favourite album releases of 2020

[Fretless]

A lot of artists will be waiting for concerts to be allowed again. Then they can release albums and get out on tour to promote them.

I'm curious about Taylor Swift's lockdown album 'Folklore', anyone heard it?

[Toontrev]

'Taylor Swift's lockdown album 'Folklore', didn't think it would be my cup of tea but its worth a spin.

[CN211276]

A lot of artists will be waiting for concerts to be allowed again. Then they can release albums and get out on tour to promote them.

I don't think artists go on tour to promote albums any more. It is the only way to make money, apart from the long establshed big names who receive decent returns from streaming.

[Fretless]

listened to some clips from 'Folklore' and I think I'm going to get hold of a copy. Taylor Swift has collaborated here with Aaron Dessner of The National, and her album could almost be a companion piece to their 'I Am Easy To Find' which was my album of the year for 2019.

Introspective, hushed and soul-baringly honest. I like it.

[NSNO2021]

Paul McCartney and Ray Davies are good examples of someone's voice going yet persisting making records. Ultimately it's their choice and I am fine with that but personally I find it all a bit sad. Sure stay in the music game, writing, producing, playing instruments but if their primary instrument was their voice then I would be happier if they called it a day when their on top form

[NSNO2021]

I have played "folklore" a few times and for me it's a slow burner. The song writing is good to very good. I think this will go on my Christmas present list

[slinger]

listened to some clips from 'Folklore' and I think I'm going to get hold of a copy. Taylor Swift has collaborated here with Aaron Dessner of The National, and her album could almost be a companion piece to their 'I Am Easy To Find' which was my album of the year for 2019.

Introspective, hushed and soul-baringly honest. I like it.

I tried that yesterday, simply because it was an album I thought that I "ought to give a chance" to. Didn't like it.

[slinger]

Paul McCartney and Ray Davies are good examples of someone's voice going yet persisting making records. Ultimately it's their choice, and I am fine with that but personally I find it all a bit sad. Sure stay in the music game, writing, producing, playing instruments but if their primary instrument was their voice then I would be happier if they called it a day when their on top form

The trouble is if you're a songwriter, and musician, the songs don't stop just because your pipes start giving out, so what do you do with all those songs. Give then to someone else? That's most probably not going to happen, apart from the odd one or two. Songs are a songwriter's children. I know that sounds a bit prosaic, but it's pretty close to the truth when we're talking about artists like Macca, or Ray Davis. Chart shit stuff today is more often than not composed by a group of people, and everyone gets a writing credit, even the producer. Ray Davis writes a song and it's all his, it's all him. There's another thing -- nobody, but NOBODY knows how a song should sound like other than the bloke what writ it.

At my level of songwriting (when I used to do that sort of thing in an INCREDIBLY amateur way), I'd have been over the moon if a major act ( I punted one to Mud's label A&R man once, but that's another story ) had picked up one of my songs, but I'll bet they'd never have got it *just* right.

That's the closest I can relate to those guys, and the difference is, apart from the quality, obviously, they have the money, and the acclaim, to be able to still record the things that they're writing, because, in their heads, there are a few precious songs on an album that will sound closer to perfect than anyone else could ever have made them. It's my experience times a zillion.

Leonardo da Vinci wouldn't have given his drawing of the Vitruvian Man to a jobbing artist down the road to finish off, and that's sort of what it's like. It's mine. You're not having it. And it sounds like THIS, so get over it!

[Fretless]

Recent release:

Ian Boddy 'Axiom'



https://din.org.uk/album/axiom-din64

The UK's top electronic musician is back with a new album that sits up there with his best work. He has gone back to the classic 70's Berlin School for inspiration and there are flowing sequencers and drifting atmospheres aplenty brought up-to-date with crystalline effects. A melodic treat to carry you through the winter.



Soundclips and purchasing (download/CD/LP) via Din / Bandcamp.

[NSNO2021]

Fair point about songs being personal and I get that some are so personal that they have to remain with the writer - thankfully Bruce and Prince both had a more relaxed view and for a few people like Cathy Dennis, it's their occupation.