My Top 10 Music Discoverys In 2022

The relationship with music is changing. Having adopted Spotify, I not only have access to a larger library of music but the whims to pursue sounds at the click of a button. With this, I've found many new acts and novelties I'd of missed out on as a purchaser of records alone. Its been my most "productive" year with this blog, amassing 217 entries. I've also decided its time for a change. In the coming year I want to lower the amount of albums I get stuck into and focus on more of an transient experience, following my fancy and committing to records only when they seem to show something of merit. This means less dissections on music that didn't click, a shift to focus on what resonates deeply. My goal is to make next year the richest reading experience, yet not abundant. As for discoveries, there were plenty to pick from but a group of clear favorites emerged swiftly.

(10) Old Man's Child

Not a discovery but simply a joyous journey over a bands discography from the years of youth exploring Symphonic Black Metal. Revisiting these Old Man's Child record's brought about immense pleasure, unearthing a few new gems too with the albums I didn't fully digest back then. I'll always have a soft spot for Galder's solo project and last I read, we might get a new one in the next year!

(9) Toadies

Although it was the lone record, it left nice to get stuck in with a sound that an older me would have turned a nose at. Their Alternative post-Nirvana sound is not one I am familiar with but the character of these songs and the energy they roll out with struck a vibe. Perhaps one to go a little further with!

(8) Kero Kero Bonito

With quirky pleasures of simplistic expressions and lively instrumentation unabashed by aesthetic, often more musical merit than initial impressions, Kero Kero Bonito made a splash with a style marked by childlike innocence. Their youthful joy and happy energy ran counter to my musical norms yet with an open mind I found a fond connection to uplifting and spirited music, occasionally wrapped in a contrasting twist.

(7) Timewave

Soundtrack to my summer holiday ambience, these lengthy stints of lively Pysbient Downtempo bangers scratched a niche I rarely encounter. Much of the electronic music scene explores vibes and melodic styles that don't resonate with me. This shift to an astral, cosmological focus gave it exactly what I needed. Since discovery, its been a constant throwback when in need of energized focus.

(6) Kyros

One of Spotify's recommendations, something that will dominate the list next year no doubt, is Kyros. Reset/Rewind is still a juggernaut song that I can't get enough of, yet plenty more we to be enjoyed in this Progressive Metal band's discography. They have a distinctive expression and when it comes together, its wondrous yet their output is somewhat mixed. I have no doubts they could pull off something remarkable so anything new will come with giddy speculation!

(5) Tamaryn

With roots in Shoegazing and Cocteau Twins influences, Tamaryn's steady progression over four albums to Synthpop is where the magic lies for me. Each record has matured with Pop sensibilities that resonate strongly. Ditching dreary guitar aesthetics and incorporating bolder, punchier melodies was a delight to behold. If this direction continues, the next installment could be something special!

(4) Dreamstate Logic

Always in search of cosmic ambiences, the discovery of Dreamstate Logic was a blessing. Not only a dense discography of records with a keen focal point on mellow spacey Downtempo drones but a license to use the music commercially. Therefore, it has been a welcome soundtrack to my livestreams, creating a cool, calm atmosphere fit for introspection and astral thought. The pace and temperament is perfect. Plenty of Synth lead lulls that gently swell into drum lead grooves. A pleasure to unearth.

(3) Andrew Odd

Discovering the term Pysbient led me to Andrew Odd, who also operates under the alias Timewave. His distinct approach to melding Psychedelic, Berlin School adjacent synths with cosmic ambience and the steady blooming of Downtempo grooves struck a nerve. Of this genre I have dabbled with through the aforementioned artists, his Random Thoughts record moved me the most. Its energy another to invoke deep focus and relaxation when needed.

(2) Matt Uelmen

Matt Uelmen is no stranger to me, in fact his Diablo II and Starcraft soundtracks have been an eternal source of endearing warmth over the years. Deeply tied to youthful nostalgia, imagine my astonishment when discovering his Torchlight II soundtrack was built of the foundations of that Diablo magic. A gift I have literally dreamed for over the years. Normally reserved for artist discovery, this record had to make the list.

