Music: BEST ALBUM OF 2022

[GKJ]

 

[Pranzo Oltranzista]

That's a terribly poor teaser.

New favorite for the year:

A stunning album of solo trumpet performance from Natsuki Tamura, who's name in Japanese translates as 'Natsu' meaning 'summer' and 'Ki' means 'tree', performed as layers of remarkable technique led by clarion playing over trumpet drones, sonic turbulence and percussive interaction on a wok, each layer using his extended vocabulary without studio manipulation.
Squidco: Tamura, Natsuki: Summer Tree

 

[Saturated Fats]

This has been a solid musical year thus far, and this week is going to be absolutely massive. New Kendrick, The Smile, Black Star, Florence & TM. I've worked to catch up on some of the bigger new releases (Arcade Fire, Sharon Van Etten, Denzel Curry, Fontaines DC, Pusha T, Jack White, Orville Peck), as well as some of the smaller releases that have been getting a ton of buzz (Billy Woods, Soul Glo, Hatchie, Conway the Machine). Can already tell that this year is going to be a massive one.

I'll put together a list at the midway point of the year (beginning of June), and it'll be a big one.

 

[TheDoldrums]

I was a little disappointed with the recent releases from Arcade Fire and Toro y Moi. Both have made albums I would consider very formative for my musical tastes. Both Funeral and Causers Of This were unlike anything I had heard at the time and got me seeking out similar artists. And I think they both built off those amazing debuts with even better, more fully realized albums later on. But I haven't really been into their recent albums and that trend has continued.

I really like Age of Anxiety 1 and 2 from the new Arcade Fire. I think that captures some of their old magic. I found the rest of the album pretty forgettable.

The new Toro y Moi feels very much like a jam record. Very loosely structured, lots of "real" instruments. Not as much in the way of melodies and hooks. He's a long way from his chillwave roots at this point and I just prefer that sound more I guess.

 

[Saturated Fats]

I was a little disappointed with the recent releases from Arcade Fire and Toro y Moi. Both have made albums I would consider very formative for my musical tastes. Both Funeral and Causers Of This were unlike anything I had heard at the time and got me seeking out similar artists. And I think they both built off those amazing debuts with even better, more fully realized albums later on. But I haven't really been into their recent albums and that trend has continued.

I really like Age of Anxiety 1 and 2 from the new Arcade Fire. I think that captures some of their old magic. I found the rest of the album pretty forgettable.

The new Toro y Moi feels very much like a jam record. Very loosely structured, lots of "real" instruments. Not as much in the way of melodies and hooks. He's a long way from his chillwave roots at this point and I just prefer that sound more I guess.

Agreed on Arcade Fire. To the band's credit, I gather that they tried to get back to their roots with this one. Bringing Nigel Godrich on and focusing on arrangements that are maximalist, hook-focused and instrumental was the right way to go. I feel the same way you do, for the most part - definitely enjoyed some parts of it (Lookout Kid, Age of Anxiety I & II), but didn't love The Lightning or End of the Empire suites. Overall, it was fine. Certainly better than Everything Now, but not really approaching the reverence I have for their other 4 albums.

The album from The Smile is fantastic, by the way. It's basically the 10th Radiohead album. One listen-through and I absolutely love it.

 

[izlez]

Well, it's the day we've all been waiting for.

After years of waiting, the legendary artist came out with a new album and somehow never lost a step. Reminders of the same sound, while still pushing things forward. Definite frontrunner for AOTY.

 

[MVP of West Hollywd]

To me Arcade Fire is one of the best bands of all time, so even if they're last three albums are not as good for them as the first three, compared to 99% of bands they're still playing a different game.

 

[GKJ]

New Arcade Fire is very clearly better than their last two albums. 4 or 5 songs, or tracks, depending on how you view how they tracklist the album, are better than any song on Reflektor or Everything Now. Especially Everything Now.

 

[plank]

Been catching up with some older albums this year so I've only bought a few '22 releases: The Delines, Big Thief and Band of Horses. Looking forward to new albums from S.G. Goodman, Caamp, One Eleven Heavy and Courtney Marie Andrews.

S.G. Goodman - Teeth Marks 6/3/22

 

[plank]

A couple more:

Angel Olsen - Big Time 6/3/22

 

[plank]

Wilco - Cruel Country 5/27/22

 

[The Marquis]

A couple more:

Angel Olsen - Big Time 6/3/22

Angel Olsen is a treasure.

 

[Thucydides]

New Angel Olsen single

 

[Baby Punisher]

Def Leppard Diamond Stars and Halos.

