The albums I have had a chance to write about in 2022 have all stood out to me on first listen and encouraged me to return again and again.

For my end of year list I have stuck to the previous format of only listing albums which have already been written about on the blog, with links below to my prior reviews. Therefore I have kept my list to ten albums, which means an unfortunate lack of diversity – this is entirely a fault of my own listening habits this year and something I hope to rectify going into 2023!

Let me know your favourites in the comments or on social media.

The Grammys have been too long dominated by major-label mega-artists (and their stan armies) and yet I still find the ceremony to be the only music award show with enough depth of categories to make it vital. The prestige a nomination gives cannot be understated, especially for lesser known artists.

The widescreen, windswept cover of ‘Big Time’ has Angel Olsen looking off towards the light, somewhere in the far distance. Fitting imagery for a collection of songs which move away from who she once was and embrace new love and a new outlook, after a turbulent time in her personal life. 

Hailing from West Virginia, Sierra Ferrell spent her youth busking across the States before moving to Nashville and signing to Rounder Records. She describes her sound as ‘past life’ music, which nicely encapsulates her mix of country, gypsy-jazz, folk and ragtime. Continue reading “Album Review: Sierra Ferrell – Long Time Coming” →