50 Favorite Albums of 2022 Part Four
Ten AOTY candidates featuring Sea Power, Stars, Deserta, Kurt Vile, HAAi, Tim Heidecker, Panda Bear & Sonic Boom, Uni Boys, Confidence Man, and Open Mike Eagle.
Here we are on the edge of reaching Check This Out!‘s Top 10 Albums of the Year. At the beginning of this year’s festivities, I said I wasn’t ranking records outside of the final ten. While these albums presented here are still in no particular order, one notion sets them apart from everything from the rest of the countdown - at one point or another, all of these records were considered to finish in the final ten slots.
For myself, this shows what a powerhouse 2022 is for new music. There are plenty of albums that aren’t even mentioned in the final fifty that I absolutely loved (see Gang of Youths’ angel in real time and Superchunk’s Wild Loneliness are just a few that come to mind), but narrowing this final batch of twenty records proved to be quite the challenge. I know this to be true when picking three songs from each of these for the playlist was close to impossible while I wondered, “can I just put the whole damn thing on here?”.
Before getting into the list, I want to celebrate each of these records for their own merits. First and foremost, both Sea Power and Stars deserve a massive round of applause as veteran indie acts who have weathered being under the commercial radar this past decade and coming out on the other side with some of their best work in years while releasing their albums through their own labels. Everything Was Forever by Sea Power is the band’s vintage best while wearing life’s hard miles well. Meanwhile, Stars continue to make beautiful dream pop that has never dipped in songcraft quality. I’m thankful each time I hear Torq Campbell and Amy Millan sing together on a new song (who doesn’t love wearing that old reliable sweater?).
Another indie vet making moves is Kurt Vile, who successfully completes the major label jump with his ninth(!) record and one that is easily his best since 2013’s Wakin On a Pretty Daze. Deserta continues to make some of the most gorgeous shoegaze in a genre that has ticked back up in popularity in the past few years, while Open Mike Eagle shows room for humility and self-deprication in hip-hop. Tim Heidecker continues his evolution as one helluva singer-songwriter, and High School features the best storytelling out of everything I listened to this year. HAAi’s Baby, We’re Ascending is one of the most vital electronic releases this year, and it’s fantastic to hear her rise to the top in a genre dominated by men (if you have recs for female electronic producers, hit me up cos I want to hear as much as possible). Also on the electronic front is the dream collaboration between Panda Bear & Sonic Boom, only left out of a top finish because I didn’t want to have two Animal Collective-related projects at the summit (spoiler alert for Tuesday).
Finally, two completely different records already have me ready to toss winter aside and return to the warmer months in Uni Boys and Confidence Man. The retro power pop of Uni Boys scratched a good ol’ rock n’ roll itch, and I know many of you feel the same with all of the positive messages I received after reviewing Do It All Next Week. Meanwhile, Confidence Man let everyone know it was okay to have fun again with their clubbing hooks pulled straight out of the nineties.
Enjoy the weekend, and I’ll see you Tuesday with my picks for the year's best records!
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Miss an earlier entry in the year-end list? No problemo:
12 Favorite EPs of 2022 w/ Barry Can’t Swim, Pastel, Cold Atlantic, Donny Benét, Jacques Greene, Soshi Takeda, Matthieu Faubourg, Luxury Noise, NewDad, KaySoul, TOPS, and Weather Underground.
50 Favorite Albums of 2022 Part One w/ Artsick, Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever, Brandon Coleman, Bonobo, Spoon, Big Thief, Tony Molina, Cool Maritime, Marci and Sean Thompson's Weird Ears.
50 Favorite Albums of 2022 Part Two w/ Julian Fulco Perron, Built to Spill, Yumi Zouma, Coast to Coast Collective, Vince Staples, Kikagaku Mayo, Erin Rae, Goose, Tourist, and Laura Veirs.
50 Favorite Albums of 2022 Part Three w/ Kids On a Crime Spree, John Carroll Kirby, Kevin Morby, Cate Le Bon, Denzel Curry, Trick Mist, Sharon Van Etten, Marco Benevento, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and Brothertiger.
The playlist is updated with three songs from each AOTY candidate. At over 8 hours and 120 songs, there’s something for everyone. Dive in!
