Top 100 Music Albums of 2022 by 
DommeDamian 
2022, the beginning of a new, album journey.
Hey reader. Can you please listen to my new album Healium; it's out on every streaming platform. I worked really hard on it and all the other clichés I could say but I seriously hope you will listen to it.
https://open.spotify.com/album/2LJVypC50RhQLVNAD1EJsI?si=XLhfjct1RqK0klIiYQmGzA
- Chart updated: 03/04/2024 12:15
- (Created: 01/12/2022 17:26).
- Chart size: 100 albums.
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95/100 (Disc 1)
Well..............................................................yeah! [First added to this chart: 07/27/2022]
Well..............................................................yeah! [First added to this chart: 07/27/2022]
0
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80/100
This is some very nice and interesting cookie-delicious audio cut-ups between field recordings, sound effects, and instrument-samples (I guess so), coming together as a way to celebrate natural sounding things. Both meditative and exploring, Oceans of Milk And Treacle creates a universe that has visiting hours when you need it the most. This is manipulation and processing of sound sources to create atmospheric pieces, at its sweetest - and a quirky reminder that Christ also exists in the tropical places. Man oh man I love the aquatic stuff. Listening to this will make the listener feel like there is a meaning behind prettymuch everything.
Most of this flavorful, record I find it truly seems like dreams; not a specific dream, but the thing we call dream. A lot of "surrealistic" stuff out there seems to really focus on how a dreamlike state is "the wacky kind of music" or "dream sweet dreams" (like Dream Pop) but this seems to touch on the structural aspects of dreams, the jarring shape of the images as well as than their possibly odd content - obviously then set to flamboyant music. And it's a comfortable, chill dream. Like the most calming level in the backrooms. Nothing seems quite what it is, but it is. And yet nothing seems familiar, but the feelings that Oceans of Milk And Treacle bring you is wholesome. You wouldn't necessarily call it "real music" as much as just sound recordings, yet its imaginative beauty is virtually unmatched this decade. This piece of art represents the moment when jazz music loses its generational and political feel, and psychedelic music goes further into natural territories rather than hippie noise, and tropical landscape becomes one and the same with human lovabilites. The fact that he is 79, and has made music for decades really says something. I'm gonna listen to more of his albums if what comes out with at grandpa age is this excellent (update: his Do I Know You record is amazing). [First added to this chart: 01/17/2022]
This is some very nice and interesting cookie-delicious audio cut-ups between field recordings, sound effects, and instrument-samples (I guess so), coming together as a way to celebrate natural sounding things. Both meditative and exploring, Oceans of Milk And Treacle creates a universe that has visiting hours when you need it the most. This is manipulation and processing of sound sources to create atmospheric pieces, at its sweetest - and a quirky reminder that Christ also exists in the tropical places. Man oh man I love the aquatic stuff. Listening to this will make the listener feel like there is a meaning behind prettymuch everything.
Most of this flavorful, record I find it truly seems like dreams; not a specific dream, but the thing we call dream. A lot of "surrealistic" stuff out there seems to really focus on how a dreamlike state is "the wacky kind of music" or "dream sweet dreams" (like Dream Pop) but this seems to touch on the structural aspects of dreams, the jarring shape of the images as well as than their possibly odd content - obviously then set to flamboyant music. And it's a comfortable, chill dream. Like the most calming level in the backrooms. Nothing seems quite what it is, but it is. And yet nothing seems familiar, but the feelings that Oceans of Milk And Treacle bring you is wholesome. You wouldn't necessarily call it "real music" as much as just sound recordings, yet its imaginative beauty is virtually unmatched this decade. This piece of art represents the moment when jazz music loses its generational and political feel, and psychedelic music goes further into natural territories rather than hippie noise, and tropical landscape becomes one and the same with human lovabilites. The fact that he is 79, and has made music for decades really says something. I'm gonna listen to more of his albums if what comes out with at grandpa age is this excellent (update: his Do I Know You record is amazing). [First added to this chart: 01/17/2022]
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80/100
How does this n***a only have 15 monthly listeners, when there is not even 15 artists in this world, this year, who will make an album this atmospherically sensitive, velvet and creative, as well as heart-on-sleeve??????
