Tuesday, January 10, 2023

2022 in Music: A Year in Review

The albums of 2022 created a thread of narratives that is every bit as rich as those spun by the year's films. SZA finally shut up a lot of restless, arguably obnoxious people by putting out her long gestating 2nd LP. A Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood side project that managed to both capture and subvert the spirit of Radiohead emerged seemingly overnight. Machine Gun Kelly's pop punk reinvention suddenly went from surprisingly interesting to just as boring as hip hop career was. BROCKHAMPTON ended their magical run as a group with a fizzle. Every single former member of In Flames teamed up on a project that sounds exactly like In Flames circa 1998. King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard didn't sleep for at least 10 months and pumped out 4 good-to-excellent records. 75% of the post-hardcore, pop punk and metal/deathcore bands that broke up 10 years ago reunited and put out new material.

Below, you'll find a list of every LP and EP I heard in 2022 ranked from worst to best as well some superlatives including the top 50 songs, most overrated/underrated releases and a quick list of artists I hope to get a new record from 2023.  Here's to another year of narratives and the emotions they make us feel. 

EP's:

3.END/Cult Leader-Gather & Mourn (B)

2.Billie Eilish-Guitar Songs (B)

1.Foreign Hands-Bleed the Dream (B)

LP's:

121.Muse-Will of the People (D+)

120.Banks-Serpentina (C-)

119.Machine Gun Kelly-Mainstream Sellout (C-)

118.The Devil Wears Prada-Color Decay (C-)

117.Maren Morris-Humble Quest (C)

116.Thornhill-Heroine (C)

115.Camila Cabello-Familia (C)

114.Black Country, New Road-Ants From Up There (C)

113.Foxes-The Kick (C)

112.Megadeth-The Sick, The Dying... and the Dead! (C)

111.MUNA-MUNA (C)

110.Steve Lacy-Gemini Rights (C)

109.Taylor Swift-Midnights (C)

108.Quavo and Takeoff-Only Built for Infinity Links (C)

107.Soilwork-Overgivenheten (C)

106.L.S. Dunes-Past Lives (C)

105.BROCKHAMPTON-TM (C)

104.Beyonce-Renaissance (C)

103.Kilo Kish-American Gurl (C)

102.Slowbleed-The Blazing Sun, a Fiery Dawn (C+)

101.The Chasm-The Scars of a Lost Reflective Shadow (C+)

100.Undeath-It's Time to Rise... from the Grave (C+)

99.Monuments-Stasis (C+)

98.Static Dress-Rouge Carpet Disaster (C+)

97.BROCKHAMPTON-The Family (C+)

96.State Champs-Kings of the New Age (C+)

95.Alexisonfire-Otherness (C+)

94.Post Malone-Twelve Carat Toothache (B-)

93.Korn-Requiem (B-)

92.Drug Church-Hygiene (B-)

91.Miss May I-Curse of Existence (B-)

90.Charli XCX-Crash (B-)

89.Machine Head-Of Kingdom and Crown (B-)

88.Vince Staples-Ramona Park Broke My Heart (B-)

87.Nova Twins-Supernova (B-)

86.Drake and 21 Savage- Her Loss (B-)

85.Jack White-Entering Heaven Alive (B-)

84.Demi Lovato-HOLY FVCK (B-)

83.Rico Nasty-Las ruinas (B-)

82.Norma Jean-Deathrattle Sing for Me (B-)

81.Maggie Rodgers-Surrender (B-)

80.Clutch-Sunrise on Slaughter Beach (B-)

79.The Mars Volta-The Mars Volta (B-)

78.Varials-Scars for You to Remember (B-)

77.Amon Amarth-The Great Heathen Army (B-)

76.Electric Callboy-Tekkno (B-)

75.Rosalia-Motomami (B-)

74.Harry Styles-Harry's House (B-)

73.Mitski-Laurel Hell (B-)

72.FKA twigs-Caprisongs (B-)

71.Worm Shepherd-Ritual Hymns (B-)

70.AURORA-THE GODS WE CAN TOUCH (B-)

69.Rolo Tomassi-Where Myth Becomes Memory (B-)

68.Megan thee Stallion-Traumazine (B-)

67.Joji-Smithereens (B-)

66.p.s.you'redead-Sugar Rot (B)

65.Enterprise Earth-The Chosen (B)

64.Municipal Waste-Electrified Brain (B)

63.Analepsy-Quiescence (B)

62.Foxtails-Fawn (B)

61.Gunna-DS4EVER (B)

60.Critical Defiance-No Life Forms (B)

59.Arch Enemy-Deceivers (B)

58.Soreption-Jord (B)

57.Dr.Acula-Dr.Acula (B)

56.Terror-Pain into Power (B)

55.Cosmic Putrefaction-Crepuscular Dirge for the Blessed Ones (B)

54.Weyes Blood-And in the Darkness, Hearts Aglow (B)

53.Cabal-Magno interitus (B)

52.KEN Mode-Null (B)

51.Carly Rae Jepsen-The Loneliest Time (B)

50.Rina Sawayama-Hold the Girl (B)

49.Action Bronson-Cocodrillo Turbo (B)

48.Florence + the Machine-Dance Fever (B)

47.Meshuggah-Immutable (B)

46.Candy-Heaven is Here (B)

45.Drake-Honestly, Nevermind (B)

44.Sudan Archives-Natural Brown Prom Queen (B)

43.Pusha T-It's Almost Dry (B)

42.Northlane-Obsidian (B)

