The Handsome Family – Tim Diggles

Whenever I switch on the radio or read the paper lately there are lists of best films, best albums, best theatre, best books, and probably best poos of 2013! So I will now award my Best Album of 2013.

I thought it was a very good year, but then most years recently have, I think the availability of music has led to a much broader range of music. When I was a teenager in the 1960’s we had no way of hearing new stuff, only through the odd programme on The Light Programme and later Radio 1, being as far from the sea as you possibly can get in the UK there were no pirate radio. So now there is so much to listen to and find it is almost too much!

5^th – Laura Viers – Warp and Weft – someone I hadn’t heard of until I heard one track then I wanted to hear everything. It is singer/songwriter music of wonderful quality, using a very wide range of instruments and feelings. I love the album and listen to it over and over. Sun Song is magical!

Equal 3^rd – London Grammar – If You Wait – a beautiful album full of references and quite stunning singing. Very British I think in its sensibilities.

Equal 3^rd – Savages – Silence Yourself – this album knocks the socks off you. It’s like Post-Punk has come back to life but with an energy and anger it hardly reached originally. Fantastic energy, I’d love to see them live.

2^nd – The Handsome Family – Wilderness – The Handsome Family make music which comes from the dark parts of the backwoods it’s best not to venture into. Their albums are dark, yet full of a humour and a love of Americana. Wilderness is a themed album, the theme being animals/wildlife, sort of opposite to the songs I remember as a child hearing Burl Ives sing. I would urge you to listen to their wonderful back catalogue which goes back 20 years. Some wonderful tracks with quite disturbing imagery like the Owls who steal your tablets… This has to heard!

My Album of 2013 – Goldfrapp – Tales of Us – a really beautiful album which I know I will listen to for a long time. Another themed album each song taking the name of a person, cinematic in style, sweeping strings and guitars and the beautiful singing. Until I heard this I’d hardly bothered with Goldfrapp, this album takes them to another level. I can put this on anytime and feel better.