There is a few sonic worlds to Somewhere Else that make it sound like it was from...somewhere else. First you have the metaphysical melancholia that is the "ballads": I want you to for a second imagine if your melancholy and sweet depression was a valley. A big, complex valley. Now take that entire valley, and put it underwater, like the world is under an ocean (forget about oxygen). Then when you go into the valley (or swim into it) you go into the lesser creatured side of a forest in it. What that place would make you feel, Julio Baca managed to convey into his wonderful music.
See, most sad songs and albums tend to soundtrack the grander scheme of emotions, but Julio gets down to the nitty-gritty of one particular nerve and vividly explores it. Melodically, it's influenced by classical music (he cites Bach as an influence), the vocals have Elliott Smith's soft cry and Nick Drake's delivery of hopelessness. Just listen to swimming Shelter, or You Get So Alone (a normal indie singer-songwriter song, but having erased the typical instrumentation and letting the blood of the guitar vein sink into the painting of sorrow) or the title track sounding like Sufjan Stevens lost in a dream, or the otherworldly alt-country joint Come And Forget, or the ocean-deep Euphoria (perhaps the best folk song of the decade).
Then we got the regular indietronica/indie rock isms on Myself (super straightforward rock, almost pop rock) and Empty Feeling, that features a delightful drum machine all over. These first two scapes massage each other on the semi-psychedelic Control Merit.
The third world is jazz-instrumentals. We get the first one in A Small Moment, pretty much a quintessential soundtrack to the greatest stop motion movie of all time, or the most thoughtful intermission. This in contrast with a lot of modern jazz, does not take itself seriously at all, and it's to its advantage undoubtedly. The tune Remain is freaky free-jazz, with all the instruments (drums, trumpet, piano) being utterly free-formed of structure and honestly makes an intriguing chaos of sound art, Miles, Mingus and Beefheart smiling in their graves. This world and the melancholic one culminates in the falling 7min closing cut Why Do I Need, because the piano resembles the jazz moments while simultaneously complimenting the emotional singing.
Without question, the world of metaphysical melancholia is my favorite of Julio's. It's also the one that (ful)fills the most on the album. He manages to be more painstakingly caring about the atmosphere than anyone in this generation. But when I say atmospheric, people think of the clouds, like high above the ground; whereas (as I said before) But hold your breath, and let Julio Baca take it the opposite way, going deep beneath the windy Earth and beneath the floaty surface. Julio, you are the man, man. [First added to this chart: 06/20/2022]
How does this n***a only have 15 monthly listeners, when there is not even 15 artists in this world, this year, who will make an album this atmospherically sensitive, velvet and creative, as well as heart-on-sleeve??????
There is a few sonic worlds to Somewhere Else that make it sound like it was from...somewhere else. First you have the metaphysical melancholia that is the "ballads": I want you to for a second imagine if your melancholy and sweet depression was a valley. A big, complex valley. Now take that entire valley, and put it underwater, like the world is under an ocean (forget about oxygen). Then when you go into the valley (or swim into it) you go into the lesser creatured side of a forest in it. What that place would make you feel, Julio Baca managed to convey into his wonderful music.
See, most sad songs and albums tend to soundtrack the grander scheme of emotions, but Julio gets down to the nitty-gritty of one particular nerve and vividly explores it. Melodically, it's influenced by classical music (he cites Bach as an influence), the vocals have Elliott Smith's soft cry and Nick Drake's delivery of hopelessness. Just listen to swimming Shelter, or You Get So Alone (a normal indie singer-songwriter song, but having erased the typical instrumentation and letting the blood of the guitar vein sink into the painting of sorrow) or the title track sounding like Sufjan Stevens lost in a dream, or the otherworldly alt-country joint Come And Forget, or the ocean-deep Euphoria (perhaps the best folk song of the decade).
