Sound Records Favourite Albums of 2022
2022 was another brilliant year for new music. So much variety; so much built up angst; so much creativity exploding onto the scene and into our eagerly awaiting ears. New music was there, laying its beautiful little eggs in our perfectly hospitable minds to grow and develop into the influential little monster it is! We noticed a resurgence of Post-Punk after Yard Acts debut album, African Music took a step into our mainstream and Psych continued to appear in our peripheries.
Here we’ve put together a very brief round up of 10 albums that stood out for us in 2022, in no particular order. There could have been so many more, but you’ve got to stop somewhere. We’ve combined one song from each album plus a few others that jumped out to us onto a Spotify Playlist for you to wrap your earlobes around, link at end of article, enjoy!
Jack & Ed’s Top 10 (Combined Five):
Color Green - Color Green
Thanks to a review on the ever-reliable Aquarium Drunkard, an album I probably would have missed otherwise has become one of my favourites of the year. A side project for American musicians Noah Kohll and Corey Madden, their self-titled debut album effortlessly blends the likes of Americana, country and psych into an accomplished and varied collection of tracks.
Minami Deutsch – Fortune Goodies
A Late comer this year, Minami Deutsch’s latest album, Fortune Goodies hit me like a big Krautrock-rock. Coming at you with a constant beat and beautifully timed breathing fills on opening track ‘Your Pulse’ this record filled the gap I didn’t realise I had for some Japanese Psychedelic Krautrock.
Kokoroko - Could We Be More
Part of the incredibly fertile London jazz scene which has been bubbling up for the last few years, this debut by the eight-piece collective made good on the promise of their early EPs and the plaudits they’ve already received (Guardian ‘ones to watch’, Urban Music Awards’ ‘best new group’). The predominantly laid-back musical textures of the record belie the at-times strong messages contained within the lyrics.
Skinshape - Nostalgia
Will Dorey - a former member of indie band Palace - has been quietly crafting albums of various styles under the Skinshape name for the last eight years now. His latest, Nostalgia, is a beautiful, laid back affair which has both an easy familiarity and a nod toward new influences.
Yard Act – The Overload
We almost forget Yard Act’s humorously designed Post-Punk package of sharp guitar pop and poetic storytelling was gifted to us in ’22. Immensely relatable and majorly swag-able The Overload was welcomed with huge appraisal and rightly so, it’s an immediate classic.
Kurt Vile – (watch my moves)
Kurt Vile is always a favourite here at Sound Records and KV’s latest masterpiece didn’t disappoint. It’s got his signature laid back groove throughout, except it seems to have more of a delicate sentiment to it. You can tell there’s been plenty of emotional outlay in the selection of songs. Vile continues to prove he’s a master of his trade with this latest release.
Imarhan - Aboogi
The band, who hail from the southern Algerian desert city of Tamanrasset, have produced an album which perfectly encapsulates the sounds of their Tuareg culture and the parched, shimmering, hallucinatory qualities of their surroundings.
Grateful Dead - Wembley Empire Pool, London, 8/4/72
The 50th anniversary of the band’s legendary tour across western Europe was marked in many ways in 2022, not least by this box set release of the second show from it. It captures The Dead during one of their touring peaks, as they bring their travelling psychedelic cowboy circus across the Atlantic for the first time.
Jack White – Fear of the Dawn
Jumping from nowhere Jack White dropped two albums on us this year! His first release was one that really stayed with me. I loved the diversity of the tracks as well as the familiarity of the sound. Yet it was still something different. In typical Jack White style – not what we expected but exactly what we wanted.
Warmduscher – At the Hotspot
Warmduschers fourth album is a concept; The Hospot may be a fictional place, but they’ve created the kind of soundtrack that makes it feel like the kind of place we’d all want to hang out in. It’s excellently produced and best described as low-down-dirty-disco-post-punk.
