My tastes have been pretty unadventurous this year. In recent years, I've tried to stay on top of all the lists, dug deep into acclaimed stuff even if it's not my natural milieu. I just haven't had the inclination to do that this year. I may write separately, because I've been thinking about it, about the extent to which it's really and truly possible to make your taste in music more varied/more woke, for want of a better word. But that's for another time.
I have listened to plenty of new music this year, but usually not given stuff more than one listen if it didn't grab me. So, this 12 will be pretty conservative. How conservative? Well, my favourite album of the year was by Paul Weller. Yay dadrock ...
1. Paul Weller - True Meanings
What can I say? I think this may be Weller's most wholly pleasing solo record, up there with Wild Wood and 22 Dreams. The melodies are straight and true, the orchestration is lovely, I listened to it over and over again. I found the most memorable songs to be at the backend but there are no tricky moments to navigate. It's just a great record.
2. Kacey Musgraves - Golden Hour
This might well have been my favourite album of the year were it not for the song which critics have called its standout track 'High Horse' which for me just sounded like some Shania Twain-y pop-country irritation compared to the beautiful songs which filled the rest of the album. Just me, probably. So many good songs on this album.
3. Courtney Marie Andrews - May Your Kindness Remain
More country-soul than the country-pop and country-folk of the Kacey Musgraves record, I loved the drama of this record. I'm surprised it hasn't turned up higher in more end-of-year lists
4. Marianne Faithfull - Negative Capability
This has got the crack team on it - Cave, Warren Ellis, Ed Harcourt, etc. Enjoyed much more than I thought I would - moving and full of great songs.
5. Gruff Rhys - Babelsberg
Heavily, beautifully orchestrated, like Weller's record. Everything you'd expect of Gruff, really. I'm unlikely to ever not like one of his records, but I listened to this as much as anything this year.
6.Idles - Joy as an Act of Resistance
Surprisingly fun. Couldn't quite tell if it was a bunch of kids trying to sound like grown-ups or a buch of grown-ups trying to sound like kids. Lots of interpolated hooks, wild sloganeering, but generally just an attention-keeping listen. And Danny Nedelko is a great, great song.
7. Mitski - Be the Cowboy
Been listening to it a lot recently - critics are right on this, great songs, great writing.
8. Manic Street Preachers - Resistance is Futile
Sharp and poppy, but not excessively so, this felt like a very comfortable Manics record. And 2 or 3 of these would have been big hits in the late 90s, which is fine with me!
Maybe not quite as much of a revelation as her debut album, but full of brilliant songs
10. Janelle Monae - Dirty Computer
This album was a mild disappointment, but still enjoyable to listen to. The ArchAndroid was so mindblowing, so eclectic, so deep, this, I don't know, the songs were just a bit ... trying too hard but also not pushing it out enough.
You kind of feel this was a big attempt to have a massively successful record, which it wasn't quite ...
11.Arctic Monkeys - Tranquility Base Hotel and Casino
I think this has warmed on me more as the year's gone by. Quite a brave thing to do really, but you feel like every album they do gives them space to do something else interesting next time.
12. US Girls - In a Poem Unlimited
This was a cool album at the start of the year - rich in tunes and ideas
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