Welcome to InBetweenDrafts’ first album of the year list. 2022 has been a year full of comebacks, long-awaited followups and thrilling new artists. We asked our writers to compile lists of their top 25 favorite albums of the year and then tallied up those lists into the main list you see here. For our first year as InBetweenDrafts, we’ve decided to go with a Top 20, as opposed to a longer list, although we’re not going to totally count out a Top 50 next year. Before we get to the list proper, we have a few honorable mentions to go through that we couldn’t leave out of a best-of roundup,
Honorable Mentions
Ethel Cain – Preacher’s Daughter
When people look back at Ethel Cain’s career in years time, Preacher’s Daughter will remain a startling piece of work that works both as a cohesive and heartbreaking concept album that signified her excellence as both a songwriter as well as storyteller. Gothic Americana fuses with radio pop and anthemic arena guitar solos which all gives way to a story about a young woman’s journey through the outskirts of America as she rides a fever dream right to the pits of hell. Electrifying and hypnotic, “American Teenager,” “Sun Bleached Flies,” and “A House in Nebraska” are the perfect three to get you hooked. From there I bid you good luck in trying to go through a day without playing the album at least once. Her talent is extraordinary, and we’re just at the beginning of her career. – [ALLYSON JOHNSON]
Special Interest – Endure
New Orleans punk outfit Special Interest’s latest album, Endure, their first for Rough Trade, blends punk, post-punk, EDM, and glam rock into music vaguely reminiscent of The Go-Go’s crossed with the Black Eyed Peas and Kylie Minogue on PEDs. More mainstream than the band’s previous underground-styled offerings, Endure still projects reckless dynamism and themes of cultural dislocation, at once ugly and potently evocative. Highlights include “Cherry Blue Intention,” the dark, thumping, groan of “Kurdish Radio,” and industrial-laced “LA Blues,” with its strident falsetto vocals. [RANDY RADIC]
King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard – Ice, Deaths, Planets, Lungs, Mushrooms and Lava
Yet again, the prolific Australian psychedelic collective King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard put out five albums in one year, and they didn’t even make a big deal out of it the way they did in 2015. The output the band has this year finds them at their most consistent and jammy, finding paths through knotty 10, 15, and 18-minute improvisational songs that would make their number one fan Trey Anastasio of Phish proud. The apex of the year can be found on the third of these albums, Ice, Death, etc. etc., where they drift through jazz fusion and heady acid rock epics while never sounding aimless. Songs like “Ice V” and “Iron Lung” show the band’s cohesion as a unit piloting themselves through such long jams where one melody turns into another. Ice, Death is the sound of a great band blasting off into outer space and having a lot of fun while up there. [RYAN GIBBS]
Girlfriend on the Moon – Killer
Tender in their approach and pristine in their execution, girlfriend on the moon’s debut EP Killer is an 18-minute canter through the woods of heartache and identity, as nebulous of a concept as it’s evolved into. Borrowing from influences such as Julien Baker, The Japanese House, and Soccer Mommy, the short-but-sweet runtime is somewhat of a grab bag of alternative rock stylings. Highlights such as the waltzing “contortionist” and the melancholic “play the killer” nestle the listener gently in a beautifully mixed bed of guitars, with vocalist Tess Mueske’s voice swaying over top, evoking an adolescent night in a beanbag staring wistfully into the space beyond one’s ceiling. [JORDAN LEE]
Natalia Lafourcade – De Todas las Flores
It’s hard to believe that De Todas las Flores is Natalia Lafourcade’s first original compositional material since 2015, but listening to the material presented here gives a strong impression of just how much her artistry has evolved through her numerous traditional folk albums since that time. The album is an intensive, sprawling exploration of Latin folklorico, chamber, samba, jazz, and acoustic folk led by an incredible tag team of renown and trusted instrumentalists, backing Natalia’s expressive vocal performances in both technically stunning and thoughtfully arranged ways. The sound is intimate yet largely cinematic, with a number of extended intros, dynamic instrumental passages, and intricate song structures that help contribute to the overarching mood of love and deep heartbreak that she explores over the course of the album. Combined with incredibly curated sound engineering, De Todas las Flores is truly a mystical listening experience, one that will continue to unfold new layers listen after listen. [JOSHUA YOO]
Florist – Florist
