Urban75 Album of the Year 2022 - The Results

[Knotted]

We have a certain U75 vibe that seems to be maturing. And also Wet Leg. There will follow some good stuff.

 

[Knotted]

20 - The Beths - Expert in a Dying Field

Lush, dreamy jangle indie pop from New Zealand. Love the cover.

 

[Knotted]

19 - Black Country, New Road - Ants From Up There

Related to Black Midi and New Road I believe. Mildly mathy theatrical pop rock. Owes something to the old rock in opposition movement. Great that this stuff is finding an audience.

 

[Knotted]

18 - Soul Glo - Diaspora Problems

Thrashy, refreshingly grotty hardcore punk. No polka rhythms, there's a lot going on here. SENSORY OVERLOAD

 

[Knotted]

17 - Rachika Nayar - Heaven Come Crashing

Lush electronica that's too busy and way too expressive to be called ambient. Glorious.

 

[Knotted]

16 - Horace Andy - Midnight Rocker

Yep this reggae great has still got it. Not just retreading old ground either.

 

[Knotted]

15 - Katy J Pearson - Sound of the Morning

Singer-songwriter. She's done something really interesting on that title track that's difficult to even pin point. Great voice.

 

[editor]

I'm going to look forward listening to some of the upcoming entries in this round up. Been listening to the Beths quite a bit recently...

 

[belboid]

15 - Katy J Pearson - Sound of the Morning

Singer-songwriter. She's done something really interesting on that title track that's difficult to even pin point. Great voice.

Ohh ffs. Another one to go alongside bill Callahan

 

[Knotted]

14 - Ashenspire - Hostile Architecture

Black Metal with discordant woodwind and violin. It had to happen eventually. I wonder if they can pull the sound off live? Another that owes a bit to RIO. It's amazing btw.

 

[Knotted]

13 - Caroline - Caroline

One or two chords folk (yes please!) that's giving me Gorky vibes. Experimental surprises lie within.

 

[killer b]

I wonder if they can pull the sound off live?

I found a recording of a live set on youtube - the sound on the clip isn't brilliant and they don't appear to have all the instruments on the LP but I'm confident it'll still melt our faces off

 

[Knotted]

12 - Kae Tempest - The Line is a Curve

Electro hip hop. Not quite like anything else I've ever heard. Bit blown away by this tbh.

 

[Knotted]

11 - Half Man Half Biscuit - The Voltraol Years

Still adequate after all these years.

 

[Knotted]

10 - Special Interest - Endure

To nick a comment off RYM - Imagine if Beyonce led a punk group. Dance-punk? Is that a thing? Whatever, this is some groovy shit.

 

[Knotted]

9 - Oren Ambarchi - Shebang

Instrumental guitar that owes a lot to minimalism while not being minimal at all. An intricate delight.

 

[Knotted]

8 - Daniel Avery - Ultra Truth

Crystal clean ambient techno. Cool and trippy.

 

[Knotted]

7 - The Delines - The Sea Drift

And now we're onto alt-country. But another one with great production values.

 

[Knotted]

6 - Black Midi - Hellfire

Medium rare mathy pronk. Exactly the sort of bullshit that I like except that it's good. Pity I haven't been following them.

 

[Knotted]

Up until this point everything has had two or three votes only and it's been extremely close. And there's next to nothing to divide the next four with the winner way out in front. What hasn't been mentioned yet?

 

[killer b]

Chat Pile, Beach House, Richard Dawson (may have been released too late tho), Sault (too many releases...)? Still think Kendrick Lamar is probably number 1

 

[braindancer]

Chat Pile for no. 1? Dare to dream?

 

[killer b]

I guess Wet Leg must be top 5

 

[Knotted]

Chat Pile, Beach House, Richard Dawson (may have been released too late tho), Sault (too many releases...)? Still think Kendrick Lamar is probably number 1

I think you might be forgetting the obvious.

 

[killer b]

Chat Pile for no. 1? Dare to dream?

my preference from the likely contenders. Unless Scarcity made it.

 

[braindancer]

Beyonce?!

 

[killer b]

actually where are Horse Lords?

 

[Knotted]

5 - Wet Leg - Wet Leg

Who am I kidding? I love Wet Leg.

 

[Knotted]

Chat Pile, Horse Lords, Kendrick Lamar, Sault, Richard Dawson, Beyoncé can't all be in the top four. Shock winners and shock omissions coming up.

 

[killer b]

This is exciting. 'shock winner' means it's defo not Lamar, so I'll revise predictions for the top three.