My Albums of the Year - Part One

 

It's that time of the year when lists of albums of the year are drawn up.

There aren't as  many as I thought I had and there are a couple of older albums Alice Clark (1972) and Mark W Georgsson - Faces and Places (2017)  which would have probably featured if I wasn't concentrating on records from 2020. 

Similarly two records from  2019 which I only picked up this year Cloth -Cloth and Savage Mansion -Revision Ballads  should perhaps also be included. They would both be somewhere in the middle 

Here then  is the countdown from 10 to 6  with part two featuring tomorrow

10  Carla J Easton - Weirdo (Olive Grove)

I swithered about this one. Indeed I swithered so much I missed the original batch and had to wait for the second pressing. The reason for swithering.was after initially enjoying 2018's Impossible Stuff I have not really felt the urge to revisit it any time recently.

Weirdo is certainly more poppy and Carla seems to be having a great time.Guest appearances from Honeyblood and Solareye

Monorail describe the music as  dreamy, lush and inescapable.with the song Get Lost consisting of almost 3 minutes of deliciously sugary escapism. Carly Rae Jepsen with a dash of New Order.

9 - The Close Lobsters - Post Neo Anti (Last Night From Glasgow)

The most arresting cover of the year.

The Big Take Over Show writes that they deliver  a full-course sonic smorgasbord of jangle pop, indie rock, and post-punk. 

Their first album since 1989 Side 1 contains newly recordesd songs with Side 2 containg a couple of tracks from 2014 and a couple from 2016

8 - The Bluebells - Sisters (Past Nights From Glasgow)

A re-issue of the classic 1984 album by Glasgow legends The Bluebells on Past Nights From Glasgow a new label from the LNFG stable with a mission to  repackage , remaster and re-issue much loved, occasionally maligned or outright ignored classic albums from our past.

It includes an updated version of the opening track Everybody's Somebody's Fool plus two new bonus tracks produced by Elvis Costello Oh, and two of the great pop songs of our times Young at Heart and Cath

7 - Phoebe Bridgers - Punisher (Dead Oceans)

Her second solo album after Stranger in the Alps described by Pitchfork as being candid, multi-dimensional, slyly psychedelic, and full of heart.  Deeply personal in nature it explores topics like disassociation  and fragmenting relationships.A few more listens and I suspect it would be higher

6  - Martha Ffion -Nights to Forget (Lost Map)

A terrific pop record from Irish born but Glasgow based Claire Mackay aka Martha Ffion , her follow up to her SAY nominated debut Sunday Best. A collection of personal reflections on loss, letting go, looking forward and the futility of nostalgia

Numbers 5 to 1 tomorrow

The Bluebells - Cath

Martha Ffion - After The Fact