2022 was a pretty memorable year all things considered but still seemed to flash by in the blink of an eye. Maybe that’s down to our own advancing years. Despite all that, we will never tire of saying that yet again our home-grown talent knocked it out of the park. From old favourites returning to the fold to young artists exploding out of the gates, it was another busy year.
It is always tough to whittle down thousands of tracks into a shortlist of only 50 but our lovely team have just done that. If you missed part one, you can revisit tracks fifty through to twenty six here.
May we present to you our top twenty-five of our songs of the year. Hopefully it gives a small taste of how good a year 2022 was for music from Northern Ireland. Long may it continue!
Words by Aaron Cunningham, Amy Porter, Ben Magee & Robert Brown.
25 ► Axis Of – Beach Light
Sounding as urgent as ever, ‘Beach Light’ hailed the return of the North Coast three with new album Bella Pacifica released a mere seven years after their last. Huge hooks courtesy of Ewen Friars’ bright eyed vocals and dynamic guitar parts fuel the energy that emanates from this track. AC
24 ► Problem Patterns – Y.A.W.
As one of the leading bands in punk in Northern Ireland, Problem Patterns returned with ‘Y.A.W’. It presented the same level of raw, personal, impassioned rage as they have always conveyed in their music, copiously exceeding high expectations. Evocative, progressive and eminently non-conventional. AP
23 ►Garrett Laurie – Mississippi Jesus
Alt-pop meets art-pop on this track from Laurie, who has quietly amassed an impressive discography. The track in question is dark and dangerous, questioning and illusive in intent and delivery. The single address issues of queer identity and shame, merging religious iconography with personal examinations in a deeply personal piece of music. BM
22 ► Aoife Wolf – The Wetlands
Aoife Wolf’s titular track is a standout amongst a very strong year in folk music. Bog-gothic imagery, witchy musings and swirling traditional arrangements are all the flavour of the day for the songwriter. ‘The Wetlands’ tells the tale of a yearning to return home, to a place in time but not necessarily in location. BM
21 ► Benjamin Amos – Never Far From Home
New music from the man behind the Good Fight and Sullivan & Gold is always highly anticipated and Ben delivers yet again. The bones of the song were apparently around during the recording of Sullivan & Gold’s album, but it was only when a family member recently relocated across the world that the pieces came together. Vocally striking as usual, it is a beautifully crafted & moving return from one of our favourites. RB
20 ► piglet – It Isn’t Fair
While Belfast born Charlie Loane has been releasing music in London for the past couple of years, ‘it isn’t fair’ stands out. A protest song about the injustice and difficulties surrounding trans healthcare, there’s anger at the heart of its eclectic and ultimately emboldening energetic textures. AC
19 ► Clara Tracey – Baby Witch
‘Baby Witch’ charts the perils and joy that comes with falling in love and is joyously bright and breezy for it. The well-travelled former Fermanagh native delights in creating a delicately layered palette of acoustic guitar and sprinklings of piano that let’s her delicate vocals steal the show. RB
18 ► Soak – Last July
Time spent bringing Pillow Queens on tour clearly had an effect, with the Derry-born songwriter nailing the PQ sound on ‘Last July’. Post-rock inspired guitar tones and production are melded with indie pop rhythms and melodies on this standout track from SOAK’s latest album. Less adventurous lyrically than other tracks but warm and comfortable enough for fans new and old to enjoy. BM
17 ► BLÁNID & Ciaran Lavery – Bad Decisions
Ciaran Lavery has been a keen co-writer the past number of years, leading to some wonderful releases. Combining forces with Blanid last year provided us with this absolutely stand out track. It’s an atmospheric track with plenty of intrigue fuelled by immersive production with Blanid’s vocals simply jaw-dropping. AC
16 ► Bicep & Clara La San – Water
Bicep return to their progressive roots, taking on underground bedroom pop singer Clara La San on their surprise release of 2022. Liquid rave and jungle rhythms dance under La San’s vocals and alongside four on the floor kicks and ripcord synths. Not so much a return to form, but more of a homecoming. BM
15 ► Bui – Walls
A succinct and emotive vignette from Bui’s Josh Healy that marries the band’s two parts. Musically everything is there from their up-tempo numbers but ‘Walls’ is slowed down melancholy. The synths and guitars gently swirl while Healy’s lyrics of claustrophobic introspection seem to move in slow motion. AC
14 ► Sasha Samara – Problems
Melodic yet uplifting, ‘Problems’ defines her ‘Haim-esque’ mellifluent indie pop sound through a blend of wholehearted and sympathizable lyricism complimented with a sparkling spirited ukulele instrumental. This track is a true ‘sad girl summer’ hit, providing a glimpse into the progression of Northern Ireland’s pop scene. AP
13 ► Yinyang – Happy Money
