I’m Tom and every year for the past 8 years I have completed a countdown of my albums of the year, with each of my 31 favourite albums featured every day of December – and 2022 will be no different.
Previous album of the year winners have been Dry Cleaning – New Long Leg (2021), Yves Tumor – Heaven To a Tortured Mind (2020), Toro Y Moi – Outer Peace (2019), IDLES – Joy as an Act of Resistance (2018), Dirty Projectors – Dirty Projectors (2017), BADBADNOTGOOD – IV (2016), Father John Misty – I Love You, Honeybear (2015) & FKA Twigs – LP1 (2014) – and the list contains an eclectic mix of all the genres I love; from Hip-Hop to Post-Punk, Jazz to House, Indie to Ambient, and so on – so hopefully there will be something for everyone.
Last year’s winner – Dry Cleaning’s New Long Leg
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London-based, Nigerian-raised Obongjayar tops my list of this year’s best albums – with his unique vocal delivery and impeccable songwriting skills, his stunning debut album Some Nights I Dream of Doors exceeds the hype and anticipation for it.
If you haven’t listened to this record yet you will almost certainly be familiar with Obangjayar from his prominent features on Little Simz’s “Point & Kill” from last year’s Mercury Prize winning Sometimes I Might Be Introvert, or his star turn on Everything Is Recorded’s “She Said” alongside living legend Kamasi Washington. His Which Way is Forward? EP laid down a marker for his considerable talents back in 2020 and even garnered him an Ivor Novello Award for the smouldering “God’s Own Children”.
This meant expectations were high for his upcoming full length debut. More than rising to the challenge Some Nights… is a perfect encapsulation of everything that is great about Obongjayar; showcasing his one-in-a-million vocal style as he moves from uptempo dance grooves (“Tinko Tinko” & “Message in a Hammer”) to sublime balladry (“Wrong for It” & “I Wish It Was Me”).
Album opener “Try” (below) sets the tone for the record with his breezy falsetto soon descending into his trademark earthy growl – all soundtracked by atmospheric bleeps, bloops and soaring string arrangements.
The tracks that make this album truly great for me are the two closing songs, “I Wish It Was Me” and “Wind Sailor”, which pare back the musical accompaniments to the bare essentials to allow the pure beauty of Obonjayar’s lyricism and vocals take centre stage. The former is a moving tale of brotherly love that never fails to make me stop in my tracks and just marvel at the incredible melodies and perfect production.
I was lucky enough to see him on tour at Manchester’s Band on the Wall this year and his live performance is equally as engaging and entertaining as this record – so if he is in town soon I would thoroughly recommend going along.
Obongjayar is a singular artist who is only at the start of his journey and, if Some Nights… is anything to go by, then it’s going to be a long and beautiful one.
Thanks so much for reading and listening along to my countdown this year – please let me know below which albums you have loved and any you think I have missed! Until next year – cheers! And happy new year!
Avant-garde London duo Jockstrap released their debut full length album in September and it fulfilled all the promise of their excellent Wicked City EP. Formed of two Guildhall School of Music & Drama protégés – vocalist, violinist & songwriter Georgia Ellery (also of Black Country, New Road fame) and producer Taylor Skye – in a similar dynamic to Laura Marling’s LUMP project, the premise of Jockstrap is that Ellery creates ridiculously catchy tunes which Skye then warps into oblivion.
They are accompanied on I Love You Jennifer B by an 18-piece orchestra which helps to elevate their sound to bombastically theatrical levels. The musical palette is constantly shifting throughout the record with the core 60s/70s ‘classic pop’ (think Diana Ross) switching from strummed acoustic guitars, soaring orchestral arrangements, dirty synth-driven electro-pop to medieval chamber music within the blink of an eye. A masterclass in subverting expectations.
The closest we get to a recognisable pop ballad is on the breathtakingly beautiful “What’s It All About?” which swings between swirling synths and lush orchestration. But the pinnacle of the album is the masterpiece (and album centrepiece) “Concrete Over Water” (below) that builds from its humble beginnings into a soaring falsetto chorus then descending into a glitchy Late of the Pier-esque bombardment before dropping back to the intimacy of its intro. A stunning song expertly executed.
In conclusion, I Love You Jennifer B is a challenging but deeply rewarding record of perfectly crafted handbrake turns that take you on a ride you will want to keep hopping back on again and again. I thoroughly recommend listening to this album from start to finish on the best headphones/sound system you have available… immediately!
Leeds super-group Yard Act started with a bang when they released their debut single “Fixer Upper” in the height of the first lockdown and immediately found themselves at the top of many a hype list – a tale of post-Brexit Britain told from the perspective of a (presumable) Leaver over punchy post-punk fervour was fresh and frankly irresistible.
