2022 Albums Of The Year

2022 is just about done and with that comes the annual onslaught of "year-end" lists. This year proved pretty impressive for new releases and saw what felt like just as many seasoned professionals returning to form as it did up-and-coming debuts. As time went on, this list grew and grew and what started out as a top 10 quickly turned into a top 30 with potential to become even longer.

Before getting into the heart of the matter, here is a running list of honorable mentions in no particular order.

God’s Country - chat pile

Skinty Fia - Fontaines D.C.

A Modern Life - Lo Moon

CAPRISONGS - FKA Twigs

S/T - Wet Leg

Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe In You - Big Thief

Household Name - Momma

Preacher’s Daughter - Ethel Cain

Laurel Hell - Mitski

Topical Dancer - Charlotte Adigéry, Bolis Pupul

CRASH - Charli XCX

Hellfire - Black Midi

Arkhon - Zola Jesus A Light For Attracting Attention - The Smile

PAINLESS - Nilüfer Yanya

Blue Rev - Alvvays

Diaspora Problems - Soul Glo

LIFE ON EARTH - Hurray For The Riff Raff

Asphalt Meadows - Death Cab For Cutie

The Forever Story - Jid

And here are the ten best albums of 2022.

10. God Save The Animals - Alex G

Following up on 2019’s House Of Sugar, Alex Giannascoli has fully embraced a new level of maturity while still remaining sonically playful. Although this is his most elegantly produced album to date, it still maintains the same level of kitsch and whimsy that cycles throughout the rest of his discography. The album grapples with themes such as faith, freedom and other religious overtones. God Save The Animals doesn't hold up as much as House of Sugar does for me personally but if Alex G continues to grow and expand his sound as much as he has recently, he will only get bigger and bigger.

Standout tracks:

Runner

S.D.O.S

Cross The Sea

9. Squeeze - SASAMI

Former Cherry Glazerr member, Sasami, said that with Squeeze she wanted to produce an album that was full of the sounds and themes that were most often thought of as a white man’s domain. Thrashing, heavy metal riffs integrate with the softer side of Sasami’s vocals but the chaotic energy is entirely her own design. To really get the full force of this album, you need to catch a Sasami live show. Once you see her intoxicating stage presence and almost uncanny ability to command a crowd, the messages of Squeeze will begin to hold more weight.

Standout tracks:

Skin A Rat

Sorry Entertainer

Call Me Home

8. Dance Fever - Florence & the Machine

What many have considered a return to form for the UK-based band, Dance Fever combines everything you love about a Florence + the Machine album with a newfound sense of maturity. This was my all time favorite band for years so I always have to recognize my bias and go into their new releases with an air of detachment. There are elements of this album I don’t like such as the interludes and some of her more literal lyrics but it has managed to grow on me a ton since it came out back in May.

The central theme of the album surrounds the Dancing Plague of 1518, a mysterious occurrence that saw hundreds of seemingly healthy individuals momentarily caught up in fits of extreme dancing that resulted in exhaustion. While deep in the trenches of a COVID-induced isolation, lead singer Florence Welch drew inspiration from this unsolved phenomena and turned it into the idea of a cathartic release. Similar to 2015’s How Big How Blue How Beautiful, Dance Fever is coherent and sharp with themes of loneliness, longing and magic running throughout. It’s just as personal as it is universal.

Standout tracks:

Cassandra

The Bomb

Choreomania

7. Barbara - Barrie

After the five-piece iteration of the group disbanded, singer-songwriter Barrie Lindsay returned, reintroduced Barrie as a solo project and released Barbara, an echoey upbeat story of love, loss and raw emotion. The songs are danceable while still being introspective and feature incredibly strong and consistent production. Certain songs, such as the opening track “Jersey,” will get stuck in your head for days but that is far from a bad thing. The perfect soundtrack to flowery spring days, the sounds of Barbara will linger with you long after the album is finished and leave you returning again and again.

Standout tracks:

Jenny

Harp 2

Frankie

6. Please Have A Seat - NNAMDÏ

Nnamdi Ogbonnaya’s 2020 release, BRAT, was my album of the year when it came out so my expectations were pretty high for his latest project. Please Have A Seat stands as one of the Sooper Records co-founder’s most coherent albums, combining the same elements of quirkiness that makes him stand out simultaneously as a musician and as a pillar in the Chicago music scene. The stretch towards the beginning of the album from the bouncing “Touchdown” to the more slowed down “Anti” has proven to be some of Ogbonnaya’s strongest songwriting to date. The album blends together flawlessly making it all feel like one big loop and continues with the tradition of combining a multitude of musical styles and influences from rap to math rock. Six albums deep, Ogbonnaya still isn’t afraid to experiment and have fun and it’s always a pleasure to be on that journey with him.

