The 50 Best Albums of 2022
Another year, another stressful November/December pretending to be a music journalist ✌️
Hello!!! I listened to a lot of albums this year and these are my favourite ones. In order of which ones I think are the best. And there are 50 of them. Plus a bunch of honourable mentions. Woo!
Here are those, starting (surprisingly) at №50.
50. SIM SIM SIM — Bala Desejo
Starting quite appropriately with this release from January, Bala Desejo brought a lovely dose of Brazilian MPB to our ears with this cute little bossa nova / samba record.
Trumpets, horns and the odd glaze of synth wash over a collection of traditional numbers, providing a modern take on the sound that captured the heart of South America in the 1960s. It also detours into other treasured Brazilian styles for good measure, so variety is still in abundance despite the familiar source material.
49. Omnium Gatherum — King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard
The first of four albums in 2022 from this hilariously talented psych outfit, Omnium Gatherum (as its name suggests) is an assortment of all the most recent genre experiments the band has put to record. Plus, it marks the first official step that Gizz took towards its jam-phase, which is what the other three albums of this year are fully invested in.
It kicks off with the utterly incomprehensible epic, The Dripping Tap, which could be the band’s best song in years. And the group then proceeds to pull a slot machine of music styles 15 more times, exploring an array of genres from synth pop to acid rock to stoner metal to hip-hop. Not every cut lands perfectly, but the attempts are more often than not miles better than any other band venturing that far out of their comfort zone, and they’re the latest example of how insanely adventurous — and successfully so — King Gizz can be.
48. FASTER — Lil Texas
This decade’s most viral gabberman finally released his debut album this year, and to no-one’s surprise it contains some of the dirtiest, grimiest, most abrasive dance music you’ll hear all year.
Lil Texas has a slightly more notable reputation as a live act rather than recording artist, so you’ll likely find these songs resonate a whole lot better when blasted out of several six-foot-high speakers towards hundreds of tightly-packed sweaty humans with swinging jaws.
But if you need a swift pick-me-up or want to whip out a funny party trick when you have the aux, there’s nowt wrong with putting this on.
47. Melt My Eyez See Your Future — Denzel Curry
There aren’t many more consistently brilliant rappers in the game right now than Mr Denzel Curry. For years at this point he has churned out banger record after banger record, each with its own distinctive flair but each with the running theme of Curry’s superb hip-hop vocalism.
His memorable timbre morphs to suit any of the many perspectives, stories and statements he brings to the table. And this time, they happen to be in support of a record that dives into his own psyche and how it’s been affected by the fame and recognition he has garnered since showing the world what he can do.
Lead single Walkin depicts this best, if you’re looking for a taste of his talent before immersing yourself fully.
46. Too Much To Ask — Cheekface
I absolutely love the energy that Cheekface put to wax. They’re building a wonderful brand of heightened stories and farcical takes that set them aside from every other group of semi-lo-fi indie rockers right now.
Imagine mixing the matter-of-fact delivery of Dry Cleaning and the absurd lyrical ideas of Bill Wurtz, all in the yearning style of Midwest emo. It’s just a lot of fun to listen to. And every now and then, something completely profound and poignant will unexpectedly poke through the humour-guarded veil and hit you with a touching piece of reality.
45. can opener’s notebook: fish whisperer — Vylet Pony
I always feel like I have to explain myself when I suggest someone listen to Vylet Pony. Yes, it’s essentially a brony music project, and many of their songs are set within the much-adored My Little Pony and Furry scenes.
So while I don’t have much of a personal investment in a lot of the lyrical content, I absolutely can not escape the fantastic songwriting, stellar electropop production and undeniable catchiness of their music. And fish whisperer is another gorgeous instalment of such a thing. It’s immersive and uplifting, and always gets my head bopping. Bloody love it.
44. It’s Time…To Rise from the Grave — Undeath
Without trying to cause too much whiplash, this crushing release from one of the best death metal bands right now is a fucking riot. Undeath on absolute form on this debut, and it was awesome to finally listen to a full-length project of theirs.
It’s always a treat to listen to the classic death metal records of the ’90s, but to hear such a modern, crisp, bassier rendition of that legendary sound makes it such a more enthralling experience. It’s gruesome, gory and gorgeously so. And that fucking lightning crack halfway through the title track is a goddamn masterclass in sonic worldbuilding.
43. Natural Brown Prom Queen — Sudan Archives
Sudan Archives has been a frontrunner of the alternative R&B scene ever since her breakout record Athena in 2019. Blending masterful grooves with mystic art pop, she leads us through intricately-crafted tracks that draw you into a trance as much as they hypnotise you into dance.
And with her trademark violin swooping in throughout too, there’s a magical flair throughout the entirety of NBPQ (the album — but yes also the song) that keeps you on your toes.
Singles like the aforementioned title track and Home Maker display this the most clearly, but Sudan isn’t afraid to go full on rap-banger too, with the trappy OMG BRITT. Essentially, she can do it all. And this record is her strongest statement of such yet.
42. Boat Songs — MJ Lenderman
Another fabulous lo-fi indie rock record this year. MJ Lenderman relies on harsh guitars with grimey riffs, and a supremely emotive and raspy vocal performance that makes this record feel like it was processed through steel-reinforced concrete.
But that doesn’t take away from the youthful, fresh-faced distaste for the powers that be and the wisened commentaries on the shit things life has to offer that drive the raw emotion behind MJ Lenderman’s delivery here. He blends his sound with his satire seamlessly, making this feel like an extremely cohesive project that has complete control over the statement it’s making.
