Albums of the Year 2022

Vintage65

ewal said:

But I'll second Blue Rev - Alvvays. Pretty much the only new album I listened to repeatedly on release.

They are playing 5 smallish UK gigs in May and it could be a good opportunity to see them up close before the festival season starts. Their live sound is as good or possibly even better than the record IMO, which surprised me as I didn't have them down as being a "serious" band.

ewal

Vintage65 said:

ewal said:

But I'll second Blue Rev - Alvvays. Pretty much the only new album I listened to repeatedly on release.

They are playing 5 smallish UK gigs in May and it could be a good opportunity to see them up close before the festival season starts. Their live sound is as good or possibly even better than the record IMO, which surprised me as I didn't have them down as being a "serious" band.

Yes. I saw them when they toured the first album and have pencilled in their show in Glasgow next spring.

dindude

Not as good a year as 2021 where we had great stuff from Wolf Alice, Lorde, War on Drugs, Sam Fender etc. 

Highlights would be: 
Reborn - Kavinski
We - Arcade Fire
Inviolate - Steve Vai
Bronco - Orville Peck
Midnights - Taylor Swift

Vintage65

dindude said:

Not as good a year as 2021 where we had great stuff from Wolf Alice, Lorde, War on Drugs, Sam Fender etc.

Don't forget Turnstile who surpassed all those acts on their way to world domination 

Litterick

See below

Litterick

Not much guitar music this year
 
The Hardy Tree – Common Grounds
The Advisory Circle – Full Circle
Tord Gustavsen Trio – Opening
Emma-Jean Thackray – Yellow (Deluxe)
Troy Kingi – Year of the Ratbags and their Musty Themes
John Schofield – John Schofield
Plan 9 – The Bewilderness
Belladonna – Mary Halvorson
Beth Orton – Weather Alive

Tenebrous

Fossora is Bjork's best album for over a decade.

theatreanchor

Very much enjoying Boris’ end of year album. https://boris.bandcamp.com/album/fade

distressed

Yoo Doo Right -A Murmur, Boundless to the East
Meshuggah - Immutable
Superchunk - Wild Loneliness
Oneida - Success

CaseOfAce

thecolourbox said:

Oh and I forgot, I enjoyed Yeah Yeah Yeahs Cool It Down as well, predictably

I had no idea they had a new record out. Is there anything on there as good as Zero?

I am so completely out of the loop when it comes to current music. The only time I'm really exposed to it is when I watch televised coverage of music festivals (and realise there's pop gems out there like Sigrid's Sucker Punch being made).

Excuse the cool story bro anecdote  but I was in the local music shop yesterday and they had Placebo's Too Many Friends video playing in the background and I thought it was from the latest album and not an old track from 2013...

duotone

My most listened to releases this year are:

Taylor Swift - Midnights

https://youtu.be/EkD9r_q4vAw

Fred Again - Actual Life 3
https://youtu.be/gVBcX1Sd228

duotone

theatreanchor said:

Cheers @theatreanchor ;
I still need to check this Danger Mouse & Black Thought album out. Just checked & it came out in August, I’m not sure how it passed me by.

Spotify Link for anyone interested: https://open.spotify.com/album/0rEbmIQjHTKzKraH4UqiDy?si=GYGV7Z7eRwandZnQ9yXwig

Vintage65

CloudNine said:

Vintage65 said:

CloudNine said:

Prob go with these two:

Alex G - God Save The Animals
Big Thief - Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe In You

My 2nd & 3rd picks squeezed out by Blue Rev 

Your obvious good taste means I will need to give that one a proper listen, have only heard a few tracks.

How did you get on with Blue Rev? I think it's going to be a classic in years to come, and will happily find a place alongside some of my old favourites such as Psychocandy, Loveless & Bandwagonesque.

CloudNine

@Vintage65   Have to say, I am struggling a bit with it. I keep feeling like I am listening to Beach House, and I could never really get fully on board with them. Obviously a deficiency in me rather than Alvvays, as the reception for the album seems to be fantastic. I do really enjoy the guitar tones, and the vocals, just the songs aren’t really pulling me in. However, I do feel compelled to keep listening, as I am feeling a bit left out in not loving it 

Vintage65

CloudNine said:

@Vintage65   Have to say, I am struggling a bit with it. I keep feeling like I am listening to Beach House, and I could never really get fully on board with them. Obviously a deficiency in me rather than Alvvays, as the reception for the album seems to be fantastic. I do really enjoy the guitar tones, and the vocals, just the songs aren’t really pulling me in. However, I do feel compelled to keep listening, as I am feeling a bit left out in not loving it 

Funnily enough, Once Twice Melody has just found it's way onto my playlist. Blue Rev is definitely more driven, but it does have a certain production aesthetic that may take a bit of getting used to. Shawn Everett is one of the top producer/mixing/mastering engineers in the business right now, and recent credits include The War on Drugs (I Don't Live Here Anymore), Big Thief (Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe in You), Adele (30), Yeah Yeah Yeahs (Cool It Down), & SZA (SOS).

Before admitting defeat, I would listen a few more time through a decent set of headphones at volume, and let the distortion pummel your brain for a bit! TBF, it took me a while to get into it, but I think that is a good thing 

PS Alvvays follow Alex G on my playlist, just before Big Thief.

RandallFlagg

Is this where I call out some obscure, esoteric bands and albums to make myself look cool?

Philly_Q

RandallFlagg said:

Is this where I call out some obscure, esoteric bands and albums to make myself look cool?

No, we won't fall for it.

Sporky

RandallFlagg said:

Is this where I call out some obscure, esoteric bands and albums to make myself look cool?

No, this is where you make a snarky remark about everyone else to make yourself look cool.

Reverend

Philly_Q said:

RandallFlagg said:

Is this where I call out some obscure, esoteric bands and albums to make myself look cool?

No, we won't fall for it.

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=pfbid02VW5hQMCfBTf7khGTbaQM5R2aMdBCzH8QbqCVj1zVTh5of93BBsHavmLDJXwkNc6al&id=720161882&sfnsn=scwspmo

Philly_Q

Reverend said:

Philly_Q said:

RandallFlagg said:

Is this where I call out some obscure, esoteric bands and albums to make myself look cool?

No, we won't fall for it.

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=pfbid02VW5hQMCfBTf7khGTbaQM5R2aMdBCzH8QbqCVj1zVTh5of93BBsHavmLDJXwkNc6al&id=720161882&sfnsn=scwspmo

The Phil Collins one is an instant classic.