Arcade Fire -WE (Columbia) - Coming after the half - brilliant Reflektor and the not-at-all brilliant Everything Now, Arcade Fire has enough self confidence to make you believe again
Andrew Bird- Inside Problems (Loma Vista) Bird has had a long and extremely varied career but if you liked My Finest Work Yet, this continues to focus on clever and witty (and quirky) pop music.
Calexico- El Mirador (Anti) Calexico has been doing this for so long now that it’s hard to separate how truly revolutionary they felt. On El Mirador, they feel like they are sending a reminder to anyone who hasn’t listened to them in awhile.
The Cult- Under the Midnight Sun (Black Hill/ Round Hill). The 21st Century iteration of the Cult has been a welcome surprise. Seemingly artistically spent in the 90s, Billy Duffy’s inspired riffs connect a straight line back to the band who made Love almost 40 years ago.
John Doe- Fables in a Foreign Land (Fat Possum) I have followed Doe’s solo career from the start and while he has put out some very good records, I feel this is his first truly great solo record. It has a bit of a late 19th century motive at times and is hard to classify. I also think it benefits from being a constant trio (with a great guest list) with Kevin Smith on upright bass (Dan Hicks and his Hot Licks, Willie Nelson) and Conrad Choucron (Patti Griffin, NRBQ) on Drums.
Peter Doherty and Frédéric Lo -The Fantasy Life of Poetry and Crime (Strap Originals) It’s not so much we didn’t think Doherty could make his “Vauxhall and I” - a mature indie rock musing- we just didn’t think he would live long enough to do so. This album isn’t quite as good as 2019’s Puta Madres album which suggests Pete is still best being a rocker, but it is a fine showcase for him anyway.
Dream Syndicate-Ultraviolet Battle Hymns (Fire) We have seen a few different sides of the Dream Syndicate since they reunited. This album harkens back to the band’s debut sound of sparse Velvet Underground influences that would inspire a generation
Gogol Bordello-Solidartine (Cooking Vinyl) This album was recorded before the Russian invasion of Ukraine but of course, the themes were always part of Gogol Bordello’s music. Producer Walter Schriefls (he of Youth of Today, Gorilla Biscuits and Quicksand) finding a way to bring back the punk feel for an album that ranks as their best in some time
The Interrupters - In the Wild (Hellcat) - Ska and punk don’t usually get critical acclaim but there’s something special about the Interrupters. In this case, they are cementing their legacy by honoring the legacy of their guest list (members of the Bodysnatchers, Hepcat and the Skints)
Johnny Marr- Fever Dreams Pts. 1-4 (New Voodoo/BMG) Marr’s solo career has been quite enjoyable for fans. This was released as a series of four EPs. Overlong at 16 tracks, but the highlights more than make up for it.
Layla McCalla- Breaking the Thermometer (ANTI) - The one time Carolina Chocolate Drop and classically trained cellist makes some of the most interesting music going. This album is part of a larger Duke University project about Radio Haiti and McCalla draws in her own heritage as a Haitian American, how deeply Haitian culture influenced New Orleans and the love between Jean Dominique and Michele Montas who used the radio station to fight corruption and dictatorship and suffered for it. Which is all pretty ambitious, but the album holds up on its own.
Mystic Braves- Pacific Afterglow (5 Records) - One of my favorite garage rock revival bands that tend toward a smoother sound like the Allah Las. This chameleonic band dipped into that early 60s sound on their 2014 debut, but aren’t afraid to draw from other time periods, and this album feels like it could be an early 1970s gem with the likes of Gerry Rafferty an unexpected influence. One of my favorite albums of the year
The Ninth Wave - Heavy Like a Headache (Distiller) - Critics did not like this album which is also hurt from the fact the Glasgow duo broke up on the album’s release. Yes, it is uneven and yes, it pulls from very standard influences like Joy Divison, Echo & the Bunnymen and (if you can’t guess) Kate Bush, but the album has some great moments that fall anywhere between insular Goth ballads and soaring U2 style arena rock
Red Hot Chili Peppers- Unlimited Love (Warner) - Like Alice Cooper and KISS from the generation before, the Chilis will be doing their schtick well into their eighties. Your mileage on “mature” RHCP may vary, but it’s really John Frusciante’s guitar melodies that shine here for me
Sea Power- Everything was Forever (Golden Chariot) - Modernizing the name and reuniting with Producer Graham Sutton (leader of Bark Psychosis who produced Sea Power’s 2nd, 3rd and 4th albums) this truly feel like a relaunch for one of my favorite bands.
Soundcarriers - Wilds (Phosponic). - I wasn’t aware of this band who returned after a seven year hiatus to release their fourth album. Spiritually (if not necessarily sonically) similar to Stereolab, the band plays music that draws from baroque pop, psychedelia, garage rock, tropicalia, lounge, folk, movie music, jazz, Krautrock and other “found sounds”.
Spiritualized - Everything was Beautiful (Fat Possum) Not much stylistically different from their previous few albums, this does feel like the moment Jason Pierce has been working towards. A bit psychedelic, a bit gospel blues, and even a bit noisy (Iggy Stooge gets namechecked) and alt Country (Nikki Lane guests).
Swami John Reis- Ride the Wild Night (Swami Recordings) - This is Reis’s first “solo” album but what does that mean for someone so prolific that fhey perform with Rocket From the Crypt, the Hot Snakes, Drive Like Jehu, Plosivs, the Night Marchers and others. Like his contemporary Jon Spencer, Reis has been charting his own path for years playing raw rock n roll his way. Unfortunately, this didn’t get the attention that Spencer’s latest did which is a shame because it’s fantastic.
Tejon Street Corner Thieves - Thick as Thieves - This Colorado based band plays what they call “trashgrass”. Punky spins on Alt Country and Americana were novel 20 years ago but now dozens of band do it. So it comes down to charisma of the frontman and well, the tunes to separate the wheat from the chaff, but these guys are the real deal.
Yard Act - The Overload (Island) - “Dark Days” was my favorite song of 2021 but it’s not here. I expected Franz Ferdinand style post punk, but despite a few Lydonesque moments, it’s got more in common with the Streets, Scroobius Pip and Half Man Half Biscuit. All that aside, it is still quite a breath of fresh air
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