41. Mil Coisas Invisíveis — Tim Bernardes
Some of my most treasured songs of 2022 came from the wonderful brain of Tim Bernardes. His softly-spoken, gentle and reassuring tone and beautiful instrumental swells allowed me to let my guard down and meditate to sixty-rough minutes of gorgeous folky Portugese crooning.
With some completely stripped-back and vulnerable tracks leaning against others that rise into the stratosphere on a bed of orchestral bliss, there are few albums this year that I knew would calm me down whenever I needed some solace.
40. SUPER CHAMPON — Otoboke Beaver
There isn’t much better punk than the punk coming out of Japan right now. And Otoboke Beaver have been at it for years, making thumping, compelling music with all the angst and political outrage that every popular punk band before them have brought.
Super Champon is another wonderful serving of short, sharp shocks from the energetic foursome, and while it’s a characteristically brief set of songs, the band says more than it ever has in record time. It’s zesty, punchy and will give you all the reasons why punk is for all of us. What more could you want?
39. Marchita — Silvana Estrada
A spellbinding release from a magnificent singer and songwriter, Marchita spends its time swaying gracefully above us, and occasionally swooping down from the heavens to brush us in its magical fairy dust.
With some of the prettiest vocal runs on an album I’ve heard this decade, subtle acoustic guitar lines and shuffling folky instrumentation all supported by a gentle bed of delightful surges of orchestration, you’d be forgiven for thinking a group of wood elves conjured this up from the spirit world.
Also touching upon the spectrum of our complicated emotions and offering heavy Latinate hints towards flamenco, this record is a rich, beautiful, honest display of one person’s heart. Just sit back and…experience.
38. You Belong There — Daniel Rossen
As I often point out in these rankings, I have to give credit where it is due if an artist has a significant hand in every stage of the production process of their album. So yeah, it turns out Daniel Rossen played every single fucking instrument on this extremely fucking dense, verbose and detailed folk album, so forgive me for a second while I gush in equal parts jealousy and awe.
…
Great! Now that’s done — You Belong There is an epic, perpetual chicane of acoustic folk that, if nothing else, stands as an incredible testament as to what someone with an intense passion (and an insane amount of skill) can do when sourcing resource isn’t an issue. And the songwriting is goddamn impressive too, with multiple passages to multiple songs venturing you through deep, dark worlds of the inner struggles of Rossen (ex-frontman of Grizzly Bear if you were wondering) himself.
He rarely sticks to one idea per song, melding different scenes and concepts together seamlessly with his incredible instrumental prowess. And he isn’t afraid to explore territories he never has before, to some completely convincing effects that make it seem like this is his bread and butter.
37. I Love You Jennifer B — Jockstrap
One of the most exciting electro-pop acts to come out of the UK in a hot minute, Jockstrap is one-half insanely gifted electronic producer and other-half insanely gifted vocalist and violinist (who also happens to be the violinist in Black Country, New Road, of course).
Their long-awaited debut album, I Love You Jennifer B, comes after an excellent 2020 EP that teased the twosome’s incredible potential. And, unsurprisingly, it’s one of the most unique and unpredictable records of the year. However, it remains so while also staying impressively poppy and memorable, with not too many glitches to completely derail the song structures. Glasgow is a wonderful example of the amazing blend they regularly achieve.
36. Dawn FM — The Weeknd
Like many people, I almost forgot Dawn FM came out in 2022. The early January release was a continuation of The Weeknd’s current and very competent take on ’80s pop and RnB.
He knows exactly how to craft a song that appeals to everybody, all the way from radio listeners to weird little Rate Your Music nerds like me. Which is quite a difficult feat considering how diverse music taste has become in the internet age — a wholly unoriginal opinion from yours truly, but still one worth mentioning in the context of our dude Abel.
Anyway, there is no questioning that this man can write a killer track. This album is smooth, buttery, upbeat goodness from a great modern popstar, and yes — Dawn FM is better than After Hours.
35. Working Title for the Album Secret Waters — Cities Aviv
The second of two albums released by Cities Aviv this year, the enigmatic, underground rapper produced perhaps his best album so far with Working Title…
Of the abstract hip-hop scene featuring others like Earl Sweatshirt and MIKE, Cities seems to take a more focused approach to the sound, which makes the experience of listening to his music less hazy and more…‘processable’. Nowt wrong with the former of course, but that’s what seems to set him apart from his peers, anyway.
With a rich, soul-sample-heavy, drumless tapestry to lay his witty, ambiguous and dark drawls upon, Cities communicates his concepts in fleeting visions, letting us fill in the gaps. And while it can take some time to grasp a tangible meaning from his Pollock-like projections, the image we’re left with says as much as every other conscious rapper.
34. Se Ve Desde Aquí — Mabe Fratti
You know me by now. I can’t get through the year without at least a few records that by design trigger discomfort. Creepy and unsettling vibes satiate some faraway stimulant in my brain, providing a kind of catharsis I can’t get anywhere else. And Mabe Fratti achieves this to an absolute T.
With a sound not too dissimilar from the progressive electronics of Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith, Fratti depicts what I can only describe as a ‘tropical’ scene to feed through her heavily-vocoded drones. There are recognisable pop structures to many of the tracks here, but more in a ‘long-lost pop album created for an alien species’, kind of way.
And this may sound frustratingly specific, but this album would be the perfect soundtrack to the forest scenes in the 2018 sci-fi horror film Annihilation. It’s just so eerie and strung-out, like it’s come from a different dimension. You’ll be engrossed and intrigued all the way through, purely just from the incredulity that a human actually (apparently) made it.
33. Baby — Petrol Girls
I saw this electrifying group at 2000Trees this year, after stumbling across this album just a couple of weeks beforehand, and they goddamn blew me away.
