2022 was a very odd year. I think most people would agree. It was the first year back, for most people, from the covid shutdowns and all the whatnot that went with along with it all. Except that covid didn't actually go away. In fact, it was joined by RSV, and a host of other nasty things, but we learned how to cope with it so that it did not slow us down. In fact, we stayed as productive and busy as ever, as there was so much music to make, buy, hear, watch, read about, or witness in person. To keep track of it all was an impossible task (believe me, I tried). Concerts were back in full force and release schedules were as busy as the pressing plants and distributors could handle. Lots of exciting new artists made themselves known this year and, once again, the geezers really swooped in and showed all those whipper-snappers how it's done. Some of these records came from prolific artists who never seem to go away while others were long-anticipated, or they just appeared out of the blue, and were, quite often, very welcome returns. While there were a great many records that just went right by me, there were a good number that would instantly sink its claws into my soul, for one reason or another (or, in the case of some, every reason). These records run the stylistic gamut, from pop to prog, metal to soul, funk to folk, and pretty much everything else in between, and each one is fantastic in its own regard. So, without further adieu, I present to you the Top 50 Albums Of 2022 (according to me, my mind, and my typing fingers):
Norway’s most
successful export delivers their eleventh studio album, and their first since
2015’s excellent Cast In Steel. For
this set, they crafted a collection of lush, mature numbers that feature
the Arctic Philharmonic, which elevates these songs into an almost timeless
realm. Accompanied by a film of the band recording the album, this shows just
how far a-ha has come since those early, video-driven ‘80s hits. During
that span, the band has broken up and reformed a couple of times, and their
international mainstream star has faded considerably, but they still remain
true to themselves and the result is a set of strong songs that stand among their best work.
The Beths: Expert In A Dying Field
This
wonderful band from New Zealand continues to grow on its third full-length.
While I do not think they could ever fully top their amazing 2018 debut (up
there with the best of all time) The Beths are one of those bands that
can’t make a bad record, or even write a bad song. Liz Stokes continues her
flair for writing heart wrenching lyrics and pairing them with sunny, joyful
sounding songs. This dichotomy doesn’t always work for everyone but it does for
The Beths, and every one of their songs is an instant earworm. The opening
title track is one of those songs that will stick with you and I am certain it will appear on
setlists and best-of sets for as long as this band keeps going.
The Big Moon: Here Is Everything
Three seems to be the magic number this year as we were treated to the third full-length release from this
outstanding UK quartet. While this is not as immediately gripping as 2020’s Walking Like We Do, repeated listens
reveal a greater sense of depth. Much of that is due to the pregnancy (and
subsequent motherhood) of frontwoman Juliette Jackson, and there is an added
maturity that bubbles under these songs that may have not been there
before. There are a lot of quieter, more
reflective numbers on this album, which is normally not my bag, but they do
them well and those songs further illustrate the brilliance of more upbeat
songs like the opening “2 Lines”, and the poppy “Daydreaming”.
Big Thief: Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe
In You
For their
fifth album in six years, Brooklyn’s lovely Big Thief took the big plunge and
issued a double album. That is always a bold move, and only a couple of artists have been able to really pull it off. As such, there
is a point, about 2/3 of the way through the album, where it starts to lose
steam (just like most double albums) but fortunately even those songs are good. It’s just a lot of music to
digest at once. Once digested, however, it is easy to realize the greatness of this
material. Recorded in four different locations, with four different agendas,
this is really like four EPs, shuffled together. Somehow, it still flows
beautifully and, honestly, anything that Adrienne Lenker sings is going to warm
your soul.
Church Of The Cosmic Skull: There Is No Time
The somewhat
cult-like Church Of The Cosmic Skull drops their fourth album and they continue
to be the music world’s greatest enigma since The Polyphonic Spree.
With an entire (fascinating) quasi-religion
built around them, Brother Bill Fisher crafts a collection of songs that
celebrate love, peace, understanding, and the dichotomy between darkness and
light. Combining prog elements with a keen attention to tunefulness,
we get a sound that is larger than life, especially on songs like “Pleading
With The Cosmic Mother”, the classic-rock-megahit-that-never-was “Now’s The
Time”, and the killer single, “One More Step” (you must watch the video for that one). The band's thick, bright harmonies recall The Mamas & The Papas, with a skewed vibe that is reminiscent
of the Jefferson Airplane universe (there is no doubt in my mind that Blows Against The Empire was a major
influence on Fisher). Whether or not you buy into the mystical elements of this
band, what you get is a solid set of well-crafted, original songs with a very
clear vision and this band, once again, totally pulls it off.
The Dear Hunter: Antimai
Ever since
dropping their first demo in 2004 (Dear
Ms. Leading, which set the stage for five of the band’s first seven albums)
The Dear Hunter, led by Casey Crescenzo, has delivered some of the most
intriguing indie-prog that the music world has yet seen. The “Ms. Leading”
story, which encompassed five “Acts”, was a dense narrative (too long
and complex to spell out here) that featured some truly amazing songs, in a
variety of moods and styles. There was also a series of nine EPs, each one
based on a specific color, and those tracks were compiled into an album known
as The Color Spectrum, and then there
was one absolutely fantastic standalone LP, Migrant.
Now that those concept pieces are done…..it’s time for another one. And so it
came to be that the band issued an EP last year called The Indigo Child and that set the stage for what is to be a trilogy
of albums that feature a heavy sci-fi/alternate-world sort of theme. I haven’t
even gotten into the gist of the story itself but the music that is found on
this first volume, Antimai, is every
bit on par with what we’ve heard from The Dear Hunter over the years. Tuneful songs shuttle between prog, pop, and heavier rock styles, with a bit of a jazzy
feel at times. The tracks are all prefaced with “Ring”, and are delivered in
reverse order (Ring 8 – Ring 1), which leads me to expect that to be the case
across this series. The next volume, Sunya
is due in the spring. This album, fortunately, will give us plenty to chew on
in the meantime.
