While full albums of high quality were in short supply during much of the second half of the 2010s, the new decade has seen a wonderful variety of records breathe new life into music. Although Arcade Fire and Kendrick Lamar have already announced their comeback records, with supergroup The Smile similarly revealing an upcoming debut LP, a whole host of artists both old and new have already strode into the spotlight this year.
Hip-hop newcomers and veterans alike have started the year in great form. Pusha T’s comeback after the excellent
Daytona
sees the former Clipse member deliver more husky bars and rekindle his chief lyrical inspirations of crime films and cocaine, aided by some compelling — if disjointed — production courtesy of frequent collaborators Pharrell and Kanye West. Earl Sweatshirt’s
SICK!
fails to reach the heights of his magnum opus
Some Rap Songs
, but the former wunderkind still delivers some mesmerizing tunes and sounds more optimistic than ever.
Earl’s record is an indicator of trends among the hip-hop underground towards abstract styles of communication and beatless production. Cities Aviv’s
Man Plays the Horn
is the apex of his career thus far, a jazzy, spaced-out commentary on American poverty with wonderful replay value. Even more impressive is Billy Woods’
Aethiopes
, a veritable thesis statement for modern abstract hip-hop. As its grimy production sets a suitably dark atmosphere, Woods makes his most compelling case yet for being the finest current lyricist in hip-hop. His socially conscious bars are packed with biting observation and vivid imagery on tracks such as the jaw-dropping “Remorseless.”
Hip-hop’s auspicious vitality has been reciprocated in the more inventive corners of pop music. Singaporean art pop musician Yeule’s aptly-titled sophomore effort
Glitch Princess
is an intense treatise on personal identity and the meaning of being ‘human’ funneled through layered synths and cold industrial beats. However, after years of disappointment and unimaginativeness, indie music has also been the nexus of thrilling music this year, as its phoenixlike rise continues with giddy abandon.
Indie veterans have returned to the fold in stunning form. The well-paced, exotica-tinged
Time Skiffs
is Animal Collective’s finest record in over a decade; the group revitalized their sound without rehashing the territory that made them one of the finest musical acts of the 2000s. Spiritualized are perhaps the even bigger shock, especially considering the rumors that Jason Pierce had led his band into retirement.
Everything Was Beautiful
sticks to the same themes of romanticism, religion and recreational drugs that have defined the Spaceman’s lyricism since the 1980s, and yet his latest offering remains just as deliriously engaging as some of his finest material — all to the customary tune of reverb-heavy guitars, chaotic saxophone and a gospel choir.
The foreboding double album, once a rarity in some indie circles, has been the format of choice for some of 2022’s most impressive albums. Big Thief’s latest record, the incredible and ridiculously consistent
Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe in You
, sets a new standard for modern folk-rock. Adrienne Lenker’s lyrical proficiency has shone through on the band’s and her own previous releases, but on tracks such as the down-to-earth “Spud Infinity” and the ebullient “Simulation Swarm,” she cements herself as one of the greatest and most compelling songwriters of the 21st century. The warmth of Buck Meek’s guitar and the gentle rhythm section of Max Oleartchik and James Krivchenia provide the perfect backdrop for these passionate hymns, neither overpowering nor wilting in the face of Lenker’s vocals. While not quite as much of an overarching statement, Beach House’s colossal
Once Twice Melody
summarizes the duo’s career as reinventors of dream pop in a four-part odyssey of guitar, synthesizer and Victoria Legrand’s gorgeously hazy vocals.
Post-punk band Fontaines D.C. has been one of Ireland’s most exciting groups of late alongside acts such as the irrepressible Gilla Band. While distinct from the post-punk sister scene developing in the United Kingdom (U.K.), early Fontaines still included in largely traditional post-punk instrumental palettes to complement Grian Chatten’s incisive sprechgesang. However, their new record
Skinty Fia
witnesses the five-piece develop a strong musical identity — gothic rock tinged with Madchester and dream pop — befitting of their obvious gifts; Chatten delivers some of his finest-ever lyrics, always clever and often biting without descending into cynicism.
The aforementioned sister scene in the U.K., as it so happens, is ground zero for some of the most exciting new music on the planet. While groups such as the Leeds group Yard Act have already delivered serviceable, shrewd post-punk this year — listen to the witty and astute “Tall Poppies” to gather your bearings — the South London venue The Windmill is the unquestionable nexus of British creative inspiration. The fecundity of the Windmill scene is unmatched in the present day, with new, exciting bands crawling out of the woodwork with thrilling regularity. While Black Midi’s hotly-anticipated third album is expected to drop in the summer, even the scene’s lesser-known acts release quality records with little to no warning; Tenderhost’s debut EP
The Tin
, for example, is a succinct statement of compellingly dark and mysterious jazz-rock.
One of the more surprising records of the year comes from Deathcrash, whose debut LP
Return
is full of chrome melancholy and stirring catharsis. The fingerprints of Slint and Low cover several of these songs, but the group manages to establish a personality of its own without submerging into hero-worship. Their subtle understanding of dynamics creates sprawling post-rock epics and two-minute ragers alike, with each represented in the record’s two brightest lights; “American Metal” is an ode to slowcore that finishes with a euphoric crescendo, and the Weezer-referencing “Wrestle with Jimmy” delivers a burst of incendiary emo that lays waste to Return’s entire first half in a blast of distortion. Caroline’s self-titled debut is a thrilling combination of Welsh avant-folk and post-rock, recorded with charming warmth and intimacy. Hypnotic opener “Dark Blue” sets the stage against heartbeat drums as Casper Hughes unabashedly reveals the nature of his ambition, and “IWR” — a track recorded as softly as possible to allow its stringed instruments to shine — pulses with unmatchable vibrancy.
The last album to discuss is Black Country, New Road’s sophomore record,
Ants from Up There
. The sheer abundance of buzz this album has generated in the music world is especially rare; there is little left for me to say that has not already been stated with astonishing passion and eloquence. I shall be brief:
Ants
is monumental, a decade-defining epic worthy of every bit of the staggering praise heaped upon it since its release. It is gorgeously orchestrated and emotional beyond belief, redefining modern indie in its own image. If you listen to one record this year, let it be this one; it may be early to name one’s album of the year, but
Ants
might just be the album of our generation.