1. Beyoncé – Renaissance
Parkwood EntertainMento/Colombia; July
This 16-track nonstop party album went higher and harder than many of the Pandemic dance albums that came before it. full of love and catharsis, renaissance .
2. Danger Mouse and Black Sort – Cheat Codes
BMG; August
Luxuriously retro, this all-killer, filler-free pairing of A-list beatmaker Danger Mouse and rapper Black Thought from the Roots has delivered on its 20-year-old promise. One of hip-hop’s premier lyrical giants ripped with his rigged system as Danger Mouse lined up his crate digger his samples and customized beats.
3. Mitsukui – Laurel Hell
dead sea; February
Intermediate states often don’t feel powerful. But Mitsuki’s towering ambivalence in the face of uneven relationships, the path she chose, and her own inner darkness made her one of 2022’s most musically immersive records. It’s an existential Caesar disguised as high-end synthpop.
Four. Kurt Vile – (look my will move)
verve/fiction; April
Slacker rock is not an everyday genre. But skateboarding guitarist Kurt Vile, now in his ninth solo effort, is a master of laid-back fun. These were gentle psychedelic tunes that meandered to just the right spot where Vile’s supernatural stillness felt like balm.
Five. Arctic Monkeys – The Car
domino; October
Undaunted by the split in the fanbase of previous albums, Arctic Monkeys doubled down on a sleek new direction. car An ultra-literate heartbreak album with an emphasis on spicy, soul and lush orchestration, with Alex Turner’s elegant vocal performances set against some of the most beautiful music of the band’s career.
6. Bill Callahan – Reality
drag city; October
One of the greatest misanthropes of American songcraft has come full circle on his last few albums, filling his songs with bittersweetness and lightness. real Taking vignettes of the natural world, dream states, and everyday life, he brought them all into vivid focus through his band’s sublime instrumentation.
7. Steve Lacy – Gemini Lights
RCA; July
Hailed as a guitar prodigy (internet) and production genius (Kendrick Lamar, Solange), 24-year-old Steve Lacy stepped into the imperial era with his second solo album, his first in a well-equipped studio. I stepped in. Like Lacey combined his raw confession with his gritty soul, the breakup served as the catalyst for a fresh yet classic-sounding set of songs that pulled no punches.
8. Rosalia – Motomami
Columbia; march
The combination of passionate flamenco vocals and cutting-edge R&B on Rosalía’s second album proves necessary. El Mal Koehlerwas no coincidence. Motomami An even more ravenous and glitchy record than its predecessor, it utilized reggaeton for its party mood and icy digital for its many emotional ups and downs.
9. Paul – Tempus
mute; November
Düsseldorf producer Stefan Betke made a name for himself by applying dub techniques to minimal techno through broken Waldorf 4-Pole filters. After leaving some equally great albums, Tempus Mark Betke’s dub and return to broken equipment. But he’s cautiously avoided repetition, opting to introduce traditional piano, a laid-back jazz feel, and a deliciously heavy low-end with plenty of his bass.
Ten. Oren Ambarchi – Shebang
drag city; September
Built from recordings by his far-flung collaborators, including pedal steel player BJ Cole, Nex pianist Chris Abrahams, and 12-string guitar fingerpicker Julia Reedy. shebang Australian experimentalist Oren Ambarch finds himself layering shimmers in arpeggios while the relentless rhythm keeps the listener’s attention.