Emily Sprague didn’t need the other members of the band on Florist’s previous album, Emily Alone, but on the self-titled fourth album, the band’s four-piece reunite for a beautiful lo-fi indie folk album of life, love, friendship, and the world. The almost hour-long album exhibits a corresponding duality between atmospheric instrumentals and full-fledged tracks, serving an enchantingly rich and mesmerizing listening trip which rises to ever greater heights as the effortless vocal delivery distills the swirl of emotions into something poignant and powerful. Do not expect something revolutionary, but if you are a fan of cozy-folk, this one is worth a try. [SEMIH ÖZDEMIR]
Yaya Bey – Remember Your North Star
Would it be fair to say that mainstream R&B was nowhere to be found in 2022? In the realm of the top 100, there were very few notable tracks that stuck with us. This has been the case for a while now. Still, not all is lost. Dig a bit deeper and you’ll find some incredible records to sink your teeth into. With Remember Your North Star, Brooklyn’s Yaya Bey conjures a gorgeous record about Black womanhood and how complicated romance can be in a world that doesn’t value you. This means dealing with a LOT; generational trauma, capitalism, and mental health issues, just to name a few. Through weaving elements of jazz, neo-soul, and even some reggae, Bey is able to lure you into her world full of stories. The album is not afraid to sonically shift at a moment’s notice to fully convey a track’s message. Each song feels like diving into a polaroid full of lost memories and opportunities. “Keisha” is a conversation with a partner who is being lukewarm with their love. This song is sensual, catchy, and probably has one of the best choruses of the decade. As the title suggests, in times of strife, look up and see where your destination is. [MARK WESLEY]
DOMi & JD Beck – Not Tight
Internet wonder duo DOMi & JD Beck fire eclectic hit after eclectic hit on NOT TiGHT, the pair’s debut project. Steeped in their impressively deep and technical flair considering their age, and with a tracklist sprinkled with talent the likes of Anderson .Paak (who helped foster their growth alongside their own raw talent by signing them to his Apeshit label), Thundercat, Snoop Dogg, and even prog jazz legend Herbie Hancock, there isn’t a dull moment to be had on this album. Lyrics or not, every second is bursting with a personality and understanding that would lead you to believe that the instruments themselves are dancing. [JORDAN LEE]
Miranda Lambert – Palomino
Miranda Lambert may be the most consistently excellent American musician currently working in any genre. Her specific genre happens to be the music of the road, country music. Like Willie Nelson and countless other country stars, Miranda Lambert throughout her career has been obsessed with the imagery of being on the road, of American highways as both a potent symbol and the very definition of the American Dream. A restless troubadour, Miranda Lambert identifies with Mick Jagger’s “Wandering Spirit”, a song that she covers here with added gospel uplift from the McCrary Sisters, because it speaks to her of the freedom of America and the open road; of the “Pursuit of Happiness”, no less (another song title). Palomino is an extension and deepening of her absolute favourite theme, then, which would be the most notable thing about it, were the music not such a hoot. Lambert and her band conjure up a thrilling musical landscape that encompasses stuttering guitar riffs, honky-tonk sweetness, tender but not mushy ballads, and always-expert singing that constantly adapts to its surroundings. So Palomino as a whole succeeds mightily in capturing her “Wandering Spirit” (that really should’ve been the title of the album). And then, to top it off, Lambert finishes with a story of a trapeze artist who must come to terms with the fact that “every show must end”. It may or may not be veiled autobiography, but it’s one of her finest stories in song regardless. [OLIVER HOLLANDER]
20. Nilüfer Yanya – Painless
Nilüfer Yanya gives a tender insight into her soul with Painless while remarkably balancing restraint with release, torment with healing, and fear with hope. It casts off the thematic qualities of her previous offering, Miss Universe, and puts more vulnerable parts of herself straight forward. In her most purposeful work yet, Yanya once again proves she is a real songwriting powerhouse and explores all depth of human emotion while touching upon the types of feelings that have yet to be defined. It is a dark record shaped by patience and precision but it also gives hope to everyone who feels like giving up as the melodies envelope the listeners in a fuzzy blanket of sound: one day, everything will clear up again. [SEMIH ÖZDEMIR]
19. Denzel Curry – Melt My Eyez See Your Future
