1. King Creosote - I DES
Kenny Anderson returns magnificently with I DES, something to a point to remind us all from whence he came all those years ago with seemingly hundreds or so songs to his name self released and otherwise and an experience beyond his years. I DES is full of heart breaking songs reflecting on a world moving much too fast and goodness knows where as he himself observes it all like a statue battered with the ravages of time his weary voice sounding as youthful as ever amidst a collective framework of haunting personal observations. I DES will rank highly in King Creosote's discography which is mighty high praise indeed.
2. Belbury Poly - The Path
Never far from the turntable upon its release, a travelogue of deep speech woven and orchestrated by syncopated beats in a wonderfully Belbury Poly way. Ghost Box co founder Jim Jupp is joined here by a full band to further expand his funky, jazz and electronica vision, as refreshing as a stroll through the soundtracks of lesser travelled paths.
3. Lanterns On The Lake - Versions Of Us
Highly recommend medication for anyone feeling overburdened with modern living. Hazel Wilde's haunting voice breaks in and out of the woven fabric of chiming guitars at times shimmering like an strange earthy hybrid of The Cocteau Twins mixed with Galaxie 500. Lanterns On The Lake continue to plough their own remarkable furrow, their blades shining brightly as ever.
4. Baxter Dury - I Thought I Was Better Than You
Amidst the coolest of the coolest of beats Baxter Dury continues to surprise upon every release. Heart on the sleeve this time with a growing perspective on growing up, growing older, family and the will to carry on. An intoxicating mixture of laid bare emotional tonics which frequently give insight into his father Ian Dury and the relationship therein. A travelogue of poetic intensity that has the power to cleanse on each listen.
5. Peter Gabriel - i/o
Only 21 years or so since his previous album Peter Gabriel once again shows that creative longevity is only as relevant to those who make it happen in the now. As successful as some of his most accessible work but no less mysterious.
6. PJ Harvey - I Inside The Old Year Dying
A poetic justification of the passing of time ancient and otherwise. PJ Harvey returns with an album itself inspired by her epic poem 'Orlam' published in 2022. I Inside The Old Year Dying finds its roots deep within the Dorset countryside. Sparse, riveting and crackling with PJ Harvey's rawness and otherworldly spirit.
7. Sleaford Mods - UK Grim
Speaking in truth and sidestepping expectation. The Sleaford's organic danceability is still very much here amidst a world of abrasion and in your face reality. Like keeping the bullshit detector well and truly powered up to 11 in the overburdened sewage farms where decisions are impacting the vastly widening social divide. Freedom of speech is very much alive and worth celebrating in itself.
8. Gaz Coombes - Turn The Car Around
Arriving in January, Turn The Car Around refreshed the spirit after the excess of the festive period. Intricate story telling songs that weave their magic time and time again. The Supergrass frontman continues to go from strength to strength and survive on his own terms. His best album yet, intriguing, captivating with an overriding feeling as though it's a record Gaz Coombes has been wanting to make for a good while, the time has paid dividends marvellously.
9. The Coral - Sea Of Mirrors and Holy Joe's Coral Island Medicine Show
Following on from their hugely successful Coral Island album in 2021 The Coral released 2 albums simultaneously this year both of which are equally deserved of attention. One a continuation of the spoken word dreamscape of their previous album Coral Island's psychedelic soundscape. The other a kaleidoscope of seasonal delight with a more than a tip of the the hat to spaghetti westerns of yore with more emphasis on the song craft we've all come to expect from their ever increasing songbook which in The Coral's vast canyon of work can both sit for now proudly and respectively in excellence.
10. Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs - Land Of Sleeper
They've done it again, living proof if it were needed that fuzz buckets of knarled metal heaviness aren't just for the swamps of America's beaten up garages but exist here in the brazen outer reaches of Newcastle's very own sweaty grime fuelled back streets. At time like twisted nightmares from the dark underbelly of Motorheadisms and Black Sabbathisms. The band continue carving out their own mythology. It's grim up North and what a pleasure that is. These pigs are definitely not for blankets!