Then we got the regular indietronica/indie rock isms on Myself (super straightforward rock, almost pop rock) and Empty Feeling, that features a delightful drum machine all over. These first two scapes massage each other on the semi-psychedelic Control Merit.
The third world is jazz-instrumentals. We get the first one in A Small Moment, pretty much a quintessential soundtrack to the greatest stop motion movie of all time, or the most thoughtful intermission. This in contrast with a lot of modern jazz, does not take itself seriously at all, and it's to its advantage undoubtedly. The tune Remain is freaky free-jazz, with all the instruments (drums, trumpet, piano) being utterly free-formed of structure and honestly makes an intriguing chaos of sound art, Miles, Mingus and Beefheart smiling in their graves. This world and the melancholic one culminates in the falling 7min closing cut Why Do I Need, because the piano resembles the jazz moments while simultaneously complimenting the emotional singing.
Without question, the world of metaphysical melancholia is my favorite of Julio's. It's also the one that (ful)fills the most on the album. He manages to be more painstakingly caring about the atmosphere than anyone in this generation. But when I say atmospheric, people think of the clouds, like high above the ground; whereas (as I said before) But hold your breath, and let Julio Baca take it the opposite way, going deep beneath the windy Earth and beneath the floaty surface. Julio, you are the man, man. [First added to this chart: 06/20/2022]
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80/100
April 2022: "I'm still in my earlier stages of appreciating the drain but come on we can all agree that this is a good album, especially by their standards. Bladee and Ecco are really the 2 best members."
A few months later and you can call me a drainer. Yes, autotune I still hate and all that BS, but Bladee has quickly become one of my favorite artists of the 2010s recently. The rest of drain gang not much at all, but I still have lots of respect for what they do. Ecco2K is my second favorite member with his childlike and romantic vocal delivery and humble aesthetic to electronic music.
Those lyrics on here man. It's an album entirely about spirituality. This is not Kanye preaching an outdated religion that follows an outdated book that he does not even personally embody. Every line expresses extremely personal spirituality when you look closely, and every ethereal arrangement expresses genuine serenity. Bladee and Ecco2k have clearly studied several western and eastern philosophies, but even clearer is that they have truly embodied their own interpretations. There is not a single moment of preaching here. Your soul wants nothing more than to be content. If you recognize that the suffering you put your soul through was a choice, then you realize you have the power to put an end to it.
Bladee admits that he once suffered, but now, he has chosen to see the beauty in everything. Death and loss are beautiful. Much of what death causes, the grief especially, is extremely ugly at first. But from the very moment you lose someone, you immediately have the choice to see the ugliness of empty hole left behind or the beauty of a life completed. If you look around, death is everywhere. The flowers bloom and then they rot. Even our closest loved ones share the same fate. Will you focus on the rot, or choose to continue living to see the next set of flowers that grow from the same soil? These are some of the lyrical conceptions and conclusions that Crest explores and expresses, wonderfully (raindbowmonkeys, RYM).
Bladee also released the solo album Spiderr this year but that is probably my least favorite album of his. Crest on the other hand, is one of my absolute favorites. It exemplify and embodies a lot of what I like about this kind of Cloud Rap and electronic music; it's a progressive nostalgic video-game, mixed with a drug trip and all your favorite candies. The synths are delicious like ice cream, and combine that with the religiously observing lyricism and spiritual songwriting from both guys = the result is a monster. Everytime I open up the album with the marvelous The Flag Is Raised, I am having a blast.
I know they probably didn't want to fumble the bag by not putting on Girls Just Want To Have Fun but I never liked that song. The remaining eight songs though are all beautiful bangers. And as obviously as is, 5 Star Crest is the supreme masterpiece of 2022; who said Drain Gang couldn't get progressive? [First added to this chart: 03/26/2022]
April 2022: "I'm still in my earlier stages of appreciating the drain but come on we can all agree that this is a good album, especially by their standards. Bladee and Ecco are really the 2 best members."
