It has been a vintage year for music if nothing else.
Alongside cultural juggernaughts like Beyonce and Frank Ocean, there have been a number of brilliant albums which deal with spiritual themes. Here we list five of our favourites...
Michael Kiwanuka – Love & Hate
Kiwanuka burst onto the scene four years ago with his debut album Home Again. A masterclass, it saw him compared to some of the great names of soul music. After an extended time away from the spotlight, this year saw him release Love & Hate. A much more ambitious effort, it fused prog rock ambience with his wonderful voice and more politically attuned lyrics. The record was launched at a church and has topped many critics' best-of lists. Kiwanuka, who worships at a north London church, says, "Knowing God helps me be content and peaceful; every good thing that happens to me I believe is through Him."
Mavis Staples – Livin' On A High Note
Mavis Staples' wonderful late-career revival carried on apace this year. The one-time Staples Singer released a joyous collection of Motown-tinged songs written for her by some of the hottest names in contemporary music (Nick Cave, M Ward, Justin Vernon of Bon Iver, Ben Harper, Neko Case). This isn't just a nostalgia trip though – it's a contemporary gospel album of astonishing quality. When you consider that Staples is 77, it's nothing short of remarkable that she's producing work of this quality. Much like Leonard Cohen, some of her best work is happening late in her career. This record is essential. Get it now!
Gungor – One Wild Life (Spirit)
The second of a trilogy of three albums released in just over a year, Spirit is wonderfully varied. Try to pin it down or categorise it and it evades you only seconds later. The minimalist funk of Love Is All, the joy spilling out on Wonder and the outright wierdness of channeling Jonah on Whale – this album has something for everyone. Speaking to Christian Today earlier this year, Lisa Gungor said challenges with their faith, their working lives and the American political scene have all played into the record, "It's been a journey, which I'm glad for.... You can hear that in the songs – the wrestle, the ache and the coming back around, moving forward into something else."
Leonard Cohen – You Want It Darker
In a year when three bona fide musical legends died (Prince, David Bowie), Leonard Cohen's demise elicited some of the most fulsome and profound praise. The former Chief Rabbi was so moved by his death that he gave an impromptu sermon, an exposition of You Want It Darker, on video from his hotel room. The record is arguably Cohen's most complete rumination on death, faith and his attempt to find meaning. David Robertson's Christian Today review described it as, "the best Christian album by a non-Christian I have heard" and he isn't wrong. Themes of redemption and faith run through You Want In Darker. Its dark and occasionally humorous tone bears repeated listening.
Foy Vance – The Wild Swan
Vance is part of a long line of musical talents nurtured in church. His dad was a preacher in the Church of Christ, and despite being from Northern Ireland, he spent time growing up in Oklahoma. The Wild Swan Covers a range of styles, but the constant is Vance's glorious gravelly voice. The Wild Swan feels like a record you've known all your life. The songs are at once familiar and yet they're all new. Vance's great gift is gorgeous melody – something which has seen him work with the likes of Ed Sheeran and Elton John. Another triumph.
Follow Andy Walton on Twitter @waltonandy
