The time has come for WSUM's station members to release their coveted lists of their favorite records of 2022! Take a look, take a listen!

Quentin Holle, Puttin' it on Wax

Albums:

1. black midi, Hellfire
2. Black Country, New Road, Ants From Up There
3. DOMi & JD BECK, NOT TiGHT
4. Mr. Oizo, VOILÀ
5. Beach House, Once Twice Melody
6. The Garden, Horseshit on Route 66
7. Sex, Fear, Sex, Fear Presents:
8. Drugdealer, Hiding in Plain Sight
9. Dabeull & Sofiane Pamart, Loving Life
10. Discoholic, Discoholics Anonymous

Honorable Mentions: 

1. Nouns, WHILE OF UNSOUND MIND
2. Kendrick Lamar, Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers
3. Kavinsky, Reborn
4. Disq, Desperately Imagining Someplace Quiet
5. Beyoncé, RENAISSANCE

EPs: 

1. Excuse Me Who Are You?, About That Beer I Owed Ya
2. Braxe + Falcon, Step By Step EP
3. Dabeull, Cosmic Fonk
4. Breakbot, Remedy
5. Blu DeTiger + Chromeo, Blutooth / enough 4 u

Singles: 

1. Kendrick Lamar, “The Heart, Pt. 5” 
2. black midi, “Welcome to Hell”
3. Beyoncé, “Break My Soul”
4. Discoholic, Mr. Hoosteen, “Disco Soul – Mr. Hoosteen's ‘Disco's Revenge' Mix”
5. Excuse Me Who Are You?, “…In the Test Chamber”

Earlier this year I had the opportunity to cover black midi for EMMIE Magazine. I knew nothing of British post punk coming into the night, but I left a major fan of the group and the genre as a whole. When black midi announced their third album Hellfire in June, I instantly knew that it would be my album of the year. I was right. With influences from jazz, punk, rock, country and even musical theater Hellfire is a musical experience only black midi could deliver on. “Welcome to Hell” is filled with heavy guitar and bass riffs and saxophone stabs that forge the hellish atmosphere that the album strives for. “Still” is one of my favorite country songs ever. “27 Questions” serves as the perfect end to the album; a surprising synthesis of post-punk and musical theater. I often find myself deeply obsessed with albums shortly after their release and end up getting bored soon after, but Hellfire has only grown with me over time. 

Shelby Len, “Not like the other girls.”

Albums:

1. Bladee and Ecco2k, Crest
2. MJ Lenderman, Boat Songs
3. Disq, Desperately Imagining Someplace Quiet
4. Sasami, Squeeze
5. The Garden, Horseshit on Route 66
6. Chat Pile, God's Country
7. Graham Hunt, If You Knew Would You Believe It?
8. Horsegirl, Versions of Modern Performance
9. Yung Lean, Stardust
10. Sorry, Anywhere But Here

Honorable Mentions: 

1. Trampled by Turtles, Alpenglow
2. Combat Naps, Coalmine Bud
3.  Bladee, Spiderr

EPs: 

1. Asian Glow and Weatherday, Weatherglow

Singles: 

1. The Dare, Girls, Lil Yachty, Poland

“For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures.” (Corinthians 1:15) Bladee and Ecco2k's Crest is imbued with this same pervasive sense of faith (“I take that path, I make that jump/[…] show me the virtue of the way” Bladee croons in “Desire is a Trap”). Perhaps the best example of this is the 9-minute centerpiece that is “Five Star Crest (4 Vattenrum)”. The lyrics are studded with Christian subtext, and meditate on the glory of God, the meaning of suffering, and the beauty of death. 

The album's heady theological ambitions are bounded by whimsical, glittering engineering from Whitearmor, including samples that range from sheep baying to Street Fighter audio tags, all underscored by thrumming, danceable bass lines and kick drums that keep the album from soaring too close to the sun. Shimmering atop it all Bladee and Ecco2k both sing in wispy falsetto. This album is a Gen-Z hymnal in the way it ponders age-old questions of faith alongside contemporary crises (see “Chaos Follows” for a cutting comment on climate changes) in a manner that is oh so digital. Crest stands apart as the most sonically ambitious Drain Gang project to date.