Def Leppard: Diamond Star Halos
As a full-on
child of the ‘80s, you better believe that there is a fair amount of Def
Leppard in my soul. In fact, one of the first two cassette tapes I ever owned
was Pyromania and I continue to rock
to that album (til I drop). While there was never any reason to think
otherwise, I never would have imagined, back then, that we would be discussing
a new Def Leppard album in 2022, nor would I expect it to be as good as this
is. While it can be argued that there has been little market for new music by this band, they have
kept it up over the years and, despite the lack of media attention, most of
those records have been quite good. Diamond
Star Halos, however, takes it to a new level (with the chart placement to go along with it). The band sounds inspired,
whether it’s the propulsive one-two punch of “Take What You Want” and “Kick” (one of their best singles in decades),
or if it’s a tender ballad like “Angels (can’t help you now)”, or some big dumb
rock like “Fire It Up” or “U Rok Mi”. Elsewhere, the sweet
voice of Alison Krauss appears on “This Guitar” and “Lifeless” and she proves
to be an amazing asset. Taking its title from a line in “Get It On” by T.Rex,
this album is a fitting tribute to the glam rock styles that first inspired
these musicians, and a most worthy piece of the Def Leppard legacy.
Drive-By Truckers: Welcome To Club XIII
Slightly misnamed, as this is actually their 14th album, the latest set from the Truckers finds the band taking a break from the political vitriol of their last couple of albums, and instead venturing down a long, dark, autobiographical road (yeah, just coz they’re not fired up doesn’t mean they are happy). Over the course of nine songs, we are painted a mighty portrait of life growing up (and growing old) in the south, and all the ups and downs that might come with it. Patterson Hood has a way of writing (and singing) that gets deep under your skin, and elicits strong emotion, but never really makes you feel bad (though he does make you think). Mike Cooley is only represented by two songs on this album and, as usual, they are fantastic. While I wish he would be more prolific, any chance to hear him is greatly appreciated. Sadly, this album is artist Wes Freed's final collaboration with the band, before his untimely death this year. His artwork has been paired with the Truckers, on album releases and concert posters, ever since 2001's Southern Rock Opera and his outsider styles perfectly illustrate the band's dark, southern themes. While he will be sorely missed, the last quarter century has shown that change is a constant in this band, so we'll see what comes next.
Drugdealer: Hiding In Plain Sight
This third
full-length from Michael Collins and his somewhat dubiously-named Drugdealer
continues their trend of making some of the best albums the 1970s never saw.
These jazzy, mellow, laid-back, sunshine grooves are just yearning for a yacht
and a whole lot of party favors, but they are also just as effective in
headphones, while walking, or in the background while working or socializing,
or while driving down a dark road, late at night.
Envy Of None: Envy Of None
Legendary
Rush guitarist Alex Lifeson teams up with a new crew to create music that is
the polar opposite of what he is known for, and he totally pulls it off. Complex, hard rock structures are
traded for these dark, electro-dominated vibes, which show off several
different sides of Lifeson, especially on the Middle East-flavored “Kabul
Blues”, and the gentle instrumental, “Western Sunset”, which Alex wrote while
processing the then-inevitable death of Neil Peart. Despite the high-profile
status of its guitarist, he is actually not the focal point on this album. The real star
of the show is the material, as well as the amazing voice of Maiah Wynne, who takes
these tracks to a most brilliant level. Lifeson has made it clear that this is
a project, not an actual band, though there have been rumblings about a
follow-up. Regardless of whether they are a real band or not, “Liar” is one of the best
singles of the year.
One of my
absolute favorite things in the world is real, down-home, southern fried soul
music. The kind that you could hear on the Stax label, way back in the day. For
the last couple of decades, however, the wonderful Daptone Records – itself an
offshoot of Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings – has been keeping the soul flame
alive with hundreds of albums and singles by dozens of phenomenal artists,
young and old. Nothing that label puts out is bad, but sometimes a record will
fly out into the universe that is every bit as good as anything you would have
heard in 1966. This latest release from the great, under-appreciated Lee Fields
is one such release, and is a brilliant, soul-soothing masterpiece. Known as
“Little JB”, for his strong resemblance to James Brown, you can hear shades of
the Godfather, but there is also a great deal of Otis in his phrasing, and you
can never go wrong there. This album is the perfect soundtrack to a relaxing
Saturday afternoon.
First Aid Kit: Palomino
On their
fifth full-length album, sisters Klara & Johanna Soderberg enlist a new
backing band and deliver the most mature album of their career. While some of
these songs, such as “Angel”, seem destined for a more mainstream sort of
venue, much of this sounds just like a more grown-up version of the First Aid Kit we've known and loved all this time (and rightly so, as it has been four and a half years since their last album).
The harmonies between the sisters are as golden as ever, and songs like “Out Of
My Head” and “Ready To Run” sound right at home with the best of their previous
work, while others such as the album-closing title track is the best country
song that country radio would never dare to touch.
The Flower Kings: By Royal Decree
The musical
output of Roine Stolt is staggeringly prolific. In the three decades since he
returned to the prog world, Stolt has released seventeen albums with the Flower
Kings name on the front, most of which are either double albums or single-disc
sets that push to the time limitations of the disc. As a longtime fan, even I
admit to getting overwhelmed by the sheer amount of music that exists of this
band. But, the thing is, none of it is bad. Sometimes it is hard to
differentiate between some of their work, but they also explore many different
styles and song lengths. This latest release is the third since Stolt reignited
the Flower Kings in 2018 (fourth if you consider Manifesto Of An Alchemist, which was released by “Roine Stolt’s
Flower King”) and it shows this most recent lineup has really
solidified into one hell of a unit. Atypical for the band, there are no tracks
that exceed eight minutes, which means there are a lot of songs on the album,
but they all get to the point rather than prattling on for half an hour or
more. While they are not everyone’s cup of tea, The Flower Kings keep doing
what they do best, and they deliver.
