22 in ‘22
This year I decided to completely abandon any sort similarity my top albums of the year post had to the plethora of others you will find out there. Rather than causing myself an abundance of tedious work listening to many albums which in some cases I wouldn’t normally listen to in order to determine which ones I thought were the best of the year. I decided to instead talk about the top artists which defined my year musically regardless of whether they released any music during the year. I figure that those of you reading this are doing so to hear what I have to say and don’t care whether or not I am conventional.
I say this every year but that is only because every year I feel that goes increasingly true with each passing year. I discover more new artists so narrowing down the list gains a greater degree of difficulty and I can confidently say that narrowing the list down this year was harder than it has ever been before. Especially since I am widening the scope to whatever I listened to the most. I could have very easily made a top 50 or even a top 100 artists list for the year. However either of those write ups would be so long that even I wouldn’t have wanted to write or read them. As difficult as it is to narrow down my list I find the exercise to be as enjoyable as it is painful. With that preamble out of the way here are the twenty-two artists who music had the most significant impact on my year.
22 in '22
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22 in '22 /
22. Porter Robinson – nurture (chronological tracklist)
I am admittingly a relatively new acquaintance of Porter Robinson’s music; his is not a genre that I typically find myself drawn to. While I thought this album was solid when it released last year it didn’t really click with me until I discovered this chronological tracklist this year for some reason the album in this new order hit me differently. It doesn’t really feel like the same genre as other music I have listened to from him, it have a distinct vibe and it really does have this marvelous natural sort of feel to it. This album really sold me on his music and caused to take a closer look at more of his music. I would say this past year I became more than just a casual Porter Robinson fan.
21. Lucius – Second Nature
One of two surprise discoveries for me last year was Lucius, I love the way their voices blend together so magnificently as well as the brilliant, upbeat very 80’s-esque sound which the album manages to create. It made for a great album to thrown on while I took drives through the countryside. I was amazed by the superb ways in which their voices blended and harmonized with each other. In one of the tracks both Brandi Carlile and Sheryl Crow are added into the mix and it is perfection. I will be looking forward to whatever this group does next.
20. Seven Lions – Beyond The Veil
I have been listening to Seven Lions for a number of years now and I always enjoy the vocalists they collaborate with and they continued that tradition with the latest album. By bringing in the vocal talents of musicians such as Lights and Dia Frampton there was no way this album wasn’t going to top my favorites list. For me it delivered on all accounts. The collaborations are so good especially since this isn’t the first time many of these artists have worked together. That really shows in the music you can tell these artists enjoy working together.
19.
Alvvays – Blue Rev
Since the formation of the band Alvvays has consistently delivered absolutely brilliant albums; it seems to me they can do no wrong. As each new album drops, I am never even the least bit disappointed. I really enjoyed the bright and upbeat melody of the track “After The Earthquake”. The whole album, even the more moving and somber themed tracks have that same upbeat feel to them. I found all the tracks to be impossible not to enjoy. I suppose because they are so consistent I don’t have a lot to say except that you should check this album out if you haven’t it is outstanding!
18. Kümmel – exploriosity, juniper tea
When I find myself in need of a heavy dose of chill music by Kümmel is consistently where I go to find it. I always get exactly what I was looking for. “16 sunsets,” and “neon raceway” are standouts for me on exploriosity each time I listen I find my ears consistently perking up whenever those tracks begin. “hidden lake,” and ”winter’s dream” are my favorite’s from the juniper tea EP. To be honest though more than a few times last year I just hit play and listened my way through Kümmel’s discography and I enjoyed every second of it. This music exudes the same kind of easy going persona as the artist himself and it creates a very low key musical experience.
17. Charli XCX – Crash
If you have spent much time reading my blog than you know that love, relationships, heartbreak, and everything that goes with them are subjects I often chose to discuss. So for me this album was an emotional gold mine. The very first time I listened to this album it was like I was on the receiving end of an emotional beat down. It was visceral, and also heartfelt. It felt very different from the artists previous work at least as far as I was aware. I was hooked from the start, the tracks on this album make you feel the pain of heartbreak and betrayal in a most relatable way. To put it plainly I was knocked off my feet (almost literally that is a story for another time perhaps), this album was a surprise in the best way possible.
