Top 25 Albums of 2022

2022 has been an unbelievable year for music. With hip hop featuring high-profile artists making their most ambitious work yet or rock music continuing to innovate with psychedelic and punk music, 2022 featured a wide array of beautifully made projects. In this article, I want to highlight my personal favorites and give recommendations for any of these albums you might have missed.

1. King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard - Ice, Death, Planets, Lungs, Mushrooms, and Lava

Prog rock behemoths KGLW have been astoundingly proficient in 2022, dropping 4 quality albums. While I am only highlighting two in this list to give greater diversity to the album choices, I needed to put their best album of the 4 at the top spot. Ice Death blew me away from the first single, the jazzy and groove-focused Ice V that stands as one of my favorite songs of the whole year. I often go into KG projects with a bit of skepticism because after 22 albums they are sure to miss some time however that skepticism was immediately proven wrong with ice death. Beginning with the bubbly and infectious Mycelium this album keeps focus and consistent through each song's long length. They focus each of these jams around a different musical mode each time which makes this album sound concise and focused while being ambitious and masterfully artful. Iron Lung holds so much beauty in its run time and is written from a deeply emotional point. Ice Death sees King Gizzard at the absolute top of their game, focused and immensely creative. This album is deeply enjoyable for every single note it contains. My issue with previous KG albums is their lack of focus and lack of emotional songwriting however ice death proves those issues wrong immediately and is obviously made with so much care and intention. Every song on here is deeply psychedelic and emotional while also holding focus and roots. One of the greatest prog/psych rock records I have ever heard.

2. JID - The Forever Story

JID had been on my radar since he dropped his 2018 album Dicaprio 2. I went to go see him open for Ski Mask the Slump God when he was barely a name in the rap industry. Watching his rise to stardom has filled me with joy because there is no one who deserves it more than him. JID is not only an immensely talented rapper from a technical level running through superhuman flows, but he also writes songs that have staying power and cut deep. Raydar immediately proves his increased ambition with this album as the multiple beat switches all mesh together perfectly to create an almost progressive-style rap banger. Tracks like Dance Now prove how catchy and instantaneous JID's hooks can be with his vocal inflection on the chorus of the song filling the track with excitement. In addition to these upbeat style rap bangers, JID brings some incredibly quality R&B to the table too. Can't Make U Change featuring Ari Lennox is a beautiful and soulful cut with awe-inspiring vocals from both Ari and JID. JID also knows how to bring the best out of every single feature. Lil Wayne on Just In Time and 21 Savage on Surround Sound deliver some of the greatest guest verses of the year with this infectious and exciting energy. A deeply quality hip-hop album.

3. The Smile - A Light For Attracting Attention

Thom Yorke is back and this time he is jazzy and less depressed! Which makes for one of the most unique listening experiences from the entire Radiohead adjacent discography. The Smile also features lead Radiohead guitarist Jonny Greenwood and jazz project Sons of Kemet drummer Tom Skinner. Thom Yorke is writing much brighter and full of presence songs than he did on his last project Aenima and even more than the last Radiohead project Moon Shaped Pool ( even though the depressed mood of that album makes it one of the better Radiohead albums). This album sees Thom writing about how to find gratefulness in every day and how to rise above depression with care and empathy. The song Skirting on the Surface sums up the entire album thematically with its lyrics about diving below the surface to realize if we only care a little more we can realize broken is the new fixed. Musically, this is the most ambitious Thom and Jonny have been for a while too. For example, the bassline on the Smoke that Thom wrote is immensely beautiful, lyrical, and ambitious. The guitar lines on Thin Thing that Jonny leads are also unique while being catchy and experimental. While this album misses the sense of urgency and cutting-edge experimentation that make albums like In Rainbows and Kid A the masterpieces they are, The Smile's debut record holds its own in Radiohead adjacent's discography. This album should not be overlooked by Radiohead fans and it holds its own candle to much of their previous music.

4. Beach House - Once Twice Melody

Dream pop duo Beach House's most ambitious outing yet. This double album chocked full of tear-jerkingly beautiful songs really holds its own in their already amazing discography. This album's beauty is often difficult to put into words as the incredible synth and guitar work creates these beautiful landscapes for lead singer Victoria Legrand to spread her lovelorn message. Released in a series of EPs over the course of a few months each section of this album holds immense highlights however my favorite section of the album is the very first side. The songs Superstar and Pink Funeral feature this wide-sweeping sonic beauty throughout. The synth arpeggio on Pink Funeral makes the already powerful vocal delivery even more prominent. In the near hour-and-a-half run time of this album, there is not a single track that feels half-baked. Every song is beautiful and it makes this whole project really special.

