THE BEST OF 2022: A REVIEW

 Before we get heavy into the work of 2023, it is a final time to re-examine the body of works existing from 2022. 

Admittedly, I feel 2022 in many ways fell just a little flat on new releases. Not to say that nothing was good, there were just fewer blow your socks off type of works. It may also be the sheer saturation of releases that came out that makes it feel a bit overwhelming. I think my most memorable issues of the year was "this album is so personal" while the artist goes on to write the most vague cliche thing ever, and feeling disappointed in a slump for artists I usually like. All mentioned releases are in my humble opinion, and you may feel differently. All music for all types!

The first album I feel deserves a mention is the rather...forgotten gem that is Dawn FM. The Weeknd made an experience out of this album. As soon as I finished it, I was excited to get the vinyl. It is just made for the whole experience, not for a select few standout tracks. With so few "full album" artists existing in the pop music scene, I greatly appreciate the effort. He also kept some of his signature perhaps a bit too much information and borderline ridiculous lyrics that have existed since the depth of Trilogy. 

AURORA always impresses me, and her latest release The Gods We Can Touch is no different for me. I did not feel her next body of work would so easily impress me since I was so infatuated with Step I and Step II as a release, but she proved me wrong. The songs are reflective but also very empowering. You will easily want to chant along. The vinyl has two tracks that did not end up on the CD edition of the album originally (The Devil is Human and Woman I Am). It is however, unless you obtain a different edition, missing Giving Into the Love and You Keep Me Crawling. 

Admittedly due to my own internal feelings, Glitch Princess by Yeule is a hard listen for me. The few songs I could handle better, I kept returning to. There's something interesting and mysterious about their work that I feel deserves to be noted on this list. If you like strange dark electronic music for your broody evening, Yeule is your dinner date.

I for some bizarre reason really enjoyed American Gurl by Kilo Kish. I managed to get a vinyl preordered in after the first two drops of 500 sold out. There's something just addictive about it. A certain perspective story in the tracks. It is not something particularly sonically new, but I like what she did with it regardless. There was a lot of character and personality flowing through it.

Hatchie really got my attention with Giving the World Away. She is one of the very few that I think actually meant it when they discussed growing in lyricism and immersing themselves in the body of work. It is a seamlessly enjoyable listen front to back. 

Somewhere out of the woodworks came an artist known as Ethel Cain. Preacher's Daughter is such a gem to behold in storytelling, production, and emotional depth. I am obsessively refreshing in hopes a physical release of this album exists somewhere soon. It does not deserve to be left in the dark. Do not go play this album if you are not prepared to sit through a rather dark story. Pulling up some notes from Genius may assist you in understanding it better first listen, as it is very conceptual. 

I will remain a fervent defender of Kendrick Lamar's latest album, Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers. It felt a raw critique of our current climate of destroying pedestals, forgetting love, and being obsessed with images that do not define us. I rarely will fight for a rap album as it is not my genre of choice, but I will put this one on a pedestal. 

On a second note, I am going to also surprisingly defend Post Malone's more recent outing Twelve Carat Toothache. It is a walk through someone who despite fame and fortune, has chosen bad paths with it and is being introspective. Perhaps a bit too much, I do understand the strong sentiments many have about the "wallowing" quality of the release and the lack of fun. I like reflective broody bodies of work though. 

The Goo Goo Dolls made another solid gem with Chaos in Bloom, which felt like trying to find footing through the hardship brought on by being locked up during the pandemic. The wave of love and embrace but also the darkness of isolation creating overwhelm and overthinking. If you have liked any of their releases Magnetic and forward, this is definitely up your lane.

Another gem I am hoping a vinyl exists for eventually is Kelsea Ballerini's Subject to Change. Coming on the brink of her divorce and after what I'd consider an unwhelming followup to Unapologetically, this might have compared much better. There's a good mixture of fun and also introspection, while returning a little more to her country base rather than the very pop blend that was Kelsea. Given, she is no Reba levels of country but Kelsea sounds better with more twang.

When I think of Bjork, I think of strange. Her work is very strange. Nothing else like it. Fossora somehow made me feel most of her other works are comparatively normal. However, similar to how Fetch the Bolt Cutters grabbed my attention for truly being something original, Fossora is the same. On the other spectrum, there's a very strong sorrow in the album. Do not let the clarinets fool you, this is a very sad and broody work. By the end, the heaviness is felt. It is rather powerful. If you can tolerate something very avant-garde, try it.

These are my gems of 2022. I hope 2023 brings great new artists, better work from long time artists, and an end to the trend of "this is so personal because I wrote it so vaguely a cat could connect with it for all I know."