Favorite Albums of December 2022
Look back with me a few more times
When the new year unfurls before us, we love to move forward into its open arms. We fling the baggage from the past year into the abyss and march toward a time that, as of now, only holds potential. I’m doing much the same, but there are a few packages from late 2022 that have yet to be sent. This is the first.
METAL ALBUMS
Woods of Desolation - The Falling Tide
When I first heard this album I was immediately struck by shimmering guitars reminiscent of Deafheaven, Lantlos and Morwinyon, all band that I love. The Falling Tide clearly exists in the larger world of blackgaze or at least atmoblack, but they use harsher vocals than is typical of blackgaze. There is less going on in the high register, and the group mostly sticks to rattling, throaty mids. This adds a unique texture and emotional heft to a genre that tends to stick with unintelligible black metal shrieks. While this isn’t much easier to understand, I could at least pick out one or two words. The drumming also earns a shoutout, as it frequently breaks away from the blast beat pattern to add further excitement to each song. While not inventing anything new, The Falling Tide operates at such a high level of execution that it demands praise. I’m also a sucker for blackgaze so there’s that too.
Honorable Mentions:
††† - PERMANENT.RADIANT
Zeal & Ardor - Firewake
David Maxim Micic - BILO IV
NON-METAL ALBUMS
SZA - SOS
I don’t believe any singer like I believe SZA. Something in her voice makes every lyric feel heartfelt, honest and raw in a way that most people struggle to balance. Even better, she refuses to sacrifice technicality and beauty for the emotional heft of her music. And I can’t get out of here without bringing up the lyrics. If you say “I’m so mature I got me a therapist to tell there’s other men, I don’t want none I just want you.” In your song you’re balling out, that’s incredible. This album rules. It might be a little long and maybe CTRL is better, I don’t care at all though.
Other Half - Soft Action
Maybe I just like harsh music (gee you think?). Soft Action is yet another entrant in the “verging on metal but is probably actually noisy punk music” category that I’ve loved so fondly this year (for another example, see Gilla Band). This music oozes total abandon. Whatever these people had in them going into the studio, they left it in the microphone, amps, drumheads and strings. A wild energy possesses this record but it never tears it into a structureless mess. Instead, it’s weaponized chaos, placed neatly behind a projectile and ignited. Catch me riding the bullet whooping and hollering like the end of Dr. Strangelove.
Honorable Mentions:
Metro Boomin - HEROES & VILLAINS