11. Beirut - Hadsel
Zach Condon here immerses himself in Hadsel a remote Norwegian Island also using the free to use local church organ which in turn inspires his melancholic musings of isolation, memory and healing. Weaving a magic throughout many songs on the album with multi layered voices, often creating their own landscape around the songs themselves; minimal, intimate with signature Beirut forlorn trumpet passages the album is a cohesive whole which bears heartfelt fruit with open arms.
12. Paul Simon - Seven Psalms
Paul Simon returns after many thought after giving up touring that no more albums would come. This one as he himself explained started when the words Seven Psalms kept recurring in a dream, it's an acknowledgment to his own mortality. A quiet, intimate self portrait of death may not fill everyone with excitement or glee but it is quintessentially a Paul Simon record of old, a guitar, a voice and a song and there's absolute beauty to it's purity. Seven Psalms, proof that at 81 years, timelessness is still to be celebrated. Amen indeed.
13. Yussef Dayes - Black Classical Music
14. Blur - The Ballad Of Darren
15. BC Camplight - The Last Rotation Of Earth
16. Vanishing Twin - Afternoon X
17. Sufjan Stevens - Javelin
18. The Kills - God Games
19. Julie Byrne - The Greater Wings
20. Slowdive - Everything Is Alive
21. Lana Del Rey - Did You Know That There's a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd
22. Brian Jonestown Massacre - The Future Is Your Past
23. Young Fathers - Heavy Heavy
24. Yo La Tengo - This Stupid World
"The Smell of Biscuits, on the long way home, Brunton Park, chanting up the Blues!" Well travelled but with firm roots in their hometown with bundles of references to Carlisle, from Mcvities to Carlisle Utd..... 2 years on from their well received debut album The Borderland, Hardwicke Circus are stepping it up with their new album Fly The Flag. The time in between has been, to say the least, full on, topping off a gig at at the feet of Neil Young and Bob Dylan's Hyde Park concert with a Glastonbury recommendation from Paul McCartney himself and a non stop touring schedule which would make The Commitments seem like slackers!
These guys still relentlessly take the hard road to the stage, continuously honing their craft live up and down the country including many of the nation's prisons where a stonkin' live album was recorded and released.Refreshing to hear a modern band who know their music history and continue to respect their own heritage moving forward, illustrated with tracks such as 'Night Train To London' which is screaming out to be released as a 7" single! A lovely bit of ska, on the tracks from Carlisle to London Town. A tip of the hat to 'The Nutty Boys' - Night Boat To Cairo, Madness themselves would be mightily proud of such an honourable homage. 'Bang My Head' with Tom Foster's idiosyncratic lead vocal, intertwining naturally with lead Jonny and bassist Joe, brings to mind hints of what The Band did so well, carving out an irrefutable furrow of majesty, keeping everyone guessing with changing lead vocals between Levon Helm, Richard Manuel and Rick Danko and arriving back immersed in harmony. Hardwicke Circus are living proof that the old school is the best school to lay the foundations of a long career. 'Our Town'....their feet firmly steeped in Carlisle, Jonny Foster himself explains that "he is often asked why Hardwicke Circus don't move to London as many other bands do 'to get noticed', he adamantly restrains from this and explains that he is so proud of coming from Carlisle, they refuse doggedly to follow the 'in crowd' and are focussed on making it on the bands own terms! Just as The Arctic Monkeys and Sam Fender did before them, keeping it real, keeping their hometown firmly on their sleeves."