With raw punchy energy and a million catchy, provocative chants about shit you should care about, Petrol Girls are embodying everything that punk should be. And it’s a fucking joy to join in on their gloriously raucous refrains.
Listen to Baby, I Had an Abortion for a quick taste of everything this band has in its locker. If people are going to shut down resources that people rely on for their health and opportunity, no matter how taboo, we deserve to scream our dissent as loud as we want.
32. hypochondriac — brakence
One of the later releases to feature in this ranking, brakence’s hypochondriac just snuck in before most the end-of-year lists — although potentially too late to appear on any of them.
His sound palette is an intriguingly addictive one, I feel. This record mainly comprises the following:
- Extremely meaty, up-close, emo vocals that kind of sound enhanced but also convincingly natural (see also: Caroline Polachek, although her magnificent voice is all natural)
- Full, thick, glitchy, mathy, electronic instrumentals that sound chemically composed to weave into the wrinkles of your brain
It’s a marvellous blend of concepts that grips onto you really tightly and refuses to let go — giving you hit after hit that you really can’t resist. The lyrics let it down a little bit, but the sound is addictive enough for me not to mind at all.
31. A Light for Attracting Attention — The Smile
A very highly-anticipated album from a much-adored group of musicians, ALFAA is the product of Radiohead spearheaders Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood, and drummer Tom Skinner from acclaimed jazz trio Sons of Kemet.
The result could arguably be a bunch of glossed-up Radiohead demos under a different name, but even if some tracks might be just that, they’re Radiohead demos, which make them fundamentally amazing (says extremely biased Radiohead fan Max Beckett 🙂).
In all seriousness though, this is an awesome set of songs from a group of people who know the formula like the back of their hands. They are to songwriting what Walter White is to meth — expertly switching time signatures, chord progressions, instrumental palettes and soundscapes within and in-between songs to create something that millions of people will instantly become addicted to. They love what they do, and they know what they do. And they do it fuckin well.
30. Preacher’s Daughter — Ethel Cain
Much like brakence, Ethel Cain has completely nailed a cohesive sound on this record. I just can’t get over the gorgeously haunting tone of this entire record. The reverb-soaked, gradual rock instrumentation tied with Cain’s cello-like vocals make Preacher’s Daughter feel like a fuzzy call from the afterlife.
It has some of the rawest performances that I’ve heard this year. And while the ‘stretched’ nature of each song can drag certain tracks along a little bit, this album reaches some of the most exhilarating highs of this year when those crescendos hit.
American Teenager is the most straightforward, single-worthy track on here, but because it had a tighter focus on brevity and catchiness from the outset, it was able to maintain the morose, plaintive vibe while also being extremely catchy and resonating at the same time. Other singles like Gibson Girl and Strangers had very similar effects too, providing a welcome check-in between the more protracted meditations offered by the deep cuts.
29. And In The Darkness, Hearts Aglow — Weyes Blood
Another dose of wonderful ethereal pop nostalgia from the best artist to ever produce such a thing. Weyes Blood made my favourite album of 2019 in Titanic Rising, which is now widely considered to be one of the best album of the 2010s — so there was a lot of hype to live up to on her following release.
The good news is, AITDHA is a really very bloody good follow-up. The unsurprising news is that it doesn’t quite hit the heights of its predecessor. All the same, I believe that if some of the tracks in this record’s first half were added to Titanic Rising, the merged album would probably be the best double album of this century.
Lead single It’s Not Just Me, It’s Everybody and the following few tracks are absolutely fucking divine. Just like their Titanic Rising cousins, they inspire; they uplift; they evoke. Mering is a sorcerer, and we’re all under her spell.
28. Mr Morale and the Big Steppers — Kendrick Lamar
Lol, speaking of hype — Kendrick’s first album in five years was potentially the most anticipated album of the year. And it didn’t disappoint.
While I’m a true TPAB-lover, I’ve always been confident that King Kenny’s talent would shine through on any soundscape. DAMN. proved such a thing, despite me not enjoying it as much as Good Kid or TPAB, and Mr Morale followed in similar footsteps. Some of his greatest songs ever feature throughout it, and while I’m not as enamoured by the whole package, it has a magisterial grasp on making a powerful, resonating statement (admission) that fans have wanted him to make for years: he isn’t the answer to the world’s problems, as much as we all want him to be.
Tracks 1–3 make up one of the best openings to a record KDot has ever committed, and instant classics like Father Time and the bewildering We Cry Together contribute to an insanely good Part I. Part II contains slightly fewer considerable moments for me, but opener Count Me Out and closing tracks Mr. Morale and Mother I Sober are equally mindblowing.
This is another stupendous effort from one of the best to ever do it. It deserves your attention.
27. Ice, Death, Planets, Lungs, Mushrooms and Lava — King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard
The band’s second album of 2022 (and first of three albums in October 2022) encapsulates their current status better than anything.
Solidly in their jam phase, Gizz seem to have stumbled upon a brand-new way to pump out a plethora of recorded music. Start with a simple concept with maybe a couple of parameters, and just…see what happens.
The beauty is, since this brief involves the best psychedelic rock musicians of the 21st Century, what ‘happens’ is fucking golden every damn time. Specifically, each of the songs here were created almost completely out of thin air — with just a musical key, tempo and song title to riff on. Lyrics were added afterwards, and this was the result. These people are not human.
26. The Family — BROCKHAMPTON
The former of a one-two swansong from one of the best hip-hop collectives/boybands ever is two important things: 1) an Endless-style ‘get out of label clause’ release, and 2) solely fronted by lead member Kevin Abstract. But compared to the official final album from the boys, TM, The Family actually takes the cake.