GA-20: Crackdown
This
Boston-based blues trio drops its third full-length studio release this year
and it is one of the grittiest, most badass records on this list. Playing a
Chicago-style blues, with detours through the Delta, and a fair bit of whiskey,
these dudes basically take what the Black Keys have spent over a decade trying
to do, and they totally nail it. Every song on this album is rock solid but
“Dry Run” is the standout track for me. While this latest release did top the
blues charts, this band deserves to be much bigger.
Liam Gallagher: Diamond In The Dark
Y’know, when
Oasis called it quits in 2009, I think few people expected the Gallagher
brothers’ individual output to be as strong. Especially Liam, since he wrote
very few songs in his former band. Sometimes, however, it pays to be the fool, as Liam’s
output has been incredibly strong, first with Beady Eye’s two album run, and
then on three solo albums (Noel's post-Oasis output has been pretty solid too, though his latest release bored me to tears). Each of those albums is chocked full of thoughtful,
mature, well-written songs that reveal Liam to be far more than what his public
persona might indicate. Several songs feature lush string arrangements and one
song, the killer “Everything’s Electric” features a co-write from none other
than Dave Grohl. While it would be great if those two Gallagher wankers could
get it together to reignite Oasis, so long as we continue to get albums as
strong as this, I guess it’s okay.
One of the most
intriguing bands to come in the last decade has been the Swedish outfit, Ghost.
Over the course of five albums, this band has managed to take everything that
was awesome about the ‘80s, from glam metal to nerd rock to macabre imagery and
melodies galore, and propel them into the 21st century, where they are continually met with far more success than
one would ever imagine. Their fifth album kicks it all up several notches, as
the band delivers a concept album about the rise and fall of empires and does
so brilliantly, especially on songs such as “Kaisarion” and the fantastic
singles, “Hunter’s Moon”, “Spillways”, and “Call Me Little Sunshine”, which is
damn near the top of my list of songs from this year.
Over the last
half-decade or so, Goose has taken the jam-band world by storm. Emerging almost
fully-formed, they have taken cues from the likes of Phish and moe, as well as
younger bands like Spafford and Twiddle, and they have forged a whole new vibe.
Of course, as is historically the case in the jam scene, there has been
tremendous backlash from a certain portion of other bands’ fanbases (anyone
remember the hate thrown at Phish from the Deadheads, and all the Phish fans
that bitched about moe, etc) but that has not stopped their star from rising.
This year proved particularly fruitful for the band, as they have forged a
tight friendship with none other than Trey Anastasio, and even went on tour
with his solo band. With the release of their third full-length, Dripfield, the band continues their
upward climb. Both the title track and the excellent single, "Hungersite", landed the band their first late-night TV appearances, and other songs like "Hot Tea" and "Arrow" have already established themselves as powerhouses on stage. Provided they can avoid all the trappings of stardom, and can continue to remain creative (without sacrificing quality of work) there is no limit to what this band can achieve.
Guided By Voices: Crystal Nuns Cathedral/
Tremblers And Goggles By Rank
It’s almost
impossible to talk about Guided By Voices, especially the current incarnation,
without going on about how prolific they are, but I will keep it brief. The
name was revived in 2016, after a two-year layoff, and a new lineup was built
around former members Doug Gillard and Kevin March, along with Mark Shue and
Bobby Bare Jr, all of whom possess the skills necessary to elevate Robert
Pollard’s tunes into the realm of genius. Despite the band’s legendary knack
for constantly changing, this configuration has remained constant ever since and
these two 2022 albums bring this era’s output to 13 full length releases. While
one would be forgiven for expecting there to be a great deal of crap within
those 13 albums (Bob has traditionally not been a terribly strong self-editor) but that
is not the case. This group has become incredibly solid – hands down the
tightest version of GbV we’ve ever seen – and with Bob now channeling almost
all of his musical ideas through GbV (instead of solo and pseudonym projects),
we are constantly getting the best of what Bob has to offer. The two albums from
this year are quite different but both reveal a tight unit that knows precisely
what it’s doing. Of the two, Crystal Nuns
Cathedral is the more accessible, and songs like “Climbing A Ramp” and
“Excited Ones” stand near the top of the GbV songlist. Tremblers And Goggles By Rank is a darker, denser album, with
longer and more experimental songs, but there is no lack of focus there either.
Never would we have imagined that we would be living in the golden age of GbV now (especially given the significance
of the classic lineup and the band’s ‘90s work) but here we are. There are
already two more albums on the horizon (and that’s just what we know about) so
expect further entries next year. In the meantime, these (and its 11 partners)
are plenty to keep us occupied.
Hellsingland Underground: Endless Optimism
On album
number six, our favorite Swedish rockers deliver a mature set of songs that
find singer Charlie Granberg looking back at all the pieces of his life that
brought him to the present day, with the rest of the band elevating those songs into the upper reaches of perfection. While they have never delivered even a slightly
lackluster album, there is certain power to this set that still makes it feel
like a welcome return. Perhaps it’s because this is the first album made at the
band’s new studio, Hellquarters. Operating on their own turf, they sound
relaxed and inspired. Songs like “It Started With A Teardrop”, “Young &
Dumb”, and “Old White Men” stand with the best of their work, though that
really can be said for the entire album. This group knows exactly
what they are doing and, while it is possible to pick out various influences
here and there, they have a sound and style that is all their own. They deserve
to be much bigger than they are. Especially if they keep cranking out albums as
good as this one.
