Best Albums of 2022
Baby came out June 24th, the same day the United States Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade; legislation that guaranteed access to safe abortions. A sad event that just goes to show how important it is to keep advocating and fighting for all women, something that Petrol Girls did with every fibre of their being on this record. But that's not the only thing the band tackles on this record as they also offer pointed commentary on policing and the religious right for example. Sometimes the band playfully mocks their targets, and other times they take them to task in scathing bouts of righteous rage. I can't think of a record released in 2022 that is more timely and radical than this.
This was my introduction to Ithaca and I was left truly impressed. They Fear Us was a tremendously heavy record full of anger and resentment, but also had a streak throughout that offered a healing atmosphere. There were some pretty stand out guitar riffs all over this thing but I think it was Djamila Boden Azzouz's vocals that really sold it for me. Her screams were such a powerful force on this record; I deeply felt every single word she uttered. When it comes to groovy modern metalcore, I don't think it got any better than this in 2022.
I never heard of Gospel prior to this year and I guess that's not surprising. With only one full-length under their belt released all the way back in 2005, I guess it was easy to overlook them unless you kept your ear to the ground when it came to post-hardcore and screamo music. Alas, that 2005 record has since been considered genre defining and so naturally, a lot of buzz swirled up around this long-awaited follow-up. Whatever expectations I had were quickly thrown out the window the moment I heard those organs on Bravo. I honestly felt like I was listening to one of the prog greats; Yes, Genesis, something of that era, except with a pumped up tempo and one Adam Dooling screaming manically over top. It was unlike anything I've ever heard before. Raw angst, impressive musicianship, and dynamic song structures all combined to form a truly exhilarating experience that I must recommend, especially to those who maybe have some sort of preconceived notion (most likely a negative one) about screamo music.
When I heard that Nick Reinhart was gonna take Disheveled Cuss into a more acoustic based, singer-songwriter type direction, I was apprehensive. One of my favourite characteristics of Reinhart as a musician is his sound play and technical wizardry when it comes to all the effects he uses to treat his guitar. I didn't think an album without that element would keep me interested. Well, I couldn't be more wrong. For one, the guests Reinhart enlists to help him bring his songs to their fully realized potential contribute so much instrumental diversity to this record, more than making up for the lack of effects. Secondly, Reinhart delivers a couple free jazz detours, which we haven't really heard since maybe Patagonian Rats. And lastly, Reinhart's songwriting is actually pretty great, exploring themes of isolation, social awkwardness, and stagnation; all universal themes regardless of whether we're in the midst of a pandemic or not.
There was a lot of good, chaotic extreme metal released this year, but it was the surprise return of The Sawtooth Grin that reigned supreme above them all. I love the modest and clean production on this record, which is a little unorthodox for the genre. Although, given how intricate the instrumentation is, it was pretty necessary. Especially when the band is working with Jon Karel behind the kit. It blows my mind how much of a storm the man can kick up playing furious flurries of notes, and sound like he isn't even breaking a sweat. Playing with this level of finesse must be effortless for him. I'm a drummer by trade so naturally I'm going to hyper-fixate on the drums, but the guitars and vocals are also fantastic. So many fiery, tension building riffs from Jason Springman and Rich Lombardi's vocals are all tooth-gnashed aggression. His tone is so shrill and distorted and I love it. As a side note, I think Good. has the best album art of 2022. It's so busy and perplexing, very much like the music on this record.
I may have undervalued this record when I first reviewed it and that's because there are two tracks or so that I really do not care for as well as a few nit-picky things to perseverate over. Now my feelings haven't really changed, but I'll tell you what, the rest of the material here is absolute fire. If I were being honest, had I not placed a restriction on the number of times an artist could appear on my favourite songs of the year list, a third of it would be songs from this album. The sounds are so colourful, so engaging, the beats hit hard, it's total ear candy. Even with the few blemishes it has, I still revisited this record more often than albums I scored higher. That's just how it goes sometimes.
When I heard Moin mentioned in the same breath as Slint and Unwound, I knew this was something I had to check out. I was supposed to listen to their debut full-length last year, but it fell through the cracks. This year, the band quickly followed up with Paste and I wasn't going to make the same mistake again. And as you can probably tell by the record's placement, I enjoyed it very much. The songs can be quite repetitive, but instead of feeling overbearing, I find it to be quite meditative. There's a certain peculiarity about Moin's music though, the feeling that something is slightly off. It's almost like staring at a picture frame that is skewed by just a few noticeable degrees. It's a pretty unique vibe. Production wise, the band keeps things pretty modest. However, every layer contributes a lot. Whether it's an edgy guitar riff, interesting electronic timbre or sample, an inventive drum groove, or an odd voice clip, every song has a special element that carries it to a worthwhile end.
I get the sense that people were not very happy with this record. I mean after all, it's billed as a BROCKHAMPTON record, and yet the group is nowhere to be seen. We just have Kevin Abstract, left with the responsibility of explaining how we got here. For me personally though, I loved it. I commend Abstract for being open, honest, and taking accountability for his role in the group breaking up. I thought the way he eulogized the band was very touching; reliving the triumphs, acknowledging what made them special, and expressing regret that the band can't continue on. Lastly, I really enjoyed the production. I really liked the classy, soul direction that a lot of these tracks took, and for what was essentially a goodbye record, The Family had more instrumental colour than any BROCKHAMPTON record since the SATURATION trilogy.
Otoboke Beaver returned this year with another helping of off-the-wall, noisy, riot grrrl, punk and hardcore, and I couldn't miss it. I know they are talented musicians and I had high expectations, and yet, they still blew me away. Especially Hiro-chan and Kahokiss' performances on bass and drums respectively. Hiro-chan plays walking basslines galore and her imperceivable fills left me dumbfounded. Kahokiss astounded with the sheer speed of her playing on tracks like the demented I Checked Your Cellphone, and also threw in some pretty nutty double kick work at various points which was totally unexpected. Accorinrin, who underwent vocal surgery not that long ago, wasn't deterred at all judging by her down-right scary performances on tracks like George & Janice. Super Champon proves that Otoboke Beaver is the most exciting thing happening right now in the world of noise rock, punk, and hardcore. From four badass Japanese women no less.
It was really difficult to order the records on this list, but one thing I knew for certain is that DOMi and JD BECK had to take the top spot. I found the fusion of jazz, hip-hop, and soul to be quite novel. Same goes for JD BECK's playing which I've described as hyperactive and skittering. At first it may sound like he's just hitting things without rhyme or reason, but after closely studying what he is doing, you can start to hear the discipline in the intricate details. As for DOMi, she is an absolute superstar. This record is packed full of crazy runs and angular melodies that leaves my brain swimming in dopamine. The guest-list is also impressive, including great names such as Snoop Dogg, Busta Rhymes, Herbie Hancock and Thundercat just to name a few, and I would say each one perfectly meshes into the world the duo is trying to create. There isn't a single bad track on this collection and I think the duo does an incredible job of making jazz fun, catchy, and accessible without sacrificing their chops.
