Nick Coleman: The best Rock, folk & jazz albums of 2008
‘It’s increasingly hard to drain the showbiz out of British pop, but Laura Marling is a big talent’
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.I fell stupidly in love with only one record this year. Jim Moray's 'Low Culture' followed me around everywhere for several months, its clever, middlebrow but genuinely soulful modernisation of various English folk tropes seducing everyone I played it to, especially my children – proof if any were needed that the beauty in folk music has very little to do with its degree of "authenticity".
You could say much the same about Eliza Carthy's gripping 'Dreams of Breathing Underwater', except that I didn't love it like 'Low Culture'. One other new album got played in our house as much.
Luke Doucet & the White Falcon are a length-and-line Canadian roots-rock outfit. Their 'Blood's Too Rich' brought nothing especially new to the table, but a handful of excellent, witty songs, a pulsating rhythm section and the best big fat Gretsch tone since Duane Eddy.
Mmmm-mm. It's increasingly hard to drain the showbiz out of British pop. It fills up again as fast as you empty it out. But after a while I did start to hear Laura Marling's 'Alas, I Cannot Swim' for what it is, rather than for how it's mediated. A big talent which may or may not get to mature. Favourite jazz? Both Brits: Arnie Somogyi's 'Ambulance: Accident and Insurgency', which is artful and jazzy, and Polar Bear's 'Polar Bear', which isn't.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments