My Top 10 Albums of 2022
in case you forgot i have taste
2022 is over.
Every year, we come to social media to post songs that no one listens to. We come to social media because our taste is a gift. We come to social media to teach the masses.
We come to Twitter and Instagram and post our favorite new music — because everyone is begging for it. We are doing God’s work by sharing our musical wisdom with the world. We are all very groundbreaking and very novel.
“🔥🔥🔥 new trackkkkk”
“this shit SLAPS”
“she is MOTHER”
Oy vey. I can't tell if it's more comforting or depressing to know that most people don’t give a fuck about what we do or say on the Internet.
Anyway. Here's my list for favorite albums of 2022.
#10 Nymph — Shygirl
With her debut album Nymph, Shygirl emerges as a true artist, delivering a sonic experience that is both innovative and accessible. From the pulsing minimalism of "Firefly" to the sultry R&B of "Shlut,” Nymph is an album that defies easy categorization, encompassing a wide range of genres and styles. But at its heart, it is a celebration of Shygirl's unique vision, a bold and unapologetic exploration of freedom, sexuality, and self-expression.
Throughout Nymph, Shygirl fearlessly unleashes a slew of club beats and BloodPop/Sega Bodega/Arca-infused tracks like "Woe" and "Shlut," ones that crackle with playful and subversive energy. Throughout, Nymph remains a symbiotic fusion of styles and influences, a definitive collection of songs that enhances and expands upon genre conventions and expectations.
Nymph is aptly named — this record is a bold celebration of freedom, sexuality, and self-expression. Her sound is an intoxicating mix of dark, driving beats, emotive melodies, and fierce rap verses, all tied together by her unique and unmistakable vocal style. With her lustful energy and unbridled creativity, Shygirl has created an album that gives no time for refractory periods or water breaks — you'll run dry long before she does.
#9 Blue Rev — Alvvays
I have to confess that I’ve been late to the party when it comes to Alvvays, which is quite surprising given my affinity for indie-rock. Although their sound is one I’m familiar with, Blue Rev was the driving force that eventually pulled me into the fold.
Alvvays' latest offering is an expansive and colorful exploration of the band's dream-power pop sound. From the opening track, "Pharmacist," we are immediately transported into their lush world of soaring harmonies and mile-high soundscapes. Lead singer Molly Rankin's signature alto vocals, paired with Alec O'Hanley's adept guitar skills, create a rich tapestry of sound that is both familiar and fresh.
On Blue Rev, Alvvays succeeds in recontextualizing established conventions, offering a captivating blend of dream-pop, indie-rock, and power-pop that succeeds in its creativity and expansivity. Rankin's stylistic lyricism and O'Hanley's dexterous guitar work combine to create a lush sonic landscape, punctuated by shimmering synths, jangly guitars, and grandiose crescendos that herald each track's chorus. In this way, Alvvays demonstrate their ability to craft a thrilling musical journey, all while maintaining an air of accessibility and creativity that breathes new life into the genre.
#8 Are You Happy Now? — Jensen McRae
The indie-folk genre has seen a significant shift in recent years towards a greater emphasis on female songwriters and musicians. This shift is evident in the success and recognition of artists like Phoebe Bridgers, Julien Baker, and Lucy Dacus — the de facto godsisters of the indie-folk scene. The latest addition to the female folk family is Jensen McRae, the 24-year-old Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter whose debut album, Are You Happy Now?, has, at the very least, earned her a seat at the metaphorical table of the fiercely competitive and oversaturated folk music world.
She has all the makings of a modern folk artist, with her brassy alto-powered vocals and stark, blues-inflected arrangements. But McRae’s distinct musical style navigates the tightrope between old-fashioned folk and the digital-age zoomer set with ease.
("Loving you is habit-forming,") she sings in "Starting to Get to You," a standout track that exemplifies her knack for exerting a physical, almost tangible presence with her music. On "Adams Ribs," she cleverly bemoans a lover through a biblical allusion to Adam’s rib-created companion ("So-called intelligent design/Without you, I would die). There’s a tenderness and vulnerability that runs throughout the album like a golden thread, and McRae beams with a mature confidence that elusively flirts between stoicism and fragility. With Are You Happy Now?, she's created one of the more memorable and impactful folk debuts in recent memory.
#7 God Save the Animals — Alex G
Alex Giannascoli's enigmatic and introspective discography has gained him well-deserved recognition in the music industry. His newest album, God Save the Animals, is a powerful testament to his masterful songwriting, touching on notions of moral responsibility, innocence, and the need to be seen.
