I’ve been banging on about what a great year 2022 has been for music often in recent months. My review of the year as it relates to Americana UK is here. I can’t better The Delines ‘The Sea Drift’ as album of the year by any measure, and nor it seems can many others. It was number one in AUK’s poll of all our writers, as well as several other votes, and deservedly so…
Away from Americana world, folk music had a great year as well. Lizzy Hardingham’s ‘How Did We Get Here? was another winner. I talked about it at Fatea. As music concerned with the mental health crisis as much as just existing on its own merits this album needs to be heard widely. Amy Hopwood, Chris Cleverley and so many others brought us great music. I reviewed Rob Lear’s ‘Strange Days’ here in May and put it up with the two albums just mentioned as an album of the year contender.
Best rock album of the year by a long shot was Generation Radio, featuring a stream of illustrious names including, Jason Scheff, Steve Ferrone, and Deen Castronovo suggested the quality we could expect. While a proper successor to Work of Art as AOR /Melodic Rock flagbearers for this decade has yet to appear, this will do while we wait to see what Eclipse produce next year. Jazz is the one area I can’t find a winner outside the renewed digging in Blue Note’s vaults for live albums that missed the cut, so I’ve been listening to old stuff there for the most part.
Reissue of the year has to be the deluxe versions of Bill Nelson’s Sound On Sound and the complete works of Red Noise. One of my favourite albums has a new lease of life.
And next year? Mr Nelson has 2 albums out in early January, ‘Stupid/Serious’ and ‘Marvellous Realms’, both good and the latter featuring some of Bill’s best songs for a long time. Pre order here… quickly they will sell out. Reg Meuross’ project ‘Stolen From God’ looks set to be a stunning song cycle. If the recent single (reviewed here) is any guide, we may already have album of the year 2023 in sight. Kim Edgar’s Consequences writing project concludes with the album release in February. I’ve just heard the whole thing and it’s the best work of her career. And there will be a new Over the Rhine album…
Mark Beaumont Thomas who i introduced a couple of weeks back has shared his favourites of 2022 below. I have to agree with the beth Orton album and am catching up with the rest of his selections quickly.
Beth Orton Weather Alive A glorious return, with an album which reinvents her music for the 2020s – looser, more jazz influences, wonderfully atmospheric, fantastic live.
Laura Veirs Found Light Similarly, Laura gave us her post-divorce album, one which is also looser, with her Alice Coltrane influence to the fore.
Kurt Vile (watch my moves) No idea why the title is in brackets, as no need to be circumspect – this is a great set from the reliably brilliant singer/songwriter.
Broken Social Scene Old Dead Young A varied and revelatory collection of B-sides and rarities from my favourite bunch of Canadians.
Stereolab Pulse of the Early Brain (Switched On Volume 5) And still the slew of great stuff from the Stereolab archive keeps coming, with this one of the best.
