Fresh Tracks: The best local releases of 2022

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From indie rock to neo-soul to country music, Edmonton musicians released a variety of exceptional music in 2022. Many artists confessed to sitting on albums completed before the pandemic, waiting to release them once that the venues have been given the green light to host concerts again. and it shows in the outpouring of incredible work this year. Here’s a selection of some notable releases of 2022, in alphabetical order.

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Mariel Buckley – Wherever I Was

Previous releases by Mariel Buckley showed off her unique songwriting voice while writing about small town Alberta misfits. Everywhere I Used to Be builds on its alt-country foundation with an expanded musical palate. Synths and drum machines reinforce the songs on this album, resulting in stunning results. Buckley sings for the underdogs of the world, but you can expect a lot of recognition for this superb album.

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Landon Bushell—Currently

Landon Bushell usually performs around Edmonton as a solo artist, but on his excellent album In This Moment, he expands his sound with an assortment of talents. In This Moment is a brilliant showcase of Bushell’s considerable songwriting prowess; Jack Johnson-esque folk songs rub shoulders with blues vamps and soul jams. Expect big things from Bushell as In This Moment is one of the best releases of 2022.

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Nuela Charles — Self-titled

Nuela Charles is Edmonton’s queen of neo-soul. Charles has yet to fail and his 2022 self-titled album continues its streak. It’s a very mature stage for Charles because the record is structured as an intimate journey towards self-acceptance, filled with interludes. Sounds are stripped down, allowing Charles’ ever-stunning voice to shine. Soft, sensual and cathartic, this album is a fiery ode to the emancipation of women.

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Electricity for all! – Shell

If you’re in the mood for no-frills alternative rock, Electricity for Everybody! deliver the goods. His album, The Husk, is full of live indie rock, the type that hipsters young and old can appreciate. OK, there are a few flourishes on it – horns and female backing vocals – but it’s mostly guitar riffs and solos, thundering drums and loose vocals. It will make you want to listen to loud music played in a small club again.

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The Goddamsels – Wayward Girl

When Mallory Chipman and Frédrique “Freddi” MacDougall sing together, it’s like watching a beautiful sunrise over an Alberta prairie landscape. As Goddamsels, they take their harmonies and apply them across six songs on the brilliant and joyful EP Wayward Daughter. This small collection of country and folk-tinged songs is as tasty and satisfying as a glass of lemonade on a hot summer day.

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Title — savage

Jesse Elechko has been a fixture in the Edmonton rap scene for quite some time and really came into his own with his debut album Savage. Under his moniker Headline, he detailed Indigenous issues, including his sometimes difficult upbringing through all 22 titles. The songs ranged from celebratory to solemn, all backed by Elechko’s sample-heavy production and include guest vocals like Serj Tankian and Cappadonna.

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iamhill — Soldout

Edmonton-born Iamhill’s Sellout has taken music to exciting, sometimes scary places. Chilled, aggressive beats gave Sellout’s mixtape vibes, with lyrics delving into angst, sexual liberation and critiques of capitalism. If you feel uncomfortable listening to Grimes, iamhill is a more than adequate substitute.

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Jon Martin: This could be our year

The music Jon Martin makes is nostalgic and comforting, like a warming sip from a bottle of scotch. Martin’s This Could Be Our Year sits nestled within the adult contemporary rock genre, with some throwbacks to classic rock. Guitars and piano swirl through the album, evoking a melancholic and upbeat vibe. Lead track Simple Things is a polished earworm worthy of a Best-of-2022 playlist.

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Michael Rault — Eponymous

The quirky son of Edmonton’s old soul may have fled to the Mojave Desert, but as long as he continues to release outstanding music, we’ll always consider him one of our own. Michael Rault’s self-titled 2022 album found him adding new sounds to his repertoire: touches of yacht rock and ’70s AM gold fill his usual nostalgia-tinged music. Not since Paul McCartney premiered his wacky solo opus McCartney II, an album of quirky, funky jams hasn’t sounded so good.

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TYMO — The art of a maniac

Sometimes you need to listen to something brash and loud to blow all the dirt out of your brain. Edmonton thrash metal titans TYMO have provided a pulverized escape from your daily drudgery with the jaw-dropping The Art of a Maniac. Riffs upon riffs moan to relentless drumming as Tim Tymo growls about demons. The Art of a Maniac is the kind of metal album that would have Stranger Things’ Eddie Munson jumping up on a cafeteria table and proclaiming, « That’s music! »

yegarts@postmedia.com

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Check out the Edmonton Journal’s Fresh Tracks playlist on Spotify.