The Hide-Outs: Colors And Shapes
Okay, I’m not
gonna lie. I was definitely shocked when I came to realize that the singer of
this band was in fact a dude (kinda like when I realized that the singer of
“Teenage Kicks” was male). Listening to this album, I had a clear idea of what
this band looked like, which proved to be pretty much the opposite of what I
expected (silly me should know to expect nothing). Of course none of that
really matters because good music is good music and this band has everything
that it takes to be awesome. These may be middle-aged psych-popsters from
Austin TX but Colors And Shapes is
one of the most refreshing albums I’ve heard all year. It has a very retro,
‘60s sort of feel, and the songs are outstanding, especially “Merry Go Round”
and “Secret Agent Man” (which is not the classic Johnny Rivers song but does
contain references to it). I really hope that this band sticks it out,
at least for a while. If not, then they will be one of the greatest one-shot
bands ever.
Journey: Freedom
Given the
amount of drama that seems to surround the members of Journey these days, it’s
easy to forget that not only did they actually put out a new album this year,
but that it is really good. The band’s third album with Arnel Pineda finds Journey
firmly holding on to all the things that made them such a big deal to begin
with. There are no big revelations on this album, and not much ground that has
not been covered before, but sometimes you need a record from a veteran band to
be a comfort album. While these songs
are new, they sound familiar. Arnel Pineda sounds more like Steve Perry than
the man himself and, while he has very little creative input to this music, he
carries these songs brilliantly. Who knows what the future holds for this band
but so long as they can keep their shit together, and continue to issue albums
like this, then the journey may very well continue for some time yet.
King Buffalo: Regenerator
It is pretty
much a given that if your band name starts with “King” then you are going to
kick ass. Crimson, Diamond, Gizzard, Curtis, and Buffalo, just to name a few.
Hailing from Rochester, NY, this thunderous trio has been splitting eardrums
for nine years now. Regenerator is
the band’s sixth full-length and, while I have not yet given the rest of their
catalogue more than a cursory glance, it is pretty safe to report that this is
their best set yet.
King Gizzard And The Lizard Wizard: Made In Timeland / Omnium Gatherum / Ice, Death, Planets, Lungs, Mushrooms, and Lava / Laminated Denim / Changes
It takes
balls to release five albums in one year, especially when two of those albums
are doubles. The fact that this is the second year that has seen five KGLW
records is even more astounding. While 2017 saw the release of five extremely
different albums, the quintet of 2022 releases is the result of the band’s new
modus operandi, which is to write songs based on jamming (that’s right – the Gizz
is now a jamband....kinda), rather than to be primarily used as Stu’s compositional
clearing house. Now, one might imagine that to slow down the band’s
productivity but no. This is a band of demons and they seem capable of
delivering a never ending stream of complex works. Made In Timeland was the first release this year and it features
two tracks, precisely fifteen minutes each, which are mostly instrumental and
based around a ticking clock. The number of different musical directions these
tracks go in, over the course of this set, is mind-numbing. While nothing this band does is bad, I will say that, of the five albums released this year, this is my least favorite. That's okay because the band then followed
that up a few months later with the double-album magnum opus, Omnium Gatherum. Kicking off with the
sidelong “The Dripping Tap”, it is clear that the band is mellowing its sound
at least a bit (now, “Gaia” may disagree….) and that is further exemplified by
the beautiful, sure-to-be-covered “Magenta Mountain”. October then rolled
around and we were treated to THREE new albums, on three different Fridays. The
first was another double album, Ice,
Death, Planets, Lungs, Mushrooms, and Lava, which initially took
inspiration from the previous album’s “The Dripping Tap” and the band created
this album out of jams, making this one of their most collaborative releases.
Each jam was modal in nature and pretty jazzy as well (lots of flute from Stu).
One of the band’s coolest albums, if that is possible. Next up came Laminated Denim which not only is a
sequel to Made In Timeland, but is an
anagram of it as well. As with the previous set, this album features two
tracks, each exactly fifteen minutes long. Unlike the previous set, however,
these tracks are not bizarre experiments (or, at least, no more than usual) but they sound more like what we’ve heard on the other releases of this year. This is a
super cool set, for sure. But the coolest, I think, was saved for last, with
the magnificent Changes. Initially
intended to be among the five 2017 releases, this album was labored over many
years and, while it exists in the same sonic realm as the other material from
2022, this is a much more condensed, more deliberate affair that shares more
with albums like Butterfly 3000 than,
say, Murder Of The Universe. There is
a bit of a Steely Dan vibe to much of this album, especially on the killer
“Hate Dancin’”, and it is also worth noting that the track list on this album is an acrostic - the first letters of the song titles line up to spell the album's title. I will admit that it is very difficult to review five albums in
one blurb without going off the deep end so, really, y’all should just hear
these for yourselves. Trust me on this, I think you will dig them.
King’s X: Three Sides Of One - ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Ever since
their 1987 debut album, Out Of The Silent
Planet, the wonderful power trio known as King’s X has been dominating
critic’s lists, musician’s influence lists, and they have built up a
modestly-sized base of deeply devoted fans. Unfortunately, commercial success
always eluded them, despite being one of the best bands there is. Three Sides Of One is the band’s
thirteenth studio album, and their first since 2008. Given that length of time,
no one really knew what to expect when this disc dropped over the summer but
any reservations were quickly wiped away as this album makes clear from the
get-go that King's X remains in a league of its own. Every song on this album
is fantastic and the band’s vocal harmonies, which have always been a strong
suit among strong suits, are stronger than ever. Every one of these songs is
begging to be played live and I can only imagine the power that a song like
“Let It Rain” or “All God’s Children” will have on stage. “Nothing But The
Truth” gives Doug Pinnick the chance to get guttural in his voice and you can
feel the soul dripping out, and Jerry Gaskill’s contributions are top shelf as
always, especially the beautifully reflective “Take The Time”. Ty Tabor offers
up the Beatlesque “Holidays”, among many other highlights, and his guitar work
on this entire album is untouchable. Given that these three have been playing
together for over 40 years now, and Doug is 72 this year, who knows what the
future holds for King’s X. Ideally they would continue on for a while yet, and
maybe enter back into a more prolific period. If that is not to be, and Three Sides Of One is the band’s final
album, I can’t imagine them going out on a higher note.
