Sharpie’s Top Ten Favourite Albums of 2023

1: The Candle and the Flame – Robert Forster

‘The Candle and The Flame’ is an album of ruminations on Forster’s wife Karin Baumler’s battle with ovarian cancer. Not since his solo debut Danger in the Past in 1990 has Forster delivered an album this focussed and compelling.

The topic of cancer could, in lesser hands, make for heavy going, but, infused with ‘that striped sunlight sound’, wry lyricism and with backing by family members Karin, son Louis and daughter Loretta (together with sometime Go-Between Adele Pickvance) these tracks are light, bright and uplifting while never skirting the realities of Baumler’s illness.

It’s a masterful trick and one which elevates this album to a state of grace, hope, celebration and most compellingly a (sacharine-free) tribute to the power of love.

2: Jump for Joy – Hiss Golden Messenger

Judged by the cover, title and jaunty tone of the music M.C. Taylor’s 13th album under his stage name Hiss Golden Messenger, you’d think he’d had a sudden epiphany. But dig deeper and the positivity and joy promised is leavened with an undercurrent of existential despair.

The title track’s first line ‘Jump for joy’ is immediately countered by its second line ‘Gimme apocalypse’. Elsewhere, he confesses to being ‘just a nail in the house of the universe’, fears that ‘the rock in my pocket might make me drown’ and, on the last line of the album, admits that he’s ’just a human trying to survive’.

All this amongst the finest, brightest folk pop of his career.

3: Black Country, New Road – Live from Bush Hall

After only two albums of skewed post-rock, featuring the distinctively manic vocals of founding member Isaac Wood, which pushed them to the top of indie rankings both within, and beyond, their country of origin (England), Wood announced his departure citing mental health issues. Which begged the question, ‘What would the band do next?’.

This album is the band’s answer to that question: Issue a live concert and accompanying album of all new original material recorded live at Bush Hall with existing band members Tyler Hyde and May Kershaw sharing vocals over the band’s trademark skewed cacophony of disparate sounds.

Absent Woods’ vocals, the result is a folkier, but no less compelling, mix of disparate influences which meld together into an exciting yet focused whole. An inspired declaration that they’re not done yet.

4: This Stupid World – Yo La Tengo

Yo La Tengo deliver more of their trademark guitar fuzz in a broad canvas of mostly extended workouts which were developed through hours of improvisational jams during recording at the bands’ home studio.

It shows in the extended format and the freedom with which the band explore every nuance of the songs while miraculously reining them in before they spill over into self-indulgence. It’s the judgement shown in that execution which is the mark of success of this album, and the reason that so many albums into their recording careers, they’ve been able to produce yet another high point for their catalogue.

5: Weathervanes – Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit

I knew Isbell as the sometime guitarist of The Drive By Truckers on albums such as Southern Rock Opera, Decoration Day (for which he penned the strong title track) and The Dirty South. But it was at Bluesfest in Byron Bay in 2010 that I was first introduced to Jason Isbell as a solo artist, during a short solo support slot for Justin Towns Earle (before joining JTE on guitar for his full 45 minute solo slot).

The highlight of Isbell’s short set was ‘Dress Blues’ (from his solo debut ‘Sirens of the Ditch) which marked him out as a master storyteller bringing real emotion and depth to his songwriting.

He followed that first solo album with two albums credited to his band ‘the 400 Unit’ before releasing Southeastern, still regarded as his high watermark. Weathervanes is his eighth album.

After several years together, Isbell’s 400 Unit has become a crack live band as witnessed on his career spanning set at the Enmore Theatre, Sydney earlier this year. I was pleasantly surprised by the way the new songs from Weathervanes (which I was still to hear at that time) stood up beside his well known and loved older material.

The album which I bought straight after the show didn’t disappoint. It is among the best of his career, featuring highlights including ‘Deathwish’, ‘King of Oklahoma’ ‘Middle of the Morning’, ‘Cast Iron Skillet’, ‘When We Were Close’, ‘Vestavia Hills’, ‘White Beretta’ and ‘This Ain’t It’ all of which rank up with his finest songs.

Weathervanes would have been even higher in my list but for a slightly too polite/pristine production, by Isbell himself, which doesn’t quite capture the vitality of those songs displayed during the live Enmore set.

6: Cacti – Billy Nomates

I’ll confess that Billy Nomates’ self titled debut passed me by, despite receiving much critical acclaim in the UK. This sophmore release is a fierce call from the brink which mixes disparate elements of post-punk, country and rock and infused them with electronic beats, drum machines and prickly lyrics delivered in vocals which are spoken, sung and spat out in equal parts. It’s an electric, exhilarating combination which reaches its zenith on ‘Spite’ (which positively seethes).

7: Proof of Life – Joy Oladokum

Oladokum followed up her self-produced 2021 release in defence of my own happiness, which met with a degree of critical acclaim (if not mainstream recognition), she returns with a bigger budget and bolder production for Proof of Life. The result is bolder, brighter and more commercial, without ever compromising the authenticity of Oladokum’s voice. Her lyrical concerns resonate as she deals with the contradictions inherent in her journey from Southern church choir leader to Nashville rising star and unofficial spokesperson on racism and LGBTQ+ issues – all of which she manages with candour and indelible songcraft.

8: Painting of My Time – Floodlights

Melbourne band Floodlights burst onto my radar following their excellent support slot at Pavements’ Wollongong and Sydney shows earlier in the year. So impressed was I that I raced out and bought this album and caught their subsequent headline gig at Carriageworks in Redfern.

The album does not disappoint with it uniformly strong songs and the occasional should-have-been hits including Human, Lessons Learnt, the title track (all of which were released as singles) and Wide Open Land (which inexplicably was not).

I can’t wait to see what they do next and can only hope that it builds on the momentum so that they can break through and get the recognition they deserve.

9. The Returner – Allison Russell

Allison Russell’s stellar debut Outside Child ranked No.2 in my 2021 list of Best Albums (and perhaps, in hindsight, might have been worthy of No. 1).

While, not rising to the heights of her debut, Russell’s sophomore album shows a willingness to experiment and try new sounds and delivers a sprightly, upbeat series of soulful pop gems, without ever losing her individuality or sliding into pop cliches.

