Albums of 2022

[Mickey]

Something about the production on 7 never clicked for me.

[Kevin Davis]

Teen Dream and Bloom really are a world apart from the rest.

Teen Dream and Bloom are two of my favorite albums of the 2010's, Bloom especially. I've liked all the rest but it's been more of a passive, "everything this band does sounds generally pretty good in the same way even when I'm not really connecting personally with it"-type appreciation. From the previews, the new stuff sounded like another dose of that, but I will definitely give it a listen.

Yeah that's what a first listen felt like for me. Bloom just has that extra something--like a slightly darker, menacing texture underneath the dreaminess.

On the later albums, I feel like you can kind of hear their "sound" leading them around by the nose -- the songwriting feels, I won't say tossed off, but certainly secondary. On Teen Dream and Bloom especially, that dreamy ambience really works in service of some really exquisite songcraft, and in turn gets to feel like an enhancer rather than an endgame unto itself.

You can really hear this juxtaposition on the B-sides album, where tracks from across their career are sequenced together non-chronologically. For as much as one can carry the sense that all BH albums kind of sound the same, it's remarkable how instantly identifiable songs from the Teen Dream/Bloom period are (and not just because some of them are alternate versions of the album tracks!)

[Jorge]

Just wanted to chime in to voice my support for Bloom, and the song "On the Sea" in particular

[Kevin Davis]

I'm a "New Year" and "Other People" man myself, and of course that intro to "Myth" just melts me on impact.

[Chris_H_2]

i absolutely adore bloom

[Brett]

I dunno it's kind of a weird album, the mood is almost manic and the vocals are kind of shout-sung. Someone described it to me as "The Brits have discovered Slint" which I don't think is exactly true but it's definitely a little discordant. Reminds me a jazzier British Sea Power? I'm not sure I like it at all but it's definitely not campfire voice.

Sounds like you're describing a British Akron/Family somehow.

Think the shouty, crescendo-heavy stuff of early Arcade Fire juxtaposed against a more pensive mood on the quiet moments.

[psychobain]

My rank so far:

Spoon
Beach House
Big Thief
Cat Power
Madrugada
A Place to Bury Strangers


I need to check: Alt-J, Sea Power and White Lies

Strong year so far

[Mickey]

I'm a "New Year" and "Other People" man myself, and of course that intro to "Myth" just melts me on impact.

"New Year" might be one of my favorite songs of all time. The new record's not Bloom-good on the first few listens, but "New Romance" comes as close to that level as I've heard from BH in a while.

[psychobain]

check this banger

[psychobain]

[chewm]

I dunno it's kind of a weird album, the mood is almost manic and the vocals are kind of shout-sung. Someone described it to me as "The Brits have discovered Slint" which I don't think is exactly true but it's definitely a little discordant. Reminds me a jazzier British Sea Power? I'm not sure I like it at all but it's definitely not campfire voice.

for me the first album was incredibly "the brits discovered slint" but now they decided they'd rather become a horny arcade fire somehow (or like an angular post punk take of that)

[LetMeSleep]

Sea Power

[tragabigzanda]

[psychobain]

FKA British Sea Power

[LetMeSleep]

They sound so "Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever" on everything they do. This is not a bad thing.

my thoughts exactly the minute this song started.

ha. cool. they are good at the three guitar thing.

Cars in space is such a great song

https://rollingblackoutscoastalfever.ba ... less-rooms

While initial ideas for Endless Rooms were traded online during long spells spent separated by Australia’s strict lockdowns, the album was truly born during small windows of freedom in which the band would decamp to a mud-brick house in the bush around two hours north of Melbourne built by the extended Russo family in the 1970s. There, its 12 tracks took shape, informed to such an extent by the acoustics and ambience of the rambling lakeside house that they decided to record the album there (and put the house on the album cover). For the first time, the band self-produced the record (alongside engineer, collaborator and old friend, Matt Duffy). The result is a collection of songs permeated by the spirit of the place; punctuated by field recordings of rain, fire, birds, and wind. "It's almost an anti-concept album," says the band. "The Endless Rooms of the title reflects our love of creating worlds in our songs. We treat each of them as a bare room to be built up with infinite possibilities."

[epilogue]

Those much cooler than me are probably hip to this Australian band called Gang of Youths.

I first heard them last year. Their single "angel of 8th ave." showed up on some random playlist. Anyway, I fell hard for that song.

Now the album "angel in realtime" is out and it's kind of blowing my mind. This thing is great.

[Higgs]

Hip or just Australian. These guys are big down here for sure. I've never listened through a whole album but they have some killer singles.

A few years ago a good mate of mine died from cancer and his wife asked me to sort out music for the church service and the graveside. I asked his 3 kids (early 20s at the time) if they had any specific requests. The youngest said he didn't care, I could just play all Gang of Youths if I wanted and he'd be happy.

I put this on for him special that day.

[LetMeSleep]

That’s a fucking song.

[epilogue]

My friend and neighbor records music under the name Edwin Clarence Graves. He just released a new 7 song album called Dead Friends. It's on all the streaming apps. I really dig it. It's sort of low-fi, shed a quiet tear into your whiskey in the dark woods, americana music. Right up my alley.

I highly recommend it.

[epilogue]

Hip or just Australian. These guys are big down here for sure. I've never listened through a whole album but they have some killer singles.

A few years ago a good mate of mine died from cancer and his wife asked me to sort out music for the church service and the graveside. I asked his 3 kids (early 20s at the time) if they had any specific requests. The youngest said he didn't care, I could just play all Gang of Youths if I wanted and he'd be happy.

I put this on for him special that day.

This is fucking great!

I'm officially down a Gang of Youths rabbit hole. I think I fucking love this band.