Nite Songs Top 100 Albums Of 2022: Part 6 - The Top 10!
Okay, so this is it - the official Nite Songs Top 10 albums of 2022. Enjoy...
***
10. THE HELLACOPTERS - "Eyes Of Oblivion"
A comeback album that thankfully rather than being a faded retread of past glories was a timely reminder of everything that was great about the Hellacopters first time around. With a good mix of lightning precision garage rock and some unexpected sonic twists and turns all backed up by Nicke Andersson being his usual imperious self up front and a returning Dregen firing off the riffs to devastating effect, this was a triumphant return from this seminal band.
***
9. MILES HUNT - "Things Can Change"
Recorded during the lockdown, Things Can Change felt almost like an arm around the shoulder from Milo to reassure us that everything was gonna be alright. With a mix of slower introspective numbers and a couple of heavier interludes which were originally aimed for a Vent 414 reunion that never quite happened, it made for an enjoyably varied album which had its dark moments but overall turned out to be one of the most genuinely uplifting albums of the year.
***
The potential of this band is truly frightening given what an assured debut album Reeling was. One part early grunge scuzziness and one part goth atmospherics, the Mysterines well and truly served us up an ace with this offering as well as casing out several other musical side streets as well to keep you enthralled throughout. A case of a band whose hype is well and truly justified and who, if there's any justice, will be selling out arenas come album number two.
***
With Autofiction, Suede have hit on the perfect balance between their '90s heyday and the more studied approach of their post-reunion material and come up with arguably their strongest effort since getting back together. The key thing is that while it definitely channels the bloodthirsty glam rock of those early efforts, it does so on its own 21st century terms making it a great effort in its own right, dragging those ideas forward and giving them a modern day makeover to excellent effect.
***
6. THE BLACK HALOS - "How The Darkness Doubled"
Similar to the Hellacopters above, a reunion which thankfully produced an album that could hold its head up against the Halos' imperial years output from a couple of decades ago. Although it's got the extra bruises and scars to show for the time away, this is a classic Black Halos album of scuzzy rock 'n' roll with a mile-wide mean streak and the odd more reflective moment to mark the passing of time. Hopefully it'll get this very underrated band the plaudits they're long overdue.
***
5. THE URBAN VOODOO MACHINE - "Snake Oil Engine"
There's always been an angry socio-political conscience running through the Urban Voodoo Machine's work but with Snake Oil Engine, the vitriol was well and truly ramped up to create the group's heaviest album to date. Bristling with anger about the state of this septic isle in 2022 but with enough moments of the sly humour that claw it back from the abyss, Paul-Ronney Angel and his crew are on top form here making this yet another great UVM album.
***
4. SIMON LOVE & THE OLD ROMANTICS - "Love, Sex, Death Etc"
You might honestly have been forgiven for thinking that albums like Love, Sex, Death Etc didn't still exist in 2022. Imagine Pulp's louche cool and tunefulness mixed with Billy Bragg's heart on sleeve honesty and you're not a million miles away. Ranging from the venom of I Will Dance and I Love Everyone In The World (Except You) to the wry humour of L-O-T-H-A-R-I-O and the achingly stark Yvonne and Au Revoir My Dude, this was a supremely varied album but one which never loses sight of its tunes and melodies throughout. A real standout.
***
3. MARC VALENTINE - "Future Obscure"
With his band the Last Great Dreamers on temporary hiatus, Marc Valentine spread his wings in style on Future Obscure. Mixing the bluesy Britrock of the Dreamers with a side helping of Boys style power-pop and a few curveballs, here he's come up with an absolutely killer set of tunes with hardly any weak links ranging from the stomping Mornington Avenue to the big showstopping epic Death Is Overrated. A real demonstration of Valentine's talent and a highly recommended album.
***
2. HELEN LOVE - "This Is My World"
If you had Helen Love down as the clown princes of post-Britpop indie, This Is My World showed a whole other side to them. Packed with odes to teenage nostalgia that have a lovely warm glow to them, this had real pathos by the bucketload and some genuinely heartbreaking moments (you would honestly have to have a heart of stone not to feel a bit of a lump come to your throat while listening to Clearing Out Mum's House). Make no mistake, with this one, Helen and her group very much served up their masterpiece.
***
1. MICHAEL MONROE - "I Live Too Fast To Die Young"
Make no mistake, it was a very close run thing but after narrowly missing out with a couple of his previous efforts, Michael Monroe just to say saw off all the competition to claim the Nite Songs Album of the Year award for 2022. The key thing about I Live Too Fast To Die Young is that while the sound is unmistakably that of Mike, it also sees him tying in a lot of the kindred spirits and influences that have guided him along over the last four decades from the gothy rock of the Lords of the New Church (Derelict Palace) to the booze-soaked laments of Walter Lure and the Waldos (Everybody's Nobody) and the honky tonk glam stomp of Mott the Hoople (Can't Stop Falling Apart) as well as some good old Hanoi Rocks style aggression on Murder The Summer Of Love. A magnum opus from a man and band at the top of their game, this was a worthy winner for our favourite record of 2022.
***
...and that's a wrap for another year. As always, thanks again to all the bands who've sent us stuff to review this year and most of all thank you dear reader for continuing to check out my deranged scribblings over the last 12 months. We're going to take a few days' break now to get our heads back together for 2023 (we'll return with our first Sounds From The Junkshop of the year next Friday) but until then, hope you all had a great Christmas and have an awesome New Year. We'll see yas on the other side.
Comments
Post a Comment