Listen on Apple Music 🎧
If you enjoy some of these albums, I’d love to hear from you!
Sea Power - Everything Was Forever
What I said in my review: Starting with their volatile yet gorgeously atmospheric debut, The Decline of British Sea Power, Sea Power has been a club-sized band writing stadium-ready anthems that have always deserved more recognition. Instead of embracing a sound reset with the name change, the group wisely welcomed their unique electrifying tendencies on their latest, Everything Was Forever.
The fragile state of the world is obviously on Sea Power’s minds throughout this ten-song set, and after co-leader Neil Hamilton Wilkinson’s gentle opener, “Scaring At the Sky,” brother Scott Wilkinson ponders, “I thought that we were all in this together, if you ever come back again, will you be more than a witness to the weather?” on the grooving “Transmitter.” The urgent matter of climate change has often been the subject of the band’s work going all the way back to “Larsen B,” a song from 2005 about the Antarctic ice shelf that collapsed three years previously (Larsen C fell in 2017). Some extraordinary takes on Everything Was Forever also deal with the subject like “Folly,” which works into excellent new electronic territory for the group as Neil Hamilton wonders, "when's it gonna happen? Are we all fucked?” over a deceptively wistful hook. The previously released single “Green Goddess” is another one of these decisive numbers, a classic ode to nature that the band has perfected over the years that begs for the listener to choose the earth over capital.
Songs Ya Gotta Hear: Transmitter, Fire Escape By the Sea, Doppelganger.
Everything Was Forever is available on Golden Chariot Records.
Stars - From Capelton Hill
What I said in my review: After five years away, “Palmistry” opens the album with the formula that is always guaranteed to pull me right in: the sweet songbird chemistry of Campbell and Amy Millan. Their combined syrupy heart-on-the-sleeve sincerity has always been the band’s draw, but it means so much more after the dreadful air of the past half-decade.
“Pretenders” is the ultimate Stars single, with Millan delicately crooning over the sweeping chords from guitarist Chris McCarron and Evan Cranley’s driving basslines (kudos to Millan for working “golden foyer” into the hook). “Patterns” is another touching number from Amy Millan as she meditates on the long-term friendships formed amongst Stars, Broken Social Scene, and other artists from their everlasting Canadian indie rock scene.
Stars thrive on a reliable flair for the dramatic. Still, the difficulty and suffering of the past few years have pushed them further into sincerity and From Capelton Hill is the tremendous payoff for a group of friends who refuse to give in. It’s an album that confronts these dark times head-on while also offering a healthy dose of nostalgic earnestness that warms my soul to hear them again.
Songs Ya Gotta Hear: Palmistry, Pretenders, Patterns.
From Capelton Hill is available on Last Gang Records.
Deserta - Every Moment, Everything You Need
What I said in my review: Whereas Black Aura, My Sun was slow to show its brilliance, built upon walls of reverb, Every Moment, Everything You Need is immediate, like honey for the ears with the sprawling sonic jump that Doty has taken. Joined by James McAlister on drums this time, Deserta is now a fully realized dream pop head trip fit for the challenging present.
Doty recorded the album in his two-bedroom apartment while juggling fatherhood and his day job as a nurse during the pandemic. While we share the feeling collectively, this experience makes the album stand out “I’m So Tired” hit so hard. Once a member of the bands Midnight Faces and Saxon Shore, Doty now sings, “guess you’ll know why I’m so tired, too tired to be cool,” as he navigated recording the album while working on the frontline.
This time around, Deserta isn’t sneaking into the year-end list. Instead, Every Moment, Everything You Need is an early defining record for 2022.
Songs Ya Gotta Hear: I’m So Tired, Far From Over, Goodbye Vista.
Every Moment, Everything You Need is available on Felte Records.
Kurt Vile - (watch my moves)
What I said in my review: Vile has always embraced his signature original brand of laid-back stoner rock, which often features stream-of-consciousness lyrics over lethargic grooves. Still, on his latest (watch my moves), Vile may have perfected the formula. Strangely, the revelation arrives with what is also his major-label debut, having moved to Verve Records (owned by Universal Music Group) after an incredible run on Merge. So often, the big label jump can derail a one-of-a-kind act like Vile. Luckily, Verve is more known as a jazz label, an idea that doesn’t necessarily fit Vile’s singer-songwriter career but does embrace his free-spirit approach to exploring whatever corner of his brain seems amusing at the moment.
