My favorites – 2022
It’s been kind of a strange year as golf replaced music as
my most common activity. Not a lot of
shows attended and only added 63 albums of which 45 were new releases. And just a few hit a real nerve but
regardless here are my ten favorite as of this morning. The only real rule is that I have to own the
vinyl which eliminated our friends Andrew Leahy and the Homestead and the
Broken Spokes since I could only get their CD’s. And I know this list is skewed
far more to country than any previous list – getting older kids!
1. Riddy Arman – self-titled– supposedly this album
was released in 2021 but I had never heard of her or the album in 2021 so I am
counting it as a 2022 release. I first
heard “Spirits, Angels or Lies” one day streaming on a new release
playlist. It screamed classic country.
Her dad is dying and Johnny Cash comes by in the middle of the night and asks
him to go with him – he says he has to stay with his family and after he
relates this to his wife she goes home and hears Johnny passed away overnight.
That hooked me. Other great songs –“Half
a Heart Keychain”, “Barbed Wire” and a great cover of the Sammi Smith hit “Help
Me Make It Through the Night”. Easily
the album I have played the most this year.
2.
49 Winchester – Fortune Favors the Bold - a late
addition to the catalog after a couple of songs showing up time after time on
playlists. “Russell County Line” is the
song that got stuck in my head for much of 2022. And the title song ended up being a quote at
one of our Board meetings so I had to have “Fortune Favors the Bold”.
3.
Craig Finn – A Legacy of Rentals – The Hold
Steady is one of my favorite bands and their albums almost always make this
list. This is Craig’s strongest solo
effort by far. You know I like a story in my songs and every song Craig writes
is a story. Now just to see The Hold
Steady or Craig live in 2023 – it’s been too long.
4.
Ian Noe – River Fools & Mountain Saints –
another one of those late 2021 albums I never heard of. Caught “Pine Grove (Madhouse)” early in the
year and then when I got the album I became a big fan of “Ballad of a Retired
Man” as well as “Appalachia Haze”. More
stories -more happiness for me!
5.
John Fullbright – The Liar – John was probably
the first of the Oklahoma guys I listened to back in Austin – far before John
Moreland. Hard to beat “Paranoid Heart”
for my favorite song of 2022. And
“Social Skills” is one we can all relate to most days.
6.
American Aquarium – Chicamacomico- maybe the
best part of this album is listening to Mojo Nixon on Outlaw Country attempt to
pronounce the album title! Still the hardest working band in Americana put out
another quality album. “Built to Last”
is my most played song on the album.
7.
Wild Rivers – Sidelines – This was another of
those Artist Discovery albums from the Magnolia Record Club. Had never heard of Wild Rivers but this album
surprised me and got a lot of spins on the turntable in 2022.
8.
Caroline Spence – True North – I think you all
know my Caroline story – stumbled upon her opening for John Moreland at Main
Street Crossing. Since then every album
has made my Top 10. Between her
songwriting and her voice her albums are my late night reading accompaniment.
9.
Elf Power – Artificial Countrysides – a random
release form YepRoc that came from my year-long subscription . Not sure I can even detail how or why they
made the list – I just like the way this album sounds.
10.
Jamestown Revival – Young Man – saw these guys
open for the Wild Feathers a long time ago at the Crocodile Café in Seattle and
their albums always sound great. This
one is no different and as a two piece they make some great music.
