‘Revanchist’ – Evian Christ
A visionary of electronic savagery, the British man thrives on this apocalyptic fantasy. Traces of trance and hints of hyper-pop, tribal voices, heavy bass and views of the cosmos. The coven to go to with prudence and moderation.
‘Praise a Lord who chews but who does not consume; (or simply, hot between worlds)’ – Yves Tumor
Spirituality surrounds this radioactive artifact, in which thick electronics collide with post-punk, between falsetto voices and heartfelt choruses, industrial patchwork and orchestral borders. God disorients, but inspires.
‘The greater wings’ – Julie Byrne
The Buffalo troubadour gives us a sweet and overwhelming album, fusing the guitar in ‘fingerpicking’ mode with balsamic layers of synthesizer. She is illuminated by the figure of Eric Littmann, an accomplice in his work and life, who died in 2021.
‘Everything harmony’ – The Lemon Twigs
Songs that make you rub your eyes, those of the D’Addario brothers: melodic filigrees, vocal bonhomie and pop evocations (baroque, ‘folkie’ or power) typical of other times and that touch sensitive fibers with an invincible candor.
‘The land is inhospitable and so are we’ – Mitski
This New Yorker (born in Japan) once again marvels with her resources as a singer, now putting her voice in the foreground and singing about loneliness and helplessness. With more portions of acoustic guitar and subtle country nods.
‘I inside the old year dying’ – PJ Harvey
Allergic to accommodation, the Englishwoman tells us about the inner transformation in an album of ghostly emotion, with dry guitars, electronic ‘drones’ and ritual songs, in which we perceive the ghosts and creaks of the ancestors.
‘My back was a bridge for you to cross’ – Anohni and the Johnsons
Anohni, formerly Antony, recovered in imperial mode, singing to the pain of the world from the depths, wrapped in a serene soul architecture with echoes from before the digital age. Humanist work, to be aligned with those of Nina Simone or Marvin Gaye.
‘The record’ – Boygenius
From the sum of three top creators, Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers and Lucy Dacus, comes a creature with a multiplier effect: guitar indie-rock, interior design with sound alchemy and tremulous pinches of folk in a high-flying songbook.
‘Did you know that there’s a tunnel under Ocean Blvd’ – Lana del Rey
The official sad girl moves away from the cliché by venturing out as the author of serene and powerful songs, unrelated to the dynamics of the ‘hit’, with the piano and strings as accomplices, adventurous vanishing points and climates of deceptive placidity.
‘Desire, I want to turn into you’ – Caroline Polachek
Desire and excitement in the face of what is barely hinted at frame an album with hints of an immersive experience, open to breakbeats and warm guitars, electronic mist, Celtic winks and a magical children’s choir that climbs to the final summit. Art-pop movie.
The list of best international albums of the year has been prepared with the votes of Jordi Bianciotto, Quim Casas, Patri di Filippo, Ignasi Fortuny, Juan Manuel Freire and Rafael Tapounet