Peek at 2024 Polaris ballot

Lots to consider before I vote

Happy Mothers Day! Go listen to the new Myriam Gendron. Also, I’ve unlocked my recent ABBA post from the paywall for this weekend—which seemed like an appropriate Mothers Day thing to do.

It’s Polaris Prize long-list time.

Jurors get five slots on their ranked ballot.

I have 32 Canadian records released in the qualifying period that I’ve seriously considered, most of which I’ve written about here.

It’s been a good year — as always — but I wouldn’t say there’s any one or two records that stand so far apart from the rest of the pack, records whose exclusion would infuriate me. Which makes judgment calls that much harder, especially because few of the records I’m considering share anything in common.

I’ve narrowed my 32 options down to about seven. I won’t tell you what those are. And because I may or may not have already voted, any lobbying efforts will come to naught.

The Polaris long list will be revealed publicly a month today, on June 11.

But for paid subscribers, here are some hints about how I’m voting, along with a 31-track playlist for Tidal and Spotify. (Apple is acting up on me.) It doesn’t including anything from the double album only available as one continuous stream on YouTube.)