5. Big Thief - Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe In You

Somehow the completely out of left field, unique name of this album suits what it is perfectly. An album full of hope, belief, and most of all warmth. Adrienne Lenker and her folk band write some of the best folk out there on this album, every song in the hour-and-a-half run time fill the listener with warmth and a sense of beauty. This album mixes perfectly placed distortion and noise with excellently played acoustic guitar to create these beautiful folk soundscapes. Adrienne's songwriting and lyricism are in peak form too writing amazing hooks and putting so much passion into her performance. I get chills listening to this album because it is clearly evident Adrienne put her whole heart into creating this beautiful project. Year highlights like Simulation Swarm create this swell of bittersweet emotions and it transitions instrumentally through these acoustic passages. Big Thief released 20 incredibly written folk songs that you should absolutely listen to if you have not already.

6. Soul Glo - Diaspora Problems

Soul Glo's biggest project yet feels like a really important step in the world of hardcore punk. Diaspora Problems mixes this scathing style of hardcore riffage with Pierce Jordan's impressive hip-hop style delivery. The lyricism on this album is incredible and real talking about everything from dealing with mental illness to taking dab hits on a Megabus, to oppression from cops and the government, and covers all of the ground with this sense of genuine realness. The album's opener Gold Chain Punk is one of my favorite songs of the year for its hard-hitting riffs and pit-opening vocal delivery. Soul Glo really could be an important band to watch if they keep this mixture of hardcore up. They really scratch an itch of realness and energy in the world of hardcore that is continuing to rise off the success of bands like Code Orange, Knocked Loose, and Turnstile. This album is not always for the faint of hearts as Pierce Jordan screams his lungs out over fast and brutal riffs but if you are willing to go on the ride this album delivers, you will fall in love with its infectious energy.

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

BC,NR has been through a hell of two years. Dropping For the First Time last year which was an incredible project with a rough post-punk edge and amazing instrumental experimentation. After a couple of incredible singles like Chaos Space Marine, they dropped Ants From Up There which came from an entirely different songwriting angle than For the First Time. Lead singer Isaac Wood is lovelorn and depressed on this project and it comes across in every song. The incredible Place Where He Inserted the Blade features these vocal runs that will hit any listener in the soul. The band backing him stays tight and profound on all of these tracks too, like they were on their debut. The instrumentation however strays further from post-punk and distortion and closer to saxophones and jazz. The instrumentation all over this album manages to find this balance between somberness and warmth.

8. Black Midi - Hellfire

Prog-punk icons Black Midi did it yet again. They are 3/3 for absolute instant classics in their discography. This album takes a very biblical approach to attack themes of sin, sex work, the military, and PTSD. Geordie's signature barking vocals add a deliciously sour tone to the experimental instrumentation of this project. The rapid arpeggios on a song like Sun/Tzu add this insanity to a track that feels like a boxing match from hell. The intricate details added by the guitars and Morgan Simpson's virtuosic drumming make every track pummeling and intense. The creative ambition shown by this UK art school alumni group never ceases to amaze and even further proves they are one of the top bands to watch at the moment.

9. Chat Pile - God's Country

This album has stuck with me since the first time I heard it just due to how disturbing and emotional it is. Chat Pile creates this fusion of post-hardcore and sludge metal that really hits deep in the soul and if the dark instrumentation wasn't enough the lyricism on this album is full of evil and darkness itself. The song Slaughterhouse opens us off with a disturbing vision of the killings of animals in a factory. It then transitions into Why, which is one of the most powerful songs of the entire year asking the straightforward question of why we make people live outside when we have the means and the resources to change that. The album stays dark and consistent right up until the ending of Grimace Smoking Weed. The first time I heard this song it was so harrowing it genuinely stopped me from returning to the album for a while but stayed in my head as one of the most unique listening experiences I have ever had. The song focuses on the thought patterns of an obviously psychotic and manic person smoking weed in their room and seeing Mcdonald's purple man Grimace as he contemplates suicide. This album cuts so deeply and is so intense it creates one of the most unique listening experiences possible this year.

10. Pusha T - It's Almost Dry

Pusha T dropped the last positive example of Kanye West music we will ever have. While Kanye deserves zero respect at all and his music should be written off as anti-Semitic propaganda, thankfully he does not take the sole spotlight here and when his production is used, Pusha makes it sound so rich and colorful with his impressive rhymes and cocaine flows. In addition, Pharrell takes the other half of the album's production and every Pharrell beat here is top-notch as always. Brambleton, one of the best hip hop songs of the whole year, features Pusha's braggadocios flow over incredibly colorful production. Neck and Wrist has a standout verse from Jay Z and features Pharrell's vocal talent. However, when Kanye is on this album he is in peak form as Pusha was not going to let him slip up. While It's Almost Dry is partially tarnished by Kanye, the rest of the album is colorful and energetic and Pusha proves himself among some of the best with his charisma and ridiculous bars.

