Enjoyed quite a few this year, but these are my top 5 as of this moment right now…
Mogwai - As The Love Continues
Arab Strap - As Days Get Dark
Jane Weaver - Flock
Wolf Alice - Blue Weekend
Vennart - In The Dead, Dead Wood (not sure if last year or this, but the physical version came out this year, so I’m counting it)
Bubbling under: Dry Cleaning, For Those I Love, The Antlers, Genesis Owusu, Black Country New Road, Warrington-Runcorn New Town Development Plan, The Besnard Lakes.
There’s still a plan for a mid year poll but I always find these freewheeling threads interesting.
Olivia Rodrigo - SOUR
The Anchoress - The Art of Losing
Max Richter - VOICES part 2
Cassandra Jenkins – An Overview on Phenomenal Nature
Hayley Williams - Flowers for Vases / descansos
Surprised not to see more mentions of The Anchoress and Max Richter - obviously bias as I work for both of them. But also wouldn’t be working with them if I wasn’t such a fan.
Been loving the Hannah Peel album and enjoying the Gazelle Twin and Dry Cleaning albums too but rarely find the right mood to put ‘em on. Enjoyed the Elori Saxl album that I discovered from here - ambient with lots of warm updrafts.
Need to spend more time with newies from Sufjan, worriedaboutsatan, Dustin O’Halloran…
Interesting to compare the above with best reviewed records of the year so far
Can’t pick a top 5 at the moment as they’re it’s still changing all the time. The ones that stood out so far though are…
Armand Hammer - Haram
Madlib - Sound Ancestors
Godspeed You! Black Emperor - G_d’s Pee AT STATE’S END!
Flying Lotus - Yasuke
R.A.P. Ferriera - Bob’s Son
Mach-Hommy - Pray For Haiti
Sons of Kemet - Black to the Future
black Midi - Cavalcade
Adrian Younge - The American Negro
Greentea Peng - MAN MADE
I haven’t loved a lot so far this year, but I think these 5 are exceptional:
Cassandra Jenkins - An Overview On Phenomenal Nature
Divide/Dissolve - Gas Lit
Big|Brave - Vital
Mogwai - As The Love Continues
Japanese Breakfast - Jubilee
Honourable mentions to Dvne, GY!BE, Alfa Mist, Adrian Younge and Esther Rose.
Casandra Jenkins - An Overview On Phenomenal Nature
Dry Cleaning - New Long Leg
R.A.P Ferriera - Bob’s Son
Floating Points & Pharaoh Sanders - Promises
Arooj Aftab - Vulture Prince
With the Mogwai, Alan Vega, Cheekface, Fucked Up, Big Brave, Armand Hammer, Japanese Breakfast and Satomimagae records all bubbling under.