10: The Record – Boygenius

Following the success of their (very strong) 2018 EP, Julian Baker, Phoebe Bridgers and Lucy Dacus launched their debut LP from their supergroup ‘Boygenius’ to much acclaim reaching the upper reaches of the charts in several major geographies and a slew of Grammy award nominations including Album of the Year, Record of the Year (for Not Strong Enough) and Best Alternative Music Performance (for Cool About It).

The album is uniformly strong riding on the shared songwriting and vocal collaborations and a greater sense that this is a group effort. It even rocks out frequently.

The high points are on the songs where the three voices harmonise effortlessly recalling great collaborations like CSNY and The Hollies. Given the quality on display here, it is somewhat inexplicable that the album failed to enter the US Billboard Top 200. Unfortunately, some things never change.

Sharpie’s Album of the Year 2023

The Candle & The Flame – Robert Forster

Robert Forster is well known as, together with Grant McLennan, one of the founding members of The Go-Betweens. Together with Grant McLennan, he was responsible for some of the finest songs in Australian rock and pop. Forster specialised in literate, wry, lyricism dealing with often obscure topics from Lee Remick to Surfing Magazines and German Farmhouses. Those songs were, for the most part delivered with spritely jangling guitars which earnt the description of ‘that striped sunlight sound’.

Those well honed skills have served Forster well with the Go-Betweens, and onward through his solo career. But never have those skills been quite so critical to an album’s success than on his 2023 release ‘The Candle and The Flame’ – an album of ruminations on his wife Karin Baumler’s battle with cancer. Not since his solo debut Danger in the Past in 1990 has Forster delivered an album this focussed and compelling.

The topic of cancer could, in lesser hands, make for heavy going, but, infused with that striped sunlight sound, wry lyricism and with backing by family members Karin, son Louis and daughter Loretta (together with sometime Go-Between Adele Pickvance) these tracks are light, bright and uplifting while never skirting the realities of Baumler’s illness. It’s a masterful trick and one which elevates this album to a state of grace, hope, celebration and most compellingly a (sacharine-free) tribute to the power of love.

Opener, She’s a Fighter makes do with a mere 5 words (She’s a Fighter, Fighting for good). It was taped live with Forster, Karen, Louis and Loretta arranged in a circle playing this mantra over a propulsive tune similar to the great train songs beloved by blues players past and a neat finger picked riff which imbues the song with strength, determination and hope.

It’s followed by ‘Tender Years’, a reminisence on Forster’s relationship with Baumler through the years, which speaks to the depth of love and partnership fortified by shared experience, time and memory, together with fear that it may soon end:

‘I know it’s growing daily, lately I see how far we’ve come/I’m in a story with her, I know I can’t live without her/ I just can’t imagine one’.

It’s the best track on the album and the equal of anything Forster has written.

The other high point of the album comes on the first track of Side Two in the form of ‘I Don’t Do Drugs, I Do Time’ which melds memories, perspective and precious time into a joint declaration by Forster and Baume (sharing vocals) that, together they will make the most of every moment they have together: ‘I don’t do drugs, I do time/ Make it stop and rewind/ Reimagine, redefine/ Recondition, realign/ Reelected, not resigned/ I don’t do drugs/ Baby, I do time’.

That Forster has managed to make an album, dealing this honestly with his wife’s cancer, which is beautiful, joyous and uplifting is a minor miracle. That he’s done it as a family project brings an added depth, honesty and more than a little magic.

A collection of great re-releases in 2020

With independent records stores struggling from COVID lockdowns and a relative dearth of new music releases – with many artists holding releases back in the hope of touring them – the industry reacted with not one but a series of (mostly online) Record Store Days. Despite the sometimes bloated pricing of such releases taking fans for a rise. It’s a cause, I’m happy to get behind particularly in 2020.

Here’s a list of some of my favourite re-releases, archived releases, cover albums and tributes from 2020 (in no particular) order.

Lovey – Lemonheads

An absolutely brilliant package of my long time favourite Lemonheads album. It featured a hardcover book binding enclosing not only a new 20th anniversary vinyl pressing of Lovey (long unavailable) but also a bonus LP of a vibrant and typically ramshackle 1991 JJJ Live at the Wireless performance.

Archives Vol. II – Neil Young

Like Volume I, this is a sublime package of rare cuts, live and ‘lost’ albums. Like Volume I, it’s beautifully packaged and produced. Like Volume I, it annoyingly was preceded by many of the albums being released over the last couple of years, so by the time it was released, fans had already recently forked out for much of the content. Still, we needed to have it for the packaging and the deep cuts not available elsewhere.

Homegrown – Neil Young

Finally Young released his shelved personal follow up to his smash hit Harvest album. While not at the very top of Young’s cannon, it is a worthy addition to your collection.

Wildflowers & All the Rest – Tom Petty

A great (2014) remaster of Petty’s greatest solo album and of his his best releases overall spread over 2 vinyl LPs – plus a third LP of other studio tracks recorded during the sessions. Also available as a 7LP Deluxe edition with additional demos/outtakes and a live show from the Wildflowers Tour. I settled for the value 3 LP edition.

Gimme Some Truth – John Lennon (4LP Box Set)

Picks the eyes out of John Lennon’s, often inconsistent, solo albums. Arguably the best way to hear Lennon’s solo cannon – just the good stuff.

Long Hot Summers / The Story of the Style Council

Another terrific band whose output was often great and, in retrospect, groundbreaking – but which suffered from inconsistency when heard in the context of the individual albums. At the time, they also suffered from comparison of the vital The Jam albums which preceded them. This compilation, selected by the band itself, includes many extended versions which go deeper and represent better the bands vision. Essential. As the first vinyl run of the collection sold out in no time, I’ve had to make do with TIDAL until my back order arrives.

The Palace at 4am (Part 1) – Jay Bennett & Edward Burch

The 2002 Wilco Documentary ‘I Am Trying to Break Your Heart’ famously shows in graphic detail the breakdown of the band’s central partnership between Jeff Tweedy and Jay Bennett. We all know what happened next with Tweedy’s Wilco continuing to achieve great success. This album is what happened next for Jay Bennett. How I never managed to discover it before this 2020 RSD re-issue is perplexing. It’s a classic. If love great pop music, check it out.