11. Fontaines DC- Skinty Fia

Fontaines DC has been on my radar for a long time now but when I checked out their music I had trouble with it sticking with me. However, here on Skinty Fia, they write some of the stickiest and catchiest music I have heard in this current wave of post-punk revival. Jackie Down The Line is one of my favorite songs of the year for its amazing songwriting that stands a cut above many other songs written in the same vein but also for its deeply layered bass-filled instrumentation and brooding mood. Fontaines have managed to make an album that reaches a perfect cross-section between Post-punk weirdness and mainstream catchiness. They are just natural songwriters. Songs like Roman Holiday prove their ability to be instrumentally ambitious and write pop tunes that are great. They are opening for the gigantic Arctic Monkeys this upcoming year and they had to prove mainstream appeal for that massive tour. They absolutely did with this album as if even if you aren't familiar with the band or post-punk in general you can throw on this album and have a great time with it.

12. Alex G - God Save The Animals

Underground Indie darling Alexander Gianniscoli dropped his most accessible and most focused album yet this year. After making a name for himself off DSU and House of Sugar, Alex G had the indie music scene looking his way for what his next move would be. Alex's music in the past has often suffered from a lack of focus as when he is at the top of his game he writes these incredible songs with amazing symbolism while using minimalism as his stylistic influence. However, also would have albums that were inconsistent as a whole. God Save the Animals comes out as Alex G's most focused and thoughtful project. Featuring some of the best songs in his work so far like Blessing, Runner, and Cross the Sea. This album mends a lot of genres together as Runner takes a folk country direction, Blessing returns to his electronic styles, and Cross the Sea melds together this autotuned pop style with folk. Alex G created a template on this album creating his strongest most consistent work however if he keeps this focus on future albums it could result in an instant classic. God Save the Animals however is his best project to date and proves that Alex G is here to stay to keep making Gen Z depressed.

13. Undeath - It's Time To Rise From the Grave

In a year that classic death metal had a major resurgence, there was one album to rule them all. Undeath killed it all over this project from the first few low-bass notes on Fiend for Corpses to the pummeling ending of Trampled Headstones, this album does not relent. Undeath has a natural knack for writing these amazing riffs that'll get anyone headbanging and pushing a pummeling intensity along with it. Necrobionics is one of the best metal songs I have heard in years as they transition into a catchy and brutal second half that puts them above most other death metal acts. Undeath dropped a consistently brutal and remarkable death metal album and I can't wait for their future.

14. Conway the Machine - God Don't Make Mistakes

This is the best anyone in Griselda has sounded to me. Conway is at the absolute top of his game on this album. Conway proves that he can write absolute bangers, be emotional and real about his trauma, and brag about his money all at the same time. This album starts off hot with Lock Load which brings one of the hardest beats right out of the gate. The following track Tear Gas features amazing verses from Rick Ross and Lil Wayne over another classic Griselda beat. Piano Love is another standout track back-to-back and features some great bars from Conway. The beats on this album steal the show as they all have real grit and intensity to them while sounding classic and rich.

15. King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard - Omnium Gatherum

The second album from psych-rock gods KG and the LW that I want to highlight on this list. While you should absolutely check out Laminated Denim their two-track jam album and Changes their final 2022 release which goes in a pop direction, Omnium Gatherum stands alone in the KG discography for its incredible first half and rapid genre changes. Typically KG stays with one genre per album even though every album can take a different stylistic direction however Omnium Gatherum almost takes a different genre for every track. Starting with the amazing The Dripping Tap which is this 18-minute long multi-phased track that slips through its catchy hook into these immense jam sections that sound incredible if not a bit disorienting. Magenta Mountain, Kepler 22-B, and Ambergris all come from a pop-funk direction and every one of these songs is written so admirably and sung so well that the groove sticks with the listener every time. The album also features Giz's return to their metal style with Gaia and Predator, both riff so powerfully and it is great to see them return to metal after a few years off. While this album has some obvious B-sides and misses, when it is on its game it features Giz at some of its best.

16. Denzel Curry- Melt My Eyez See Your Future

This is definitely Denzel's most consistent project yet. Denzel has been one of my favorite current rappers for a few years now after he dropped Ta1300 then Zuu then Unlocked all great projects, I was looking forward to his big album release that felt overdue after 2 great 20-minute projects. Melt My Eyez is a great release to capitalize on his momentum as it is psychedelic and accessible in bounds. Walkin' is one of the best songs of the year with it's constantly transforming rhyme scheme, psychedelic beat, and amazing lyricism showcasing Denzel at the top of his rap game. While there are a couple songs that don't stick as much as they should, he drops multiple of his best songs like Sanjuro, Zaoitchi with Slowthai, and Ain't No Way which is a posse cut with 6lack and Rico Nasty.

