For many
years I have been publishing my praises in response to the work of the great singers
and musicians who have, by releasing one resonant album, established an
historical bond with the year gone by. These posts have always been abundantly
viewed and shared.
Nowadays, in a world where so many artists have been shorn of
the cash needed for a full-length expression of their talents, it seems we are orbiting
back into a single-song ecosystem, similar to the musical economy of sixty
or seventy years ago, when individual songs were the focus. So be it.
Here are fifty of the tunes from this year that I so deeply appreciate for the places that they have taken me.
Many of the songs listed below are attached to fine LP’s,
easily accessed by C&P-ing their titles on YouTube. My list is not meant to
be read in any qualitative order.
Many of these songs will be featured on the Orbit during the month of December.
Marshall Dane – No Need To Speak
Tréson
& Margaret Maria ~ Gordon Lightfoot's Song For A Winter's Night
Geoffroy
– C.A.Y.A. (Come As You Are)
James
Gordon ~ Wild Wind Blows
Genevieve Marentette - You've Made Me So Very Happy
Tonya P. ~
Rise
Julian
Taylor & Allison Russell ~ Pathways
Ruth
Moody – Twilight / Seventeen
Campbell
& Johnston - Righteous
LuA –
The Elephant
Belfountain
– Through The Darkness
Softcult
– Nine Circles
Reggaddiction
– The Tragically Hip’s Bobcaygeon
Gina
Burgess - Kingsburg Blues
Lori
Yates – What A Life
Flint
& Feather – We Belong Together
Bella
White – Nobody Dies
Tim
Harrison – Weaving
Nia Nadurata
– Can We Not?
Bill McBirnie - Awakening
Madeline
Roger ~ Love Only Grows
Jasmine
Netsena – We’ve Forgotten
Luka
Kuplowsky & The Ryokan Band feat. Felicity Williams ~ How Can I Possibly
Sleep When There Is Music?
Jesse Waldman & Mark
L’Esperance ~ End Of The Tunnel
Burnstick ~ Closer
Jed & The Valentine
~ Awake
Amanda Martinez feat. Aviva
Chernick ~ No Te Vayas
Emily Triggs
~ Summer In Nevada
Drake &
Gordo ~ Sideways (You Were Never My Girl)
Kevin Breit
& Rebecca Jenkins ~ Someone Like You
Jadea Kelly
~ So What If I’m Lonely
Ian North ~
That’s Why We Build Houses
The Memberz
~ Addis Ababa
Angelique
Francis ~ Train Coming
Augustix /
Jillian Harris – Old Messages
Paul
MacIntosh & The Lost Keys – Moths In The Kitchen
Emily
Millard ~ Blue Iris
Robert
Priest – People Like You And Me
Vishtèn feat.
Seckou Keita & Catrin Finch – Kouma
Laila Biali
~ Keep On Moving
Andrew
Rogers – Downtown
Majid Jordan
– The Message
Alessia Cara
– Isn’t It Obvious
Sam Drysdale
~ Would've Been Beautiful
Ryan Wayne - Love's Lost Languages
Melanie Fiona - I Choose You
Fergus Hambleton & Lord Sassafrass - Standing On My Own
Twin Flames - Just Like A Ghost
Genevieve Racette - Same Old Me
Mustafa ~ Gaza Is Calling
Abigail Lapell ~ Rattlesnake (also The Weeknd's Blinding Lights with The Bliss iBand)