Mental Notes/ Second Thoughts/ Dizrythmia – Split Enz

2020 saw the release of a 40th Anniversary`of Split Enz’s 1980 masterpiece True Colours, but what really excited me this year was the re-issues of their first three albums in glorious coloured vinyl editions with superbly curated gatefold sleeves. An overdue chance to revisit these wonderful art-pop albums which contain much to love beyond the recognisable ‘hits’.

Grandpa Would – Ben Lee

The story of Ben Lee’s discovery, as a 15 year old Aussie school kid by Sonic Youth’s Thurston Moore and signing to the Beatie Boys’ Uber cool Grand Royale record label is now legendary. Lee’s pairing with producer Brad Wood (hot off having produced Liz Phair’s classic debut Exile in Guyville) provided the perfect setting to capture a rare mix of innocence, raw talent and youthful exuberance and translate it to vinyl. This 25th anniversary set presents the resulting debut album on LP1 and further demo’s and outtakes on LP2. The second LP is interesting but the original LP remains a classic which captured a moment of creative synchronicity the heights of which Lee never recaptured.

drag – k.d. lang

This concept album of covers of songs loosely arranged around the theme of smoking presents k.d. lang’s skill as a vocalist and interpreter in fine relief. This 2020 RSD edition marks a welcome vinyl release of the album.

Sign of the Times – Prince

Prince’s definitive statement as a musician in a new remastered package. A masterpiece.

Please Leave Your Light On – Paul Kelly & Paul Grabowsky

Paul Kelly, one of Australia’s best songwriters, has always had a way with a piano ballad. His solo piano led renditions of a number of this songs as part of his famed A-Z Tours proved that beyond doubt. His paring here with Grabowsky, one of Australia’s finest jazz pianists and bandleaders is inspired (and given their previous connections, long overdue). A fantastic recasting of these classic songs.

Blonde on the Tracks – Emma Swift

Recording a whole album of Bob Dylan covers would hardly seem a natural choice for a young female songwriter from Australia – but relocated to Nashville – and with a reputation based largely on one excellent EP (Bittersweet). But so beguiling – and audacious – are these versions that it has thrust Swift into the spotlight. We can’t wait to see what she does next.

Truckload of Sky, The lost songs of David McComb Vol. 1 – by the friends of David McComb

I’m not generally a fan of multi-artist tribute albums. With a few exceptions, the majority are more miss than hit. Delivering either too faithful (but inferior) copies or reinterpreting them to lesser effect, or worse, losing the spirit of the original. That claim can’t be made here. Firstly because these are ‘lost’ songs written by David McComb but never released. Secondly, these are not just random bands with some label affiliation but a group of musicians who were friends and/or collaborators with McComb. They came to the project out of love and with an innate understanding of the McComb’s artistic spirit. It’s the embodiment of that spirit which makes this album a triumph and one of my favourite albums of the year in any category.

Sunday – Vika & Linda

Vika & Linda are national treasures whether as part of the Black Sorrows, accompanying Paul Kelly or on their own releases. This isolation recorded album of covers achieves an intimacy which suits the mostly gospel material.

Back To My Roots – Solomon Burke

Solomon Bourke is indisputably one of the soul greats. This RSD re-issue of his 1976 Chess outing is yet more proof of that fact. And the worth the money for the cover art alone.

Unreleased 1998 – 2010 – Powderfinger

As the name suggests, this collection of unreleased tracks spans the bands career and capture each of their many facets which made them one of the countries most popular bands. While it’s a little hit and miss, there are some real treasures here and it adds up to more than a mere curiosity.

Sharpie’s Favourite Live Albums of 2020

Idiot Prayer – Nick Cave Live at Alexandra Palace 2020

2020 was not a great year for live music thanks to Covid-19 BUT it was a great year for streamed live performances and, in the case of Nick Cave, a concert event filmed live in June 2020 at Alexandra Palace in London and streamed live to ticket holders prior to a worldwide cinema release. It was the apotheosis of the streamed concert a phenomenon which saw ‘real’ live-music-deprived concert geeks attending streamed gigs all over the world on their TVs. So thoroughly, and intimately, did Cave reinterpret his broad cannon, that this performance stands with the best live albums ever made and certainly my highlight of the year.

Live at Canterbury House 1967 – Joni Mitchell

Canterbury House was a vibrant community centre set in an old converted print shop in the university district of Ann Arbour Michigan. Its community centre, part coffee house part counselling centre, part performance space. In addition to hosting intimate alcohol free musical performances (for which it acoustics and state of the art sound system were perfect), it was also used for film nights, plays and church services.

With a capacity of only 200, and due to its ‘60’s community spirit, it was a special place for musicians seeking an intimate connection with their audience. It’s that spirit which pervades the music on this wonderful release of Joni Mitchell’s early career performance here on 27 October 1967.

Recorded prior to the release of Joni’s debut Song of the Seagull, the set list included a number of tracks from that album as well as early Mitchell penned songs which has already been hits for others and which would be subsequently released by her on later albums like ‘Both Sides Now’, ‘Urge for Going’ and Little Green’.

For fans of Joni Mitchell this is an indispensable glimpse of her early genius as she started her journey which would be era diving and create a body of work the equal of any other artist from that time.

Live Drugs – War on Drugs

I had the pleasure of seeing War On Drugs live at Sydney’s Enmore Theatre in 2018. So warn, entrancing and insistent was the enveloping sound of Grandulciel’s band that it rendered the band’s name oxymoronic. The music enveloped us all in its warm narcotic grip. This live album can’t quite match that intensity but delivers the band’s sound and greatest compositions so naturally that it allows their beauty to shimmer in a way the wonderful studio version never quite do.

Live at the Forum – The Teskey Brothers

When Josh Teskey, part way through this live album, breaks into a cover of Jealous Guy and admits it is influenced more by the Donny Hathaway live version than the Lennon original, we are reminded that Melbourne’s Teskey Brothers are the real deal. They have lived and inhabited the music that they have grown up with and loved and coupled it with their own distinct songwriting and brother Sam’s excellent guitar work to win fans around the world festival circuit. While that is in hiatus, we can comfort ourselves on this live album which is redolent of the great live discs of sound music, Otis Redding, Bill Withers and Hathaway, without ever feeling like a mere tribute.

