I’ve been listening to The Big Try, the new Dressed Like Wolves album, it’s a cracking album, well recommended. The band’s Bandcamp page describes the album as half an hour of acerbic lyricism, brazen guitar lines, oceans of organs and thunderous drumsets. I can’t disagree with that.
I haven’t been to as many gigs as I’d want to this year but I did manage to see a few local bands, the standouts being, Ten Foot Tom & the Leprosy Crooks, Mouses, The Magick Godmothers and Girl Sweat.
We’ve also had superb albums from Year of Birds, probably their best yet, and from Soiled/Marcus H, the marvellous, Phonic Grafts.
Amazingly, Pellethead celebrated their 25th birthday this year
Hopefully next year will be as good as this one, Shrug will be releasing their much awaited second album, it’s only taken them 30 years to get around to recording it.
The Smell of Water 
I feel I’d be lacking in my duties if I failed to mention this split CD by two young Middlesbrough experimentalists- boringcharlie. and Plastiglomerate – https://linearobsessional.bandcamp.com/album/virtual-vacation