Music ..

Given it is almost February, I thought it about time to write about my favourite music from the past twelve months.

The top five are

5. All Sons & Daughters - Poets and Saints
The album is a journey into the lives and stories of a handful of Christ-followers God used to wake up the world. The songs on the album reminded me that God never changes, but God changes everything.

His Spirit moves among those who seek Him"forged in fires of suffering and brokenness"poets and saints continually redeemed and restored by His grace.

An album which was what I needed to hear through the past year.

4. The Rescues - The Rescues
I just love the sound and harmonies of the band.

3. December - I Will Let You Have Your Say
I first heard December when they penned a tribute song to Alison Stewart in 2015.  Their full length album was released in 2016, and I wrote about it here. Love the concept of the album, and the stories it tells. They also include an awesome cover of 'A Sort of Homecoming' (one of my favourite U2 songs).

2. Radiohead - A Moon Shaped Pool
Just a great album it reminds me of both In Rainbows and Kid A. Would love to hear the album played live, but to date their are no rumors of concerts in Australia. :(

1. Switchfoot - Where the Light Shines Through
Easily the most played album of the past twelve months for me. The lyrics really spoke to the circumstances of my life, and the social and political situation in the US.

The songs which really hit me from the album were Where the Light Shines Through, I Won't Let You Go, and Live it Well.

The lines which struck me were about darkness being where we see the light, and from the song Live it Well - I'm living for more than a funeral, I wanna shine brighter than the dawn; is a huge challenge in how I face this year.

Hon Mentions
Audrey Assad - Inheritance - a beautiful collection of hymns an album I've played to preach to myself through the past twelve months.
Lisa Hannigan - At Swim
I love Lisa's voice and this is just a great collection songs.

Others: 
I've excluded these because they are Christmas albums. But Garrell's Christmas album is one of my favourites from the year. The other two I listened to were JJ Heller's - Unto Us and Jenny & Tyler's Christmastime.

The other albums I've listened to through the year were R.E.M's Out of Time (which was reissued during November when it celebrated it's 25th Birthday); the Hamilton musical, recordings of several Bruce Springsteen concerts and Coldplay's A Head Full of Dreams.

The other musical highlights for the year where seeing Glen Hansard and Coldplay. I'll post about the Coldplay concert shortly. As I write this, I have a Bruce Springsteen show to look forward to next week.

There are rumours of a U2 tour, but I will believe that when it's announced. I am looking forward to reading about U2's Joshua Tree tour, running from May to August in the US and Europe. The other great music news for me is that Pearl Jam will be inducted into the Hall of Fame this year.