A few months later and you can call me a drainer. Yes, autotune I still hate and all that BS, but Bladee has quickly become one of my favorite artists of the 2010s recently. The rest of drain gang not much at all, but I still have lots of respect for what they do. Ecco2K is my second favorite member with his childlike and romantic vocal delivery and humble aesthetic to electronic music.
Those lyrics on here man. It's an album entirely about spirituality. This is not Kanye preaching an outdated religion that follows an outdated book that he does not even personally embody. Every line expresses extremely personal spirituality when you look closely, and every ethereal arrangement expresses genuine serenity. Bladee and Ecco2k have clearly studied several western and eastern philosophies, but even clearer is that they have truly embodied their own interpretations. There is not a single moment of preaching here. Your soul wants nothing more than to be content. If you recognize that the suffering you put your soul through was a choice, then you realize you have the power to put an end to it.
Bladee admits that he once suffered, but now, he has chosen to see the beauty in everything. Death and loss are beautiful. Much of what death causes, the grief especially, is extremely ugly at first. But from the very moment you lose someone, you immediately have the choice to see the ugliness of empty hole left behind or the beauty of a life completed. If you look around, death is everywhere. The flowers bloom and then they rot. Even our closest loved ones share the same fate. Will you focus on the rot, or choose to continue living to see the next set of flowers that grow from the same soil? These are some of the lyrical conceptions and conclusions that Crest explores and expresses, wonderfully (raindbowmonkeys, RYM).
Bladee also released the solo album Spiderr this year but that is probably my least favorite album of his. Crest on the other hand, is one of my absolute favorites. It exemplify and embodies a lot of what I like about this kind of Cloud Rap and electronic music; it's a progressive nostalgic video-game, mixed with a drug trip and all your favorite candies. The synths are delicious like ice cream, and combine that with the religiously observing lyricism and spiritual songwriting from both guys = the result is a monster. Everytime I open up the album with the marvelous The Flag Is Raised, I am having a blast.
I know they probably didn't want to fumble the bag by not putting on Girls Just Want To Have Fun but I never liked that song. The remaining eight songs though are all beautiful bangers. And as obviously as is, 5 Star Crest is the supreme masterpiece of 2022; who said Drain Gang couldn't get progressive? [First added to this chart: 03/26/2022]
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80/100
Now THIS is what I call a real musical chamber field recording experience. Not only does this thing flow tremendously from track to track, not only does it have a stellar instrumental balance with the nature recordings, and not only doesn't it contain a single spot that is less than at least good plus; it also has a climax that both stay grounded with its earthly aesthetics and is satisfying. Rough And Beautiful Place is wonderful, and one of this year's very best! This is preeeetty much as good as my last album of the year (2021's As The Love Continues) - will reveal if it is on future listens - so if this is the standard of what 2022 is gonna be, I am nothing but hopeful for music now.
Also, I'd no idea that it was Parannoul's alias, and it's actually great to hear an artist releasing one (or two) bad-mediocre albums come out with a fresh one at the beginning'a the next year. [First added to this chart: 01/15/2022]
Now THIS is what I call a real musical chamber field recording experience. Not only does this thing flow tremendously from track to track, not only does it have a stellar instrumental balance with the nature recordings, and not only doesn't it contain a single spot that is less than at least good plus; it also has a climax that both stay grounded with its earthly aesthetics and is satisfying. Rough And Beautiful Place is wonderful, and one of this year's very best! This is preeeetty much as good as my last album of the year (2021's As The Love Continues) - will reveal if it is on future listens - so if this is the standard of what 2022 is gonna be, I am nothing but hopeful for music now.
