Tosh's Best Albums of 2022
Tosh's Best Albums of 2022
New to me, but not necessary released in 2022
I love singers such as Alex Turne,r who swoons, and in my depressive state of mind, this album is the perfect soundtrack to my current mood.
The late (and much missed) Henri Salvador is a mega figure in French contemporary music. He started as a great guitarist and moved into songwriting and making pop/novelty recordings. He was also a pal of Boris Vian, and they wrote songs together. Homme Studio is a compilation of Salvador’s music he made and recorded at home, playing all the instruments and doing early electronics. A genius at work, and this is an excellent gateway to the Henri magic.
I know of Caetano Veloso’s reputation, but I never heard his music until this year. I bought this album, which I believe is his first solo record, and was struck by its magnificence. Originally recorded and released in 1968, this is genuine ‘outlaw’ music as it was made in Brazil then. The arrangements are out of this world, and one hears a new world. Once you arrive, you can’t go back. I hope this doesn’t lead me to a hardcore collection of Brazilian music because my physical space is in danger already.
The playfulness of his new (although old technically) album, Japanese Cassette, is infectious in its enjoyment of finding gold in found sounds. The sound sources are not apparent to me, so I can’t think, “Oh, I know that tune,” but they are primarily used for their rhythmic purposes and juxtaposition of sounds to make a new experience. The visual artist Bruce Conner is the closest I can compare to Tom Recchion. Specifically, Bruce’s films are primarily second-hand images filtered through his sensibility. Like Conner, Recchion shares a genius touch in making us see/hear something fresh that may have been buried in sound/visual history. Japanese Cassette is one of the best new releases I have listened to this year.
Damon Albarn is an artist who does way too much work. His energy makes me sleepy, but on the other hand, he makes incredible albums, such as The Nearer The Fountain, More Pure The Stream Flows. This is an album of outstanding beauty with chamber-like arrangements, subtle orchestration, and concentrated focus. It sounds like music coming out of a depression and allowing a new day to go inside you.
When they hear The Walker Brothers, most people think only of Scott. That is a mistake. John Walker, who stood on Scott’s left side on stage, is a fantastic singer, and one shouldn’t overlook his talents (nor the other Walker, Gary). If You Go Away is his first album, recorded in 1967, at the height of The Walker Brothers’ insanity, and it’s an exquisite album. A tasteful selection of songs and is beautifully arranged by Reg Guest, who also made many of the classic Walker Brothers arrangements. If You Go Away is not that far off from the early solo Scott albums. Scott was a genius, but John shares the quality of what makes Scott moves us, and this album does the job exceptionally well.
What an incredible find for me! A band that made home recordings in Portland in the late 1960s, which reminds me a bit of The Modern Lovers with a Gene Clark fixation. Thoughtful, deep thinking, and maybe even psychotic songs from the songwriter Ben Hoff. He later became the bestselling writer Benjamin Hoff, for The Tao of Pooh, among other self-help, deep psychology titles. But here, with his garage-like rock band United Travel Services, he’s a music god.
The remarkable debut album Foolish Seasons from Dana Gillespie. It’s the ultimate Brit-girl pop of the 1960s, and here she covers songs by Donovan, French icon Michel Polnareff, and the criminally underrated Billy Nichols. They are beautifully arranged by Manfred Mann’s Mike Hugg and Michael Vickers. Please think of the late 60s Kinks and imagine they had Dana as their lead singer. But with a broader/bigger production. Superb.
One can make a successful (and rightfully so) argument that Haruomi Hosono is Japan’s most influential music maker. In America and Europe, Hosono is famous for being a member of the Yellow Magic Orchestra (YMO), but his reach to the modern music world is way more than that. Besides being a creative songwriter/composer, Hosono is also a music historian. He understands the nuance of Kitsch and exotica but also the importance of both early American Jazz and European Electronic music, filtered through his Japanese sensibility. Vu Jà Dé is a double 10” vinyl set, in which one disc is devoted to American song covers, and the second is all compositions by Hosono. But the music is very much arranged as early jazz/small combo swing-era music. It’s not a nostalgic work but an appreciation of music and its history.
This Going To Hurt by Jarvis Cocker and his band Jarv Is… reminds me of David Bowie’s score to The Buddha of Suburbia, not regarding its music, but the playfulness of doing an outside project and being willing to experiment with one’s sound and approach as a soundtrack. This is the second album by Jarv Is…, and so far, both are magnificent. Jarvis works best when surrounded by great musicians such as Pulp, and I think Jarv Is… is special. The combination of violin, harp, and electronics suits Jarvis’s vocal focus on his material. Chamber-like orchestration that’s a touch of Pulp but lighter.
I have heard of Chocolate Watch Band throughout my life, but I never listened to the band’s music until this year. No Way Out is their debut album, and it’s great. Produced by the great garage rock producer Ed Cobb, this is an underlooked band. From San Francisco, but more Los Angeles in its energy and youthful lustful bite. They have done covers, but their psyche-hyper garage rock is something. Let’s Talk About Girls is almost an existential statement about lust.
Manifon is the last David Sylvian vocal album so far. We’re very much in the Sylvian world, but the difference here is that he’s working with avant-garde musicians such as Keith Rowe, Evan Parker, and others. All were improvised to a certain degree except for Sylvian’s lyrics and vocals. One of the more substantial Sylvian releases, which is pretty good, considering his discography is very strong.
A classic hybrid of dance and Stones Exile type of rock. The mixture of the two makes Screamadelica such a unique work of music. This is usually not the type of music I like, but combining the two is a win/win situation.
This obscure Manfred Mann album is terrific due to the jazzy musicianship of its members and the inclusion of Mike D’Abo, who replaced the great Paul Jones. D’Abo is more of a pop singer, but it is odd that visually and sometimes sound-wise, it is very close to the Paul Jones's iconic stance. To me, it’s the lost Manfred Mann classic, and why this band doesn’t get better notice is a mystery to me.
There are two types of Suede albums. The introspective impressions of life are orchestrated and dramatically presented, and there are albums by them that sound like a greatest hits compilation. Autofiction is the latter, which goes for the throat and the hips in this sexy album. This (now) veteran band is on fire.
Thanks for this list Tosh. You’ve got a great ear—or two?—for music, and distinctive taste. So much to explore here.
I think Alex Turner might be one of the best songwriters working today. He seems especially strong as a lyricist. Although I’ve only heard a fraction of his output. So much music, so little time!
Thanx for this! Lots of stuff to explore. Listening to that Arctic Monkeys now!