I am a late adopter. So, the annual albums of the year poll is not something I can meaningfully contribute to in the compilation phase. But I like discovering new (to me) music. Consequently it is a mine of potential new joys for me each year.
I decided to listen to (at least a minute or two of) all 560+ albums submitted to the 2020 poll. You guys like a lot of jazz (54), and US folk/country (59), and even piano (23) by my reckoning. I put some of my favourite new discoveries in KFD’s thread.
This post is an extension of KFD’s challenge – one hit wonders – albums nominated by just one person.
I have listed below ten albums that only one person nominated, and in the comments below I will say something about why I liked them.
They may not be the ‘best’ albums in the chart, even for my own idiosyncratic tastes. There were many other albums that were a revelation – that had greater instant appeal, but nominated by at least 2 people. But these all made me happy in different ways, often accompanying me on my daily home-based virtual commute to the global headspace that is the current working environment.
I hope it may give some of you a bit of pleasure as well.
Annie: Dark Hearts, nominated by Mdavies27 (80’s style synthpop)
Craig Armstrong/Calum Martin: The Edge of Sea, nominated by fitterstoke (classical violin/cello)
Daniel Avery & Alessandro Cortini: Illusion of Time, nominated by Izzy (ambient – great bass tones)
Della Mae: Headlight, nominated by Vince Black (bold girl folk -violin & mandolin)
High Pulp: Mutual Attraction vol.1, nominated by Izzy (great jazz funk psychedelia)
Neil Cowley: Building Blocks Pt. 1, 2, 3, nominated by Lodestone (piano electronica)
Snowdrops: Volutes, nominated by Eyesteel (ambient ondes martinot)
Sophie Hunger: Halluzinationen, nominated by fentonsteve (Swiss singer)
Sparkle Division: To Feel Embraced, nominated by ip33 (delightful experimentation)
Warm Digits: Flight Of Ideas, nominated by ip33 (excellent electropop)
Thanks to all who contributed to the poll, and particularly to those whose choices ended up here on this list. In alphabetical order by artist name, with short notes on the music
salwarpe says
Warm Digits -Flight Of Ideas
Described as “thunderous motorik space-disco duo with a pounding post-punk pulse”, Warm Digits make a delightfully frenetic and warm mix of sounds. “he album’s title is a psychological term for a state of overloaded and disordered thought, which is apt for these strange locked down times”
One of the songs is Feel The Panic, but I just feel the rush of non-stop sound with called-out unashamedly regional English vocals, disappearing into a fog of fuzz, down a tunnel of echoey acoustics, then out into open space, propelled by motoric drumming.
Replication is the stand out track for me – starts off intense with multiple melodies and rhythms counterpointing off each other, creating a 3d audio space – fast, but calm, ripples of notes twisting through and jumping from instrument to instrument.
fentonsteve says
It was one of my fave albums, too, but I forgot to add it to my list. I love The View From Nowhere, featuring ex-Delgados Emma Pollock on vocals over stuttering pre-NGD-Simple-Minds.
Paul Wad says
Emma Pollock was in the Delgados?? I didn’t know that (or if I did know that, I have forgotten it!). There was one of her tracks on a cover CD years ago and I have kept meaning to follow it up by checking out some more of her stuff. I’m talking 10+ years here, so I have no idea why I have never got round to it. But I bought a Delgados CD a few years ago and downloaded several others. Never linked the two together though.
Right, when this Rakim CD I’m listening to has finished, I’m gonna finally get round to listening to some more by Emma Pollock. Of course, my memory being what it is these days, I can’t remember how the Delgados were brought to my attention, so I can’t rule out it being a previous discussion about Emma Pollock and I’ve already listened to her records. No harm in listening again though.
fentonsteve says
Yep. The best Delgados albums are Peloton and The Great Eastern, you need to hear those in full. And the related Classic Scottish Albums podcast episode.
Emma’s released three solo albums (and been involved in some Scots indie supergroups). She’s lovely and I feel slightly bad saying this, but they’re less essential.
From first solo album, Paper and Glue:
From last solo album, Parks and Recreation:
I spoke to her at a Field Music gig and she’s tiny – even smaller than Mrs F.
Paul Wad says
Ha! The CD I bought was The Great Eastern and the track of hers I had is…Paper and Glue! I listen to half a dozen tracks earlier, including Parks and Recreation, and flicked through several others, but decided it’s not something I’d really listen to (as if I listen to the 9,215 albums I do have on a regular basis!
fentonsteve says
Peloton is very different from The Great Eastern (which was produced by Flaming Lips bloke), much more chamber-pop-with-guitars, full of flutes and cellos, and well worth a listen.
