Top 50 Albums of 2022 - Part 1 (50-16)
Year end lists are silly, but I’ve always wanted to write one — Mainly because other people’s lists have always made me kind of cranky. When I was younger, I’d cower and pout when my favorite things were shot down by those I found smarter than me. I’d strike them from my mental catalog of “things it’s okay to be excited about” and bury those parts of myself. Now that I’m older, I feel more indignant when critics’ opinions butt up against mine. And this year, I’ve finally decided to strike back.
Really, I’m putting together a list because it’s a thing that music writers do, and I would really like to feel like a music writer. And this seems to make it “official”: I’m writing my opinions down, and I’m joining the grand lineage of People Who Publish Their Opinions For Some Reason.
If for no other person, I want to do this for myself. To log what I’m liking, and undoubtedly change my mind a few years from now and look back with a chuckle or an eye roll. Isn’t that what these lists have always been best for? Inciting disdain and frustration? The cycle repeats…
Let’s start with some honorable mentions, because let’s face it: I lack the willpower to cut any list down to the number initially decided upon. These albums were great, but didn’t quite make the final roster for one reason or another — Each still comes heavily recommended for fans of their genre, which is also listed below.
asha’s awakening by raveena (contemporary r&b)
enveloping absurdity by phobophilic (death metal)
shiki by sigh (progressive metal)
DISCO4 :: part ii by HEALTH (post-industrial)
gnosis by russian circles (post-metal)
if a city is set upon a hill by current 93 (neofolk)
church by billy woods & messiah musik (abstract hip-hop)
netherheaven by revocation (technical death metal)
midnights by taylor swift (alt-pop)
morbidity triumphant by autopsy (death metal)
beatopia by beabadoobee (indie pop)
we’ve been going about this all wrong by sharon van etten (singer-songwriter)
heavy rocks (iii) by boris (stoner rock)
once twice melody by beach house (dream pop)
palomino by miranda lambert (contemporary country)
Please don’t take an album’s inclusion above as an insult to its quality or a deterrent from listening! I wouldn’t be able to sleep at night if I didn’t shout each one of those out. Now onto the top 50…
50. quiet the Room by skullcrusher (indie folk)
“You are the walls and floors of my room / You contain my body and all of my moods / I fill you with objects that care for me too”
Helen Ballentine’s collection of odes to her childhood home emanates comfort, warm, and fierce introspection.
Essential track: “You Are My House”
49. squeeze by SASAMI (indie rock)
“There are many ways to skin a rat.”
You hear that? Nu metal is healing. Indie rock too!
Essential track: “The Greatest”
48. natural brown prom queen by sudan archives (alternative r&b)
“I got big plans for this home I made / And you just couldn’t handle me anyway”
Brittney Parks brings elements of pop, hip hop, and soul to the table on one of the most sonically interesting and unapologetically fun releases of the year.
Essential track: “Freakalizer”
47. all that was promised by hath (death metal)
“This blade is my voice / These cutting words / Etchings upon your skin / The body a contract”
Hath’s brand of death metal is as heavy as it is triumphantly melodic, with lyrics inscribed like ancient curses.
Essential track: “Death Complex”
46. i don’t know who needs to hear this by tomberlin (singer-songwriter)
“I know I’m not Jesus / But Jesus, I’m trying to be enough”
Sarah Beth Tomberlin is one of the boldest singer-songwriter voices of the current moment — her stories drip blood from old wounds, incisive in their loveliness.
Essential track: “stoned”
45. i told bessie by ELUCID (abstract hip-hop)
“Puffing flower petals, I'm the blackest metal / This a dead church / I believe, I believe in black people believing’
The two members of Armand Hammer were busy this year — This is my favorite release of the bunch, both touching tribute and scathing self-exegesis.
Essential track: “Mangosteen”
44. gris klein by birds in row (screamo)
“All my friends hate me. / They voted for war.”
Nothing brings the catharsis like good post-hardcore, and this year it was direly needed. Gris Klein scratches a nostalgic itch while bursting forth with new revelations.
Essential track: “Rodin”
43. woe by an abstract illusion (progressive metal)
“You scream. / I listen.”
This is an album full of fabulous proggy death metal with clean vocals sprinkled in, and it doesn’t ever sound like it’s ripping off Opeth! Woe might just be the most downright beautiful metal release of the year.
Essential track: “Tear Down This Holy Mountain”
42. call down the sun by konvent (death doom metal)
“Certain doom speaks in evil tongues.”
