2022 was a year of definition. Removed from the turmoil of the pandemic, but still amid its social and economic effects, art echoed reality. Art has a funny way of matching the happenings of the world, even if we don’t know how. On the other side of our societal mountain, we’ve seen artists evolve at an unusually rapid pace. Perhaps we’ve all evolved too.
Here are our staff’s picks for 2022’s best musical offerings.
Courtesy of Third Man.
‘Fear of the Dawn’ by Jack White
“Fear of the Dawn” is Jack White’s best solo album, delivering head-banging tunes track after track. An album made for lovers of heavy guitar. White improved upon his past solo albums delivering his best album since his time with The White Stripes. The music on the album combined the guitar with heavy synthesizers to give a unique sound reminding me of something from Tom Morello of Rage Against The Machine. The vocals on this album go away from the lighter singing of past albums to more of an angrier tone which I really enjoyed as it better showcased White’s emotion. This album feels like what White wants to write and not what he thinks people will like. I am anticipating seeing this album’s authenticity from White in the future.
— Spencer Friedland, Staff Writer
Courtesy of Domino Recording Company.
‘The Car’ by Arctic Monkeys
Arctic Monkeys’ latest LP, “The Car”, was my soundtrack for the tail-end of 2022. It was an endearing callback to classic noir films, jet skis on moats and yes, the mirrorball. The delicate string arrangements and lead singer Alex Turner’s maturing voice, coupled with the somber and groovy songs off this record, all make it a must-listen for any indie rock fan. The music and production sound luxurious and enveloping to the listener. This album is a byproduct of a more subdued and matured band, one that is markedly different from the frenetic British punk they burst onto the scene with in the early 2000s. If you want your life to feel cinematic, play this record in full.
— Ari Segal, Staff Writer
Courtesy of Rough Trade Records.
‘Hellfire’ by Black Midi
Sometimes throwing everything at the wall works. Black Midi is a band that operates in the macro, maximizing the variety of instruments, time signatures and stylistic shifts contained in each song — resulting in a genre-defying record that will make you wonder how humans made it. Vocalist/guitarist Geordie Greep barks that “There’s always something” in the album’s opening track, and holding true to that sentiment, Black Midi explores everything from gambling addictions to tabloid frenzies. But there’s always something for the listener too, whether you’re a fan of extreme metal, smooth jazz, post-punk or experimental hip-hop. Greep, bassist/vocalist Cameron Picton and drummer Morgan Simpson are not only world-class musicians — their creativity is Black Midi’s true selling point. Albums as electrifying as “Hellfire” don’t come along often, and it’s no wonder 2022 was the year that saw its release: chaos reigns, and “Hellfire” sounds like it.
— Easton Lane, Staff Writer
Courtesy of Top Dawg Entertainment/RCA Records.
‘SOS’ by SZA
From 2000s punk-rock, to rap, to neo-soul, to pop, to R&B, SZA’s sophomore album has something for everyone. After SZA’s debut album “Ctrl” (2017) was released without her consent by her record label over five years ago, the talented singer-songwriter took a step back from the industry despite her music’s unquestionable popularity. But with a surprise teaser and an SNL appearance, SZA has emerged from the depths with her genre-bending sophomore album “SOS.” The magic of this album is that it can be listened to in any setting — lounging around with friends, studying for an upcoming test or jamming out on full volume in your car. It’s a versatile masterpiece that serves as an experimental collection while never sacrificing that treasured SZA sound that listeners can’t help but fall in love with. The album has already become a viral sensation, with songs consistently charting on the Billboard Top 200 and a broken record for the biggest ever weekly stream count for an R&B album. SZA may not make music for everyone, but whatever she touches turns to gold, including the explorative wonder of “SOS.”
– Nathan Rubin, Staff Writer
Courtesy of Dirty Hit.
‘Being Funny In A Foreign Language’ by The 1975
The 1975 emphasizes that despite the awkwardness and fear that people encounter when they are “being funny” in a foreign context, feeling excluded by others and stuck in dilemmas seemingly impossible to overcome, love will always save them. The songs start with low and renewed patterns of synthesized ’80s beats, and then build up to catchy and lyrical choruses that people can easily sing along with. Instead of mixing different genres and writing slow-paced lyrics, the band, with the help of pop singers’ go-to producer Jack Antonoff, focused their genre in pop and streamlined the beats to make their songs rapid-fire. “Looking For Somebody (To Love),” “I’m In Love With You,” “Happiness:” their outright embrace of love songs and pop beats may sound cliche, but that’s how they increased their popularity and elicited the audience’s sincerest feelings about love. As guitarist and vocalist Matthew Healy said, “Annoying, whatever. But I’m not insincere.” Perhaps sincerity and their courage to advertise about “love” out loud is the key to their success, winning them loyal listeners worldwide.
— Amiee Zhao, Contributing Writer
Courtesy of Hassle Records.
