Favourite albums of 2016

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Well, I've found lots of albums during 2016 that I really like, but many of them were released some time ago.  Here are my favourites within the rules (mostly):

Melody Gardot "Currency of Man"

(Not strictly allowed, I think, as it was released in 2015, but if Axel can have it...I'm going to bend the rules as well.)

A lovely blend of jazz, blues, soul and funk in various proportions.  Her live performance of the album was amazing, one of the best concerts I've ever been too.

North Sea Radio Orchestra "Dronne"

I really don't know how to describe this.  It has elements of classical (chamber) music and folk, but sounds very fresh and modern.  One of those albums that takes some listening to reveal its goodness and is never less than interesting.  It was a nice surprise to discover this, from a band I've never heard before.

Submotion Orchestra "Colour Theory"

For me, this is the album London Grammar's "If You Wait" should have been, if that makes any sense at all.  I'm only a dabbler in electronica but this really hits the spot.

Opeth "Sorceress"

This seems to be more or less a homage to 1970s prog rock, and instantly takes me back four decades!  I can hear Wishbone Ash, Barclay James Harvest, Jethro Tull; the list goes on.  Not every track is a winner, but as an album it really puts a smile on my face.

Quatuor Modigliani: String Quartets by Dvořák, Bartók, and Dohnányi

These quartets make a great combination, and the Modigliani quartet plays them superbly.  It's a lovely recording, too.

Honourable mentions

Van der Graaf Generator "Do Not Disturb"

Agnes Obel "Citizen Of Glass"

Kitty McFarlane "Tide & Time"

Riverside "Eye of the Soundscape"

GoGo Penguin "Man Made Object"

Alexei Lubimov: "Concord" - piano works by Ives, Berg, and Webern

banks "The Altar"