It’s not too polished or cohesive a project (likely because of Thing no.1 above) — it’s more of a passion project. But it is an emotional and poignant farewell/love letter to a beloved group of which Abstract was arguably the spearhead.
His fellow members are his friends — and when you’re tasked with making music, touring, preserving a brand image with so many stakeholders and dealing with very eager (and sometimes toxic) fans, things can easily take a hostile turn. Kevin documents this in the best way he knows how: by letting his talent flourish and letting his heart out in a raw and honest reconciliation with the boys, with us, and with himself.
25. The Unfolding — Hannah Peel and Paraorchestra
Electronic & ambient maestro Hannah Peel enlisted Paraorchestra, the world’s first orchestral ensemble made up entirely of disabled musicians, to help create The Unfolding — a fascinating soundtrack to the forces at play that make everything work.
The pairing guide us through multiple scientific phenomena — large, small, quiet, intense, active or passive — audially describing how they interact, clash and merge to cause the organised chaos we experience every day. It touches upon nature, space, biology, humanity, and the many more facets of science, in something that’s akin to a modern take on Holst’s The Planets.
Find your favourite sci-fi book and kick back to this for an hour — you’ll feel more immersed than an astronaut.
24. King’s Disease III — Nas
The goat just can’t stop with the fire bending. Legit, this album is just engulfed in perpetual flame, burning bright for all to see, signalling the universal truth that the illustrious Nas is still on top of a game that only a handful of people in hip-hop know how to play.
The expert poetry, innate knack for a memorable and recitable hook, the omniscient guidance and perspectives he has on tap — all of it concoct a concrete-thick declaration of excellence and unparalleled skill.
It’s the third collaborative album with desperately sought-after beatmaker Hit-Boy, and once again the production is grand, resplendent and tailor-made for a King. Nas is a monarch I’d swear fealty to at the drop of a crown.
23. Cave World — Viagra Boys
The most eccentric bois in post punk returned this year with another blistering satire of anything and everything and all in-between.
Cave World is full of wacky vocals and blown-out guitar and drums, turning every concept they tackle into an unhinged rant that accurately reflects the absurdity of modern society, all the way from populist conspiracy theories to crypto-bro libertarian Capitalism. And habitually for Viagra Boys, there are a few shitposts along the way too (see: I Ain’t No Thief).
Lead singer Sebastian Murphy is as expressive and manic as ever, holding all the zaniness together with his incredulous diatribes and cutting commentary too.
22. RENAISSANCE — Beyoncé
I really enjoyed RENAISSANCE on my first couple of listens when it came out, but for reasons I’m not clear on why, I kind of forgot it existed for months. So you can imagine my abject annoyance when I revisited it fairly recently to learn that it fucking bangs. My GOD I could have spent so many more months screaming along to this goddamn thing.
The seamless flow between tracks is usually a fairly easy producer gimmick, but on RENAISSANCE there is a very careful consideration towards blending each end and beginning to feel like an expertly-curated mix — so there’s not a shoehorned transition or jarring vibe juxtaposition in sight.
It felt like a suitable era of music for Bey to explore next, and she executed it with the unwavering excellence she has exuded for decades at this point.
21. Gemini Rights — Steve Lacy
The suave superstar that is Steve Lacy may have blown up in the Gen Zedder TikTok scene, but crucially in a faction of it that cares more for his craft than the mainstream crowd might.
Gemini Rights is this year’s Heaven To A Tortured Mind. It’s an excellent advertisement for what you can still do with an electric guitar, in a way that makes it fresh, unique and relevant in a music scene that has finally started adopting its potential again. And it’s not some technically-verbose, cerebral style at all — just an innate feel for melody and groove.
I absolutely adored the singles from this record — Mercury and Sunshine in particular —and the tracklist brings a huge amount of variety too. Lacy evokes a wide range of sounds from all over the Americas on this album, bringing on appropriate features and investing a lot of effort into doing various genres a worthwhile service. Which makes me all the happier that a huge crowd of aspiring musicians are sticking to this man like glue.
Bad Habit. Okay I’ve said it now pls leave me alone!!!!
20. Cheat Codes — Black Thought & Danger Mouse
I feel like Black Thought has been at the top of his game for his entire decades-long career. There is literally no sign of him ever stopping, or even waning just a little teeny bit. His unrivalled wordplay tumbles forth just so naturally and mathematically, without for one second breaching ‘lyrical miracle’ territory. He is consistently teaching, advising, recounting and narrating in the wisest way possible.
Cheat Codes all of a sudden makes complete sense for him. He’s unlocked something the other rappers can’t access. And all across this record he flaunts that fact, relaying the roots (😉) of hip-hop and boom-bap spitting to the masses.
And oh my god, he’s only finally got Danger Mouse to collaborate with him. Yes, legendary producer of classics like Demon Days and Gnarls Barkley and adored name in both the hip-hop and rock scenes, laid the stunning groundwork for this entire record. The beats are crisp, grand, funky and elegant all at once, and they provide the perfect setting for Black Thought and features to say their piece.
19. NO THANK YOU — Little Simz
December’s ‘surprise release that sends Top Album rankers into a panic’ this year was the formidable Little Simz’ NO THANK YOU. A follow-up to her spellbinding, award-winning Sometimes I Might Be Introvert, this one sees her wind it back a notch and turn from speaking from the head to speaking from the heart.
I’m still processing this record if I’m being truthful, but it once again has Inflo’s trademark gorgeous, grand instrumentation and beautiful choral vocals that he also shares with secretive group Sault. It once again has Simz spitting some of the most wonderful poetry about introspective and crucial topics alike, speaking truth after truth as she goes. And it once again evokes such a warm and moving feeling that helps us connect with her soul like an old friend.
