OUR TOP ALBUMS OF 2022

This was an outstanding year for music, so many excellent releases accompanied us through this time, making our days better, and sometimes memorable.

This chart is a soundtrack to underline our best moments, discoveries, and reflections in music.

Narrowing it down to a list of 20 is an inglorious challenge, but we are so proud to celebrate our favourite artists and projects in the hope that they may be a welcome discovery for you too.

So, here are our favourite albums of 2022!

1 - FONTAINES D.C. ( Skinty Fia)

This is one of the most progressive yet nostalgic albums I’ve listened to so far.
A work that incapsulates all the melancholic references of our music culture in the last decades. It surfs on Stone Roses vibes, while simultaneously holding onto Joy Division, the obscurity of Arab Strap, and gothgaze scenarios.
It’s a beautiful hymn to English as well as Irish music culture. It’s “all we are” and “all we miss being”.

2 - SIDEWALKS AND SKELETONS (Exorcism)

Exorcism is the latest 14 tracks album by artist Sidewalks and Skeletons (AKA Bradford's Jake Lee), who comes from a metal background and developed a taste for dark electronic later on. This record comes after, "Entity", "The Void", and the huge success of "White Light", a statement record in the witch house genre. While incapsulating reminiscences of it, Exorcism surfs on slightly less cinematic vibes but it definitely offers a new exhilarating version of his throbbing electronic club beats. An album filled with hooks, ethereal singing, and a flamboyant decadent atmospheres that takes you to the depths of this rabbit hole.

3 - BRUTUS (Unison Life)

Brutus is a Belgian band that has deeply rooted itself in various music styles. With strong previous releases such as "Nest" an "Burst", the trio has quickly become acclaimed in the post-hardcore scene. However, simply labelling them as post-hardcore would seem extremely simplistic. Their sound has a unique brand: a brand of courageous post-everythingness, visceral intensity, and wild untamed darkness. Their influences range from post-metal, shoegaze, to hardcore punk, yet the way these genres tend to overlap each other is never totalitarian. It holds a suspended everlasting balance that makes their style impossible to categorize.

4 - HÆVNER (Kaldet Fra Tomrummet)

HÆVNER are a Danish post-punk band formed by darkwave artist St. Digue (AKA Kasper Deichmann), Ellisiv Berg, Bette Kurt, and Johan Schultz.

Not much is yet known about this dark/ progressive group, but I am pretty confident this recent release is groundbreaking enough to turn heads and ears.

This album is a visceral potent mix of punk, death rock, black metal, hardcore, and darkwave.

 5 - THE SMILE ( A light for attracting attention).

This record is a collaborative work of Yorke and Greenwood. From the comfort and familiarity of Radiohead, we are brought into new layered grounds, stuck in between blissful charm, and a sense of everlasting peace.

6 - LALALAR (Bi Cinnete Bakar)

The debut album from progressive Turkish band Lalalar is a work that mirrors their Anadolu heritage, and layers it with solid rich walls of sound. Every component is brilliantly textured, arabesk in style but dark, and at times very 80's. Non-western folk at its best! It would be easy to jump in with those ‘ Anatolian rock’ stereotypes, but Lalalar channels multiple energy sources, tapping into the "progressive" while lulling us in the shadows.

7 - BLACK MIDI (Hellfire)

This record surfs in between waves of silliness and breathtaking maturity. Black Midi brought the concept of ridiculous to a whole new artistic level. it takes in death, afterlife, wrestling, contract killings in a jazz/ prog rock/ metal/hardcore direction. Every song walks on a tight rope of "detailed chaos" and is an absolute ear-bender.

8 - JOCKSTRAP ( I love you Jennifer B)

This is theatrical modern pop at its finest. A bewitching mix of falsetto, gospel choruses, theatre drama, frenetic synths, and impressionist piano. It's a record that sounds progressive, and definitely not as "safe" as pop should be.

9 - SYLVAINE (Nova)

This artist takes her place at the top of atmospheric metal/ shoegaze. Norwegian/ French multi-artist Kathrine Shepard, showcases some of the best vocals of the year, with her ethereal wisper-like singing. Bouts of vulnerability alternate with periods of strong intensity. This is a peaceful yet visceral journey that doesn't lose you for one second.

10 - THE MYSTERINES (Reeling)

This is the explosive debut album of the Liverpool band. A record filled with emotional turmoil and dark intimate charm. 13 tracks of excellent garage grunge quality fronted by the soul wrenching vocals of Lia Metcalfe.

This record is run by dark humour and raw heartache, but it never falls into the depressive pattern. On the contrary, it emanates angst, courage, and an endeering fighting spirit.

11 - KING HANNAH (I'm not sorry, I was just being me)

12 - COLD GAWD (God get me the fuck out of here)

13 - YEAH YEAH YEAHS (Cool it down)

14 - VERMILIA (Ruska)

15 - PRINCIPE VALIENTE (Barricades)

16 - BACKXWASH (His happiness shall come first even though we are suffering)

17 - RAMMSTEIN (Zeit)

18 - BEACH HOUSE (Once twice melody)

19 - ALVVAYS (Blue Rev)

20 - BLACK COUNTRY, NEW ROAD (Ants from up there)