The Complete Inconserated Live – The Replacements

Recorded in Milwaukee in 1989, following the release of Don’t Tell A Soul (the 2019 release of the original mix of which – as Dead Mans Bop – was the highlight of of last year’s re-release schedule). This 2020 live RSD release contains all 29 songs from that performance (a shortened version was included with the Dead Man’s Bop set). The Replacements were a famously unpredictable live proposition but both this set and the previous Replacements For Sale catch them at their incendiary best – constantly courting the shambolic edge of oblivion but never descending into the chasm – an ability which made them, on their best nights, amongst the set live acts around (and got them banned for life from NBC shortly prior to this performance). As a huge fan during the late ‘80’s, it was a dream to catch them live at the Roundhouse in London at the tail of their 2015 live run. It’s great to now have two live albums available in full to remember them by.

Galaxie 500 – Live at Barbue Copenhagen Dec 1st 1990

Another RSD live release by one of my favourite bands. Hard to get a hold of – and, like many RSD releases, overpriced – but worth it. Galaxie 500 at their short lived peak. First time available on vinyl.

Kiss My Blood – Iggy Pop Live at The Olympia Paris France 1991

An RSD 3LP set recorded as part of the Brick To Brick Tour. Contains all the tracks you know and love him for performed with just the right mix of professionalism and intensity. Comes with a limited edition numbered tour poster too.

Live at Goose Lake August 8th, 1970 – The Stooges

Everything you’ve heard. About this gig is true. Raw, shambolic, incendiary, punk which pushes it all the way to the edge – and over. The soundboard recording only enhances the legend.

The Allman Brothers – Live a Fillmore West 1-31-71

Allman Brothers. 1971. No need to say more.

Live at the Hollywood Palladium December 15, 1988 – Keith Richards and the X-pensive Winos

An old favourite I’ve owned for years on CD finally re-issued on vinyl. The definition of swagger.

Sharpie’s Favourite Albums of 2020

A personal selection by a music fan who has admittedly failed to listen to every album released in 2020 and has his own preferences and predilections

Rough & Rowdy Ways – Bob Dylan

Suddenly, out of nowhere, Dylan dropped, without warning, just as COVID-19 was announcing its presence, his epic new single Murder Most Foul. The track, clocking in just shy of 17 minutes, picked the eyes out of institutions, politics and pop culture centreing on the assassination of JFK. It was a major artistic statement which Dylan had reportedly been working on for over a decade. If that was all he had done in 2020, it would have been sufficient to confirm his presence as a relevant and vital artist (if 2012’s Tempest had not made that clear enough). Dylan, however, followed it with I Contain Multitudes and then the album Rough & Rowdy Ways to seal the deal. R&RW was not merely an unexpectedly resurgent artistic statement but a reassertion of Dylan’s status as an artist still in touch with his muse and still relevant almost 60 years after he first burst from New York’s folk bars and coffee shops to become the defining voice of the ‘60’s. It was the standout album of 2020.

2. Song for Our Daughter – Laura Marling

I saw Laura Marling play live at the Sydney Opera House on 7 March 2020. Little would I know that it would be the second last show I would see in the next 9 months. The crowd present showed great appreciation for the strong new songs interspersed throughout the evening – some of them being played live for the first time. The album, when it arrived, did not disappoint. Perhaps Marling’s defining statement and certainly the equal of her impressive catalogue.

3. Letter to You – Bruce Springsteen

Not even the surprisingly strong, if overproduced, Western Stars (or its superior movie soundtrack recorded live in Springteen’s converted barn which now serves as his studio) prepared us for the Boss’ resurgence with Letter To You. Anchored by a selection of older songs, and billed as a letter of thanks to his fans, Letter To You contained echoes of his classic albums accompanied by the finely honed musicality of the E Street Band. Arguably his best since the under-rated Devils & Dust

4. The Prisoner – Phoebe Bridges

A fuller, more complete, artistic statement which built upon the promise of her debut.

5. Hey Clockface – Elvis Costello

A sprawling tour-de-force displaying the full range of Costello’s talents but (somehow) coalescing into a complete and congruous artistic statement.

6. Good Souls, Better Angels – Lucinda Williams

Ms Williams channels her righteous anger at external targets (principally Trump) rather than her usual introspection, and hits a bulls-eye perfectly suited to 2020.

7. Reunions – Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit

Isbell continues to mine his talent for stories of peoples, places, struggles and redemption. The 400 Unit continues to back those songs with exceptional playing rivalled only by that of the Springsteen’s E-Street Band. If Dave Cobb’s too slick production (which appears designed to take Isbell to the next level) distracts from the honesty of Isbell’s songs, its a minor quibble and the songs, most notably ‘Only Children’ and ‘St Peter’s Autograph’, continue to shine through.

8. You Be the Lightning – Tracey McNeil & the Goodlife

2020 was supposed to be the year for Tracey who gave up her lease to hit the road in a van with her partner in life and music Dan Parsons to support the long awaited release of this album. The music lived up to its promise but the timing was crueller by COVID-19. It deserves wider recognition.

9. In and Out of the Light – The Apartments

Another fine addition to the all too infrequent – but uniformly excellent – catalogue of this fine band. Thoughtful, literate, chamber-pop doesn’t get better than this. Underpinned by Peter Milton Walsh’s sonorous languid vocals and superior songwriting ably supported by his fine band including Chris Abrahams’ (The Necks) elegant piano flourishes and Nick Allum’s haunting drums and percussion.

10. World on the Ground – Sarah Jarosz

Another fine country/Americana album from a hugely talented singer and songwriter. With the help of Jon Leventhal, Jarosz has taken a marked step forward with both songwriting and performance on this album.

The next 10…

11. Lightning Show Is Your Stuff – Grant Lee Phillips

12. Blue Hearts – Bob Mould

13. By The Fire – Thurston More

14. Taylor Swift – folklore

15. Walking Proof – Lilly Hiatt

16. A Hero’s Death – Fontaine’s DC

17. Old Flowers – Courtenay Marie Andrews

18. Hermitage – Ron Sexsmith

19. Summerlong – Rose City Band

20. Waxahatchee – Saint Cloud

Sharpie’s Favourite Albums 2018

2018 has just come to a close, so it’s time to reflect on the year that’s been. Here’s my rundown of MY ten favourite albums of 2018.

