2020 In New Music Part 3

 Cabane - Grande Est La Maison  (Cabane Records) 

A delicate but ornate and touching suite of dreamlike folk music, richly adorned with arrangements from Sean O'Hagan and featuring vocal contributions from Will Oldham and Kate Stables. It's particularly interesting to hear Oldham in this context. 

Caitlin Pasko - Greenhouse (Whatever's Clever) 

A minimal, but striking and intimate song cycle focused on Pasko's haunting vocals and piano and synthesiser. 

Caleb Dolister - Daily Thumbprint Collection 3: The Wandering (Orenda) 

An imaginative, vivid and thrilling instrumental set from the drummer and composer. The Wandering unites rock and jazz, cinematic compositions and excoriating exposition, all based around some very heavy grooves. 

Califone - Echo Mine (Jealous Butcher) 

Although not marketed as a new Califone album per se, this score to a Robyn Williams dance project has enough melodic, song based material to stand alone (Romans and Snow Angel), and also focuses effectively on the depth of Califone's arrangements - particularly with percussion and rhythm. They remain one of the most under-valued of bands. 

Call Super - Every Mouth Teeth Missing (Incienso) 

More head music than club music - this is an electronic album of ruffled textures and quizzical interjections. 

Caribou - Suddenly (City Slang) 

Sun-kissed and serene dream pop subject to occasional bouts of unexpected turbulence. 

Carla Bley - Life Goes On (ECM)

A stately, melodic and economical work from Bley's trio with Andy Sheppard and Steve Swallow. 

Carlos Nino & Miguel Atwood-Ferguson - Chicago Waves (International Anthem) 

The occasional audience cough betrays that this is a live recording - but one that features more layering and detail that one might expect from a duo performance. It also has a reflective quality that has been remarkably comforting this year. 

Cassowary - Cassowary (Fat Possum) 

Another of the year's finest debuts, this jazz, gospel and R&B inflected synthesis succeeds in being both pristine and riveting. 

Cath Roberts & Dee Byrne - DISEMBARK! (Luminous) 

An excellent duo saxophone set (with Roberts on baritone and Byrne on alto) that explores not only the depth and range of the instrument, but also the possibilities within a duo setting. This is also improvised music with a sense of fun and play. 

Catherine Anne Davies and Bernard Butler - In Memory Of My Feelings (Needle Mythology) 

A wide ranging collaboration between the guitarist and producer and the singer, songwriter and novelist (who usually records under the name The Anchoress). There are rock-ish tracks that allow for something close to the signature Suede guitar sound to cut through - but also more atmospheric mood pieces and moments of grandiosity too. 

Cclcng - Niagara Falls (Quantum Natives) 

Connor Kirby-Long released an enduring and brilliant album called 'Handwriting' under the alias of Khonnor in 2004. He released an assortment of singles and EPs under various names before disappearing for some time. Now returning, having really been through the wringer in his life, this new project is very different (more electronic, more unsettling, turbulent and unpredictable) but no less scintillating. There are also some other collections of his newer music on Bandcamp. 

Chicago Underground Quartet - Good Days (Monofonus Press/Astral Spirits) 

Chicago continues to be one of the most significant musical cities in the world, and the jazz-ish scene that surrounds Tortoise produced some of the most inspired and memorable music of the year (see also albums from Jeff Parker and Rob Mazurek's Exploding Star Orchestra). Nineteen years since the previous CUQ recording (Rob Mazurek and Chad Taylor continued to work as a duo), we apparently have Chris Schlarb of Psychic Temple to thank for this album's genesis. It's a freewheeling and joyous work, with vibrant exploration alongside refracted funk and more textural approaches. 

Childish Gambino - 3.15.20 (Sony) 

A rather confounding and disorientating album, in spite of its production to appear as a coherent and continuous suite - and yet isn't this exactly what Donald Glover's music has always been about? 

Chouk Bwa & The Angstromers - Vodou Ale (Bongo Joe) 

A wondrous collaboration between Haitian six piece Chouk Bwa and a Belgian production duo. The meeting of electronics and musical traditions feels very sympathetic and, at times, symbiotic. 

Chris Abrahams - Appearance (Room40) 

Chris Abrahams' solo piano work continues to be more languid and peaceful than the greater intensity of The Necks - getting lost within it is tremendously satisfying. 

