Well here we are, finally, at the last part of our 51 favourite albums of 2022. The top ten could have contained any number of the records from 11-51 but these are the ten that we settled on. Here, in predictable reverse order, are our favourite ten records of 2022.

10. Kelsey Waldon - No Regular Dog

Kelsey’s fast become one of the standard bearers of traditional country and her fourth full lengther confirms she’s one of the best, and most consistent, artists currently around. No Regular Dog’s ten songs (and an outro) of perfect traditional country are laced with Kelsey’s evocative voice, some great instrumentation from a terrific band, and lyrics in the best tradition. Personal favourites are ‘Sweet Little Girl’, and the noir ‘History Repeats Itself’ with it’s hot topic lyrics. A great record from a future treasure.

Find out more about Kelsey on her website, buy No Regular Dog on Bandcamp or stream it on Tidal.

9. Dead Horses - Brady Street

These guys were new to me despite being four albums in. With its folk-rock sound Brady Street has harmonies and rhythm guitar to die for. It’s got hints of Lily & Madeline (where are those guys???) about the harmonies, but with twists, like the super speedy drum beats in ‘It’s All Good’. By all accounts it’s a bit more more than their previous records and I love it. There are wonderful quiet moments like the 125 seconds of ‘Bird Over The Train’ and the terrific bass-ness of ‘Under Grey Skies’ shows the duo at their best and most heartbreaking. Kudos Sarah Wolff and Dan Voss, this is a most lovely record.

Find out more about Dead Horses on their website and stream Brady Street on Tidal.

8. Orville Peck - Bronco

From its opening beats, Bronco is an album unashamed of drama; it doesn’t scream for attention, it heartfeltdly implores for it. Casually wooing you on ‘The Curse Of The Blackened Eye’, brazenly showing you its full glory on ‘Lafayette’, before deploying the harmonica (in a Last Post kinda way) and exposing its fragility on ‘Kalahari Down’, that’s the first half of Bronco done. The pitch and swell of the album moves you one way then the other, it’s a marvellous thing to behold; this confidence.

Orville’s voice has had enough written about it, but it’s such a powerful presence in his music it’s impossible to ignore. Dominating every song it’s what makes his sound so unique, yet he uses it so as not to overwhelm. This is country music by way of opera.

Find out more about Orville on his website and stream Bronco on Tidal.

7. Lainey Wilson - Bell Bottom Country

Mainstream country music - specifically the commercial kind - is lacking in women full stop, but really lacking in the higher echelons of the charts. Lainey seems destined to reach the heights of Carrie and Miranda. Bell Bottom Country is commercial country of the very best flavour. The mega-hit ‘Heart Like A Truck'‘ is a highlight but ‘Watermelon Moonshine’ and ‘Hillbilly Hippie’ are better, and ‘These Boots {Daddy’s Song}’ is one of those songs only country music can do. Melding 70s, 80s, 90, and modern day country, this record is some feat and confirms Lainey Wilson as country’s biggest new star.

Find out more about Lainey on her website and stream Bell Bottom Country on Tidal.

6. Kaitlin Butts - What Else Can She Do

Kaitlin Butts has been around on my can’t-wait-to-hear-what-she-does-next list for a while now. Turns out what she did next was release one of my favourite albums of 2022. Though What Else Can She Do barely scraps into the album category with its seven songs, but when they're this damn good I can’t not include it. From opener ‘it won’t always be this way’ you know this is gonna be special, its singalong chorus disguising some tough subject matter - looking from the darkness for the light - to the fate-led ‘jackson’ this is chock full of quality songs and heartbreaking lyrics. With songs constructed perfectly, Kaitlin’s voices ruling all it takes on, and some terrific production, this is a proper country record. Come back very soon Kaitlin. Oh, favourite song? The absolute killer that is ‘in the pines’.

Find out more about Kaitlin on her website and stream What Else Can She Do on Tidal.

