Best Music 🎶 of 2022!

Gang Of Youths feel like they should be this generations Coldplay or U2 and I don’t mean that as an insult. Those bands were big anthemic sincere stadium rock bands but since no one listens to Rock music like that anymore it feels like they will never rise to the level of cultural ubiquity that those aforementioned groups enjoyed. Selfishly, I kinda like that they will never rise to the level because it means I won’t have slowly grow sick of their music being played endlessly forever all the time.
They definitely do have that massive anthemic arena ready style and it totally works, what sets them apart for me are the lyrics. That’s where it’s at. I don’t know of any Coldplay or U2 song that really just lays it all out so uniquely and genuinely. But I agree that they could have been on their way up to that height. I too am glad they aren’t cause I think it probably would sanitize their lyrics.
I listened to this one again today after not listening to it for like a month. It's still just okay. I picked up on more of the lyrics and it's EXTREMELY personal, I don't know if that made me not like it that much? but it felt very confessional and not what I had come to expect with GFIL. Obviously there's a few bangers but the energy overall on the album is much more solemn and introspective. I wish there were a few more full rock anthems singing about "heart-on-your sleeve" topics like GFIL had. See "The Heart Is a Muscle", "Atlas Drowned", "The Deepest Sighs, the Frankest Shadows" etc.
That was my initial concern when previewing the album and even on my first listen. I wanted the louder more energetic rock songs. I also thought the fact that it was all centered around his dad’s death would be too much, or too somber. But with more listens, and more diving into the lyrics, I’ve found myself really loving what’s going on on the record. It has way more styles than the other two records, and it’s so much more massive and sprawling to me. The personal stuff is on GFIL as well, but this one is even more intimate. Yet it just kinda works for me.

The way he approaches songwriting and performance is just unique. I just love how he delivers his words. GFIL is more immediate, urgent, and a more fun listen. But it has a lot of personal ballads stuff inside it too - although there it kinda works slightly better than on the new one. Overall, I can see why some might not enjoy it as much. I thought I’d feel the same, but I don’t know…I weirdly want to keep listening to it even though it’s this long, sad album.
 
Holy shit... this new album The Buried Storm from Darkher is stunning. Jayn Maiven's ethereal and hauntingly gorgeous vocals steal the show. One of the best vocal performances of the year, surely. (Not sure why the link starts the album at track 2... be sure to start with the intro track first)

 
Enjoying this new track from a forthcoming solo effort from Minus The Bear’s David Knudson. It features Bayonne (aka Roger Sellers) on vocals. Nice chill vibe here.



Also spending quite a bit of time with this highlight from the new No Swoon record. I’m a sucker for anything in that dream pop/shoegaze arena.

 
Updates in bold

Yumi Zouma is sitting at #2 right now, but every single song is growing on me. Honestly think it would overtake Beach House if OTM wasn't a double album.

Best of 2022:
  1. Beach House - Once Twice Melody
  2. Yumi Zouma - Present Tense
  3. Black Country, New Road - Ants From Up There
  4. Big Thief - Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe In You
  5. Widowspeak - The Jacket
  6. Thyla - Thyla
  7. Spiritualized - Everything Was Beautiful
  8. Spoon - Lucifer On The Sofa
  9. caroline - caroline
  10. Mitski - Laurel Hell
  11. Gang of Youths - Angel in Realtime
  12. AnaĂŻs Mitchell - AnaĂŻs Mitchell
  13. SASAMI - Squeeze
  14. Pinegrove - 11:11
  15. Band of Horses - Things are Great
  16. Animal Collective - Time Skiffs
  17. Empath - Visitor

Anticipated albums from:
  1. Fontaines D.C.
  2. Hatchie
  3. Melody's Echo Chamber
  4. Porridge Radio
  5. Arcade Fire
  6. Wallows
  7. Pup
  8. Oceanator
  9. Father John Misty

Updates in bold


Best of 2022:

  1. Beach House - Once Twice Melody
  2. Yumi Zouma - Present Tense
  3. Hatchie - Giving the World Away
  4. Black Country, New Road - Ants From Up There
  5. Big Thief - Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe In You
  6. Fontaines D.C. - Skinty Fia
  7. Widowspeak - The Jacket
  8. Thyla - Thyla
  9. Spiritualized - Everything Was Beautiful
  10. Wet Leg - Wet Leg
  11. Spoon - Lucifer On The Sofa
  12. caroline - caroline
  13. Mitski - Laurel Hell
  14. Gang of Youths - Angel in Realtime
  15. AnaĂŻs Mitchell - AnaĂŻs Mitchell
  16. SASAMI - Squeeze
  17. Pinegrove - 11:11
  18. Band of Horses - Things are Great
  19. Animal Collective - Time Skiffs
  20. Empath - Visitor

Anticipated albums from/Need more listens before deciding:
  1. Angel Olsen
  2. Sharon Van Etten
  3. Soccer Mommy
  4. beabadoobee
  5. Say Sue Me
  6. Melody's Echo Chamber
  7. Porridge Radio
  8. Arcade Fire
  9. Wallows
  10. Pup
  11. Oceanator
  12. Momma
  13. Wilco
 
Have you liked their other stuff?
Just Skinty Fia.

EDIT: Completely misread this post. My answer instead would be, no I have not listened to any other Fontaines D.C. album. But this newest of theirs provides little to no incentive to backtrack.
 
Last edited:
It’s their 3rd best album but it’s still an extremely solid 8/10. It’s grown on me significantly over the week it’s been out. Easily the best sequencing for the closing couple of songs.
I never really liked Fontaines DC that much, but I keep getting drawn back into Skinty Fia. At first I thought it was basically like the last one. But then I would want to listen to specific songs again. And now I just wanna listen to the whole thing again.
 
I never really liked Fontaines DC that much, but I keep getting drawn back into Skinty Fia. At first I thought it was basically like the last one. But then I would want to listen to specific songs again. And now I just wanna listen to the whole thing again.
Their first two are better but this one is growing on me. I think they hit a sweet spot with A Hero’s Death that was a refreshing blend of post-punk. The new one is different but still sounds like like them. However
It’s more of a regular Brit pop sound though.

I watched their performance of “Nabokov” on Seth Meyers which absolutely floored me. Such a bold choice for late night and really pushed that track to my second favorite atm behind Jackie Down The Line

 
Last edited:
chart (6).png


ALBUMS
Willie Nelson - A Beautiful Time
Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio - Live in Loveland!
Joep Beving - Hermetism
Xinobi - Balsame
Pusha T - It’s Almost Dry
Club d’Elf – You Never Know
Czarface - Czarmageddon
King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard - Omnium Gatherum
Billy Woods - Aethiopes

EPs
Primus - Conspiranoid
Green-House - Solar Editions
Naja Naja - EP
 
Back
Top