The all-female doom collective delivers rich, plodding riffs and delicious, brutal vocals — Konvent doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but they do roll the damn thing better than most.
Essential track: “Never Rest”
41. dirt femme by tove lo (dance-pop)
“No one dies from love? / Guess I’ll be the first.”
The Swedish pop icon tackles her usual sexy fare, with the new perspective of married life.
Essential track: “2 Die 4”
40. few good things by saba (conscious hip-hop)
“The baggage that come with the bag, / hope you not fumblin' it.”
Saba’s latest unpacks money and materialism with the charm and creative flows that he’s known for. I can’t think of a better salve for mid-20’s financial angst, or the ennui of pandemic year #3.
Essential track: “Fearmonger”
39. omnium gatherum by king gizzard & the lizard wizard (psychedelic rock)
“Are you having an existential crisis?”
King Gizzard are hit or miss for me — A symptom, no doubt, of their breakneck release pace. This one’s a hit, though, and a total nuclear blast of playful pep from start to finish.
Essential track: “Evilest Man”
38. motomami by rosalia (neoperreo)
“Yo soy muy mía, yo me transformo / Una mariposa, yo me transformo.”
Rosalia finally reaches titanic heights of popstardom with her latest record, which is stacked with club bangers. But this album’s real strength is in its fearless experimentation.
Essential track: “La Fama (ft. The Weeknd)”
37. impera by ghost (hard rock)
“Are ya…righteous?”
You can’t take my street cred for this — I never had any. Ghost goes AOR and those of us with AOR-loving Christian parents writhe with infernal joy: This is ours now. We’ve been exhumed.
Essential track: “Griftwood”
36. where the shadows adorn by mother of graves (death doom metal)
“As idle shores grieve / so silently shall I”
In a lot of ways, doom metal feels like home base to me — It was my gateway into the world of heavy music, and the footprints it leaves on other genres will always be my ins and favorite parts. Mother of Graves is this year’s best representative of what I love most in doom: grand tragedy rendered triumphant in great strains of demolition.
Essential track: “Where the Shadows Adorn”
35. ugly season by perfume genius (art pop)
“I’m hideous / raving / feeling my fantasy”
This is a masterwork of weird, queer pop — completely unafraid to meander, grow noisy, expand, and obscure. Its title is the perfect mantle for the songs underneath: This is pop that feels no need to prettify itself for the listener.
Essential track: “Pop Song”
34. astral fortress by darkthrone (black metal)
“Discover the land of uncertainty, behave!”
Darkthrone’s latest is sometimes thrashy, sometimes doomy, and always fucking fun — The riffs will weave their way into your unsuspecting thoughts like pop hooks. And if that doesn’t sell you… the album cover alone is worth the price of admission.
Essential track: “The Sea Beneath the Seas of the Sea”
33. giving the world away by hatchie (dream pop)
“If I had everything I wanted, would I want more?”
Hatchie’s latest transforms her typical lush, cloudy soundscape into a full-blown dancefloor. But fans of heady shoegaze fear not — her lyrics are angsty and rich as ever, unpacking existential dread and the anxious doubt of new love.
Essential track: “Lights On”
32. everything was beautiful by spiritualized (space rock revival)
“I wanted it to say something so special and true / I wanted it to cut deeper and darker for you / I wanted it to show wisdom where honesty’s due”
Spiritualized will forever be favorites of mine. It’s tough to unpack their lyrics with clear eyes — J. Spaceman’s work has been so essential to me for so long. But this new record truly peeks its head out above their discography’s pack, an apt reminder of why I fell in love with this melancholy, longing music in the first place.
Essential track: “Always Together With You”
31. dance fever by florence and the machine (pop rock)
“I am no mother. I am no bride. I am King.”
Florence needs no introduction; this album still feels like a stepping out, of sorts — a freshened pronouncement of who she is, why she’s here, and what she has to offer.
Essential track: “Free”
30. perfect light by 40 watt sun (slowcore)
“Am I strong enough to carry this? / Or too weak to let it go?”
I’ll never be done singing the praises of Patrick Walker’s songwriting — his recent work never nears the crushing heaviness of Warning, but still offers up the same weeping heart that beats at the center of his doomier works.
Essential track: “Until”
29. the nine choirs by tribal gaze (death metal)
“Dost thou want to be reborn?”
I’ve been struggling to put into words what I love about this one — Sometimes good metal just makes you make a nasty face for 35 straight minutes, during which your soul leaves your body and you think it might be socially acceptable to make plans to go and punch your dad in the face.
