Part One: 50-41
2022 was an exciting year for music, with big hitters returning in style and new stars emerging. Here are the 50 best albums of 2022, in my humble opinion!
50. SAULT- EARTH
One of five albums the mysterious collective released on the 1st of November as “an offering to God”, an act of supreme generosity. Earth focuses on the relationship between God and the earth, celebrating life and nature. Earth places great emphasis on African music, loaded with conga drums and bursting with tight rhythms throughout. It’s an impressively diverse album from the gospel-tinged ‘The Lords with me’ to the Spanish-infused sounds of ‘God is in Control’ and the reggae sounds of the closer ‘Warrior’, showcasing a variety of influences. Soulful, powerful, and dynamic, Earth is an uplifting and exciting listen.
49. BONOBO- FRAGMENTS
Fragments showcases Bonobo at his most tranquil, from the gentle, ethereal sound of the opening track ‘Polyghost’. Fragments is prominent in its use of strings, creating peaceful, meditative tracks that gently wash over you. It’s not Bonobo’s most experimental offering, yet there is beauty in its subtlety. The album is loaded with features, with Jordan Rakei and Jamila Woods lending their soulful tones to the tracks ‘Shadows’ and ‘Tides’ respectively. ‘Shadows’ is arguably the album’s highlight, with its retro 808 sound and floating synths allowing space for Rakei’s impressive vocals to shine. Fragments has a flow that contradicts its title and remains easy on the ears throughout.
48. PORRIDGE RADIO- WATERSLIDE, DIVING BOARD, LADDER TO THE SKY
Waterslide, Diving Board, Ladder to the Sky is the Brighton-based rock band’s follow-up to 2020’s mercury-nominated Every Bad; an album lauded for its emotional bite. The album’s opener ‘Back To The Radio’ continues in a similar vein, a song about self-imposed isolation that throbs along to a powerful crescendo, Dana Margolin delivering the same impassioned vocals that made Every Bad such a thrilling listen. The album sees the band touch upon themes of anxiety and insecurity, encapsulated in ‘Birthday Party’ where Margolin repeatedly sings, “I don’t wanna be loved.” The album is emotionally charged but melodic, with clever changes of pace that allow Margolin to ratchet up the emotional intensity.
47. THE BIG MOON- HERE IS EVERYTHING
Here is Everything finds The Big Moon at their most emotional without sacrificing the infectious hooks that were a staple of their first two albums. The album, like many, was delayed due to the global pandemic before another life-changing event- lead vocalist Jules Jackson’s motherhood- forced Jackson to reconsider the project. Here is Everything sees the band expand both emotionally and musically, drifting into a more alt-pop sound on tracks like ‘Daydreaming’ and ‘Magic’, rich in their use of synths. On the folksy ‘This Love’ Jackson sings about “Doubting things that I thought I knew for sure,” and throughout the album, she leaves all her cards on the table; the album’s power comes from Jackson’s willingness to be vulnerable. Here is Everything shows the band’s willingness to progress their sound, and on this offering, that can only be a positive thing.
46. DJO- DECIDE
On Decide, actor and Stranger Things star Joe Keery shows another string to his already impressive bow on an album that feels both futuristic and nostalgic. Decide explores themes of change and anxiety in an off-kilter, sonically diverse fashion. Opening track ‘Runner’ pays homage to the ’80s with its pulsing synths, yet also has a trippy, futuristic feel to it, while closing track ‘Slither’ has a brooding, ominous sound, moving into more industrial territory. The album is full of quick-witted, humorous (if at times slightly juvenile) wordplay, as encapsulated on the second track, the snappy ‘Gloom’. Keery does dip into more serious themes, however, exploring generational discord and environmental apocalypse on ‘On and On’. The album’s enduring appeal comes from its memorable hooks and funky bass lines, accompanied by energetic synths as Keery creates a much meatier record than his debut Twenty Twenty.