Here’s opening track Everything Goes Around the Water to give you an idea:
salwarpe says
To Feel Embraced by Sparkle Division
A delight of contrasting sounds Trumpets, soaring violins, reminiscent of a John Barry soundtrack, performed to a breakbeat rhythm (You Go Girl!). Doomy fuzzy phasing presages plinky plonk notes sharing space with echoey saxophone toots, honks and skronks farting all over my headspace (You Ain’t Takin’ My Man is my track of choice) . More echoey saxing, but smooth over frantic beats. Easy piano and smokey sax with drumkit falling down the stairs. Juddery, stuttering crackling tape of sounds going nowhere in a hissy fiog. Slowly chugging, brushed drums, pressed by squeaky urgent sax as the other instruments politely look the other way and try to continue with their supper club jazz. Radio signals, synth wash going a bit Orbtastic, before flipping out with Gong- style languorous vocalisations. Dizzy, fizzy stop-start twisted interlude. Someone spilled coffee on the recording of this song – slips and slides all over the place like a drunken skipper on a cruise ship as the tea dancers on the poop deck jolt into each other. Recorded on a wax cylinder, this blues singer slurs and hiccups, then stops. Desert Island Discs soundrack slowed down so every note gets sucked into one ear and then 3 seconds later gets pushed out the other. Finally, stuttering organ gets the echoey sax wash ebbing and flowing through its rickety legs.
salwarpe says
Sophie Hunger – Halluzinationen
Strong female vocals from the start, downbeat (reminiscent of Beth Gibbons, if she also sang in German) and slightly hoarse. And the instrumentation, deliberate bass tones, skittering drums around her own piano playing.
Rote Beete aus Arsen is one stand out track – almost a capella, giving space to hear the tones and dynamics of her voice. Finde Mich has the cymbal and top note of the piano going in a nervous rhythm that suits her voice very well. But it is Halluzination, the title track that has the musical accompaniment to match the vocals and song text so well.
salwarpe says
Snowdrops – Volutes
This is the sort of music I need right now. Calm, enveloping melancholic viola, tension-dispersing, tapping piano notes and eeriness courtesy of an ondes martenot – music that doesn’t go anywhere, but lets you feel accompanied on that journey.
First track – Comma Variation 1) – is a sketch, an outline, whispering and tentatively suggesting the musical space you are entering. Beautiful, pure waves of sound – ringing, whistling and resonant.
Trapezian Fields. More of the same – repeated tones, cycling circling – tending towards tedium when the viola swoops in, skimming over the surface, confident wings of sound, bringing with it choppy piano notes– plangent, I think it’s called.
Ultraviolet starts smooth, then the ondes soars off on a giddying flight into the ether with viola scarcely anchoring it to its harmony. that slows to a halt. Although the lead song from the album, this is rather weightless.
Eloge de L’arrance. Emerging into a petalling of repeated piano notes, which circle, drawing in and interweaving with a stitching of viola bowing. A pause, and the ondes blows in, puffing into the melodies.
I’ll pass over Inception which, like Ultraviolet, hasn’t bitten me in any way – harmless, but inconsequential harmonies. However…
Growling into life, Odysseus is just immense – a swim over a vertigo-inducing deep sinkhole of sound – low resonant shiver tones with dizzying shrieks of viola and rolling piano turning round and round drawing you towards calmer sounds. Deceptive as the marathon is only halfway through
And then back to Comma for the last track. A gentle, ebbing wash of resonant viola yawing with piano ripples studding the surface of the sound
Eyesteel says
Thanks for this @salwarpe– glad to see this great album has found another home… I would also highly recommend Christine Ott’s recent solo album Time To Die; in fact, I might even prefer it.
salwarpe says
As I think you can tell, I was probably taken by this album more thank almost any of the other 9. It is an amazing listen – the interplay between ondes and viola particularly. Thanks for the tip to the solo album – be interesting to hear how it sounds.
Eyesteel says
Listening to TTD again now – it really is stunning.
Just as a sidenote, Snowdrops are contributing an exclusive track to a forthcoming compilation on the great Second Language label… along with (ahem) yours truly (a recent development BTW – nothing to do with why I nominated the album!)
salwarpe says
The title track turned me off because – how often is that Bladerunner quote used in music? Belongs in the lyric cliche thread. But the closing track, Pluie, and particularly this one, Comma Opening, held my attention rapturously. It is just gorgeous:
Eyesteel says
Plus, the Bladerunner score does seem to have become the go-to “influence” du jour…
salwarpe says
Neil Cowley – Building Blocks Pt. 1, 2, 3
More piano music (there was a lot of piano-based albums in the 2020 chart. I counted at least 20 where it was the dominant or only instrument). This takes classical piano music and dips it into a warm bath of electronic effects, so the acoustic piano notes swim into and through a supportive body of sound effects with beats cascading off in its wake.