2018 was the year where I got back into vinyl (thanks Taine for the hardware). In many of these albums, the vinyl has helped bring out feel and layers of the music which was missing from my early listens on Spotify and even from the CD versions. It’s also disciplined my listening, urging me to stop other things and just listen to the music – devoting my full attention.

2018 was a brilliant year stacked full of great albums from old favourites and a few new discoveries.

This list is not a list of ‘best’ albums just those that rang my bell. There are a number which just missed out which sat up there all year. Some of those that just missed the cut may be ‘better’ as in more original, newer or more inventive but these are the albums that I just wanted to listen to over and over.

1. Vanished Gardens – Charles Lloyd & the Marvels with Lucinda Williams

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Charles Lloyd and the Marvels’ Vanished Gardens intersperses jazzy country flavoured instrumentals with four Lucinda Williams vocals. The version of Ventura in particular surpasses the (very fine) original thanks to Lloyd’s saxophone lines which weave around Williams’ typically languid vocals. The production and the fine playing by all involved – including the dream combination of Bill Frisell on guitar and Greg Leisz on pedal steel and dobro – is utterly entrancing throughout the many fine compositions. My most played album of 2018. It sounds amazing on vinyl.

2. Heaven & Earth – Kamasi Washington

Kamasi Washington- Heaven and Earth

Kamasi Washington’s beguiling ‘Epic’ topped my list on release in 2016. Heaven & Earth is his second Masterpiece. The 2 CD/4LP work is arranged into two halves, the first “Earth’ traces the protagonist’s journey on earth from young firebrand (‘Fists of Fury’ – a version of the title track from the Bruce Lee film) through realisation and ultimately a form of wisdom and acceptance. ‘One on One’, the final track of the Earth half features a thematic ascension rendered by increasingly exuberant playing matched by swirling, uplifting choral voices. The second half ‘Heaven’ continues that journey with the music increasingly moving into the celestial realm culminating in the joyous ‘Will You Sing’. Concept albums can be vexed but not this one, Washington’s great accomplishment is to present this explorative journey in a manner which seems natural and unforced subtly integrating the individual tracks into a thematic whole not unlike an opera or symphony. Masterful.

3. Woman Gotta Cry – Yolanda Ingley II

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In what has been an excellent year for local ‘Americana’ music Yolanda Ingley II’s ‘Woman Got To Cry’ stood out from the pack coming on like a lost 60’s folk/soul classic. The production by Sam Teskey and the crack band they’ve assembled at his Half Mile Harvest studio in Melbourne – including Teskey’s own intuitive guitar work – make the most of Ingley’s immense songwriting talents and engaging vocals. If you told me each of these wonderful songs were lost classics taken from the Great American Songbook I would have believed you.

4. The Crossing – Alejandro Escovedo

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Escovedo has been making great records, largely under the radar of commercial success for many years. He rarely disappoints. The Crossing is a new highlight (and possibly benchmark) of that illustrious recording career. It captures Escovedo’s chosen oeuvre – down at heel explorations of dusty towns, moral foibles and seductive women – in the vivid, cinematic monochrome of a concept album in which two immigrants meet in Galveston, Texas and begin their journey of discovery finding ‘an America that no longer existed’.

5. True Meanings – Paul Weller

True Meaning is yet another highlight of Paul Weller’s already illustrious solo career. The uniform quality of the songs and gentle dynamic interplay between voice, guitar, keyboards and lush (but not overplayed) intertwined strings adds up to one of my favourites of the year. The album renders 14 pieces of stunning consistency into a compelling collection which grabs attention from the opening side and never flags or repeats itself overs its course. The cover art work features Weller’s black clad image holding a cigarette and staring in contemplation and reflection while seated on a lush vintage teal velvet chair. It’s a shot which conveys a mix of age, style, poise and control which sums up the album perfectly.

6. No Mercy In This Land – Ben Harper & Charlie Musselwhite

This second collaboration between Harper and renowned harpist and blues legend Charlie Musselwhite is a resounding success. The two seem immediately more familiar than the first time around working with a nuanced understanding of each other’s musicianship. Meanwhile Harper brings to the table some of his finest writing dropping at frequent intervals a beguiling turn of phrase – try these: ‘I found hay in a stack of needles’ (from ‘Found The One’); or ‘Come close you’ll see the red/ Of a well bitten tongue’ (form ‘No Mercy In This Land’) or ‘You practice law without a license/ Psychology too/ But your PHD is in giving me the blues’ and ‘ You get away with murder/ You got a way with words’ (both from ‘Movin’ On’). Great writing and great performances all around. Same goes for their excellent show at the Sydney Opera House.

7. Between Two Shores – Glen Hansard

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Glen Hansard’s solo material continues to go from strength to strength with Between Two Shores, his follow up to 2016’s Doesn’t He Ramble. From the slow burn opener Roll on Slow to the straight ahead rock out of Wheel’s On Fire, the pensive Setting Out right through to the final denouement of the final two tracks of resignation and renewal – You’re Heart’s Not In It’ and ‘Time Will Be The Healer’ – each of which is as good as anything Hansard has previously done in any guise.

8. Hope Downs – Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever

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Expectations on Rolling Blackouts CF were high following two excellent EPs. Their first long player does not disappoint. It continues, and develops, the strengths shown on those EPs – the urgency, the chiming guitars, the impressionistic half-spoken vocals. Sure, it’s been done before (by the likes of the R.E.M., the Db’s and particularly the Go-Betweens) but when it’s done this well I’m not about to complain.

9. Running – Ryan Downey

Downey is a Melbourne based singer songwriter who burst onto the scene (for me at least) with this solo debut. From the opening cohenesque title track (I dare you to find a sexier slinkier song this side of Hotel Chelsea No.2) to ‘Those Eyes That Answer’, ‘The Weather Song’ and final track ‘The End’. Just consistently great.

