In the past, I've often taken time at the end of the year to run down what I considered to be the best music of the year. There is one caveat: I don't keep up with everything anymore. This post is me telling you what is the best among the music I actually picked up/downloaded/streamed, in 2022. Links will be for Apple Music and Spotify, as those are my streaming platforms of choice.
TOP FULL-LENGTH ALBUMS
Evergreen Disclaimer: Albums are not in vogue all that much anymore. Streaming has turned back the clock a bit to the days when singles were dominant. However, being a good Gen-Xer, I love the full-length projects. Here are my five favorites of the year.
1. ALTER BRIDGE: Pawns & Kings
Alter Bridge may be my favorite hard rock band of the past two decades. Myles Kennedy on lead vocals and guitar, Mark Tremonti on guitar and backing vocals, Brian Marshall on bass and Scott Phillips on drums comprise a band that, if the world were fair, would be packing arenas worldwide, not just in parts of Europe. In 2013, the band released their fourth album, the masterpiece Fortress (for my money, it's the best hard rock album of the past decade). Their new (seventh) album, Pawns & Kings, is a serious rival to Fortress as the band's best. It comes in strong at 10 all-killer, no-filler tracks. Seriously, there is zero fat on this album and I LOVE that. If any track is a weak link, it's Holiday (which sounds like it could've fit Myles Kennedy's last solo project better). This album is so good, I put two tracks in my Top 10 single tracks of the year list — it was that difficult to choose. Don't sleep on Alter Bridge, people!
2. BRENT COBB: And Now, Let's Turn To Page ...
Country singer Brent Cobb release a gospel-inspired project this year that hit me right where I needed to be hit. It checked all the boxes — from sonics to the soul to delivery. Sitting somewhere between laid-back southern rock and country and old-school gospel, this album would be my number one in almost any other year. If your soul needs refreshed, and classic hymns sit firmly in your memory bank, this album is what you need to stream as soon as possible.
3. MARCUS KING: Young Blood
I knew of Marcus King prior to this year, but this is the first record of his I've actually spent a good deal of time alongside. Nestled firmly in the blues/rock/soul trio of tastiness, the album features fantastic guitar work, without resorting to blues-rock cliches. It does the old-school soul vibe without sounding inauthentic. Plus, the songs are just ... there. A great record from start to finish.
4. ERIC CLAPTON: Nothing But The Blues
Recorded during Clapton's From The Cradle period at the Fillmore in San Francisco in 1994, the album doesn't quite meet the level of From The Cradle (a desert island album for me, for what it's worth), but it does feature some of Clapton's best work since his early days. This period is my favorite of his as he's rooted firmly in his love of the blues. This one features many live versions of tracks also on the Cradle album, but also includes killer tracks Have You Ever Loved A Woman (the standout track).
.jpg)
5. IVAN & ALYOSHA: Live at Benaroya Hall (feat. The Seattle Symphony, Lee Mills & Andrew Joslyn)
This album has had a weird life. It was initially released in 2021, but quickly removed from streaming services (apparently, given the extra-long album title, one would guess the dispute was about credits). However, the "COVID-era live without an audience" album from my favorite Seattle indie folk-rock band is a greatest "hits" of sorts and a great primer for anyone looking to hear I&A's insanely beautiful work with the added symphonic feature that only enhances the tracks.
THE D.ROSS IS BOSS SHOW TOP 10 SONGS OF 2022
As you may/may not know, I host a weekly radio show on Jasper's 91.7 FM, The Curve, called The D.Ross Is Boss Show. the show primarily focuses on rock and roll with occasional forays into Americana, country, and other genres. You can hear these songs on my year-end special — airing Thursday, Dec. 29 at 6 p.m. EST and replaying Sunday, Jan. 1 at noon. (so, spoilers, but it's not like it matters that much).
10. ALTER BRIDGE: Pawns & Kings
9. COLLECTIVE SOUL: All Our Pieces
Ed Roland can write a melody like nobody's business. Their new album wasn't their best, but this song is really good.
8. BRENT COBB: We Shall Rise
7. MARTY STUART and HIS FABULOUS SUPERLATIVES: Country Star
If this is the lead-off single for a new album, I'm already excited. I love the wordplay on this one. Vivid.
6. MARCUS KING: Lie Lie Lie
5. KING'S X: Let It Rain
King's X released a new album — Three Sides of One — for the first time since 2008's XV. It's a bit on the long side and not my favorite from the perennial "they should've been big" band. However, this single is as solid as anything they've ever released.
4. METALLICA: Lux Æterna
Metallica roared back with new music for the first time since 2016 with this lead-off track to a forthcoming album in 2023, 72 Seasons. Hitting on themes similar to the first song (Hit The Lights) on their first album (Kill 'Em All), it's fast, melodic, and wastes little time. James Hetfield's voice is strong and the energy is still blazing.
3. THE COLD STARES: Nothing But The Blues
The Cold Stares added a bass player to their lineup and is set to release the album Voices in March 2023. This early single is as strong as anything they've ever released. I've had the privilege of hearing the whole album ahead of time and they are definitely stretching out on the new record.
2. RIVAL SONS: Nobody Wants To Die
Rival Sons have been opening for Greta Van Fleet quite a bit on the road. In a just world, that's at least a co-headlining show. This first single from 2023's DARKFIGHTER is a barn-burner (with a killer music video that feels like the days when people would spent time and energy on concept videos).
1. ALTER BRIDGE: Silver Tongue
Perhaps the best song from my favorite album of the year, so it had to be near the top of this list. Dig it!
HONORABLE MENTIONS (SINGLES)
1. MASTODON: Teardrinker
Quite honestly, the only reason this isn't in my top three songs of the year is that it was actually released in late 2021. However, thanks to the beauty of Spotify's Release Radar playlist recommendations, I discovered it grocery shopping one Friday in early 2022 (it was actually the release of the acoustic version). I'm not a huge fan of Mastodon (too much of the catalog is that cookie monster scream-y style). I love heavy, but I mostly love melody first. This is a fantastic epic song.
2. EDDIE VEDDER: Invincible
This album's first single, Long Way, was released in 2021 and made last year's list. To be honest, I've slept on this album (Earthling) a bit too much. It sounds quite a bit like Eddie is taking up the vacated Tom Petty mantle of elder-rock-statesman. Invincible is the lead-off track to the album and owes more than a little to Bowie, too. A solid start to a solid — very good, but not great — album.
3. COCHREN & CO.: The Lows
I got to promote my first concert this year at our church with our friends in Cochren & Co. headlining. A few weeks after the show, Michael texted me a mix of the song The Lows and I immediately dug it (he also shared another song that will definitely be on my 2023 list if all goes well). In a fair world, this one would be a big Christian radio hit ... but, you know, life's not always fair. There's some tasty slide guitar work on this one that I would've loved to have heard a bit more prominently in the mix, but, all in all, this is a tasty neo-soul, roots rock track that displays Michael's talent quite a bit.
No comments:
Post a Comment