When Denzel Curry first made a name for himself around 2016, it was easy to figure out what to expect from him within a few seconds of one of his songs: aggressive energy, fast delivery and tongue-twisting lyrics about him trying to stand out. He sounded talented and confident, but it made you wonder if that was all he had to offer. Melt My Eyez See Your Future reveals the Florida rapper is more musically versatile than he was letting on, vibing with spacier beats and writing more introspective lyrics. Though he still knows how to tackle the struggles of life with his head held high on “Walkin,” he’s also trying to shake off his own pessimistic feelings on “Mental.” It’s his most musically ambitious project to date, jumping from the slow burn of “John Wayne” to the trap jump of “X-Wing” and then the wild house step of “Zatoichi.” More so, it just shows that Curry has a lengthy and exciting career ahead of him. [JON WINKLER]
18. Weyes Blood – And in the Darkness, Hearts Aglow
The world of Weyes Blood is bleak but beautiful. With a voice so pure and an opulent musical framework reminiscent of 70s Hollywood, this time, Nathalie Mering meets a more desolate and eroded version of herself. While Titanic Rising was all about searching for love in a state of chaos, And in the Darkness, Hearts Aglow tells the aftermath of this search. Gorgeously ethereal and elegantly structured, every track on the record meanders unhurriedly down paths that can never be fully predicted. But as grand as the choral and orchestral arrangements are, Mering still sounds all alone in the center, clearly audible even as she whispers. The term old soul may seem like a bit of a stretch, but it is actually the best epithet to think of for Weyes Blood as she once again achieves to put out a body of work that both feels utterly nostalgic yet contemporary. And the record not only lives up to its acclaimed predecessor but also leads to great anticipation for what will come next from Weyes Blood. [SEMIH ÖZDEMIR]
16. JID – The Forever Story
It’s safe to say that the four years since JID’s last full-length effort was well worth the wait. Any one of his numerous guest verses on his impressive feature run over the past few years could have hinted at it, but The Forever Story is the complete coming together of JID’s technical ability, artistic creativity, and personal identity in one defining body of work. A thematic successor to The Never Story, the album places family front and center, exploring the intricacies of his childhood experiences, his extensive number of siblings, and his journey from a D1 scholarship athlete to Dreamville rapper, all with an incredible amount of lyrical thought and heart. Demonstrating an incredible breadth of flows and vocal deliveries track to track, it’s one of the most diverse and engaging hip-hop records of the year, and beautifully illustrates the sheer amount of work that JID has put into his craft. [JOSHUA YOO]
17. Arctic Monkeys – The Car
A perfect sequel to 2018’s Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino, The Car continues the evolution of Alex Turner and co. from post-Britpop punks to Roxy Music-esque art rockers. It’s all the more impressive how lush and cinematic The Car sounds in just 10 tracks and 37-minutes long, but that’s how refined Arctic Monkeys have become with a smooth rhythm section, perfectly-timed guitar sections and well-mixed piano and orchestral arrangements. “There’d Better Be a Mirrorball” is the Monkeys at their most gorgeous, with the chiming guitar/organ interplay being one of the few sonic matches to that of a glistening mirrorball. Guitar geeks shouldn’t worry too much about the slower groove of The Car, as “I Ain’t Quite Where I Think I Am” and “Hello You” bring back the fuzzed-out fun of career-highlight AM. For all of Turner’s cool posturing and Elvis-like coiff, his crooning voice never loses its tinges of longing and sadness that makes him one of the most compelling frontmen in rock. [JON WINKLER]
15. DJO – DECIDE
Joe Keery is keeping very busy these days. Between acting in films like Spree, Free Guy, and of course, the hit show Stranger Things, Keery is donning a 70’s bowl-cut wig as his pop alter ego Djo. DECIDE, his second album, is a slick, synth-filled exploration into his own ego and reconnecting with his previous life. Clear sonic touchstones for Djo, Daft Punk and Talking Heads, help refine the album’s palette. Album opener “Runner” sees Keery musing on the internet’s tendency to constantly change, yet the people within it choosing to stay static. It seems a bit grim, but there’s an earnestness in his writing that avoids dipping into nihilism. While not directly mentioning his life outside of Djo, you can’t help but think Keery is speaking to his own experiences. There’s a bit of irony (or perhaps tragedy) that an album about doom-scrolling and parasocial relationships was written by a figure with a conflicted view of being on-screen. In that case, does that make DECIDE a cautionary tale? Perhaps, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t enjoy the ride. [MARK WESLEY]
