Word, the Saba record is great. I was pretty attached to his debut so it kinda took me a minute to really sink my teeth in, but I may even prefer it now
Dent by Signals Midwest is my favorite of the year so far. Max has become one of my favorite songwriters over the past few years and the band is so tight on this one.
Runaway AOTY so far is Big Thief. I think a double-album is always risky, but they’ve proven they can handle it. It does such a great job of blending all of the styles they’ve dabbled in before while adding new layers to their sound. It’s not easy to put songs like Red Moon, Flower of Blood, Blurred View, and Simulation Swarm all on the same album and have it work, but it does. It’s an album that feels ambitious while also not taking itself too seriously, and really encapsulates everything I love about the band. They crushed it. The new Angel Olsen is also great. I haven’t spent as much time with it as I would have liked, but it’s a great sound for her and just an overall beautiful record. It feels like the type of album she’s been working up to her entire career. Still too early to say if I think it’s my favorite from her, but it’s at minimum a contender. Beyond that I also really like: Mitski - Laurel Hell Beach House - Once Twice Melody Sharon Van Etten - We’ve Been Going About This All Wrong None of those three albums are the best thing those artists have done, but they’re all extremely solid additions to artists with nearly impeccable catalogs, which is a good place to be in. Really excited to hear Soccer Mommy, The Beths, Julia Jacklin, and Death Cab later this year
Oh yes, this record grabbed me as well! It's awesome, and to be honest I only started to dive into them after it came out and I recognized it's actually Max singing, whereas I had checked some of his solo stuff out before thanks to Adam Beck on drums.
I think Impossible Sum is my favorite album of the past few years, maybe longer. It’s the closest thing to The Weakerthans that I’ve probably ever heard. I just love it so much.
so far Black Country, New Road - Ants From Up There is undefeated to me. listen to it almost every week and it's only getting better, haven't been this enamoured in a long time. some other favourites so far: Gang of Youths - angel in realtime. duh, I'm a ride-or-die for this band but the album is truly special Sharon Van Etten - We've Been Going About This All Wrong. it's hard not to compare everything she does to epic and Are We There which are masterpiece tier albums for me. that being said everything she does is fantastic even if it doesn't reach those same heights, this is another insanely consistent release from her Angel Olsen - Big Time. didn't know much about her before hearing this but it's great. country is not really me thing but every now and then I am pleasantly surprised Caracara - New Preoccupations. don't have much to say about it that hasn't already been said, shit slaps Conway the Machine - God Don't Make Mistakes. maybe a bit inconsistent but the best tracks on this are absolute monsters. lyrically the best hip-hop I've heard all year for sure Saba - Few Good Things. just that last three song run, man Denzel Curry - Melt My Eyez See Your Future. WALKIN ROUND THE HOOOD LIKE IM JOHN WAAAYNE Spoon - Lucifer on the Sofa. just some sexy late night jams, easy and breezy. "Wild" is the heater of the year Tears for Fears - The Tipping Point. kinda wild how good this one is for so many reasons, anyone sceptical just needs to hear "Rivers of Mercy" to be convinced. Curt Smith also has the best vocal pipes of any 60-year-old man I've ever had the pleasure of hearing The Smile - A Light for Attracting Attention. Radiohead but fun. I joke, but also, I kinda don't
Check out Angel’s other shit. She doesn’t have a bad album and they all sound different than Big Time
will definitely do so when I have the time. I heard a bit of All Mirrors and it was... interesting haha, very different
Oh true, it does bear some resemblance. It's funny, cause I only got into Weakerthans like 2-3 years ago as well.
Gonna wait for Alexisonfire and Day Wave to drop this week until I start this list. My 2022 backlog is huge right now too.
A big caveat is that I haven't heard the Pusha T album yet. I wrote a sentence about three "overlooked" albums like OP asked. 01. Kamp & Fid Mella - 2URÜCK OHNE 2UKUNFT (Austrian Rap) 02. Rosalia - MOTOMAMI 03. Margo Cilker - Pohorylle A great country record that I think a lot of people on here would love. 04. Cho - THNX (Dutch Rap) 05-10 in no order: Kehlani - blue water road A great R&B record. Not her best one, but then again her best one is the best R&B album of a whole ass decade. Casper - ALLES WAR SCHÖN UND NICHTS TAT WEH (German Rap) Zach Bryan - American Heartbreak Hef - Hefvermogen 2 (Dutch Rap) Benny The Butcher - Tana Talk 4 Dave East - HDIGH Just a fun rap album like they used to make them, i.e. one for the streets, one for the ladies, etc.
