The National

As well as wall to wall ‘The War on Drugs’, I’m listening to ‘All the Light Above it Too‘ by Jack Johnson and ‘Sleep Well Beast‘ by The National.  In my view it has been an OK music year, my particular highlight remaining ‘A Deeper Understanding‘ by The War on Drugs.  But also I have folded onto my reference listening track list ‘Rooting for You‘ by London Grammar.

I note with appreciation two of my favourite albums of the year now appear as MQA streams from Tidal, these being Fleet Foxes excellent ‘Crack Up’ and the aforementioned ‘A Deeper Understanding’ by The War on Drugs.

One song I cannot get out of my head at the moment is Morissey’s ‘All You Need is Me‘, which is an old track from his 2009 album Years of Refusal, I just love the bass line.

Daniel Barenboim’s ‘Chopin: Nocturnes’ have been cast aside (well gently nudged really) by Fasil Say’s collection of Chopin: Nocturnes, the album is quite simply beautiful with the second Nocturne being my new piano reference track going forward.

Finally, and quite thrillingly, The Sisters of Mercy have a new MQA collection on Tidal called ‘Some Girls Wander by Mistake‘, apparently capturing their earlier and better work including the 12″ version of ‘Temple of Love’, that I have downstairs in absolute mint condition.

Don’t tell anyone but Louis Tomlinson’s ‘Back to You’ is a ludicrously nice piece of work if you crank it up and have great bass control.