yunè pinku - Fai Fighter #
A splendidly bombastic illustration of the complex nature of making music in 2022. Undoubtedly in debt to the past, it reminded me of first hearing the riff-centric electronica of the Chemical Brothers. Today we see this through the lens of stardom that begins at home, where people create all the aspects of pop music on their own terms.
Yard Act - The Overload #
Wry ditty from Leeds. Whilst I got burned out on the talk singing style that has dominated British indie rock in recent years, I enjoyed the delivery of this track and the band puts together a solid post punk experience with guitars that slice quite nicely.
Kit Sebastian - Elegy for Love #
In celebration of returning to traveling outside our bubbles, here is a song that was entirely born out of pandemic circumstances ( pieced together during lockdown ) and yet it travels across multiple geographical boundaries. I love the orchestration on this album which features a dizzy array of instruments and a solid jazzy rhythm section that binds it all together.
Sorry - Key to the City #
An anthem. If you watch this song performed live by the core duo you gain an appreciation of the song writing craft at work. It draws from the genre melting adventures of Massive Attack where the moody beats and textures take you directly into an urban world, equally dystopian and full of promise.
Big Thief - Spud Infinity #
A jolly, often hilarious frolic with folk tropes. So lovely to hear a band rally around the singer-songwriter to weave an experience that feels like a casual jam session when it is overflowing with intentionality. A band where you appreciate all of the musicianship, especially the notes left out and the easy fluidity of the bass and drums driving the whole thing.
The Umlauts - Um Politik #
Asynchronous collaboration is a common theme in this list and no more so than with the Umlauts who are equal parts a gang full of immediacy and carefully crafted electronic alchemy. Reassuringly off-kilter and silly throughout, this became one of my go-to shouty anthems in the car this year. After brexit it is reassuring to hear people wilfully relocating London back within Europe.
Kurt Vile - Like Exploding Stones #
A catchy guitar (roller)jam that builds and soars in a delightfully hazy fashion. It reminded me of Bruce Hornsby's The Way It Is and evokes a similar sensation of finding a riff and repeating until it feels spent.
Everything Everything - I Want A Love Like This #
Another song that deserves to be blasted out during a late 1980s Top of the Pops episode. It took me there on numerous flights, avoiding looking COVID in the eyes, and seeking comfort from something that would conjure a disco in my head. This met criteria rather well. Evocative of the happy/sad euphoria of a few 90s dancefloors.
Tamar Aphek - Crossbow #
Few people capture the magical dynamics of a three-piece rock band this well. I appreciate the clarity of purpose of the drums and staccato bass lines that frame some epic guitaring. Reminded me of Snowpony who were a huge inspiration for their propulsive bass and drum attack.
!!! - Un Puente (feat. Angélica Garcia) #
First heard by me during a visit to Barcelona which was the place where I really fell for dance punk twenty years ago. A simple message (perhaps) but so well executed. Definitely looking for bridges and not barriers this year.
Wargirl - Sass Girl #
As featured on season four of Killing Eve, which frequently has interesting music in the background. Somewhat timeless and contemporary because it effortlessly blends nostalgic riff recycling (as ever) into something fresh and urgent sounding.
Kokoroko - Dide O #
A masterful exercise in evoking tenderness from a musical collective that plays together beautifully. The singing brass section and the lyrical bass playing are superb. This was the standout track from their album for me but the whole thing soars beyond the initial target of tasteful afrobeat extravaganza.
Modern Woman - Juniper #
A song that screams: "Yes! Dry was the best PJ Harvey album and here is a fresh take." The strings are tasty and really bring this track to life.
Porij - Figure Skating #
More forays into electronica played by humans from Porij who exude inspiring band dynamics in live performances and also collaborate so well in a studio setting.
Etran de L'AÏr - Toubouk Ine Chihoussay #
Always good to get sucked into a desert rock hustle. The prominent high hat really energizes this track and frames the catchy guitar / vocal interplay.
Plants and Animals - The Jungle #
Exceeds sum of parts. You might cynically conclude that every rock bands needs their own Paranoid Android moment but this one held my attention and ebbs and flows in all the right places
Tony Allen - Mau Mau (feat. Nah Eeto) #
A family favourite no doubt because it sounds a bit like "meow meow" which delights us cat people. This album is fantastic throughout and sadly offers a posthumous footnote for Tony Allen, revered drummer and musical director of Fela Kuti's band. It is a distinctive fusion of masterful beats and hip-hop that warrants a listen.
Bodega - Statuette on the Console #
The new Bodega album showed up at the tail end of a week in NYC and is another great celebration of the city. Urban poise has become even more poignant as we struggle to comprehend the continuation of life and what it means to survive these manmade environments. Bodega embrace pop music as a vessel for their erudite worldview in the same way that Lou Reed did.
Edrix Puzzle - Unhuman Hyperion #
A late discovery this year. Timely evidence that modern jazz is not always obviously drowning in traditional standards. I have always enjoyed the blurring of boundaries between electronica and real instruments. Increasingly it provides a necessary outlet for people to play instruments and boldly explore music. This track starts like Fourtet before careering off into a jam that a group of musicians would pursue.
ROSALÍA - LA FAMA #
All the things I yearned for in 2022... stellar music production, pop hooks. The bass encourages you to turn it and had me reaching for a guitar for the first time in months. The filtered vocal delivery and overall minimalist production nod to Burial. Rosalia blends together avant-garde elements into accessible and distinctive pop music. I do fear that this artistic skill could get forgotten by many who appear to focus on seeking fame. Time will tell whether this material resonates as well in the future.
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