Fly The Flag is a bold sax infused record with a collection of songs with at times Motown infused bass and beats weaving a rich tapestry of influences, channelling some of the spirit of Dexy's, The Band, Madness, Housemartins, Boomtown Rats, Billy Bragg, Van Morrison, Specials, Springsteen, Waterboys, Strummer, Stones and Dylan they also manage to infuse a heavy dose of classic eighties pop and pub rock of the late 70s with an ear for popular r and b music of the 60s into a cohesive whole which stands proudly out from the crowd. Eclectic as always, throw in such luminaries as Snake Davies and Earl Slick into the mix and your onto a winning formula. With principle songwriting craft from frontman Jonny Foster alongside his drumming brother Tom, Joe Hurst on bass, Lewis Bewley-Taylor on keys and Jack Pearce on sax. A formidable 5 piece and one to definitely keep your eyes peeled for and your ears open.
Hardwicke finish the album off splendidly with the 1952 Roscoe Gordon classic 'No More Doggin' covered later by John Lee Hooker no less. The guys speed it up in raucous fashion and have a wail of a time with Earl Slick cutting a slice with a mean guitar solo. Jools Holland's Big Band themselves would be mightily proud of such a raucous cover!
A timely reminder then from the band themselves to bare witness to what came before, Hardwicke Circus never try to cover up their influences, they proudly show them in all their glory and revel in turning the next generation onto music that needs preserving, celebrated and never forgotten. Fly The Flag is a smorgasbord of those delights that keep on giving and taking the time to really listen in a world of quick fixes pays dividends.
1. The Smile - A Light For Attracting Attention
An album to get deeply lost in but feel reassuringly at home. Is it the new Radiohead album you wanted?, well no, is it as good as the best of Radiohead albums?, well yes and for any fan it surely should be up there, which is high praise indeed. A collaboration between Jonny Greenwood, Tom Skinner (Sons Of Kemet), Thom Yorke and Radiohead stalwart producer engineer extraordinaire Nigel Godrich. 'The Same' kicks off with Thom Yorkes forlorn trademark vocal, emotive correspondence continues unabated with frequent sonic onslaughts pleasing to the ear but never overloaded. Jonny's guitar woven intrinsically with entangled electronica and off kilter wonderment. "Grab it in with both hands
What you know is right" sings Yorke on the albums emotional opener 'The Same' it sets the majestic tone we've become accustomed to throughout the years and thank goodness for that.
2. WEYES BLOOD - And In The Darkness, Hearts Aglow
An album so much of it's time yet strangely out of it, the opening track knocks you for six and leaves you wanting to wallow in it's pure beauty to share it and enable it to heal the hardest of hearts. (Walt Disney eat your hearts out! ) Your rooting for her from the outset " … Living in the wake of overwhelming changes, We've all become strangers, Even to ourselves" she sings heartbreakingly, one the best post pandemic lines sung with feeling in these turbulent times for sure. Karen Carpenter esq vocalisations, Van Dyke Parks ish lush arrangements and Brian Wilsons vision, a timelessness that speaks for generations and the moments keep coming; An album for anyone and 'everybody' who has ever felt disillusioned with the current human predicament; Love and hope with guts to carry you into the beyond and back again!
3. Yard Act - The Overload
"The overload of discontent....." The album kickstarted January 2022 in glorious abandon, sweeping away the over excess of everything. It kept its northern licence for archaic poetry firmly in its cheek, crafting an independence through years on the outskirts of favour. An album that gains more power the more you listen and ends with one of the best delivered lines of the year; "It's not like there's gonna be nothing, is it?
4. Spiritualized - Everything Was Beautiful
Spiritualized return once again in fine form, evoking the spirit of his magnum opus 1994 Ladies and Gentleman we are floating in space album at times superbly. As on his previous companion piece of an album 'And Nothing Hurt'. J. Spaceman continues to build his signature crescendos with emotional sound collages that leave you wanting more. Everyone already familiar with Spiritualized work will revel in its glorious comfort and give praise that it even exists at all. Longevity amidst adversity with aplomb.