Chris Stapleton - Starting Over (Sound/Universal) 

A gritty, honest and powerful country set, veering between tender songwriting and more biting, bluesy electric material. 

Chris Forsyth with Garcia Peoples - Peoples Motel Band (Bandcamp) 

A very welcome live recording of this incendiary, stirring collaboration, with plenty of stretching out on the epic take on Dreaming In The Non-Dream. 

Chris Forsyth, Dave Harrington, Ryan Jewell, Spencer Zahn - First Flight (Algortithm Free) 

A transcendent improvised set from this dream team of an ensemble, exploring a range of textures and righteous grooves. Harrington's absorbing sonics work really well with Forsyth's expansive gestures. 

Chris Montague - Warmer Than Blood (Whirlwind Recordings) 

Although featuring both guitarist Montague and pianist/keyboardist Kit Downes (alongside the excellent electric bassist Ruth Goller), Montague's work here is very different from Troyka. This is thoughtful and evocative music, with a focus on texture, sound and unpredictable melodic lines. 

Christian Lee Hutson - Beginners (Anti) 

Wistful, reflective, often confessional song-storytelling in the Sufjan Stevens mould. 

Christina Vantzou - Multi Natural (Edicoes CN) 

Inventive and innovative contemporary composition. The nine pieces have distinct sound worlds and atmospheres but this also coheres as a complete work. 

Cindy Lee - What's Tonight To Eternity (W. 25th/Superior Viaduct) 

Haunted and haunting soundscapes and a powerful exploration of gender identity. 

Circles Around The Sun - Circles Around The Sun (Royal Potato Family)

A very fine and meticulously produced album, but also a bittersweet and sad listen, as this will be the final Circles Around The Sun recording to feature the outstanding guitarist Neal Casal. What a loss. The disco flavour to a handful of these tracks is interesting. 

Cleo Sol - Rose In The Dark (Forever Living Originals) 

Wondrous, resplendent neo-soul, spectacularly arranged, 

clipping. - Visions Of Bodies Being Burned (Sub Pop) 

That dark title is no joke. This is one of the year's most ominous and disconcerting works, combining horror movie references, rapid wordplay and squalling noise. 

Cordoba - Specter (Amalgam) 

Lush, widescreen jazz/funk fusion. 

Corey Mwamba - {-} (Bandcamp)

Solo vibraphone set from the fluent, inspired improviser and presenter of BBC Radio 3's excellent Freeness programme. 

Coriky - Coriky (Dischord)

Excellent new band from Fugazi's Ian Mackaye and and Joe Lally, alongside the imaginative drummer Amy Farina, whose unusual kit orchestrations elevate and drive this music. 

Cornershop - England Is A Garden (Ample Play) 

A national treasure. 

Cory Smythe - Accelerate Every Voice (Pyroclastic) 

I reviewed this for musicOMH here

Country Westerns - Country Westerns (Fat Possum) 

Blistering, no-nonsense raw garage rock in the mould of The Replacements. 

Courtney Marie Andrews - Old Flowers (Fat Possum) 

Wonderful and enriching songs, delivered with a delightful attention to sonic detail and vocal tone (sometimes reminiscent of Jenny Lewis). 

Crazy Doberman - Illusory Expansion (1873119) 

This is the first Crazy Doberman record I've heard, and there already appear to be three more, so I've got some catching up to do. A core of players supporting by a changing roster of auxilliary musicians, the Indiana based ensemble produce Bitches Brew-inspired psychedelic improv. 

2020 In New Music Part 2

 Badge Epoque Ensemble - Self Help (Telephone Explosion) 

A curious, genre-straddling and mostly successful set from the Toronto group, joined by a raft of guest vocalists sometimes operating outside their own comfort zones (Meg Remy and Jennifer Castle among them). 

Badly Drawn Boy - Banana Skin Shoes (AWAL Recordings)

The artistic and personal rehabilitation of Badders has been one of the delights of 2020 - and this is the first album of his I’ve connected with in quite a while. Once again foregrounding his melodic sensibilities and his skills with arrangements (alongside some intriguing production choices) - the optimism here proved quite infectious in a year that few avenues for positivity. 

