Jacob’s Top In 2022
In a few ways, 2022 feels like a year that was as full of music as any I’ve had in a long time. I went to a ton of shows (it was almost certainly a new high point in that area), and I really love a lot of the music that came out this year. With that said, most of my favorite new music was more B+ than some shade of A. The top handful of records are truly great, and then there’s a pretty big group of albums that I think highly of, but feel just a half step below being on that top tier. I spent a large part of the year having a good time with things, but never really feeling like I had true Album Of The Year contenders until the fall hit. I got a nice early birthday present in the form of 2/3 of my top three records coming out on the same day, and the month on either side of that gave plenty of solid albums to dig into to help end the year on a high note. This isn’t to say that the first chunk of the year wasn’t full of music well worth your while, but it seemed like the heaviest hitters all just happened to come out within the same few weeks.
Three years into the decade, I still think that Brave Faces Everyone and Down In The Weeds, Where The World Once Was are the two best albums I’ve heard so far (I resisted including Brave Faces Etc. on my lists here, even though I love having another interpretation of those incredible songs), and Punisher still probably edges out anything from 2021 and 2022 (though this year’s top records are slightly stiffer competition). There are more than a few albums here that I could see sticking over the rest of the decade, so it feels like I’ll have plenty to write about for my 2020s retrospective. Here’s to hoping we get music in 2023 that’s good enough to really shake up the top of the list.
I did another bad job of discovering new artists this year, so I’m going to try to be a little more proactive about that in 2023. For what it’s worth, I did dedicate most of my time to new music (I get through 30 albums on my last.fm chart before hitting something from before 2022); it was just mostly from artists I already knew I liked before their newest release. I want to get into more new bands moving forward. Please send me things you think I should hear, and I’d love to do the same in response!
As always, I’m including my favorite albums and choices for a bunch of other categories I’ve done over the years. There are two primary Spotify playlists to go along with this post: my Top 25 Songs of 2022 and the much more expansive What’s Good In 2022. The Fans will appreciate that I’ve also developed the third annual version of the Empowered Wallowing playlist to let you have the best bad time throughout the early part of 2023.
Thank you for reading. I hope you find something new to love.
1. The 1975 — Being Funny In A Foreign Language
It typically takes me a while to really understand how great each new album from The 1975 is, but there was almost no lead time for this one. I grew to love Notes On A Conditional Form over time, but my initial impression was that I was ready for them to separate the bops out from the more experimental and cinematic stuff. Being Funny In A Foreign Language is almost exactly the condensed version of the band I was hoping for, and it absolutely works. That opening of the new new “The 1975” pulls you in immediately, and the record just doesn’t let go until the end of “When We Are Together.” Depending on your taste, any of “Happiness,” “Looking For Somebody (To Love)”, “Oh Caroline,” or “I’m In Love With You” might be the biggest pop hit here, and it almost feels like each song is somehow better than the last in that stretch. “About You” is the best song of the year, feeling like the fully mature version of the sound they’ve been striving for since “Antichrist,” perfectly dense with those sublime saxophone parts and the subtly simple refrain (and, feelings aside, that bridge doesn’t hurt things one bit). “Part Of The Band” maybe teased a little more weirdness than we actually got here, but there are still lots of new sounds and tricks mixed in. Generally, though, this mostly just feels like a refined version of almost everything that makes them great. Matty’s writing is still that poignant mix of humor and seriousness, focused and specific, with just enough intrusive thoughts and little unique turns of phrases to keep things interesting. The production and arrangements are perfect for these songs, full of strings and piano, with those punchy bass and drum parts and lots of excellent rhythmic guitar parts. There’s so much life built into everything, and it all works so well. Part of me wishes for just one “I Like America And America Likes Me” or “Nothing Revealed/Everything Denied” to be thrown in somewhere, but I can’t in good faith advocate for anything to be changed here (okay, I guess they could swap one of those in for “Human Too” to make a perfect record, just keep that bass part in). I don’t know how they keep doing it. This is the best band of my generation, and they’ve put out yet another Album Of The Year.
