It’s been an incredibly challenging year yet some incredibly fine records have been released. So this is my complete list of my 82 favourite albums of 2020. They are in no order of preference, that would be pretty much impossible.

This year has been a particularly difficult one for musicians with tours, album launches and festivals cancelled. So if you investigate some of the artists and albums on my list please do buy some of their music, through Bandcamp or direct from the artist wherever possible.

• Dan Whitehouse – Dreamland tomorrow
• Arborist – A Northern View
• Damien Jurado – What’s new tomboy?
• John Moreland – LP5 
• Tom Houston – Gap in the fence
• Courtney Marie Andrews – Old Flowers
• Ian Roland and the Subtown Set – Double Rainbow

• Evangeline Gentle – Evangeline Gentle
• Emma Swift – Blonde on the tracks
• Gillian Welch and David Rawlings – All the good times are past and gone
• Our Man in the Field – The company of strangers
• H.C. McEntire – Eno Axis
• I’m Kingfisher – The past has begun
• Josienne Clarke – Historical Record Vol 1 & 2
• Josienne Clarke – Historical Record Vol 3 & 4 Learning to sail
• Austin Lucas – Alive in the hot zone
• Emily Barker – A dark murmuration of words
• Jerry Joseph – Beautiful madness
• Adam Beattie – Somewhere round the bend
• Kenneth J Nash – For Sarah
• Kris Delmhorst – Long days in the milky way
• Steven Adams and the French Drops – Keep it light
• Mary Chapin Carpenter – The dirt and stars
• David Berkeley – Oh quiet world
• The Lone Bellow – Half moon light
• Jeremy Tuplin – Violet waves
• Alec Bowman – I used to be sad and then I forgot

• Serious Child – Time in the trees
• Cunning Folk – A casual invocation
• Clem Snide – Forever just beyond
• The Magpies – Tidings
• Darren Black with Stewart Prosser and Robert Sword – Playing with the truth
• Laura Cortese and the Dance Cards – Bitterbetter
• Phoebe Bridgers – Punisher
• Bonny Light Horseman – Bonny Light Horseman
• Molly Tuttle – I’d rather be with you
• The Magpie Arc – EP1
• Kathleen Edwards – Total freedom
• Lambchop – Trip
• David Grubb – Nano
• Hannah White and the Nordic Connections – Hannah White and the Nordic Connections
• Paul Mosley and the Red Meat Orchestra – Music for Puppets

• Richard J Birkin with the London Contemporary Orchestra – matterlightblooming
• Jennifer Castle – Monarch season
• Norma MacDonald – Old future
• Rachel Newton – To the awe
• Martin Simpson – Home Recordings
• Edgelarks – Henry James
• This Is The Kit – Off off on
• Suzzy Roche and Lucy Wainwright Roche – I can still hear you
• Annie Dressner – Coffee at the corner bar
• Matt Hill – Savage pilgrims
• Jenny Sturgeon – Living mountain
• The Rheingans Sisters – Receiver
• Kris Drever – Where the world is thin
• Bill Callahan – Gold Record
• Julian Taylor – The Ridge
• Katy Rose Bennett – Where does it hurt: an introduction to Katy Rose Bennett
• Laura Veirs – My Echo
• Terra Lightfoot – Consider the speed
• Rose Cousins – Bravado
• Ned Roberts – Dream Sweetheart
• Sam Carter – Home waters
• Salt House – Huam
• My Girl The River – Cardinal in the snow

• Kirsty Merryn – Our Bright Night
• India Electric Co – The Gap
• The Lowest Pair – The Perfect Plan
• Ma Polaine’s Great Decline – City of love
• Charlie Dore – Like animals
• The Mammals – Nonet
• Lisa Marini – Born in tribes
• Modern Studies – The weight of the sun
• Peter Oren – The greener pasture
• Vanessa Peters – Mixtape
• Gitta de Ridder – To our children
• Lynn Miles – We’ll look for the stars
• Marin Patenaude – Sight Unseen
• Robert Vincent – In this town you’re owned 
• Lucinda Williams – Good souls, better angels
• Darlingside – Fish pond fish
• Various artists – Home is where the art is: 15 years of Reveal Records 2006-2021