16. Jennifer Jess – Imagine You, Blue (acoustic), Wicked Game (cover)
When I first discovered Jennifer Jess about three years ago I was impressed by both the raw power and magnificent timbre of her voice. No matter what genre of song she may be singing the unique character and texture of her voice always shines through and makes each song sound fantastic. The tracks she released this year are a prime example of this. “Imagine You” being this 80’s infused upbeat pop bop contrasted by the acoustic version of “Blue” her first single which is this stripped down deeply emotional love ballad, both are equally mind-blowing. Each track weaves a tale that is enjoyable to follow. In these past three years I have learned that whatever music she decides to do she does it astoundingly well.
15. Colleen Dauncey – Couldn't We Just, gotaway
I only discovered Colleen Dauncey last year, after doing so I placed her music on a few playlists and I haven’t stopped listening since. If I had to choose favorites, they would be the most recent release “Couldn’t We Just” as well as “gotaway.” I love the way that both of these tracks manage to be equally upbeat and emotionally moving. I love when artists are able to create a track that’s so upbeat you almost don’t realize what the subject of the song is because you are too busy dancing. With these tracks specifically though when you really pay attention, you find that they contain incredible depth which you can spend hours unpacking.
14. Meadowlark – Nightstorm, Nightstorm acoustic tracks, Goodbye
I have written about music by Kate McGill a number of times on my blog and in case you haven’t seen those write ups the consensus is that I am very impressed and enjoy her music quite a lot. So last year when I discovered there was more music in the form of the band Meadowlark I was stoked. I was not disappointed quite to the contrary in fact as I listened to the album Nightstorm over one hundred times through. The whole back catalog of music is all marvelous. What McGill and band mate Daniel Broadley create together is truly spectacular I was incredibly impressed by how well the vocals meshed so perfectly with everything else on the album; the instruments, the production etc. Each and every time I listened to the album was a great experience. This past year they put out acoustic version of a number of songs from the album and as each one released I devoured them. As an end of the year treat we were also given a new single “Goodbye” and just like everything else they have done it exceptional. Very melancholy and touching you can really feel the emotion that was put into the creation of the track. I cannot wait to see what they do next.
13. Tyler Levs – Struck EP, 3:30-10:21
I believe I have mentioned this before but Tyler’s music reminds me a lot of the stuff I listened to growing up; 90’s and early 2000’s indie rock/emo type stuff. I always feel nostalgic after I listen to one of his new releases (this past year there was quite a few of them). I don’t know what it is exactly partly his vocal timbre and his musical style it all comes together to create something that I find incredibly entertaining to listen to. I talked a bit about the Struck EP earlier this year which I thoroughly enjoyed. Many singles were released since then which culminated in the release of an album about week before Christmas. It is a sizeable fifteen track album which is an especially herculean feat for an independent singer-songwriter but what is all the more impressive is the fact that each and every track is remarkably good. Each time I listened I never found myself wanting to skip a single track. I wanted to hear what each track was saying and try to figure the ways they related to the other tracks on the album. Tyler is constantly iterating on the sound of his previous work and with each EP or album he releases I am always surprised by what he comes up with.
12. Anna Luther – Pins and Needles, Up to Me
I feel that there is always this underlying complexity contained in Anna’s lyrics. It’s as if she is able to capture various aspects of the human psyche within her songs. They get me to think about things differently and I enjoy that quite a bit. Pins and Needles is no exception. I briefly talked about this in previous post but I am going to mention it again because I really like these lyrics.
“So many words and I don't wanna choose the wrong ones
And if you go first then I may never pick out some
It feels like there's static in my body's attic
And the white noise won't settle down
So give me a moment just so I can refill my lungs”
Perhaps now you will see what I mean; “static in my body’s attic” I love it, it is genius and it conjures up this very vivid picture in your mind as you listen. I haven’t even mentioned how well these lyrics are conveyed through the magnificent vocals; the words would not mean near as much if you couldn’t feel the conviction in Anna’s voice as she sings them. I am certainly glad I was led to Anna’s Twitch channel so I could discover her music and all that it has to offer.
11. Zoe Wren – Vapour, Sailing Boat, Reckless River
Zoe’s instrumental’s and vocals both contain all the poise and prowess characteristic of a classic folk singer. It is always a fantastic experience to watch her live streams on Twitch. Her voice is so crisp, clear, expressive and impressively ataractic. The tracks she released this past year “Vapour” and “Sailing Boat” are perfect examples of this. As I listen I feel as if I am spirited away to another realm containing nothing but tranquility. The lyrics from “Sailing Boat” have been on my mind throughout this year. They illustrate this magnificent tale that feels as if it was taken directly from the pages of a classic story book.