14. SZA – SOS
In SZA’s sophomore album SOS she delivers a quick explanation for the wait since her debut with an expansive and experimental tracklist that puts to bed any thoughts of her being a flash in the pan success story. Delivering at times scathing and introspective lyrics, SOS is as playful in sound as it is in song-structure, with numbers such as “Kill Bill ” demonstrating precision of prose despite a dark sense of humor embedded in it. Scaling the wall of genres that move from standard pop, to R&B, hip-hop and, in one of the greatest surprise tracks, emo and pop-punk with “F2F,” SZA’s expressive language of sound is extraordinary as she grows as a singer and songwriter. Perhaps the best compliment that could be bestowed on SOS is the fact that despite the hopping from multiple genres and playing within a vast soundscape, she manages to maintain a level of cohesion, making for a gratifying listen. [ALLYSON JOHNSON]
13. The Smile – A Light for Attracting Attention
It is both fascinating and infuriating how talented the members of Radiohead are even when they’re not together. All that Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood need to make some of the most engrossing music of the year is a guitar, a bass, a synthesizer and a jazz drummer. Joined by Sons of Kimet drummer Tom Skinner, the supergroup’s debut album is actually a perfect synthesis of classic Radiohead’s scratchy guitars and yelping vocals with modern Radiohead’s winding rhythm sections and haunting mood. Greenwood’s guitarwork on “Thin Thing,” “The Opposite” and “You Will Never Work in Television Again” is the closest he’s come to garage rock since the 1990s, backed by Skinner’s propulsive drumming that stays steady no matter how much those tracks sound like they’re about to bust through the speakers. While Yorke sounds like he’s having more fun on those more aggressive tracks, he still conjures a creeping mood with his voice and repeating piano parts on “Pana-Vision” and “Open the Floodgates.” [JON WINKLER]
12. Danger Mouse & Black Thought – Cheat Codes
If that double-star billing doesn’t whet your appetite, maybe the list of guests who appear on their collaborative effort will do the trick: MF DOOM, Raekwon, Run the Jewels, A$AP Rocky, Joey Bada$$. If that doesn’t spell fun for you, all it means is that you’re not an old-school hip-hop head, which is very much the target audience for this release. If the above constellation of stars does appeal to you, though, let it be known that this is old-school hip-hop head heaven, and that Danger Mouse’s inventive, sample-heavy production does all of the above justice. Most of all it does wonders for the springboard flow and ideas-packed rhyming of Black Thought, who has rarely sounded better outside of The Roots. The two have been working on this intermittently since 2005, which is a long time for ideas to gestate, yet sometimes ideas do need time to gather juice. It worked for this album, which is now overflowing with juice; it’s oozing from the soulful and playful beats, dripping from Black Thought’s enthusiastic flow. Plus the long gestation period allows for an appearance from the late MF DOOM, which is a mighty boon indeed for hip-hop heads worldwide. [OLIVER HOLLANDER]
11. Soccer Mommy – Sometimes, Forever
The old adage about the third time being the charm is more than apropos for Soccer Mommy’s third album, Sometimes, Forever. Her best album so far, under the guidance of producer Daniel Lopatin, aka Oneohtrix Point Never, the album takes on residual, atmospheric energy, yet avoids the sonic trap of straying into novelty for the sake of novelty. Instead, the album maintains Soccer Mommy’s ‘90s-flavored aesthetic – drifting Stratocaster, shoegaze textures, and hints of pop-colored melodies. There’s a serrated edge to the lyrics, burrowing into introspective topics about what it means to be a person amid the trappings of success. [RANDY RADIC]
10. Beach House – Once Twice Melody
Baltimore duo Beach House are one of indie rock’s most consistent bands. Pick up any of their albums and you’ll be treated to an enchanting collection of excellent, warm, haunting dream pop classics. Sure enough, that’s what their latest Once Twice Melody offers: A double album split into four parts that all feature lush soundscapes wrapped around Victoria Legrand’s immediately identifiable contralto. That’s not to say Beach House have rested on their laurels: Once Twice Melody is one of the band’s most engaging and accessible releases to date despite its length and features some real stunners to add to a career full of them: “Superstar” builds from a minimal start to a lush ending, the percolating “Hurts to Love” is the closest they’ve ever come a synthpop, and “New Romance” is an enveloping soundscape that reveals one of the band’s very best love songs. Beach House might be a band whose consistent quality means they always find their way into year-end lists, but Once Twice Melody feels like an impressive achievement and a real landmark in their discography. [RYAN GIBBS]
