1. Fleet Foxes - Shore
This album dropped on the world on the autumn equinox and on first listen brought an immediate smile to my face and an uplift in spirits. Somehow this album with its return to nature theme seems to have captured the emotions and mood swings of lockdown in a year where so many releases were delayed.
Musically 2020 had initially found me revisiting old albums. Shore has been on continual rotation since its release and each new listen reveals hidden depths in the songs that contain the trademark harmonies and strong melodies that first came to our attention on Fleet Foxes debut album back in 2008. Although comparatively simple in construct the strength of Robin Pecknold’s songwriting makes Shore a totally immersive listening experience. I cannot wait to see how it translates to live performance in 2021.
2. Laura Marling- Songs for Our Daughter
3. Moses Boyd – Dark Matter
4. Working Men’s Club – Working Men’s Club
5. Various Artists- Blue Note Re:imagined
6. Phoebe Bridges- Punisher
7. Bombay Bicycle Club – Everything has Gone wrong
8. Nubya Garcia- Source
9. Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever- Sideways to New Italy
10. H C McEntire- Eno Axis
Track of the year
Christine & the Queens - People I’ve been sad
Five top gigs of the year!
1. Tribute to Ginger Baker – Eric Clapton & friends - Hammersmith Apollo- Feb 17
2. Working Men’s Club - Oslo,Hackney- Oct 8
3. Black Midi -1865 Southampton- Feb 11
4. The Murder Capital- Wedgewood Rooms Portsmouth- Feb 18
5. Bombay Bicycle Club 02 Bournemouth- Jan 22
Nigel
