ALBUM of the YEAR

ALBUM of the YEAR • 2022

It's a tie for album of the year. These two albums were each introspective and raw and pushed the band into new places.



Radiate Like This by Warpaint. This album is "quieter" than previous albums. It is feminine and beautiful and playful and intimate and vulnerable.



Lucifer on the Sofa by Spoon. Indie rock, blues, stomp rock, alt-country. This may be their best album yet. And I've listened to the title track more than any other single in 2022.

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THREE MORE CONTENDERS



Cheat Codes by Black Thought and Danger Mouse. There is so much goodness here. My only complaint is that I wish some of these tracks were longer than "radio play."



The Tipping Point by Tears for Fears. An album that wears its heart on its sleeve. Personal trauma and grief are universalized. A classic band updated for a new decade.

Stumpwork by Dry Cleaning. (I didn't include a photo of the album art because I find it disturbing.) This sophomore album includes more singing by Florence to accompany her spoken word delivery. And the other band members are loose and wild and playing their best music so far.

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A FEW OTHERS

Metal album of the year. Children of the Great Extinction by Becoming the Archetype. Returning after a ten-year absence, BTA returns to form with this sci-fi death metal concept album.

Electronic album of the year. The Third Chimpanzee by Martin Gore. Yes, it's actually from 2021, but who's counting? Primal scream instrumentals from the primary songwriter of Depeche Mode. I'm sure it's mostly digital, but it feels/sounds analog at times.

Wish I had discovered it earlier (and need to hear it some more). Unison Life by Brutus. Post-hardcore shoegaze that knocks me on my ass! More please.

It was fun for a bit. Wet Leg by Wet Leg. The singles are catchy, but ultimately it felt a bit too gimmicky, too good to be true. But I still really dig "Supermarket."