2020 has been a roller coaster of a year for all of us but we can always depend on music to see us through. Thankfully so many artists and bands within the music scene in Northern Ireland put out stellar releases despite the global pandemic. As usual we are doing our best to put a spotlight on our personal favourites and hopefully you will join us in reminiscing.
Importantly if you discover something you enjoy or rediscover a record you’ve forgotten, do your best to visit their bandcamp or own music store and support them with your hard earned cash so they can continue to produce great music.
You can enjoy the the first part of this list featuring tracks 26 – 50 here or alternatively you might like to revisit our favourite Northern Irish Albums Of 2020 here.
Words from Aaron Cunningham, Addison Paterson, Benjamin Magee & Robert Brown.
25 ► This Ship Argo – Maybe When We’re Older
A very productive year for This Ship Argo but ‘Maybe When We’re Older’ is the track that piqued our attention. Fuzzy and rough around the edges but channelling the beauty and nostalgic optimism of a Lost in Translation soundtrack cut, like a disconnected dream. AC
24 ► Vivamagnolia – Tugboat the Great
Here comes spacey, stomping, psychedelic, country garage-rock from Vivamagnolia on this fantastically underrated release. Choppy and gnarled, there’s not a lot of tracks out there on par with this. BM
23 ► Beulah Kim – Worthy Of Love
Probably the purest of pop songs on this list, Beluah Kim offers up soulful vocals tinged with defiance on ‘Worthy Of Love’. Without a huge backlog to fall back on Kim is a prime example of appreciating quality over quantity. RB
22 ► Big Daisy – Go Outside
Released in late February as we clung to the last moments of Normal, ‘Go Outside’ is an agoraphobic-anthem-turned-reality. The prophetic first release by supergroup Big Daisy channelled Morrissey-eqsue (in a non-annoying way) vocal and lyrical qualities, paved by alt-pop riffs and lo-fi production. Listening is great, living it is not. AP
21 ► Sam Wickens – Strange.24
Detailing Sam Wickens’ own personal battles with mental illness and the toll it can take on you. His honest approach to songwriting is amplified by his distinctive and occasionally raspy vocal style. Importantly ‘Strange.24’ stands apart from his previous releases through its dalliance with a more electronic and textured feel. RB
20 ► Reevah – Weight of the World
In terms of indie folk Derry’s Reevah stands tall as one of our strongest representatives and ‘Weight of the World’ reinforces this. Vocally there is a purity here but also imbued with a slightly ethereal feel and this lends itself to portraying a wide range of emotions with a human centric focus. RB
19 ►Wynona Bleach – Glimmer
‘Glimmer’, and the as yet unreleased album it’s taken from, is the product of a recording stint in Portugal with The Coral’s Bill-Ryder Jones. On it, seasoned pop-tinged grunge outfit Wynona Bleach prove to be ever a delight to the senses. Bringing as much substance to their tracks as they do airiness, ‘Glimmer’ packs an infectious melodic punch. AP
18 ► Rebekah Fitch – Dust
Rebekah Fitch continues to dazzle us with her talent and a relocation to London has not diminished her song writing ability. ‘Dust’ remains rooted in her favoured textured alt pop but is a little softer as it pulls at the heartstrings with wistful and nostalgic notions associated with grief. RB
17 ► Cherym – Weird Ones
In taking a stand for those people that are marginalised or left on the outside, Cherym channel their inner swagger and deliver a bouncing, pop punk anthem in ‘Weird Ones’. Sounding punchy but maintaining that all important catchy chorus, it will slot effortlessly into their live set in 2021 where they’ll be in high demand. RB
16 ► Omonoko – Weight in Gold
Newry’s Omonoko ditch guitar based rock and throw out a curveball in ‘Weight in Gold’. Underpinned by a sultry yet crisp drum beat, the airy vocal style fuses delightfully with the shimmering electronic textures to deliver a truly unexpected treat and ultimately wonderful slick alt pop anthem. RB
15 ► Arvo Party – Kyoto
Seeing the name Arvo Party attached to a track is like seeing the HBO logo card at the beginning of a show – guaranteed quality. ‘Kyoto’ is no different, the best amongst the six plus albums worth of tracks that Herb Magee released this year. Starting laden with gloom and darkness, bright keys and synths soon give the track layers of depth and excellence. BM
14 ► Mark Loughrey – Nothing On A Truth
