2022 been another year that has seen a great deal of excellent new music appear. Here, I count down the tracks that have been the soundtrack to my 2022, and as the now traditional bonus, include the Top 10 songs of my music-loving son Brandon, now 13 years old. Counted down in reverse order for maximum drama, of course…
10. Johnny Marr – Night and Day
Marr’s ambitious Fever Dreams Pts 1-4 effectively brought together four recently-released E.P.s (I’m still waiting for the Part 4 12” to be released, if you are reading Johnny), and ‘Night and Day’ is probably the pick of a set that covers a lot of ground musically.
9. Sun’s Signature – Golden Air
This heavenly collaboration between Cocteau Twins’ Elizabeth Fraser (in my humble opinion, the greatest singer who ever lived) and Massive Attack’s Damon Reece produced an eponymous E.P. containing this slow-burning gem.
8. Wet Leg – Being In Love
In all honesty, Wet Leg’s debut was far better than I had imagined it would be, ‘Being In Love’ being my pick from its 12 sparkling songs.
7. Spector – Felony
One of the musical highlights of 2022 for me was finding that a whole venue full of people in Birmingham were able to sing virtually every word to a triumphant set by Spector, who released this gem as a standalone single this year. Fred MacPherson remains one of the best lyricists we have and that’s in full evidence on ‘Felony’.
6. Beach House – Superstar
The title track of their Once Twice Melody album remains my favourite and probably the best song they have ever released, alas that came out ahead of the album in 2021, so here’s my second favourite ‘Superstar’ which, like all of the band’s music, seems to exist in its own World and time.
5. xPropaganda – The Wolves Are Returning
Having Claudia Brucken and Susanne Freytag back has been one of the high points of 2022, ‘The Wolves Are Returning’ being the pick of the sort-of follow up to Propaganda’s classic A Secret Wish, after a mere 37 year wait.
4. Katy J Pearson – Talk Over Town
This superb track from Pearson’s brilliant second record Sound Of The Morning was a staple on 6Music when it appeared in the Summer and is one of those melodies that is so great and almost instantly familiar, you wonder why no-one has managed to write it before.
3. Horsegirl – Option 8
Taking their cues possibly from The Breeders or Sonic Youth, Horsegirl released their excellent debut Versions Of Modern Performance from which this track is undoubtedly the highlight.
2. The Blinders – Barefoot Across You Water
Not in all honesty a band I had been fond of previously, The Blinders reinvented themselves as something akin to Heaven Up Here-era Echo and the Bunnymen (yes, high praise indeed) and produced this dramatic track that packs so much into its three-and-a-bit minutes.
- Mattiel – Lighthouse
Back with their third album Georgia Gothic, Atlanta’s duo Mattiel announced it with this sublimely joyous song with a huge chorus that grabs you from the first hearing.
https://youtu.be/gPoxbIlpbg4
Honourable mentions also to great tracks by LF System, Hamish Hawk, Pale Blue Eyes, White Lies, Greta, Kaina, Coach Party, Say Sue Me, Say She She, Gwenno, YNYS, Tallies, Sweet Baboo and so many, many more. I could have easily done a Top 100 without repeating any artists.
And now, as promised, the year’s highlights from my son, Brandon Levi Page:
10. Alfie Templeman ‘You’re A Liar’
9. The Kooks ‘Cold Heart’
8. KSI feat. Tom Grennan ‘Not Over Yet’
7. Silk Sonic ‘Love’s Train’
6. George Ezra ‘Anyone For You (Tiger Lily)’
5. The Vaccines ‘Thunder Fever’
4. Alfie Templeman ‘Broken’
3. LF System ‘Afraid To Feel’
2. Harry Styles ‘As It Was’
- S-X & KSI ‘Locked Out’