Bartees Strange - Live Forever (Memory Music) 

A thrilling, inventive and brilliantly executed synthesis from the impressive multi-instrumentalist. 

Basia Bulat - Are You In Love? (Secret City) 

Opulent and melodic torch songs and classic pop confections. 

Beatrice Dillon - Workaround (PAN) 

A coherent minimalist suite of music, with rhythmic integration at the foreground, Workaround feels crisp and kinetic, sensory and tactile. 

Becca Stevens - Wonderland (GroundUP Music) 

The ever excellent singer-songwriter Becca Stevens makes her biggest leap for a wider pop audience here - but, of course, she does it with finesse and musicality in abundance, co-producing and engineering the project herself. 

Bellows - Undercurrent (Black Truffle) 

The Black Truffle label has provided some of the most compelling music of 2020, and the Milanese duo’s tape loop manipulations are brilliantly woozy and refracted.  

Ben Lukas Boysen - Mirage (Erased Tapes)

A lush, detailed and enriching sound collage from the Berlin based composer.

Ben Wendel - High Heart (Edition) 

A varied set veering from the elegiac to the urgent, but always richly melodic. High Heart also features a fine band including Gerald Clayton, Shai Maestro and vocalist Michael Mayo.

Bettye Lavette - Blackbirds (Verve)

More gritty and earthy interpretations from the outstanding singer. 

Bill Callahan - Gold Record (Drag City) 

I have to confess that I haven't been quite as sold on Bill Callahan's two most recent albums as some (the aura of contentedness makes them drift over me somewhat), but the soft textures and gentle enchantment of Gold Record have their own appeal. 

Bill Fay - Countless Branches (Dead Oceans) 

By some distance my favourite of Bill Fay's comeback albums - this has his questioning spirituality and yearning in abundance and, delivered in his now softer and frailer voice, it is often deeply moving. 

Bill Frisell - Valentine (Universal) 

Working in the trio format in which he so often sounds so luminous (this time with bassist Thomas Morgan and drummer Rudy Roystan), Frisell explores a range of standards, traditional folk songs and original compositions with sensitivity and a keen awareness of sound and texture. 

Bill Laswell - Against Empire (M.O.D. Reloaded) 

A productive release schedule for the bassist and producer (see also a fine trio recording with Mike Sopko and Tyshawn Sorey and an orchestral work called The Acid Lands). As one might expect given Laswell's tendency not to fit into a genre box, Against Empire features a fascinating range of musicians (especially drummers - Jerry Marotta and Chad Smith!). It's murky but mesmerising music. 

Bill Nace - Both (Drag City) 

Abrasive, provocative and compelling electric guitar improvisations. 

BK3 - Think About It! (Thick) 

Scottish trio lead by Brian Kellock on piano tackle a set of standards on this concise but hearty mini album. 

Blake Mills - Mutable Set (Verve) 

It's hard not to feel Blake Mills' contribution to Bob Dylan's Rough & Rowdy Ways was more than that of a credited 'guest' musician (the album was recorded at Mills' studio), and Mutable Set provided further evidence of Mills' malleable skills. His most sonically agile album, and also featuring some very fine songwriting too (particularly 'Money Is The One True God' and 'Vanishing Twin'). 

Blitzen Trapper - Holy Smokes, Future Jokes (Yep Roc) 

Always a tricky band to get a handle on, Blitzen Trapper's music is dense and idiosyncratic but it also has a shimmering and infectious quality. Apparently inspired by George Saunders and the Tibetan Book of the Dead, this is a fun and freewheeling look at death and spiritual concerns. 

Bob Dylan - Rough & Rowdy Ways (Columbia) 

Comfortably Dylan's most successful and distinctive album since Love & Theft, Rough & Rowdy Ways gleefully develops the blues and ballads template he has now been exploring for more than 20 years. The time spent focusing on the American Songbook has made his ravaged voice more malleable and affecting - and there is so much wit, imagination and playful insight and imagery on display here (although the critical focus has understandably been on the subject of mortality). 'Murder Most Foul' understandably won the most plaudits, but 'Key West' is also one of his best late period songs (a worthy companion piece to 'Not Dark Yet'). Its subtitle ('Philosopher Pirate') perhaps provides the most honest and accurate description of Dylan's approach to songcraft too (there are no doubt as many appropriations and borrowings here as ever). 