An underrated track from the end of the year. Shades of Villagers are clear given the inclusion of bright, sweeping strings. Loughrey’s cadence has an addictive quality, one that pulls you deep into his miasmic daydream of a world. BM
13 ► Our Krypton Son – White Sun
Reaching far from the singer-songwriter tropes of his past releases, Our Krypton Son takes full advantage of producer Ryan Vail on this stand out release. Electronic waves, created sounds and delicate keys weave seamlessly together with Chris McConaghy’s weathered vocals. BM
12 ► Joel Harkin – No Recycling
Lo-Fi folk music is not the typical vehicle for political and environmental discourse but Joel Harkin tends to play by his own rules. Alternative created sounds meld with country and folk as Harkin guides you though the walking nightmare of his dystopian siesta. BM
11 ► Sorbet – Living/Dying (feat. Arborist)
Our introduction to a new project from Chris Ryan (Robocobra Quartet) features vocals from Arborist and follows a different path. A meditation on life and death, with musical ideas flowing around a repeating two-chord sequence. Contemplative and musically stunning. AC
10 ► Junk Drawer – What I’ve Learnt/What I’m Learning
Album opening scene-setter for Junk Drawer’s unsettling and disenchanted debut is a slow build. At nearly seven minutes, it pulls you through the grapples and gripes of being a person. A twisting of post-punk and psychedelia, it arrives at a moment of growing realisation: ‘There is no great secret’. AP
9 ► Jealous of the Birds – Young Neanderthal
An alt-rock romp through the world of songwriter Naomi Hamilton is the highlight of her sophomore album. Fuzzy guitars and chunky rhythms give this track serious bite while Hamilton peddles her signature vibrant, imagery laden lyricism. BM
8 ► Brien – Sundried
Taken from his mixtape DIY Vol. 1, ‘Sundried’ presents the warmest, most relaxed of complex soundscapes. More than a lilt of soul and jazz, and a summery layer of sax coupled with samples that sound very much like people having a good time. ‘Sundried’ will leave you longing for the same. AP
7 ► Arborist – Here Comes The Devil
Arborist can pack a single when he needs to, ‘Here Comes the Devil’ is perfectly pitched folk songwriting. Typically moody and emphatic with beautiful and easy-going melodies, all moving into an unusual climax. McCambridge on top form as he picked up Best Single at this year’s NI Music Prize. AC
6 ► Travi the Native – Still Hurting
Travi wears his influences on his sleeve under his new moniker. Spacey keys and 80’s styles saxophone brings the likes of The 1975 to mind – but Travi makes the sound his own on this expansive track. The strongest of his newest tracks, ‘Still Hurting’ bears the promise of bigger and brighter futures for the songwriter. BM
5 ► Bairie – Not Love
Bairie brought heart and soul to her third single. It’s all smoky bars and yearning glances, with Emily McCormick channelling Fun Lovin’ Criminals, at pains to deny the L word. A perfect cocktail of McCormick’s gorgeous vocals and heady R&B music. Bairie’s best. AC
4 ► Conchúr White – Bikini Crops
Get lost in White’s world of retro fantasia on the title track of his brilliant 2020 EP. Vintage pop and chamber psych melds with White’s indie-folk roots on this space-age stomper. Essential listening. BM
3 ► Joshua Burnside – Noa Mercier
A folk lament to land and love, ‘Noa Mercier’ reads as poetry put to an alternative trad backdrop. In one of few moments worth recollecting this year, Burnside’s album launch at the Vault during a snapshot return to normality, ‘Noa Mercier’ was accompanied visually by the wash of impacting waves. In marking the album’s halfway point, it felt then, and now, quite poignant. AP
2 ► New Pagans – Yellow Room
Certified best live act by the NI Music Prize 2020, New Pagan’s last single of the year completes a string of anthemic releases. Driven, punishing guitar lines are compounded by an exceptionally tight rhythm section, giving Lyndsey McDougall’s voice the run of itself. Recorded for Sound of Belfast 2020 in Voodoo, the track is best served live. AP
1 ► Ciaran Lavery – Can I Begin Again
One of many bold new tracks from his latest album, Ciaran Lavery’s ‘Can I Begin Again’ is instantly memorable. A slow, bluesy swagger and cries of ‘I need a cigarette’, it doesn’t need to be any more complicated than this. Off the cuff, cathartic to the core and as vulnerable as any songwriter’s melancholic lament, Lavery gets out all he needs to without a syllable more. AC
Spotify Playlist
We recommend you set aside some time and listen to our full list of fifty tracks that make up our Northern Irish Songs of the Year 2020.