Eighteen months later they had signed to major label Island Records and released their debut album The Overload this January taking the brave decision not to include any previously released tracks despite their success – showing just how much of a creative purple patch James Smith (ex-Post War Glamour Girls), Ryan Needham (ex-Komakino & Menace Beach) & Sam Shjipstone (ex-Hookworms) were having.
The record continues their theme of tongue-in-cheek socio-political commentary over spiky guitars, disco drums and driving bass. Clocking in at just 37 minutes The Overload is a slick, lean mean machine – with the punchy punk of “Witness (Can I Get A?)” to the sing(/shout)-a-long choruses of “The Overload” & “Pay Day” sticking to the brief of ‘in your face’.
But where the band come into their own is on their slower more considered tracks “Tall Poppies” and the sublime “100% Endurance” (below) – on the former Smith deep-dives into the life and death of a friend who never left his home village (now considered a small town) and ends with a touching rumination on how to live a good life. But the latter sees the sneeriness and cynicism peel away and offers a truly optimistic and euphoric catharsis that closes the album – as Smith croons “It’s all so pointless/It is and that’s beautiful, I find it humbling sincerely” you can feel his inner-existentialist breaking through as he concludes “It brings me peace of mind to know that this will all just carry on/With someone else (Something new)”.
It is often difficult to live up to the hype surrounding your band when you release your debut record (looking at you Parma Violets et al) but Yard Act have truly triumphed with The Overload. A record that has laid down a marker and I can’t wait to hear what they release next.
I did ponder in my 2019 write up of Big Thief’s Two Hands where the band would go next, it was a year that saw them release two stellar concept records (alongside the equally amazing U.F.O.F.) which explored two very different aspects of the band’s sound. The answer is Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe In You a record that is as expansive and initially overwhelming as its title.
This record is a monster, clocking in with 20 tracks and a run time of 1 hour 20 minutes, but it is a beautiful and an endlessly rewarding one if you take the time to get to know it properly. This is the sound of Adrianne Lenker & co. throwing off the shackles and setting out to explore any and all directions their lyrical and musical curiosity takes them.
From the understated serenity of opener “Change” (below) to the honky-tonk hilarity of “Spud Infinity”, and the euphoric melancholy of “Sparrow” to the irresistible guitar shredding of personal highlight “Love Love Love” – Dragon… was recorded over four separate sessions in four different studios with different producers for each and on initial listen it really feels like it. But with repeated visits you come to see that the thread bringing it all together is Lenker’s amazing lyricism.
A truly astonishing record, Dragon… is peak Big Thief. Drawing on all the very best elements of their previous releases and unleashing their creativity to devastating effect. Thoroughly recommended!
London-based Aussie producer Jordon Alexander a.k.a. Mall Grab released his debut full length record back in the summer and although it doesn’t exactly pull up any trees it’s been a “go to” album for me since its release. Spanning various genres and featuring some refreshingly surprising guest features it is an exciting and uplifting listen.
Making his name in lo-fi house, Alexander has expanded and honed his sound with each release and What I Breathe feels like a fitting culmination of his journey so far. From the sparkling synths of “I Can Remember It So Vividly” to the piano house of “Love Reigns”, and the soulful “Patience” to incessant pound of “Metaphysical” – there’s a lot going on here but it’s all great.
However where this record comes to life is in Alexander’s choice of features who pop up throughout – the most left-field being, lead singer of hardcore sensations Turnstile, Brendan Yates juxtaposing his combative growl with the smooth groove of “Understand”. My personal favourite on the record though is the star turn by UK Grime royalty Novelist and D Double E on the bonafide banger “Times Change” (below).
What I Breathe is the sound of an artist still open to experimenting and the result is an enthralling record that wears its influences on its sleeve but offers something fresh and thoroughly enjoyable.
There is a rotating billboard/painted fence that I always see when walking down my local high street in Levenshulme and this autumn, in between promos for local clubnights at The Talleyrand, it was adorned with Manchester stalwart Werkha (a.k.a. Tom Leah)’s artwork for his latest album All Werk Is Play.
Leah is a bit of a legend in Manchester circles having been a regular at one of my old haunts So Flute – alongside other greats such as Yadava, Danuka, Contours & Bolts. Fusing contemporary live jazz arrangements with the sensibilities of electronic music – his sound is not too dissimilar from Bonobo and Youandewan.
This record is an absolute delight. A collection of fourteen uptempo groovers that span various genres and draw on a wide variety of influences. Album opener and title track “All Werk Is Play” employs the haunting string & vocal arrangements, chiming bells and growling bassline of Flying Lotus to create an edgy but irresistible groove.
My personal favourites are the infectiously off-kilter “Battered Mars Bar” with its video game bleeps and sweeping synths, and the joyous big band vibes of “Beauty & The Bloc” which also has one of the greatest music videos of the year (below).
