I Don't Hear A Single Albums Of The Year 2020 : 61-70

It's been difficult to get these choices down to 100. I'm also not a believer in saying one album is better than another. Most of the time you are comparing Apples To Oranges. I'm not a List person, I just think what's the point.

However, for the last few years I have compiled annual Best Of 's  because these posts seem so popular and the aim of this Blog is to get exposure (and Sales) for the artists. There is no meaning or judgement on an album that is Number 1, Number 100 or not on the list. Anything that I review on here, mention on Social Media or play on the Radio Show is as highly recommended.

I would also add that the Top 100 includes albums available as Download Only. To suggest that they are anything less than equal to a Physical release is grossly unfair, even more so in 2020 with all that has happened during the year. To qualify, an album has to be available for sale in any format.

For each album, I've posted a song from it and a link to where you can find further details on how to listen or buy the album. 

No 61 : The Vapors - Together     Review

No 62 : Coupons - Up & Up        IDHAS Review




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No 63 : Marveline - Savoury-Toothed Tiger        IDHAS Review









No 64 : Mom - Pleasure Island          IDHAS Review

No 65 : The Lees Of Memory - Moon Shot       Review

No 66 : The Well Wishers - Shelf Life      Review









No 67 : Beans - All Together Now     IDHAS Review

No 68 :  Lady Legs - Off Days    IDHAS Review




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No 69 : Dead Stars - Never Not Here     IDHAS Review

  




No 70 : Dizzy Mizz Lizzy - Alter Echo     IDHAS Review

 

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Marveline - Savoury-Toothed Tiger

Sydney's Peter Marley is a busy man, but whatever he comes up with is always top notch. Most notable for his adventures in the wonderful The Nature Strip, you can read the IDHAS reviews of the band's Presents and Beetle Bones albums here and here.

He's also part of the excellent Alt Country / Folk band, Fallon Cush. Now we have Marveline, Marley's debut solo album and you can easily note The Nature Strip influence, but the album has less in common with that band's XTC similarities, concentrating far more on Pop.








That Pop encompasses a whole range of styles including Pop Rock, Psych Pop, Synth Pop and more straight ahead stuff. You'd expect some of this when an artist is set free from band democracy, but not necessarily for the artist to get it so right.

There's not a hint of self indulgence here, variance yes. Gonna Get Myself is a surprisingly loose opener, a bit baggy, a bit more Manchester Brit Pop and that contrasts wonderful with the magnificent, Turpentine, an absolute wonder of a song. I've played it on the Audio Extravaganza and I've no doubt that it will appear again on the Best Of Year show.

Made Of Stars is fine laid back 70's Pop Rock with a killer riff and Another Perfect Day is all Glasgow Post 1986. Monkey Mind is mid 80's Synth Rock, deliberately so. It also is lyrically great, Difford And Tilbrook like.








How Green The Grass and In The Garden both contain big hints of Psych Pop and Marley's vocal is very close in style to Orgone Box's Rick Corcoran. The former is more poppy, but In The Garden hits home most with a Ray Davies feel.

There are also two instrumentals among the dozen songs. (Theme From An Imaginary) Cop Show made me go all misty eyed for Starsky And Hutch and Something Sweet is a Bossa Nova Spaghetti Western affair. All in All, Savoury Toothed Tiger is an absolute cracker of an album. I can't recommend it highly enough.







You can listen to and buy the album here. You really should!


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