Bob Mould - Blue Hearts (Merge) 

Always pretty much there (and as a solo artist, considerably more enduring and prolific than either of his more celebrated bands), Bob Mould's striking power pop melodicism tends to get a little taken for granted. There's also a visceral urgency to fit the American moment here too. So while there is little here that we haven't heard before from Mould, his continued ability to reproduce it so enthusiastically is impressive in itself.  

Bohren Und Der Club Of Gore - Patchouli Blue (PIAS)

More slow, simmering and cinematic dark lounge cabaret jazz - perfect for these apocalyptic times. 

Bonny Light Horseman - Bonny Light Horseman (37D03D) 

An understated triumph of a collaboration between Anais Mitchell, Eric D Johnson (Fruit Bats) and Josh Kaufman, with memorable, ageless and stirring takes on folk music from the British Isles. Also one of only a small handful of artists I managed to see live before the first lockdown kicked in. 

Boof - Rebirth Of Gerberdaisy (BubbleTease Communications) 

Maurice Fulton remains one of my favourite electronic music producers - this is a vibrant, technicolour celebration of sound. 

Boris - No (Bandcamp) 

You may feel you have had enough of the name 'Boris' (and indeed googling this album today brings up 'no deal Brexit' as the top item) - but this art-metal band remain a gloriously uncompromising and exciting proposition. 

Brad Mehldau - Suite: April 2020 (Nonesuch) 

One of the richest and most powerful artistic creations in lockdown - a beautiful and yearning solo piano work. 

Bright Dog Red - Somethin' Comes Along (Ropeadope) 

Improvised music with hooks and grooves in addition to a loose jam spirit from the Albany, NY based collective - tremendously enjoyable. 

Brigid Dawson & The Mothers Network - Ballet Of Apes (Castle Face)

I couldn't really keep up with the glut of releases from Osees, but this incantatory and mesmerising album from their associate makes me want to explore this scene more.  

Brigid Mae Power - Head Above The Water (Fire)

Brigid Mae Power has so far been dependable in releasing an album every two years more or less like clockwork, a pretty prolific work rate by today's trends. Head Above The Water is her lushest and most romantic sounding work yet. 

Bruce Hornsby - Non-Secure Connection (Thirty Tigers) 

Proving that Absolute Zero was no one-off, the late career renaissance of Bruce Hornsby is now very much a phase. Combining his melodic and harmonic gifts with ingenious arrangement, dark narratives and inventive production, Non-Secure Connection is vivid and progressive, with an intriguing range of guests including James Mercer of The Shins, Jamilla Woods and Leon Russell. 

Bruce Springsteen - Letter To You (Columbia) 

Springsteen pulls off a neat trick here in reflecting on mortality and a life in music but making it sound euphoric and uplifting. This is the E Street Band sound in excelsis, and Springsteen-phobics will no doubt find the level of sheer earnestness on display intolerable. But, for me and many others, the mere existence of this album provided a source of great joy in the home straight of a year largely lacking in cause for celebration. Big bonuses were that the sympathetic production brilliantly captured the live sound of the band, that the three newly completed 1970s tracks worked so well (particularly the superb If I Was The Priest) and that the newly written songs had a seriousness and depth of feeling. Now we only have to hope that the pandemic can be brought under control in sufficient time for these songs to be performed live to packed stadiums (and maybe even a warm-up 'small-town bar') as they were so clearly intended to be. 

Please forgive the indulgence of two videos - I wanted to share the best song alongside something that gives a sense of the accompanying film too. 

Bryde - The Volume Of Things (Easy Life) 

One of the more conventional, direct and bright albums on this list, but no less valid for that - this is a satisfying slice of indie pop songwriting. 

Butcher Brown - #KingButch (Concord Jazz) 

This is Butcher Brown's eighth record, but the first that I have heard, and an enjoyable funk/hip hop/jazz hybrid. 

2020 In New Music: Part 1

Music was such a crucial part of managing the unprecedented (at least in my lifetime) challenges of 2020, that I feel I need to do my music review of the year as comprehensively as possible. With this in mind, I'm staggering it in parts across December. For those who care most about the true standouts, and the dubious but enjoyable ritual of ranking albums, yes there will be a list at the end. I'll also do a reissues and compilations selection as well, but I'm still catching up with some things there. As usual, I am not making the claim that all these albums are masterpieces - some I've only managed to listen to once in full. But I would certainly argue that they are all worthy of your time - try to navigate your own way through! 