I can’t help comparing it to the Snowdrops album. Piano in both, but this has more synthy electronic effects front and centre compared to the other-worldyness of the ondes martenot. Touches of plodding Richard Claydemann melodies in places, though not quite so sickly sweet. On other tracks a bit more Jean-Michel Jarre/Vangelis in the addition of echoey synth parps. Although the album is interesting (Sorry – real faint praise, there), it is other videos of his that those lead me to that bring over the whisper-soft touch of his music. A touch of ASMR, maybe? Not dramatic music, but it beds in.
3 Cracks In The Veneer – captures the miniscus feel of his music
salwarpe says
High Pulp: Mutual attraction vol.1
Lush jazz instrumentation from an instrumental, Seattle-based collective. Sunday morning listening, like The Bees, I feel. Generous space for all the instruments to sound off, with each seemingly bringing a different genre to the music – soulful horns, psychedelic guitars. It’s a bit Spinal Tap jazz odyssey in parts, where it feels unfocused. But this is just the early listens. Lovely indulgence. Though the album is good in itself, this live performance captures the feel of being in the room with them to good effect
Uncle Wheaty says
Lovely music but I would tire after 30 minutes even when they were live.
Kaisfatdad says
Lush is the word! I am very taken by them.
It’s very uplifting, sunny music. I can imagine lying in the sun at Roskilde with large cold beer and just floating away on the very agreeable groove they have going.
You really have done some nifty detective work here, Sal, and uncovered some splendid gems.
salwarpe says
Thanks, KFD. As I said above, it was your thread that prompted me to go on this marathon – and a vey enjoyable saunter of discovery it was, too.
salwarpe says
Della Mae – Headlight
It’s the combination of strong vocals and interlaced instrument textures – violin, guitar, mandolin and piano that is rousing and enthusing and infectious. Folk musicians with a soul singer – a great combination. A bit Indigo Girls, beautiful, confident and powerful songs.
Uncle Wheaty says
Nice enough but not for me
bobness says
Snowdrops: Volutes, nominated by Eyesteel (ambient ondes martinot)
I may have posted this before, but a former work contact was a musician of sorts, and knew I was into music, so he invited me a corporate do one night at the Royal Philharmonic in Liverpool. It was a modern classical recital of a piece written for the ondes martinot. I asked him what it would be like, his reply was “Put it like this, you won’t be humming it on the way home…”
Kaisfatdad says
I’d never heard of the ondes martinot. To me it sounded it some kind of instrument of punishment used by the French navy. along with “le chat de neuf queues”
In fact it is a lot more interesting,
Jonny Greenwood from Radiohead has done a lot to to ensure its survival.
thecheshirecat says
Oh, you need to hear Messiaen’s Turangalila Symphony. Advanced heavy metal for full orchestra. And it is one of the largest orchestras required for anything in the classical repertoire, including piano, celeste, loads of percussion and some very high profile ondes martenot. A bit highbrow and heavy going for some tastes no doubt, but I love it.
Kaisfatdad says
You know how to sell it, Cheshire! Who would not want to give Turangalila at least a bit of a listen after your description.
Turangalila? Godzilla more like it.
Joking apart, it is clearly a very extraordinary piece of music and I am very glad you mentioned it. That’s what I want from the AW from time to time. To be a little astonished and gob-smacked.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turangal%C3%AEla-Symphonie
It’s 1949. The global community is a punch-drunk from the horrors of WW2 and Messiaen comes up with something as seriously “out-there” as that.
Blimey!
duco01 says
I’ve got an album or two by Christine Ott which are heavy on the old ondes martenot. What a bizarre piece of equipment it is…
salwarpe says
Daniel Avery & Alessandro Cortini – Illusion of time
Shivery solid slabs of sound – echoey motorways late at night with bikers zooming past. Twiddly noodles and a good floor of bass and a light haze of mid frequency like a distant sea. Stuck in the opening organ chords of Purple Rain – and who wouldn’t want that? Soft pounding and reverb from ear to ear. My favourite, Water, pours out sound, a bath of music. The last track soars and swells then pops and crackles out. What a ride.
Vulpes Vulpes says
A track from this gem turned up on one of the CD Swap discs I received for the last swap – it went promptly onto my ‘wish list’. You’ve nudged me to finally order a copy!