Molly Phelan, Stank Face

Albums:

1. The Chats, Get Fucked
2. Animal Collective, Time Skiff
3. DOMi & JD BECK, NOT TiGHT
4. LaBlue, Blue Phases
5. Ethel Cain, Preacher's Daughter
6. Moonchild, Starfruit
7. The Beths, Expert In A Dying Field
8. King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, Changes
9. Viagra Boys, Cave World
10. Ravyn Lenae, Hypnos

Honorable Mentions: 

1. The Smile, A Light for Attracting Attention
2. of Montreal, Freewave Lucifer f<ck f^ck f>ck
3. Hether, play it pretty
4. Slaughter Beach, Dog, Live At The Cabin
5. Khruangbin, Vieux Farka Touré, Ali

EPs: 

1. Coco Bryce, Daktari
2. Baseball Gregg, A Life Designed for Fun (Pastimes Vol. II)
3. Faye Webster, Car Therapy Sessions
4. Blood Orange, Four Songs
5. Jeff Rosenstock, Laura Stevenson, Younger Still

Singles: 

1. Sleater-Kinney, Courtney Barnett, “Words and Guitar”
2. Hiatus Kaiyote, “Get Sun – Georgia Anne Muldrow Remix”
3. Liv.e, “Ghost”
4. Four Tet, Burial, “Moth”
5. Keifer, “Why Not?”

I've been a fan of The Chats ever since “Smoko” dropped in 2017, immediately reminding me of an Aussie version of The Minutemen. From the first five seconds of “6L GTR”, I knew Get Fucked would be my album of the year. With 13 tracks, each hovering around the 2 minute mark (give or take), blazing through the record feels like a pedal to the metal race to the finish line. Eamon Sandwith snarls through seedy pub stories and run-ins with law enforcement on “Ticket Inspector”, while simultaneously ripping baselines in a very Naked Raygun fashion. In their classically frank nature, “The Price of Smokes” is a surprisingly enjoyable track, even though the title is pretty much the entire gist of the lyrics. Ultimately, Get Fucked feels tighter and more focused than the trio's other projects, providing commentary on working class conditions in Australia while also making themselves the brunt of their own jokes. It manages to be a thoroughly accessible record, even though it sounds like if the line cooks at the greasiest pub in town got together and recorded some tracks after a night out. The way The Chats toe the line of sincerity and sarcasm is truly something every neo-punk band needs to be taking note of. 

Alexander Wu, color trip 

Albums:

1. Alvvays, Blue Rev
2. Beach House, Once Twice Melody
3. Big Thief, Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe In You
4. Soccer Mommy, Sometimes, Forever
5. Bladee & Ecco2k, Crest
6. The Weeknd, Dawn FM
7. Thaiboy Digital, Back 2 Life
8. Weyes Blood, And In The Darkness, Hearts Aglow
9. Drake, Honestly, Nevermind
10. Rosalia, MOTOMAMI

Honorable Mentions: 

1. Alex G, God Save the Animals
2. Denzel Curry, Melt My Eyes See Your Future

EPs: 

1. Blood Orange, Four Songs
2. JPEGMAFIA, OFFLINE!
3. KayCyy, TW20 50

Singles: 

1. Alvvays, “Pharmacist”
2. Big Thief, “Simulation Swarm”
3. Safety Trance & Arca, “El Alma Que Te Trajo”
4. Ecco2k & Bladee, “Amygdala”
5. Alex G, “End Song”

In July 2022, Alvvays dropped Pharmacist, their lead single for Blue Rev. Immediately, it became my favorite song of the summer, a track that evoked bittersweet yet hopeful feelings for me in an anxious, unsure time of my life. In the following months leading up to Blue Rev's October release, I fell in love with the other singles from the album. 

Despite the hype I had built up for Blue Rev in my head, the album that released on October 7th exceeded all of my expectations. Sonically, Blue Rev is noisier than their past work, but it maintains the impressive songwriting and storytelling that they've honed in since their first album in 2014.