Essential track: “Cold Devotion”
28. god’s country by chat pile (noise rock)
“It’s the sound of a fucking gun.’
Everything about this album is blunt and eviscerating — How miraculous, then, that is also so defined by its relentless sense of humor! Not for the faint of heart, God’s Country rips humanity to shreds, and spends the rest of its runtime crying, in drunken turmoil, at the wake.
Essential track: “Why”
27. crash by charli xcx (dance-pop)
“I’m high voltage, self destructive / End it all, so legendary.”
Charli trades in the brisk experimentation of her previous projects for a moment of pure, straightforward bubblegum polish — Anyone who says that she’s lost her touch simply hates fun. And I pity them! This one delivers wall-to-wall breakup bangers with Charli’s signature wit behind the wheel.
Essential track: “Lightning”
26. you still here, ho? by flo milli (trap)
“Swear to God I can’t go back and forth with none of you peasants”
I physically cannot keep from dancing like an enormous dork every time I put this album on — Whether she’s soundtracking a car ride to work or Saturday night drinks at home, Flo Milli packs personality and verve into every moment spent listening to this fantastic project.
Essential track: “Big Stepper”
25. deathwestern by spiritworld (metalcore)
“But a wretch like me don’t need a cross, just the end of a rope”
I avoided this one at first, in spite of its ridiculously dope album cover. It came out late in the year, when I’d already assembled a solid lineup of favorites, and besides: I don’t really care for metalcore. Except…I would…if it all sounded like this.
Deathwestern is metal’s answer to outlaw country, jam packed with vicious, irreverent lyrics and riffs that evoke classic thrash. Narrated by a bloodthirsty religious zealot, this is an album for restless nights and godless times — It’s hard to root for anyone in this shoot-out, but it’s harder still to look away.
Essential tracks: “DEATHWESTERN” and “The Heretic Butcher”
24. big time by angel olsen (americana)
“Guess I had to be losin’ to get here on time.”
Speaking of country…It doesn’t have a huge presence on this list. It’s a genre I grew up with and generally adore, but something about this year (and its releases) left me more excited about the tattered, vicious Americana of SpiritWorld and Ethel Cain* than any actual country crooners. With one exception.
Angel Olsen is known for her chameleonic songwriting prowess — she’s been a rock god, lo-fi folkstar, and psychedelic pop siren, all within the last decade. Last year, she came out as queer and started writing country music.
I had the pleasure of watching Angel perform songs from Big Time live this summer, at the Mann Center in Philly. Her set began right before sunset; the outdoor stage was slowly consumed by pinky blue twilight with each passing song. I held my partner close as Angel sang of love, loss, and lonesomeness. These are country tales as old as time, but it’s been comforting to hear them told anew, to catch them in fresh light.
Essential tracks: “Big Time” and “Chasing the Sun”
23. the sanctity of death by ultra silvam (black metal)
“Abandoned mass, altar of decay. The house of God in ruin.”
Black metal, as a genre, is obsessed with being esoteric. Its faces are mysterious and painted, its mixes grim and noisy, its fans often pretentious or worse (like…way way worse). And while I’ll admit I’m a sucker for some anguished, lo-fi shrieks… Ultra Silvam’s latest offers a great alternative.
The Sanctity of Death is authentic black metal with all the catchiness of Iron Maiden — a fire-lit romp through hell that might just make you crawl out of your grave and dance. It’s a downright fun listen, and would make a damn good introduction to the genre for anyone curious. The album’s closing riff has been on repeat in my household since I first heard it.
Essential tracks: “Sodom vises himlafärd” and “Of Molded Bread and Rotten Wine”
22. *preacher’s daughter by ethel cain (singer-songwriter)
“I’m just a child, but I’m not above violence / My mama raised me better than that”
Ethel Cain toured a series of small venues this year — I caught her show at a local bar, where shows are played upstairs as unsuspecting patrons drink below. Little did those poor souls know, Ethel has a fierce and loud fanbase. Most merch had already sold out by the time I arrived, and the show itself was peppered with blood curdling screams of “mother” emanating from the crowd. These were coyly acknowledged, in laughs and glances, by the matriarch herself: Ethel blew up this year, and she toured at a moment of meteoric change in her career.