2. The Wonder Years — The Hum Goes On Forever
As much as I love Being Funny In A Foreign Language, it was so hard to pick between it and The Hum Goes On Forever for the top spot. When I saw the The Upsides/Suburbia tour last March, Dan Campbell told the crowd that the band had just finished recording our new favorite The Wonder Years record. I was excited and ready to hear it, but I really didn’t anticipate him being so right about that assertion. I’ve never been a diehard fan, but The Greatest Generation and Sister Cities in particular are records I always return to. The Hum Goes On Forever is as close to a perfect blend of those two as I could’ve wished for. The pop punk roots and ear for melody are obvious (“Low Tides,” “Madelyn,” “Old Friends Like Lost Teeth”), and the darker tones (especially in “Cardinals II” and “Songs About Death”) and production make everything sound so interesting and refined, with plenty of room for new sonic territory and approaches (“Laura And The Beehive,” “Summer Clothes”). The songs are so thoroughly well-written on every level to maximize their impact, from the little details in the guitar arrangements and how the drums are always exactly what they need to be (especially in something like “Lost It In The Lights”) to the way Dan explores incredibly intimate topics in a way that feels both personal and universal while drawing this big arc across the whole album. The ending section of “Low Tides” is maybe the best minute or two of any song this year, and it doesn’t seem right that they’re just allowed to lead that right into the gut punch of “Laura And The Beehive” without some sort of warning. Almost every track here is a highlight in its own right, but those two are both on an entirely different level. This is the most emotionally effective album this year, and it’s not particularly close.
3. Field Medic —Grow Your Hair Long If You’re Wanting To See Something That You Can Change
If the year had another few months in it, there’s a decent chance I’d have this record at the top of this list. I listened to “I Had A Dream That You Died” a ton before we got the whole album, but it took a couple of weeks after release for me to really get hooked on the rest of the songs. In the present moment, I don’t think there’s anything from 2022 that I want to listen to more. Where Floral Prince felt like a step forward in its creativity, this one is so refined. While I definitely appreciated the more off-the-cuff vibe of the previous record, GYHLIYWTSSTYCC benefits from aiming a little higher, with the arrangements and more thoughtful writing taking things to another level without losing any of the charm or character that that made the previous record special. Right from the opening of “Always Emptiness,” it feels more like a band than a solo project, and the fuller sound and little emotional swells throughout provide more range for Kevin’s voice and lyrics to shine. With that said, these songs would’ve excelled even without all of the extra instrumentation and details. There’s a fair amount of range here, but a lot of the record lives in that perfect zone of extremely sad words paired with undeniable melodies. “Weekends” is a ripper about depressing weekends, “I Had My Fun/Back To The Start” pairs that compelling bounce with maybe the most concerning and bare subject matter of the record, and the longing “I Think About You All The Time” is the best Taylor Swift song anyone released this year (and it’s the only one with an “acrobat” lyric that actually makes sense). Picking between “I Had A Dream That You Died” and “Miracle/Marigold” for my top songs playlist was one of the hardest choices, because each is perfect in its own way. These nine songs are a quick listen, and there’s not a single second wasted anywhere. My best guess is you haven’t listened to this album, and I encourage you to change that as soon as possible.
While we’re on the topic of artists reaching for another level, have you listened to this Maggie Rogers record? Heard It In A Past Life was one of my favorite records of the 2010s, full of the sort of interesting, intimate pop songs and benefiting from a wide variety of instrumentals and cool production to carve out her own little niche. On the surface, Surrender feels like it pulls that broad sonic palette back a bit, but I think it’s more of a shift in favor of cohesion than any actual constraint — there’s still a lot going on here. It certainly sounds just as good, if not better, than her debut (like, that bass part on “I’ve Got A Friend” !!!), and I think it benefits from the slightly more refined focus. What really sets this one apart, though, is how everything’s tailored to showcase Maggie’s voice. She sounded great before, but the performances on Surrender are special. She’s put the phrase “feral joy” out there, and it’s the perfect description for how she sounds here — there’s so much power running through the album, like there’s an almost uncontrollable force she needed to get out, and it’s captured here like pure bottled emotion. I think so much of this songwriting is great on its own merits, but the way she sings these songs get the point across even if you aren’t listening to the actual words. Those two things together make for an impressive overall package, when you can get something like that single incredible vocal take on “Horses,” those repeating, desperate, frantic “agains” in “Shatter,” or the narrative one-two punch of “That’s Where I Am” and “Want Want” (it’s more than worth your time to watch that Late Night performance of the latter song, if you haven’t seen it yet- or even if you have). Even when some of the sounds are from a different world, there’s still something so inherently and tangibly human built into each song, and I think this one’s going to hold up well for a really long time.
