Aside from writing some bios for a few choice favourite bands, 2020 has been the first year since 1996 that I’ve not written about music in what might be (very, very loosely) termed a professional capacity. Instead I’ve been hard at work working on several new fictions projects. New books shall be forthcoming in 2021, 2022 and 2023…watch this space.
But thanks to to the complete absence of live music I’ve found myself taking deep dives into so much new (to me) music, and falling in love with the experience of just listening all over again. Much of these explorations have, inevitably, been into music from the past, but there has still been plenty of time to enjoy a clutch of albums and singles released in the past twelve months or so.
Here are a few favourites….
Working Men’s Club – Self-titled (Heavenly)
Cornershop – England Is A Garden
Bad Boy Chiller Crew – Full Wack No Brakes
Nadine Shah – Kitchen Sink
Coriky – Coriky
Stick In The Wheel – Hold Fast
King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard – K.G.
Lankum – The Livelong Day
Bulbils – 50 different albums (take your pick here)

The Chats – High Behaviour
Black Country, New Road – Science Fair
Craven Faults – Erratics & Unconformities
Chubby & The Gang – Speed Kills
Jim Ghedhi – Beneath The Willow