“The funny thing with distance
Is relativity
How small we are from space
But how you're all the world to me
How the hours pass like minutes
When you hold me endlessly
How I almost feel you here
Although you're miles across the sea
You're just across the sea”
It is gripping and calamitous that always leaves me wanting to know more, how does the story end? I suppose that is left up to each person to decide. I enjoy the journey I am taken on each time I listen.
10. Weezer – all the SZNZ
I have been listening to Weezer for as long as I can remember and while every album hasn’t been absolute gold I have never been disappointed by anything they’ve released. This past year they somehow managed to release not one or even two but four albums; named after each of the four seasons containing over sixty tracks all together. Each season has it’s unique theme both lyrically and musically so much so that as I listened to the massive combined playlist on shuffle I gained the ability to tell which season a given track was from. This was the most I have enjoyed a release from Weezer in a number of years. Each listen of this playlist represents a three hour time commitment but I don’t regret any time that I spent listening to it.
9. Jayne & the Huntsman – Hold Your Own, One Day at a Time, What About Me EP
I really like the chemistry of this group. I had the opportunity to watch a live stream of a performance they did last year and they all just seemed to gel so well together. This is evident in the music they release. Whatever emotion is conveyed in a given song is done so convincingly and so well that you almost feel compelled to experience it yourself. The music is just that powerful; due in no small part to the vocals of Jayne. Jayne’s voice has this way of cutting through to my emotional center and just viciously stirring things up in the best possible way. This music really made me feel things that in some cases I had been repressing. I had one particular listening session of the EP which I won’t soon forget.
8. MUNA – MUNA
This is another artist which came out of nowhere for me. I was doing music based research and discovered that Phoebe Bridgers had started a record label. I looked into the groups that had signed to the label and when I came across MUNA I was completely dumbfounded. They are this absolutely brilliant blend of Pop genre’s capturing both the best aspects of 80’s synth pop with everything that the indie pop of today has to offer. Upon discovering this album an entire week went by where I listened to nothing else. The production, the vocals everything about this album is exceptionally exquisite. I have a strong feeling that this is an album that I will revisit for years to come and never grow tired of it.
7. Carmela – Vital Fidelity, New Stranger
Vital Fidelity is one of two albums by artists I have discovered on the Twitch platform that I am able to enjoy in what I consider to be the best way to listen to music that being vinyl record form. I have no idea how many times I listened to this record but needless to say it frequented my turntable over this past year. Carmela’s new album that released during this last year quickly became a favorite release of mine. Throughout the year as new albums would release I found myself going back to New Stranger again and again. I enjoy diving into Carmela’s music so much because I always know that within the tracks I will be able to find messages that are not only personal to the artist but also incredibly relatable to rest of us who are just trying to live life. She writes about her own experiences but she does so in such a way that the rest of us listening are easily able to connect with her messages. I feel that her music is really about the human condition and all that entails.
“Staring back
At the face in the mirror
This new version of me
I don't recognize myself
This new version of me
Is better for my health”
As I heard this many different ideas came to mind. The reinvention of oneself, the struggle to feel like you can be yourself and no worry about changing to conform with any external pressures. There is a lot to discover both in the title track where this excerpt is from but also in the album itself.
6. Kendra Lyssa – Your Party
At the time of writing, I am currently enjoying watching Kendra on Twitch. The musical talent I witness whenever I watch a stream is unchanging. Outstanding songs are created on the spot about things like going to the gym or diving people to the airport and these improvised songs are so good that I would pay good money to have them on an album so that I could listen to them over and over. Kendra always has this incredibly genuine feel to her performances and the track “Your Party” released last year showcases this exquisitely. The first time I heard it, I found the lyrics so engaging. I remember thinking to myself “yeah I’ve definitely felt that before.” The track captures so many different emotions all at once and creates this experience which is so real its almost as if you are in the situation yourself. A socially anxious person such as I can definitely relate to this track.
5. Cerian – Caught in the Dark EP, Wrong Side
Cerian has a most fantastic Welsh name and fantastic music to match. A multi-instrumentalist with an accomplished rapping alter ego; you really never know exactly what is going to happen during a live stream on Cerian’s Twitch channel but a few things are guaranteed. Firstly that the music will be phenomenal and will include unbelievably long looped tracks which are composed so well they never lose your attention. Second you will be consistently and constantly entertained. If I had to pick one word to describe Cerian’s music it would be serene. There is this magnificently sense of peace to her songs which makes it feel otherworldly. I am moved by the deeply personal stories that her tracks tell; it is readily apparent when you listen that she puts a part of herself into the music she creates. I spent much time listening to her live streams this past year and on more than one occasion she would get me through an entire shift at work or at least very close to it. I very much appreciate her brightening up what would have otherwise been very dull work days.