5. MUNA — MUNA
I tried getting into MUNA a few times over the years, but they never quite clicked for me. “Silk Chiffon” was the first song that really hooked me, I had a great time seeing them live over the summer, and then this record just kept reeling me in over the second half of the year. It’s easy enough to throw on for casual listening, deep enough to keep you when you really want to pay attention, and varied enough that it hasn’t gotten old with all of these repeated listens. I don’t know that there’s anything here that’s truly groundbreaking, but the album still feels so fresh and exciting. I love the big, punchy production, and the songs walk the line between being immediately accessible and from a specific point of view. There are about a half dozen expert pop songs here, with just enough experimentation and mixed in throughout to give variety in sound and pace (as much as I like “Runner’s High,” “Handle Me,” and “Loose Garment,” they’re doing something completely different, and the record’s better off for it). “Home By Now” has been stuck in my head as much as anything else over the course of the year, and I can’t think of another song that does quite the same thing. I wish “No Idea” were longer; we deserve more than three minutes of that specific vibe. “Anything But Me” brings back some of the lyrical themes from “Home By Now,” matched with a completely different instrumental and melodic approach that’s somehow almost exactly as good. I’ve even come around more on “Kind Of Girl” and “Shooting Star” since I first heard them (even if some of those lyrics still don’t completely land, there’s a lot more that does). I heard “What I Want” playing out in public twice this past weekend, and it’s so cool that a song that good is making its way into the world. I didn’t start this post expecting to have MUNA in my top five, but I love the album and think it deserves the spotlight (and it’s at least as good as anything else I could’ve written about in this slot). If you like pop music at all, this one’s worth your while.
11. Christian Lee Hutson — Quitters
12. Bartees Strange — Farm To Table
13. Camp Trash — The Long Way, The Slow Way
14. Oso Oso — Sore Thumb
15. Future Teens — Self Help
16. Joywave — Cleanse
17. Underoath — Voyeurist
18. Pianos Become The Teeth — Drift
19. Pusha T — It’s Almost Dry
20. Soccer Mommy — Sometimes, Forever
Top 5 EPs:
1. Kristiane — State Lines
2. Of Monsters And Men — Tíu
3. Hovvdy — Billboard For My Feelings
4. Circa Survive — A Dream About Death
5. Tiny Blue Ghost — The Underneath
The Bright Eyes Companion EPs are all really great, too. Rather than trying to fit them into this little list, I figured it made more sense to just highlight them separately. They’re such a treasure for fans of the band, and I can’t wait to hear the next batch.
Top 10 Songs:
1. “About You” — The 1975
2. “Talking To Yourself” — Carly Rae Jepsen
3. “Home By Now” — MUNA
4. “Soma” — All Get Out
5. “I Had A Dream That You Died” — Field Medic
6. “Low Tide” — The Wonder Years
7. “Cyclone” — Pinegrove
8. “Forbearance” — Gang Of Youths
9. “Want Want” — Maggie Rogers
10. “Life Was Easier When I Only Cared About Me” — Bad Suns
I listened to about 2,500 new songs this year. Here are the Top 25.