10. The War & Treaty

A glorious fusion of gospel, funk, soul and rock featuring husband and wife team Michael and Tanya Trotter trading vocal lines over a bed of acoustic guitar, lap steel and driving bass. All of which acts in the service of Michael’s consistently excellent compositions. It’s joyous, groovy and fun. Brilliantly produced by Buddy Miller and featuring a guest appearance by Emmylou Harris. I can’t wait to catch these guys at Bluesfest next year.

Bluesfest 2018 – Friday 30 March

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Citizen Cope

Day 2 starts with Citizen Cope in the Jambalaya tent. Thanks to a welcome sleep in and an invigorating swim at Wategos Beach, we arrive a little late to the show which is an enjoyable folk soul blend grounded by solid songs and engaging performances from lead man Clarence Greenwood and, especially, the keyboardist who was clearly enjoying every moment, shooting satisfied glances to the drummer. The enjoyment was contagious.

Little Georgia (part)

We wander across to the adjacent Crossroads stage (where we will end up spending the whole evening) stopping to grab a beer from the craft beer tent. A welcome addition to the Festival which has suffered in the past from Toohey’s longstanding corporate deal and a selection of mostly characterless beers (TED and Heineken). So it’s fabulous to have access to the likes of White Rabbit and Little Creatures, as well as local Byron Bay Brewing on tap.

So, armed with our craft beers (mine’s a White Rabbit Dark Ale), we head into Little Georgia, chosen from a positive quote from Bernard Zuel on the Bluesfest app. The band is comprised of Ashleigh Mannix and Justin Carter who share vocal and guitar duties. The songs are endearing country folk with a pop edge. For mine, Mannix’s voice is a bit grating, especially when she tries for the big festival moment, but Carter’s guitar, mandolin, blues harp and relaxed vocals make him the clear star of the show.

Teskey Brothers

Next up were the Teskey Brothers back at the Jambalaya tent. I’d managed to catch a small record launch gig about a year ago at Mojo Records in the city and knew what to expect. And, despite the absence of bass player Brendan Love (‘over in the sick tent’), the Teskey Brothers deliver.

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Josh Teskey’s sweet soulful voice is a wonderful instrument which immediately defines the band’s sweet southern soul blues at moments crooning, testifying and, even scatting. But the Teskey’s are far more than one one trick-pony, this is a band in the true sense comprised of way the whole band gel together is remarkable, born of 10 years of playing together (somewhat under the radar until the last year or so).

Brother Sam’s guitar work is soulfully elegant, underpinning the powerful strains which the band combines to create a slow build which consistently promises to break loose before pulling back again at just the right moment until…it doesn’t. By the time the band really go for it, in the extended outro to the final song of the set, the tension has built to a level adding a powerful sense of relief and euphoria. Not bad for an afternoon slot – and they’ll be even better on Sunday when Love rejoins them on stage.

Andy Cimone (part)

We caught the end of Andre Cimone, former school friend and band member of Prince. You can see the connection in the confident (arrogant) pimp on-stage persona complete with leather vest, pink Helton hat and sunglasses. You can also hear it in the Minneapolis pop-funk of the music. What you can’t hear is genius.

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To complete the Prince double-play, Hartz is billed as having been personally invited by Prince to come to Paisley Park where he received mentoring by the Purple One. Again it shows in the brash showmanship including a backdrop featuring ‘‘hartz’ written, like an autograph, in his signature font (all lower case). Again, while Prince’s genius (almost) made his ego forgiveable, its harder to take from this young upstart. He may be playing the Mojo tent at Bluesfest but his bravado is turned up to Glastonbury levels. That being said he is working hard to justify it and his songwriting and guitar makes it easy to see why he got that invitation. Worth checking out for a few songs but not the reincarnation.

Hurray For The Riff Raff

Hurray For The Riff Raff is the artistic vehicle for intriguing singer-songwriter Alynda Lee Segarra. For once, the back-story is not just a matter of marketing spin. Seeing her live on stage you can immediately recognise where this singular artist is coming from. It’s there in her unforced sneer, the way she works the stage with an urgent, yet pensive, force and in the anger and defiance of the songs, mostly coming from her 2017 concept album, ‘The Navigator’.

That album represented an artistic u-turn for Segarra whose 2014 release ‘Small Town Heroes’ was a standout Appalachian folk album with enough power and attitude that it could have been subtitled ‘O Sister Where Art Thou?’. Today’s HFTRR is a new beast and one that showcases her always powerful voice with a tougher, more muscular, musical vision infused with rock & roll swagger, liberal dashes of her Puerta Rican heritage and riot grrl attitude.

What we witness on stage is the performance of a singular artist with an unrelenting vision which is heartfelt, passionate and not afraid to be somewhat prickly. The music seems to be oozing from her core rather than merely being ‘performed’.

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When she launches a bitter attack on Trump’s USA, this is not on-trend value signalling, its a visceral and urgent call to arms aimed at an apathetic public (and music business):

‘Now all the politicians/ They just squawk their mouths/ They say ‘We’ll build a wall to keep them out/ And all the poets were dying of a silent disease/ So it happened quickly and with much ease.’

Her unreleased ‘Kid’s Are Dying’ which she introduces with a tribute to a small artistic community which is speaking out (and which is based on a poem by poet Langston Hughes), is a brutal assault on both US racial culture and apathy in the face of repeated deaths of young children of racial minorities.

The set is brought to a crescendo with that track and her breakout track ‘Living in the City’ an uncompromising violent tale of a young female immigrant in New York (“Oh, I’ll take you to the stairwell/ And give you something I can offer/ You know the heart is not the hopeless/The heart is a lonely hunter’) and the positivity of her uplifting, anthemic, ‘Pa’lante’ (which means moving forward).

Then, as if in recognition of the intensity of the the set, she sends us away with a tension relieving re-casting of Springsteen’s ‘Dancing in the Dark’. Even then, Segarra can’t help adding one last barb noting that Springteen’s ‘The only Boss I answer to.’

Juanes (part)

We head over to the Crossroads tent, grabbing a reinvigorating double macchiato from the Bun Byron Bay coffee tent, before moving down towards the front. Juanes is captivating with his up-tempo Latin soul, poster boy good looks and a rare on-stage charisma. We can see why he’s such a big star and would have liked to have enjoyed more but such is the nature of Bluesfest – even with multiple slots for most artists, there are some which will run into conflicts.

