2022 - Long Part I

 

2022 was a year that changed almost everything. A megalomaniac autocrat started a war against Ukraine, the cost of living raised higher and higher and I see a lot of people not knowing how to pay the heating of their homes and their regular food. The medical system is closer to a meltdown before and we are also not willing to change into a climate-neutral future. So I used to ignore these bad news turning into listening to music.

The year is almost gone and like every year a lot of folks out there are going to a retrospective about this year in music. In my opinion it was a very good year in music. Many new bands appeared on the scene and also successful artists released new stuff. Looking back this year I didn't bought many physical copies and owned more digital copies than before. One reason is the price I have to pay for copies coming from Great Britain and the taxes are horrible because German dealers have to include the taxes into the final price. 

So I am presenting a very subjective list of 22 albums that were released this year. Let's start with a few compilations.  

Version Excursion released by Don Letts via Late Night Tales is a very own conglomeration of songs from the last decades many will know but not in a reggae-dub inspired versions. A compilation I always come back to.

Our good friend Drew introduced me to Flying Mojito Bros a California based band reworking the music of the early 70's in a very special way. I always had a fondness to Steely Dan but this version is a belter.

Fell From The Sun is a compilation built on the best of 1990 released songs and reworks. None of them is a mistake and brings back great moments in time.

Let's turn to the new albums of the year. Paul Osborne surprised me with his Project Gemini. The Children Of Scorpio is nothing more or less a homage to early 70's soundtracks with great wah-wah guitars and an accentuated bass drifting into a psychedelic space.

Fontaines D.C. returned with their third album Skinty Fia and came close to their debut. Just pure rock music with an immense energy.

Wet Leg was named as a hype this year because nearly every one talked about them. But their self titled album was nothing more or less one of the best indie-pop albums from this year.

Another band that will appear in many list this year is Yard Act with their debut The Overload. It might be a hype as well but they surprised me with a fresh guitar lead guitar lead sound that just makes fun.

I have to admit that I turned more and more to electronic music and sounds this year. So it is not surprising that the latest album Let's Emerge by Pye Corner Audio appears at this place. Martin Jenkins created one of the superbest drone albums this year.

Heart Shaped Scars

 

I was surprised to hear that Dot Allison is going to release a new album after more than a decade. And I have to admit that I was really curious to her new songs and if they are still relevant in these days. Since Andrew Weatherall produced her bands One Dove epic album Morning Dove White a superb melange of country and folk melancholy with dub and electronica I enjoyed listening to Dot's voice. Now the album moved away from any electronic beats towards a classical singer-songwriter style from the 70's. Listening to her songs I think it is the release of forgotten Sandy Denny songs. But it is simply Dot Allison. A beautiful album that makes a good start into August. If you have enough of beats and rock take a time out and listen to this.