So then, 2022 - how was it for you? Musically it was great for me - new bands, American superstars, more live acts than I've ever seen in one year before. Here's my pick of the best of the year, I hope you find something new to listen to.
1. Black Country, New Road - Ants From Up There
BC,NR take the top spot on my list for the second year running. Full of gut-wrenching, heart-breaking lyrics and musical surprises, this was (almost) the sound of a band hitting their peak. The departure of Isaac before the album was even released may have knocked them back for a while, but it makes a lot of these songs seem even more poignant now. And having seen a recent show at Bush Hall I can confidently say that the band are forging ahead with a new direction, and might even make it to the top of next year's list!
2. caroline - caroline
A record that almost defies description from an 8-piece band who are astonishing to watch live, where they usually play in the round. It's almost like a folk version of Mogwai - there are quiet bits, loud bits, bits that sound like instruments are falling over, and a man shouting in the background, but it all combines to produce an incredibly emotive and moving album. Lyrics are repeated so that they become mantras, while unusual instruments help you drift to another dimension. I can't wait to hear more from them in 2023.
3. Beyonce - Renaissance
At this point in her career Bey could probably put out any old shit and people would buy it. So we should be grateful that instead of that she's given us 'Renaissance', a glorious album that manages to celebrate black culture and the history of black dance music with some incredible production and some properly banging tunes. This is undoubtedly the album I've played the most this year, although I've so far baulked at paying the exorbitant price for the vinyl.
4. Jockstrap - I Love You Jennifer B
They may have possibly the worst band name in existence, but Georgia Ellery and Taylor Skye have made what may be the most intriguing album of the year. Every time I listen to this record I hear something new and it sounds like the songs are going in a different direction, they seem to inhabit multiple genres at once, and everything seems to be slightly on the edge of a precipice. When you consider that Georgia is also a member of Black Country, New Road then you have to conclude that she's one of the most talented musicians in the UK at the moment.
5. deathcrash - Return
This London-based fourpiece display influences of Mogwai and Slint, albeit in a slightly gentler fashion (singer Tiernan Banks apparently wanted to call this album 'Rejected Slint Demos' but was overruled). They're music is intense but not in your face, and brings an occasional lightness of touch to the quiet/loud/quiet genre. They're a force to reckon with live too, and have already recorded their second full-length album, which will be released early next year. Guitarist Matthew Weinberger also released his own, very different, solo album this year under the name Satan Club, which is worth checking out if you're a fan of instrumental acoustic folk.
6. Kendrick Lamar - Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers
They don't call him King Kenny for nothing. This is a pretty faultless album (remove 'We Cry Together' and it would be perfect) from the rap artist of his generation, one on which Kendrick continues to confront the issues of the day, taking on cancel culture and white privilege through his own personal lens. He marked the album with one of the most talked-about Glastonbury performances of all time and an outstanding tour which cemented his position at the top of the tree.
7. Working Men's Club - Fear Fear
An album that solidifies Syd's vision for the band and shows how he's developing as a songwriter. The lyrics, written through the Covid pandemic, are extremely dark and sometimes painfully honest, but are counterbalanced by uplifting and pounding electronic melodies. It still sounds a lot like some of the bands I loved in the 80s, but Syd's view of the world is beginning to make WMC stand out as an act to watch out for in their own right.
8. Kae Tempest - The Line Is A Curve
On first listen this album didn't grab me as much as I thought it would. But as the year went on, and over the course of the 4 times I saw them live this year, Kae's album began to hit hard and deep. The lyrics are as good as ever, and although the inclusion of featured guests was initially a surprise, in most cases they enhance the songs, especially Grian from Fontaines DC (I'd love for him and Kae to make a whole joint album together). 'Salt Coast' is probably me favourite track off the album, a brilliantly poetic description of Britain and the people who inhabit it.
9. Yard Act - The Overload
The first album I bought this year, way back at the start of January when it was engaged in a chart battle with Years & Years. Since then both the album and the band have become bigger and more widely know, but have remained refreshingly down to earth. From re-recording '100% Endurance' with Elton John to being nominated for the Mercury Prize, James and the gang have continued to work their arses off for our entertainment. I'm not sure how/if they'll be able to develop their sound further, but they've certainly made the most of their time in the spotlight this year.
10. Bob Vylan - Bob Vylan Presents The Price Of Life
On the back of this album are printed the words 'If you can't afford this product, feel free to steal it'. It's a great indicator of the ethos of this band who are, for me, the most properly 'punk' act in the UK today. On this, their second album, they've developed their musical style to me more diverse, but kept the hard-hitting lyrics about wealth-based inequality, racism and privilege. They self-financed and released this album, getting it into the top 20, and then went on to perform on the BBC's Glastonbury coverage and win both a MOBO award and a Kerrang! award, surely the first act to ever achieve that double whammy.
Fifteen more worth listening to:
- Jack White - Fear of the Dawn
- Wu-Lu - Loggerhead
- Loyle Carner - Hugo
- Black Midi - Hellfire
- Cassels - A Gut Feeling
- Hot Chip - Freakout/Release
- Pusha T - It's Almost Dry
- Gabe Gurnsey - Diablo
- Oliver Sim - Hideous Bastard
- Bodega - Broken Equipment
- Daniel Avery - Ultra Truth
- Scalping - Void
- The Lounge Society - Tired of Liberty
- Bambara - Love On My Mind
- Courting - Guitar Music