For me, the mark of a great album is one where I can appreciate the album as a cohesive unit, but I can also develop a relationship with each song individually.

An album rarely satisfies these criteria as well as Blue Rev, where every track is as much of an experience as the album itself. If you're a fan of catchy indie pop with punchy production, definitely check out Blue Rev if you haven't already.

Arthur Machado, All Snake No Lake

Albums:

1. Vyley Pony, can opener's notebook: fish whisperer
2. underscores, boneyard aka fearmonger
3. Bladee & Ecco2k, Crest
4. magnólia, caru vai à luta contra os bixinhos do seu coração
5. Hey, Ily, Psychokinetic Love Songs
6. Elder Jack, Elder Jack Long Play
7. Alex G, God Saves The Animals
8. xaev, berdlycore chapter 1
9. Shoobie, We All Come From The Same Pit
10. Ben Quad, I'm Scared That's All There Is
11. Sex, Fear, Sex, Fear Presents: 

Honorable Mentions: 

1. Thaiboy Digital, Back 2 Life
2. SOUND BANDIT, SOUND BANDIT FM
3. Birth Day, Boyhood
4. Team Mekano, mekanoworld.xyz
5. Sonhos Tomam Conta, Maladaptive Daydreaming

EPs: 

1. All of the Asian Glow projects (Coverglow, Weatherglow & Paraglow) 
2. Camp Trash/ Michael Cera/ Oolong/ Weatherday, Edema Run
3. Birds Fear Death,Livestream Death Compilation
4. Excuse Me Who Are You? About That Beer I Owed Ya
5. Hey, Ily, Friend Group From Hell

Singles: 

1. Ecco2K & Bladee, “Amygdala”
2.  Ben Quad, “You're Part of It” 
3. Adorável Clichê, “Gelo Fino”
4. boby3, “Re:turn (Ba Dot Bop) [ft. gulo]”
5. TwerkNation28, “Drake Plays Undertale? WHAT WILL HE DO? Answer in The Comments @DJFamilyGuyImPeter”

Cringe is my personal brand and I am proud of it. I am not sure when this label started but I have built a reputation around having non-conventional tastes and boldly displaying them to those around me. From Drain Gang to Weezer, or from nightcore to hyperpop, I wear my music taste on my sleeves and will defend it until my dying breath. However, this year a strange phenomena occurred. One evening I receive an ominous Discord message from my co-host, best friend and cringe connoisseur Amelia with a Spotify link to can opener's notebook: fish whisperer. Immediately after listening to the opener “you're not a real musician” I replied with a prophetic text with “this might take aoty lmao.” The rest of the night we could not stop texting back and forth praising Vylet Pony's production, influences and themes. That night marked Amelia joining our radio show as a permanent co-host and sent me into the brony rabbit hole, completely overtaking my 2022; having Vylet as my undisputed most streamed artist, and fish whisperer as my most streamed album. 

The 16 song-long aquatic masterpiece is a direct follow up to Vylet's dynamic 2021 release CUTIEMARKS (And the Things That Bind Us.) It takes the Skrillex influenced hyperpop production of Vylet's previous release into an introspective indietronica journey, that is nothing short of beautiful. Tracks like “i've still got something to teach you” and “the hippogriff festival” are ethereal crescendos, blending IDM sensibilities with art-pop that rivals industry mainstays. In such a stacked year for hyperpop and emo, I could not have predicted that a brony popstar would have such a deep impact in my year and this short review is an earnest love letter to Vylet Pony's masterpiece. This album embodies and celebrates the terminally online culture I love so much and I will continue to bravely defend it. I donated for the vinyl fundraiser, hosted a brony rave, learned way too much about Cutiemark lore, befriended and booked brony musicians to play at WSUM's very own Party in the Park (shoutout SOUND BANDIT <3) and I would do it all again. This album fucking rules and everybody. Hell… everypony needs to break out of their jaded cynicism and give it a shot. Put your hooves up and meet me at the hippogriff festival where I'll be spinning some Vylet and having the time of my life.  