These are my faves: 1) Big Thief - Dragon New Warm Mountain The best album released this year by a wide margin. Big Thief takes all the best elements of their music and elevates them to the highest level, making a cohesive double album that is all killer no filler. 2) Hurray for the Riff Raff - Life on Earth This album reminds me a lot of Waxahatchee, specifically Saint Cloud era Waxahatchee, which is obviously a good thing. 3) Mom Jeans - Sweet Tooth I did not like Mom Jeans second album and had reservations going into this one, but it totally blew me by surprise and is such a good record. They really leveled up after the disappointment of the second album for me. If you liked anything from their first album, this record is for you. 4) Aldous Harding - Warm Chris Despite having heard the name before, I never gave Aldous Harding a listen until this album, and boy was I missing out. This album is just really great indie pop/rock from New Zealand. 5) Prince Daddy & The Hyena - Prince Daddy & The Hyena I have loved everything this band has put out, especially 2019’s “Cosmic Thrill Seekers”, and this album is no different. Just a great emo/pop punk record that takes everything good about Prince Daddy and puts it all together. I know some people have issues getting past Kory’s voice, but I think it works really well here. Other albums I think people should check out that are criminally underrated on here: Nilufer Yanya - Painless Thus album is really interesting indie rock from the UK. It’s not a straightforward indie rock album but I really enjoy the way it all sounds. It got universal acclaim upon release too, which is always great to see an album like this be received so well. Cate Le Bon - Pompeii This is the latest album from Welsh singer Cate Le Bon. I had listened to her briefly previously but not in depth. If you like art pop that goes in some cool directions, this album is definitely for you. This album was also very highly acclaimed by the critics/press. Destroyer - LABYRINTHITIS This is the thirteenth studio album from Dan Bejar aka Destroyer, a member of The New Pornographers. It was my first full introduction to his music and I really enjoyed it. Very solid indie rock stuff going on here. Sadurn - Radiator This reminds me of Katy Kirby, which for me is absolutely never a bad thing. I love the melodies and instrumentation and lyrics. Basically, it’s all perfect to me. Horsegirl - Versions of Modern Performance These kids are the future. Three of them are freshman in college and one is a senior in high school. If you like 90s indie rock, especially bands like Pavement, this album is 100% for you. Jeanines - Don't Wait For A Sign Really solid indie pop from NYC. Reminds me a lot of The Beths, who I love. Tomberlin - I don’t know who needs to hear this..: For fans of boygenius and similar artists. While I prefer her first record to this one, there are still some very beautiful songs on this one and the new songs were even better when heard live. Heart to Gold - Torn Really great indie rock/emo/punk rock music from Minneapolis. Other albums I liked I don’t feel I need to write about because lots of people are fans here: Kendrick Lamar - Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers Charli XCX - Crash Saba - Few Good Things MJ Lenderman - Boat Songs Earl Sweatshirt - Sick!
I don't really have rankings figured out yet, but my top tier looks like: Drug Church (definitely my AOTY) Denzel Curry Camp Cope Harry Styles Wet Leg Anxious Dashboard Confessional Black Country, New Road El Ten Eleven Vince Staples Runner ups: Nilüfer Yanya, Prince Daddy, The Regrettes, A Wilhelm Scream, Oso oso, Underoath, Mitski, Pillow Queens, Orville Peck, Gang of Youths, Spoon. Metavari, Charli XCX, The Weeknd Looking forward to: Bey, Bayside, Camp Trash, The Dangerous Summer, Death Cab, Grimes, Lizzo, Pianos Become the Teeth, Russian Circles, Senses Fail, and holding out hope for MCR!
