Whilst my personal Spotify Wrapped will tell you that all I listened to this year was XTC (guilty!), there was still plenty of time for new music – and what a year it’s been! Old favourites and new discoveries galore – from Manchester to Stockholm, Brussels to Durham – I’ve once again whittled it down to a choice Top 50 for our ‘Editor’s Picks…‘ You can also find all our record reviews of 2022 right here!
Honourable mentions are extended to those who don’t deserve a listing in a DIY music blog, but soundtracked our year just the same – Arctic Monkeys and their terrific new album, Harry Styles‘ wonderful ‘As It Was‘ and that Radiohead spin-off, The Smile.
As we have done previously, we’ve compiled the list in alphabetical order rather than giving one particular artist the coveted number one spot (sorry artists…) Read on, explore, discover for yourself. Part one can be found here!
H Hawkline – Milk For Flowers
(Milk For Flowers)
Single of the year, surely? Since its release in November, not a day has gone by when we haven’t been swept up in the romance of this album teaser from H. Hawkline. With what sounds like a nod to Todd Rundgren’s ‘I Saw The Light‘, ‘Milk For Flowers‘ is a beautiful piece from the Welsh songwriter.
Holodrum – No Dither
(Holodrum)
Following the fallout of Hookworms a number of years back, it’s good to have another UK answer to LCD Soundsystem back on these shores – especially when its numbers are made up of former Hookworms members (alongside other notable players from the Leeds scene). ‘No Dither‘ is a moody disco delight, destined for shoulder-shuffling in dimly lit basement venues.
Read our review of the Holodrum record here!
HONK – Let The Dog See The Rabbit
(Grand Opening)
Country sleaze, thank you please. The first single proper from HONK, ‘Let The Dog See The Rabbit‘ is a tripped out, boot-stomping affair with punk credentials and Manson Family backing vocals. Nothing like a rootin-tootin’ good time from a bunch of delinquents based out of Manchester.
Horse Lords – Zero Degree Machine
(Comradely Objects)
Nothing like discovering (and becoming obsessive over) a band five albums in. From latest release ‘Comradely Objects‘, opener ‘Zero Degree Machine‘ is hypnotic and then some, very much locking into a groove and building on repetitive sections to make for a powerfully engaging piece.
Julia Jacklin – Love, Try Not To Let Go
(PRE-PLEASURE)
Gosh, Julia Jacklin knows how to tug at those heart strings… From her latest album ‘PRE-PLEASURE‘, ‘Love, Try Not To Let Go‘ is a real goosebumps moment (not the series of kids books, you understand), the tense build on the refrain of its title sending the heart a flutter. Another powerful piece from the Australian songwriter.
Whitney K – While Digging Through The Snow
(Hard To Be A God)
A new name to this buckaroo, the Montreal, Québec based songwriter this year put out a mini-album that label Maple Death Records described as “peak Whitney K“. Shades of Purple Mountains and Dylan can be found on the opener ‘While Digging Through The Snow‘ (that’s a beheaded Dylan on the cover). Pure storytelling to bring a lump to the throat.
Kyoto Kyoto – Fenderr
(Mirror Flexing Jaw)
From an EP out at the start of the year, this from Londoners Kyoto Kyoto filled us with the same sort of excitement experienced on hearing those initial rumblings from Squid or the most recent LP from Dutch trio The Homesick. With their taut brand of post-punk, one expects you’ll be seeing a lot more of Kyoto Kyoto in 2023.
Flore Laurentienne – Navigation IV
(Volume II)
A second album “of orchestral navigations” from Flore Laurentienne this year quite rightly came titled ‘Volume II‘. The output of Canadian composer Mathieu David Gagnon, his classical pieces never fail to stir something within us, with ‘Navigation IV‘ very much providing a stop-you-in-your-tracks moment on release.
Flore Laurentienne talked us through the album track ‘Fleuve V‘ earlier this year – read that here!
Cate Le Bon – Harbour
(Pompeii)
Often dipping a toe into nostalgic sounding pools, the latest release from the magnificent Cate Le Bon sounds at times like it was released smack bang in the 1980s. The vibe that is ‘Harbour‘ makes up the halfway point of ‘Pompeii‘, a really great heart-stopper. Never any doubt when it comes to Cate.
MJ Lenderman – You Have Bought Yourself A Boat
(Boat Songs)
I’ve been neck-jamming to this whopper all year. A swish alt-country number, it transports the listener directly to North Carolina with Mr Lenderman as he asks “How many more bug bites?” I read the other day that this cat is still in his early 20s, rather than in his late 40s as the beyond its years style of the track might have you believe.
‘Suits You‘ is a super soulful slow-jam from Manchester based outfit Lovescene, calling for the lights to be turned down low… Inspired by cinematic scores and classic soul, this is proper heart-on-sleeve power from vocalist Pops Roberts and company.
Martha – Beat, Perpetual
(Please Don’t Take Me Back)
This from Durham quartet Martha is pure anthem wrapped up in a snappy three minute package. Mega chorus and massive Dinosaur Jr-esque guitar parts compliment what is a huge opener from their hotly tipped new record.
Martha talked us through the single ‘Please Don’t Take Me Back‘ earlier this year – read that here!