Also, I'd no idea that it was Parannoul's alias, and it's actually great to hear an artist releasing one (or two) bad-mediocre albums come out with a fresh one at the beginning'a the next year. [First added to this chart: 01/15/2022]
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75/100
Quadeca keeps getting Ws. What could I say, this guy just reinvented a new concept of how music can appeal to me without being completely natural sounding. Many thoughts came to mind over first-listen of IDMTHY, but in the end all of them are blurred out by the high impression I had throughout almost the entire album. I will say that Quadeca managed to do what many electronic musicians (like Postal Service) failed to. He is also like a folktronica Kid Cudi if he mourned his world and his life, post-suicide. Imma relisten to this great album and then note a little more material before I call it a day with this description, so longer comment coming. [First added to this chart: 11/26/2022]
Quadeca keeps getting Ws. What could I say, this guy just reinvented a new concept of how music can appeal to me without being completely natural sounding. Many thoughts came to mind over first-listen of IDMTHY, but in the end all of them are blurred out by the high impression I had throughout almost the entire album. I will say that Quadeca managed to do what many electronic musicians (like Postal Service) failed to. He is also like a folktronica Kid Cudi if he mourned his world and his life, post-suicide. Imma relisten to this great album and then note a little more material before I call it a day with this description, so longer comment coming. [First added to this chart: 11/26/2022]
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75/100
Those entirety of the compositions is like a mixture of: dreams I am having (set to wax), meditative improvised guitar sounds, more dreams I am having that feels like having nostalgia for something happening in the future, a natural field recording audio tape found in a basement of a lost cottage, a spiritual awakening carnival tour, and a folk person trying to make a free jazz album without ever having heard free jazz other than the ambiguous genre name. The record, like the album cover, feels so vague yet so clear to me. This doesn't sound like it came from a studio at all. Everything was captured either outside or in a living room that had nothing to do with music equipment. Which makes it even more joyful, inspiring and also different.There is much use of watery sounds, and that is truly asmr-esque to me, in the best way. It's also a grindcore metal album cover, yet the music is anything but. The second and third act/part/composition are both each some of the most wonderful 15min of audio I have heard this year. [First added to this chart: 12/03/2022]
Those entirety of the compositions is like a mixture of: dreams I am having (set to wax), meditative improvised guitar sounds, more dreams I am having that feels like having nostalgia for something happening in the future, a natural field recording audio tape found in a basement of a lost cottage, a spiritual awakening carnival tour, and a folk person trying to make a free jazz album without ever having heard free jazz other than the ambiguous genre name. The record, like the album cover, feels so vague yet so clear to me. This doesn't sound like it came from a studio at all. Everything was captured either outside or in a living room that had nothing to do with music equipment. Which makes it even more joyful, inspiring and also different.There is much use of watery sounds, and that is truly asmr-esque to me, in the best way. It's also a grindcore metal album cover, yet the music is anything but. The second and third act/part/composition are both each some of the most wonderful 15min of audio I have heard this year. [First added to this chart: 12/03/2022]
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75/100
WOOOW. Considering I just came from the latest Knoll album (which was another too-funny-to-be-thrilling grindcore album) this album Hiss by Wormrot knocks it outta the park completely. This is by far the best deathgrind/powerviolence/grindcore album of the decade. The way the screamer always and I mean ALWAYS find a way out of an awkward montage and stays on rhythm is in-freaking-credible. It's like what I have been needed from the genre all year (speaking of 2021 too). This isn't a <20min album either, this is 32 minutes and yet somehow it is much less boring and has so many other cool ideas in 'em that it's hard to call this monotonous at all. Every song has a purpose and Wormrot shows the other deathgrind bands in the world what content is, not just pretentious aimless screaming with 110% technic floating per second. Some of these cuts does, speaking as a Christian, make me wanna stalk my childhood bullies and all the country's pedophiles and just assault them till they're nothing but a pile of blood. Yeah it's that sick. Hiss is a blessing and I am glad I finally have an album in grindcore that I like from beginning to end (well Seizures, Voiceless Choir, and Sea of Disease is lackluster in atmosphere considering it's not that well put together but still). Also the cover art is dope as well. Big big props. [First added to this chart: 10/01/2022]
