December is a wonderful time to evaluate what you've listened to most throughout the year, particularly since the advent of the likes of Spotify Wrapped.
However, as helpful as end-of-year lists and reflections are, there are always some inevitable gems that have, for whatever reason, fallen between the cracks.
Here are five albums that you might have missed in 2022, but are certainly worth going back for…
Gabriels - Angels & Queens - Part 1
The problem with a lot of modern ‘soul’ music is that it’s either too progressive to be deemed classic, or too retro-sounding to be deemed relevant. This mysterious American trio somehow manage to strike the middle-ground with a beautiful elegance - largely down to the remarkable voice of frontman Jacob Lusk. On their debut album, he encapsulates soul, gospel, r’n’b and more; collaborating with producer Sounwave (Kendrick Lamar, Taylor Swift, Beyonce), that same voice pushes soul music into new places. Above all else, it’s a joy to listen to.
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Paddy Hanna - Imagine I’m Hoping
He has been a member of Irish cult indie bands like Grand Pocket Orchestra, Ginnels and Autre Monde, but Paddy Hanna’s solo work should not be underestimated. The Dublin musician once again teamed up with producer Daniel Fox (Gilla Band) for his fourth album, which saw him dive deeper into dreamy indiepop on Look for Tomorrow, skewed cabaret on New York Sidewalk and clattering pop-rock with piano and trumpets on Yoko Ono. A heady mix of ruminative observations and off-the-wall, adventurous pop songs.
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Alvvays - Blue Rev
They may be destined to be known primarily for the pocketful of musical sunshine that is Archie Marry Me from their 2014 album, but this Canadian band released a stellar third record in 2022. Blue Rev had lyrical depth, musical scope and a clutch of fantastic songs in the likes of Pharmacist, Easy On Your Own? and the spiky Very Online Guy. They’re a North American band with a distinctly European chicness; if shoegaze and dreampop is your thing and you need an album to swaddle you for the remainder of the winter, this is the one.
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Anna Mieke - Theatre
The problem with releasing albums late in the year is that they often get swept aside in people’s rush to consolidate their listening habits over the last 12 months. Wicklow artist Anna Mieke’s second album, released in November, could easily have been consigned to such a fate - if it wasn’t so brilliant. There is a timelessness to both Mieke’s guitar playing and her storytelling, with traces of Irish trad, English folk music, jazz and pop in the mix. This album sounds influenced by the greats: Joni Mitchell, Joan Baez, Sandy Denny; but Mieke has pitched and weighed it perfectly to make it her own distinct creation. Oh, and what a voice, too.
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Black Midi - Hellfire
The origin story of this English band could well have outweighed their output, if the music they created wasn’t so off-the-wall. Having met in the BRIT School (Amy Winehouse, Adele, Leona Lewis, etc.), they took the musical road less travelled by incorporating a melange of styles and sounds into their repertoire: experimental rock, jazz fusion, prog, math-rock, post-punk. Their previous albums sounded like they were still working through that potent blend, but it all comes together on the cacophonous delight that is their third record. A concept album about hell in all its forms, it features characters including shell-shocked soldiers to Satan himself, all amid a soundtrack that swings from unsettling to pastoral to furious to intense and back again - often within the same track. A tightly-wound whirlwind of an album.
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