Our favourite Russian art-popper teased a new album a few months back with the brilliantly bonkers ‘Early Bird‘, all tweeting birdsong and wonky instrumentation, very reminiscent of our favourite 80s Japanese pop song (the equally wonky ‘Les Aventures de TINTIN‘). A total trip, it’s got us all excited for what’s to come. Look out for Decisive Pink too – a new project on the way from NV and NYC based artist Deradoorian!
OSEES – Funeral Solution
(A Foul Form)
At the Albert Hall back in May, OSEES faked out with the announcement of “an old one“, instead ripping through the first teaser from what would be a new album, packed full of scrappy, 100mph hardcore / punk cuts. ‘Funeral Solution‘ blew us away back then and still hits the spot – a gnarly thump in the chest from a band that always keep you guessing. (Not long after the release of ‘A Foul Form‘, a new song followed, taken from a Dungeons and Dragons soundtrack, naturally…)
Personal Trainer – Milk
(Big Love Blanket)
If LCD Soundsystem were from Amsterdam, I imagine they wouldn’t sound too dissimilar to Personal Trainer. Pavement too in fact. From the really rather good ‘Big Love Blanket‘ album released in 2022, ‘Milk‘ is a wonderful pop odyssey with heart-swelling in mind. Accomplished I think.
Personal Trainer very recently answered a series of silly questions for us – read that here!
Public Body – Reset My Password
(Flavour of Labour)
Masters of the minutiae, this year saw Public Body sign to Fat Cat Records, which will hopefully have more eyes and ears on them for the forthcoming year. Before that though, the ‘Flavour of Labour‘ EP came out in March and from it, ‘Reset My Password‘ bolts forward in joyous wonky post-punk fashion, focusing on – of course – being grateful for having a job and resetting the password on your work computer…
Real Terms – Frantically Wrong
Harking back to their formative years in much missed Liverpudlian outfit Vasco Da Gama, the first offering from Real Terms for Sofa Boy Records (the label of Delta Sleep) leans more into their math-ier side and is a total bop. Powerhouse vocal from John Crawford up front!
Real Terms talked us through the single earlier in the year – read it here!
Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever – The Way It Shatters
(Endless Rooms)
The job of a lead single is to get the listener pumped for the album, no? Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever are the masters of this with each new release, ‘The Way It Shatters‘ from their latest album flying out of the gate in all its sparkling glory, with a killer chorus to boot.
Rubber Oh – Nothing
(Strange Craft)
Taking a wee break from melting faces as the guitarist in Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs, this year saw Sam Grant side-step heaviness for groovy psych stylings as Rubber Oh. ‘Nothing‘ is ripper central, with a bit of a glam stomp to it and a closing stretch that really cuts loose.
Sam talked us through the single ‘Hyperdrive Fantasy‘ earlier in the year – read about that here!
Carmel Smickersgill – Leaving
(We Get What We Get & We Don’t Get Upset)
Owner of the best name in the list, Manchester local Carmel Smickersgill really wows on this track from her debut EP – a proper wonky bit of tripped out art-pop. A real sound journey, on occasion it carries the feeling of having taken something fun but momentarily forgetting until…
USA Nails – It’s All In The Context
(Split)
2022 saw USA Nails share the wealth, splitting an LP in half to share the tracklisting with the wicked Psychic Graveyard. ‘It’s All In The Context‘ packs in heaps in just shy of a minute, only momentarily breaking off from jagged attack for the band to wig out. A real statement from them named USA Nails.
Vintage Crop – Double Slants
(Kibitzer)
From the thriving DIY scene in Geelong, 2022 marked ten years in the game for Vintage Crop. New album ‘Kibitzer‘ was a more than worthwhile way to mark the occasion, lead single ‘Double Slants‘ bursting into life from note one with their signature brand of frantic, jangly post-punk and sarcy vocal delivery.
Vintage Crop talked us through the single on release – read it here!
Weird Nightmare – Searching For You
(Weird Nightmare)
Branching off from bursting eardrums as one third of Canadian trio METZ, this year saw Alex Edkins embark on a solo adventure under the gnarly moniker Weird Nightmare. First single ‘Searching For You‘ is scrappy and scuzzy but a total pop song at heart. Proper infectious.
Read our review of the Weird Nightmare LP here!
Sven Wunder – Sun Kissed
(Sun-Kissed)
Our favourite Swedish composer does it again in 2022 with the wonderful ‘Sun Kissed‘, a Ronseal job for certain as it evokes the feeling of basking in the sun (particularly as I write this and it’s pissing it down outside…) That sitar really adds to the hazy instrumental and it’s bright enough to warrant wearing shades when it’s on.
Yard Act – Witness (Can I Get A?)
(The Overload)
Elton John’s mates have done well this year eh? We certainly got swept up in the hype at the start of the year for the big push in the run up to the release of the debut Yard Act album, ‘The Overload‘. Well worth it and we were chuffed up to see the response it received. The revved up ‘Witness (Can I Get A?)‘ packs it all into a swift package as the quartet break off into scrappy punk for a quick turn.
Before it all kicked off proper at the start of the year, we interviewed Yard Act in the heady days of 2021 – read that here! You can also read our review of ‘The Overload‘ here!
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