I’ve had a few enquiries as to when this year’s Forum album of the year thread is going to start so I reckon now is as good a time as any. You know the rules by now - new albums released since Jan 1st 2023 and no re-issues, re-masters and no, tacking on the dismal ‘Now and Then’ to The Beatles 1967 - 1970 does not make it a new record.
I know it’s still November but there are very few good new releases from now on ( unless Robbie Williams’ latest Xmas release is your thing). However, this thread will stay open for most of December or until you’re all bored of it. Please post your favourites but do choose a winner. When this thread has run it’s course I’ll count up the number of mentions for each album and then put the top 12 (or whatever) to a poll so you all get the chance to vote for the overall Forum winner.
Let’s go!
My faves this year are ( in no particular order):
Everything But The Girl - Fuse. A great return to form after many years away
Hawkwind - The Future Never Waits. How true, Dave. Who knew that they still had it in them?
Daniel Harding - The Planets by Gustav Holst. A controversial slowed downed tempo on this but I thought it brought something new to this classic
Alison Goldfrapp - The Love Invention. The first solo album from the mighty Ms G and packed with floor-filling disco bangerz
Emmanuel Despax - Apres un Reve. A beautiful collection of early 20th century French piano classics
PJ Harvey - I Inside the Old Year Dying. A sort of musical ‘The Wicker Man’ - mysterious music from the heart of rural Dorset. A fabulous album that just gets better and better
Blur - The Ballad of Darren. A late career masterpiece from Blur full of Damon’s trademark wit and melancholy. Wonderful
The Coral - Sea of Mirrors. The last few albums from everyone’s favourite Liverpudlian psych/60’s pop combo are just lovely and this doesn’t disappoint
Roisin Murphy - Hit Parade. Hard to categorise but so inventive and idiosyncratic. Can’t wait to see her at Ally Pally in Feb
Anna Lapwood - Luna. The latest album of organ music from the hugely talented organist. Thoroughly recommended
Vikingur Olafsson - Goldberg Variations by Bach. To me this is now the benchmark by which all other recordings should be judged. What more can I say
The Third Mind - The Third Mind 2. The second album from Dave Alvin’s 60’s psych blues/rock/jazz/folk playing supergroup. Even better than the first album and I can’t stop playing it.
Sufjan Stevens ‘Javelin’ (my winner)
boygenius ‘the record’ (the album plus ‘the rest’ EP).
Slowdive ‘Everything Is Alive’ (possibly most played this year)
Honourable mention to
Fenne Lily ‘Big Picture’
Yo La Tengo ‘This Stupid World’. Any YLT release tends to make my year end list, and I could add the albums this year from Wilco, Bonnie Prince Billy and The Handsome Family, all of which were solid (or better than that) releases from some of my favourite artists.
Bruce
PS The Third Mind is new to me, thanks. Playing it now!
Congratulations - you win the first ‘this is too early’ post prize!
Seriously, I can never get the timing right so I have to accept that I won’t please everyone (anyone?)
One of the great things about this thread each year is discovering new music I’ve missed so will definitely check out Boy Genius. Hope you enjoy The Third Mind!
Accepted. Incidentally my most annoying trend of the year is band, album titles and track listings that don’t use capital letters. So many doing this, (yes that is you boygenius). Why oh why?
I’m generally resistant to new music in the inception year but I see some artists in your list that I like and will check them out. Enjoying Alison G’s new album currently, not bad so far.
naiM forUm alBum of the Year
(The alternative list…)
Katatonia - Sky Void of Stars
Riverside - ID:Entity
Miley Cyrus - Endless Summer Vacation
P!nk - Trustfall
Steven Wilson - The Harmony Codex
Theory of a Deadman - Dinosaur
Pop Evil - Skeletons
OMD - Bauhaus Staircase (nearly forgot this one)
…AND THE WINNER IS?!
Riverside - ID:Entity
I’ve had a great year for music and the list above are those that have stood out for me. There isn’t any classical in here, as none of it is NEW music. I would say however, that there has been some truly standout releases, particularly from DGG😊
Classical is a funny one but I would say that a new interpretation counts as new music in the same way that I would say that eg Cat Power’s new album of Dylan Covers, is new music. In fact, my album of the year from The Third Mind is all cover versions. So you can post new classical recordings without fear of a telling off from the OP
I wasn’t copying, honest! Those three albums have been on hot rotation since they came out and I still haven’t tired of them. The Stone-Age album was also a blast too, but a little embarrassing as well!
My 3 contenders in no particular order.
The Third mind/2
Roger Waters/ Dark side of the moon redux
Peter Gabriel/ I/0 (which is not released yet but I have heard it)