The Linda Lindas: Growing Up
Every now and
then people like to make the claim that “rock & roll is dead”. I mean,
we’ve been hearing it for decades ("guitar groups are on the way out" is what Decca told the Beatles as they were rejecting their demo in 1962). But it never was, isn’t now, and won’t be
anytime soon. Especially when you have a band like The Linda Lindas out there,
kicking so much ass. Ranging in age from 12-18, this is a super young band who
were very obviously raised on a diet of everything from Blondie to Bratmobile, and are now in a prime position to be able to bring this vibe to a whole new generation.
This band could get in a time machine, travel to 1976, climb onstage at CBGB,
and immediately become the talk of the town. Delivered in a series of short
bursts (the vinyl spins at 45rpm, despite this being an album) these girls make
it clear that they are no novelty act. They mean business and I sure hope they
keep it together.
Marillion: An Hour Before It’s Dark
Celebrating
40 years since the release of their debut single, “Market Square Heroes”, and
33 years since the birth of the current lineup of the band, the great Marillion
delivered their 20th studio album, and one of their all-time best.
Coming into being in the midst of the covid pandemic, it is the theme that
pervades this collection, along with other world-woes such as climate change
and misinformation. Continuing their trend of crafting multi-sectioned pieces,
there is less of an attention placed on crafting a “hit” and more on crafting a
work of art that stands the test of time. Which is not to say that the songs
are not accessible – every one of these songs has potential to exist high in
any ranking of Marillion songs, from the opening “Be Hard On Yourself”, through
the brilliant “Reprogram The Gene” and “Murder Machines”, all the way to the
exquisite beauty that is “Care”. Not one note of this album is wasted and, for
that, the band was rewarded with its highest chart placement in 35 years. There
are only one or two albums on this list that keep this from the top slot. I
could not recommend this more.
The Mars Volta: The Mars Volta
After a
decade on hiatus, one of the most wicked bands in the world finally returns……and
they sound completely different. Eschewing the swirling prog-metal colors that
the world has come to expect from this band, this set finds the band moving
down an electro-soul path that owes more to the mainstream of today than it
does the Rush and Zappa sequences that most influenced the band during their
initial run. While I am not in tune with the band’s fanbase, I can imagine this
album being a major shock, and there may have been a fair bit of backlash.
While there is a good amount of straightforward songs on this set, there is
still an enormous amount of weirdness that bubbles through these tracks; it’s
just that the instrumentation, production, and performance keep those from being ear-blistering.
Whether or not I am particularly taken to these songs is something that I am
still working out but, on the merits of sheer audacity alone, this album most
certainly belongs on this list as well as in your ears.
Metric: Formentera
Metric’s
eighth studio release finds the band getting a little introspective and a
little bit darker than their last album, Art
Of Doubt. Much of this has to do with the rural Canadian isolation that
Emily Haines felt while quarantining during the height of the covid pandemic.
Whatever the case, the band came out of it with one of their stronger, more
intriguing works to date. The signature Metric sound is there, but there is a
dark depth to these performances that makes these tracks just a little bit
bristly, especially the epic, ten-and-a-half-minute opener, “Doomscroller”
(which lent its name to the supporting tour for this album). Elsewhere, tracks
like “All Comes Crashing” and “False Dichotomy” are Metric being Metric at
their best.
Midnight Oil: Resist
One of the
best and most conscientious bands of the ‘80s entered into a long hiatus
following 2002’s Capricornia, finally
reconvening in 2017 for a world tour. 2020 brought forth a guest-laden
concept-EP called The Makarrara Project
but this year’s Resist marks the
first traditional Oils album in two decades. From the outset, it sounds as if
the band never stopped making records. Songs like “Tarkine”, “Nobody’s Child”,
and “We Resist” sit right at home in a catalogue that also includes “Beds Are
Burning”, “Truganini”, and “Forgotten Years”. To coincide with the release of this album, Midnight Oil embarked on what they
called a “farewell” tour. While they are not ruling out further recording, if
this were to be the final album from this band, they could not have gone out on a
higher note.
Motorpsycho: Ancient Astronauts
The thing
that blows me away about Motorpsycho (or, rather, one of the things) is how this band
is currently in its fourth decade together, yet every record they make sounds
like it could be the work of some excited, new band. They always sound fresh,
and they always sound inspired. This latest set (their shortest in quite some
time) almost sounds like two different albums. The first side features two
extended tracks, both of which feature Motorpsycho at its best (seriously, that
double-time jam in “Mona Lisa/Azrael” is one of the most badass things to ever grace
a MP album) while side two features a side-long instrumental piece called
“Chariot Of The Sun – To Phaeton On The Occasion Of Sunrise (theme from an
imagined movie)” which is a mouthful of a title. Very cinematic in nature, this
piece reminds me a lot of “Atom Heart Mother” by Pink Floyd, and it is every
bit as powerful. They may have over two dozen albums now but this band never
goes through the motions. May they continue to blow me away for decades yet.
Mt. Joy: Orange Blood
On their
third full-length album release, Mt. Joy grows up a little but mostly stays on
course during this ten-song set that perfectly straddles the line between indie
and pop. There is nothing that this band really does that hasn’t been done
elsewhere, but they still manage to write good, memorable songs, and they
perform them brilliantly. Honestly, those are the things that matter the most.
