It’s that time of year when critics start rolling out their “best of” lists, with albums usually first out of the gate. Unlike movies, you don’t see a ton of new music releases in December, so it’s safe to lock in your favorites.
Seeing those lists pop up made me realize how little new music I’ve discovered this year. That’s been the case for awhile now, actually, in contrast to years when I’ve had a couple of dozen new releases to consider. I think there are two main reasons for the change.