Best New Indie Albums, Jan. 2022, Vol. I – Silverbacks, The Wombats, The Lumineers

The first week of January 2022 was thin for indie rock and alt album releases.

But second week of the new year made-up the slack with a slate of solid new releases from Silverbacks, The Wombats, The Lumineers, to mention a few. (We’ll post about Jan 21 and Jan 28 releases next.)

Included below are the most recent music video singles for each album – all officially dropped on January 14,2022.

IRC’s Top Album Picks, Jan. 2022, Vol. I

Silverbacks’ Archive Material was already one of the hottest new albums of the year thanks to a number of pre-release singles dropped in the past months. The Irish keep bringing the rock.

Paste Magazine (75):
“Whether all our efforts on this dying world will be for naught is an open question, but Silverbacks bear witness nonetheless on Archive Material, advancing their craft even as the ship sinks beneath their feet…”

No Ripcord (70):
“Archive Material is a strong release for fans of Fad or newcomers to Silverbacks, the type of album that feels like it’ll only get better with time…”

The Quietus (80):
“With Archive Material, Silverbacks bring so much fun, personality, and excellent musicianship across their songs. It’s a record that, once again, confirms a bright future ahead.

Already one of the biggest-selling and charting albums in the U.K. so far this year, The Wombats’ Fix Yourself, Not The World is the band’s fifth studio album.

New Musical Express (80):
“‘Ready For The High’ barely sits still for a verse at a time, ducking between buzz-rock, falsetto funk and bits that seem written for the first dance at the marriage of MGMT and Jungle. The rest of the album further delivers: confident funk pop (‘Wildfire’, ‘Worry’) and inventive future disco (‘This Car Drives All By Itself’, ‘People Don’t Change People, Time Does’) are staples, but the palette is wide here, the brushstrokes bold.

Clash Music (80)
“Perhaps it’s their captivating storytelling taking a psychological turn, or maybe it’s the way they’ve incorporated cutting edge electronica, pop and R&B elements into the melodic energies of classic new wave, alt-rock and indietronica, but, ‘Fix Yourself, Not The World’ is a record that will appeal. It is arguably their best work yet.

The Guardian (60)
“Fix Yourself, Not the World isn’t going to change the face of music, but nor is it going to do anything to impede the Wombats’ latter-day progress.

From MusicGuyMack (7):
“Solid (if unremarkable) songwriting and peppy, spirited performances help ensure that The Wombats’ latest at least remains engaging and appealing to pop/indie rock fans throughout, although the group’s largely inside-the-box approach of rigid adherence to the tried and tested tropes of these genres may prove frustrating and ultimately experience-shortening for more demanding listeners.””

Choice Cuts: “This Car Drives All by Itself,” “If You Ever Leave, I’m Coming With You,” “Ready for the High”

The Lumineers have managed to attract a good deal of chatter and streams for their new album, Brightside, dropped officially on Jan 14th. The title track alone is approaching 16 million streams just on Spotify.

AllMusic (80):
“The easy melodic hooks that drew fans to the Lumineers in the first place remain, but the combination of stronger material and looser performances make for a strong fourth outing.

No Ripcord (60):
“Brightside is no different: belt out vibrant and occasionally resonant anthems that are easy to grasp even if somewhat oversimplified. The nuance is altogether lost, though, like most of their discography, it’ll win you over with its scrappy, can-do charm.

Bandcamper KingandMoon (9):
“The film-making of this album is amazing. It gets me emotional and it makes me feel some experience that I’ve never had before.”

It hit like getting hit hard with a heavy pillow: Chan Marshall, aka Cat Power, is going to release another covers album in 2022 (we said in 2021)?

Then it hit – ‘hold on!’ she dropped her first covers album – The Covers Record – 21 years ago. Whaaaaaat! 21 years.

Marshall’s raspy, sincere and soft vocals set to heartfelt and introspective songs have attracted fans to Cat Power from the start and to the present day.

On Covers, Marshall pays tribute to songs from Jackson Brown, Nick Cave, Lana Del Rey, Billie Holiday, Iggy Pop, Frank Ocean, The Replacements and Kitty Wells.

The reaction from Marshall’s fans is on display all over the web. On Cat Power’s Bandcamp page are comments like:

“That moment when a Cat Power song has you is like walking through an art gallery and coming upon a piece of art that stops you in your tracks. Erwin Schrödinger famously said that the total number of minds in the universe is one. Listen to a Cat Power record and try to feel alone. I can’t do it. Favorite track: Stay. – via Bandcamper Raymond Stewart

And:

” Covers has been be a great addition to my Cat Power collection :-) Avid Cat Power aficionados will revel in this new ‘audiogasmic’ release. Turn the lights off, pour a whiskey – bliss…” – via Bandcamper Hassles

Critics have largely welcomed the new collection of Marshall covers:

Mojo (80):
“This album again showcases Marshall’s exceptional ability to burrow right into the marrow of a song…”

Beats Per Minute (75):
“Though the nature of Covers makes it slightly scattershot, and nothing quite hits the heights of some of her past covers, it is decidedly more engaging and diverse than her last album, the lowkey-to-the-point-of-disappearing Wanderer.

The Guardian (60):
“Not so much fresh takes on old favourites, Covers is more like watered-down versions of semi-hidden gems.”

Under The Radar (70):
“While it doesn’t feature her own lyrics, the record still ambles through archetypal Cat Power moods—insouciance, worry, bliss—steering clear of the pulsating synths à la ‘Manhattan’ and sticking with the stripped-back worry-pop of Wanderer.

It’s amazing in a way that Elvis Costello is still pumping out acclaimed albums after, what, 35-40 years? But he still amazes many critics, as his latest LP, The Boy Named If, demonstrates:

Slant Magazine (80):
The tail-end of The Boy Named If finds Costello suddenly back in crooner mode with the soft-shoe swing of “Trick Out the Truth” and the moonstruck “Mr. Crescent.” Both tracks are quietly exquisite and provide a comedown from the adrenaline-fueled highs of the album’s first half. They underscore the ways in which The Boy Named If is as complete and often thrilling as anything Costello has recorded in years.

Pitchfork (75):
Costello fans will find many delights in The Boy Named If. For one, his 32nd studio album sounds smashing. Sebastian Krys’ mix stresses the textures of acoustic instruments without walloping listeners; Costello’s guitar, as restless as a child at a symphony even on solid albums like When I Was Cruel and Secret, Profane & Sugarcane, burrows right between Faragher’s bass and Nieve’s keyboards, enunciating hook after hook.

Ghosts on Tape – Blood Red Shoes
The sixth full-length release for British duo Blood Red Shoes was inspired in part by true crime documentaries and podcasts.

musicOMH.com (70):
“There’s very little here to dislike, so stick it on loud, turn off the lights and sit back and enjoy.”

Mojo (60)
“An accomplished study in post-punk boom, synth whoosh and creepy-crawl vocals.”