5. MAKAYA MCCRAVEN - In These Times
After reworking Gill Scott-Heron's We're New Here in fine style in 2020, and then 2021s Deciphering The Message the ever present hardworking jazz drummer, producer now gives his attention to a project seven or so years in the making. The result is worthy of the time, with his idiosyncratic beats finding wonder from the ways of old into forms of his own expressive feel.
A subtle exploration of the organic that McCraven has developed impressively over the previous few years. His compositions feel like they've been around for an eternity and still manage to fuse new ground with now the already classic McCraven sound and beats. This is the record he always wanted to make and it impressively shows.
6. Wet Leg - Wet Leg
If it's not fun, don't do it! The band hit the ground running last year with 2 breakthrough tracks/videos 'Chaise Longue' and 'Wet Dream' both of which resulted in career building foundation blocks for the inevitable anticipated album that came along in 2022. Their overwhelming playfullness hides a deceptive dark undercurrent that creates twists and turns through out a highly enjoyable debut. "Is your muffin buttered...."
7. Kelly Lee Owen's- LP. 8
Kelly Lee Owen's continues to experiment and mould sound layers into ambient excursions and techno transmissions which with open ears explore the inner sanctum of tranquillity. Hypnotic vocalisations blend seamlessly with almost an elusive electronic soundscape which at times creates such Vangelis via Bjork's Vespertine imagery that the album captures those special moments of natural contemplation which words alone cannot do justice, the feeling is all encompassing.
8. Ural Thomas and the Pain - Dancing Dimensions
Ural Thomas continues to craft the coolest of grooves into uplifting wisdom. Having been a professional singer since the 1950's sharing the air with such luminaries as James Brown, Etta James, Otis Redding and more, the pedigree would be the envy of most. The album could of been released anytime in the last 50 years or so and that's credit to master players who have been around and instinctively know where it's at. It's just as natural as the happiness flowing as a result.
9. WORKING MEN'S CLUB - FEAR FEAR
Dark Numanesq synth combine with a danceable techno twists to ....Acid house reflections amidst a utopian post punk industrial wishlist. Working men's club continue to not give a hoot what any one else is doing and forever seek something all very much their own.
10. Cate Le Bon - Pompeii
Tom Waitsien off kilter clonk, deconstructed songs mixed with Nico esq atmosphere, minimal approaches with subtle darkness make for a surprisingly uplifting listen. Cate Le Bon continues to tread the path less walked and manages to find the best view.
11. Jessie Buckley and Bernard Butler - For All Our Days That Tear The Heart
A mournful often heart breaking descent into the glorious collaboration between two hugely talented individuals. At times on 'For all our days that tear the heart' there's a strangely unnerving atmosphere of Neil Youngs Dead Man with Laura Marlings most haunting work. A combination made in heaven you might say permeate throughout the record, Butler's delicate acoustic stylings and songcraft bring out the best in Buckley's untainted voice, it's illuminating and thought provoking depth is resolute and full of the emotional shifts, like a great original soundtrack to a beautiful unmade film.
12. Osees - A Foul Form
Never one to pin down, John Dywer drops another h or two from the name and reignites the touch paper via a smorgasbord of quickfire odes, think chunks of Steve Albini produced Pixies Surfa Rosa on speed via Mitch Mitchell like percussive ferocity in all the right places, sweeping away the broken pretenders into a shattered, quivering heap.
13. Katy J Pearson - Sound Of The Morning
14. Tears For Fears - The Tipping Point
15. Michael Head & The Red Elastic Band - Dear Scott
16. Bjork - Fossora
17. Fontaines D.C. - Skinty Fia
18. Just Mustard - Heart Under
19. Kendrick Lamar - Mr. Morale And The Big Steppers
20. Arctic Monkeys - The Car
21. Sea Power - Everything Was Forever
22. Viagra Boys - Cave World
23. House Of Love - A State Of Grace
24. King Gizzard And The Lizard Wizard - Ice, Death, Planets, Lungs, Mushrooms And Lava