Those who dig bands like the Shins, the Lumineers, Mumford & Sons, and
stuff like that will find much to love about this album, especially “Evergreen”
which is one of the best songs I’ve heard from this band.
Porcupine Tree: Closure/Continuation
Thirteen
years have elapsed since Porcupine Tree released the immense The Incident before quietly disbanding.
During that time, leader Steven Wilson has carved out a wildly successful solo
career as well as becoming an in-demand remix/remastering engineer, having
instilled new life into albums by bands as diverse as Yes, King Crimson, XTC,
Ultravox, Jethro Tull, and others. During that time, little was said about
Porcupine Tree so it came as a mighty surprise when this album was finally
unleashed this year. Even more of a surprise that this album had been recorded
in total secrecy, over the course of the last decade. Missing was bassist Colin
Edwin, which turned out to be a bit of a controversial move, but Wilson is
joined by longtime collaborators Richard Barbieri and drummer Gavin Harrison on
a set of songs so strong that it is shocking to think that this is most likely
a footnote, or a coda to the band’s actual story. Unlike most reunion albums,
there seems to be no nostalgia in the grooves of this record, and every song on
this album keeps it at a similar level as its predecessors. While every track
is key, it is the opening and closing tracks – “Harridan” and “Chimera’s Wreck”
- that most grab me. Wilson has gone on record saying both that this is
probably the final Porcupine Tree album, and that there could be more (hence
the super ambiguous album title). Following this album with a monumental tour,
this is either one of the greatest comebacks ever or it is one of the best
finales ever. Whatever the case, we have this killer album and it most
certainly deserves a place on even the most exclusive of best-of lists.
The Proclaimers: Dentures Out
Hard to
believe that next year will mark 35 years since that ultimate earworm known as
“I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles)” was unleashed upon the world. In the years since,
Charlie & Craig Reid have continued to deliver albums full of thoughtful
Scottish folk-rock, though to a far more selective audience. Celebrating their 60th birthdays in 2022, the
brothers drop their twelfth album, the most appropriately-titled Dentures Out. There is a bit of a
melancholy feel to much of this album, as it came into being in the midst of
the covid shutdowns, and the songs reflect the isolation that everyone felt at
the time. There is also a fair bit of anger present, as the record takes shots
at the media, social and otherwise, for its role in making the whole damn world
lose its mind. While they will forever be remembered for their one gigantic
hit, this duo proves that they still have much to proclaim.
Quarters Of Change: Into The Rift
New York’s
young Quarters Of Change issue their first full-length album, after dropping a
number of EPs and singles, over the last few years. It is clear that this band
has drawn influence from bands such as Broken Bells and, very much so, The
Killers, but they do so in a way that does not necessarily come across as derivative. There
is an immediacy to this material that makes it really dig into you and songs like
“Ms. Dramatic”, “Blue Copper”, and “T Love” would be huge hits in a more
perfect world.
Ruby The Hatchet: Fear Is A Cruel Master
Formed in
2010, Philly’s kickass Ruby The Hatchet returns with their fourth full-length
release and they continue to impress with their heavy, psychedelic, stoner-rock
grooves. Jillian Taylor possesses a voice with all the power of Pat Benatar or
Patty Smyth, and the band elevates her with a sound that features shades of
Dio, Deep Purple, Dokken, Black Sabbath, and other bands of that ilk, and the
result is a blend that almost reminds me of a heavier Concrete Blonde, or perhaps a less
proggy Touchstone. The songs themselves are fantastic, whether you are flying
down the highway or hunkered down at your workstation, especially “Soothsayer”,
“Deceiver”, and “1000 Years”. One of the bands on this list that I most want to
see live, this is a band, and album, that is well worth exploring.
Sci Fi Soldier: Get More Down
In 2018,
Phish performed a Halloween show, their costume that year being an album by
an obscure, early ‘80s Scandinavian band called Kaxvot Vaxt, and their album i rokk. It did not take long before it was clear that this was a Phish album in
disguise. Fast-forward three years, and
they once again performed a Halloween show as a pseudonym band. This time,
however, we have a band that traveled to the present from the year 4680, to
perform a set of songs that were inspired by Kaxvot Vaxt, in an attempt to save
the world from a catastrophic event called The Howling. In lieu of the usual
Phishbill, attendees were given a comic book that told the whole story, and the set was performed in costume. The songs were not as instantly grabbing as
the Kasvot Vaxt material, but there were a lot of fun ones in there, and songs
that really lent themselves to jamming. Songs like “Clear Your Mind” and “The
Howling” have already become frequent concert staples and others like “Knuckle
Bone Broth Avenue” and “Don’t Doubt Me” offer killer grooves for the band to
explore, while “Egg In A Hole” is perhaps the heaviest thing Phish has ever done.
This year saw the release of a studio recording of this album, which was dropped without any warning or fanfare from the band. Clocking in at
one-third the length of the original live set, this album condenses these ideas
into a much more digestible edition (I am still waiting for a studio version of i rokk to make the rounds) and will surely satisfy those who might long for
the days when Phish songs were ridiculous (or Read Icculus). Also, the
album-closing “I Am In Miami” is so much fun. While Get More Down may not be “the most important and consequential
album of all time”, it is still a hell of a lot of fun and yet another
late-period offering from one of the most unique bands to ever make music. How
many other bands are still this creative, 39 years into their career?
The Sherlocks: World I Understand
Indie rockers
The Sherlocks keep Britpop alive with their third full-length release. Elements
of Oasis, Blur, Pulp, and the Verve can be heard in these eleven propulsive
songs, as well as a fair bit of noise thrown in, some more contemporary
influences like Kaiser Chiefs, Arctic Monkeys, and the Kooks, and occasionally
even some U2 or Coldplay bombast can be found injected into these songs,
especially the larger-than-life “City Lights”.