‘Baby’ by Petrol Girls
Punk is meant to be a reaction to the flaws of social, political and cultural structures, and “Baby” expertly encapsulates those faults in society today. The UK band’s third album uses rage to explore topics such as bodily autonomy, centrism and a fear of the future, all while promoting a community for those who feel cast out and unsafe. In their song “Preachers,” lead singer Ren Aldridge screams, “I don’t wanna be saved, I guess I’ll be damned.” Rather than searching for solace by conforming to the ideas of religious and political institutions, the song asks us to find comfort in our own “imperfections.” We are damned, but we should be proud of it. Mix these themes with the furious, frustrated vocals of Aldridge and the raucous instrumentals and you’re left with an album that leaves you feeling angry, ready for change. “Baby,” like the myth of Pétroleuses that inspired the band’s name, is an unapologetic blaze that ignites everything in its path not for the purpose of destruction, but to be built anew.
— Eythen Anthony, Arts and Entertainment Editor
Courtesy of Milestone Records.
‘Once Twice Melody’ by Beach House
With the release of “Once Twice Melody,” Beach House proved that they fundamentally understand how to write an album comprised of the sheer hedonistic love for music itself. The project isn’t personal, and it doesn’t contain any gut-wrenchingly powerful lyrics or traumatic ponderings. Lyrical content can be encapsulated by a simple mantra that encapsulates Beach House: love, life and listening to music. “Pink Funeral” tells a tragic love story using Tchaikovsky’s “Swan Lake” ballet as a backdrop. The instrumentation on this album includes lush orchestration to supplement their indulgent and classic dreampop formula. Every facet of the album panders to the music lover. In an interview, Beach House acknowledged the insanely long tracklist and decided to embrace the deep cuts. Each track is destined to be at least one person’s favorite. “Once Twice Melody” is a sprawling dreampop adventure and, even in its most haunting moments, I can’t help but smile and sing along.
— Michael Blankfein, Contributing Writer
Courtesy of Republic Records.
‘HEROES & VILLAINS’ by Metro Boomin
Morgan Freeman … on a rap album? Metro Boomin’s “HEROES & VILLAINS” is an exceptional amalgamation of text, music and film. The album highlights the production prowess of Metro Boomin through his seamless implementation of media samples; the first track contains a vehement speech by Homelander (Antony Starr) from the beloved show “The Boys” and a later song pays homage to rap legend Jay-Z through sampling text from his song “So Appalled.” “HEROES & VILLAINS” is a groundbreaking album in that it fuses together all of the different “genres” of entertainment and breaks down conventional ideas of what kind of art should be featured in a rap song. The album utilizes culture and mixed media to blur the lines of traditional hip-hop in the absolute best way. With big names like John Legend, 21 Savage and The Weeknd to name a few, Metro Boomin proves that he has mastered the skill of interweaving an artist’s distinct sound into a cohesive album. After listening to “HEROES & VILLAINS,” one might say that Metro Boomin is somewhat of a hero himself, albeit a musical one.
— Gracie Evans, Contributing Writer
Courtesy of PGLang.
‘Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers’ by Kendrick Lamar
Kendrick Lamar’s 2022 revelation has done nothing but continue to show its secrets. Although my original review was wholly positive, my coverage failed to completely embrace the monumental moment “Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers” was. Upon further observation, the degree to which Lamar calls on listeners to embrace self-betterment over downward spiraling is nearly unmatched. The album begins reserved, as one might be just beginning reflection, but in its runtime, Lamar addresses deep traumas, his “generational curse.” Such a perspective is a necessary one in the larger hip-hop canon, displaying the explosion of a rap revolution; a moment of true change. Clearly, this change has been at least partially inspired by positive voices of the newest generation such as Tyler the Creator and Mac Miller. However, Lamar’s artistic statement also carries the history of transcendent hip-hop. This year, the artist of our generation released the album of the year.
— Ben Brodsky, Senior Staff Writer
Courtesy of Polydor Records.
‘Dance Fever’ by Florence + the Machine
“Dance Fever” is not only Florence Welch’s love letter to performance, but also to herself.
“I am free,” she affirms throughout the dance-pop track “Free,” with a sense of wonder and insistence that feels euphoric. Through powerful choruses, Welch explores the reinvention of existing mythologies and archetypes. In “King,” Welch wrestles with traditional gender roles, raging “I am no mother, I am no bride, I am king.” In “Girls Against God” she sings, “I know I may not look like much / just another screaming speck of dust” but everything about the album is big, reaching out for a self still trying to be defined. The album experiments with genres too, including indie-pop, alt-rock and folk. “Choreomania” begins with claps, building up into an intense whirlwind with breathy vocals and fluttering choral repetitions of “something’s coming!” Dancing along to this song in September at their storm of a show in Alpharetta, Georgia was a wildly joyful and undeniably cathartic experience.
— Mitali Singh, Senior Staff Writer
