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Aldous Harding wins the prize for most unusual moves for her song, The Barrel
The first part of our selection of the pick of albums from 2019 by Song Bar readers and the Landlord editor, in alphabetical order by title, not a ‘best of’ or countdown. The second part is here.
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Beck to the future?
This week’s roundup includes a cosmic return for Beck, a wonderfully droll posthumous release from Leonard Cohen, deeply powerful tragedy from Allison Moorer, and some quirkily catchy work from Japan’s WaqWaq Kingdom
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From the cover of Tindersticks’ new album No Treasure But Hope
Kings of beautiful misery Tindersticks and Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy return with some startlingly uplifting numbers, and some great debuts by Dog In the Snow and Shanti Celeste are among this week’s roundup picks
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FKA twigs
This week’s roundup is highlighted by extraordinarily alternative female artists - FKA twigs and Moor Mother, as well as a new solo album by Block Party frontman Kele, bringing another political edge
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Angel Olsen
This latest roundup includes a seismic album of emotion turmoil from Angel Olsen, a stripped-back release from Wilco, snappy hip hop from Danny Brown and gritty Brooklyn postpunk from Wives
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Nick Cave returns with the hauntingly beautiful album Ghosteen
The latest album roundup includes a new level of beauty from Nick Cave, a new style for Sturgill Simpson, Afghan eclectic music from Kejaya and Elaha Soroor, and scary scratchy postpunk from Ireland’s Girl Band
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Wonderful soul voice: Brittany Howard from Alabama Shakes
This latest roundup includes solo projects by previous performers with Alabama Shakes, Oasis and Wild Beasts, plus postpunk from Roxy Girls and LIFE, and a reunion for the members of Chastity Belt
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Cutting edge? Bat For Lashes’ Natasha Kahn
This latest roundup includes Natasha Kahn’s return with vampiric battiness, Chrissie Hynde’s alternative American Songbook, Iggy Pop intoning poetry, and beautiful work from Mali’s Tinawiren and a Madagascar compilation
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Lana Del Rey and her cover for Norman Fucking Rockwell
The latest selection includes a powerful comeback from The Futureheads, an eccentrically fabulous release from Lana Del Rey, and more perfect postpunk dance from Sacramento and New York’s !!! Chk Chk Chk
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Ezra Furman
A return to humorous pop for Taylor Swift, a dirty dozen of postpunk angst by Ezra Furman, and a hip hop album dedicated to black female icons by Rapsody are among the this week’s selection
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New art … Ty Segall
A bumper selection includes a lauded 13th album by the Californian rocker, Mancunian musician Francis Lung, Mabel the daughter of Neneh Cherry, and a project for a new electronica soundtrack to a Buster Keaton film
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Sparkling ideas? Chance The Rapper
Bright sparks of the 80s attempt past glories, as do Kaiser Chiefs, Nigeria’s Burna Boy brings Africa to grime, but a Trump satire, Chance The Rapper’s wedding album and Karine Polwart’s covers are this week’s standout releases
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Trash Kit arrive at new Horizons
The latest roundup includes more collaborations via Damon Albarn’s African Express, sharp postpunk from Trash Kit, sensitive songwriting from Jesca Hoop, a classical masterpiece, and more from veteran country singer Willie Nelson
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From Paul Thomas Anderson’s film to Thom Yorke’s Anima
The latest roundup includes the Radiohead frontman’s collaboration with Paul Thomas Anderson, a return for The Black Keys, beautiful heights by The Tallest Man On Earth, plus a variety of indie, pop and mostly folk in many forms
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Strong likeness: detail from the cover of Bill Callahan’s Shepherd In A Sheepskin
A mellowness touches the landscape of this week’s releases, with various artists taking a more reflective, gentler direction, with a beauty from Bill Callahan, a more personal Kate Tempest, a lusher Bruce Springsteen and more
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The one and only Peter Perrett
A second great solo album by the former The Only Ones frontman, bright, witty work by The Divine Comedy, and outstanding innovation from Wovoka Gentle, Pixx, Mattiel and more make up this week’s roundup of releases
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Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry, from the video for Let It Rain
A mixture of old-timers and young bucks make up this week’s selection, from the youthful Amsterdam indie band debutants Pip Blom to the dub legend Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry releasing one of his finest and most eccentric records yet
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Which way? Her way. Cate Le Bon
A huge selection and range this week includes the unique and original sound of Welsh artist Cate Le Bon, Australian punk rockers Amyl and the Sniffers, soul, funk and hip from The Internet’s Steve Lacy and cinematic rap from Flying Lotus
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Clinic: summoning wonderfully woozy images of 1970s showbiz
Wonderfully otherworldly and woozy work is a theme this week, especially from Liverpool’s fabulous Clinic and choral groundbreaking brilliance from Holly Herndon, alongside a variety of other oddities including Mac Demarco
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Russia’s Kedr Livanskiy
This week’s selection includes an experimental and expansive double album return from Vampire Weekend, Leeds post-punkers Drahla, Russian underground dance queen Kedr Livanskiy and members of REM and Sleater-Kinney
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