So here it is the much coveted “JanglePopHub Oscars” bringing you our Top 15 Albums of 2022.

Not for us the polite contrivances of  ‘in no particular order’. Oh no, we are far too brutal for that. So if you are an act that finished number 3 and your musical mate is placed at number 12, you now have the full right to turn up naked at their doorstep, doing one of those daft Fortnite dances, whilst forming an ‘L’ sign on your forehead, and screaming “Oi loser, I have come come to claim your 1st born child’…Or you could just be more magnanimous and just think it.

Seriously thanks to all these acts for releasing incredible albums in 2022. I know they will all be pretty near my playlist for ever more !

15.  Mick Trouble –  Its Mick Trouble’s Second LP (Emotional Response)

Mick Trouble, the very British-sounding post-punk singer-songwriter who may or may not be Jed Smith of NYC’s My Teenage Stride and Jeanines, is back with his second record. It’s Mick Trouble’s Second Album is loaded with even more wonderful earworm janglepop in the Television Personalities / Swell Maps / Jilted John tradition. (His debut is a delight.) Can songs be this catchy, this full of references to Blighty, and not be made by a real British person? …Brooklyn Vegan

14.  Armstrong –  Happy Graffiti (Country Mile Records and The Beautiful Music)

There is always a feeling after every Armstrong release, that this could be his last, Again, maybe this is the whole enigmatic persona I have created for him? However, much of the beauty of his music is that there is the essence that he releases music for his own pleasure or innate need and not ours (again that temporary invite into his confidence) and with that there is always the danger that he might not need ‘us’ anymore…Let’s hope not, as this is truly one of the great unsung acts of our recent times…JanglePopHub

13.  The Crystal Furs –  In Coast Light (Reckless Yes Records)

Perhaps this release sees them explore their feminity even further, with California Misses You and Stay With Me, teetering on the edge of indie-pop and staring into the Sapphire and Steel style yacht rock / twee-pop waters below. It is a subtle edge towards a slightly different direction that was always going to suit them and adds a stylish ying to their more abrasive yang….JanglePopHub

12.  Partner Look –  By The Book (Trouble in Mind Records)

A buoyant and angular multicolored tapestry, Partner Look’s debut album ‘By the Book’ is a warm, fun, and quirky “off-kilter pop” record forged in friendship and made with love… Attwood Magazine

11.  The Boys With The Perpetual Nervousness – The Third Wave Of… (Bobo Integral)

Three records in and the Scotland (Andrew Taylor of Dropkick) by the way of Spain (Gonzalo Marcos of El Palacio de Linares) connection that is The Boys With The Perpetual Nervousness is still finding ways to churn out perfect pop songs. The ten songs on The Third Wave of… feel vibrant and comfortable. There is no peacocking in the the music of TBWTPN, no bells and whistles, it’s all about writing upbeat and sunny powerpop/indie pop hits with a hint of nostalgia and a touch of melancholy…Add To Wantlist

10.  Various Artists – So Much Fun… (Shiny Happy Records)

The concept of this album is far more simple than the wonderful pop intricacies that emanate from it. Get ‘jangly sorts’ from around the world to add their take to their favourite tracks from a whole plethora of superb acts from Indonesia.

The result are brilliantly eclectic. Initially it could be argued that the featherlite appeal of much of the Indonesian pop aesthetic, lends itself to dream-pop adaptations and of course to the realms of twee…JanglePopHub

09.  Jim Nothing – In The Marigolds (Meritorio Records / Melted Ice Cream)

…For those of you into the traditions of lo-fi and early 80s DIY aesthetics, you’re certainly going to feel the charms of this entire listen. Take “Seahorse Kingdom,” for example, using this thumping rhythm and aura of whimsy to carry the exuberance of the song immediately to the listener. Maybe you want to swing the other way and hit on one of the great singles like “Fall Back Down,” which reminds me a lot of their Oceanic neighbors Twerps (and other “dole” wave) acts…Austin Town Hall