75 Dollar Bill Little Big Band - Live At Tubby’s (Bandcamp)

75 Dollar Bill - Live At Cafe Oto (Bandcamp)

75 Dollar Bill - Power Failures (Bandcamp) 

No new studio album from 75 Dollar Bill this year, but the combination of the pandemic and the support provided by Bandcamp increasing the share of revenue given to artists on ‘Bandcamp Fridays’ made for a busy release schedule nonetheless. Power Failures gathers together some previous unreleased recordings, while the two live albums capture Rick Brown and Che Chen at the height of their mesmerising powers. Perhaps of greatest interest is the broader vista provided by the expanded line-up at Tubby’s. Their combination of mediative drone, west African-influenced melody and rhythmic development continues to create powerful impact from minimal elements. 

AC/DC - Power Up (Columbia) 

Quite how they are still in existence is something of a mystery, but we should rejoice that AC/DC can continue to remake exactly the same album regardless of whatever turbulence is going on around and within them. 

Actress - Karma & Desire (Ninja Tune) 

Darren Cunningham’s latest edition to an increasingly substantial discography successfully unifies some of his more divergent concerns. There are gauzy, beatless atmospheres in which synthesisers provide the percussive drive, but there are also moments that briefly transport us to that most forbidden of places in 2020 - the nightclub, albeit tracks that feel like they foreground a sense of isolation and alienation rather than communal jubilation. It all has an eerie, early morning after the night before feeling. While the touchstone Actress album remains 2012’s outstanding R.I.P., this is an intelligent and meditative work notable for its collaboration with vocalists. Sampha’s wordless musings in the upper register on VVY are particularly striking. 

Adrian Younge and Ali Shaheed Mohammed with Roy Ayers - Jazz Is Dead 002: Synchronise Vibration (Jazz Is Dead) 

This second in the valuable series of recordings brought Younge and Shaheed Mohammed together with legendary percussionist Roy Ayers as he approached his 80th birthday. It is full of the kind of light, airy melodies easily associated with Ayers, and the lithe, gently simmering grooves are effective, although Ayers’ contribution is often surprisingly overwhelmed by other musical elements. 

Adrianne Lenker - songs (4AD)

Adrianne Lenker - instrumentals (4AD)

Not content with having made significant contributions to the two outstanding Big Thief albums released last year, Adrianne Lenker continued to expand her musical language by releasing a set of two albums of her own. The collection of songs focuses strongly on her melodic and distinctive vocal qualities, casting her voice against adroitly plucked acoustic guitar. This creates settings that are both warm and fragile. Much more unexpected are the remarkable and beautiful instrumentals - two long compositions rich in texture, design and sonic detail (the scraping of strings, the sound of the room). Lenker is a superb musician, busy developing a distinctive, risk-taking presence. 

Aesop Rock - Spirit World Field Guide (Rhymesayers Entertainment) 

‘Spirit world travel is not recommended for the faint of heart or weak of stomach…’ A joyous and thrilling slice of rap-meets-psychedelia, revelling in wordplay and phrasing, this is one of Aesop’s strongest and most narratively coherent albums. 

Afel Bocoum - Linde (World Circuit) 

Malian guitarist Bocoum joined the great Ali Farka Toure’s band when he was merely 13, but didn’t get to release an album under his own name until he had turned 50. On Linde, his fourth album, the music grooves gently and lightly, aided by the agile presence of the now sorely missed Tony Allen. Inevitably, Damon Albarn serves as executive producer, his Africa Express projects having contributed much to increasing awareness of Bocoum’s abilities. The effortless quality of Linde, even when veering into unexpected territory (such as the reggae of Bombolo Liilo) is inspiring. 

Against All Logic - 2017-19 (Other People) 

A second compilation of music made by Nicolas Jaar (who also released two other albums this year) under his AAL alias, this is a more restless, more abrasive and more fierce set than its predecessor. AAL’s borrowings here are wildly inventive, from reassembling and recontextualising Beyonce’s Baby Boy on Fantasy to making aggressive and defiant use of Lydia Lunch on If You Can’t Do It Good, Do It Hard.

