As much as we enjoy featuring a new song and artist every day, throughout the 365 days of a year, as much we want to listen to more than just one song by an artist we came to love. Luckily, releasing an album is still "a thing," regardless of whether digitally, on pretty vinyl, or the maybe outdated CD format. Settling into a comfy chair with a beverage of your choice and being in the moment, truly listening to an artist's work, is bliss and challenging at the same time. We checked out hundreds of albums throughout the year, which is quite a time commitment if you want to explore more than just one or two tracks.
We boiled our favorite albums down to only 20, and these records have in common that both music editors at glamglare love them and have played them repeatedly.
Of course, we were looking forward to exploring what our all-time favorite bands like Cate Le Bon, Sea Change, Tears for Fears, or Warpaint would be doing, and they did not disappoint but put out one of their finest works to date.
Then we were curious to hear what new favorites would do with their "sophomore effort," as music journalists tend to call the second album. Contenders in that category were Anna Mieke, Cab Ellis, and Katy J Pearson, and their first albums indicated what's in store for them because these follow-up records are just as good. What about debut records? They were plenty, and we marked them as such in our Favorite Albums Column. Among our Top 20 of 2022 are seven debut albums, the works of ARY, Connie Constanze, Gift, Liz Cass, PVA, Scout Gillet, and Thus Love.
Finally, we have the artists who've been steadily making music for years, and we might have missed them before or not fully embraced an album as much as we do their 2022 work; whatever the case, we recommend you to listen to the albums of Badlands, Blake Morgan, Laura Veir, Rosie Carnie, Sandmoon, and Winter.
And that sums up how we came to select our Top 20. A genuinely personal selection process of crowning 20 exceptionally brilliant albums as the Top 20 of 2022. Check 'em out here:
A surreal soundtrack of a vast personal plain steeped in nostalgia, family, memory, death and dreaming
The last track and single from the album, “I Want Blood,” is a masterpiece – period. I don’t use such a label lightheartedly, but the song’s flow and production are exceptionally exquisite.
Listening to “My Love Is Waiting” is an exhilarating, almost spiritual experience. The entire album is just incredibly gorgeous, filled with songs you cannot get enough of.
Fantastic songwriting, with edgy vocals and live show excellence not to be missed!
It is possible to fall in love with an artist by listening to only one song: "Mood Hoover." The rest fell into place. Congrats on a brilliant debut!
Laura Veirs' first self-produced record comes with surprises and goes many places.
The Beirut indie-folk band continues to delight with thoughtful, spiritual songs on their third full-length.
Scout Gillet's debut album shows that Brooklyn indie rock becomes exciting again.
Nobody fuses cutting-edge electronics and pop sensibilities to perfectly like the Norwegian producer Sea Change.
Roland Orzabal & Curt Smith at the height of their artistry. Their melodic pop is as irresistible as ever.
The Californian four-piece again pushes their boundaries in their fourth studio album.
© Enobo music & media, LLC, New York City, 2024