Cold Years - Goodbye to Misery Gregor Barnett - Don't Go Throwing Roses in My Grave Caracara - New Preoccupations Valleyheart - Heal My Head Anxious - Little Green House Dan Andriano & The Bygones - Dear Darkness Gang of Youth - angel in realtime. Father John Misty - Chloe and the Next 20th Century Joyce Manor - 40 oz to Fresno Frank Turner - FTHC (really don't love this album but listened to it a ton) Anticipating: Beach Bunny, The Dangerous Summer, The Wonder Years, The Beths, Pool Kids, Pianos Become the Teeth, The Killers?, Bayside?, Charly Bliss?
there's been a lot of records I really this year, but so far nothing has given me that big "can't listen to anything else" feeling. (in somewhat chronological order) stuff I've enjoyed the most: Palace FKA Twigs Hippo Campus Pom Poko (EP) Spoon Big Thief MAITA Basement Revolver Widowspeak Babehoven (EP) Oso Oso Yumi Zouma Camp Cope Kevin Devine Christian Lee Hutson PUP Pillow Queens Father John Misty Pictoria Vark Wet Leg Vince Staples Tomberlin Hatchie Sadurn Sharon Van Etten Warpaint The Smile Jordana Rachel Chinouriri (EP) Angel Olsen Bloomsday Bartees Strange Westside Boogie
Big Thief - Dragon Caracara - New Preoccupation Oso Oso - Sore Thumb MJ Lenderman - Boat Songs My Idea - Cry MFer Hovvdy - billboard for my feelings snow ellet - glory days Soul Glo - Diaspora Problems Aldous Harding - Warm Chris Black Country, New Road - Ants From Up There Bartees Strange - Farm to Table Benny the Butcher - Tana Talk 4 Earl Sweatshirt - Sick Jack M. Senff - Low Spirit Double Gainer - Such is My Life Pup - THE UNRAVELING OF PUPTHEBAND
Top 10: Mom Jeans.: Sweet Tooth Omar Apollo: Ivory Harry Styles: Harry's House Pup: THE UNRAVELING OF PUPTHEBAND Father John Misty: Chloe and the Next 20th Century Mitski: Laurel Hell Maren Morris: Humble Quest Florence + the Machine: Dance Fever Flume: Palaces The Weeknd: Dawn FM Top 20: Orville Peck: Bronco Miranda Lambert: Palomino Charli XCX: Crash Destroy Rebuild Until God Shows: Destroy Rebuild Post Malone: Twelve Karat Toothache Oso Oso: sore thumb Kehlani: blue water road Wallows: Tell Me That It’s Over Sofi Tukker: Wet Tennis FKA twigs: CAPRISONGS Some others I liked a lot but haven't spent a lot of time with: Wet Leg: Wet Leg Camila Cabello: Familia Vince Staples: Ramona Park Broke My Heart Mt. Joy: Orange Blood
Current Top 10 1. Kendrick Lamar - Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers 2. King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard - Omnium Gatherum 3. Soccer Mommy - Sometimes, Forever 4. Mom Jeans. - Sweet Tooth 5. Caracara - New Preoccupations 6. Denzel Curry - Melt My Eyez See Your Future 7. Out of Service - The Ground Beneath Me 8. Pusha-T - It's Almost Dry 9. Dashboard Confessional - All The Truth That I Can Tell 10. The Weeknd - Dawn FM Ten More: PUP - The Unraveling of PUPTHEBAND Angel Olsen - Big Time Gunna - DS4EVER Gang of Youths - angel in realtime. Black Country, New Roads - Ants From Up There Oso Oso - sore thumb A Wilhelm Scream - Lose Your Delusion Future - I NEVER LIKED YOU Red Hot Chili Peppers - Unlimited Love State Champs - Kings of the New Age
Top 10: 1. The Weeknd - Dawn FM 2. Boldy James - Killing Nothing 3. Charlie Simpson - Hope Is A Drug 4. Omar Apollo - Ivory 5. Vince Staples - RAMONA PARK BROKE MY HEART 6. Pusha T - It's Almost Dry 7. Col3trane - Lush Life 8. Nick Mulvey - New Mythology 9. Lucky Daye - Candydrip 10. Denzel Curry - Melt My Eyez See Your Future