9. Big Thief – Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe In You
A twenty-track double album may seem intimidating to listen to, but Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe In You undermines its daunting length with a sense of disarming intimacy so warm and inviting, it almost feels like listening in on their jam session as they sit around the campfire. The band sifts through an array of acoustic-folk and adjacent genres, including beautifully crafted endeavors into folktronica, country-bluegrass, and folk rock to name a few. Their approach to each song is charmingly simple, as front-woman Adrianne Lenker writes about a whole slew of different topics without unnecessary complexity or conceptuality. It makes the whole album experience an extremely accessible one, an experience perfectly fit for playing in the background on the living room speaker, but even more rewarding for those who give the 80 minutes its full, deserved respect. [JOSHUA YOO]
8. The Weeknd – Dawn FM
Between his last two albums with After Hours and Dawn FM, Abel Makkonen Tesfaye has demonstrated a considerable sound evolution. His latest, the experimental, dense, and layered Dawn FM is a testament to the singers continued growth as an artist willing to push boundaries he’s both set and the ones that have long persisted in the industry. Slinky and auspicious, the album plays with form and genre, managing to capture its albums namesake with songs meant to listen to while suffering feverish, insomnia induced fatigue. Utilizing 80s synth, city pop aesthetic, and wrapping it all in his honey vocals which continue to impress with their fluidity and malleable nature, fitting each song and genre he plays in with ease, there’s no denying the artists lasting power, especially as he continues to push his own limits, with songs such as “Less than Zero,” “Out of Time,” “Take My Breath” and more being some of the best numbers the singer has put out in his career thus far. A noted film nerd, there’s a definite cinematic quality to the album’s production that elevates it to its stratospheric levels. [ALLYSON JOHNSON]
7. The 1975 – Being Funny in a Foreign Language
On A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships, the 1975 explored themes of millennial ennui through the digital space. It was a painstakingly anxious record and was deemed by many as “OK Computer for a new generation.” As grandiose as A Brief Inquiry was, the album never presented any solutions as to how to deal with our modern malaise. It was self-aware enough to know something was wrong, but didn’t possess the language on how to move forward. Now, in 2022, the Manchester quartet still may not have the answer, but they know one thing for certain; they can’t go through it alone. So they don’t. With Jack Antonoff in tow, Being Funny in a Foreign Language is the most lovelorn and earnest we’ve heard ever the 1975. Matty Healy’s songwriting is strongest when he marries his self-aware musings with genuine attempts at connection. In one key moment on “All I Need to Hear”, he cuts back on the eruditeness to simply say, “Oh, just tell me you love me / ‘Cause that’s all that I need to hear.” Being Funny is about the willingness to embrace the discomfort that comes with being direct. It’ll be an uphill battle, but trying is half the battle, right? [MARK WESLEY]
6. Sudan Archives – Natural Brown Prom Queen
On her swanky, mosaic album, Natural Brown Prom Queen, Sudan Archives flexes her imaginative musical muscles, merging elements of house, R&B, pop, and hip-hop to narrate the evolutionary tale of an artist named Sudan Archives, aka Brittany Parks, as she travels from Cincinnati to Los Angeles, discovering her place in the world. Her gift for transitioning from one genre to another in the middle of a song, such as “ChevyS10” or “NBPQ (Topless),” allows Sudan Archives to unchain herself from the traditional flow of rhythm and melody and enter a vibrant, alluring realm of musical creation [RANDY RADIC]
5. Black Country, New Road – Ants from Up There
This young band is often described as an English Arcade Fire, because they’re a mixed-gender band of multi-instrumentalists, but also because of the unabashed emotional maximalism of their music. Yet on this sophomore effort, there are only a couple of times (on the chorus of “Chaos Space Marine” and the ending of the epic “Basketball Shoes”) where they really sound like the Canadian collective who nobody will probably ever want to sound like again. Elsewhere, they delve much further into prog-rock-styled excess, with track lengths that would’ve scared the shit out of a young Arcade Fire. They indulge in multi-act suite song constructions, folk-rock and jazz detours, unusual time signatures (for popular music at least – “Good Will Hunting” is partly in 6/4), and at times impenetrably obscure lyrics. Yet they never lose touch of a heart-on-the-sleeves emotionalism that puts them way ahead of the current prog-rock pack. They manage to pull off the difficult trick of being complex and accessible at the same time. As such, the album already seems like a future landmark, one that’s so steeped in beauty it overcomes any objection you might have about the opacity of the lyrics. [OLIVER HOLLANDER]