It may not be the album you want, but it's the album that you need!

 

[ItsFineImFine]

This new Oatmeal Airwaves album with the long title (Waterslide something) is really good angsty but not cheesy emotional indie.

 

[Thucydides]

New angel Olsen out today. About halfway through.

 

[Saturated Fats]

Been cobbling together a list of 25 albums I've enjoyed (including a bolded 6 that I've loved) from the first half of the year. Still a handful of works that I haven't gotten around to, and some of the stuff from today (Angel Olsen, Horsegirl) that I can't realistically rate yet. Has been a very strong year to this point:

Black Country, New Road - Ants from Up Here
MJ Lenderman - Boat Songs
oso oso - Sore Thumb
Munly and the Lupercalians - Kinnery of Lupercalia: Undelivered Legion
Billy Woods - Aethiopes
Hatchie - Giving the World Away

Big Thief - Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe in You
Jenny Hval - Classical Objects
Silvana Estrada - Marchita
The Weeknd - Dawn FM
Destroyer - LABYRINTHITIS
Fontaines D.C. - Skinty Fia
Shamir - Heterosexuality
A Place to Bury Strangers - See Through You
Red Vox - Visions
Midlake - For the Sake of Bethel Woods
Animal Collective - Time Skiffs
Soul Glo - Diaspora Problems
The Smile - A Light for Attracting Attention
Cola - Deep in View
Ethel Cain - Preacher's Daughter
Caracara - New Preoccupations
Denzel Curry - Melt My Eyez See Your Future
Saba - Few Good Things
Messa - Close

I am having a hard time developing an opinion on Mr. Morale. I think that I ultimately appreciate it, but don't enjoy it. A few of the other 'big' releases on the year have mostly disappointed me (Arcade Fire, FJM, Beach House, Pusha T, Harry Styles, Spoon). But it has been a STRONG year for Folk and Throwback Pop.

 

[plank]

Looking forward to October 7th

Courtney Marie Andrews Announces New Album \'Loose Future\', Shares New Song \"Satellite\": Listen

Over the past few years, the singer-songwriter Courtney Marie Andrews has become one of the leading lights in the whole Americana universe. Andrews writes gorgeous, tender, vulnerable songs, and she combines the twang of classic country with the luxuriant float of ’70s Californian folk-rock —...

www.stereogum.com

Bonny Light Horseman Announce New Album and Tour, Share New Song “California”

Rolling Golden Holy is the latest from Anaïs Mitchell, Eric D. Johnson, and Josh Kaufman’s band

pitchfork.com

 

[Thucydides]

Read the review on Pitchfork this am. Sounded interesting. I like this single. Don’t think I’ve heard this group before.

It’s been a pretty underwhelming year so far. I haven’t really been blow away by anything.

 

[GKJ]

Read the review on Pitchfork this am. Sounded interesting. I like this single. Don’t think I’ve heard this group before.

It’s been a pretty underwhelming year so far. I haven’t really been blow away by anything.

It’s weird because I feel like everyone is releasing stuff, especially Canadians

 

[Roo Returns]

I was a little disappointed with the recent releases from Arcade Fire and Toro y Moi. Both have made albums I would consider very formative for my musical tastes. Both Funeral and Causers Of This were unlike anything I had heard at the time and got me seeking out similar artists. And I think they both built off those amazing debuts with even better, more fully realized albums later on. But I haven't really been into their recent albums and that trend has continued.

I really like Age of Anxiety 1 and 2 from the new Arcade Fire. I think that captures some of their old magic. I found the rest of the album pretty forgettable.

The new Toro y Moi feels very much like a jam record. Very loosely structured, lots of "real" instruments. Not as much in the way of melodies and hooks. He's a long way from his chillwave roots at this point and I just prefer that sound more I guess.

Usually most artists put out less then they should but every once in a blue moon you get a Sonic Youth, deerhoof, Ty Segall, Kurt Vile, and Toro Y Moi.

Chaz has been consistently putting out music the last ten years that he's actually oversaturated his own product and what makes him special. The more 70s he gets, the less unique his music is and the more it become a Spotify algorithm.

 

[Thucydides]

Sudan Archives - Natural Brown Prom Queen

So far this is my album of the year. Had this girl on my radar since her last EP.

This is amazing, musically and lyrically. Musically she really does some things in hip hop pop you don’t hear much, if at all.

 

[Thucydides]

 

[Thucydides]

 

[The Marquis]

This song rules. First time I’ve heard it was here. Thanks for posting.