Music in 2022

 

The 2022 playlist

So, looking at Apple Music, my top 25 contains eight different artists.

1. Marillion
2. Simple Minds
3. Maxïmo Park
4. The Killers
5. Porcupine Tree
6. Melt Yourself Down
7. Tangram
8. Hats off Gentlemen It’s Adequate

The first seven places are taken by Marillion’s epic “An Hour Before It’s Dark”. This is one of their best albums, and I absolutely loved hearing it in its entirety live at York in late 2022. Care, the final track, is an emotional rollercoaster. When I heard it at the gig, it wiped me out for the next ten minutes.

Simple Minds enter with their new album, “Direction of the Heart”, two tracks of which are in the Top 25. Not unsurprisingly, these were those released prior to the album so they’ve had more time to bed in.

Maxïmo Park are there on the three tracks from the two singles that they released, “Great Art” and “Merging into You”. Again, we saw them live in late 2022 and they were fantastic. I love the range of the material and the clever lyrics.

The Killers make it with a single track, “Boy”. They were an experience live when we went to see them at Doncaster, classic stadium rock.Worth seeing but I preferred both Marillion and Maxïmo Park’s performances, possibly because they were more intimate.

Porcupine Tree have two tracks from their new album, “Closure/Continuation”, the first in a long time. These were the pre-release singles and the album as a whole hasn’t gelled with me yet. It may over time.

Melt Yourself Down’s latest album - “Pray for me I don’t fit in” - was an impulse purchase after a review in the Guardian. I’ve found it really enjoyable but I have to be in the right mood for it. Two tracks make it.

Tangram’s “Petites Perceptions” has seven entries. More ambient electronic music from a favourite performer.

Finally, Hats of Gentlemen It’s Adequate make it with a single track “Silence is a Statement” from their album “The Confidence Trick”. I think that this one has a chance of being higher placed over time, like the Simple Minds album, as I keep on getting drawn back.

3 January 2023