5. Drive-by Truckers - Welcome 2 Club XIII

A return to form is an overused phrase, and this isn’t really that as DBT were never off-form, but it is a return to a more carefree attitude. Though that’s not strictly right either. The state-of-the-nation approach is mostly gone, and back are songs from the DBT heartland - their own experiences. There are only nine songs here by Patterson and Cooley leave the record dripping with the sweat of their effort. You think they peak too soon with the grimy opening song, ‘The Driver’, but the great songs just keep on coming: ‘Maria’s Awful Disclosures’, ‘We Will Never Wake You Up In The Morning’, the rollicking romp of a title track, Cooley’s rocker ‘Every Single Storied Flameout’, and Patterson Hood’s perfect closer ‘Wilder Days’.

It’s amazing that even after all these decades Patterson and Cooley keep their band sounding this fresh, energetic, and relentless. Welcome 2 Club XIII is more a continuation of form than a return to it. these guys are on it; always.

Find out more about DBT on their website and stream Welcome 2 Club XIII on Tidal.

4. Plains - I Walked With You A Ways

In some ways Plains is a departure for Jess Williamson and Katie Crutchfield, but in most ways it makes absolute sense. Combining talent, voices, and songwriting chops Jess and Katie have made a beautiful little record, sprightly of step yet deep of meaning. ‘Abilene’ is the best-known song but each of the ten tracks brings something unique that combine into this winning whole. There’s a lightness of touch to songs like ‘No Record Of Wrongs’ and ‘Problem With It’ but a whole heap of feeling. This is apparently their first and only outing as Plains but I truly hope that isn’t true. This is, obviously, one of my very favourite records of 2022 and one I’ll be listening to for a long time.

Find out more about Plains on their website, buy I Walked With You A Ways on Bandcamp and stream it on Tidal.

3. Adeem The Artist - White Trash Revelry

White Trash Revelry is the perfect example of the danger of going too early with your end of year list. It’s an album that should be gracing every single one, regardless of genre. Adeem has crafted a really wonderful record, writing about topics that are close to their heart without ever resorting to overt soapboxing. It’s clever writing, but more so shows a real understanding of the craft of making music. ‘Carolina’ is as personal as it gets while there’s no mistaking what ‘Heritage of Arrogance’ is about, and ‘Going To Hell’ is one of my favourite songs of the year. Each song is about something while sounding like it could be about anything if you heard it on a jukebox in a noisy bar. Listen and you hear. It’s a rare kind of artist that can mix those two worlds. “Do you wanna go to hell, children, with Adeem The Artist?” Hell yeah I do!

Find out more about Adeem on their website, buy White Trash Revelry on Bandcamp and stream it on Tidal.

2. Paul Cauthen - Country Coming Down

“I'm a shade tree mechanic
Got a one-ton truck
I drink a thirty pack a day
'Cause I'm country as fuck”

“NASCAR, dive bar, fireworks, guitar
Riding mower, landowner, 83 Texoma
I was driving tractors before it got sexy
Real cowboys don't rock to Kenny Chesney”

These two snippets from ‘Country As Fuck’ are why I love this record. There. Is. Nothing. Out. There. Like. It. For my money this is the most creative country album in years. Mixing a blob of funk, a dollop of disco, and a few pounds of DGAF, all while having the most fun you can have legally and firing off potshots at country music left right and centre. Put them high heels on and go spend some of that fuck you money on this hell of a good time record.

Hot dog holly golly dagnabbit indeed.

Find out more about Paul on his website and stream Country Coming Down on Tidal.

1. Miranda Lambert - Palomino

In some ways it feels a bit cheap to have a Miranda Lambert record at the top of this list, with the breadth of talent and depth of songwriting, music-making and, well, just great music, it can’t be Miranda can it? Well yes it can. Honestly, I just love Palomino, it’s the record I’ve listened to most and every time I enjoy all of its 15 songs - the veritable all killer nada filler. Miranda just mixes country, pop, and rock together in a way that gets me every time. She has fun with her music, ‘Music City Queen’ is a blast, ‘Geraldine’ is fun fun fun, and ‘Scenes’ is great; her vocal and lyrical dexterity on ‘If I Were A Cowboy’ is underrated.

There’s just no one else in mainstream country music like Miranda Lambert. Sure, there are more successful artists, but none are as consistently creative. And none own their space in the way that she does, fun, funny, serious, seriously talented: Music City Queen indeed.

Find out more about Miranda on her website and stream Palomino on Tidal.