Amelia Zollner, All Snake No LakeandJet Sett Radio

Albums:

1. Alex G, God Save The Animals
2. Vylet Pony, can opener's notebook: fish whisperer
3. Black Country, New Road, Ants From Up There
4. Machine Girl, Neon White Soundtrack Part 1 “The Wicked Heart”
5. Bladee & Ecco2k, Crest
6. underscores, boneyard aka fearmonger
7. xaev, berdlycore chapter 2
8. Dry Cleaning, Stumpwork
9. MJ Lenderman, Boat Songs
10. c0ncernn, Dariacore 3… At least I think that's what it's called?

Honorable Mentions: 

1. Big Thief, Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe In You
2. Sex, Fear, Sex, Fear Presents:
3. Birth Day, Boyhood
4. Black Dresses, Forget Your Own Face
5. The 1975, Being Funny In A Foreign Language

EPs: 

1. Asian Glow & Weatherday, Weatherglow
2. Macabre Plaza, Out With the Old in With the Taboo
3. Turkey, Turkey

Singles: 

1. Asian Glow, “The Flag Is Raised”
2. Bladee & Ecco2k, “Amygdala”
3. Anamanaguchi, “Hopes and Dreams”

When I saw Alex G (AKA Alex Giannascoli) live for the first time last fall, he made the crowd sing “Happy Birthday” to him and then drunkenly rambled about his son's recent birthday. Of course, he was lying — his birthday was months away and he doesn't have a son at all.

On God Save The Animals, Giannascoli is equally enigmatic in a much more meaningful way: he's at his most empathetic, singing of forgiveness for people living life in the margins — drug dealers and overworked employees and middle class lovers — through a religious lens. But he's not religious at all, giving the album quite a few potential meanings. It's hard to tell whether Giannascoli approaches religion with criticism, admiration or simply objective examination on God Save The Animals, but his ambiguity is what makes the album my favorite release of the year. 

Giannascoli weaves religion throughout the album, injecting his typical storytelling with Biblical references. On “Immunity,” he juxtaposes faith with addiction: “I have to put the cocaine in the vaccine / Walk out of the doctor with immunity / Life of revelation catching up with me.” 

It's often unclear whether he's singing about others or himself, making his stance on religion up for interpretation. To me, some lyrics felt like direct parodies of people's overt reliance on religion: on “S.D.O.S,” Giannascoli sings “God is my designer / Jesus is my lawyer” over a perilous bed of synths, which sounds like text that would appear on one of those terribly sparkly GIFS my Catholic relatives love to repost on Facebook. 

Giannascoli is at his most experimental as well. The album flips from polished indie folk to unsettling pitch-shifted moments without warning (“Immunity” even somehow landed a placement on Spotify's hyperpop playlist), yet his new sound still draws parallels to his older work. “Runner” feels colloquial and inviting like much of Trick, and “No Bitterness” delves into a brief moment of chaos that calls back to the oddly aggressive “Brick.”

As the album comes to a close, Giannascoli returns to his signature indie folk sound and questions his own actions, turning to religion (whether critically or not) for an answer to his problems. On “Miracles,” he looks to the future: “How many more songs am I supposed to write / Before I should turn it off and say goodnight?”

He's not far from an answer, though. Shortly after, he sings: “You and me, we got better pills than ecstasy / They're miracles and crosses.”

Through all of the chaos of God Save The Animals — through reckoning with religion and addiction and even his own current state — Giannascoli is able to tie everything together by finding comfort in the album's last moments. Regardless of his true perspective on religion (which I regret spending so much time trying to decipher), Giannascoli seamlessly merges his older indie folk with newer experimentalism all while delivering empathetic storytelling, making for an album that's definitely worthy of a spot on Noah's Ark. 

