Halfway through 2022 and there’s been an abundance of great music. Already we’ve seen indie rock breakthroughs, hip-hop masterpieces, and legacy-affirming statement records from the best of them.
The votes are in. We asked you for your favorite albums of 2022 so far and you delivered an assortment of records we won’t disagree with, ranked by your votes.
Wet Leg
Wet Leg
With only two singles, Wet Leg became one of the buzziest bands in indie rock. Making good on their early promise, their self-titled debut album is chock full of instantly memorable hooks and giddy humor. A record you can dance and cry to.
Your 'Indie Rock' Picks
- Wet Leg - Wet Leg
- Mitski - Laurel Hell
- Angel Olsen - Big Time
- Cate Le Bon - Pompeii
- Nilufer Yanya - PAINLESS
- Sharon Van Etten - We've Been Going About This All Wrong
- Animal Collective - Time Skiffs
- Cat Power - Covers
- Superchunk - Wild Loneliness
- Jenny Hval - Classic Objects
The Smile
A Light For Attracting Attention
If it’s a smile then it’s a sinister one. Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood step away from their day jobs for a raucous side-project. With their rhythm section bolstered by Sons of Kemet drummer, Tom Skinner, A Light for Attracting Attention is an acidic skewering of modern horrors whose targets range from Silvio Berlusconi to environmental decay.
Your 'Alt Rock' Picks
- The Smile - A Light For Attracting Attention
- Spoon - Lucifer On The Sofa
- Florence and The Machine - Dance Fever
- Jack White - Fear of the Dawn
- Arcade Fire - WE
- Alt-J - The Dream
- Red Hot Chili Peppers - Unlimited Love
- Placebo - Never Let Me Go
- Bloc Party - Alpha Games
- Liam Gallagher - C'mon You Know
Big Thief
Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe In You
With their sprawling fifth album, Big Thief further their imperial phase. A quietly devastating double album bond by Buck Meek’s intimate guitar playing and the voice of Adrianne Lenker whose intimate lyricism lingers on the brain months removed from first listen.
Your 'Indie Folk / Country' Picks
- Big Thief - Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe In You
- Kurt Vile - (Watch My Moves)
- Orville Peck - Bronco
- Kevin Morby - This Is A Photograph
- Belle & Sebastian - A Bit Of Previous
- The Weather Station - How Is It That I Should Look At The Stars
- The Lumineers - The Brightside
- Drive-by Truckers - Welcome 2 Club XIII
- Trace Mountains - House Of Confusion
- Andrew Bird - Inside Problems
Sunflower Bean
Headful of Sugar
Sunflower Bean finds the right balance between the jangly dream-pop of 2010s Brooklyn and the pomp of glam and disco. While you might mistake its sweetness for romance, but Headful of Sugar is deceptively incisive, confronting the helpless frustration of late capitalism with a sneaky twist.
Sunflower Bean - A Headful of Sugar
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Your 'Indie Pop / Pop Punk' Picks
- Sunflower Bean - Headful of Sugar
- PUP - The Unraveling of Puptheband
- Hatchie - Giving The World Away
- Camp Cope - Running With The Hurricane
- Pinegrove - 11:11
- Beach House - Once Twice Melody
- MICHELLE - After Dinner We Talk Dreams
- Muna - Muna
- Barrie - Barbara
- Sasami - Squeeze
Fontaines DC
Skinty Fia
Fontaines D.C. has a vision. One of the powerhouses of UK post-punk, the Dublin quintet has come together for the most daring record yet. Ripe with grandiose storytelling and penchant for the cinematic, Skinty Fia takes an already great band to a new level.
Your 'Post-Punk / Punk' Picks
- Fontaines DC - Skinty Fia
- Black Country New Road - Ants From Up There
- Yard Act - The Overload
- Horsegirl - Versions of Modern Performance
- Dehd - Blue Skies
- A Place To Bury Strangers - See Through You
- Just Mustard - Heart Under
- Zola Jesus - Arkhon
- Cola - Deep In View
- Bodega - Broken Equipment
Kendrick Lamar
Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers
Kendrick Lamar takes himself down from his pedestal and deconstructs himself into oblivion. His swaggeringly ambitious new album is a kitchen sink opus that forces the audience to reckon with the flaws of a brilliant artist.