As the crowd begins to exit, we move forward to grab a front row position which will see us through for the remainder of the night (excepting the $300 per night interlopers who reflect a flagrant money grab at odds with the festival spirit – a fairly rare misstep by Noble). Still, the philosophical will reason that the view is still uninterrupted (most of the front rows are seated and with a gap from the rest of the audience) and the sound is actually better a little further back from those front speakers.

Youssou N’dour

Youssou N’dour will start our evening triple-bill off in high style at 6.30pm. He’s billed on the Festival app as ‘the most famous singer alive’ and for his collaborations with Paul Simon and Nenah Cherry. I remember being captivated by his voice on those ‘cross-over’ recordings but, to my detriment, never followed up to discover more. Still festivals are a great time to make up for those omissions and to discover music and genres which you might not have taken the time to explore at home in the comfort of your own home and album collection.

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From the outset, Ndour and his band are spellbinding, his tenor voice a nimble instrument of beauty, warmth and dexterity. The songs are mostly mostly written in the Serer language native to Senegal where Ndour is credited as establishing the modern form of the traditional Senegalese musical style known as mbalax. That he currently serves as the Minister of Culture is reflective of the importance of art and culture to the Senegalese nation (compare Mitch Fifield, Australia’s Minister for Arts a career politician and son of two bankers).

275B8C57-AC1F-4F40-8B1C-64D71CDB657A N’Dour’s talented 12 piece band (Le Super Etoile de Dakar) comprises three percussionists (including Assange Thiam’s expressive tama) which are, perhaps the most prominent musical element, as well as strong backing vocals and guitarist Jimi Mbaye whose intuitive guitar lines weaves through the music subtly providing a melodic backbone which was never showy or obtrusive (even as Mbaye’s physical presence dominated the stage).

Also taking turns at dominating the stage at regular intervals was acrobat Moussa Sonko whose wild leaping and somersaulting dances in bright loose costumes add a comedic festival vibe to fill the tent. Though, whether they add to the fun or distracted from the beauty of the band and N’Dour’s musical performance is a matter of personal preference.

While it was the big collaborations ‘You Can Call Me Al’ and ‘7 Seconds’ which really got the crowd going, the spirit of the music and N’Dour’s sweet vocal dexterity had the crowd mesmerised for the entire 90 minute set, earning the respect and admiration of all those around me.

Jimmy Cliff

Jimmy Cliff is another staple on the festival circuit having appeared at least a couple of time previously. Despite that I’ve never caught more than a few passing strains taking a short between set coffee break behind the Crossroads tent. Tonight I see his set up front and centre. It’s fun, upbeat and engages the crowd with well known originals ‘You Can Get It If You Really Want’, ‘Vietnam’ and, especially, covers like Johnny Nash’s ‘I can See Clearly Now’ and Cat Steven’s ‘Wild World’.

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Enjoyable though it is, Cliff’s voice is not that great, the band solid but not in the class of some others on the programme and the rocksteady reggae lite arrangements were always a pale shadow of the likes of Marley. Ultimately, the set remains for me just a brief interlude between two other great festival sets.

Robert Plant & the Sensational Spaceshifters

There’s not much movement in the front ten or so rows between sets as, positions established, we sat, backs to the barricade, and waited for Plant’s arrival as the sound check took place behind us. When he arrived, Plant did not disappoint. He remains the consummate rock icon, commanding the stage, and steering his multi-faceted band, with the demeanour of a spiritual Svengali – which is to say relaxed but with a quietly intense focus.

For those looking for a pumped up run-through of Zeppelin’s greatest hits, sorry, but that was never on the agenda. But for those tuned into Plant’s recent work with The Sensational Spaceshifters the rewards are plentiful, if a little more mysterious.

They’re delivered in a perfectly judged mix of Plant’s recent solo material (The New World’s slow burn intensity, The May Queen’s brilliant interplay between guitar and Seth Lakeman’s violin and the percussion heavy Rainbow), traditional roots music (Leadbelly’s ‘The Gallows Pole’, Little Maggie), well chosen covers (Please Read the Letter from Plant’s collaboration with Alison Kraus, Bukka White’s ‘Fixing to Die’) and a smattering of, relatively lesser known, Zeppelin tracks (The Lemon Song and That’s The Way).

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The highlight though was an extended version Zeppelin’s Joan Baez cover ‘Babe, I’m Gonna Leave You’ with guitarists Justin Adams and Liam “Skin” Tyson exchanging lead solos and, particularly, the latter’s spotlit acoustic solo.

The performance’s major rewards came from the band’s rhythmic force and snaking instrumental interplay through which Plant’s still incendiary vocals ebbed and flowed, emerging like a ship from the fog only to be enveloped again by the music. It was a masterful performance from Plant and a band which, earning its name, was certainly sensational and constantly shifting both shape and space. Violinist Seth Lakeman fitted right in with the band so seamlessly, further broadening the textures, that it is hard to believe that he is not a fully fledged Spaceshifter.

By the time the set reached its end with a crowd-pleasing workout of ‘Whole Lotta Love’, those gathered had ceased expecting, or even craving, the big Zeppelin hits. Even then, as Plant unleashed their biggest anthem, he couldn’t resist weaving it through both ‘Bring It On Home’ and the traditional ‘Santiana’. He’s earned that right.

Prisoner – Ryan Adams

ryan-adams-prisoner-cover-crop-1480x832 The word Prisoner is capable of evoking two potential emotional responses. To some, it may connote a wild dangerous criminal, barely contained, capable of escaping at any moment and seething with murderous intent. To others, the piteous figure of a man, spirit broken, securely confined to a small, well defined, box. On listening to Ryan Adams’ new album it is instantly apparent that he meant its title in the second sense. Post release interviews given by Ryan confirm that:

“What’s more heartbreaking than any single event in life is the realization that every human being is trapped in a quest for love, trying to navigate a maze of desire. That’s what this record is about. Nobody falls in love to fail.”

To an extent that is a positive thing. This is a collection of painful piteous songs delving deep into the desperate self-assessment that comes with the end of a relationship. A marriage even.