Claire Borgelt, Mood Ring

Albums:

1. Ben Quad, I'm Scared That's All There Is 
2. Sex, Fear, Sex, Fear Presents 
3. The Simps, Siblings 
4. Arctic Monkeys, The Car 
5. Luke Leavitt, Rose's Space 
6. Shoobie, WE ALL COME FROM THE SAME PIT 
7. Watermelon Collie, From Here to There 
8. Carly Cosgrove, See You in Chemistry 
9. Elder Jack, Short Work 
10. Mt. Oriander, Then the Lightness Leaves and I Become Heavy Again 

EPs: 

1. Excuse Me, Who Are You? About That Beer I Owed Ya
2. VomBom, Night of the Bloodsuckers 
3. Diet Lite, John Told Bob Told Rob
4. Smoke Free Home, Nervous Strut 
5. Lunar Moth, In the Mourning

Singles: 

1. My Chemical Romance, “Foundations of Decay” 
2. Ben Quad, “You're Part of It” 
3. KULE, “Complete Regression” 
4. Basketball Divorce Court, “Oops! We Don't Use That Word on Barbie.Com”
5. RIOTNINE! , “No One Wants Pain” 

2022 was an exceptional year for emo music, Ben Quad's debut album stands out for the sheer number of hits on its track list. I'm Scared That's All There Is is a blur of iconic riffs, delivering reflections on change, identity and bittersweet relationships. 

I've loved Ben Quad since hearing “We're Gonna Be Here for A While” in its single format last fall, but it was hearing the band perform live in July which secured them “album of the year” status for me. It was a Monday night in a small third-story venue, but they drew one of the largest and most enthusiastic crowds I have ever seen at a DIY event. From the first notes of “Blood for the Blood God” to the pensive, fading end of “Joan of Hill,” the audience was enthralled and so was I. Now, the studio versions of the songs just remind me of that night; the wall-to-wall mosh pit and convergence of sweaty emo energy. 

Frankie Reuter

Albums:

1. Lizzy McAlpine, Five Seconds Flat
2. Taylor Swift, Midnights
3. The 1975, Being Funny In A Foreign Language
4. The Backseat Lovers, Waiting to Spill
5. Harry Styles, Harry's House
6. Arctic Monkeys, The Car
7. Hippo Campus, LP3
8. Mt. Joy, Orange Blood
9. Spacey Jane, Here Comes Everybody
10. COIN, Uncanny Valley

Honorable Mentions: 

1. Dayglow, People In Motion
2. The Lumineers, Brightside

EPs: 

1. Phoebe Bridgers, So Much Wine
2. Briston Maroney, Oregon / Harvard

Singles: 

1. The 1975, “I'm In Love With You”
2. The Greeting Committee and Briston Maroney, “Sort of Stranger” 
3. FINNEAS, “Mona Lisa, Mona Lisa”

I hadn't listened to much new music since it was released this year. I tend to just stick to the things that I like, and play them on repeat for hours. Lizzy McAlpine's sophomore album, Five Seconds Flat, was playing on repeat since the minute it was released. This album had such a nostalgic feel to it that I simply could not switch to any other music to listen to. The themes of heartbreak and growing up, with the simple melodies just worked so well for this album. Her album still has a similar vibe to her debut, but it just sounds more mature. One of my personal favorites is the fifth track of the album, “All My Ghosts” has such a simple strum in the beginning from her guitar, that allows her vocals to really stand out. Her lyrics across this album are truly elevated by the instrumentals, neither one drowning the other out. This is such a simplistic album, I truly think it will be in my top ten albums for years to come.

Emma Hamilton, Amplify

Albums:

1. Plains, I Walked With You A Ways
2. Spoon, Lucifer On The Sofa
3. Big Thief, Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe In You
4. Beabadoobee, Beatopia
5. Widowspeak, The Jacket
6. Sudan Archives, Natural Brown Prom Queen
7. Vieux Farka Toure, Khruangbin, Ali
8. Grace Ives, Janky Star
9. Pale Waves, Unwanted
10.  Florence + The Machine, Dance Fever

Honorable Mentions: 

1. The 1975, Being Funny In A Foreign Language

EPs: 

1. Tierra Whack, R&B?
2. Tierra Whack, Pop?
3. Tierra Whack, Rap?

Singles: 