Quite unlike any track I’ve heard this year, Yinyang combines electronica, hard rock, rap and dance music into a maelstrom of pulsating, charismatic alternative music. With an intoxicating hook, drenched in reverb and distortion, this feels like a culmination of the genre-bending trends in alternative music but also utterly idiosyncratic. BM
12 ► Thom Southern – Suzanne I’m Sorry
Thom’s solo debut album was chock full of bangers, but it was the closer that captivated us the most. ‘Suzanne I’m Sorry’ is a heartfelt apology to a former love with the hope of reconnecting. The fuzzy shoegaze number hits in all the right places emotionally and even has time for a self-indulgent guitar solo towards the end. If we were the person in question, all would be forgiven… RB
11 ► Ciaran Lavery – Communion
‘Communion’ whispers rather than shouts, fittingly nestled on Ciaran Lavery’s latest EP. Lavery touches upon metaphors and quiet moments of a relationship amongst the most gorgeous production. The reprise brings forth conflicting and stirring emotions to close out a song that rises just above a gentle sway. AC
10 ► Sam Wickens – The Devil’s With Me Now
Sam’s back catalogue is full of releases that dwell on his past and are often deeply introspective. ‘The Devil’s With Me Now’ is of a similar vein thematically but sonically defies this with the upbeat nature of the arrangement. Gone are the more sombre sounds, replaced with a simple guitar arrangement and occasional piano twinkling. This leaves ample room for Sam’s smooth vocals to pull things together. An intriguing new sound from an old hand. RB
9 ► Niall McDowell – It Was An Honour To Be Nominated
The titular track to the songwriter’s debut EP leaves everything on the table, so to speak. A culmination of the themes, characters and influences of former releases, McDowell takes a bitter stock of the economics of public grief. Written in the shades of Liz Phair, McDowell channels the alternative singer-songwriter traditions of the 90’s and 2000’s and puts a gothic country spin on them. BM
8 ► Ferna – Wasting
Reinvention can be a difficult beast to master but Hannah McPhillimy succeeds under her new moniker. Sonically, it is a much more varied platform this time, from where she isn’t afraid to experiment with electronics. Yet it all remains grounded by her wonderful vocals, powerful enough to bring a bustling room to a halt. ‘Wasting’ showcases her new direction beautifully & leaves us eager for the album. RB
7 ► Winnie Ama – Here I Go
Winnie Ama continues her panache for effortlessly cool pop with the chirpy ‘Here I Go’. The upbeat release is deeply personal and reflects on the journey and experiences of her career so far. If this breezy arrangement is anything to go by, it’s a journey that’s just getting started. RB
6 ► Emily McCormick – Afraid of Flying
Blending jazz, folk and indie influences, the Derry songwriter launches her new project with a bang. McCormick has an addictive inflection, and could make any song gorgeous just by singing it in her own vernacular. It helps when the track in question is as dense and vibrant as ‘Afraid Of Flying’, whose instrumentation is up there with the best in the country. BM
5 ► Joshua Burnside – Late Afternoon in the Meadow (1887)
A quiet year for one of the North’s best songwriters bloomed into life with the release of ‘Late Afternoon in the Meadow (1887)’. Influenced by the division of the Westlink and the turmoil of a life passing by, a tale woven through Belfast’s geography, fact and fiction. The initial bleakness and tragedy warms into hope through Burnside’s deft writing. AC
4 ► Chalk – Them
Chalk’s ‘Them’ exploded into existence early last year, a thrilling debut single from a three-piece with no backstory prior to release. Slick but doom laden, its post-punk sound is heavy with dance beats and rhythmic bass, wrapped in guitar noise and vocals that rise to a desperate yell. AC
3 ► TRAMP – Frankenstein
Tramp keep up the time honoured tradition of the North West regularly delivering incredible new bands. A tantalising dose of sugar coated indie rock, ‘Frankenstein’ is a memorable debut. It bristles with purpose and easily slips into anthem territory when Sianna Lafferty’s vocals take flight. RB
2 ► Junk Drawer – Railroad King
Now an award-winning track and video, Junk Drawer come into their creative own on this track. Maintaining the roguish grin and inside-jokes of their earlier work but with notably softer edges and endearing lyricism, this self-reflective tune opens up a window into the creative and personal life of songwriter Jake Lennox. Equal parts witty and introspective, it’s the high point on their latest EP. BM
1 ► Robocobra Quartet – Wellness
Brilliant and inventive, Chris Ryan pulls directly from an influencer’s daily routine. Musically the band are on form with insistent basslines and a light stamp of synth joined by swells of saxophone that explode into squeals. The absurdity of the track’s itinerary and subject matter melds both beautifully and chaotically with the band’s melding of genres and sounds. We’re so blessed. AC
Spotify Playlist
You can listen to all fifty tracks that made our Northern Irish tracks of the year 2022 over on our Spotify playlist which you can find below.
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