The album is a study in contrasts. God Save the Animals paints a compelling picture of the push-and-pull between light and dark, the search for faith, and the dangers of self-doubt. An emotional odyssey of lush instrumentals, beguiling melodies, and introspective lyrics, this album is a mesmerizing exploration into the depths of faith and the power of compassion.
Giannascoli is a master of taking folk sensibilities, spinning them through hallucinogenic studio work, and extracting them as something entirely new and different. His aptitude for melding traditional song structure with contemporary production techniques creates an album that befits its inventive, genre-spanning nature, all the while staying true to the fundamentals of an impeccably crafted record.
#6 MOTOMAMI — Rosalía
As someone who doesn't speak a lick of Spanish (I'm going to blame my dearth of knowledge on a lack of language-learning neuroplasticity), I find Rosalía an artist whose work could only be experienced through feeling, never through a shared cultural understanding — at least for a hapless monolingual like me.
My lack of linguistic breadth aside, I am consistently blown away by the emotion and beauty of her music, her ability to move seamlessly through genres, and her unique take on centuries-old art forms. MOTOMAMI is a revelation: here, Rosalía appears to be a master of her own domain, crossing boundaries and fully in control of her capabilities.
On MOTOMAMI, Rosalía displays a seemingly effortless dexterity between a vast array of musical genres, from minimalist R&B to merengue, flamenco folk, Auto-Tuned Spanish rap, and futuristic trap. Throughout, she melds centuries-old tradition with contemporary vibrancy, creating a uniquely eclectic sound that is unparalleled in the current pop music landscape. Every track carries her signature fervor and enthusiasm, which makes MOTOMAMI an electrifying and captivating listening experience that cements her place among the highest echelons of global music.
#5 Acts of Service — Liam Benzvi
I think the best music induces an experience of suspended hindsight, a space to observe your own life from a more objective, reflective, and forgiving perspective. Liam Benzvi’s debut album, Acts of Service, does just that. It’s an album that captures the essence of love and longing with shimmering, gentle shoegaze. Brimming with beautifully crafted soundscapes, Benzvi gently nudges you into moments of love-torn reflection:
Remember him? You know — him. The guy who could engender safety and security with just a simple touch…while also causing confusion and uncertainty with his mercurial behavior. Despite the turmoil he could cause in your heart, you were inexplicably drawn to him and the intoxicating mix of emotions he elicited. The very thought of him was enough to leave you feeling both exhilarated and perplexed, a confusion that lingered long after he was gone.
You can still remember how it felt to be loved by him, how affirming it was to see him smile, and how he could make you high on oxytocin — or overdose on jealousy and insecurity. He’s a piece of you. A piece of who you are and a piece of what you've become.
As Benzvi's melodies weave through the air, they envelop us like a soothing touch of a lover, evoking a sense of nostalgia for past loves and the complex emotions they brought. ("Are you homesick, 'till you get home?") he sings on "Hard Feelings," capturing this sorrow exquisitely, depicting the struggles of trying to maintain a connection in the face of distance and the fear of losing someone you love. As the album journeys through its dreamy soundscapes, it encourages us to reflect on current and past relationships — both the good and the bad — and to consider what we can do to break free from our mistakes and chart a new course for the future. Ultimately, Benzvi's music gives us the courage to confront our fears and explore the depths of our own hearts, allowing us to find a way to heal and love more deeply.
#4 Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe In You — Big Thief
Big Thief is a band that consistently demonstrates a willingness to engage with complex and nuanced themes in their music — from the fragility of human relationships to the beauty and terror of the natural world. Adrianne Lenker is a master of the written word, her lyrics a veritable tapestry of introspection and philosophical inquiry that explore the nature of the human experience — her lyrics alone have earned her a reputation as one of the greatest musical poets of our time.
But that's just the lyrics. Musically, Big Thief is incredibly diverse — their sound is a mix of folk, indie, and rock, with a few experimental elements thrown in for good measure. They make use of unusual instrumentation, such as a mandolin or an upright bass, but never too much to overshadow the melodies and lyrics. Dragon is playful and ridiculous — they have an entire song dedicated to a potato — but it's precisely this lighthearted approach that makes Dragon such a unique and engaging album.
As an ode to optimism in the face of distress and surrender, Dragon Thief is akin to a surgeon's blade with its incisively exact melodies, one that cuts through the chaos with calm like the soothing, unpredictable motion of autumn leaves. The album serves as a reminder that, even in the face of annihilation, we can find solace in the boundless sublimity of the universe. Whatever the calamity, the promise of a new day is always within reach.
