My Top Albums 2012: Number 9

The Magnetic North – Orkney: Symphony of the Magnetic North

An album devoted to the magic and mysteries of one of Britain’s northernmost points, the inspiration having come from a particularly vivid dream during which singer Erland Cooper was visited by a long dead resident of the islands. The songs benefit from local knowledge and the fresh eyes of incomers, with languid, slowly infectious melodies portraying both bleakness and beauty.  

Hi Life