And make no mistake, Adams is often at his best in this territory. ‘Amy’ from his solo debut remains a difficult but wonderfully rewarding listen (and a song that Adams himself refuses to play live such are the emotions attached). And his subsequent albums have equally been scattered with gems of this ilk from the desolate ’Sylvia Plath’ and ‘Afraid Not Scared’ to the exquisite ‘Burning Photographs’ and the tender ‘I Love You But I Don’t Know What To Say’. Indeed Adams wrote, what is perhaps one of the most devastating ‘break-up’ song ever – ‘This One’s Gonna Bruise’ which was released by Beth Orton on her 2002 Daybreaker album.

Prisoner contains a number of sharply observed and quietly desperate tracks which, in a songwriting sense, sit right up there with some of those tracks – ‘To Be Without You’, ’Tightrope’ and the album’s central highlight ‘Shiver And Shake’’ featuring the lines:

‘My chest is all tight, my heart still aches/ These are the days you need double what it takes/ I miss you so much I shiver and I shake’.

The rest of the tracks too are uniformly strong (with the exception of Haunted House which comes off as a lesser Ryan-Adams by-numbers track). But somehow these tracks – as solid as they are – suffer by comparison. They largely cover the same emotional territory but to lesser effect. Not quite as sharply written. Not quite as evocative or visceral. Not quite managing the light touch of the above tracks.

These songs tend to feature bigger production as if trying to provide a counterpoint but somehow they don’t take sufficient flight and end up weighing the album down rather than providing the variety and lift needed to balance the album. Only the Springsteen-esque ramble of ‘Outbound Train’ comes close to adding the required respite.

It’s as if Adams knew he had a great batch of songs and was determined to craft them into a perfect, cohesive album. It’s artfully constructed – a tasteful guitar solo here, a harmonica part there – all played by Ryan himself and precise drumming throughout by Johnny T Yerington.

It’s here that the album comes to resemble the titular prisoner as a ‘man in a box’ in a less positive sense. What the album needs is a bit more of that other prisoner, the dangerous one. The one tugging on his shackles. The album needs a bit of the tension created by the thought that Adams might break-out at any moment and burn the whole thing down.

This might all sound churlish coming from someone who once accused Adams of needing an editor – someone to give him more focus. With recent albums Adams has delivered the focus but here seems to have lost something in the process. I’d love to see how Prisoner might have turned out like with a producer like Ethan Johns (who produced 2005’s under-rated ’29’) or John Porter (who co-produced, with Adams, what to these ears was his masterpiece 2004’s ‘Love is Hell’). Or perhaps even a producer like Jack White who might have brought a little of that danger to proceedings.

On the whole, this is a fine album. Adams is too good a songwriter and player to produce anything less. But with the quality of the songs it could have been more. It could have been more than another very good addition to his discography. It could have been his second masterpiece.

Willow Springs – Michael McDermott

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Willow Springs kicks off with the title track, a dense, ambitious and poetic composition featuring some 25 verses which cut to the quick. It’s a stunning attention-grabber with the decidedly Dylanesque structure and quick fire array of imagery: “Pimps and pushers, presidents/The paupers preach the tenements/ The cowboy’s code, the whore laments/The coming judgment day”.

It introduces perfectly each of the themes which remain at the heart of the album over its whole course: ‘dreams undone’, days spent wandering ‘through the wasteland’, ‘squandered salvation‘ and, ultimately, the redemptive power of love.

If nothing else on the album quite matches it for sheer audacity, that’s a relief. The album is stronger for its diversity which allows the full range of McDermott’s songwriting talent to shine through in songs about cars, war and love in its various guises.

The marvel of this release lies in the the depth and authenticity of the songwriting which, while not strictly autobiographical, reflects McDermott’s own backstory. Bursting on to the US music scene in 1991 with his debut album, McDermott was quickly compared to Springsteen and Dylan by a fawning music press and celebrity fans. He subsequently hit harder times – believing the hype, living the rock ‘n’ roll life, dabbling in drugs and alcohol, losing his record contract and even spending a stint in jail. Slowly but surely he ground his way back through a series of increasingly accomplished self-released albums, the support of his wife and bandmate Heather Horton and the birth of his baby daughter (to whom the track ‘Willie Rain’ is dedicated – and whose ‘I love you Daddy’ features in it). Willow Springs completes that journey and stands as his defining statement.

Despite the evident quality of the songwriting and the lyrical themes, dwelling on the aforementioned Dylan and Springsteen comparisons would do McDermott a disservice. He has a commanding voice of his own. Perhaps other contemporary artists such as Jason Isbell, John Murry, Simone Felice or Matthew Ryan provide a fairer and more relevant touchstone. Willow Springs cements McDermott’s place in that company.

Great music leaves scars

What defines a great artist?

Is it synchronicity – being in the right place at the right time, being in and of the moment, seizing the zeitgeist? Or is that altogether too fleeting to define greatness? Does greatness require longevity? Perhaps a great artist must build a great body of work – one which surpasses fashion or trend. Is consistency a necessary – or even desirable – ingredient?

Popularity is probably not a good measure. Many far from great artists have attained popularity, while many great artists never rise above cloistered critical respect among devotees.

Innovation is surely a factor – the ability to bring something new and fresh to the table and to influence others in a way which contributes to the continued evolution of the popular music form.

There is no accounting for taste. Music is inherently subjective. The definition of greatness is intrinsically ephemeral. All my favourite artists have a combination of some or all of the above attributes.

Ultimately, for me (and, from my observation, others who are as passionate about their music as I am) the only compelling ‘must have’ is soul. The ability to not just move the body but to emotionally connect with the listener at a deeper level. It is that soul – or truth – that anchors all great music, surpassing fancy or whim and hitting you where it hurts.

Music that connects with you on that level leaves a scar. It becomes part of your reality – your being, your future and your past. It inspires you to dream, to reach higher. It helps you deal with sadness or loss. It elevates you, plugs you into something vibrant, beyond the paint by number dreams of everyday life. Listening to such a song years after you first heard it can provide a bridge to your past, associations of where you were, who you were with and what you were feeling when it first made that connection with you. The ability to create music which affects others on that level is great artistry. That, is soul.

This blog is dedicated to great music, the artists who make it and the enthusiasts who, like me, have been scarred by it.