January 17, 2021

Critics name Coming Home one of top 2020 albums

Thanks to the Canadian folk Bible Penguin Eggs and to the musical experts who take part every year voting in the magazine's annual top albums of the year list.

We're pleased to report that Steel Rail's 2020 release Coming Home was among the top 10 picks for several of the voters this year, and the band was one of two honourable mentions in the overall Top 10 list. We thought we'd post those selections so you can see the other great albums that were on people's must-listen lists this year.

The lists are in alphabetical order; each "pick" counted for one vote.

Mike Barker, artistic director, Folk Under the Clock, Peterborough, Ontario 

  • Sam Carter, Home Waters 
  • Kris Drever, Where the World Is Thin 
  • Bob Dylan, Rough and Rowdy Ways 
  • Roy Forbes, Edge of Blue 
  • Sam Lee, Old Wow 
  • Catherine MacLellan, Coyote 
  • Pharis and Jason Romero, Bet on Love 
  • Steel Rail, Coming Home 
  • The Waterboys, Where the Action Is 
  • James Webster, We Get By 

  Patrick Langston, freelance arts writer 

  • Bob Dylan, Rough and Rowdy Ways 
  • Eliza Gilkyson, 2020 
  • Fleet Foxes, Shore 
  • Laura Marling, Song for Our Daughter 
  • Lynn Miles, We’ll Look for Stars 
  • Owen Pallet, Island 
  • Pharis and Jason Romero, Bet on Love 
  • Phoebe Bridgers, Punisher 
  • Shirley Collins, Heart’s Ease 
  • Steel Rail, Coming Home 

  Jim Marino, host Free Wheeling Folk Show, 93.3 CFMU, Hamilton 

  • Blackie and the Rodeo Kings, King of This Town 
  • David Bradstreet, Best Foot Forward 
  • Scott Cook, Tangle of Souls 
  • Ken Dunn, Ashes in the Morning 
  • Kathleen Edwards, Total Freedom 
  • Rick Fines, Solar Powered Too 
  • Lynne Hanson, Just Words 
  • Lynn Miles, We’ll Look for Stars 
  • Julian Taylor, The Ridge 
  • Steel Rail, Coming Home

Mike Regenstreif, journalist, CKCU Ottawa folk radio host, blogger  

  • Eliza Gilkyson, 2020  
  • Kronos Quartet, Long Time Passing: Kronos Quartet and Friends Celebrate Pete Seeger  
  • Leyla McCalla, Varied Coloured Songs: A Tribute to Langston Hughes  
  • John McCutcheon, Cabin Fever: Songs From the Quarantine  
  • Lynn Miles, We’ll Look for Stars  
  • Gretchen Peters, The Night You Wrote That Song: The Songs of Mickey Newbury  
  • Orit Shimoni, Strange and Beautiful Things  
  • Steel Rail, Coming Home  
  • VickiKristinaBarcelona, Pawn Shop Radio  
  • Samoa Wilson with the Jim Kweskin Band, I Just Want to Be Horizontal  

Brenda Tacik, host, Deeper Well, CJTR, Regina Community Radio  

  • Jud Caswell, Live at the Seagull Shop  
  • Scott Cook, Tangle of Souls  
  • Vance Gilbert, Good Good Man  
  • Jay and Jo, Victory  
  • Jez Lowe, Crazy Pagan  
  • Lynn Miles, We’ll Look for Stars  
  • Possessed by Paul James, As We Go Wandering  
  • Pharis and Jason Romero, Bet on Love  
  • Rube and Rake, Leaving With Nothing  
  • Steel Rail, Coming Home

And the overall Top 10 list as chosen by Penguin Eggs experts:

1. Pharis and Jason Romero, Bet on Love

2. Bob Dylan, Rough and Rowdy Ways; Kathleen Edwards, Total Freedom; William Prince, Reliever (tied)

5. 100 Mile House, Love and Leave You; Shirley Collins, Heart's Ease; Scott Cook, Tangle of Souls; Eliza Gilkyson, 2020; Sarah Jarosz, World on the Ground; Lynn Miles, We'll Look for Stars (tied).

Runners up

Steel Rail, Coming Home; Molly Tuttle, .. But I'd Rather Be With You

 

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