Colours Through The Air Best of 2022 Albums and Songs

It was so hard to choose but here is the Colours Through The Air 'Best Of' post. My favourite albums and songs of 2022. With the songs, it is one song from each artist.

I felt these albums were the strongest overall and had the most impact on me. You can find the reviews for all the albums apart from Young Guv (Listen here) and The Jangles (Listen here)  

Albums

1. The Shop Window - A 4 Letter Word

2. Michael Head & The Red Elastic Band - Dear Scott

3. Young Guv - III

4. Field School - When Summer Comes

5. The Fernweh - TORSCHLUSSPANIK!

6. The Jangles - Pioneer

7. Gabriel's Dawn - Gabriel's Dawn 

8. Kevin Robertson - Teaspoon of Time

9. The Sadies - Colder Streams

10. Armstrong - Happy Graffiti

Songs

1. RW Hedges - Charm Song

2. The Wends - What A Heart Is For 

3. The Pierce Kingans - Giving It Up 

4. Michael Head & The Red Elastic Band - American Kid

5. Young Guv - It's Only Dancin'

6. Cactus Blossoms - Love Tomorrow 

7. Nell Davies - What The Heart Wants

8. Davoli - Sleep Deprived

9. Luca Nieri - Never To Learn

10. Sam Kogon - Barbed Wire

All in all, it has been a good year and I have found so much great music from doing this blog. Thanks so much to everyone who has shown an interest/sent music to me.

The Shop Window - A 4 Letter Word

Released: 25 Nov 2022
Label: Spinout Nuggets

Buy Here

The Shop Window are back with their second album. Like their debut, it is a superb listen, recalling the best of 90s indie. 

Their sound is heavily inspired by RIDE and The Stone Roses. The album opens with 'Eyes Wide Shut' which is wonderfully anthemic. It is instantly memorable, with a hugely uplifting chorus.    

Other highlights include 'With Love To Lead' which is melodic guitar pop of the highest standard, with some great harmonies.

'Lay of the Land' is another standout, again it is anthemic, but not overly, and also sounds psychedelic in places. 'Its By Design' is my favourite here, although its hard to choose! The opening riff is the kind which draws you in straight away, and the chorus really soars. 

Love song - 'That Feeling' is sublime, the emphasis here being on the vocal harmonies. The lyrics are so heartfelt - "I'll be your rock on a stormy day. I'll be your sun when the skies are grey."

A superb follow up with some of the finest anthemic guitar pop I have heard this year. Highly recommended.

Colours Through The Air Best of 2021 Albums and Songs

It was so hard to choose but here is the Colours Through The Air 'Best Of' post. My favourite albums and songs of 2021. With the songs, it is one song from each artist.

I have chosen RW Hedges for best album and song. A lovely album which although is short, all the songs are beautifully crafted. Just heartfelt, memorable songs which is what it should be about really. Read the full review here 

I felt these albums were the strongest overall and had the most impact on me. You can find the reviews for all the albums (apart from Ghost Dance Collective and Reigning Sound which were late discoveries) on this blog.  

Albums

1. RW Hedges - Year After Year 

2. Daniel Wylie's Cosmic Rough Riders - Atoms and Energy

3. Sandra's Wedding - Pleasure Grounds

4. Jim McCulloch - When I Mean What I Say 

5. Sky Diving Penguins - Sky Diving Penguins

6. Reigning Sound - A Little More Time With Reigning Sound

7. Rural France - RF 

8. Sister John - I Am By Day

9. Kevin Robertson - Sundown's End 

10. Ghost Dance Collective - Dream Yourself Into The Real World

Songs

1. RW Hedges - Travelling Road 

2. Sky Diving Penguins - Run Boy 

3. The Pierce Kingans - To Lose 

4. Reigning Sound - You Don't Know What You're Missing

5. Sandra's Wedding - Lovin' Life

6. Jim McCulloch - Come Little Waves of Light 

7. Sister John - In My Place 

8. The Sadies - Stop and Start

9. The Laughing Chimes - Try To Change My Mind

10. The Shop Window - Out of Reach

All in all, it has been a good year and I have found so much great music from doing this blog. Thanks so much to everyone who has shown an interest/sent music to me.

The Shop Window - The State of Being Human

Released: 25 June 2021
Label: Spinout Nuggets

Listen and Buy Here

The Shop Window, from Maidstone UK, are back with their debut album. It is a hugely enjoyable listen, recalling the best of 90s indie. 

It opens with 'Mannequin Lies'. The sound is reminiscent of RIDE with some superb vocal harmonies. The chorus really soars and has that uplifting, euphoric feeling of Summer.

Other highlights include 'Out of Reach' which is anthemic indie at its finest. The song is so memorable, especially the chorus, with shimmering jangly guitars.

'Break Down Walls' is lovely and melodic, with very heartfelt lyrics, about barriers in a relationship. 'Evacuate' is superbly catchy and upbeat, with more emotional lyrics. There are hints of The Cure in here as well, especially in the guitar sound.

My favourite here is 'Sad Eyes' which is so moving and has themes of growing old and dementia. - " All you have now is the past, The future has gone beyond your grasp." It is never overly sad and negative and highlights the importance of remembering the good times. 

A beautiful folk instrumental - 'Jack's Lullaby', ends the album perfectly. It has magical, film soundtrack vibes. 

A highly recommended album full of anthemic songs which will stay with you.

The Shop Window - Out of Reach/Evacuate

Released: 29 Jan 2021
Label: Spinout Nuggets
Listen and Buy Here

The Shop Window, from Maidstone UK, are a new band to watch out for in 2021. They released a few singles last year, including 'Sad Eyes'. This was a fine example of anthemic indie pop, with melancholic lyrics about visiting an elderly grandparent. Well worth checking out too if the band are new to you.

'Out of Reach' is their new 7 inch single on indie label - Spinout Nuggets. It is more wonderful indie pop, with late 80s/early 90s vibes. It bought to mind the more jangle pop side of Ride and The Stone Roses. The song is gloriously anthemic with a soaring, memorable chorus. 

The other side has 'Evacuate' which is more of the same. The melody bought to mind the best parts of Oasis' early songs. 

A superb single which had me wondering whether The Shop Window could be the breakthrough artist to really put indie/guitar music on the map again. Highly recommended.