4. Taylor Swift – folklore, evermore, Midnights
Taylor Swift is an artist on this list that some people may be sick of me writing about and to them I say tough cookies. I have really dived into her latest releases and in the case of folklore I have done multiple write ups on it. In fact, my recent analysis of Midnights mentions folklore a number of times. I have said it many times I feel that her music has evolved in every aspect these past few years, and it something that I very much appreciate. While I have always enjoyed her albums they previously felt applicable really to her specifically. Since the release of folklore the topics of her songs have shifted drastically to become much wider and far reaching in scope while still not losing the personal aspect her tracks have always contained. She has composed songs about things such as people who struggle with illness on daily basis, dealing with external pressures and the feeling that people want you to be someone other than yourself. These albums are so very relatable and there are some tracks on Midnights especially that just strike me so hard such as “You’re On Your Own, Kid”. Despite what anyone else has said in the past I have always thought that Taylor was one of the greatest songwriters currently living and I am happy to see that her music has really evolved to showcase that in an even greater way. Whether you like her music or not I think arguing that she cannot write incredibly well is all but impossible to argue.
3. Alanna Matty – Thoughts/Feelings, Swimming
I really have no idea how many times I have spun Thoughts/Feelings on my turntable over the past year. I can confidently say it was considerably more than fifty times. The album is superb in every way that it could be and I really love the fact that I can enjoy it on vinyl. Aside from the nostalgic feel and any technical aspect there is just something different about listening to records. I did a post on this album earlier this year and to sum it up I loved it. Alanna is a wizard when it comes to creating emotionally affecting music. The album stays true to its name as when I listen to it I have many different thoughts and experience a great deal of feelings. Now “Swimming” is a track that I meant to discuss upon release but I failed big time. This song became an instant favorite of mine after the very first time I heard it on a Twitch live stream, and I was extremely stoked for a produced version to release. Alanna managed to take a track which I already found thoroughly impressive and turn it into a track which completely astounded me. It contains both everything I knew I wanted as well as everything that I didn’t know I wanted. When it first dropped I laid down on my bed and just listened to the track on repeat for an hour without even realizing how much time had passed because it just felt so good.
2. Melissa Lamm – Nobody Else, All This Time Double EP, Break Up Song, All the Words...
While I am not perfect at this, I do my very best to take the opportunity to write about each track Melissa releases. I have been introduced to many artists that I now enjoy thanks to her recommendations and that similar taste is I think part of the reason why I so consistently enjoy the music she creates. For me the mark of a spectacular songwriter is the ability to make me consider each new song/album they release my new favorite of their work. That has been the case thus far with Melissa’s music. I feel that each new track builds upon and evolves on what she has previously done and every time that I think to myself “this track is amazing it’s going to be my favorite for a while for sure” she releases something new that I absolutely cannot get enough of. I managed to listen to one of the tracks more than fifteen hundred times this past year so I guess you could say I enjoyed it. The passion that Melissa has for music is both palpable and contagious on her live streams whenever she mentions the new projects she is working you cannot help but be extremely excited because of how excited she is about it. Whatever comes next from Melissa I looked forward to be flabbergasted and having some new favorite music to enjoy.
1. Lisa Ritchie – Everything
By everything I mean literally everything. I created a playlist which includes all the Bandcamp exclusive tracks I have purchased as well as Lisa’s Spotify discography and I listened to it over and over again. I loved each and every time I listened. There was even a few times where I found myself in the cinema with one earbud still implanted in my ear while I was watching because I just didn’t want to stop listening. I had a goal this year to write about all the music on the playlist I mentioned but I was unable to do so. I managed to write a few posts and I will work on the rest until I complete my goal. Both the way that Lisa writes and what she writes about just really mesh with me in a way that I find hard to explain. Sometimes you just come across music that really clicks with you and you don’t entirely know why. I can see so much depth and emotional complexities in her songs; which speaks to her abilities as a songwriter, I feel that each of tracks contains many different layers each with their own insights and most of which I am not able to discern or discover. I find that very intriguing. Each time I listen I am looking for new tidbits and understanding about what a given track is trying to tell me. It is like a series of puzzles that seem almost impossible to solve. While I normally don’t enjoy unsolved puzzles in this case, I am perfectly okay with it. In fact I love it, it makes each time I listen and discover something new that much more satisfying.
