrne and St. Vincent: Love This Giant
- Beach House: Bloom
- Cian Ciaran: Outside In
- Cloud Nothings: Attack on Memory
- Bat for Lashes: The Haunted Man
- Golden Fable: Star Map
- Marthas and Arthurs: The Hit World of Marthas and Arthurs
- Patti Smith: Banga
- Richard James: Pictures in the Morning
- Cowboy Junkies - Wilderness
EPs
It was a good year for EPs too, digital vinyl and cassette (honestly)
Georgia Ruth - Luna
Free Swim - Dennis
Dum Dum Girls - End of Daze
Cate Le Bon - Cyrk II
The Son (s) - Leviathan
Albums I missed last year
EMA - Past Life Martyred Saints
Butcher Boy - Helping Hands
Cowboy Junkies - Sing in My Meadow
Cowboy Junkies - Remin Park
Anna Calvi - Anna Calvi
Albums I should have owned long before this year
Gene Clark - No Other
X-Ray Spex - Germ Free Adolescents
Katell Keineg - At The Mermaid Parade
New Pornographers - Together
Fairport Convention - What We Did On Our Holidays
