Time to kick off my yearly round-up with some of the albums that didn’t quite make the top 10 but nevertheless deserved mention.

Makaya McCraven – In These Times

I’ve been dabbling in bits of jazz over the last couple of years and the description of this album on Resident Advisor captured my interest – in particular, the way that drummer and composer Makaya McCraven was combining odd-meter rhythms with lush full-band arrangements. This results in songs that work on two levels – as gentle, tuneful jazz instrumentals that disguise the rhythmic trickery going on behind the scenes.

Wordcolour – The trees were buzzing, and the grass.

I really loved Wordcolour‘s two EPs last year – Juno Way and Tell Me Something. He has a unique style that is full of hyper-rhythmic chopped-up sounds and surprising changes of direction. This year he released his debut album, The trees were buzzing, and the grass., and it is clear that he is aiming for Album territory as there is a lot more ebb and flow to it in terms of pace and atmosphere.

Shabason & Krgovich – At Scaramouche

Joseph Shabason is a saxophonist and electronic musician I was aware of via his excellent ambient/jazz album Anne from 2018, not to mention playing with bands such as Destroyer and The War On Drugs. His collaboration here with Nicholas Krgovich is best described as languid. These gentle songs unfurl at a supremely leisurely pace, with opulent instrumentation in a kind of ‘new age’ overall style. (I also picked up an earlier album Philadelphia under Shabason, Krgovich & Harris)

STR4TA – STR4TASFEAR

Only a year after their excellent debut, Aspects, these lads must have been working hard to come up with this 15-track set. They still sound as if they’re having a huge amount of fun, though, which is pretty infectious.

The Smile – A Light For Attracting Attention

I haven’t always loved Radiohead‘s side projects but this one is excellent.