41.Metro Boomin-Heroes & Villains (B)

40.Slipknot-The End, So Far (B)

39.Artificial Brain-Artificial Brain (B)

38.Kendrick Lamar-Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers (B)

37.Immolation-Acts of God (B)

36.Coheed and Cambria-A Window of the Waking Mind (B)

35.King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard-Changes (B)

34.Denzel Curry-Melt My Eyez See Your Future (B)

33.Jack White-Fear of the Dawn (B)

32.Behemoth-Opvs contra natvram (B)

31.Moon Tooth-Phototroph (B)

30.Goatwhore-Angels Hanging from the Arches of Heaven (B)

29.Fit for An Autopsy-Oh What the Future Holds (B)

28.The Halo Effect-Days of the Lost (B)

27.Stray from the Path-Euthanasia (B)

26.Ithaca-They Fear Us (B)

25.Lamb of God-Omens (B)

24.Soul Glo-Diaspora Problems (B)

23.Shadow of Intent-Elegy (B+)

22.Counterparts-A Eulogy for Those Still Here (B+)

21.King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard-Laminated Denim (B+)

20.Allegaeon-Damnum (B+)

19.Gospel-The Loser (B+)

18.Venom Prison-Erebos (B+)

17.JID-The Forever Story (B+)

16.The Callous Daoboys-Celebrity Therapist (B+)

15.Greyhaven-This Bright and Beautiful World (B+)

14.King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard-Ice, Death, Planets, Lungs, Mushrooms and Lava (B+)

13.The Smile-A Light for Attracting Attention (B+)

12.SZA-SOS (B+)

11.Tove Lo-Dirt Femme (B+)

10.Bad Omens-THE DEATH OF PEACE OF MIND (B+)

9.Animals as Leaders-Parrhesia (B+)

8.Revocation-Netherheaven (B+)

7.Cave In-Heavy Pendulum (A-)

6.The Weeknd-Dawn FM (A-)

5.Wormrot-Hiss (A-)

4.Fallujah-Empyrean (A-)

3.King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard-Omnium Gatherum (A-)

2.Vein.fm-This World is Going to Ruin You (A-)

1.Tallah-The Generation of Danger (A)  

Awards/Superlatives:

Biggest Surprises:

1.Wormrot-Hiss

2.Bad Omens-THE DEATH OF PEACE OF MIND

3.Fallujah-Empyrean

4.Cave In-Heavy Pendulum 

5.JID-The Forever Story

Biggest Letdowns:

1.Banks-Serpentina 

2.BROCKHAMPTON-TM and The Family

3.Undeath-It's Time to Rise...from the Grave

4.Post Malone-Twelve Carrot Toothache 

5.Rina Sawayama-Hold the Girl

Most Underrated:

1.Greyhaven-This Bright and Beautiful World

2.The Callous Daoboys-Celebrity Therapist  

3.Venom Prison-Erebos

4.Itacha-They Fear Us

5.Stray from the Path-Euthansia 

Most Overrated:

1.Beyonce-Renaissance 

2.Taylor Swift-Midnights

3.Steve Lacy-Gemini Rights

4.Drake and 21 Savage-Her Loss

5.Nova Twins-Supernova

Top Discoveries:

1.Gospel

2.Soul Glo

3.Sudan Archives 

4.KEN Mode

5.Cabal 

Top Artists I Hope Drop an Album in 2023:

1.Death Grips

2.Danny Brown

3.Veil of Maya

4.Converge

5.Playboi Carti 

Top 50 Songs (in alphabetical order by artist):

Animals as Leaders-Conflict Cartography

Bad Omens-Like a Villain

Bad Omens-Nowhere to Go

The Callous Daoboys-Violent Astrology

Carly Rae Jepsen-Taking to Yourself

Cave In-Floating Skulls

Cave In-Heavy Pendulum

Cave In-Waiting for Love

Fallujah-Duality of Intent

Fallujah-Radiant Ascension

Greyhaven-In a Room Where Everything Dies

The Halo Effect-Days of the Lost

Harry Styles-Late Night Talking

In Flames-State of Slow Decay

J.I.D-Dance Now (feat. Kenny Mason)

Jack White-Fear of the Dawn

Jack White-The White Raven

Kendrick Lamar-Mother I Sober (feat. Beth Gibbons)

Kendrick Lamar-United in Grief

King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard-Magma

King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard-Gaia

King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard-Presumptous

King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard-The Dripping Tap

Lil Yachty-Poland

The Mars Volta-Blacklight Shine

Mitski-Love Me More

Moon Tooth-The I That Never Dies

Revocation-Galleries of Morbid Artistry

Revocation-Strange and Eternal

Rina Sawayama-Imagining

Rosalia-LA FAMA (feat. The Weeknd)

Shadow of Intent-Saurian King

The Smile-The Smoke

The Smile-Thin Thing

Sudan Archives-Home Maker

SZA-Blind

SZA-Seek and Destroy

SZA-Shirt

Tallah-Stomping Grounds

Tallah-The Hard Reset

Tallah-The Impressionist

Tallah-Windred

Tove Lo and SL Lewis-Call on Me

Tove Lo-2 Die 4

Tove Lo-No One Dies from Love

Vein.fm-Hellnight (feat. Jeff Smith)

Vein.fm-Inside Design

Vein.fm-Magazine Beach

Vein.fm-The Killing Womb

The Weeknd-How Do I Make You Love Me?

The Weeknd-Less Than Zero

The Weeknd-Sacrifice

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