Finally, our final post of 2022. What a great year it has been for music. We have featured a lot of artists over the last twelve months, but here’s a selection of some of our absolute favourites. This features words from some of the team here at Dead Good Music. I’d like to say thank you to everyone who has contributed their words this year. It has been a joy to host your work, and I hope that we did it justice.
We will be taking a break for the holidays now. Not returning until sometime in January. Here’s to a wonderful end of 2022, and a great start to 2023!
OUR FAVOURITES FROM 2022
Amelia Coburn – ‘Please Go Gently’ (Words by Robyn H)
“Captivating right up to the end, Amelia aptly closes the track with ‘My heart has sung to you my love, now it’s goodbye/ Please go gently into that night/ Please go gently into that night’, leaving a long lasting impression as its words resonate so widely.
And while I don’t think there are enough words or superlatives to do this release the justice it so greatly deserves, it’s undoubtedly the most beautiful tribute to the loving memory of Brian Johnston, and a track I so desperately needed to hear.”
Amie Jay – ‘Sweet Nostalgia’ (Words by Adam R)
“Working once again alongside Marble Empire, who assisted with the new style heard on ‘Unashamed’, Amie Jay lays down another funk-filled number that is undeniably catchy. A sun-kissed instrumental fills the room with its throwback sound, bringing all sorts of hooks to the ears. It’s the mellowed-out, less angry cousin of ‘Unashamed’. Keeping the driving basslines but aiming them at the hips rather than the head this time.”
Arctic Monkeys – The Car (Words by Adam R)
“The Car feels like the record that should’ve followed AM. It obviously searches for a new direction but feels more grounded in its desire to stand out from the rest, while also sounding like a more cohesive, collaborative effort too. While the new elements lead the way, it is also littered with references of old songs (I really liked the dancing shoes reference in ‘Mr Schwartz’) and riffs to bring us fans along for the journey too.”
Declan Welsh and The Decadent West – Impermanency (Words by Emma E)
“Overall, the Impermanency EP is yet another knockout release from a quartet who continue to cement their originality with each new release. Lyrically masterful, the EP is some of Welsh’s finest poetic lyricism. It’s very easy to get emotionally invested in this band. We will be waiting patiently to hear album number two which is apparently not far away from being finished!”
Elanor Moss – Citrus (Words by Adam R)
“Detailing a series of events and the overarching story of pulling yourself from the brink, Citrus is an insightful, delicate EP that offers the pieces and allows you to pick them up however you like. Some could interpret it as a stark telling of a trapped individual, while others could see it as an honest reflection of what is now a previous chapter.”
Faerie – ‘k-town’ (Words by Megan W)
“‘k-town’ feels like a surreal and wondrous journey that sonically captures the final sunshiny remnants as Summer fades into Autumn. Faerie has well and truly delivered the goods (and no doubt earnt herself some new fans), with this latest piece providing the cosy, comforting blanket of magic to soundtrack the rest of October, and beyond.”
Fontaines D.C. – Skinty Fia (Words by Sam M)
“The album closes out to a blissed out, fuzzy guitar rock finale with ‘Nabokov’. Honing in once more on their effortless flair for poetry, this track sounds a little more like their earlier stuff. Less rough cut, more raw intensity — a sweet reminder of where they started and how far they have come. Skinty Fia is a self-assured album that perfectly encapsulates just how big indeed Fontaines D.C. are. They are undoubtedly one of the most exciting bands around, and this is their best work yet.”
Fresh – Raise Hell (Words by Joe R)
“Raise Hell is their newest endeavour into album territory following 2017’s self-titled debut Fresh and 2019’s sophomore adventure Withdraw. While Withdraw will always contain my favourite raw Fresh hits like ‘Going To Brighton’ and ‘New Girl’, Raise Hell naturally matures from previous albums while staying true to the refreshing DIY sound the band have cultivated.”
Freya Beer – ‘Love Child’ (Words by Kath S)
“Freya Beer is the post-punk goth queen you just can’t get enough of. And her release, ‘Love Child’ shackled us.
‘Love Child’ is not a love song, no. Instead, it goes deep dark into the toxins of love.
It’s a song that creates soundtrack-like, gloomy soundscapes. The guitar enters with a shackling riff in which notes float in the air, just waiting for Freya Beer’s musical embrace to give them the strength to unfold. It’s a looming but captivating sound. The distorted guitars, brooding bass lines, echoing drums, and cinematic violins dance beautifully together. Combined with Beer’s vocals, the entire musical composition creates a highly emotional power. It’s a dark, goth alt-rock sound you can hardly escape.
Thematically, the song is about a toxic relationship that Beer fights to get out of. An unhealthy relationship with someone who appeared to be a saint, but in reality is a manipulator.
“So you call yourself a love child, but you are nowhere near a saint”.
Freya Beer puts thoughts and emotions skilfully into poetic lyrics and pervasive music. It always feels like fine art, in which dark poetic lines immerse into a delicate musical composition.
