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James Poole recommendations

2023: Top ten albums

Well, that was an emotional ride. I didn’t make it to Glastonbury – boo! I did see loads of live music – yay! And, I wasn’t prepared for the impact of ‘Now and Then’, the final song by The Beatles. It knocked me for six. Sleaford Mods released a version of ‘West End Girls’ which […]

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James Poole recommendations

2022: Top ten albums

Some years, there are just too many to choose from. 2022 has been agonising, with superb new releases from established bands and newcomers alike. This was a year where we’ve really plugged back in. Where live music returned with force. Where joy, connection, optimism and compassion were common themes. That said, the best album of […]

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James Poole recommendations

2021: Top ten albums

These pages started over a decade ago. The original intent was for the freethinking movement to sit alongside a club night, operating every week in NYC. My mate Jamison, AKA DJ Prestige, and I kicked it all off and it was a blast. As I sit to compile my top ten albums of 2021 – […]

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James Poole recommendations

2020: Top ten albums

As we entered 2020, I expected the year to be overshadowed by political uncertainty; Brexit turmoil on this side of the Atlantic, and a nation taking a long, hard look at the socio-political fabric falling apart over in the US. And, while this was a fairly bleak view, I was longing for musicians to respond […]

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James Poole recommendations

Music can save us

It’s good to be back. I missed writing these pages. More to the point, I missed drinking music in at every possible opportunity. I’d become lazy. I was waiting for music to move me, as opposed to hunting it down. Maybe it’s that I no longer live around the corner from Rough Trade NYC. Maybe […]

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James Poole recommendations

I blame Liines

Liines. It’s their fault. Let me explain. While I was away, getting on with ‘real life’, I managed to let discovering new music slip down my priority list. It’s not that I didn’t bother at all, but I became pretty much reliant on the one source that I said I wasn’t going to dip into: […]

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James Poole recommendations

2019: Top ten albums

Here we are at the start of a new decade. And, here we are with a relaunched site and a new look for the freethinking movement. Refreshed, and ready to dive in. I’m looking forward to further re-invigorating these pages, and discovering more music… There’s no better way to breathe some life back into the […]

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James Poole recommendations

2018: Top ten albums

Look, I know it’s nearly the end of January. But, hands up if you’ve just spent the last few weeks moving house. I hope that you’ll give me a break in this being possibly the latest ‘best of 2018’ list out there, but I didn’t want to ignore an entire year’s worth of music. While […]

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James Poole recommendations

Janelle giving it maximum Prince

If you’re going to pay homage to Prince, do it right. Janelle Monáe has nailed it (admittedly, with a little help from the Purple Genius himself). On the strength of this, ‘Dirty Computer’ will be one of the releases of 2018. Built around a guitar lick that nods in the direction of ‘Kiss’, and synth […]

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James Poole recommendations

A year of new music

There’s a scene in Curb Your Enthusiasm where Larry, looking perplexed, walks into a coffee shop. He’s struggling with what to order… the choice is so vast. After some reflection, he settles on a ‘vanilla bullshit’. Too much choice can be a bad thing. Access to a wide range of options limits your scope – […]

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James Poole recommendations

2017: Top ten albums

My top-ten album list for 2017 originally contained about 17 entries. That the final list doesn’t contain Spoon, St Vincent, Jane Weaver or Loyle Carner, in particular, underlines the quality of the ten I’ve culled it back to. Before getting to the list of albums, let’s just call out some stand out tracks for the […]

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James Poole recommendations

2016: Top ten albums

First of all, well done. If you’re reading this, you made it through 2016 alive. That in itself is an achievement. Much has been written, including here, about the losses we suffered last year. Prince. Bowie. Sharon Jones. A rationale electorate. A relatively stable World Order. But, I’ll keep this focused on the good stuff […]