dmathias52
Mathias
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dmathias25 of 2022

This year I attempted to slow down my music listening and really connect with a few albums instead of consume as much as I could. It made for one of my favorite years in music. Below are my top 25, some honorable mentions, some I don't plan on returning to, and some that I need to listen to from this year.
50Black Country, New Road
Ants from Up There


Beginning of "On My List to Check"
49Pool Kids
Pool Kids
48Late Night Cardigan
Life Is Bleak and It's My Cheat Day
47Alvvays
Blue Rev


Technically I have listened to this one a few times, but I feel like I haven't given it the time it deserves. So on this portion of the list it goes!
46Everything Everything
Raw Data Feel
45Domestic Terminal
All The Stories Left To Tell
44Lizzy McAlpine
five seconds flat


End of "On my list to check"
43Foxy Shazam
The Heart Behead You


Beginning and end of "Maybe the worst album I've ever heard"
42Harry Styles
Harry's House


Beginning of "Fell far below expectations"
41The Dangerous Summer
Coming Home
40The Dear Hunter
Antimai


End of "Fell far below expectations"
39Anais Mitchell
Anais Mitchell


Beginning of "These were Fine"
38Hailey Whitters
Raised
37Pinegrove
11:11


End of "These were fine"
36Molly Tuttle
Crooked Tree


Beginning of Honorable Mentions
35John Moreland
Birds In The Ceiling
34Jenny Hval
Classic Objects
33Gregor Barnett
Don't Go Throwing Roses in My Grave
32Owel
The Salt Water Well
31Big Thief
Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe in You
30Overgrow
Walls of Mirrors
29Christian Lee Hutson
Quitters
28Darkher
The Buried Storm
27Emma Worley
Sentimentalist
26Caracara
New Preoccupations


End of Honorable Mentions
25Skullcrusher
Quiet the Room


Rating: 3.7
Best Song: You are my House
RIYL: Pretty music

This has the potential to fly up this list, as it's gotten so close to clicking multiple times. One of many incredibly folk releases this year
24Ian Noe
River Fools and Mountain Saints


Rating: 3.7
Best Song: One More Night
RIYL: Country with a french horn

This whole album is great, but there's a song with a french horn and it's all I ever want to listen to
23Bartees Strange
Farm to Table


Rating: 3.7
Best Song: Wretched
RIYL:Like every genre

Bartees Strange is so close to creating something consistently phenomenal. This isn't quite it, but boy are there some bangers on here
22Peregrine (USA-MA)
the awful things we've done


Rating: 3.8
Best Song: the sixtieth harvest
RIYL: Hotelier-core

This album hit hard when I first listened to it, but I haven't found myself in a mental state to want to return to it. Which is good, probably!
21Jana Horn
Optimism


Rating: 3.8
Best Song: Optimism
RIYL: Minimal folk music

This year has been defined by folk music for me in many ways, and this was the album that kicked that trend off
20Craig Finn
A Legacy Of Rentals


Rating: 4
Best Song: Messing with the Settings
RIYL: Stoned middled age men making music

Craig Finn does what he does best* (although not exactly his best)
19Honey Harper
Honey Harper and the Infinite Sky


Rating: 4
Best Track: Heaven Knows I Won't Be There
RIYL: Dreamy country music

Slightly less dreamy and slightly more country than last time
18Willi Carlisle
Peculiar, Missouri


Rating: 4
Best Track: Peculiar, Missouri
RIYL: Country with a capital C

The images invoked on this album both lyrically and musically make it one of the most genuine country albums I have heard in a long time
17Regina Spektor
Home, Before and After


Rating: 4
Best Song: Loveology
RIYL: Regina Spektor

The fact that I'm still somewhat considering this a disappointment shows the high level Regina Spektor continues to operate at
16Proper.
The Great American Novel


Rating: 4.1
Best Song: Shuck and Jive
RIYL: Pissed off political pop punk

You had me at the Mitch McConnell diss track
15Somewhere South of Here
Leave Me for the Crows


Rating: 4.2
Best Song: Pines
RIYL: Angry yet melodic pop punk (-ish)

It's been rare for a new pop punk (-ish) band to grip me, but leave to a Sput user to figure out how
14The Delines
The Sea Drift


Rating: 4.2
Best Song: Surfers in Twilight
RIYL: Slowcore folk music

A unique voice and approach to folk while staying ture to the genre
13Jenna and the Janes
Earth Dog Year


Rating: 4.2
Best Track: Through the Bluffs
RIYL: Sweet, impactful folk

A unique voice and approach to folk while staying true to the genre
12Saya Gray
19 Masters


Rating: 4.2
Best Song: S.H.T (silent hot tears/send hot tempura)
RIYL:Getting on Johnny's good list

A unique voice and approach to folk while attempting to recreate the genre
11Grace Cummings
Storm Queen


Rating: 4.2
Best Song: Storm Queen
RIYL: Dark, angry folk music

A unique voice and approach to folk while staying true to the genre
10Valleyheart
Heal My Head


Rating: 4.3
Best Song: Warning Signs
RIYL: Religious trauma and 2000s alt rock

Music to question your spiritual upbringing to
9Noah Cyrus
The Hardest Part


Rating: 4.4
Best Song: Noah (Stand Still)
RIYL: Wishing Kacey Musgraves went in a different direction

Nepo baby alert: This has some of my favorite vocals and moments of the year. Very little is done wrong here.
8CMAT
If My Wife New I'd Be Dead


Rating: 4.5
Best Song: Nashville
RIYL: Throwback to classic country with some melodrama and musical theatre thrown in

"Nashville" is potentially the song of the year and everything else on here follows close. A superstar in the waiting.
7Lack the Low
God-Carrier


Rating: 4.6
Best Track: Small Windows
RIYL: Art pop, I think, although I have no idea what art pop really is

Spacey, lush, full, orchestral, etc etc etc. How many cliches can I give to an album that defies all cliches?
6Wunderhorse
Cub


Rating: 4.7
Best Track: Purple
RIYL: Alternative rock that is just good alternative rock

I forgot there was a world of music where music could just be music (not that gimmicks are bad) and this is a refreshing reminder.
5Gang of Youths
Angel in Realtime


Rating: 4.7
Best Song: spirit boy
RIYL: Rollicking indie rock about dead dads

Ever since 2020, you know a dead dad album with be towards the top of my list.
4Orville Peck
Bronco


Rating: 5
Best Song: Hexie Mountains RIYL:
Throwback to classic country with some melodrama and musical theatre thrown in (a recurring theme)

Potentially my favorite artist falling at number four should show the strength of what's to come. A trailblazer.
3Shannen Moser
The Sun Still Seems to Move


Rating: 5
Best Track: Ben
RIYL: Warm, interesting, lush folk music

This favorite contains some of my favorite lyrics of the year, which is quite the claim considering the music that was released this year. It also contains some of my favorite compositions, which is, again, quite the claim considering the music that was released this year.
2The Wonder Years
The Hum Goes on Forever


Rating: 5
Best Song:You're the Reason Why I Don't Want the World To End
RIYL: Pop Punk that keeps up with you

Once again, The Wonder Years release an album that somewhat outpaces my own existence, but still leaves an incredible mark on me.
1Ethel Cain
Preacher's Daughter


Rating: 5
Best Song: House in Nebraska
RIYL: Anything in the boygenius era of artists

If you want my essay, check my writing for the Staff Year End list. Simply put: The most impactful album I've heard in 5+ years.
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