This year, l am listing the best of albums. Mini Reviews. Time management issues on my part.
Leon Bridges “Leon”
This guy has the most warm, easy-going delivery that belies a real depth of examination of time and place in his writing. Blythe and genial; warm soul for dyspeptic times.
Hurray For the Riff Raff “Past is Still Alive”
Alynda Segarra has documented America via her rootless and itinerant upbringing and travels. This is literate and tuneful Americana and she is growing with each new release. Her Best yet.
Lady Blackbird “Slang Spirituals”
For an artist who has divorced from the church and religion, the term ‘spirituals’ is still apt for these alternately reflective hymns or shouted ‘gospel’. Her charcoal, smoldering vibrato-tinged voice has no contemporary equal.
Faye Webster “Underdressed at the Symphony”
There no one who demonstrates such a detached, oddball persona as Webster. Former rapper and now…what exactly? Pop sensibilities, sexually coy and blunt; an almost ‘lost’ voice – but the song shave heft and are catchy. A particular guilty pleasure for me
Jessica Pratt “Here in the Pitch”
Finally, a bit of daylight and breakthrough for Pratt – a bit of retro production and yet fully 2020’s mix and ‘big’ production values. A complex, conflicted approach and a call for honest self-examination – and its okay for doubt and uncertainty to walk alongside.
Sarah Jarosz “Polaroid Lovers”
Let’s face it- every album from this artist will always be good; great even. Master of mandolins of all sonorities; instantly recognizable voice; great writing; slick yet warm production. Always a pleasure.
Lake Street Dive “Good Together
Having seen them live, more convinced of their mastery of pop song forms; sophisticated yet accessible harmonies and an often out-of-time ‘happiness’ – a band of great individual artists that have chemistry and tunes to burn. Plus – Rachael Price could sing computer code and I’m hooked.
Gillian Welch & David Rawlings “Woodland”
The forever king & queen of Dust Bowl American; this is a wrenching account of their struggles to recover from a fire at their studio- patching their physical and psychological lives back together. Mournful and resilient at the same time – in that spare electro-acoustic folk they perfected.
