I Don't Hear A Single Albums Of The Year 2022 : Top 10

So we arrive at the Top 10! As mentioned previously, it has been a really difficult task putting these albums in order. My choices may not be your choices, but I think we have a varied 100 and there is something in it for everyone.

Well done Bandicoot! It has been a great year for Wales with some fine albums emanating from a great country. Strangely, for a UK site, Bandicoot have the first British Album Of The Year on IDHAS on the 7th Occasion.

01 Bandicoot - Black After Dark       IDHAS Review

02 Richard Öhrn - Sounds In English       IDHAS Review

03 Dot Dash - Madman In The Rain       IDHAS Review





04 The Mommyheads - Genius Killer     IDHAS Review

05 The Beths - Expert In A Dying Field      IDHAS Review

06 Spygenius - Jobbernowl      IDHAS Review

07 Toni Tubna And The Stockholm Tuba Sect - When The Magic Went Wrong       IDHAS Review

08 Best Bets - On An Unhistoric Night         IDHAS Review

09 The Tambles - Scraping By        IDHAS Review

10 Outtacontroller - Come Alive        IDHAS Review

Finally, a mention for one album that didn't appear. The one main rule for the IDHAS100 is that an album has to have been reviewed on I Don't Hear A Single. Chris Church's Darling Please wasn't reviewed here, due to me reviewing it for a magazine that insisted that I did not review it elsewhere. I thought Chris would benefit from this bigger audience. There is a real possibility that the album would have been in this Top 10 if it had been reviewed.


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Best Bets - On An Unhistoric Night

 

After a brief dalliance with the old, we are back on terra firma for the next couple of weeks or so, before we gather our Basildon Bond pads and Parker Pens to compile the Best Of Year thingamajig. Meritorio Records are on a real roll this year and this may just be the best thing on the label.

New Zealand's Best Bets consist of Olly Crawford Ellis, James Harding, Joe Sampson and Matthew Phimmavanh. The know it all's amongst you will realise that Harding and Crawford Ellis come via the excellent Transistors and Harding from Salad Boys, so you kinda get a hint of what to expect.

However, no one, including myself, could expect the debut album to be such a raucous melodic joy of a thing. Full of hooks and choruses, the production allows an almost ramshackle "lets do the show right here" combine with wonderful Pop Rock sensibilities.

The band don't need defining, but I'll try. There's a real self depreciation among the quartet and that and the style at times has a lot in common with Ash, although Best Bits have a lot more hooks. You can go for the obvious, rough and ready melodic punk, but that would be Transistors.

There is Power Pop, but more looseness than usually in that format. The Twin Guitar can head towards Classic Rock and at times even Hair Rock. But there are bits of Big Star, Garage Rock and a big dollop of Glam Rock included within.

Opener, The Point is very early Teenage Fanclub, but the following Crystal Mausoleum is very UK New Wave 1979. The former allows a real big boy guitar wig out, whilst the latter is built around a belting Power Pop Riff.

The Minor Leagues is another example of how a riff can make a song and has a wonderful all together now vibe with its loose Faces like vibe. Olympic Sprinter is great New York New Wave Punk and Looking Back With Mike has a real DIY urgency.

Always On The Losing Side is a longer affair which allows the song to build the Guitars and Heavy Metal out and European Cars is just out and out Garage Rock. Lyrically adept and essentially wanting the listener to sing along, this is an album to revel in.

For all the low budget and deliberately background noise production, On An Unhistoric Night triumphs because it is so damn catchy. It just makes you want to sing and shake. There are so many hooks, it is hard not to be snared. What an absolutely cracking album! I need a sit down after each listen.

You can listen to and buy the album here. it is also available via Meritorio Records here.

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