REVIEW OF 2011

Strictly speaking, not a review at all. Just a precis of my top records of the year, and a playlist of songs mostly from this year, compiled by my wife, friend Alex and myself, and played over pizza and wine on Wednesday night.

Top 15 albums of 2011 first:

1/ Kurt Vile, Smoke rings for my halo
2/ James Blake
3/ Rustie, Glass swords
4/ Burial, Street halo (ep)
5/ Tim Hecker, Ravdeath 1972
6/ Oneohtrix Point Never, Replica
7/ Toro y moi, Underneath the pine
8/ Wiley, 100% publishing
9/ Metronomy, The English riviera
10/ Radiohead, The king of limbs
11/ Ford & Lopatin, Channel pressure
12/ Kate Bush, 50 words for snow
13/ Gang gang Dance, Eye contact
14/ kode9 & Spaceape, Black sun
15/ Paul Simon, So beautiful or so what

Honorable mention: the CD which came free with the festive edition of Homeless Diamonds (St Mungo's magazine of poetry and paintings, itself free).

I suspect some of the ordering from 10 onwards could do with some tinkering; Gang Gang Dance may be in there purely on the strength of "Glass jar".

No place for Battles or James Ferraro - haven't really heard the former, and came to the latter too late in the year. Reissues of the year: Beach Boys' Smile and Harald Grosskopf's Synthesist. Disappointments: Kate Bush, Panda Bear, Gang of Four (the worst album I heard all year).

That'll do!

Now for our 2011 playlist (not sure how Glen Campbell slipped in there ... guess just because I love that song):





































merry Christmas!