Your 'Hip Hop / R&B' Picks
- Kendrick Lamar - Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers
- Denzel Curry - Melt My Eyez See Your Future
- Vince Staples - Ramona Park Broke My Heart
- Kehlani - Blue Water Road
- Kae Tempest - The Line Is A Curve
- Lady Wray - Piece of Me
- Yaya Bey - Remember Your North Star
- Fly Anakin - Frank
- They Hate Change - Finally, New
- Wilma Vritra - Grotto
Toro Y Moi
MAHAL
Seven albums in, Chaz Bear switches the vibe from slinky to shaggy. One of the titans of chillwave continues to stretch the genre beyond its limits, toying with the likes of psychedelic rock and ethereal post-rock. Few records this year so effortlessly conjure such a good time.
Your 'Electronic / Electropop' Picks
- Toro Y Moi - MAHAL
- Let's Eat Grandma - Two Ribbons
- Yeule - Glitch Princess
- Bonobo - Fragments
- Lucius - Second Nature
- Metronomy - Small World
- !!! Chk Chk Chk - Let It Be Blue
- Aurora - The Gods We Can Touch
- Charlotte Adigery - Topical Dancer
- Haai - Baby, We're Ascending
Robert Glasper
Black Radio III
A powerful fusion of neo-soul, contemporary jazz, and hip-hop, Robert Glasper masterfully crafts his third entry into his Black Radio series. A vivid reflection of a world ablaze with tumultuous social unrest.
Your 'Jazz / Nu-Jazz' Picks
- Robert Glasper - Black Radio III
- Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio - Cold As Weiss
- Kokoroko - Could We Be More
- Talking Therapy Ensemble (Emma-Jean Thackray) - Talking Thearpy
- Cisco Swank and Luke Titus - Some Things Take Time
- High Pulp - Pursuit of Ends
- Jameszoo - Blind
- Cecile McLorin Salvant - Ghost Song
- Ebi Soda - Honk If You're Sad
- Gerald Clayton - Bells on Sand
Boris
W
Following the most extreme record of their career, Boris inverts themselves into a hushed, more ruminative zone. Their first release under Sacred Bones is a dreamlike odyssey of drone pop and shoegaze textures. The soundtrack to the unease that follows global catastrophe.
Your 'Metal / Progressive' Picks
- Boris - W
- Rammstein - Weit
- Anna Von Hausswolff - Live At Montreaux Jazz Festival
- Zeal & Ardor - Zeal & Ardor
- Cave In - Heavy Pendulum
- Vein.fm - This World Is Going To Ruin You
- Korn - Requiem
- Coheed & Cambria - Vaxis II: A Window of the Waking Mind
- Undeath - It’s Time...To Rise From The Grave
- Meshuggah - Immutable
Rosalia
Motomami
Bouncing between reggaeton, flamenco, and the avant garde, Rosalía’s is an experimental pop collage. MOTOMAMI is the crowning achievement of one of the most daring popstars in the game.
Your 'Pop' Picks
- Rosalia - Motomami
- Charli XCX - Crash
- Harry Styles - Harry's House
- FKA Twigs - Caprisongs
- The Weeknd - Dawn, FM
- The Regrettes - Further Joy
- Wallows - Tell Me That It's Over
- Rex Orange County - Who Cares?
- Raveena - Asha’s Awakening
- Luna Li - Duality
Japanese Breakfast
Sable
After the double whammy of Jubilee and Crying in H-Mart, Japanese Breakfast takes a breather without slowing down. A dazzling wave of ambient pop music to soundtrack the indie game Sable that are perfectly in sync with one another.
Japanese Breakfast - Sable (Original Video Game Soundtrack)
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Your ' Soundtracks' Picks
- Japanese Breakfast - Sable
- Various Artists - Summer of Soul
- Lin-Manuel Miranda, Germaine Franco, Encanto - Cast - Encanto
- Jonny Greenwood - The Power Of The Dog
- Nick Cave and Warren Ellis - La Panthere Des Neiges
- Michael Giacchino - Spider-Man: No Way Home
- Jonny Greenwood - Spencer
- Various Artists - Euphoria Season 2
- Various Artists - Blade Runner Black Lotus
- Aaron Dessner / Bryce Dessner - Cyrano