I always enjoy the replies to this thread as picking just one record and it not necessarily being the best album or your favourite album of the year, but one that you feel deserves a little more attention.
I’m gonna go for forgive too slow by Julia-Sophie. It has a woozy euphoria. Reminds me a little of Cassandra Jenkins but with M83 in its veins.
I wrote more about it in a recent DiS newsletter
Niamh Bury - Yellow Roses
Excellent avant-folk pop debut album with guest vocals from Roy Montgomery and Claire Rousay. It’s really great and should be right up dis’s street
Chappell Roan is rightly finally getting all the attention she so rightly deserves, but it’s overshadowing what, in any other year, feels like it’d be a massive breakout pop smash, Remi Wolf’s Big Ideas
I recognised her name from being on track on the first Squid album but only learned the other day that she’s the female backing vocalist that pops up on a few tracks on Nick Cave’s Push the Sky Away as well. Surprising she’s only releasinga debut now. Must check it out.
Been on repeat these past few weeks
I don’t know, but until we get it sorted, I’d better not see any albums of the year lists!
Until this year’s Glastonbury lineup had her pretty low down I thought she was like Mitski levels of popular. It felt like Photo Id was everywhere during lockdown
Really good jazz rap by an actual jazz musician. I know that’s not a prerequisite for a good jazz rap album, but you can tell there’s a real love of both genres and it bleeds into the music. Can’t recommend it enough.
Gloomy looping post-punk/hardcore with various vocals
overlooked Danish noisy dream pop with an epic YLT style drone jam as the final track
FFO Alvvays
Faux Real: “Faux Ever”.
World’s best live act.
“Svart Records is proud to release the debut album, I, from Haunted Plasma, a powerhouse of futuristic synth in symbiosis with the super violent atmospherics of kosmische Black Metal. Haunted Plasma is “man meets machine” in a cybernetic wasteland, set to a conceptual backdrop of William Gibson and Phillip K. Dick style mind-melt. The highly evolved creatives at the heart of Haunted Plasma’s sound, cite Terry Riley, Massive Attack, a contemporary take on Krautrock hypnosis, psychedelic Black Metal and 90s Techno, resulting in an orgy of mutant sound.”
I was gonna suggest that (probably from your recommendation!) strong contender for AOTY for me
Naemi: Dust Devil
Pretty much the apex of that ambient, trip-hoppy thing that’s been (slowly) gathering pace the past few years. Some real songs, a lot of noodling, but got a real crack in amongst the drift. Such a timely, unique piece of work. Features Perila, Huerco. S, Ulla, Erika De Casier amongst others.
Confidence Man
The new Jabu has really taken over my life this week. Super spacey.
Shout out to Meropa too for divebombing my end of year Top 5.
Great album! On a similar tip I’d recommend that Milan W. album too.