1. Shakey Graves, Sierra Ferrell, “Ready or Not” 
2. Pinegrove, “Habitat” 
3. HAIM, “Lost Track”
4. Remi Wolf, “Michael”
5. Biig Piig, “Kerosene”

I'll be honest, I spent most of 2022 drowning my ears in the voices of bold female singer-songwriters, whose influences span from the last decades and turn of the 20th century, such as Dolly Parton, Lucinda Williams, Natalie Merchant, Patty Griffin, Edie Brickell, The Chicks, and Alanis Morissette. Point being, ranking my top releases of 2022 proved to be a difficult and enlightening task, of which I did not begin to tackle until a couple weeks ago. 

Unsurprisingly, after listening to several 2022 releases for two weeks straight, my top album of 2022 is one that likely drew influence from some of the female identifying singer-songwriters I spent most of my time listening to this year: I Walked With You A Ways by Plains, a newly-formed duo of Jess Williamson and Waxahatchee's Katie Crutchfield. After each releasing their own albums in 2020, Waxahatchee and Jess Williams quite literally banded together this year to release a full-length album, I Walked With You A Ways. The duo's debut album consists of almost an even split of songs written by each artist–Crutchfield credited with writing five songs and Williamson with four–and a cover of Hoyt Van Tanner's “Bellafatima.” 

While many of the songs' lyrics focus on challenges within intra and interpersonal relationships, there's also a strong sense of self-realization and assurance found in the album's final lines, “Well I'll be better all my days / ‘Cause I walked with you a ways.” These lines could also speak to the support the duo gives one another, from providing backing harmonies to pushing each other's authenticity, as they both embark on a deeper exploration of their shared southern roots in the album. In all, I Walked With You A Ways is a wholesome and honest celebration of both artist's southern roots and their relatively new-found friendship, which is why the album is at the top of my 2022 charts. 

Claire Zimmerman

Albums:

1. Tash Sultana, MTV Unplugged (Live in Melbourne)
2. Maggie Rogers, Surrender
3. Zach Bryan, American Heartbreak
4. Mt. Joy, Orange Blood
5. Noah Kahan, Stick Season
6. Delicate Steve, After Hours
7. FINNEAS, Optimist (Deluxe)
8. Backseat Lovers, Waiting to Spill
9. MICHELLE, AFTER DINNER WE TALK DREAMS
10. FELIVAND, Ties

Honorable Mentions: 

1. Lizzy McAlpine, Five Seconds Flat
2. Caamp, Lavender Days
3. Spacey Jane, Here Comes Everybody
4. Arctic Monkeys, The Car
5. Lumineers, BRIGHTSIDE

EPs: 

1. Billie Eilish, Guitar Songs
2. Briston Maroney, Oregon / Harvard
3. Zach Bryan, Summertime Blues
4. Phoebe Bridgers, So Much Wine

Singles: 

1. half alive, “High Up” 
2. Tash Sultana, “Coma (MTV Unplugged, Live in Melbourne)”
3. Duckwrth, “Beg”
4. The Backseat Lovers, “Close Your Eyes”
5.  flipturn, “August – Audiotree Live Version”

Tash Sultana's newest release, MTV Unplugged (Live in Melbourne), is a collection of older music rerecorded in a brand new live rendition. This album features 11 tracks recorded at an intimate performance for a small audience in Melbourne, Australia. I already loved all of the tracks on this album from their previous versions, but the live performance recordings place an emphasis on the psychedelic rock instrumentals Tash Sultana has mastered throughout the course of their career. The entire album is produced and mixed solely by Tash themselves, an extremely impressive feat from the multi-instrumentalist – they can play 20 different instruments. I believe they are one of the most talented solo-artists and producers currently making music, and they do not receive nearly enough recognition. I've been a fan of Tash Sultana for years now and I consider them one of my favorite artists of all time because their music just speaks to my soul. The first song that really introduced me to their music was their debut single, “Jungle,” but the following two albums released, Flow State and Terra Firma hold the real gold. This MTV Live album is a combination of all the best songs from Tash's three studio albums spanning from 2016-2021, which is why it's such a stellar record. This will remain one of my favorite albums of all time and I am already looking forward to future releases from Tash Sultana.