The first single, “Like Exploding Stones,” may be the quintessential Kurt Vile song, as he throws concern for tempo out the window and fills the seven-minute track with lyrical nuggets like, “Thoughts runnin’ round my cranium like pinball machine-a-mania.” Everything here is absolutely vital, including the few interludes and another ode to Bruce Springsteen with a stunning cover of “Wages of Sin,” an E-Streetsong cut from Born in the U.S.A.
Kurt Vile is one of the great singer-songwriters of the past decade, and it seems odd to be considering the possibility that someone’s ninth album may be their best, but (watch my moves) is Vile as his most complete package yet.
Songs Ya Gotta Hear: Like Exploding Stones, Mount Airy Hill (Way Gone), Fo Sho.
HAAi - Baby, We’re Ascending
What I said in my review: Baby We’re Ascending is the product of Teniel Throssell’s fast-paced rise in the UK circuit performing as HAAi, and an aptly named record both for her expeditious climb and the euphoric and joyous songs found here. On top of the phenomenal solo works like the pulsing “Pigeon Barron,” cathartic “Bodies of Water,” or gorgeous subaquatic “Orca,” HAAi has also brought along a primo guest list. “Human Sound” lends looped beats a mortal sound thanks to a poetry verse from Kai-Isaiah Jamaland and a heavenly hook from HAAi. “Biggest Mood” is already one of my favorite songs of the year thanks to the reverbed vocals from Alexis Taylor of Hot Chip and Jon Hopkins, the current king of hallucinatory dance music shows up for the title track with stunning results.
An album that dodges a suitable description, it’s also a bit clubbier than my usual recommendations. But stick with Baby We’re Ascending and you’ll find the bona fide healing powers that electronic music offers.
Songs Ya Gotta Hear: Bodies of Water, Biggest Mood, Baby We’re Ascending.
Baby, We’re Ascending is available now on Mute.
Tim Heidecker - High School
What I said in my review: As awesome as the first half of High School is, the final stretch is where the record seals the deal as one of the best of 2022. “Stupid Kid” is the all too relatable story of a fifteen-year-old Tim Heidecker watching Neil Young perform “Harvest Moon” and picking up a guitar because “Oh, it looks so easy that even a stupid kid like me could do it.” Waterbeds and pop culture fill “Sirens of Titan,” a glimpse into the life of Heidecker as a teenager in Pennsylvania, with one of my favorite verses of the year that demonstrates Heidecker’s gift of dealing a quip without delving into full-on funnyman territory:
“Kurt Vonnegut comin’ to town, speakin’ at the university, I was a little shit, a little right-wing, When he said he loved Clinton, I couldn’t help but disagree, I was fiscally conservative, until I got that college degree.”
“What Did We Do With Our Time?” is another brilliant look into the teenage boy’s mind, with time spent writing songs and hitting the thrift store for ironic t-shirts, before the album closes back in the present with the sunshine escapism of “Kern River.”
With High School, Heidecker has once again surrounded himself with high talent from the indie scene. Mostly recorded at Mac DeMarco’s home studio, it also features Eric D. Johnson of Fruit Bats, Drew Erickson, Jonathan Rado of Foxygen(who produced In Glendale), and a great feature from Kurt Vile on “Sirens of Titan.” But make no mistake, this isn’t Bruce Willis moonlighting as Bruno or Scarlett Johanson teaming up with Pete Yorn for a snooze-worthy vanity project. Heidecker has been at this forever, and High School separates the heartfelt songwriter from the bizarro comedian with phenomenal results.
I’ll take more of this from Tim Heidecker any day.
Songs Ya Gotta Hear: Stupid Kid, Sirens of Titan (featuring Kurt Vile), What Did We Do With Our Time?.
High School is available on Spacebomb.