You would be hard pressed to find a more uplifting and joyous record from this year than All Werk Is Play – thoroughly recommended. Stick it on and groove out the rest of your year, summer can’t be that far away!
Merry Christmas everyone! Toronto’s Alvvays (pronounced ‘Always’) released their third album Blue Rev in October and it’s a joyous celebration of power pop, building on their signature sound with another selection of exquisitely crafted ditties.
Alvvays have carved out a singular sound for themselves in the indie pop landscape – with their signature synth drone that provides a backdrop to all their tunes, the band explained in a recent interview how their love of bagpipe music (in part due to their Scottish heritage) has influenced their instrumentations.
The album is also heavy with literary references and clever wordplay as lead singer and songwriter Molly Rankin navigates the various trials and tribulations that life throws at her – but never crossing into pretentiousness.
The elements that truly allow Blue Rev to excel though are the top tier guitar sounds – throttling between Smiths-ian chiming (“Many Mirrors”), 80s stadium rock (“Velveteen”) and shoegaze swirling (“Easy On Your Own?”).
Alvvays’ defining tune is probably their debut single “Archie, Marry Me” – and the closest they get to the triumphalism of that song is the amazing “Belinda Says” (above) with its earworm melodies, Country key changes and blistering guitar solo.
A joyous and exhilarating record from a band at the peak of their powers – thoroughly recommended!
27-year-old Floridian Denzel Curry’s Melt My Eyez See Your Future is a carefully paced departure from the machine-gun bars that made his name – by turning his gaze inward the result is a carefully considered record of poise and vulnerability.
Curry’s cover of Rage Against the Machine’s “Bulls on Parade” for Australia’s Triple J was a viral sensation and a perfect embodiment of his adrenaline-fuelled staccato delivery. As a result the more laidback style on this record is doubly refreshing and allows him to spread his wings – backing tracks at times fall back to sparse jazz arrangements such as on “The Last”, “Mental” or the Robert Glasper feature on opener “Melt Session #1”.
Flying Lotus-esque ethereal backing vocals spiral throughout the record and offer a framework for Curry’s vocals to still pack a punch despite the reduction in pace – which is perfectly exemplified on album highlight “Walkin” (below) where the initial verses are delivered in halftime before letting loose as the 808s kick in.
Despite the absence of bonafide bangers Melt My Eyez… is the perfect vehicle for everything that makes Curry great. An introspective and deeply personal record from one of the best in the game in 2022 – thoroughly recommended!
San Francisco-native and We Have Sound Album of the Year 2020 winner Chaz Bear returned with his follow up to Outer Peace and first record for indie tastemakers Dead Oceans. Long ago shaking off his ‘chillwave’ tag and embracing the funkier elements of psychedelia – MAHAL continues the themes from that previous album.
Instrumental album opener “The Medium” ropes in the inimitable guitar noodling of Unknown Mortal Orchestra’s Ruban Nielsen for a tone-setting wig out. The singles from this record are right up there with the best from Outer Peace; the sultry groove of “Magazine”, the gloopy funk of “Postman”, the Rubber Soul-era reverse guitar of “Deja Vu”, and my personal favourite “The Loop” (below) with its syncopated vocals, snaking bassline, infectious chorus and Isley Brothers’ guitar solo.
His performance at New Century Hall in Manchester in October was one of my favourite gigs of the year as he ran through a set of all the smash hits of his career to date.
The music of Toro y Moi never fails to put a smile on my face and MAHAL is no different – a record to brighten your day.
Released via Euro-electroclash legends Soulwax’s DEEWEE imprint, Topical Dancer is an absolutely infectious, danceable, funny and delightful record from duo Charlotte Adigéry and Bolis Pupul. The pair started working together ten years ago after meeting in their hometown of Ghent, Belgium and have worked together on Adigéry’s previous releases but this is the first project where they both have equal billing.
The premise of Topical Dancer is summed up nicely by the album’s title; a tongue-in-cheek take on ‘topical’ themes – whether that is sexuality, clichés in pop music or societal racism, and ‘dancer’… well that’s pretty obvious as soon as you put the record on.
The music is intensely groovy and although it is clearly heavily influenced by early 00s house music (Soulwax, Felix Da Housecat, Kitsuné) they are incredibly futuristic – much like Adigéry’s earlier EPs which hit HARD, the thud of “It Hit Me” (below) is hypnotic and intense.
Overall Topical Dancer is an incredibly fun record. A lot of reviewers have called out the ‘basic’ nature of the lyrics but I think they are completely missing the point – as evidenced on the awesome “Ceci n’est pas un cliché” (This is not a cliché) where the pair reel through as many pop tropes as possible in 3 minutes 46 seconds (“You’re cold as ice”/”My heart is beating like a drum”/”You’re my baby tonight” etc.). The pair clearly know what they are doing and it works!
We Have Sound 