Simbi does it again, basically. What a woman. Love.
18. Meridian Brothers & El Grupo Renacimiento — Meridian Brothers
The enigmatic Colombian renegades of salsa released one of their most forward-thinking and experimental pieces yet with their partially self-titled album from 2022.
It features the classic Latin instrumentation that we all know and love, but twisted into grooves and concepts that feel alien to us in the odd, unique sonic context that Meridian Brothers often wriggle about in. With left-turns and surprises dotted throughout, a great grasp on original soundscapes and some very intriguing topical matter, this just feels like a breath of fresh air in a genre I adore, but also retains a firm gratitude to its influences.
P.S. I fucking swear they’re doing some sort of ‘passing train’ thing with Bomba Atómica. So weird, I love it.
17. God Save The Animals — Alex G
A truly independent creator, Alex G goes wherever his waywardly inspired mind takes him — and passionately so. GSTA dips its toe in, like…anything. Straight up indie folk here, autotuned Kraftwerk worship there, country above and emo below.
It leads to a very messy record, but provided you go in expecting that you absolutely get what you want. Alex’s distinctive energy pushes on with each experiment, and shines through on the sounds we’re more familar with. Runner, for example, is one of the best lead singles of the year, and not because of how wildly original it is or anything — it’s just an evocative, ardent and feverish assertion through a relatively simple acoustic rock lens.
And while he takes interesting detours towards more enigmatic places, it’s those tracks that strike me the most. Miracles is an utterly gorgeous folkycountry song with the most lovely melodies throughout, and closer Forgive follows the theme as he slowly brings us to a halt on his wild ride. Thank you, Alex. I had fun.
16. MOTOMAMI — Rosalía
Rosalía returned in 2022 with a goddamn excellent multi-genre, multicultural club album in MOTOMAMI. With as keen an influence from dancehall and reggaeton (see: CANDY — which has an awesome Burial interpolation) as it has from Rosalía’s Latin Pop/electronic fusion wheelhouse (see: BULERÍAS), the album stops at various destinations while still retaining a strong theme of just…doing them all very fucking well.
Whether it’s the juxtaposed ballad of H*NTAI (just watch her Genius interview about it lol), or the fun, viral dance track BIZCOCHITO, Rosalía morphs her approach, tone and energy to display an innately diverse set of songs.
The tracks aren’t held together by much stylistic consistency, save for the similar synth sounds that seem to run throughout the tracklist, but the one thing that is absolutely true in everything you hear on MOTOMAMI is, of course, her voice. One of the strongest, most astonishing singing voices in all of popular music. You could turn off literally every other stem and just leave her on a capella, and some part of me thinks you’ll be equally as impressed without all the accompanying instrumentation. This woman is an angel, not even in disguise.
15. Raw Data Feel — Everything Everything
The electronic indie darlings are up to their odd bloody tricks again, and returning to form for the first time in a few years too. This time, they’ve enlisted a good ol’ friend called Arty Intel to help put their songs together, and it’s led to some unsurprisingly kooky results.
Whether it’s Kevin’s car, the pizza boy, or any other recurring character or concept, Mr Intel really pushed for some specific lyrical themes on this one, and it seems Everything Everything just went with it. I mean…why not🤷
What’s even better, though, is that this funny process has led to some of EE’s best songs ever, and Raw Data Feel to be one of the band’s most captivating records to date. With the absolutely gorgeous cuts Teletype, Leviathan and Jennifer, or the left-field synthy barking that can be defined as either Cut UP! or Bad Friday, the group fits in an immense amount of multi-faceted material into relatively conventional runtimes.
They pull you in, wind you up, and let you go into the night, limbs flailing in time to the clever computer music. Brava, Higgs & co.
14. Once Twice Melody — Beach House
Famously ‘microdosing’ this album to us over the course of four months at the beginning of this year, Beach House rolled Once Twice Melody out in a way that has defined how we listen to it to this day, regardless of its apparent fluidity as a full package. So I’ll be unofficially splitting this album into four parts in order of their initial monthly release:
Part I: Imo the best of the four, Beach House are arguably at their best in years with the first four tracks. It features my favourite two of the whole album— Superstar, a belter of a track with a magnificent synthy crescendo (who does those better than BH?), and Pink Funeral, an uplifting anthem with absolutely stellar production and songwriting.
Part II: As the second best serving, Part II delivers on almost everything its predecessor does. It has a better ending too, with two cracking songs New Romance and Over and Over to close the section off in truly epic proportions. Incroyable.
Part III: Funnily enough, this is my third favourite part of OTM. Sunset / Only You Know / Illusion of Forever all deliver on Beach House’s trademark ethereal, mystic, glossy sonic glory. Song structures and pacing are on point, with some euphoric highs and gentle, caressing lows. Just another wonderful product from the cutesome twosome.
Part IV: Uhh…I can’t say I’ve listened to this one a whole lot. I certainly gave it a go, but this part never really won me over. So I just instead the album ends after Part III and treat the three sections like a glorious hour of material. Soz if you’re a fan, but…strike me down if you must :)
13. Aethiopes — billy woods
I’m going to keep going on about overall tone in this ranking, because I think so many records this year have nailed a consistently strong theme to their sound this year. billy woods’ Aethiopes also does this and much more, with such an unsettling and unsteady vibe hammering at you in sonic, verbal and lyrical formats.
This record is meant to make us squirm, which is absolutely the appropriate state to be in given the messages Woods projects for the duration. In a similar vein to his abstract hip-hop fellow Cities Aviv, he drawls a set of hazy and intangible bars, focusing less on exposition and more on painting a blurred, unintelligible image for us to eventually realise ourselves.
