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From Pacific dub to knotty guitars, these were 10 of the year's best music offerings from Aotearoa.
Dubs From The Neighbourhood by Chistoph El Truento
Christoph El' Truento's second LP delving into reggae, rocksteady and dub styles (following 2019's Peacemaker Dub), is a joyous family affair, including vocals from his children and partner, and drawing on Christoph's bone-deep knowledge of the genre's history to honour it in his own, distinctly Pacific way.
The album sounds a lot like summer, although when I interviewed him, Christoph said he wanted there to be an underlying sadness as well. He spoke about running his sounds through vintage equipment, and wanting to bring some weirdness back to reggae. It resulted in a multi-layered listen, with a lot to recommend repeat spins.
Siempre Tiene Flores by Hannah Everingham
Between Bodies, the debut from Christchurch musician Hannah Everingham, blew through 2022 like a gust of fresh air, and her second is even better. It is heavy on acoustic guitar, double bass, hand-slapped percussion, and Latin-American influences.
The laidback musical palette is a perfect fit for Everingham, who remains a mellifluous, charming presence.
Greatsouth by Greatsouth
The artist formerly known as Fable changed stage name and switched from futurist RnB to guitar jams on his latest release. One thing that stayed consistent was repping his home of South Auckland, and when I interviewed Payton Taplin, he told me Great South Road is "the artery for people heading South".
It was also a supply route during the Waikato Wars, which Taplin finds bittersweet. The history and present of Māori in this country are always present in his songs, which here balance anguish with effervescent joy.
Filter by Byllie-jean
In 2023, Byllie-jean won the Maioha Award (along with Aja Ropata for their waiata 'Te Iho'). She followed that with her debut EP, which is bursting with inventiveness and hard-won wisdom.
'Desperate Fools' is a soul ballad undercut by pithy lyrics like "it's past the witching hour, but it still feels like there's witches around", with the most acidic line coming on the modern RnB cut 'Running Amuck': "Somebody stole our land, and everyone knows who did it".
Still Here Season 2 by Hanisi Garue
The NZ documentary series Still Here told stories about Pasifika people living in central Auckland, with season two featuring episodes on the Richmond Rovers rugby club, Karangahape Road's Samoa House, and Grey Lynn's last kava club.
The duo behind its score call themselves Hanisi Garue, meaning "loving care and work" in Rotuman.
David Feauai-Afaese fronts the band LEAO, and Navakatoa Tekela-Pule co-founded Noa Records, an outlet for indigenous musicians. Their work is often comforting and nostalgic, sometimes unsettling, and always deeply rewarding.
Grey Eyes, Grey Lynn by Jim Nothing
'Pastoral' and 'introspective' are not words you would normally associate with the early work of Jim Nothing, whose first EP consisted of very loud noises.
Ten years on, he is working in a much more contemplative mode, drawing on a raft of mellow indie pop influences. But on his second album he still weaved some aural grit into its balanced arrangements.
It is a cohesive, diaristic collection, like wandering around Tāmaki while the artist spins yarns and philosophises.
The Big Sulk by Louisa Nicklin
This album's name might be a self-aware nod to its serious demeanour, but for fans of knotty guitar and soulful, slightly spooky vocals, it is something special.
Production was handled by local legend Shayne Carter of Straightjacket Fits fame, and you can see why he might have been attracted to the project. Nicklin's compositions are moody, and her deeply felt singing soars above them.
The Dreams of Our Mothers' Mothers! by Mousey
The past few Mousey albums had a touch of darkness, but on her third, it had pushed the light into the margins. Sarena Close's songwriting impulses always kept things accessible though, and she showed new rhythmic heft on tracks like 'Opener'.
The release had a real sense of abandon, the sound of an artist doing what they wanted, instead of what they thought they should.
Waerea by Mokotron
Tiopira McDowell (Ngāti Hine) has been part of Tamaki's electronic scene for some time, and with his Mokotron project achieved a fully-realised meeting of worlds. His mix of taonga pūoro, breakbeats, slabs of bass and vocoded te reo feels thrillingly new, Pacific futurism pitched at the dancefloor and beyond.
Tessa's Album by Tessa De Lyon
Wellington band Mystery Waitress released their second album in August, Bright Black Night, an intense and impassioned collection of angular indie rock. It came as a pleasant surprise when the band's singer and creative force Tessa Dillon also released a solo effort, under the name Tessa de Lyon, based around piano.
Even more surprising was the music, which sometimes feels like the inverse of her band; light, unencumbered, and full of hope. There is some darkness, but it is presented with a light touch, and a seemingly endless supply of comforting melodies.
Tony Stamp reviews the latest album releases every week on The Sampler.