WOOOW. Considering I just came from the latest Knoll album (which was another too-funny-to-be-thrilling grindcore album) this album Hiss by Wormrot knocks it outta the park completely. This is by far the best deathgrind/powerviolence/grindcore album of the decade. The way the screamer always and I mean ALWAYS find a way out of an awkward montage and stays on rhythm is in-freaking-credible. It's like what I have been needed from the genre all year (speaking of 2021 too). This isn't a <20min album either, this is 32 minutes and yet somehow it is much less boring and has so many other cool ideas in 'em that it's hard to call this monotonous at all. Every song has a purpose and Wormrot shows the other deathgrind bands in the world what content is, not just pretentious aimless screaming with 110% technic floating per second. Some of these cuts does, speaking as a Christian, make me wanna stalk my childhood bullies and all the country's pedophiles and just assault them till they're nothing but a pile of blood. Yeah it's that sick. Hiss is a blessing and I am glad I finally have an album in grindcore that I like from beginning to end (well Seizures, Voiceless Choir, and Sea of Disease is lackluster in atmosphere considering it's not that well put together but still). Also the cover art is dope as well. Big big props. [First added to this chart: 10/01/2022]
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75/100
Okay I know that this is like super safe music and like the easiest to make for most, but my goodness this feels safe in the way you want to be safe in your home. The record is like a delicious hot tea after a walk in the winter forest or a cute blanket. Great American Primitivism that has a spiritualism in simplicity. [First added to this chart: 10/09/2022]
Okay I know that this is like super safe music and like the easiest to make for most, but my goodness this feels safe in the way you want to be safe in your home. The record is like a delicious hot tea after a walk in the winter forest or a cute blanket. Great American Primitivism that has a spiritualism in simplicity. [First added to this chart: 10/09/2022]
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75/100
Somebody said to me that there is no way anyone can release a better album than me this month, and while I am wholeheartedly grateful for that compliment, this rock solid Soccer Mommy record proves otherwise.
After one of my favorite singer-songwriter records of the decade (so far) in the emotionally memorable Color Theory, I was curious to where Sophie would go after that. When it comes to creating a gripping and compelling musical atmosphere, Soccer Mommy is quite frankly in a league of her own, especially for this generation of musical acts; blending garage-rock with Slowdive-esque shoegaze, Soccer Mommy is one of the few musicians who can master the nostalgic feel of the golden era of dream pop while simultaneously sound and feel so modern.
Her new album over here, Sometimes Forever, not updates the sound and mood, but also makes a leap in qualifying melodiousness and conceptual depth. Which is not an easy feat, considering how well-structured Color Theory was in itself. She has teamed up with Oneohtrix Point Never, and considering I just fell in love with his 2011 album Replica (that is also kind of dream pop-ish but with more noise rock charms) this is one of those collabs I didn't know I needed.
The production all over this album is crystal yet raw, dystopian yet shines of colors and life. The song that sonically and atmospherically reminds me the most of Color Theory is the tender Fire In The Driveway (one of the true highlights), but is even better with the spinning harmonies around the second half of it. But Sometimes Forever leans more in a Noise Pop gorgeousness. If I should compare it sound-wise to anything it could be the legendary Yo La Tengo (also one of my favorite bands): Color Theory was a melancholic And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside-Out, whilst Sometimes Forever is a progressively folky I Can Hear The Heart Beating As One.
One of the most out there moments comes in Darkness Forever because of a surprising trip-hop drum-loop throughout (and that ghosty vocal engineering; super clean (no pun intended)); the track then descends down to a tunnel of shoegaze-guitars (think of Mazzy Star's Bells Ring mixed with Ride's In A Different Place). There is even songs like newdemo where, at very best, she rivals the intensity of Lisa Germano, without loosing that jangly Shoegaze-touch. Normally I would hate when someone incorporate electronic sounds into an indie rock song, but those semi-industrial synths on Unholy Affliction works decently. Not harmoniously or greatly, but decently; luckily it only lasts the first minute before the organic drums (that works much better) takes over. Following Eyes also tries something unusual but ends up sounding less exciting and not a very good melody-line; pretty much the album's weakest link.
