Best Albums of 2013

[Gerry D]

Lay it on the line. Expose yourself.
Anybody interested in nominating their 10 best releases is 2013, for starters, with a brief critique of each album ?
To help spread the good word on new music for folk.
Any genre, any medium - music that turns you on in one way or another.
I'll do mine very soon. Just a bit otherwise occupied now.
Cheers,
Gerry of a Friday.

[michaelg]

Recent cd purchases I'm really enjoying at the moment, some may be 2014 sorry

Derrick Hodge - Live Today
Yasmine Hamdan - Ya Nass
Boz Scaggs - Memphis
Gregory Porter - Liquid spirit
Nir Felder - The Golden Age

[Sloop John B]

2 stand out for me from 2013.

Monoswezi - the village.

Review from observer eloquently describes it

Though at opposite ends of the earth, Norway and Mozambique fuse fascinatingly in this outfit assembled by Norwegian reeds player Hallvard Godal after time spent down south. Their approach is minimalist, with the looping lines of mbira (thumb piano) mixed with stalking jazz bass, assorted percussion and bells. The songs are traditional, given life by the supple, at times spectacular vocals of Zimbabwe's Hope Masike (who also plays mbira), while Godal's tenor sax and clarinet supply twisting melody lines. The resultant soundscapes stretch invitingly on tracks such as the lilting Hondo, while Kalahari summons up an appropriately threatening desert atmosphere. Classy stuff.

Stunning stuff and it sounds great too.

John Grant - Pale Green Ghosts.

Superb set of synth based songs, raw, rude but eloquent also. Some wonderful backing vocals from Sinead O'Connor. Again no sonic nasties here, sounds great.


SJB

[Gerry D]

This is tough. Hard to whittle down to only 10.
Here's a couple of my favourite 10 of 2013. In no particular order:

Jason Isbell - Southeastern.
Beautiful, heartbreaking American ballads. A beautiful recording too.

Lianne Carroll - Ballads.
Stunning vocalist working standards.

Haim - Days are Gone
Perfect pop IMHO

Stephan Matthieu & David Sylvian - Wandermude
Atmospheric electronica

Carla Bley, Andy Sheppard & Steve Swallow - Trios
Masterful Jazz

5 down, 5 to go ...