But it’s not just Woods’ words that depict this. Beatmaker extraordinaire Preservation handled the intimidating production on Aethiopes — achieving the same vision exactly with dissonant, confusing and disorientating instruments throwing themselves at you from all directions, keeping you on your toes and your heart rate consistently above 90.
You come away with such a unique feeling after listening to this one — like you need a wash. Am I selling this well? Well I should fuckin hope so, because it’s insanely good.
12. Trouble The Water — Show Me The Body
This gruesomely awesome and awesomely gruesome record from Show Me The Body has some fucking impeccable pacing. Goodness gracious, the builds and releases that take place across multiple songs on its tracklist make Julian’s gruff, shouted vocals hit that much harder when the drop comes.
As with many post-hardcore records, this one dives deep into our collective bewilderment at the world at large: war, poverty, global heating and discrimination to name but a few. And to tell these stories, the band applies a range of grimey musical tools to do so, whether it’s dirty synths, distorted drones or dissonant guitar shredding. Julian’s vocals tear through the musical canvas repeatedly, punching out at the world like a rabid dog that’s been turned manic by the incessant downpour of shit older generations have upended upon us.
This record is just an angry, vicious lash out at the irredeemable institution that’s gradually closing in to suffocate every ambition we dare have. And yes, that means it’s worth your goddamn time.
11. Nymph — Shygirl
Shygirl is an undeniable expert at creating things that get the blood pumping. Her sound is dark, glossy and sexy — it flirts with alternative RnB and UK hip-hop, it’s backed by atmospheric, nocturnal instrumentation and it consistently explores sexuality and queerness in the most inviting way possible.
The singer, producer and DJ from South East London (represent) channels the graceful and the seductive in completely equal parts. Her voice floats around your head, radiating messages of temptation and letting you absorb every word of it until you’re completely consumed by desire. The production often achieves the same, with whispered synths and ethereal atmospherics complimenting her delicate voice and constructing a formidable wall of delight.
Occasionally the mood turns more forthright, with Shygirl fully taking charge and commanding the subjects of her verses to adhere to her bidding. And at other periods she simply sits back and, deservedly so, lets them do all the work.
I’m running out of words to describe what this album does to me, but I think you get the gist. Just a final word: Firefly, Coochie (a bedtime story) and Poison are some of the best songs of the year.
10. I Didn’t Mean To Haunt You — Quadeca
This dude’s artistic progression looks like the first half of a bell curve. It literally defines exponential. It seems like only three years ago that he was on his rippity-rap, lyrical myrical YouTube hip-hop shit…and that’s because that was genuinely only three years ago. Compared to THIS, that is a mindblowing amount of development, and I’m extremely glad to welcome Quadeca into the weird music nerd circlejerk.
And oh, did I forget to mention? This album was written, performed, produced, mixed and engineered entirely by this man. All by himself. He had some help on mastering with Christian Wright and some songs see excellent features from the likes of Danny Brown, The Sunday Service Choir and Swans’ Thor Harris. But that’s basically it — everything else you hear was painstakingly crafted by a very passionate (and likely very stressed) Quadeca.
A concept album written from the perspective of a ghost stuck in limbo, still witnessing the events of his family and friends’ lives, Quadeca worldbuilds a murky, glitchy setting that only a ghost could manifest out of the ether. He relies heavily on folktronica to depict this, conjuring a delicate, wispy flavour with the resulting coagulation.
On IDMTHY, Quadeca proves he has mastered the art of building and then satiating our tension. Layer after layer of beautifully-harmonised synths and vocalisations build up to the most stunning crescendos, perfectly conveying the frustration his spectral self feels trying to ascertain his tangibility once more.
9. Diaspora Problems — Soul Glo
YES YES YES YES YES YES YES. Oh my FUCK get this shit on right now and render yourself unconscious to a lyrical pummelling. Shit fuck this is sick. Soul Glo is making hardcore cool again, and frontman Pierce Jordan must have lungs the size of a goddamn elephant’s because this man can p r o j e c t…and s c r e a m…at ✨l e n g t h✨.
All I hope is that this album becomes a catalyst for more people to deconstruct this society in the same way that Soul Glo does. What a satisfying exorcism this must be for the band members every time they perform. It’s the ultimate release of pent-up anger at this shit fucking situation that idiotic billionaires, hivemind companies and racist institutions are forcing upon us — and in particular the evident disproportionate impact it has towards marginalised communities.
If you want inspiration to find your voice and join the ranks, Diaspora Problems is the album for you. You don’t want to mess with Soul Glo.
8. De todas las flores — Natalia Lafourcade
Natalia Lafourcade could write about gory, harrowing true-crime stories and her music would still sound prettier than most artists could ever dream to achieve.
De todas las flores is a sprawling, impulsive little creature that slips through your fingers as you try to nail it down, charmingly taunting you with wondrous folky and jazzy flourishes as it encourages you along a deep, dense, mystical alleyway into its dark and transcendent little world. An orchestraful of instruments take turns to flutter in your ear, refuelling the footpath of flora as you journey down, and accompanying you on your venture to the unknown. And Natalia is with you, holding your arm the entire way, skipping along, whispering sweet nothings and assuring you of the beauty that lies beyond.
It’s truly a preternatural sensation. Just shut your eyes and let this wonderful piece of music take you where you need to go.
7. Hellfire — black midi
These boys just can’t stop with the prog rock crack, can they? If they could just remain my exclusive dealer of eccentric, disorientatingly-fast, unanticipatable music for ever and ever then I’ll never have to leave the sofa ever again. This is quite possibly the best batch of songs the group has produced yet, too — and while I strongly feel the singles are the best of the bunch, the deep cuts are just as wild and discombobulating.