Preacher’s Daughter deserves every ounce of praise it’s been getting — It expertly juxtaposes tender moments of pop and folk with the surreal, crushing, heaviness of its tail-end tracks, employing a full spectrum of moods to spin its dark tale. Cain has already drummed up the kind of untouchable, mastermind’s persona that keeps fans loyal for decades. I cannot wait to see what she crafts next.
Essential tracks: “American Teenager” and “A House in Nebraska”
21. labyrinthitis by destroyer (art rock)
“‘You have to look at it from all angles,’ / says the cubist judge from cubist jail”
Dan Bejar’s songwriting is nothing if not brutally funny — Though sometimes, it feels like the joke isn’t one we’re invited to understand. His latest album’s title seems to poke fun at this, referencing an ear infection that causes vertigo and disorientation. This music can be dizzying and hard to carve a trail through, but the reward is its heart: Wistful, gentle, nostalgic, bright. This is music for long train rides, tears spilled into teacups.
Essential tracks: “Tintoretto, It’s For You” and “The Last Song”
20. MUNA by MUNA (synthpop)
“I’ve spent way too many years not knowing what / What I wanted, how to get it, how to live it and now / I’m gonna make up for it all at once”
There’s been something timeless about this one since first listen — I can already picture it soundtracking countless future summers, drumming up nostalgia for a 2022 that’s been warmed by hindsight. It smells like sweat and sunscreen. It flies by like a montage. The colors are too saturated, like any good teen movie.
This album has been a surefire source of queer joy in a year that’s direly needed it. Standing here, at year’s end, I’m already using broad strokes to highlight all my “good parts”: the accomplishments, the weekend trips, the new friendships. But even when the dark creeps in, albums like this one are reliable shields against the storm.
Essential track: “What I Want” and “Kind of Girl”
19. the ruby cord by richard dawson (progressive folk)
“I play the role of a fool / The townsfolk’s fulcrum of ridicule / Oft to appear through prisming beer”
Lots of songwriters tell good stories, but few do it with the imaginative prowess of Richard Dawson. His latest album serves up prog that never neglects a hook or a riff, bursting with detail that always circles the big picture. This feels like an album of endings — grand conclusions to stories we’ll never gain closure with.
If this sounds disorienting, it certainly is! It’s also tremendous and beautiful and oddly delightful, and certainly worth the time of anyone who loves a good puzzle.
Essential tracks: “The Tip of an Arrow” and “Horse and Rider”
18. heavy pendulum by cave in (alternative metal)
“I have eyes of every color now / And they’re vigilant”
This is the first Cave In album I’ve ever heard; I can see how fans of an earlier, heavier rendition of this band might find something to bemoan here, but I’ve got no notes. It’s trippy, it’s grimy, and it’s slightly Deftones-y without feeling derivative. The vocals straddle a 90’s sludge snarl and a blissful, melodic croon, making the album a robust emotional world to get lost in.
Essential tracks: “Blood Spiller” and “Waiting for Love”
17. the loneliest time by carly rae jepsen (dance-pop)
“I paid to toughen up in therapy / She said to me, ‘soften up’”
Some pop artists are known for bombast — massive, triumphant production and pyrotechnic hooks that get you singing in the carseat and screaming at the bar. No one in the current game nails it quite like Carly Rae: She’s been my reliable serotonin plug since high school.
The Loneliest Time feels smaller than her previous works, and less effusively joyous. This is precisely what makes it great: It reads like the melancholy after a party, a pause to reflect on her career thus far. There are happy love songs too, but they feel intimate, tentative, and honest about the anxious state of our world.
Essential tracks: “Joshua Tree” and “Bends”
16. dragon new warm mountain i believe in you by big thief (indie folk)
“Would you live forever, never die / While everything around passes?”
Those who spent time with me this year might be surprised this didn’t make the top 15 — I’ve had it playing constantly and consistently since its release in early February. And well…If I was ranking these albums based on what helped me feel cozy and safe when I needed it most, this would be number one.
Perhaps I should be ranking things that way! I’ve spent nearly half of my 20’s in COVID World. I feel lost very often. The music that grounds me, supports me, and helps me breathe is the heaviest anchor in my arsenal.
Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe in You is a beautiful meditation on time, distance, and the ever-turning wheels of change that keep our lives both full and challenging. It’s a double album with no skips. And it’s the last album I’ll be writing about today.
Essential tracks: “Change” and “Certainty”
Thank you so much for tuning in. This was a long one, so I’ll keep the rest short — See you next week for the top 15!
Until next time, please have the merriest of weekends, however you spend yours.
Clare