(in no particular order except the first one:)
- PJ Harvey – Let England Shake
Drawing on English folk traditions, and folk traditions from around the world, to tell stories of the horrors of war inspired by actual accounts from WWI amongst other sources. The stark contrast of the descriptions in the lyrics with the jaunty sing-along folk songs. As always, the instrumentation is tightly focused, and far more sparse than the overall sound would make you think. PJ Harvey has a mastery of using a small few musical elements to make a big sound and a big impression. Some of her best vocal melodies ever are on this record. It’s not preachy or dogmatic, it just describes the reality of war. Even the opening bugle call in “This Glorious Land” reflects this – as it blows away clashing completely with the music that opens the song, representing how war cares not for the common folk, but barrels ahead resolutely singleminded in purpose. A simple idea, a brilliant execution. It pulls me out of the song every single time – as does the jolly sing-along chorus mentioning “deformed children”.Listen to: This Glorious Land ; In Dark Places ; The Words That Maketh Murder
- Björk – Biophilia
Being exposed to this album initially through one of the live gigs in Manchester was a great way to hear this music first, and I think I prefer the live disc with recordings from those gigs, but the songs are wonderful. I love how she’s stretched her compositional techniques further again (generative music in Virus, for example!), alongside her continuing exploration of timbre and dissonant harmonies. The more she leans on the influence of 20th Century & contemporary classical the more thrilling I find some of her composing. I love her pop songs too, but I do love Arty-Björk a lot as she is always willing to stick to her own musical path and explore musical territory that is new for her, and often brings some aspects of contemporary art music or world music to a much wider audience.Listen to: Crystalline ; Virus ; Moon
- Lisa Hannigan – Passenger
Her second solo album is a treat. I was a bit nervous about how it would compare with the stunning debut “Sea Sew”, but it’s really a gorgeous indie folk record and although her vocals can sell any song, the songwriting holds up wonderfully too. Indeed, her two solo records hold their own against the two records from Damien Rice which established her career as a singer. Her music smiles though, whereas his frowns. The recurring theme of journeys and travel is loose enough to not be a BIG IMPORTANT CONCEPT, but close enough to really hold the collection of songs together rather well.Listen to: Knots ; Passenger ; What’ll I Do
- Henrietta Game – Black Ship
[Listen to it on Soundcloud]
Guitar, cello, violin, percussion, four very different voices. A beautiful indie-folk sound. Such a gorgeous record to listen to. Some of the most beautiful melodies, wonderful harmonies and vocal arrangements, with the accompanying string parts adding so much to the sound. The textures they build up are something else – I’m a sucker for counter-melodies and vocal layers, and beautiful string parts, and this record has all of those in spaces.Listen to: Last Thing ; Berlin ; Black Ship
- The Roots – Undun
It closes with a four part suite based on Sufjan’s “Redford (For Yia-Yia & Pappou)”, which is also the first part of the suite, which they take as a starting point, and then develop over the next three tracks / movements. It’s left short enough to not become an utter wankfest at the end of the record, but is a wonderful close to the album. The instrumentation is beautifully varied throughout, and the vocals are really gorgeous. Though I hate describing something as ‘timeless’ there is that sense to the production on this record. There’s a simplicity to the combination of textures and timbres, just letting the disparate elements speak for themselves without muddying the sound too much, or going for something huge just because. The ability to use just a small bunch of elements to make something seem quite rich and full is something that features a lot in some of my favourite records I’ve realised, as both Kate Bush and PJ Harvey use the same idea quite masterfully.Listen to: Make My ; Sleep ; I Remember
- Thea Gilmore & Sandy Denny – Don’t Stop Singing
Words by Sandy Denny that were put to music by Thea Gilmore, and it’s a wonderful combination. One of the loveliest folk albums I heard this year, and Thea’s vocals and melodies have never been stronger. She’s a songwriter who seems to be only hitting her stride these past few years, despite releasing her debut record back in 1998.Listen to: Frozen Time ; Goodnight ; London
- Sarah Slean – Land & Sea
This double album works rather well for me in some ways – I love the conceit of having a disc of pop songs, and a disc of piano & strings accompanied songs. The string arrangements are really stunning stuff, and the album has some of her strongest songs in a while. But Sea really is the standout of the two – gorgeous approach to a chamber group of strings with piano and voice. Get Shirley Bassey to sing Napoleon and it could be a Bond Theme. (I’m only half kidding…) But, really, that Sea disc is a thing of sheer beauty and the songwriting on that disc is really strong. That’s not to say that Land is a dud – there’s some great piano pop songs on there, but some of the lyrics are a bit cringy to my ears, but perhaps that’s in comparison with the wonderful second disc.Listen to: Amen ; You’re Not Alone ; Napoleon
- Cliff Martinez & Various Artists – Drive (Original Soundtrack Album)
A friend put this on both times when I was over for dinner recently, and I was hooked. I’ve still not seen the movie, but this soundtrack is wonderful. Very 80’s synths but wonderfully minimal soundtrack from Cliff Martinez, along with some other similar tracks that wouldn’t sound out of place in a Tron movie. I keep putting it on while I’m working away at the computer. It will win you over.Listen to: Cliff Martinez – After The Chase ; The Chromatics – Tick Of The Clock ; Kavinsky & Lovefoxxx – Nightcall
- Kate Bush – 50 Words For Snow
Serenely beautiful, wry humour, loose open textures, and a willingness to let space invade the music and letting the silence between the notes speak so much. It teeters on the edge of being “jazzy background music” at times, which threw me a little initially, but it really is a gorgeous album. It is sort of a flip-side to Aerial’s “A Sky Of Honey” or “the ninth wave” half of Hounds Of Love, in that there’s an overall trajectory to the album sequencing that makes sense on a large scale. True, you’ve three slower tracks to settle you before Wild Man shakes up the tempo a tiny bit, but the peak is really with the title track, and then a tapering off with Among Angels. Aerial’s second disc just built up to that Flamenco part of Sunset, then held a tension up to the peak of Nocturn, and the joyous finish with the title track. I find I enjoy the record more as a complete work than as individual songs in some cases, but then it’s still rather fresh, and if there’s one thing I’ll always allow for a Kate Bush album, it’s time to further unveil itself to me, as I’m still finding new elements of her older work that I love.Listen to: Snowflake ; Wild Man ; Lake Tahoe.