45. TAYLOR SWIFT- MIDNIGHTS
Midnights sees Swift return to a more pop-driven sound than her 2020 folk offerings: folklore and evermore. Midnights is packed with variety, from the silky, disco-infused opening track ‘Lavender Haze’ to the dream-pop of ‘Maroon’ and the electronic-tinged ‘Karma’. It’s a concept album about late-night contemplations, and the stripped-back production allows Swift to create an intimacy throughout the record. The album is prominent for its use of synths and drum machines, which combine to great effect on the album’s smash single ‘Anti-Hero’, a catchy self-critical anthem. Midnights is full of the vivid songwriting that Swift has become renowned for, allowing her music to constantly remain engaging regardless of the sound she chooses to pursue.
44. JOEY BADA$$- 2000
2000 is an impressively ambitious effort from the Brooklyn-based rapper, released ten years after his hugely successful debut mixtape 1999. The album has a vintage aesthetic, with a Boom bap sound that pays homage to his origins and his influences, as showcased by the Notorious B.I.G. vocal interpolation on the opening track ‘The Baddest’. The album is rich in its instrumentation, moving away from the more modern production techniques Bada$$ utilised on his last record, ALL-AMERIKKKAN BADA$$. The result is more satisfying and accompanies Bada$$’s flow much better, especially in the more reflective and vulnerable tracks, such as the JID-featured ‘Wanna Be Loved’. The album is clever and varied in its use of sampling, borrowing from artists as diverse as 80’s soul group DeBarge and Canadian indie band Men I Trust. 2000 sees Bada$$ make a successful return to the sound that launched his career.
43. THEE SACRED SOULS- THEE SACRED SOULS
Thee Sacred Souls is the eponymously titled debut record fromthe San Diego-based soul trio, released on the Daptone label that has pioneered something of a soul revival in the last twenty years. Thee Sacred Souls is a record that is married to its influences yet feels fresh and interesting, drifting from the easy-going 60’s soul vibe on the opening track ‘Can I call You Rose’ to the funky 70s-tinged ‘False Lover’. Lead vocalist Josh Lane breathes life into the songs with his weightless delivery, showcasing a stunning falsetto on the tracks ‘Overflowing’ and ‘Trade of Hearts’. The album is packed with rhythm and tight harmonies, evocative of soul’s golden era. Thee Sacred Souls is an impressive debut that has you yearning for more.
42. BETH ORTON- WEATHER ALIVE
Orton’s eighth album is self-produced and built around a piano she purchased at Camden Market, as she explores themes of motherhood, loneliness, and isolation in a typically powerful fashion. Weather Alive is a sensory exploration, an ethereal journey through nature that feels both gentle and intense at the same time. Orton’s vocals are excellent throughout, her breathy delivery bringing emotional intensity to the tracks. The album is richly atmospheric, with the gentle tinkling of her piano providing a soothing quality throughout. Weather Alive has an organic quality that creates intimacy with its gentle percussion and quietly shimmering synths; it’s an album that’s rich in instrumentation but has a sparsity that allows the music to wash over you in a relaxing manner.
41. THE SOFT PINK TRUTH- IS IT GOING TO GET ANY DEEPER THAN THIS?
Is It Going to Get Any Deeper Than This sees Daniel Drew, the man behind The Soft Pink Truth, delving into a more disco-influenced sound. It is a joyful record, a shift away from the darker, more atmospheric Shall We Go On Sinning So That Grace May Increase? 2020’s pandemic-infused effort. The album is accessible without losing Drew’s desire to experiment, as encompassed in the opening track, ‘Deeper’, which starts with a disco house groove and finishes with some floating synths that make you feel like you’re falling. The album’s strength largely derives from its subtle shifts in mood, which are created by its variable instrumentation, shifting from funky basslines on tracks like ‘Wanna Know’ that make you want to dance to the delicate piano notes and drifting synths on the more mellow ‘Joybreath’. Drew produces a record that has depth without being overwhelming, creating a luscious and ultimately enjoyable sound.