(1) Type O Negative

A name I've known over the years, possibly once encountered directly yet was never taken in by. It took a friend to nudge me into the dreary heartbroken beauty of Type O Negative. Eclectic and estranged, their musical genius stems from the sluggish carved grooves of Black Sabbath and chirpy appeal of The Beatles. Yet these pillars manifest into romanticized Gothic soundtracks, oddly brash and deeply emotive, the expressions of Peter Steele are immortalized in the soaring brilliance their songs offer routinely. Between enigmatic anthems lies an unrestrained creativity, peering into Hardcore energy, metallic sway, Noise aesthetics and Pop Rock sensibilities with a most curious origin. The union of these four men is a blessing, one for the ages. I can only dream of discovering more deep connections again. Type O Negative have touched the peaks of my personal musical landscape. Brilliant.

Tamaryn "Dreaming The Dark" (2019)

  

Embarking on a forth of four records, Tamaryn's linage becomes crystal clear. From her patchy embryonic origins, The Waves roots in Shoegazing noise steadily blossomed. Culminating with an arrival of infectious Synthpop suggestions on Cranekiss, Dreaming The Dark is a natural conclusion. Steered away from ethereal ambiguities and dense guitar textures, this record lands firmly on the catchy synth driven sound of 80s. As a retroactive sound, it embraces all the glories of modern production, carving ear worms with courageous singing and jiving keyboard melodies.

Angels Of Sweat roars out the gate with an empowered stride, setting a striking tone. Soaring vocals scale the octaves, animated with emotion as Tamaryn lends her words to wild hooky inflections. Hard hitting saw waves bustle and punchy percussive rhythms rock to form a united front, executing this fantastic song writing boldly.

As great records do, Dreaming The Dark explores temperament and mood narrowed to nightly vibes. The shadowy allure of melodies shimmering in cold resonance broods. Stiff drum patterns loop, charging vivid synth leads with a subtle curation of hazy steel guitars in the backdrop. Its a key chemistry, chaining Tamaryn's energetic, upbeat presence. Leading her through shrouded, dreamy drifts into darker spaces.

On occasional, this spell is broken. Victim Complex amps up bold synths, jiving hard on a vibe. Her singing explores a multitude of catchy deliveries, the chorus erupting with charisma. The Jealous Kind hits a similar cheery tone while offering a broody plunge between its bright lead melodies. Another song of note, possibly the records best, is Path To Love. Possessing a beautiful instrumental chemistry, a duet with a brief male counterpart gives it another riveting flavor that gels smoothly.

Dreaming The Dark reshapes the best attributes of 80s Synthpop into its glorious dreamy sway. Tamaryn swoons on a high, backed by a contrast of bright, cheerful infection and hazy Ethereal wonder. It hangs in a cunning balance. When locked in by grasp, the record feels reminiscent to the sways of classics like Black Celebration. Yet in its latter half, a couple songs loose pacing, finding a lull. Otherwise this would of been near flawless. One to come back to again in the years to come for sure!

Rating: 8/10

Tamaryn "Tender New Signs" (2012)

This second foray into revivalist Shoegazing takes a matured aesthetic leap, leaving behind the stiff disappointment of debut The Waves. Armed with strong guitar melodies, the wall of sound is penetrated with quite a distinct tang, vague echoes of Country and Americana from its lead guitar licks. Often melting out of bendy shimmers, their moments of articulation bring a necessary melody to the dense breeze of dreamy, foggy warmth this colorful sound indulgently basks in.

Yet to truly dabble with the Pop sensibilities of Cranekiss, Tamaryn rarely emerges front and center, rather she is shy and reserved. Lowered in the mix and competing with the thick echos of effect smothered guitars, she blends into haze. Even on a more dynamic Transcendent Blue, she sings only in crowded spaces despite plenty of lulls. It creates a sense of intention to have a continuously deep tone for all of its songs.