Panda Bear & Sonic Boom - Reset
What I said in my review: Panda Bear has always been my favorite part of Animal Collective. As Panda Bear, Noah Lennox is often compared to The Beach Boys, with the gift of drifting between songbird Carl Wilson and Mike Love, minus the insufferable personality. Take, for example, “Edge of the Edge” or “Danger,” with the former featuring doo-wop harmonies and the latter fitting in perfectly with the comedown comfort of the lo-fi trailblazing Smiley Smile from 1967. Add in the neo-psychedelia brilliance of Pete Kember, aka Sonic Boom, and I am all in on this fun project.
Songs Ya Gotta Hear: Go On, Edge of the Edge, Whirlpool.
Reset is available on Domino Recording Co.
Uni Boys - Do It All Next Week
What I said in my review: Even though Uni Boys recorded Do It All Next Week at home with some help from Garageband, the production by Matin is as rich as anything from the bubblegum era it looks to for inspiration. One of the best opening runs of the year, “You Worry About Me,” “Downtown,” “On Your Lovin’ Mind,” and “Long Time No See,” kick things off with a bang, but Uni Boys never slow down for thirty minutes as “Caroline Kills” and “I Wanna Rock You” are latter album highlights. It’s also worth seeking out “Rock ‘n’ Roll Dream,” a song from the earlier “Long Time No See” single that didn’t make the cut.
Songs Ya Gotta Hear: Downtown, Caroline Kills, I Wanna Rock You.
Do It All Next Week is available on Curation Records.
Confidence Man - TILT
What I said in my review: Confidence Man is an Australian dance music quartet that brings all of the good times 90s throwback house beats and catchy choruses. If Confidence Man actually released TILT in the 90s, I would be giving my younger sister shit for listening to it while spinning Bush’s Razorblade Suitcase again. Dreadful.
With teen angst long in the rearview, I can’t help but love what Confidence Man is doing on this joyous record of synth-filled dance anthems.
Songs Ya Gotta Hear: Luvin U Is Easy, Holiday, Push It Up.
Open Mike Eagle - A Tape Called Component System With the Auto Reverse
What I said in my review: Chicago’s Open Mike Eagle hasn’t released a bad album yet, but it was 2020’s Anime, Trauma, and Divorce that really reached out and grabbed me towards the end of a challenging year. Out of all of the pandemic records we’ve heard over the past two years, Eagle’s self-deprecating humor hit a sweet spot for me as he explored a crumbling marriage, anxiety, and the self-care to cope with the times. I loved it so much that Anima, Trauma, and Divorce ended up at number eight of my favorite records in an incredibly stacked year.
This year, Open Mike Eagle is in a different place, now also a podcast host on What Happened Was, where Eagle interviews hip-hop legends about their careers in long form. The podcast influences his new album, A Tape Called Component System with Auto Reverse, which is full of 90s hip-hop references and is a play on revisiting the mixtape format of yore. The self-deprecating humor is still present, with “I Retired Then I Changed My Mind” being a required highlight (“‘What the fuck is Art Rap?’ in every damn interview” and “I pop then the jewels flew, I wear gold chains and can’t jump like I used to, I’m one man climate change, the sea levels plummet, Photos of the show drop and I got a big stomach”). Overall, Eagle plays things a bit more breezy and brings along a top list of hip-hop artists for features, with Video Dave and STILL RIFT elevating “Circuit City.” At the same time, Billy Woods and Eulucid continue their hot streak as Armand Hammer on “Burner Account.” Trying to pick one song from this record is a beast of a task, but I include “CD Only Bonus Track” because it personifies the project. Plus, I’m always here for Aesop Rock.
Songs Ya Gotta Hear: Circuit City, I Retired Then I Changed My Mind, CD Only Bonus Track.
A Tape Called Component System With the Auto Reverse is available on Auto Reverse Records.
i sure do! qrion, sohmi, eli & fur, ninajirachi, pretty pink, tsha... im sure theres tons more, i used to have a collaborative playlist just for female producers but long story short it got overwritten by people promoting their own music. DJ Kicks really was on fire last year!
At the risk of parroting your kind words from earlier today, thanks for listing some great stuff that I otherwise wouldn’t have heard! There’s a few on here I’m excited to dig into. I can’t believe Vile has 9 records. 😳
And +1 for Confidence Man. I guarantee that “Tilt” is a record I would’ve given people shot for listening to while having it on full blast (and singing along) in my car.