#3 Preacher’s Daughter — Ethel Cain
The world of Ethel Cain is an intoxicating one, and few artists are as skillful in constructing an album as compelling and ambitious as Preacher's Daughter. Marked by a unique blend of classic rock, ambient, country, Americana, and slowcore, the album is as much an exploration of sexuality, identity, love, and the complexity of the South as it is a powerful statement of faith and hope in the midst of darkness and despair. Conjuring her own experience of a strict religious upbringing and steeping it into her music, Ethel Cain has crafted a captivating tale that distills a powerful confluence of feelings into a singular, unifying experience.
In "American Teenager,” she takes the fist-pumping stench of teenage rebellion and renders it into a biting critique of the modern American dream. In "Strangers," we find Cain at her most vulnerable, as she details a situation that many of us can recognize: the feeling of being taken away from the safety of home, taken away from your own identity, and feeling out of control. But it's on "Gibson Girl" where Cain elevates herself as a pioneer of modern goth-rock as she masterfully explores the intersections of sexuality and violence.
Ethel Cain's Preacher's Daughter is a musical lament for the broken promises of the world, an echoing dirge that captures the despair of the Gen-Z experience. Her songs are at once a reflection of personal pain and a dark meditation on the human condition — each note a reminder of the fragility and beauty of life in a world that asks too much and offers too little. With its ambition, depth, and haunting soundscapes, Preacher's Daughter codifies Ethel Cain as the dark heart of a new-age Americana, where the ideals of the past are questioned and re-evaluated for a new generation.
#2 A Light for Attracting Attention — The Smile
It's no grand revelation that Radiohead is my favorite band. Their music has been my constant companion over the years, soundtracking life at every stage of my coming of age — OK Computer for the self-alienating solipsism of closeted midwestern adolescence, In Rainbows for the psychedelic rebirth of a newly out, newly empowered twenty-something, Kid A for the weary resignation of futile college disaffection, and A Moon Shaped Pool for the contented acceptance of a life that is somehow still unfolding. Yet, even a fan as devoted as I can still be taken aback by the sheer potency of Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood's latest collaboration, The Smile.
A Light For Attracting Attention employs a signature soundscape that amalgamates dark, atmospheric guitar and synth textures, delicate drum patterns, and Yorke's entrancing vocals, creating a sonic odyssey that is at once familiar yet wholly distinct. Their compositions are characterized by a subtle yet effective juxtaposition of dense and airy textures, a deft balance of tension and release, and a dynamic range of emotive moods. This capacity to constantly reinvent and expand the scope of their sound illuminates the duo's remarkable artistry.
The Smile's A Light for Attracting Attention is an illuminating exploration of the human condition, traversing various affective states from fear and anger to love, despair, and hope. For fans of Yorke and Greenwood, this album is a gift that celebrates feelings of alienation as a source of potency and growth rather than shames them. It is an arresting and extraordinary work from two of the most eminent musicians of our time, radiating with its own particular luminosity. As a Radiohead stan, I feel blessed to add another album to a life of angsty — but comforting — gay solitude.
#1 RENAISSANCE — Beyoncé
As we conclude the year, it’s almost obvious that no other album has come close to capturing the essence of 2022 as accurately as Beyoncé's Renaissance. In a time of unparalleled disruption – with the lingering stench of the pandemic, a political discourse that has grown so degenerate it is nearly indistinguishable from sheer evil, and a culture that feels so profoundly fragmented and irreconcilable – Renaissance stands out.
But it doesn't just stand out. It shouts. It celebrates. It sings. It dances. It heals. It reunites and rediscovers a culture that for many years felt paralyzed by a sense of shallow, existential mediocrity. With Renaissance, Beyonce delivers an urgent message, reminding us that it's time to take up space, fuck around, and get the fuck up off our couches and into the world.
Renaissance is a musical zoetrope, a carousel that shoots you through the historical eras of dance music, disco, R&B, and house. It's impeccably sequenced, with each song connected to the next like a chain of rainbow-drenched Tiffany jewels, shimmering and shining in the light of its own creation. At the heart of this adornment is Beyonce, the regal centerpiece whose voice is the thread that ties it all together. Renaissance is a renaissance in every sense, a clarion call for unity, a celebration of love, and a reverie of movement. But most importantly, a chance to bask in joy after a prolonged period of desolation — a chance to feel fucking good for the first time in a long, long time.
No Order Runner-Ups
Wyoming — Nana Lourdes
Painless — Nilüfer Yanya
Dawn FM — The Weeknd
We’ve Been Going About This All Wrong — Sharon Van Etten
i don’t know who needs to hear this — Tomberlin
And In the Darkness, Hearts Aglow — Weyes Blood
Glitch Princess — Yuele
Shape Up — Leikeli47
Being Funny in a Foreign Language — The 1975
Sore Thumb — Oso Oso
Farm to Table — Bartees Strange
Can You Afford to Lose Me — Holly Humberstone