Aiofe Nessa Frances - Land Of No Junction (Basin Rock) 

One of the year’s most encouraging debuts, Land Of No Junction draws upon a rich seam of esoteric pop influences to craft something melancholy but also tinged with warmth. Enhanced by the guitar and production contributions of Cian Nugent, Frances’ light songs often seem to float on the air and have the freedom and confidence to be understated. 

Aksak Maboul - Figures (Crammed Discs) 

Originally formed in Belgium in 1977, Aksak Maboul were a band blissfully unaware of genre boundaries. Since their initial disbandment, Marc Hollander went on to found the vital Crammed Discs label, for which his bandmate Vincent Kenis performed production duties (his contribution to the Congotronics series are particularly important). Listening to their first work in 30 years, it’s easy to speculate about their possible influence on similar sounding bands such as Sterolab or Broadcast. Figures is both a dense and playful work - it requires some navigation, but also yields plenty of mind expanding music.  

A Lily - Sleep Through The Storm (Bytes) 

A Lily is James Vella, honcho of the Phantom Limb label and a member of the band Yndi Halda. He makes patiently unfolding minimal electronic tapestries, of which this is the fifth example. There’s an evocative landscape quality to this music that feels human.

Alabaster De Plume - To Cy & Lee: Instrumentals Vol. 1 (International Anthem) 

Timeless, gentle and beautiful laments that cut across genres from the London based saxophonist and composer who has now been absorbed into the increasingly vital roster of the Chicago label International Anthem. Also quite different from his protest or more rhythmically insistent music, demonstrating some compelling versatility.  

Alan Braufman - The Fire Still Burns (Valley Of Search) 

One of 2020’s more extraordinary stories - here is the return of Alan Braufman as a bandleader some 45 years after his debut album Valley Of Search (he spent some of the intervening time touring with Carla Bley, The Psychedelic Furs and others). Again working with Cooper-Moore and a tumultuous band, this is passionate, liberated and ultimately uplifting improvised music. 

Alasdair Roberts - The Songs Of My Boyhood (Drag City) 

The ever prolific folk songwriter and interpreter revisits the songs of his earlier band Appendix Out, recasting them as stark solo home recordings. The greater maturity in his voice imbues them with a new presence and impact. 

Ale Hop - The Life Of Insects (Buh) 

An absorbing, fascinating and often abrasive piece of modern electronic composition, musically encapsulating many facets of insect ritual and behaviour. 

Alex Rex - Andromeda (Tin Angel) 

Andromeda is a little less bracingly intimate and overwhelming than Trembling Bells drummer Alex Neilsen’s previous solo work ‘Otterburn’, but it’s still a deeply personal, inventive and sometimes wild work, ‘the product of two years in therapy, in the gym and on Tinder.’ It’s delivered with Neilsen’s by now familiar loose intensity. 

Alice Boman - Dream On (PIAS)

Alice Boman was one of only a handful of artists I managed to see live in 2020, and I find her eerie songs enchanting - brittle in their arrangement and delivery but robust in their effects. 

Allegra Krieger - The Joys Of Forgetting (Northern Spy) 

This fine album seemed to slip a little under the radar this year - but it’s as subtle and well executed an example of singing and songwriting as I’ve heard this year. 

Allysen Callery - Ghost Folk (Ban) 

Whispery, eerie acoustic songs. 

Ambrose Akinmusire - On The Tender Spot Of Every Calloused Moment (Blue Note) 

The trumpet player and composer continues his mission to ensure that every album has an unmanageable title - but also that it contains some of his most meditative and emotive music. 

Ana Roxane - Because Of A Flower (Kranky) 

This ambient song cycle is one of the most beautifully textured and haunting releases of the year. Similar in tone and atmosphere to Julianna Barwick, but very much a powerful meditation of its own. 

Andre Canniere - Ghost Days (Whirlwind) 

The trumpet player and composer continues his prolific and consistently excellent run of albums, with a combination of sleek, agile grooves and insightful songcraft. 

Andrew McCormack - Solo (Ubuntu)

Executed as cleanly and precisely as you might expect, this solo piano album provides a fresh perspective on McCormack’s improvising and rhythmic drive.  