Kian Murphey

Albums:

1. Weyes Blood, And In The Darkness, Hearts Aglow
2. Saba, Few Good Things
3. Danger Mouse, Cheat Codes
4. Baseball Gregg, Pastimes
5. Steve Lacy, Gemini Rights
6. JID, The Forever Story
7. Elliot Fullam, What's Wrong
8. Denzel Curry, Melt My Eyez See Your Future
9. Big Thief, Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe In You
10. Duckwrth, Chrome Bull

Honorable Mentions: 

1. Taylor Swift, Midnights
2. Kendrick Lamar, Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers
3. Redveil, learn 2 swim
4. Vince Staples, Ramona Park Broke My Heart

EPs: 

1. JPEGMafia, OFFLINE!

Singles: 

1. 070 Shake, “Skin and Bones” 
2. Denzel Curry, “Walkin”
3. Duckwrth, “Beg”

Weyes Blood's album from this year, And In The Darkness Hearts Aglow, further cements in my mind that she is possibly one of the greatest vocalists of our generation. When I first heard her previous release I knew she had the talent to create something truly breathtaking, and this album met those high expectations. Her voice has always been ethereal, but the biggest difference on this album for me was that the production and backing really matched that ethereal vibe perfectly. Her lyricism also took a step up in my opinion, not to say it wasn't great before. This album just makes me feel like I'm being enveloped by her voice throughout every song, creating an extremely immersive experience of a listen. Nothing else from this year could stand up to the beauty of this album for me, making it an easy pick for my number one, even though it came out quite late in November.

Eli Johnson

Albums:

1. Sex, Fear, “Sex, Fear Presents:”
2. The Callous Daoboys, “Celebrity Therapist”
3. Bathhouse Kill Squad, “Bathhouse Kill Squad”
4. Vombom, “100% Volatile”
5. The Mall, “Time Vehicle Earth”
6. The Beths, “Expert In A Dying Field”
7. Wet Leg, “Wet Leg”
8. Duster, “Together”
9. Sonic Youth, “In/Out/In”
10.  Mom Jeans., “Sweet Tooth”

EPs: 

1. Excuse Me, Who Are You?, “About That Beer I Owed Ya”
2. Lunar Moth, “In The Mourning”
3. Godly the Ruler, “dog days”
4. Overhand, “Your Subtraction”
5. Reaching Venus, “Come Alive”

Singles: 

1. Excuse Me, Who Are You?, “…In The Test Chamber”
2. Killusonline, “URA GONA”
3. Interlay, “Androgenous”
4. Kule, “Complete Regression”
5. Bugsy, “Slip N' Slide”

Sex, Fear is a post-punk band based in Madison, Wisconsin. They describe themselves as a band that makes music about “plastic figurines and anguish”. After releasing a handful of singles, they released their debut album, Sex, Fear Presents: in May of 2022. At 45 minutes, the nine songs on the album blur the lines between genres. Drawing influence and inspiration from post-hardcore, art rock, experimental rock, and plastic figurines with big heads, “Sex, Fear Presents:” is a cathardic experience from start to finish.

Sex, Fear Presents: is a no-skip album. No matter how many times I see them play live, their songs feel new and still full of energy and emotion. Each song flows into the next. The band plays tightly with one another, and really feels like one entity on the album. With serious, thoughtful tracks like “Ship of Theseus”, Sex, Fear brings provocative, and sometimes graphic imagery to questions and feelings we've all had at one point in our lives. 

That being said, they don't take themselves too seriously. Some tracks feel almost sardonic, melding low, hypnotic vocals with unhinged screams. “Chicken Dinner (Bonus Track)” is a great example of that. After a long, broody album of reflection the band lightens the mood with a bonus track that is literally about different ways to eat chicken. Seeing them close with “Chicken Dinner” live is always my favorite part of their shows.