Provided they can eventually find their own niche, there is no reason
why this band can’t be massive. Especially if they keep making albums as strong
as this.
Amanda Shires: Take It Like A Man
Amanda Shires
is one of the purest hidden gems in the music world. Both as a solo artist and
a member of husband Jason Isbell’s band, the 400 Unit, as well as the
supergroup The Highwomen, Shires has spent the last decade playing some of the
best music out there, and only now is she really starting to get the attention
she deserves. Her latest solo release, Take
It Like A Man, finds Shires moving slightly past country and Americana and
adopting elements of indie pop in there as well, and the result is one of the
coolest records of the year. Some songs, like the string-laden “Empty Cups”
recall a classic, ‘70s era of country, while other songs like “Fault Lines”
almost recall the ethereal qualities of Kate Bush, and “Here He Comes” is just
a killer pop song that should have been a single. This album definitely
deserves to appear on every single list like this.
Sloan: Steady
The most
democratic band in the world drops its 13th album and proves that
they still are the most perfect band ever. Released almost 30 years to the day
from their debut, Smeared, this new
set features three songs each, from these four brilliant singer/songwriters. To
pick highlights would be to gloss over the point of it all, but Patrick
Pentland’s “Scratch The Surface” continues his streak of pulling out at least
one classic rock jam per album, and this is a killer single (cool video too). Andrew Scott
continues to deliver some of the more obtuse (and diverse) entries into the
catalogue, including the space-yacht groove of “Close Encounters”, while Chris
Murphy offers up some surprises, especially in the piano-driven “Human Nature”.
Jay Ferguson can always be counted on to provide a softer and more tuneful side
and he more than delivers, opening and closing side two with the phenomenal
“Dream It All Over Again” and “Keep Your Name Alive”, respectively. Onto their
fourth decade as a band, Sloan never did become the superstars they should have
been, but the albums they always deliver suggest otherwise. Seriously, one of
the greatest bands to ever exist.
Soccer Mommy: Sometimes, Forever
One of my big
pet peeves these days is artists who take a stage name that sounds like a band
name. Soccer Mommy is probably the worst offender of them all……I mean, it is a really, really terrible name, no matter what context you cast upon it. Especially irritating
when their real name – Sophie Allison – is a pretty cool name for an artist already.
HOWEVER, the problem is, I just can’t hate on her for it all that much because
she is really good, and always has been. Sometimes,
Forever is Sophie’s third album and this one finds her really growing into
her craft on a set of eleven new songs that finds her venturing into shoegaze territory,
but with none of the derivative traps that other bands suffer from. While these
dark and droning directions might shake off fans of her earlier work, I think
this was a most necessary experiment that is only going to make her grow even
more for album number four. I just wish she would change her name……
Spacey Jane: Here Comes Everybody
Aussie indie
rockers deliver their second album and, rather than suffering a sophomore
slump, they totally rise to the occasion. Themes of anxiety and depression are
prevalent in the lyrics, as this album was written and recorded in the
aftermath of the covid shutdowns, which occurred just as the band was starting
to pick up the steam generated by the lead-up to their debut album, which came
out three months into the shutdown. Musically, this album goes through a
variety of moods, all of which are tuneful and well crafted. While most current
bands from Oz are more psych-oriented, Spacey Jane, despite their name, is far
more grounded and this album is perfect for anyone who just wants a nice record
to get them through their day.
The Smashing Pumpkins: ATUM – Act 1
The last
decade has been an interesting one for the Pumpkins. First, there was the
phenomenal Oceania, which was
credited to the Smashing Pumpkins but, at that point, the band was Billy Corgan
and three others who had nothing to do with the band’s heyday. Then came Monuments To An Elegy, which was
basically a Corgan solo album (featuring Tommy Lee on drums, of all people).
Then…..James Iha and Jimmy Chamberlin return to the fold and the band has since
released three albums in this configuration. The third and most recent is a
three-volume rock opera called ATUM.
Rather than leaving it for us to digest all at once, the album is being
delivered in three parts, over the next few months. Touted as a sequel to both Mellon Collie And The Infinite Sadness
and Machina, this is a dense,
complicated, brilliant piece of work that will leave you scratching your head
and begging for more. Every time I hear this album, I hear something totally
different. That is the best kind of album and, while I do not imaging this
finished project holding a candle to Mellon
Collie, it is very comforting to know that the Pumpkins are as creative and
enigmatic as ever.
Stereophonics: Oochya!
25 years, and
12 albums, since their debut and these Welsh rockers are not showing any signs
of slowing down. Following up 2019’s outstanding Kind, this latest release finds the band ripping though fifteen
kickass jams. From the first notes of the driving opener, “Hanging On Your
Hinges”, it is clear that this band still means business, and other, more
mid-tempo songs like “Forever” and “Right Place Right Time” are killer singles,
especially the latter which carries shades of Blitzen Trapper in its groove.
Fortunately the public agreed with this sentiment and this album immediately
shot to the top of the UK charts, which is where it belongs. Again, people love
to say that rock & roll is dead but then you get an album like this that
very much proves that claim false.
Bartees Strange: Farm To Table
Born in Ipswich,
England, raised on an Oklahoma farm, and currently residing in Washington DC, it
is no wonder that Bartees Strange’s musical output is so varied. On his second
album, Strange discusses life growing up on a farm, as well as digging into his
family relationships, on a collection of songs that fuse indie rock, pop, folk,
r&b, and even a bit of rap and heavy rock. The result is an album that is
both familiar and fresh. I cannot think of a single artist in the world that
sounds like Bartees Strange, but the influences, as deep and diverse a mix as
they are, make it so the strange isn’t necessarily weird. Songs like “Cosigns”
and “Escape This Circus” are among the best songs I’ve heard all year. I think
we will be hearing a lot more from him.