Andrew Tuttle - Alexandra (Room40) 

A beautiful and superbly realised work that has provided a sense of balm and healing in this otherwise unsettling and stressful year. This music is so evocative and detailed, with a strong sense of place. 

Andrew Wasylyk - Fugitive Light and Themes Of Consolation (Athens of the North) 

Thanks to Steven Johnson for the recommendation on this one. I still don’t feel I know much about Andrew Wasylyk (an alias for Scottish  multi-instrumentalist and writer Andrew Mitchell), but this album is meticulously arranged, languid and absorbing. The prominence of the bass lines puts me in mind of David Axelrod. It is the third in a trio of records exploring the Eastern Scottish landscape, and I now need to hear the other two. 

Angel Bat Dawid & Tha Brotherhood -  LIVE (International Anthem) 

Angel Bat Dawid’s performance at the 2019 London Jazz Festival was one of the great experiences of that year, somehow both physical and transcendent. This Bandcamp special live album captures the provocation, defiance and spirituality of her work. 

Angelica Sanchez and Marilyn Crispell - How To Turn The Moon (Pyroclastic) 

A set of intricate and spellbinding pieces for two pianos, filled with unexpected twists and turns, attention to sonic detail, melodic invention and playful wit. Also worth noting just how vital Kris Davis’ Pyroclastic label has become in a short space of time. 

Annie - Dark Hearts (Annie Melody) 

Every time I think Annie has fallen off the face of the earth, she returns with another brilliantly realised pure pop confection as if she has hardly been away. Dark Hearts is no exception. 

Ann Margaret Hogan - Honeysuckle Burials (Downwards) 

Very minimal but warm compositions, captured complete with audible movement and creaking in the background that makes this nature-inspired work feel very human and intimate. 

Anthony Pirog - Pocket Poem (Cuneiform) 

n a tremendous, sometimes terrifying trio with Michael Formanek and Ches Smith, Anthony Pirog really explores the dramatic impact, dynamic range and textural variety of the guitar here. 

Antonina Nowacka - Lamunan (Mondoj)

An extraordinary wordless solo vocal album, with recordings apparently made in a cave near a Javanese volcano, and then edited in a Polish fortress (surely this is too good to be true?). 

Aquiles Navarro & Tcheser Holmes - Heritage Of The Invisible II (International Anthem) 

Half of Irreversible Entanglements explore their own sometimes mechanistic, sometimes expressive improvised sound. 

Arbouretum - Let It All In (Thrill Jockey) 

Arbouretum are a band I’ve neglected a little, despite long thinking I would likely enjoy their work. Let It All In certainly makes me want to dig back further - a combination of insistent melody, adept arrangement and thrilling exposition in the rock ensemble format. The title track also successfully re-bottled the essence of Wilco's Spiders (Kidsmoke) which is of course no bad thing.

Arca - KiCK i (XL)

Fresh from collaborating with Bjork, Arca made one of the year’s most aesthetically and musically bold albums, brilliantly designed if breathlessly exhausting. 

Armand Hammer - Shrines (Backwoodz Studios) 

With guest contributions from Pink Siifu and Quelle Chris amongst others, ELUCID and Billy Woods’  fifth album as Armand Hammer felt like a neat summary of contemporary hip hop talent, the woozy and intentionally wobbly production providing something radical, distinctive and disorientating. 

Article XI - Live In Newcastle (Discus) 

Superb live set from guitarist Anton Hunter’s larger ensemble project, combining two brand new compositions with developments of compositions from the group’s debut recording. 

Asher Gamedze - Dialectic Soul (On The Corner) 

The debut set from the South African drummer makes the drum kit into an expressive, lyrical instrument and is also a paean to resistance. 

Ashley Paul - Ray (Slip)

Ashley Paul’s new trio is an intriguing and innovative set up - with Yoni Silver on bass clarinet and Otto Willberg on bass. The versatile and imaginative Paul sings, plays alto saxophone, clarinet, guitar and percussion. Impressively, this was recorded remotely during lockdown - but it sounds unified and interactive. 

Autechre - Signs (Warp)

Autechre - PLUS (Warp) 

Autechre continue to work on the principle that more is more, and gifted us with two excellent helpings of typically refracted electronic landscapes and ethereal ambience. A reminder that their music can be transporting and beautiful as well as cerebral.