4. Kendrick Lamar – Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers
The denouement of his 17-year tenure with the TDE label, and perhaps his most introspective record to date–due in part to it being somewhat of a chronicling of his own journey in therapy–Kendrick Lamar’s Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers is every bit as poetically raw and emotionally messy as one could expect from a mind as unique as his. Where other Kendrick Lamar records focus on his perspective against the world, Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers adjusts that lens inward, reflecting on the uglier and more unsavory habits and environment that he grew up in and in spite of. Where he goes from here is anyone’s guess, but with such a potent swan song, Kendrick will certainly have the world busy talking until his next big move with this one. [JORDAN LEE]
3. Wet Leg – Wet Leg
Witty and unapologetic duo Wet Leg is a type of band you would see at a rock show that could also be enjoyed by a pop audience with just how catchy, lush and ritous the music is. You can tell they are having fun and doing it for fun too! It is the duo’s silliness over seriousness approach that makes them so refreshing to the scene. They have written the kind of songs you cannot help but tap a foot to. Their music spans all types of genres and not feel disruptant. And here, on self-titled, they bring out the brutal everyday realities of two confused-but-honest young adults in the midst of a quarter-life crisis. Debuts like this are a rare occurrence, and there’s no doubt in mind that they have unintentionally created a new post-punk classic. It will be exciting to see where they will head next. [SEMIH ÖZDEMIR]
2. Beyoncé – RENAISSANCE
At first, RENAISSANCE strikes you simply as the most unified work Beyoncé’s done so far, a consistently upbeat hour of music that never strays for a second from the dancefloor. It’s all hip-charming rhythms, supple basslines, outrageously stacked multi-tracked vocals, and raps injected at exactly the right moment to raise the energy further. The music on RENAISSANCE is a constant up, a great mood enhancer that should work fine either as antidepressant or aphrodisiac, depending on your needs. It’s a thrilling tour through the history of dance music, from disco to the present day, with plenty of nods to the black LGBTQ+ quarters, like house and ballroom, that Beyoncé knows full well is where the music had its origins. Many all-time dance classics are sampled, interpolated or otherwise woven into the fabric of the album, such as “I’m Too Sexy” and “I Feel Love”, and it’s a lot of fun to pick them out. Plus, many of the all-time heroes of dance music actually appear as guests, including Grace Jones and Nile Rodgers himself. Put all of this together, and there’s a good case to be made for this being Beyoncé’s most consistently exciting album (though B’Day slaps start-to-finish as well). That doesn’t mean it’s necessarily her best – Beyoncé and Lemonade were stronger lyrically and conceptually. But it’s her most musically accomplished, for sure, with every single second containing several different exciting ideas thrown into the mix at once. [OLIVER HOLLANDER]
1. Alvvays – Blue Rev
After five years of wait, Canadian indie quintet Alvvays return with their best album yet, a record full of sweet melodies, exacting lyrics and a shoegazy noise-pop sound whose dense wall of sound often recalls waves crashing onto the rocks. Blue Rev feels like a refinement of the band’s two previous albums. The band’s impeccable bridge writing is one of the best aspects of the album. “Easy on Your Own?” and “Belinda Says”, among other tracks, are made in their fourth quarter by a perfectly placed bridge that is not only one of the best parts of the track but act as a thematic hinge for Molly Rankin’s lyrics. Blue Rev is filled with great single ready songs, especially its opening trio, but it’s also an album that makes you want to throw on the whole thing after listening to one or two songs by themselves, a true sign of a great album. Every song on the album is great, from the swirling, organ-driven ballad “Tile by Tile” to the spiky “Pressed” to the quirky character study “Very Online Guy”. Alvvays fans waited patiently for Blue Rev and it was truly worth the wait as the best album of not only Alvvays’ career but 2023 as a whole. [RYAN GIBBS]
Featured image courtesy of: Stones Throw, Polyvinyl Record Co./Celsius Girls, Sub Pop, BMG, Top Dawg/RCA, and Ninja Tune.