Standout tracks:

Dibs

Grounded

Dedication

5. Pompeii - Cate Le Bon

This one shocked me. Despite floating in the same musical circles, Cate Le Bon was an artist who has always eluded me and remained out of the realm of my usual listening. I don’t even remember why I first picked up Pompeii but I was immediately hooked. It’s whimsical and quirky with Le Bon’s incredibly impressive vocal range on full display. I had the pleasure of catching two shows from her latest tour and each one cemented more and more that this is perhaps her strongest album. “Moderation” is one of the best songs of the year in my opinion, the title track is deliciously haunting with an infectious hook and “Cry Me Old Trouble” circles around you in an almost hypnotizing spiral. Pompeii is psychedelic and lush and I can’t wait to continue carrying it with me into the new year.

Standout tracks:

Moderation

Remembering Me

French Boys

4. Fear Of The Dawn - Jack White

2022 was my own personal year of Jack White. Obviously already aware of his inherent genius, I really managed to dig into his massive discography and spent a better part of this past year with his two newest releases, Fear of the Dawn and Entering Heaven Alive. Maybe because it came out first but Fear of the Dawn stood out to me and before I realized it, it was in my top five albums from the whole year. Jack White is the master of taking zero bullshit from anybody. He’s going to make the music he wants to make regardless of what anybody else thinks. While not necessarily critically acclaimed, this album is fun and lighthearted while also being just as raw as his previous projects. It only gets better with each listen.

Standout tracks:

What’s The Trick?

Eosophobia

Shedding My Velvet

3. Versions of Modern Performance - Horsegirl

I often joke that I’m a Horsegirl fan first and a human second. I lived in Chicago for six years and first discovered them back in early 2020 (their single "Sea Life Sandwich Boy" was my song of the year that year and still remains one of my favorite songs of all time). They quickly rose to the top of my radar and before I knew it they were my favorite local band. Horsegirl sounds like the coolest kids in your highschool bonded together over Sonic Youth deep cuts and decided to start a band. This is obviously a compliment. Versions of Modern Performance is their debut album and it follows a series of stand alone singles that helped propel them into the spotlight of Chicago’s teenage DIY scene. Buzzy guitar, homages to post-punk bands of yore and an obvious intelligence all hint at a promising future and their recent signing to indie-rock infamous Matador Records can't hurt either. I personally can't wait to watch it all continue to unfold.

Standout tracks:

Anti-Glory

Option 8

Billy

2. Ants From Up There - Black Country, New Road

The minute I heard this album I knew it would be high on this list. Ants From Up There is dark and overwhelming at times but also incredibly witty and oftentimes funny. The departure of lead singer Isaac Wood swiftly after its February release adds to the album’s lore and makes the sorrowful lyrics and sometimes overbearing instrumentations even more somber in hindsight. The dark overarching themes that run throughout make this an album that you aren’t going to necessarily throw on at a party with your friends but it is the perfect companion to late night existential crisis’ — and sometimes that’s all you need.

Standout tracks:

Concorde

The Place Where He Inserted The Blade

Good Will Hunting

1. Being Funny In A Foreign Language - The 1975

After being a pretty big 1975 fan since their debut album, they’ve remained a sort of guilty pleasure. Although 2020’s Notes On A Conditional Form fell somewhat flat, I remained cautiously curious when this latest project was announced. Being Funny In A Foreign Language is without a doubt the band’s most cohesive album to date. It combines the elements that make a 1975 record great including upbeat dance tracks placed against softer acoustic ballads, tongue-in-cheek lyrics and an almost uncanny ability to put previously unknown feelings into song. The opening track ends with the pleading “I’m sorry if you’re living / and you’re seventeen,” a lyric that would have absolutely demolished me as a teenager, the Bon Iver-esque autotuned “Part Of The Band” sees frontman Matty Healy taking digs at himself while still coming around full circle at the end, and the now TikTok-famous “About You” has quickly become the soundtrack to just about everybody's winter. Just like the name of their corresponding tour suggests, this is in fact The 1975 at their very best.

Standout Tracks:

The 1975

About You

Looking For Somebody To Love