It’s the absolute heft of Diamond Jubilee I love. If it was shorter I wouldn’t love it so much, I find that the duration of it means you really do sort of sink into it, takes me out of reality for a bit. So good that it also sounds like loads of sounds I’ve been surrounded by all my life, but they’ve never quite sounded like they do here either. Feels really ‘unreal’
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AAL? I’d definitely say it’s ‘valid’ for inclusion. Very relevant to when it was released.
Haven’t listened to that record for ages, loved it at the time - all those 2020 pre lockdown records feel like their own island to me, I struggle to place them in time now. Will stick it on in the morning.
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A lot of the things my mind jumps to are 2019. Not admissible under any interpretation of the rules really, but a good reminder of the relentless passing of time. At least I’ve got أحمد [Ahmed]
(with respect)
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That’s the one. Yeah 3 years recording is fairly standard for an album, nothing to fuss over, it’s just that title. Definitely not worried about whether it’s valid or not (it is).
Shame the streaming version has lost two tracks at this point due to lack of sample clearing. Luckily have had it on MP3 since day 1 and vinyl a few years later.
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Ah bollocks, there’s a problem with my system…
My starting point was my highest rated albums from my AOTY short lists but of course that means that things I loved from that period but wasn’t aware of the year they were released are ignored.
Came to my mind yesterday when I realised Chappel Roan should feature in my longlist and doesn’t.
…goes back to drawing board when he realises Chappell Roan also somehow wasn’t on my list for exactly this reason, despite her being comfortably (given kids etc) one of if not the top most played artist in our household over this period
Edit - also nearly missed Godspeed for the different reason that they have come off Spotify and therefore weren’t in my end of year reference playlists that I use to track these things!
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Got some boring admin to blast through this week.
So far, revisiting my favourite records from 2020-2024 has been a great soundtrack.
Have put on Jeromes Dream, The Armed, Stake, Big Brave, Hannah Peel and Cerce so far, and much more to remind myself of.
Blimey, so much good music during this time! I’d almost forgot.
Probably Sumac next…
Doing some listening and think I could add L’Rain - Fatigue here. Hmm, one more and maybe I’ll actually enter.
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A couple of notes:
- Two are picks of records involving people I know.
- I put out one of these records - almost had another one in that list. Disqualified material I’d written. (It’s good, but not this top 10.)
- God’s Country was the only record I could remember being from 2022, because most of that year was a blur. The only other record from that year that could be considered was Placebo’s Never Let Me Go, and it’s pretty good, but not making this list.
- As mentioned, 2023 was stacked. Could have more from that top 25 in this list.
Soul Glo’s Diaspora Problems surely.
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Oh, that’s a good shout!
Decided on the first 9 fairly quickly. Deciding on No. 10 proving difficult.
Decided it was time to stop dithering and lock 'em in. My final list has one album from 2020, one from 2021, six (!) from 2022 and two from 2024.
Ordered by release date:
And five honourable mentions:
- The Just Joans - The Private Memoirs & Confessions of The Just Joans (2020)
- Bright Eyes - Down in the Weeds, Where the World Once Was (2020)
- The Antlers - Green to Gold (2021)
- Los Bitchos - Let the Festivities Begin! (2022)
- Sea Power - Everything Was Forever (2022)
CMAT, Young Knives and The Felice Brothers went straight into the final list with no deliberation whatsoever – I strongly recommend those three albums in particular if you’ve not heard them already.
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Could not be more behind Gang of Youths and Titus Andronicus. The massive shrug The Will to Live got on release was a crime, that album’s up there with their best
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Top Ten.
- Waxahatchee – Saint Cloud
- Phoebe Bridgers - Punisher
- Wednesday - Rat Saw God
- Big Thief - Dragon New Warm Mountain
- The Cure - Songs Of A Lost World
- Low - HEY WHAT
- MJ Lenkerman - Manning Fireworks
- Dry Cleaning - New Long Leg
- Tenci - My Heart Is An Open Field
- The Beths - EXPERT IN A DYING FIELD
Pretty standard DiS fare.
11-20
Waxahatchee - Tiger’s Blood
Wet Leg - Wet Leg
Black Country, New Road - For The First Time
Everything Everything - Raw Data Feel
Sun June - Somewhere
Mandy, Indiana - I’ve seen a way
Slowdive - everything is alive
Connections - Cool Change
Jack White - No Name
Adrianne Lenker - Bright Future
Tiger’s Blood would be in the top ten if we weren’t playing the one album per artist rule.
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Went with this as top 10. For a few close calls I went with gut feel on what I’ve got the most joy from (in different ways) and would be my ‘desert island 10’ rather than overthinking on assessment
- Waxahatchee - Saint Cloud
- Spanish Love Songs - Brave Faces Everyone
- Lucy Dacus - Home Video
- The Hold Steady - Open Door Policy
- Black Country, New Road - Ants From Up There
- Carly Rae Jepsen - The Loneliest Time
- Lanterns on the Lake - Versions of Us
- Chappell Roan - The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess
- Godspeed You! Black Emperor - No Title as of 13 February 2024…
- Los Campesinos! - All Hell
Edit - shown in year of release rather than ranked order
5 honourable mentions beyond above 10 go to:
Waxahatchee - Tigers Blood (due 1 album per artist rule!)
Self Esteem - Prioritise Pleasure
Spiritualized - Everything Was Beautiful
Public Service Broadcasting - Bright Magic
Young Fathers - Heavy Heavy
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Got a shortlist of 22 records and it’s fun to whittle it down. Definitelt appreciate the end of February deadline!
Went for the alphabetical approach with these lads:
Black Country New Road - Ants From Up There
Niamh Bury - Yellow Roses
Richard Dawson - The Ruby Cord
Doechii - Alligator Bites Never Heal
Dry Cleaning - New Long Leg
Floating Points, Pharoah Sanders, LSO - Promises
Let’s Eat Grandma - Two Ribbons
Magdalena Bay - Imaginal Disk
Miss Grit - Follow the Cyborg
Search Results - Information Blip
It could also have included…
Halsey - If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power
Soul Glo - Diaspora Problems
Chat Pile - God’s Country
Daniel Hart - The Green Knight OST
Shellac - To All Trains
John Francis Flynn - Look Over the Wall, See the Sky
Chappell Roan - The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess
…quite easily.
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Let’s go with Saturday, February 28th.
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