Hi Colin, sorry for not replying to this sooner! Sadly no I won’t be, I don’t think it’d be fair to do one for 2022 as I just didn’t listen to enough new music across the year to do so. I’ve felt the end of year roundup to be petering out for me these last two or three years and I’m falling further out of the loop, finding it harder to keep up. I know people like them as a concise list but at this point if you just take a read of any of the records I covered from 2022 (here) you can consider that your list of recommendations from me:)

Chris

It’s hard to pin down ‘why’ this song is so impactful- although you’ve made some good suggestions. For me, it recalls a C.S. Lewis phrase about ‘drippings of grace’… moments or experiences that tear you out of your mortal skin and lend you a hint of something deeper and more lovely.

For whatever reason, ‘Biodh an Deoch’ has this effect on me. Glad to know I’m not the only one.

To consider this a rather harsh dismissal is I think something of an over-exaggeration. I commend the album at many points; just because on the whole I only consider this to be mildly above average doesn’t mean I’ve outright rejected it as a work. Many people have messaged me and cited this as the sole point for me not enjoying the record and I admit that it may have played some role, which is precisely why I was honest and relay that in the first line of the review. But if you read on I feel like I’ve made valid points of criticism on a few aspects of the album that, for me personally, affected my enjoyment of it regardless of my current feelings towards Ambient music.
HearFeel unfortunately is focused on largely Ambient music and had it not been ATOMOS being reviewed then it would have been something else; makes me wonder how many other reviewers and music journalists have suffered disenchantment with music and continued to write (for money, perhaps), and how many albums have subsequently been given “harsh dismissals” as a result.

I hope that clears things up a little.

Chris

Yes absolutely, it’s hypnotic. Fantastic piece also, not heard that one before actually, thanks a lot