Album of the Year 2020

Since 2013 this blog has ended the year with a ranking of favourite albums that have graced the past twelve months whether from the review or purchased pile. To break with tradition, a decision has been made this year to jump over to the other side and take the view that art is not a contest. Therefore the only list I am presenting this year is an alphabetical order of all the albums that caught my ear in 2020. This is a  list far from exhausted as there are plenty of releases that will eventually find their way into my listening sphere, but have been impeded by time and circumstance. A major factor in this delay is the gig wilderness of 2020 as I am acutely aware of some albums that will gain traction from seeing the artist play live. These albums may be missing from this list, but distinctive errors of omission will be rectified in good time. As the saying goes, a record is for life not just a short window of time.

This list can be found in the Album Release Directory that has been regularly maintained from submissions (both during the review hiatus and the ensuing period of resumption) alongside significant records that were either purchased or streamed on more than a couple of occasions. Each of these records are pieces of art in their own right and the list contains links for them to be checked out.

However, I can't let 2020 pass without calling on one album to join the parade of previous records that have taken the mantle of the year's favourite. Therefore read on for the album nominated to join the pantheon of champions that have played their part in framing an highlight of the year's listening

2013    Brandy Clark         -   12 Stories

2014    Miranda Lambert   -   Platinum

2015    Allison Moorer      -    Down to Believing

2016    Carter Sampson     -  Wilder Side

2017    Caroline Spence    -   Spades & Roses

2018    Brandi Carlile        -    By the Way, I Forgive You

2019    Miranda Lambert   -   Wildcard

Sorry guys, and the heaps of independent music that gets promoted in these pages, I am reverting to type and keeping this year's favourite release in a similar vein to its predecessors. There is no proclamation of this year's choice being earth shattering, inspirational, influential or demanding that it's a must-listen-to release. The simple reason for the choice is down to the spring lockdown and an album that absolutely grew on me when car travel resumed. It became a soundtrack to the act of re-surfacing and getting out and about with music being a sweet accomplice. I just fell in love with it and waited all year for one to come along to knock it off its mantle. This didn't happen and this year's recipient becomes my second dual winner. While its 2016 predecessor drew a critical response from me to temper its arrival, there was no such frustration with the 2020 offering. I bought into what it was about from the off and just let it roam free. The only judgement I'm going to give it is that it offered a reassuring warmth every time I played it, and that was an awful lot of times. 

2020    Brandy Clark     -    Your Life is a Record

Let's close the horrid year of 2020 with at least some fond memories of the wonderful music that was released. 2021 will be just as good in terms of releases and we are ready for it with the antenna of our ears tuned into the music that matters.