Has this year actually finished up already? Ignoring everything that happened for good and for ill out in the greater world, it has been a crazy musical ride – so many fantastic albums, so many amazing songs. Too many, in fact, as the lists below will reveal – there are gaps, oh goodness there are gaps, and that just reflects on the endless tide of music that comes our way, so much that it overwhelms. Albums by favourite artists get purchased and then receive a cursory listen, albums by new artists arrive for review and are so good that they get played to death. There’s been the regular flow of albums to review and with the emergence of Folk Roundup (which will return in the New Year – it’s just been too busy for one in the last month) there has been an extra stream of excellence to tap into.
But, truth to tell, what 2024 really brought was great gig after great gig in such profusion that choices had to be made as to where to be on a given night when two or three top artists were all on at different venues all within reasonable travel distance. And that phrase “wow – gig of the year!” occurring on more than one occasion. A year when Bob Dylan’s Royal Albert Hall appearance wouldn’t make the Top 10 gigs of the year is something to note – I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, but there really is no reason to mourn not having seen the greats of the past – because the greats of today are truly magnificent – there’s really no need to wallow in just the old and familiar (and equally well, no need to ignore the old and familiar either). The Americana Music Association UK’s two nights of showcases had many highs, but Lizzie No and Margo Cilker were two of the highest, Kyle McKearney was a hoot – whisper it but it’d have been worth just staying in Moth Club both nights for the Canadian showcases. But that would have meant missing Steve Wallis…it’s always a fun event to kick start the year. It was quite the Paisley Underground year as well – with gigs from Dan Stuart, The Long Ryders and – wow! – Rain Parade. Steve Wynn chipped in a memoir and a new album. On the folkier side it’s always great to catch Andy Irvine, and Bella Fleck was extraordinary at Cadogan Hall.
When it come to albums there were so many favourites, ‘Keeper of the Shepherd’ by Hannah Frances was a poetic rumination on death, Steve Wynn‘s ‘Make It Right‘ was a great accompaniment to his memoir. Charm of Finches really impressed with ‘Marlinchen in the Snow’ (they were great live too). Carla Sciakey‘s ‘Heart of the Swan‘ was elegant folk. Dawes, Father John Misty and The War On Drugs are all albums I’ll be revisiting – once the next dispatch of Free Time arrives. What a year. And, to be honest, 2025 doesn’t show any liklihood of a let up in the excellence. A new (superb) album from the Delines, a list of gigs that’s an arm long already – can’t wait.
I don’t like it, I love it – Albums of the Year
1. VanWyck ‘Dust Chaser’ – glorious singer-songwriter perfection with the added attraction of Desert Rock.
2. Bonny Light Horseman ‘Keep Me On Your Mind’ – just a blissful listen.
3. Paper Wings ‘Listen to the World Spin’ – there is a future for folk, still hoping for a double header with The Milk Carton Kids.
4. Decemberists ‘As It Ever Was, So It Will Be Again’ – their best album ? Maybe not, but that still marks it out as a superb release.
5. Long Ryders ‘Native Sons (Expanded 3CD)’ – sure, a lot of this has been released before, but the extras were essentials. Great live recording on the third CD.
6. Bob Dylan & The Band ‘The 1974 Live Recordings’ – what can I say? Does anyone need a couple of dozen gigs back to back? Well, yeah, actually they do.
7. Si Kahn ‘Labor Day’ – with a bunch of friends helping out this was an album of rousing Union songs. Inspiring!
8. Mercury Rev ‘Born Horses’ – and Mercury Rev continue their musical evolution and whilst seemingly very different there is still the band we know and love underlying everything.
9. Native Harrow ‘Divided Kind’ – adding a soulful twist to their Laurel Canyon vibes, broadening their palette beautifully.
10. Anthea Fever ‘Summer’s Morning’ – if you can make the old and familiar sound new then you’re doing something right.
I love that record, I love that noise – Song of the year
There really was no other choice, the combination of great playing, great singing and snappy sassy lyrics made Paper Wings‘ ‘Mad Thing’ a constant companion throughout the year.
Been On The Road Too Long – Gigs of the year
1. Bonny Light Horseman – The Roundhouse, London. A band performance that excelled and then some – yes, thoughts of CSN, but early on when they still all liked each other.
2. Rain Parade – 229, London. Fundamentally this was a gig I never expected to happen, and with a new album and a new EP making them vibrant and now as well as drawing on their classic material.
3. Long Ryders – 229, London. And you know it’s been some kind of a gigging year when The Long Ryders – celebrating 40 years of Native Sons with a full album play through only merits third place. It was perfect – with a double drum section and the addition of the Long Horns.
4. Iron & Wine – The Junction, Cambridge. Blissfully wonderful music, with a whole hearted embrace of Halloween. And a light and visuals show by Manual Cinema which was worth the ticket price on its own.
5. The Delines – Junction 2, Cambridge. And you know it’s been some kind of a gigging year when The Delines only merit fifth place. With many songs from next year’s album added to the mix it was The Delines almost embracing a kind of optimism.
6. Jerry Joseph – Green Note, London. A powerhouse performance giving a masterclass in passion and audience engagement. And what songs!
7. Milk Carton Kids – The Barbican, London. Even jet lagged and unwell the Milk Carton Kids give more than their best. It’s actually a privilege to hear them play.
8. Julian Taylor – Water Rats, London. A gig that travelled through the different strands of Julian Taylor’s music – singer-songwriter with the band, an acoustic set of heavy stuff and a glorious release of his more rock and uptempo music.
9. Love with Johnny Echols – The Stables, Wavendon. A surprise, again, that this was such an excellent carrying forward of the music of Love. Great songs do need to be played, and they were played to perfection.
10. The Handsome Family – Union Chapel, London. What can one say? Is it actually possible for The Handsome Family to give less than a superb performance. Evidence to date would suggest not.
