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Your albums of the year '22

M

matt j

pfm Member
I know we have a thread for listing new music from this year, but I think we usually have a "Top albums of the year" type affair. No rules on how many as we all buy and listen to varying amounts of music. Just list your favourite albums of the year.

I'll kick us off:

1) Black Thought & Danger Mouse - Cheat Codes. 'Belize' with MF DOOM is a highlight here.
2) Fontaines D.C. - Skinty Fia. Have listened to this a ton.
3) Dry Cleaning - Stumpwork. I don't know why but I just like what they do.
4) The Smile - A Light For Attracting Attention.
5) Steve Lacy - Gemini Rights. Big Frank Ocean vibe to this album, ended up listening to it a lot.
6) Weyes Blood - And in the Darkness, Hearts Aglow.
7) Kendrick Lamar - Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers

Bit of a barren year for me as I've not been paying as much attention as I usually do, I will check out a few of the end of year lists and see what I have missed. Notably some music released this year from artists I am a big fan of that haven't really hit the spot so haven't listed.
 
An early AOTY thread! I’m in. Mine below, in something resembling an order. Other posts to follow undoubtedly as I remember other bits.

Black Country New Road - Ants from up here

Number one by a good margin for me this. A magnificent, enthralling, occasionally confounding masterwork. Miles ahead of their last offering on every level, and I’d be surprised if it’s not their magnum opus. A consume in one sitting must listen.


Fatoumata Diawara - Maliba

Oumou Sangare prodigy turned Malian superstar in her own right with a digital only LP In collaboration with Google arts. Initially penned as a soundtrack to their Mali Magic project, but also a superb standalone piece on its own right, this beautiful offering has seen me through some tough points this year.


White Girl Wasted - White Girl Wasted.

Disclaimer … I’ve listened to a lot of hip hop this year. This is a real throwback LP in many ways, reminiscent of the rap I grew up listening to, and echoing early MF DOOM in structure and craft (and actually featuring the man) albeit with Sonnyjims Midlands drawl front and centre. Clever samples, great flow and loads of brag attitude.


Stella - Up and Away

Redinho produced lushness. Clever, catchy indie pop. I’d be amazed if you don’t find yourself humming a handful of these tunes subconsciously after a couple of spins.


Rosalia - Motomami

Maybe I’m becoming less of a music snob as I get older, but there were a few pop lps that really did it for me in 2022. This is a real spectacle of an album, a big show piece.


Drugdealer - Hiding in plain sight

A west coast inspired guilty pleasure! Sunny cheesy and happy, ‘posse cut’ has become a genuine family anthem, compete with tag me in kitchen Dancing :)

https://youtu.be/qyEld6-BhDo

Ibibio Sound Machine - Electricity

A resounding return to form after their slightly tame last number. Hot Chips production brings back a sense of urgency and fun. Anthems.

https://youtu.be/29t3yNWq1ws

Horace Andy - Midnight Rocker

Producing some of his most interesting work at 70 years old. A complete legend. The remix/companion piece Midnight Scorcher is amazing too, continuing Adrian Sherwood’s fine run of form.

https://youtu.be/pLCUbhGHmkY

Charlotte Adigery - Tropical Dancer

I was initially a bit disappointed with this debut long player after the first EP, but I’ve persevered and I’m glad I did. Clever, playful dance music.

https://youtu.be/qPMxQBvOii4

Nia Archives - Forbidden Feelingz

I love that the kids love DnB. It means I get to listen to it all over again, but produced on proper kit now, rather than an Atari ST.

https://youtu.be/PjCVcVw8f1Y
 
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I didn't think we were too early! a few labels/sites have already done theirs and 6 music do theirs next week.

Nice list, will check out Fatoumata Diawara cheers.
 
It’s good to get in before the big end of year run downs actually, to avoid being influenced.

Is it sad that AOTY lists are one of my highlights of the year?
 
Sad? No way, I'm with you on this one. The Wire's Rewind is a particular highlight, and I'll often delay opening the magazine, just to savour the anticipation and the new discoveries within.

Album that gave me most pleasure this year :

IMG-5615.jpg
 
Always a good time to see which ones from a year’s buying have actually stuck in the memory, which are already forgotten. Ones I can remember, totally random order:

Not Jazz:

Wet Leg - Wet Leg. A bit patchy, but very good in parts. Unbelievably long pre-order so felt like it arrived after everyone had gone home.

Sault - Air. Some prime WTF from a wonderfully unpredictable band.

Kendrick Lamar - Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers. Astonishing stuff as ever. He totally owned Glastonbury this year.