08.  The Smashing Times – Bloom  (Meritorio Records)

Bloom is an interesting record, and I mean that in the best possible way. It has songs that are instantly enjoyable, like Diana, Waiting For The Sun, Come Out In The Sun And Play, The Reed Cutter, and Lost, When I Remember. Those reflect the underground pop side of Smashing Times (HITS!). But there are also a lot of quirky and experimental tracks on Bloom. Songs that may not click with you instantly, but will grow on you with each play. More importantly, the sequencing of Bloom make the more challenging songs contrast nicely with the more poppy tracks, bringing the best out of each other…Add to Wantlist

07.  Marc Andersson – First Prize for Everyone  (Self released)

Although released under the name of Marc Andersson (vocals, lyrics and music) this First Prize For Everyone debut album is actually the work of a duo, with arrangements and the playing of instruments attributable to Juergen Felder.

Whatever the split in workload, this German act have made an album that works on so many levels. Initially it is dominated by the melodic brilliance of Turn Back Time, Not Your Name, Video Games, Girlfriend and Waiting For You.  Referred to on the Bandcamp release bio  ’60s beat-pop’, these tracks are intricately laced with the sort of jangle-pop that was so beautifully lucid about the Let’s Active aesthetic.

06.  Swimming Pools & Movie Stars – Modern Architecture  (Jigsaw Records)

Primarily it’s the guitar work that is influenced by those albums with the odd synth melody too. Tracks like Someone Like You, Zac & Zoe, Live Away and I Dig You being evidenced examples. But that’s not all. Vocally there is resemblance with Mary Chain’s Jim Reid whilst in another twist, elements of shoegaze creeps in. Okay it’s not the most original album I have listened too but it is certainly one of the most enjoyable I have heard for a while – I could play it All Day Long (pun intended)…Records I Like

05.  The Reds, Pinks and Purples – They Only Wanted Your Soul  (Slumberland Records)

They Only Wanted Your Soul is technically not a “proper” record—the album’s first four tracks originally comprised the I Should Have Helped You EP, and Slumberland has combined them with some previously-unreleased tracks to create a “mini-LP length grab bag” of, well, something that sounds as good as anything else I’ve heard from Donaldson…Rosy Overdrive

04.  Field School – When Summer Comes (Small Craft Advisory / Bobo Integral)

That nostalgia pulls at the edges of the album, careful not to overwhelm it. While its an album that’s pulling from the beloved well of US/UK janglers, there’s something fresh about it, squeezing in neatly next to fellow new wave indie pop gems from The Umbrellas, Chime School, Jeanines, and The Reds, Pinks and Purples on the shelf. What Bert truly succeeds at, more than just echoing his influences, is imbuing the songs with a sense of longing. The last few years were marked with a sense of distance and loss and When Summer Comes captures the feeling of staring out the window wishing for fresh air and friendship once more….Raven Sings The Blues

03.  US Highball – A Parkhead Cross of the Mind (Bingo Records / Lame-O Records)

Hey hey….what’s not to like? They hail from Scotland (home of some of the indie pop greats over the years), they’re a duo with a fun/breezy sound , they knock out 12 songs in 26 minutes and the first song on here is called “Mental Munchies.” So again, I ask good people, what’s not to like?

The duo of James and Calvin (who used to be in a band called The Pooches) figured they’ve got some chemistry here (they’re absolutely correct) and hell, I’m glad they’re still at it….Daggerzine

02.  Let’s Whisper – The In​-​Between Times (Fika Recordings)

You get backing vocals and recording by Gary Olson, throw in Emma Kupa, and, well, you don’t really need too much more to convince me that the new Let’s Whisper LP is going to be a stellar listen! The group’s first single from The In-Between Times churns and jangles, like a song that dips its toes in the pools of paisley vibes while pressing play on the warmth of classic pop records from Athens. It’s a short gallop with huge backing harmonies that are the best things you can offer your ears this week…Austin Town Hall

01.  The Photocopies – Greatest Hits Volume 2… (Self released)

…Greatest Hits Volume 2 (tracks 31-45) – now brings together 45 tunes. Basically you hear jangly or fuzzy indie pop building on the C86 and Sarah Records sound, captured in short, cheerful and often catchy songs, with relatable lyrics that you can sing along in no time...Add To Wantlist