Albums of the Year 2019

That was a year of some great music with established artists producing new material and plenty of challenging new artists making an impact. It's always a difficult task to narrow it down to just 10 albums but here's my selection of the best of 2019. I've provided a selection of tracks from each of the albums, so please have a listen and let me have your comments and contributions.

1. The National - I Am Easy to Find





2. Bon Iver - i,i





3. Michael Kiwanuka - KIWANUKA





4. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Ghosteen





5. Beirut - Gallipoli





6. Loyle Carner - Not Waving, But Drowning





7. Kate Tempest - The Book of Traps & Lessons





8. Sean O'Hagan - Radum Calls, Radum Calls 





9. Jenny Lewis - On The Line






10.  Elbow - Giants of All Sizes





Bubbling under: Beck- Hyperspace,  Iggy Pop - Free, The Comet is Coming - The Afterlife, The Specials - Encore, John Coltrane - Blue World.

Albums of the Year 2018

What a great year for music it's been with some established artists producing innovative new material and plenty of new bands coming through. It's always a difficult task to narrow it down to just 10 albums but here's my selection of the best of 2018. I've provided a selection of tracks from each of the albums, so please have a listen and let me have your comments and contributions.

1. James - Living in Extraordinary Times

2. Paul Weller - True Meanings

3. Arctic Monkeys - Tranquility Base Hotel and Casino

4. Kamasi Washington - Heaven and Hell

5. David Byrne - American Utopia

6. Angelique Kidjo - Remain in Light

7. Young Fathers - Cocoa Sugar

8. Villagers - The Art of Pretending

9. Josh Rouse - Love in the Modern Age

10. The Coral - Move Through The Dawn

Albums Of The Year 2017

This year it's been a very difficult task to narrow it down to just 10 albums but here's my selection of the best of 2017.  I've provided a selection of tracks from each of the albums, so please have a listen/watch and let me have your comments and contributions.


1. The War of Drugs - A Deeper Understanding




2. The National - Sleep Well Beast




3. Elbow - Little Fictions




4. Michael Head And The Red Elastic Band - Adiós Señor Pussycat




5.  Future Islands - The Far Field




6. The XX - I See You




7. St Vincent - Masseducation




8. The Charlatans _ Different Days




9. LCD Soundsystem - American Dream




10. Beck - Colors




Bubbling under:
Grizzly Bear - Painted Ruins;  British Sea Power - Let The Dancers Inherit The Party;  Laura Marling - Semper Femina;  Alt  J - Relaxer;  Arcade Fire - Everything Now;  Everything Everything - A Fever Dream;  Paul Weller - A Kind Revolution; Fleet Foxes - Crack Up.

2016’s best albums

2016 has been a very strange year for all kinds of reasons but amidst all the doom and gloom there's at least been some positive creative forces at work, so here's my list of the top 10 albums of the year. I've provided a selection of tracks from each of the albums, so please have a listen/watch and let me have your comments and contributions.

1. Bon Iver - 22. A Million




2.  David Bowie - Blackstar




3. James - Girl At The End Of The World




4.  Richard Ashcroft - These People




5. Angel Olsen - My Woman




6. Radiohead - A Moon Shaped Pool




7. Iggy Pop - Post Pop Depression




8. Last Shadow Puppets - Everything You've Come To Expect




9. Nick Cave - Skeleton Tree




10.  Wild Beasts - Boy King

The 15 Best Albums of 2015

It's that time of the year again, so here's my list of the top 15 albums of 2015. I've provided a selection of tracks from each of the albums, so please have a listen/watch and let me have your comments and contributions.

1. New Order - Music Complete

2.  Paul Weller - Saturn's Pattern

3. The Charlatans - Modern Nature 

4. Unknown Mortal Orchestra - Multi-Love

5. Black Rivers - The Forest

6. The Decemberists - What a Terrible World, What a Wonderful World

7. Guy Garvey - Courting the Squall

8. Foals - What Went Down

9. Everything, Everything - Get to Heaven

10. Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds - Chasing Yesterday

11. Joanna Newsom - Divers

12. Richard Hawley - Hollow Meadows

13. Laura Marling - Short Movie

14.Django Django - Born Under Saturn

15. Alabama Shakes - Sound and Color

The Top Ten Albums of 2014

Here's my list of the top ten albums of 2014. I've provided a selection of tracks from each of the albums, so please have a listen/watch and let me have your comments and contributions.

1. Elbow - New York Morning from the Take Off and Landing of Everything.

2. The War on Drugs - Under Pressure from the album Lost in the Dream

3. James - Moving On from the album La Petite Mort

4. Beck - Blue Moon from the album Morning Phase

5. Wild Beasts - Wanderlust from the album Present Tense

6. Damon Albarn - Heavy Seas of Love from the album Everyday Robots

7. Cherry Ghost - Clear Skies Ever Closer from the album Herd Runners

8. Sharon Van Etten - Taking Chances from the Album Are We There

9. Future Islands - Seasons Change (Waiting on You) from the album Singles

10. Gruff Rhys - American Interior from the album American Interior

The Top Ten Albums of 2013

Here's the almost famous Open Neck Shirt top ten albums of 2013. My favourite album of the year is 'AM' by the Arctic Monkeys. I know it's maybe an obvious choice but I think it stands above everything else that's been produced this year. Having said that the other nine are well worth a listen too.

As always, please let me have your comments and contributions.

1. Arctic Monkeys - AM

2. Prefab Sprout - Crimson Red

3. Midlake - Antiphon

4. Laura Mvula - Sing To The Moon

5. The National - Trouble Will Find Me

6. Arcade Fire - Reflektor

7. Laura Marling - Once I Was An Eagle

8. The Villagers - Awayland

9. Foals - Holy Fire

10. Noah and the Whale - Heart of Nowhere