Albums of the Year Number 1: Have One On Me - Joanna Newsom Keeping up the quality on a double album is a difficult thing to achieve, even for the best artists. The Beatles didn’t quite manage it on The White Album (yes, I like it too, but Ob-La-Di Ob-La-Da?) and many, many other double albums could be edited down to much better single albums. So how about a triple album? A triple album of folky harp-based ballads even? Now that’s quite some ask. But Joanna Newsom pulls it off. This album is a masterpiece. It feels wonderfully familiar, in part due to the fact it was released all the way back in February 2010, but even thinking back then, it felt pretty familiar from the first listen. It’s such a good album that even imagining a time when I hadn’t listened to it is hard. Newsom has a style and a voice that is entirely recognisable and unique. The use of unusual instruments, not least of which the ubiquitous harp of which she is a virtuoso, matched with a vocal style that sounds medieval and lyrics to match, makes the album sound like it could have been released long before releasing albums was a thing anyone did. But it also feels fresh, and like nothing you’ve heard before. Still, the aforementioned familiarity is still there. The overall effect is comforting, relaxing, and just beautiful. It’s difficult to pick favourites from an album of favourites, but if you’re looking to dip your toe in the water, Good Intentions Paving Company is one of the best songs from this year in my opinion. This is an album like nothing else you’ll hear this year. It’s accomplished, unusual, beautiful and not only that, but for your money you get over two hours worth of faultless material. A month or two after it was released I tweeted that if anyone released an album that was as good as this one in 2010, I’d be surprised and delighted. I’m not surprised that no-one managed to surpass the album, but I’m still delighted that it’s quite as good as it is.

Albums of the Year

Number 1: Have One On Me - Joanna Newsom

Keeping up the quality on a double album is a difficult thing to achieve, even for the best artists. The Beatles didn’t quite manage it on The White Album (yes, I like it too, but Ob-La-Di Ob-La-Da?) and many, many other double albums could be edited down to much better single albums.

So how about a triple album? A triple album of folky harp-based ballads even? Now that’s quite some ask.

But Joanna Newsom pulls it off. This album is a masterpiece. It feels wonderfully familiar, in part due to the fact it was released all the way back in February 2010, but even thinking back then, it felt pretty familiar from the first listen. It’s such a good album that even imagining a time when I hadn’t listened to it is hard.

Newsom has a style and a voice that is entirely recognisable and unique. The use of unusual instruments, not least of which the ubiquitous harp of which she is a virtuoso, matched with a vocal style that sounds medieval and lyrics to match, makes the album sound like it could have been released long before releasing albums was a thing anyone did. But it also feels fresh, and like nothing you’ve heard before. Still, the aforementioned familiarity is still there. The overall effect is comforting, relaxing, and just beautiful. It’s difficult to pick favourites from an album of favourites, but if you’re looking to dip your toe in the water, Good Intentions Paving Company is one of the best songs from this year in my opinion.

This is an album like nothing else you’ll hear this year. It’s accomplished, unusual, beautiful and not only that, but for your money you get over two hours worth of faultless material. A month or two after it was released I tweeted that if anyone released an album that was as good as this one in 2010, I’d be surprised and delighted. I’m not surprised that no-one managed to surpass the album, but I’m still delighted that it’s quite as good as it is.