Tears For Fears: The Tipping Point
For the first
Tears For Years album in eighteen years, Roland Orzabal channeled all the
anguish and grief of losing his wife of 35 years, and the result is one of the
most exquisite albums to come from any artist ever. Every song on this set is
heart-wrenchingly beautiful, starting with the slow burn of opener “No Small
Thing”, while “Break The Man” and “Please Be Happy” are notes-to-self that
stand among the band’s best work. But it’s the title track that will go down as
one of the band’s greatest achievements. Written about his wife when she was
near the end of her life, and was a shell of herself, this track is honest,
brutal, and perfectly executed. One of the greatest comebacks ever.
KT Tunstall: Nut
Drastically
underrated Scottish singer/songwriter KT Tunstall issues her seventh album, the
third part of a trilogy, and the result is a mature work that, in tandem with
the other volumes (Kin & Wax), paint a vivid portrait of the artist, in
this stage of her life. Unlike the first two albums in the series, this is a
more muted affair, far more electro than her usual fare (there is no drummer on
this album) but it’s really all about the songs that the songs are quite good.
“Private Eyes” and “Canyons” are both killer singles while “Demigod” would have
been a smash had it been released as a single.
Umphrey’s McGee: Asking For A Friend
For the last
quarter century, South-Bend-via-Chicago’s Umphrey’s McGee has been blurring the
lines between pop, prog, and jam-rock, and, for their efforts, they have become
giants in their field. Their 14th studio album comes this year and
it proves, just as all their albums do, that “jam bands” really are capable of making
solid studio albums. Drawing both on their signature sounds as well as more
contemporary mainstream influences, the songs on this album show that these
dudes, who are slowly approaching geezerdom, are still capable of coming up
with something fresh and accessible. The opening cut, “I Don’t Know What I
Want”, is one of my favorite tracks of this year, and other songs such as “Escape
Goat” and “So Much” could be huge singles, were they to be released in a
perfect world.
The Waterboys: All Souls Hill
While
boasting the most ex-members of any major rock & roll band (there are 80 known
former members), the Waterboys has always been Mike Scott’s trip and All Souls Hill is the 15th
album to bear the Waterboys name. The man that Bono once called the greatest
living songwriter still manages to create one mini-masterpiece after another,
his colorful, poetic lyrics floating atop a variety of musical beds. In that
regard, he is very similar to Steve Hogarth from Marillion, and is at least as
effective, if not even more. Mike Scott has traditionally used improvisational jamming as a
writing tool, which always gives his songs a loose-but-expansive feel. While
there may not be anything on par with “Whole Of The Moon” or “Fisherman’s
Blues” on this album, the songs on this set are fantastic and, honestly, they
possess greater depth than those early tracks. Of all of the bands in the ‘80s
Celtic wave, the Waterboys may have had the most turnover in personnel, but
they remain true to Mike Scott’s vision and every record is honest and
thought-provoking.
The Wombats: Fix Yourself, Not The World / Is This What It Feels Like To Feel Like This?
England’s
fantastic Wombats dropped their sixth full-length in February, filled to the
brim with one power-pop masterpiece after another and is a record that I have
come back to several times over the year. “Flip Me Upside Down” kicks things
off and this album never lets up until the album-closing title track. For my
money, however, “This Car Drives All By Itself” is a top single of this year. The
Wombats followed this up in November with Is This What It Feels Like To Feel
Like This, the band’s 10th EP, which offers up six additional songs
that are every bit as strong as the album cuts, especially the opening track,
“I Think My Mind Has Made Its Mind Up”.
Wunderhorse: Cub
The debut album from ex-Dead Pretties frontman Jacob Slater is a thoughtful collection of songs that takes all the fire of his punk background and applies it to a set of well-written story-songs. At times, such as on the aptly-titled “Morphine”, there is a great deal of introspection, while elsewhere we have propulsive anthems like “Leader Of The Pack”, which is one of the coolest songs I’ve heard all year. Slater may only be 24 years old but he is making music that would be expected of artists twice his age. This guy is the real deal.
Lastly, we must pay tribute to those artists that we lost this year, including (but, sadly, not limited to) Ronnie Spector, Meat Loaf, Ian MacDonald, Bobbie Nelson, Taylor Hawkins, Bobby Rydell, Klaus Schulze, Naomi Judd, Vangelis, Andy Fletcher, Olivia Newton-John, Jerry Allison, Pharoah Sanders, Ramsey Lewis, Creed Taylor, Anton Fier, Loretta Lynn, Jerry Lee Lewis, Mimi Parker, Christine McVie, Burke Shelley, Mark Lanegan, Gary Brooker, Grachan Moncur III, Joey DeFrancesco, Willie Spence, Nik Turner, and Alan White.
White's death hit particularly hard, as he was in the midst of celebrating fifty years as the drummer for Yes, which is one of my all time favorite bands. Coming into the band in 1972 with a pedigree that included both John Lennon and George Harrison, as well as Joe Cocker (and several others), Alan kept the beat behind every version of Yes and he enjoyed the longest tenure of any member of the band. While his rock-solid timekeeping stood in direct contradiction with the jazzy styles of his predecessor, Bill Bruford, he quickly acclimated (with three days to learn the material) and it was not long before he was as beloved a member as Chris Squire. In his later years, living in Seattle, Alan became heavily involved with youth musical programs in the area, and he was a champion of early music education. A true class act, Alan will be greatly missed.
That's it for 2022. See y'all next year. Perhaps this blog will get busier in the new year. Perhaps The Cure will finally release their album. One of the two will probably happen. Which one? We'll just have to wait and see....