With potentially the best opening sequence to an album in 2022, Hellfire starts with a brief palette cleanser, then throws a deathly three-punch combo with Sugar/Tzu, Eat Men Eat and Welcome To Hell, all in a row. What a goddamn way to establish yourself on your latest artpiece.
We’re then treated to a blissful comedown in the shape of Still and Half Time, and the sesh then just starts right up again with The Race Is About To Begin. Greep is not fucking human, man — I don’t believe a normal person can say that many random words together without a breath and live to tell the tale. Anyway, the album then manoeuvres you to a steady but still eventful close with the final three tracks.
But by no means whatsoever have you forgotten the fucking BONKERS ride that they just took you on. Each member of the band is on fucking fire on this one, with stupendously quick polyrhythmic bass, guitar and drums (especially drums) flying at you relentlessly from all angles until you can’t help but succumb to the flames. Seriously…what the fuck, guys.
6. God’s Country — Chat Pile
I’m writing this review of Chat Pile’s God’s Country while cowering and trembling in a dark corner of my room, because these men have just shown me exactly what mania must feel like.
I, Max Beckett — the Max Beckett who ranked Lingua Ignota’s SINNER GET READY as his favourite album of 2021 — have never heard an album that has disturbed me as much as this one. There are far heavier, far more gruesome and far more explicit albums out there, but the feeling that Busch & co. elicit on God’s Country is one of pure fear and helplessness. And that’s far scarier than a horror show.
From the demented Slaughterhouse, to the ominous Pamela, to the unhinged (and based) Why, to the absolutely petrifying closer (yet…hilarious?) grimace_smoking_weed.jpg, all Chat Pile care about on this album is getting beneath your skin and leaking the most putrid disease known to humanity. It sullies you with unadulterated paranoia until you are rendered unrecognisable, where all that’s left is a brittle, fractured outline of a creature that once was you. So much fun!!! 😊
5. PRE PLEASURE — Julia Jacklin
There’s no obscure genre or weird gimmick to this one like there seemingly appears to be in the albums surrounding it (shows me up a bit but we move lol). The latest album from Julia Jacklin is just an absolutely delightful crop of extremely well-written and memorable songs.
Her gorgeous lyrics are just gorgeously-phrased versions of the takes and concepts that you might find in many other indie rock darling’s songs. But these ones are just gorgeouser. Whether it’s about being frustrated in love, flings with religion, looking out for a friend, Moviegoers or parental struggles, the themes on this album are all themes you might find elsewhere. But Jacklin goes several steps further, armed with witty perspectives and profound soundbites that make listening to these subjects fresh and innovative all the same.
There seems to be three apparent ‘parts’ to PRE PLEASURE:
- The first four tracks, the singles, are arguably once again the strongest collection of the lot (no wonder Jacklin couldn’t wait to bloody share them with us). I’ve sang along to these ditties, eyes clenched shut, more times than I can count this year — and Spotify certainly noticed because my Wrapped was dominated by them.
- The next four take the tempo down a notch for quite some time. After the euphoric ride of the first batch, Jacklin about-turns and drip-feeds slower, more mellow cuts that set us adrift in our own heads.
- And the final two tracks, though especially Be Careful With Yourself, expertly meld the above two vibes together — leading to a moving, inspirational ending that leaves you feeling all warm and fuzzy — and goddamn ready to play the album all over again.
4. Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe In You — Big Thief
There’s nothing better than a bunch of close friends having fun. Big Thief’s latest release is them at their most carefree, experimental and joyous — and that feeling radiates from the record as strongly as they likely felt while making it.
Recorded in four different sessions in four different studios in four different areas of the States, Dragon New Warm Mountain…is a rich, extensive, plentiful assemblage of utterly tremendous folky, country and indie rock tunes. The enthusiasm and passion brimming from every song on this album is an absolute joy to behold, and it can’t help but put a wide beam upon your face. This more laissez-faire attitude helps lead songwriter Adrienne Lenker — who is already one of the best songwriters on the planet — rip away any trace of perfectionism that she might usually inhibit, completely liberating her process and injecting even more jubilation into each cut.
It’s rare for me to enjoy an album that doesn’t expect you to listen equally as deeply to every track. On this, Big Thief might as well be saying “We’ve just had a bunch of fun. Here’s the result of that — listen to whatever you wish.” It’s the perfect way to tackle a project as large and varied as this, and means you can connect that much more with the songs you resonate with the most. My god it’s wonderful.
My personally adored collection includes the songs Change, Time Escaping, Spud Infinity, Certainty, Dragon New Warm Mountain…, Red Moon, No Reason, Promise Is a Pendulum, 12,000 Lines, Simulation Swarm, The Only Place and Blue Lightning. Essentially, an album length assortment of some of my favourite songs of this decade so far. What a treat.
3. The Ruby Chord — Richard Dawson
The humble bard from Geordieland returns with a fitting concept set in the far (or maybe not so far) future depicting a feral-again human civilisation reeling from societal obliteration. It’s the third of three albums released over the last five years that have told human stories from the past (Peasant), present (2020) and future (The Ruby Chord) of our Anthropocene.
Now. We can’t get any further without talking about The Hermit; Dawson’s forty-minute, multi-part, poetic epic (opus?) that takes up the first half of the album’s duration. Goodness me, what a state of the dystopian nation this is — if it was a standalone album release it would be in my top ten just on its own merit. The Hermit has prose that flows with effortless rhythm — regardless of whether you listen to it with music or read it verse-by-verse without. It has Dawson’s trademark sparse, crunchy, intuitive guitar lines. And of course, it has a wonderful layer of medieval, folky, orchestral cloud to gently sway us along the many passages this song navigates.