‘Love Child’ is a big track and definitely one of our favourites of 2022.”
Grandmas House – ‘Body’ (Words by Adam W)
“With their first release since their debut EP, Grandmas House have reaffirmed their punky, doom- rock drenched sound. Refusing to make any compromises, new track ‘Body’ fires the group straight back to the foreground of today’s indie landscape.”
Juniper – ‘Listen to the Moment’ (Words by Molly M)
“As their first release in over a year, ‘Listen to the Moment’ brings more synth and energy than Juniper’s previous music. It’s the song for the pregame, for the uber on the way to the bar, or at the beach, or at the gym. It’s lighthearted but maintains a real energy that reflects the faith and optimism at the band’s core. “We wanted the song to create the idea of adapting and feeling what you’re feeling in the moment.””
Little Simz – NO THANK YOU (Words by Caleb H)
“NO THANK YOU is just as much a novel as it is an album, taking the listener on a journey through her rocky adolescence while attempting to remain independent as the music industry closes around her. Her selective fanbase seemingly having diverse opinions about what their favorite track is speaks volumes to the lyrical and sonic diversity of the record. After the critically acclaimed Sometimes I Might Be An Introvert, NO THANK YOU sees Simz close her eyes and take a deep breath of reflection before a potentially larger creative project arrives in the future.”
Little Suspicions – ‘Giving Up The Ghost’ (Words by Sam M)
“Despite the demanding of answers, the track’s dreamy tone softens the blow with a respectful charm. They even throw in some Italian at the end, just to add to the romantic croon of it all. Something that stands out is the band’s skill with imagery. Take earlier track ‘Limes’ for instance, a blissful haze of a song, conjuring visions of a dream girl dressed in green. ‘Giving Up The Ghost’ draws up the scene of a night in town, but also a lover hiding away. You can sway through the soft glow of pub lights, perfectly in time with the music.
This new single sees Little Suspicions at their best, with hopes for even more to come in the future.”
Panic Shack – ‘The Ick’ (Words by Robyn H)
“With driving bass and drums, the latest offering is a short but sweet slice of indie-punk, dripping in witty lyricism that details the process of that well known modern-day dating dilemma, ‘the ick’.
Describing the process as ‘that feeling when you’re dating someone and they do something that really turns you off’, the track came to fruition on a song-writing holiday turned ‘five-day drinking binge’. Inspired by shared ‘anecdotes’ and ‘past dating fails’, it’s so great and so relatable, Sarah’s almost spoken word delivery capturing the exact moments relationships derailed from their promising starts to ‘You put me off mate/ You make me squirm’.”
Partygirl – partygirl (Words by Adam R)
“Maximising the limits of what it means to be an Indie Rock band, partygirl’s debut EP is a rollercoaster of a listen that takes trauma-touched experiences and converts them into songs that can fulfil any listener’s needs. It satisfies those who wish to connect to the lyrics and the heavy topics involved, but also those who simply wish to have their world filled by huge instrumentation.”
Pizza Crunch – ‘Young Excitement’ (Words by Emma E)
“‘Young Excitement’ is the latest offering from Scottish alt rock quartet Pizza Crunch. The single follows January offering ‘Flatfoot’, however, it marks the beginning of a new chapter for the fast-rising outfit as they provide a taste of what’s to come in their expansive year-long project.”
San Lorenz – ‘Where’s The Shock?’ (Words by Sam M)
“‘Where’s The Shock?’ plunges into a dark place, all the while remaining upbeat on the surface. It provides that ‘let it out’ energy, and finds the strength within to stand up against it all. Stylistically, it has a pop meets rock mentality, with particular reference to some of our favourite math rock indie bangers. This new release sees an era of refinement with something that is raw, yet polished.”
Strawberry Fuzz – ‘Wasting My Time’ (Words by Adam W)
“The song lives within the same world that’s created across the band’s discography; a dimly lit, sprawling and granular one that exhibits echoes of the old-school rock ’n’ roll of David Bowie and the Velvet Underground. It’s their ability to live so insistently within this world that gives their sound it’s edge.”
Sunflower Thieves – ‘I Don’t Know Why’ (Words by Alex W)
“The Leeds duo are back to kick the year off with new single ‘I Don’t Know Why’, which shines in true sunflower thieves form. The duo are known for their acoustic driven folk-pop music, and this is no different. The song breaks out with subtle strumming on the guitar, as Amy and Lily both take up vocal duties and combine wonderfully. The whole track is gentle and calming, leveraging itself as the perfect Sunday morning song with the birds singing in the background while the kettle’s boiling.”
YNES – ‘The Daily Male’ (Words by Emma E)
“The fierce new single follows May release ‘Fake What Your Mama Gave Ya’ and emulates YNES’ signature style of vivacious punk and apt social commentary. Sonically the angry new single features a really catchy riff, tight polished production and as always excellent vocal performance. The chorus is so catchy you’re bound to catch yourself humming along!”