2022 raised the bar for records across the music industry. From genre switches to long-awaited releases, our list this year features 10 releases and 10 honorable mentions that we believe to be standouts in their respective scenes.
Coming in hot at number ten, Bimbocore takes metal and puts a much-needed feminine twist on it. Scene Queen’s debut EP is a refreshing entry into the male-dominated rock scene.
The six-track EP is tongue-in-cheek at times, but still demands to taken seriously. Women don’t need to focus solely on serious topics in order to exist within rock genres. With Bimbocore, Scene Queen establishes a strong and exciting corner of the rock industry that we haven’t seen anything like before.
If you’re going to know one thing about Preacher’s Daughter, you should know that the album tells the story of a preacher’s daughter who runs away from home, falls in love with a man who turns out to be a psychopath, and meets her untimely death by being eaten by him. If that doesn’t pique your interest, we don’t know what will.
The songs are all masterpieces in their own right, exploring Americana music through deep dives into themes of religion, love, and rebellion. The album is a feat, and has rightfully earned its place as one of the best albums of 2022.
THE DEATH OF PEACE OF MIND marks a change in how Bad Omens approaches their discography.
The intricate self-production paired with impressive instrumentation and vulnerable lyricism takes the band to new heights, exploring a side of the scene that metalcore doesn’t mingle with as often as it should.
HOLY FVCK finds Demi Lovato returning to their rock roots, a long-awaited sonic change for long-term fans.
It’s vulnerable in all the best ways, while packing a punch that only Demi knows how to deliver so excellently.
Stand Atlantic never fails to bring the most lively energy and F.E.A.R. is no exception to that. With angsty melodies and the power of youthful rage, F.E.A.R is a force to be reckoned with.
It is an album to let out all your repressed frustrations to as you scream along to a catchy tune. The hype is real; this album certainly blew it out of the water and deserves the fiery reputation.
5SOS5 is an incredible album where you can truly see the maturity in the guys’ songwriting, musical talent and singing.
The album is unlike any other 5 Seconds Of Summer album. It’s an hour and nine minutes of absolute bangers, zero skips.
Muna is a true force of music. With the band finally in full control of their music, they’re able to explore complicated themes and embrace queer joy without hesitation.
From start to finish, the self-titled album is sonically and lyrically experimental and astounding.
The latest entry into The 1975’s discography finds the quartet collaborating with the highly-acclaimed Jack Antonoff.
Being Funny In A Foreign Language marks yet another shift in genres that the band has chosen to taken on — and as usual, they pull it off effortlessly. While shorter than The 1975’s prior releases, it’s a sonically cohesive addition to their collection of songs that stands out (especially among their more recent records).
Midnights sees Taylor Swift taking full control of her sound in the most brilliant of ways.
Her return to pop after Folklore and Evermore was long-awaited, exceeding any and all expectations that could have been had.
Taking our number one spot — making it Ascribe’s Album of the Year — Harry’s House is some of Harry Styles’ best and brightest work, peacefully reconciling the emotional conflicts of his first two albums to reach a state of rumination and bliss.
Rooted firmly within the indie-pop constraints of the modern day whilst also drawing upon some of the more retro, classic influences observed in his previous work, the album is masterfully produced and critically acclaimed for good reason — the personal inferences and metaphorical depths of each track shine through with every listen.
Narrowing down our picks for Album of the Year is always difficult, but 2022 was without a doubt trickier than prior years. We’ve noted ten releases that, while they didn’t make our top ten, we believe still define the best-of-the-best for their respective genres:
- DAYSEEKER – Dark Sun
- CHERIE AMOUR – Spiritual Ascension
- BOSTON MANOR – Datura
- MAGGIE LINDEMANN – Suckerpunch
- MITSKI – Laurel Hell
- STATE CHAMPS – Kings of the New Age
- DE’WAYNE – My Favorite Blue Jeans
- LOVELESS – End of an Era
- KEHLANI – Blue Water Road
- FLORENCE AND THE MACHINE – Dance Fever
All review blurbs written by the Ascribe Magazine editorial staff/contributors. List entries are nominated by readers and the Ascribe team. Placement is voted on by the Ascribe staff/contributors.
Listen below to our end-of-the-year picks for 2022.
