Playlist: December

• Jonathan Wilson—Fanfare (2013)

• Neil Finn—Dizzy Heights (2014)

• Imogen Heap—Sparks (2014)

• Butterfly Boucher—Happy Birthday Flutterby (2013)

• YES—The Studio Albums 1969-87 box set (2013)

• Midlake—Antiphon (2013)

• Marillion—Brave Live (2013)

• Marillion—"Carol of the Bells" digital single (2013)

• Steve Hogarth and Richard Barbieri—Arc Light (2013)

• The Steve Rothery Band—Live in Plovdiv (2013)

• Shearwater/Low—"Novocane"/"Stay" split 7" single (2013)

• Shearwater—"This Year"/ "Black River Song" 7" single (2013)

• John Wesley—Disconnect (2014)

• Rush—Vapor Trails Remixed (2013)

I'm hugely enjoying Jonathan Wilson's second album, Fanfare. It sounds like a blend of Meddle-era Pink Floyd, Laurel Canyon folk, and the sound of Pacific Ocean Blue by Dennis Wilson (no relation). Moreover, it features songs co-written with Roy Harper (Wilson produced Harper's latest album) and includes the likes of Graham Crosby and Graham Nash and Jackson Browne. You can very much hear all the influences, but Wilson's channeled them all through the funnel of his own vision - It's a grand and ambitious record that pays off in every way. Watch this music video above - at the 3:15 mark, the song plunges down the rabbit hole into an utterly sublime and trippy guitar solo.

 Marillion has released a brand new charity single, a brilliant and fun version of "Carol of the Bells."

 

And, finally, here's Shearwater's cover version of Frank Ocean's "Novocane," which is available on a 7" single they split with Low for Record Store Day.