Keith Bell

For me, 2011 was overshadowed by the death of Jackie Leven.  http://www.theartsdesk.com/new-music/jackie-leven-1950-2011

Jackie was one of those performers who could constantly surprise you, slipping easily from genre to genre but always sounding like himself.  His final album, Wayside Shrines & The Code Of The Travelling Man was probably not up there with The Forbidden Songs Of The Dying West or Night Lillies, but it’s still a decent album. He had a gift for arrangement which could ignite even the most linear of his songs. He’ll be sadly missed by those of us who bothered to listen.

As usual, I’ve tended to listen to home made compilations on the car stereo or pressed the “shuffle” button on the iPod so it’s once again, individual songs that have caught my imagination.

Frank Black‘s “Fare Thee Well” has been a favourite, as has “Me and Lazarus” by Iron & Wine. A lot of straight ahead pop songs too, old stuff mainly, Edison Lighthouse “Love Grows,” “Jessemine” by The Casuals and Christie‘s “Yellow River” have been regulars onlong journeys.

As far a whole albums are concerned, I’m enjoying Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds at the moment. It was criticised for sounding like Oasis(!) Noel did write most of their songs. It’s nothing new or groundbreaking, just an album of good songs. Exactly what you would expect.

PJ Harvey‘s “Let England Shake” is another excellent album. Quite often, I think that musicians have forgotten the art of protest. We, as a nation, are happy to support Help For Heroes and quite rightly so but, in doing so, we’re treating the symptoms instead of trying to eradicate the root cause.

Possibly my favourite album of the year was “I A Moon” by the North Sea Orchestra. Again, not thoroughly groundbreaking, just a little different.

Anyhow, that’s me off the soapbox, see you all at Whitstock!