Wilson Wilson says
I didn’t contribute to last year’s poll, but this was one of my favourites too. It arrived early in lockdown and seemed to match my mood at the time.
salwarpe says
Craig Armstrong/Calum Martin – The Edge of Sea
Violins and voices in austere effect. Here I’ve put some of my impressions as I listen.
Violin soars out from the first bar, winging and angling inside my head, a constant lower tone emphasizing the height and empty space it moves through. Repeat, with human voice, every changing facet of tone captured, crystal clear and reflecting and ringing, even the in breaths silvery and rhythmic. Violin keening, minor key chords and low piano notes. Choral voices, now dissonant, now in unison, calling out – feels like they are listening to each other and responding as much as following a text – a conversation of call and response. Forceful, repetitive violin strokes – almost motoric. More choral singing. Stirring, whirring mass of violins over resonant bass chords
salwarpe says
Annie – Dark Hearts
This is absolutely gorgeous 80’s style synthpop with perfect crystal vocals. I feel like I am in Shermer, Illinois when I listen to it. Nothing quite like it since One Dove. Moody tones put me in a record shop with Andie and Ducky, hanging in detention with Bender and Alison, wistfully watching Ferris with Cameron.
Paul Wad says
There are some good tracks here, but you saved the best till last. I usually do what you do and listen to bits of all the nominated albums, but I had quite a lot on my plate this year, so only listened to a few. I missed this one, so thanks for posting this. I am quite partial to grown up female pop (Sophie E-B, Christine and the Queens, Robyn, Sigrid) so I shall be adding Annie to the list. This track’s intro reminded me of Tunnel of Love era Bruce and the melody of the song reminded me of a Pulp track.
Kaisfatdad says
I am very pleased to see Norwegian pop princess Annie making an appearance on this thread.
Back in 2004 she released her debut album which included the single, Heartbeat, a small gem of pop loveliness which earned her a lot of compliments.
I’m now really looking forward to hearing her new album.
Good work, Sal!
Mod Team says
Can we please ask everyone NOT to post multiple comments in quick succession against their own posts i.e. a list of added comments to your own post.
Obvs, you can comment to your heart’s content as part of discussions with other people on your thread but the site guidelines specifically address this point.
There’s clearly a place for multiple comments such as the ones added to this post and it’s not difficult to achieve the same effect either by making the original post longer or (possibly better still) using the tried and tested “more to follow soon” method.
Ta
salwarpe says
Sorry – I couldn’t think of a better way to do it – putting all that text in the initial post would make it really long and unwieldy.
Tiggerlion says
This is a great thread. Lots of meaty content to chew over. Most of all, I like the fact it looks back to the recent past. When choosing our best of 2021 so far, it’s easy to forget there was some superb music, just over our shoulder, in 2020 or 2019 that we might not have taken enough notice of.
Kaisfatdad says
Hi Mod Team,
I fully understand your wish to keep multiple comments under control.
However in this case, it is eminently logical to have separate entries. That enables the rest of us to comment on those albums that appeal to us.
If Salwarpe had posted one long comment, it could get confusing as to who was commenting on what.
I think that for a thread like this, when the author has a lot to say that a “bite-sized” approach is by far the best option to encourage discussion.
I, of course, would never ever in a thousand years indulge in multiple comments!
Unthinkable!
Mod Team says
We are, of course, trying to be consistent but, as we hoped was clear from our original comments, we understand that there is a difference between multiple comments to produce a genuine list (as in this case) v. multiple comments just to keep a post on the “Recently Updated” list and add comment numbers (which is what the “rule” was included to stop).
We’ll try to differentiate between the two, but adding further examples to a list over time (commonly know as “The Duco Method”) would still be preferable.
salwarpe says
I just wanted to share what I have been doing over the last 6 months, but I think it’s safe to say everyone’s gone home, the lights are off and the ball’s been deflated.
Paul Wad says
Hi Mod Team
I agree with Kaisfatdad on this and can’t see how Salwarpe could have done it any better. I’m not saying this in an argumentative way at all, but just out of curiosity would you mind me asking why this causes a problem, as it is something I have also done in the past, when I was talking about several rap tracks.
fentonsteve says
I suspect it comes down to “One rule for Bri/Bellows, the same rule for the rest of us”.
Lodestone of Wrongness says
And one rule to bind us all.
ps since nominating the Neil Cowley record I have come to realise that its appeal lasts no longer than three plays. I’ve thought for a few years now that it might be fun to rerun the previous year’s poll in the following summer and see how many of the lists remain unchanged. I suspect not many
Paul Wad says
I actually deleted the line I wrote about how I understood it in certain circumstances…
Uncle Wheaty says