This single minded approach breeds a lack of distinction. The mood of Tender New Signs is warm, a cozy space to curl up in yet it barely breaks for anything spectacular. Not even an alteration or deviation. Some melodies may be more distinct but they all follow a hazy path of bleeding instruments and dreamy aesthetics continuously fall into one another. Reasonable as a mood setter but in the forefront the album plays dulled and tired. Definitely a step in the right. The best yet to come.

Rating: 5/10

Tamaryn "The Waves" (2010)

 

Without the punch and powwow of tuneful Pop sensibilities she would develop later on Cranekiss, Tamaryn's debut leans hard on its textural Shoegazing haze. Its a dreary debut hinged on distant guitars that wail harsh Ethereal ambiguities. The groaning textures shimmer and stew in the heat, droning without a gratifying conclusion. Its song structures I take issue with. Each whirling, repeating wash of noise and her various weaving of voice tend to ride the initial exotic wave. As its character sets in, the songs lack a counterpoint, and thus the hazy guitar textures begin to grate.

The percussion is often distant, a drum machine falling mercy to smothering aesthetics. Often its a step behind, lacking presence to command tempo or inject a rhythmic groove. Love Fade is one song that stands apart. The drums have comparable gusto. The gratifying vocals in the chorus give it a half hearted shift off the main loop. Its a single exception among a collection of nine songs that couldn't find an aesthetic chemistry or musical component to define themselves. Every spin of The Waves has been somewhat uneventful. Mediocre and mild as background music but in the foreground it seemed so lacking in life. Quite a dull affair.

Rating: 3/10

Tamaryn "Cranekiss" (2015)

 

It took but one listen of Cranekiss's euphoric Shoegazing title track to win me over. Spotify's algorithm has figured me out! Serving up a slice of the finest Dream Pop, I felt the warm fuzzy charms of Cocteau Twins alongside an effeminate apparition resonating an eerie similarity to Erin of Autumn's Grey Solace. Those heavenly fragile breathy voicings, ascending over top the bustling baselines and stiff drum machine grooves gave me chills. The song is awash with shimmering reverbs its melodies get lost in. Best of all, the song comes in hard with dense bendy effect drenched guitars, a fond reminder of ideas introduced with My Bloody Valentine's influential Loveless.

Cranekiss is an 80s love letter. Its aesthetics rears the nostalgia with a lean grip. The brilliant song writing captures all the charms of Art Pop and modern conventions. On its venture, the crevasses of influences part. Post-Punk, Ethereal, Synth Pop and all others mentioned so far unravel on catchy songs ripe with stark punchy melodies woven through a dreamy web of ever shifting reverberated sounds. The wonderfully indulged singing makes for many a memorable chorus on the Cranekiss journey.

 With a strong Electronic maturity in composition and execution, Tamaryn reaches into the past for inspirations, shedding her music of any cheese and dates ideas. Although it lacks originality at every turn, the nostalgia dance is a beautiful one. Its vague and shapeless rumblings create a mask for potent percussive grooves and dazzling instruments to punch through, best of all her voice sits central to all the wonder.

Its emotions are powerful, a curious love, often emanating a contagious warmth yet peering off into ambiguous moods of unsettled footing. As the album plays its deviations and themes keep the tone flowing with fantastic cuts Softcore and Sugarfix to be found towards its conclusion. The last of which has an uncanny resemblance to Elizabeth Fraser's wordless musings, followed by a lush, smothering choral hook.

I've sung Cranekiss's praises. That's because all its avenues of sound touch on my favorite ideas within these overlapping genres. It has a handful of songs a grade above the rest but not every track needs to be a hit when the mood flows so slick. It may lack surprises but the main show is the excellence in which ideas from a few decades back are executed. For me, this will be a great record to return too.

Rating: 8/10