the year in music

Strictly speaking this is not entirely about new music released in 2022, more a look back on some of the things I've enjoyed during the year. There's no particular order, just a somewhat random collection of thoughts.

 

Why not click on some of the links below to listen...

'(watch my moves)' by Kurt Vile

 

 

 

 

It's only in the last year or two I've started to explore Kurt's music and I love it. At first listen his laid-back style may appear overly simplistic but investigate further and a wealth of detail appears.

This is Kurt's first release on the revered, 'Verve' jazz label and a mighty fine one it is too. The first track, 'Goin on a plane today' is pretty representative of what to expect.

'Urban Driftwood' by Yasmin Williams

Last November I read an article in the music magazine, 'Uncut' about a new guitar player called Yasmin Williams. I listened to a few of her compositions on Spotify and was intrigued.  Sadly I was unable to buy her new CD, 'Urban Driftwood' as it had sold out in the UK.

 

Fast forward to one of the hottest days of 2022 and I'm overjoyed to  sit in the audience at 'The Kitchen Garden', a tiny music venue in Birmingham. I'm watching Yasmin and her guitar blur together seamlessly in a mesmeric swirl of notes. She strums, picks, taps and plucks, transporting us to a higher place.

I'm also clutching a treasure in my hands! An 'Urban Driftwood' CD, the very last in the UK, which I was able to buy from Yasmin herself during an all too brief conversation before she sat down to play.

You can read my review of the gig by clicking here and listen Yasmin's beautiful, entrancing music by clicking here.

 

 

'Stumpwork' by Dry Cleaning

The second album from Dry Cleaning expands on their excellent debut. The lyrics and vocals of Florence Shaw may be an acquired taste, strangely warm and completely deadpan at the same time, but there is a perverse inner logic at work here. And the musicianship of the band is superb.

 

Click here for a video of a live performance from earlier this year. 

 

 

'Drone Mass' by Johann Johannsson

 

 

In 2018 the Icelandic composer Johann Johannson died tragically young of heart failure. He was just forty eight. Johann's work lives on - haunting, profound and so utterly human.

'Drone Mass', released four years after his death, is a sublime work of holy minimalism. It's based on early Christian documents in the Coptic language discovered in the fourth century.

 

Here it is performed by the American Contemporary Music Ensemble.

'Misfit's Jubilee' by Jim White

 

 

 

I've followed Jim's music for many, many years - ever since I heard a song of his called 'Still Waters' on a music magazine sampler CD. I subsequently tracked down 'The Mysterious Tale of How I Shouted Wrong-Eyed Jesus', Jim's debut album from which the song was taken.

I had the great pleasure of seeing Jim perform live earlier this year during a brief UK tour. He and his backing band were magnificent. At the end of the gig I bought this album, a copy of 'Incidental Contact', Jim's fascinating auto-biography and the cap he wore to play in! Perhaps I should put the cap on to see if it improves my fledgling guitar work-outs!

Here's, 'Sum of What We've Been', a track from the album.

'Midnight Rocker/Midnight Scorchers' by Horace Andy

 

After a significant hiatus from recording reggae legend Horace Andy bounced back with not one, but two albums, 'Midnight Rocker' and its dub companion, 'Midnight Scorchers, both produced by 'On U' maestro, Adrian Sherwood.

 

Aged seventy one his voice remains magisterial as ever as he tackles both reworked songs and new tunes. Particularly recommended is Andy's rendition of 'Safe From Home'', an old Massive Attack number.

 

Here's a magnificent 'Tiny Desk' concert recorded in Adrian Sherwood's front room which features some of the material featured on the two albums.

'Vulture Prince' by Arooj Aftab

 

 

 

'Vulture Prince' is absolutely stunning. Arooj is a Pakistani singer who mixed jazz, classical, ambient and ghazal (a traditional form of Persian poetry) to create this masterpiece.

Earlier in the year Arooj became the first Pakistani singer to win a Grammy for her rendition of 'Mohabbat', a ghazal by Mehdi Hassan.

If there's one album on this list I would urge you to listen to its this.

'Wet Leg' by Wet Leg

Rhian Teasdale and Hester Chambers formed Wet Leg on the Isle of Wight in 2019. Two hit-singles, 'Chaise Longue' and 'Wet Dream' presaged the release of their debut album which went to No. 1 in the UK charts.

Their music is marmite - you either love it or hate it. I'm in the former camp, my wife is in the latter! It's joyful post-punk full of cutting observation and cheeky humour. They remind me a lot of 'The Slits' from the late 70s.

Which brings my annual round-up almost to an end. Just one more person to mention, Joe Bayliss, my ever-patient and utterly fantastic guitar teacher. He's rekindled my interest in playing music and introduced me to so many lovely, talented local musicians. A very big thank you to you, Joe!

Here he is playing 'Fairground Man', a song for his late father.

 

 

urban driftwood

 

This is Yasmin Williams, a brilliant young American guitarist from North Virginia. We watched her play a few days ago and were mesmerised with the beauty of her music.

 

Yasmin's compositions are calming, almost gamelan in their haunting precision. The description 'guitarist' does not do her justice. Whilst her finger-picking is exemplary she explores the deeper dynamic textures of her instrument. 

 

Yasmin lays the guitar on her lap, taps the fret-board to coax out ringing notes, plays it like a dulcimer with a small mallet, takes a bow to the strings and tapes a kalimba (a type of thumb-piano) to the body .  At the same time she punctuates the music with percussive accompaniments tapped out on a kick-board at her feet. 

 

It was a performance not to be forgotten and unlike anything we had ever seen before.

Her second album, 'Urban Driftwood' was released last year. I was very fortunate indeed to buy it on CD, having been out of stock in the UK for several months.  You can listen to it on Spotify or check out her performances on YouTube, of which this is one. Take a listen. You won't be disappointed!

 

 

 

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The lights dim, Yasmin waves as she leaves the stage and the ghostly sounds of her guitar echo into the hot night-air. What an experience!