The focus of Album Notes is largely on new releases. Yes, there's the occasional throwback to recognize worthy anniversaries and/or reissues, but overall, that which is fresh tends to land. It's also January, which means that those efforts of distinction are likely weeks away. Most artists don't record their magnum opus with "let's put this one out when everybody is in the initial stages of going back to work, holiday malaise, and eventual gym membership regret" in mind.

But, because it is January, that also means it was just New Years Eve, a date that, in my mind, equates to live music. Never my favorite night of the year, if I was going to go out, at least give me a band on stage to alleviate the impossible expectations set by many merrymakers. So let's split the difference this week: Some relatively new albums (from 2022) that are also live. Two wildly different results.

John Craigie. Folkster. Beatles lover. A few years ago he decided to cover Abbey Road in its entirety, solo. Between mid-set banter and intonation, he recalls Mitch Hedberg (who may get featured here... eventually) more than any musician. Recorded in 2019, this one saw vinyl as a "limited edition Record Store Day 2022" release.

The Smile. Thom Yorke. Jonny Greenwood. Perhaps that's the balance of Radiohead: Some first names have letters that seem superfluous, others absent. There's also the drummer from Sons of Kemet, Tom Skinner. Seems appropriate. Together they're pretty moody, and this abbreviated December live release from a July performance homes in on the best of their May debut.