Best Album Art: Pool Kids — Pool Kids
Favorite Live Show: The 1975 at MGM Music Hall in Boston, MA, 11/5/22
If my count is right, I went to 37 shows this year (around 50 total acts). That included some special concerts: full album shows from The Wonder Years, Bleachers, Anberlin, Motion City Soundtrack, and Modest Mouse, de facto local album release shows from Pinegrove and State Champs, and incredibly intimate sets from Waxahatchee and Ruston Kelly at Levon Helm Studios. I found myself of stage at the end of Anberlin shows, saw the live debut of a bunch of new Carly Rae Jepsen songs, got to see Lucy Dacus and Rob Moose(!) as special guests alongside Phoebe Bridgers, and was John Dog to hear Conor Oberst explain Hudson Valley apple picking demands at Felice Fest. All of that is still somehow only scratching the surface, and there are years where any of those might’ve topped my list.
The 1975, though, wasn’t exaggerating when they sold this tour as the band “At Their Very Best.” One set featuring most of the new album (of the year) and a few other songs in the first half, paired with another set packed with hits, all played on an elaborate stage setup, with performances and production to make it clear that this was A Show. Oh, and they sounded incredible. It’s amazing that a band with albums that rely so much on the sonic details can translate so well to a big live setting; that’s a testament to their technical skill as much as it is for their charisma. I would’ve swapped out a few songs for others (it’s hard to not nitpick when a band’s put out so many great songs), but I can’t think of a single negative thing to say about the actual concert they gave us. I went to this show wondering if they could top what Bright Eyes did on their spring tour, and I walked out wondering if I’d ever see a better band.
Biggest Surprise: Oso Oso — Sore Thumb
There honestly wasn’t a ton that actually surprised me this year (maybe the real biggest surprise was getting into the Tiny Blue Ghost EP from seeing it online and then finding out like a week later that they’re from the town across the river from me). I was really looking forward to hearing a new Oso Oso record, but I didn’t expect to get it all at once on a random Friday in March. It was especially great to have during kind of a dead period for new releases, and I welcome them to do it again anytime.
Biggest Disappointment: Panic! At The Disco —Viva Las Vengeance
There are a few albums this year that are full of songs that feel unmotivated (Midnights and Harry’s House are the ones I’ve critiqued the most — someone please give me a Simlish version of Midnights), but I really have a hard time putting on Viva Las Vengeance and feeling anything other than frustration. It’s not that the record is lacking in competency or creative musical ideas (though, it is certainly a lot more “musical” than I’d personally prefer), and there are a lot of moments where things sound impressive from a performance and arrangement perspective (did you know that Brendon Urie likes Queen!?), but the songs are basically a zero across the board in terms of the lyrical content. It’s such a shame that Brendon has this voice and is somehow putting out music that’s so devoid of anything resembling a genuine feeling or even some clever writing. I’d probably still be fine with the album if there were a couple of medium-well common denominator songs like “High Hopes” or “Hallelujah,” but there’s really not anything here that pulls in the things that makes those songs work despite their lack of profundity. I wish this record didn’t offend me so much (especially since I’ve at least liked every other Panic! album), but it was a hard listen the first time, and it really didn’t get any easier the next few. I’m not expecting Brendon to write lyrics like Conor Oberst, but it would really be nice to get the guy a ghostwriter the next time around.
Best New Discoveries:
1. Kristiane
2. Camp Trash
3. Future Teens
4. Tiny Blue Ghost
5. String Machine
Most Anticipated:
1. Spanish Love Songs
2. Ruston Kelly
3. The Japanese House
4. Phoebe Bridgers
5. Movements
6. From Indian Lakes
7. Overcoats
8. Frank Ocean
9. Bleachers
10. Fall Out Boy
Again, if you ever need to fill a bunch of hours with good songs, here’s almost everything I liked this year, all in one playlist (it’s in alphabetical order by artist, so I recommend just shuffling): What’s Good In 2022
Thanks again for reading, even more so for getting all the way to the end. Hit me up on Twitter (while it lasts) if you want to talk about music.
P.S. I also started an Instagram account last year to document my vinyl collection, and it’s the most consistent music writing I’ve done in years (not considering the occasional gaps when I get frustrated by the app being awful). Even if you don’t want to read the big paragraphs, you might have a good time looking at all of my things.