Album of the Year Thread - 2022 - Winner - For the Sake of Bethel Woods - Midlake

[blueparrot]

I'll try and give your 3 nominations a listen ,trying to keep up will be an issue if there are many nominations.
Here are my 4 for top releases so far this year.

NOMINATIONS

1 Magnum - the Monster roars. While there is nothing surprising about the latest Magnum album,other than one song with horns,they also keep the high standard of the recent run of albums going

2 Saxon- Carpe Diem- Another band that you know what your getting, another band that have had a recent run of good albums. This one probably nearer to the classic Saxon sound than their recent more power metal albums. Biff sounding great , like Bob Catley on the Magnum album for their ages.

3 Lara Lane -Neptune Blue. Great female front melodic rock with some more prog flourishes, though not as proggy as some of her previous albums.

4 Jethro Tull- The Zealot Gene. Unlike the Saxon and Magnum Ian Anderson's voice isn't what it was. That said he finds a level that works for him and sticks to it.Musically this is the best Tull album for me since Broadsword and a great sounding album.

 

[journolud]

Johnny Marr-Fever Dreams Part 1-4. This has been released in dribs and drabs as a series of EPs, now available in it’s entirety. Despite being a fan of the Smiths I’d never really followed Marr’s solo output and many collaborations but having listened to this will be buying a vinyl copy as soon as I can get into town

 

[RobMCFC]

Sorry I see what I did there, slightly confusing language. I’ll blame the lack of coherence on having done a night shift.

Just listening to the Dean Owens again while I come round from insufficient sleep. Liking the western vibe on this. If that’s what it is

It's definitely a western vibe. When I first heard "New Mexico", I thought it was uncanjy how like Calexico it sounded. Then I found out that Joey Burns and John Convertino feature on it and it made sense.

I'll try and give your 3 nominations a listen ,trying to keep up will be an issue if there are many nominations.
Here are my 4 for top releases so far this year.

NOMINATIONS

1 Magnum - the Monster roars. While there is nothing surprising about the latest Magnum album,other than one song with horns,they also keep the high standard of the recent run of albums going

2 Saxon- Carpe Diem- Another band that you know what your getting, another band that have had a recent run of good albums. This one probably nearer to the classic Saxon sound than their recent more power metal albums. Biff sounding great , like Bob Catley on the Magnum album for their ages.

3 Lara Lane -Neptune Blue. Great female front melodic rock with some more prog flourishes, though not as proggy as some of her previous albums.

4 Jethro Tull- The Zealot Gene. Unlike the Saxon and Magnum Ian Anderson's voice isn't what it was. That said he finds a level that works for him and sticks to it.Musically this is the best Tull album for me since Broadsword and a great sounding album.

Thanks, I'll get around to adding them and giving them a listen. I'll put you down as "HIT" for all four unless you tell me otherwise ...... or do you want me to wait until you give a final judgement on each?

 

[journolud]

@RobMCFC you have spawned a monster :-)

 

[RobMCFC]

@RobMCFC you have spawned a monster :-)

I think it's great that we are getting loads of albums on the board. Obviously not everybody will listen to everything, but the idea is that we will start to see patterns emerging as the weeks roll on.

 

[blueparrot]

It's definitely a western vibe. When I first heard "New Mexico", I thought it was uncanjy how like Calexico it sounded. Then I found out that Joey Burns and John Convertino feature on it and it made sense.


Thanks, I'll get around to adding them and giving them a listen. I'll put you down as "HIT" for all four unless you tell me otherwise ...... or do you want me to wait until you give a final judgement on each?

All 4 of mine are hits for me, I 'd assume anyone nominating an album will have listened to it already and enjoyed it. For other nominations,ie yours do you want comments after each listen or when all 3 have been listened to ?

 

[RobMCFC]

All 4 of mine are hits for me, I 'd assume anyone nominating an album will have listened to it already and enjoyed it. For other nominations,ie yours do you want comments after each listen or when all 3 have been listened to ?

Yes. I think that if people nominate something, I can safely assume a HIT, unless otherwise specified.
Having said that, I may well nominate stuff as it comes out and then rate it a bit later.

As far as rating albums, you can rate one at a time or multiple in one post, it's no problem either way. Just as long as its clear, I'm OK with it.

 

[Barcon]

Half man half biscuit - The Voltarol years - Hit

Spoon - Lucifer on the sofa - Hit

 

[journolud]

Well, John Mellencamp is one gravelly voiced fucker. I sensed he was enjoying himself immensely on One Eyed Jack and despite my limited expectations I enjoyed myself listening to it for the most part. I think it’s the fiddle/ violin accompaniment that made it for me and several songs I could see on the soundtrack of series like Deadwood and Hell on Wheels. Shades of Louis Armstrong too.

It’s not music I would buy and it won’t be top of my list of the years best albums but I like the mellow sound. And was that Bruce on one of the songs as well?

 

[Mancitydoogle]

NOMINATIONS

Strictly a One-Eyed Jack - John Mellencamp
Resist - Midnight Oil
Sinners Shrine - Dean Owens

Regular members on the Album Club thread will be amused that my first two choices are by the same two artists I've nominated so far, but what can you do when two of your all-time favourite artists release a new album in the first few weeks of the year? Mellencamp's is his best in years and immediately gets the BULLSEYE treatment. Midnight Oil's offering is their first in twenty years. It's a terrific blast of ECO-themed passion and some of the guitars on this album are sublime, but I'll hold back and rate it as a mere HIT for now.

Dean Owens is a Scottish singer-songwriter who went to Arizona to record an album with Calexico (who will no doubt feature on this thread later in the year). A nice desert noir sound with some good songs and worth a listen - I'll rate it a HIT.

I've also added a couple of albums/EPs that have already been mentioned in this thread:-

Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe in You - Big Thief
Old - Alix Page

Big Thief are a new band to me, but I've had a couple of listens to their new album Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe in You. The album is almost as long as the title, but there are some enjoyable songs on there. I like the gentle acoustic production and the range of sounds and songs is impressive, but like any album that's 20 tracks long, it could have done with a bit of editing. Neverthesless, I'll be listening some more and it's definitely worth a HIT rating.

I also had a listen to Alix Page's Old EP and I didn't think it was anything special, so it's a MISS from me.

Not surprisingly i’ve already listened to the JM album ,its good but unfortunately his voice has gone, it’s a bugger this aging process! So it’s a hit not a bullseye for me.
ive also listened to the DO album, think you recommended it on another thread.
its also a hit, very like Calexico as they appear on it but even his voice is similar. I’ve a couple of his early solo albums so always liked him and I love the ‘Desert Rock’ sound.
As for MO I think I’ll struggle with the vocals.