10. Lana Del Rey - Norman Fucking Rockwell
Gorgeous millennial soft-pop poetry where the depth of angst meets the superficiality of the American Fucking Dream
8. RAP - Export
This is a thirty-four minute whirlwind of electronic storytelling that’s brimming with both contrast and continuity
6. Jessica Pratt - Quiet Signs
Sparse, perfect melodies that together feel like a message from somewhere fundamental and far beyond the sidewalked world
4. Moodymann - Sinner
The prolific virtuoso from Detroit strikes again with jazz house that keeps you both moving and guessing
2. Thom Yorke - Anima
Still, decades later, the master is inventing sounds and song structures that give a perfect home to a consistent and compelling relevancy
9. Bon Iver - i,i
His albums have increased in number of instruments and decreased in lyrics that make sense, but it’s still evocative and true and unequivocally Bon Iver
5. Nilüfer Yanya - Miss Universe
Still head-scratching about how a twenty-three year old can rock and roll in such a complete and idiosyncratic way
3. FKA Twigs - Magdalene
This one took me a few but upon each new listen the dance between quietness and intensity is more gripping, and telling
1. Jenny Hval - The Practice Of Love
Nothing is guaranteed when the avant-garde embraces the mainstream, but here is a shimmering success in the meeting of obscurity and ease
It Was Hard Not To Include:
Billie Eilish - When We Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?, Aldous Harding - Designer, (Sandy) Alex G - House of Sugar, Florist - Emily Alone, Slowthai - Nothing Great About Britain, Little Simz - GREY Area
Also Good:
Max Cooper, Nivhek, Solange, Tyler The Creator, Cate Le Bon, Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith, Toro Y Moi, Karen O and Danger Mouse, Teebs, Sofia Bolt, Big Thief, Kate Tempest, Angel Olsen, Bedoine, Daniel Norgren, Purple Mountains, Bill Callahan, Andrew Bird, Telefon Tel Aviv, Sui Zhen, Floating Points, Danny Brown, Yves Jarvis, Galcher Lustwerk