And thankfully so, the six songs that follow take you on some equally poignant, exciting, evocative and sorrowful passages too. Whether it’s the bombastic and dissonant ride that is The Fool, the melodic and marching Museum or the utterly GORGEOUS closer, Horse and Rider, Dawson’s second helping is just as glorious as his first. It took just three listens to become my third favourite album of the year, and it’s stayed there ever since.
2. Ants From Up There — Black Country, New Road
Told you.
Back in my Best Albums of 2021 piece when I said BCNR’s debut release For the first time was the 7th-best record of the year, I and many others knew the band had something bigger coming right around the corner. And in February of 2022 they proved just that, with the unreservedly colossal Ants From Up There.
This album has achieved a level of status that no other album of the 2020s has so far — and for excellent reason. On Ants From Up There, we get to witness what happens when some of the most talented musicians in a generation come together to craft an opus. The result? An album that people will be talking about for decades — one that, partially due to frontman Isaac Wood’s unfortunate departure from the band a matter of days before its release — will be immortalised in the indiesphere to the scale of Neutral Milk Hotel’s In The Aeroplane Over The Sea.
The sheer emotional euphoria they induce with every crescendo, every progression and every climax is astonishing. They have conquered the art of tension and release so convincingly that you’d think they’re the first people to ever attempt it. And because of course they did, the band recorded almost every part of the album live together — which means the monumental scale you hear is purely down to the people involved at that particular moment in time. No several extra layers of weight to make it grander, no bells and whistles. And they still did this? Madness.
Concorde, Haldern, The Place Where He Inserted The Blade, Snow Globes and Basketball Shoes (fucking BASKETBALL SHOES!!!! We finally got it peeps!!!!) are all worthy of a commanding spot in the Louvre. It’s honestly Michelangelo for music nerds it’s so fucking good. My GOD — listen to this most marvellous creation. You will be categorically blown away by what these folks have done.
1. Warm Chris — Aldous Harding
All of that power, and yet here we are. Yes, Aldous Harding’s Warm Chris is the best album of 2022. In my opinion, anyway.
I’ve been a huge fan of Aldous’ understated folk music for years — especially her 2019 record Designer, which by all accounts would appear right towards the top of my 50 Best Albums of the 2010s piece, had I not properly gotten into it until early 2020 after I’d published the damn thing. Designer has stuck to me like superglue since that time, and I’ve relied on it for serotonin dozens of times over the years.
So when her follow-up album arrived in 2022, I went through the usual motions of listening to a new release from one of my all-time favourites: huge anticipation >> initial disenchantment >> a gradual and perpetual growth of love and appreciation. And while this doesn’t sound like a description I should be applying to my favourite album of an entire year, I think it speaks to the more underlying power of her music — its impossibility to shrug off.
In the weeks following my first listen of Warm Chris, I didn’t really go back to it at all. I’d listened to it while I was working and, in all honesty, had felt slightly underwhelmed — it’s about as meditative as Designer was, and that just took me a while to start fully engaging with. But I didn’t forget it…and I think that’s the influence Aldous has. In those weeks, I kept feeling this subtle, yet constant encouragement to give it another go — its aftertaste had obviously sweetened, and my brain kept prodding me for another hit.
So I did give it another chance, and my god am I glad I did. Everything unfurled in front of me the second time, and has continued to do so in the twenty-or-so times I’ve listened to it since. As it turns out, it was all obvious from the outset:
- Her knack for compelling melodies that tumble notes on top of you like a magical glockenspiel
- Her astounding wordplay, which famously scraps any actual sense or lexical cohesion, and purely focuses on the sound, inflection and cadence of the words she uses to support the above melodies as much as possible
- Her chameleonic voice — particularly on Warm Chris — that morphs into a completely unique character for each song on this thing. It’s such an added embellishment that is just more peculiarly impressive than it is essential
- Her soft, delicate, acoustic instrumental palette, which tonally matches the low-key delivery perfectly
And then there are songs like Staring at the Henry Moore, Ennui and Passion Babe — some of the most beautiful songs I’ve ever heard — that meld all of these unique traits into one gigantic treasure trove of endorphins.
This record’s position amongst all of 2022’s greats might be driven by more personal taste than I’d usually account for. But I truly believe Aldous Harding is one of the most underrated artists of the last ten years, and I couldn’t think of a better way to reflect her unwavering aptitude for manipulating your heartstrings than by awarding Warm Chris the highly deserved Best Album of 2022.
Honourable Mentions…
SOS – SZA
Get Fucked — The Chats
Blind — Jameszoo
Hostile — Ashenspire
Home, before and after — Regina Spektor
Hiss — Wormrot
Being Funny In A Foreign Language — The 1975
The Forever Story — JID
God Don’t Make Mistakes — Conway the Machine
Free LSD — OFF!
Fossora — Björk
Darklife- death’s dynamic shroud
i don’t know who needs to hear this… — Tomberlin
Life is Yours — Foals (n.b. To future Max this is mumber one)
All that has Never been True – Ultha
Glitch Princess — yeule
AURORA — The Gods We Can Touch
Pompeii — Cate Le Bon
Time Skiffs — Animal Collective
The Long Road North — Cult Of Luna
Tissues — Pan Daijing
MAN PLAYS THE HORN — Cities Aviv
Daughter — Raum
Classic Objects — Jenny Hval
Close — Messa
Electricity — Ibibio Sound Machine
Wet Leg — Wet Leg
MAHAL — Toro y Moi
Jazz Codes — Moor Mother
THEIR MONEY IS YOUR MONEY — 1 800 PAIN