Daniel Avery - Ultra Truth. Atmospheric dark techno that hasn’t been far from the turntable since it landed. A sledgehammer sonically.

Pye Corner Audio - Let’s Emerge! Cool chilled electronica spoiled a little by rather noisy yellow vinyl.

PVA - Blush. Very cool underground almost retro-synth-pop stuff from That London. A band to watch for.

The Smile - A Light For Attracting Attention. Radiohead spin-off with a Sons Of Kemet drummer. Very decebt and very yellow.

Horsegirl - Versions Of Modern Performance. Girl-trio grunge/noise-rock stuff that can even hint at shoegaze at times. Great fun.

The Utopia Strong - International Treasure. Second studio outing from Steve Davis (yes, that one)’s Kraut/prog act and it is really rather good in a fairly ambient Klaus Schulze/Manuel Göttsching kind of way.


Jazz:

Hania Rani - Live From Studio S2 Warsaw. I just love what she does and she does it perfectly here. I’m counting this as 2022 as it is when the vinyl was released. Watch the full concert on YouTube. Remarkable stuff.

Kokoroko - Could We Be More. Wonderful uplifting Afrobeat from That London. The perfect summer album which arrived in August.

Ezra Collective - Where I’m Meant To Be. Didn’t make much of an impression on first play, but I spun it again last night and loved it. I suspect it is a grower. The splatter vinyl sounds great.

Binker & Moses - Feeding The Machine. More of what they do, but in a very good way.

Sarathay Korwar - Kalak. Interesting UK Asian jazz genre-melding, I need to spend more time with it as it only landed a couple of weeks ago. All his stuff is good. I got the Dinked edition with the additional thingy.

Str4ta - Str4tasphere. Second ‘80s retro jazz-funk outing from Giles Peterson, I got in early and snagged one of 100 numbered white-labels. Nothing new, but great fun and beautifully executed. Kind of like Level 42 if Level 42 were a hell of a lot better.


There will be more to add later as I remember them…
 
My top 3 :-
The Smile - A Light For Attracting Attention
The Delines - The Sea Drift
Porcupine Tree - Closure/Continuation
 
yentone said:
Sad? No way, I'm with you on this one. The Wire's Rewind is a particular highlight, and I'll often delay opening the magazine, just to savour the anticipation and the new discoveries within.

Album that gave me most pleasure this year :

IMG-5615.jpg
Click to expand...

This is pretty cool, thanks.
 
In no particular order, my top 5…

The Smile - A Light for Attracting Attention

Spoon - Lucifer on the Sofa

Fontaines D.C. - Skinty Fia

Black Country New Road - Ants from up here

Beach House - Once Twice Melody
 
tuga said:
Two new albums for me this year:

The Smile's "A Light For Attracting Attention"
220px-A_Light_for_Attracting_Attention_%28The_Smile_album_-_cover_art%29.png


Big Thief's "Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe In You"
220px-Dragon_New_Warm_Mountain_I_Believe_in_You_%28Big_Thief%29.png
Click to expand...

I must give Dragon New another go. I have/love all their other stuff but just found this really hard to break into.
 
I do think Big Thief have released the best album of 22, it’s long & complex but feels like a consequential release.

Wet Leg, Dry Cleaning, Smile, Weyes Blood have all done very fine work.

I’ve not fully assimilated the 6 albums from Sault but feel they are an incredibly important ‘band’.
 
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I’ve not even started on the six album Sault drop! I downloaded them when they were free but have no idea which one or maybe two to take a punt on vinyl. Can’t justify the lot!
 
Been listening to Michael Head’s Dear Scott on vinyl and loving it making me go back to all his music over the years. A true tunesmith and a great artist.

Having loved Bonny Light Horseman’s first album I am amazed Uncut magazine did not include their new 2022 album Rolling Golden Holy in their top 75 - it is wonderfully tuneful and almost as good as their first.

As a fan I also loved Anais Mitchell’s new album too but I guess it must be a groove I have got into.

After that it is all back catalogue that I have been loving and discovering why I bought it in the first place
 
It's been all jazz-related for me this year, and there is so much wonderful new music to choose from. These get played the most:

Kolinga - Legacy
Makaya McCraven - In These Times
Str4ta - Str4tasfear
Ezra Collective - where I'm Meant to Be
Chip Wickham - Cloud 10 & Astral Travelling EP
Kokorokpo - Could We Be More
Flora Purim - If You Will
Nick Walters - Singularity
Joyce With Mauricio Maestro - Natureza (favourite release of a lost classic album)
 
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