- Patrick Wolf – Lupercalia
The happy pop songs on this record sound like summertime. Even the slower ballads shimmer like sunlight. In many ways it is the complete counter to The Bachelor, but a wonderful companion to that record.Listen to: Time Of My Life ; The City ; The Day
- Beirut – The Rip Tide
More wonderful Boho-Folk, yet more like a classic pop album, but played with the sort of instrumentation we’ve come to expect from Beirut. I think it’s the combination of the instrumentation and Zach’s vocals that win me over instantly to Beirut’s sound. It’s a very definite, distinct combination. That brass sound is pretty huge and dominant on this record too, which I totally love. He has a wonderful grasp of short melodic phrases that he uses to construct his songs. Like little melodic loops that draw you in and beguile you. The rhythmic interplay between these melodies gives so much life and movement to what are otherwise quite mid-tempo songs.Listen to: Port Of Call ; East Harlem ; A Candle’s Fire
- The Ambience Affair – Burials
[Listen to it on Bandcamp]
There’s a lot of tension and builds in this album, but it just makes the release even more enjoyable. Lots of layers of looped guitars and the like, taking the folk rooted songwriting to a bigger rock sound by way of minimalism composing structures.Listen to: The Fallen ; Fragile Things ; Weeds
- Montmorensy – Writ in Water
[listen to some of it on Soundcloud]
I’ll fully admit that I love some of the non-album tracks on his Soundcloud more than the tracks on the album, but I really enjoy his sound which he dubs “Symphonic Theatrical Pop” and is quite an apt title really. I like his sense of humour lyrically, and the piano and orchestral arrangements are really quite gorgeous. He manages to be tender and emotional one minute, and utterly whimsical and humorous the next, without either coming across as false. One of the non album tracks has grown to be one of my favourite songs this year. I kinda want him to write a musical, as his style really draws on musical theatre quite a bit.Listen to: Writ In Water ; Runaway Star ; The Goldfish Song
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Cosmo Jarvis – Is The World Strange Or Am I Strange?
The album holds its own against the opening track which was such a popular track when that video surfaced on youtube. I checked out the album because I liked that song, and he’s really fit, and I was pleasantly surprised.Listen to: Gay Pirates ; Sure As Hell Not Jesus ; She Doesn’t Mind
- Kate Bush – Director’s Cut
I quite like some of the reworkings – some are definite improvements, and some are wonderful alternate “live” versions. It was really fascinating listening to this before going into studio myself, as I was able to listen and compare different studio versions of the same songs, and see why I think one was stronger than the other. An interesting look into the art of recording songs, and how differently songs can be presented by the same artist in a studio environment.Listen to: The Red Shoes ; Lily ; Song Of Solomon
- Tori Amos – Night Of Hunters
Reworking classical pieces? Interesting, and mostly successful. Song Cycle inspired by Irish mythology? Eh, less of that. The instrumental version of the album is stronger than the released version in some ways, as at least it can stand alone as a composer reworking melodies from other composers, and Shenale’s masterful arrangements really give the whole project so much more musical interest. Very often I can enjoy music completely oblivious to the lyrics, but at times the vocals pull me out of the parts of this record I enjoy most – the piano and the chamber arrangements. Some of the songs recall some of the greatness of her earlier works – the dual vocals in Edge Of The Moon, the wonderful dramatic opener of Shattering Sea. But some feel like missteps, and leaning too much into the lyrical concept than letting the music lead the way, and it feels like the vocals are slathered over the more interesting music happening underneath and around them. The simple beauty of Seven Sisters, and the stunning instrumental section of Star Whisperer show how much stronger it can be to let the music breath and have more impact with the vocals when they are present as a result.Listen to: Seven Sisters ; The Edge Of The Moon ; Star Whisperer
- Childish Gambino – Camp
I’ll totally admit that I checked out this album because I fancy the arse off Donald Glover, and I love his work on Community and wanted to see how he fared as a music act too. But, you know, I really enjoyed the record a lot more than I thought I would.Listen to: Outside ; Kids (keep up) ; Bonfire
