Thursday, 22 December 2016

EVEN THE STARS ALBUMS OF 2016 - TEN TO SIX


Our list of our top twenty albums of 2016 continues with the records we've placed between ten and six.
A reminder of the list to date :

20 Cavan Moran - Forever At Home / Forever On The Road
19 Michele Stodart - Pieces
18 The Coral - The Distance Inbetween
17 Julia Jacklin - Don't Let The Kids Win
16 The Unrecorded - Other People's Music
15 Lucy Dacus - No Burden
14 The Glass Child - Under Northern Skies
13 Coves - Peel
12 Thousand Yard Stare - Live At Electric Studios
11 She Drew The Gun - Memories Of The Future


10 THE LUCID DREAM - COMPULSION SONGS

The Lucid Dream's third album Compulsion Songs has them out in territory all of their own, pushing back boundaries of their own sound and exploring new avenues. It's a natural darker progression from their self-titled second album and will delight those that have followed them from the start and draw in and snare the curious.



Our review concluded : "Compulsion Songs almost defies description, is it a dance album or is it a rock album, its chameleon-like state however means it's a record that never stands still, always shifting, always ambitiously outward looking, always searching, revealing a journey through the band's creative mindset as it progresses."

The Lucid Dream's website can be found here. They are also on Facebook and Twitter.


9 CAPTIONS - ITERATIONS

Iterations is the debut album from Captions, a four-piece based in Ventura, California. Their sun-kissed location shines through loud and clearly in the mood of the nine tracks on the record, a perfect chilled out and laid back record that was one of our unexpected happy accident discoveries of the year.



Our review concluded : "Iterations is one of the best debut albums of the year; one of those brilliant random finds that the internet sometimes throws your way so you can discover a great band the other side of the world by happy accident and then not be able to stop listening to it for days."

Captions are on Facebook and Twitter.

Iterations can be purchased via their Bandcamp page.

8 VIOLA BEACH - VIOLA BEACH

Viola Beach's debut album should have come out under very different circumstances. The tragic death of Tomas, Kris, River and Jack as well as their manager Craig in a road accident in Sweden back in February meant that they were never to see that release for themselves. Viola Beach is a compilation of their first two singles, four tracks destined for an EP release and a live BBC session, nine songs that shine a light on what might have been, a precocious talent, still untainted by the quest to sell records and driven by their infectious unbridled joy at making music. It's a record that will make you cry, but will also make your heart beat a little bit faster.



Our review concluded : "Viola Beach came from a town where all the outlets for creatives were closed down by the centralisation of cultural activity in the big cities so they went out and made their own around The Lounge Bar in their native Warrington, determined to put their hometown back on the map. Viola Beach, the album, shows that they were a band on their way to living that dream."

Viola Beach are on Facebook and Twitter.


7 MARGO PRICE - MIDWEST FARMER'S DAUGHTER

Signed to Jack White's Third Man Records, Margo Price was cast into the spotlight and delivered a debut album that took her out of the Nashville scene she'd been part of for years. The songs on Midwest Farmer's Daughter are hard-hitting, talking about time in prison, personal issues, bad relationship, a poor childhood and having to porn her wedding ring to pay for the album.



The songs on the album are direct, honest and open and pay attention to detail so that the listener knows the story from the song; equally candid about her own mistakes as well as the obstacles that were thrown in her way by life, love and the misogynist workings of the music scene in Nashville. It also remains true to country music traditions even they are being twisted to tell her story.  Some stunning live shows backed up the release of an album that proved that you don't need immediate success and you can break down the walls.

Margo Price's official website can be found here and she is also on Facebook and Twitter.


6 BEA SANJUST - LAROSA

Larosa is the debut album from Italian singer Bea Sanjust. It's a record that's been a long time coming since her first releases at the turn of the decade, but it's been more than worth the wait. It radiates a disarming simplicity and reveals a voice that is so rich and redolent at every turn irrespective of the sounds around it. It's a truly beautiful album that deserves your attention.



Our review concluded : "This is hands down one of the most beautiful records I've heard for a very long time. It touches so many bases and aims for so many targets and hits every one square in the middle of every time. Bea possesses a voice of true beauty that's comfortable in every musical playground it finds itself in. It's a record that's hard to get through in one sitting for the simple fact you want to go back and listen to the last song the moment it finishes.  It deserves a much wider audience and accolade than we suspect it might get, but that would be a travesty."

Bea Sanjust is on Facebook.
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