17. Kendrick Lamar - Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers

This album held a really interesting place this year. It was shocking, to say the least, to see Kendrick come out with the stark honesty that he did about his own mental health which made this project incredibly powerful and spread a wide message about the power of paying attention to your own mental health. Songs like We Cry Together which is an amazing artful spoken word piece about domestic abuse and Auntie Diaries which sees Kendrick Lamar's internal dialogue of coming to terms with being over his internalized systemic homophobia and becoming a more accepting person. The messages on this album were important and done so elegantly. However, I always felt like this album was musically lacking. While you do have highlights like the Pharrell-produced title track Mr. Morale and the incredible voice of Sampha on Father Time. Kendrick seems reserved and is not rapping from the heart or with as much energy as he has on past projects. His bars seem reserved and the beats can sometimes come off as underwhelming. While this album's message was one that was needed from someone as big as Kung Fu Kenny, he has dropped projects that bring more to the table sonically.

18. Steve Lacy - Gemini Rights

Steve Lacy burst onto the mainstream in 2022 with the force of a bullet train. With good reason too, his work with the Internet and his solo work has proven so much potential that everyone was waiting with bated breath to see him realize it. This is by far his best project so far and one that will remain iconic for years. This album is also very versatile for a record as popular as it is. Steve Lacy did not give up his vision for radio plays. A song like Bad Habit which was a smash hit is also full of his unique songwriting and lo-fi styling. You also get songs like Helmet which features great guitar work and Buttons which is a beautifully written song. Steve Lacy deserves all the attention he is getting and I am excited to see him deepen his creative vision on future albums.

19. Autopsy - Morbidity Triumphant

Autopsy has been a big name in the death metal scene for decades now and they come back in 2022 to prove they still can growl over chunky riffs with the best of 'em. This album rips brutally through its 40-minute run time. Starting with Stab the Brain the album continues through these speedy and sludgy riffs and never slows down once. The guitar work on the Voracious One is some of my favorite of the year as the staccato guitar solo combines with the brutality of the rhythm riffs to create something truly special. While this album is generic death metal, it is brutal and it is so musically sound.

20. Interpol - The Other Side of Make Believe

Indie rock legends Interpol came back to form in a huge way on this album really proving they have gas left in the tank. I came into this album skeptically because Interpol has had a very inconsistent output for the last few years of its career. However, Paul Banks is back writing songs with the passion and energy he did with early Interpol. Songs like Fables prove they still have a totally unique knack for indie songwriting and the whole album stays consistently great. While they aren't on any cutting edge like they were with Turn on the Bright Lights, having some great Interpol music come out is never an unwanted thing.

21. Earl Sweatshirt - Sick!

When 2010! dropped at the end of 2021 it was immediately one of my favorite Earl Sweatshirt songs. The electronic-inspired beat and some of Earl's best flows made one of the best songs of 2021. While Sick! did not follow up the hype that the single created there is still some great material on this album. Vision with Zeeloperz, Fire in the Hole, and Tabula Rasa with Armand Hammer all come together to make a great short but sweet Earl project.

22. Oso Oso - Sore Thumb

Oso Oso is one of the most consistent and impressive midwest emo projects going right now. Jade Lilitri writes really catchy, earworm songs that have impressive and unique instrumentation to them. computer exploder the opener, fly on the wall and describe you stand a cut above a lot of the emo music I have heard recently. Give oso oso a try, a lot of these songs will stand the test of time.

23. Little Simz - NO THANK YOU

Little Simz follows up her amazing 2021 album Sometimes I Might Be Introvert with another great addition to the British rapper's already impressive catalog. Simz raps with such care, soul, and purpose on songs like Angel that it becomes infectious. Simz always has been thematically about self-care and positive energy in a unique and empowering way and she continues those themes on this album. Gorilla is a catchy and off-the-wall fun rap tune and Broken is one of the best rap songs I have heard this year. While some of these beats come off as left overs and her raps occasionally don't hit as hard as they used to, this project is another addition to a rapper you need to become aware of.

24. Bartees Strange - Farm to Table

Bartees Strange has become one of my favorite indie acts to watch after watching him open for Car Seat Headrest in March. His soulful combination of indie rock, rap, r&b, and distorted guitar makes for a great new approach to a genre that's been well paved. Standout songs like Heavy Heart and Mulholland Drive are instantaneous indie songs that catch like fire the first time you hear them. While I am waiting for more music from him like his first album, this album was a good follow-up.

25. Weyes Blood- And in the Darkness, Hearts Aglow

Weyes Blood returns with more dream pop that puts you in a trance-like state. Her almost operatic vocal style over the intricate strings and pianos creates an immense atmosphere for the entire album. The main standout for me is It's Not Just Me, It's Everybody which is a great song focusing on making people feel less alone with the depression they feel. Weyes Blood is a consistently good dream pop act, I just wish more songs off this album stuck with me.