Lyrically, I have a huge respect of the way Sophie is capable of conveying emotional observations into strophes that feel free-formed but is sorts of well-organized mini-poems. Feel It All The Time is a prime example of that, as there is a fine combination of literal imagery (Maybe there’s days where it’s just running out / Like gasoline gauges and drivin’ South) to visceral metaphoric thoughts (So I’m gonna drive out for the sunshine / Drown out the noise and the way I feel / But even the light is so temporary / And I see the dark at the back of my heels) and yet nothing feels outta place.
There is so much more to dive into but I feel a little loss for words. Which can indicate either 1: that this record has left me speechless, or 2: that I am not a good writer. If it is the first then that suggests to you enough reason to check this out. If it's the second then I suppose I should approximately listen to it now to comfort myself. Because just like Color Theory, it's a very captivating record, one of the year's greatest actually. Yet unlike Color Theory, Sometimes Forever goes in more sonic places and becomes more risky and exciting because of it. [First added to this chart: 06/24/2022]
Somebody said to me that there is no way anyone can release a better album than me this month, and while I am wholeheartedly grateful for that compliment, this rock solid Soccer Mommy record proves otherwise.
After one of my favorite singer-songwriter records of the decade (so far) in the emotionally memorable Color Theory, I was curious to where Sophie would go after that. When it comes to creating a gripping and compelling musical atmosphere, Soccer Mommy is quite frankly in a league of her own, especially for this generation of musical acts; blending garage-rock with Slowdive-esque shoegaze, Soccer Mommy is one of the few musicians who can master the nostalgic feel of the golden era of dream pop while simultaneously sound and feel so modern.
Her new album over here, Sometimes Forever, not updates the sound and mood, but also makes a leap in qualifying melodiousness and conceptual depth. Which is not an easy feat, considering how well-structured Color Theory was in itself. She has teamed up with Oneohtrix Point Never, and considering I just fell in love with his 2011 album Replica (that is also kind of dream pop-ish but with more noise rock charms) this is one of those collabs I didn't know I needed.
The production all over this album is crystal yet raw, dystopian yet shines of colors and life. The song that sonically and atmospherically reminds me the most of Color Theory is the tender Fire In The Driveway (one of the true highlights), but is even better with the spinning harmonies around the second half of it. But Sometimes Forever leans more in a Noise Pop gorgeousness. If I should compare it sound-wise to anything it could be the legendary Yo La Tengo (also one of my favorite bands): Color Theory was a melancholic And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside-Out, whilst Sometimes Forever is a progressively folky I Can Hear The Heart Beating As One.
One of the most out there moments comes in Darkness Forever because of a surprising trip-hop drum-loop throughout (and that ghosty vocal engineering; super clean (no pun intended)); the track then descends down to a tunnel of shoegaze-guitars (think of Mazzy Star's Bells Ring mixed with Ride's In A Different Place). There is even songs like newdemo where, at very best, she rivals the intensity of Lisa Germano, without loosing that jangly Shoegaze-touch. Normally I would hate when someone incorporate electronic sounds into an indie rock song, but those semi-industrial synths on Unholy Affliction works decently. Not harmoniously or greatly, but decently; luckily it only lasts the first minute before the organic drums (that works much better) takes over. Following Eyes also tries something unusual but ends up sounding less exciting and not a very good melody-line; pretty much the album's weakest link.
Lyrically, I have a huge respect of the way Sophie is capable of conveying emotional observations into strophes that feel free-formed but is sorts of well-organized mini-poems. Feel It All The Time is a prime example of that, as there is a fine combination of literal imagery (Maybe there’s days where it’s just running out / Like gasoline gauges and drivin’ South) to visceral metaphoric thoughts (So I’m gonna drive out for the sunshine / Drown out the noise and the way I feel / But even the light is so temporary / And I see the dark at the back of my heels) and yet nothing feels outta place.
There is so much more to dive into but I feel a little loss for words. Which can indicate either 1: that this record has left me speechless, or 2: that I am not a good writer. If it is the first then that suggests to you enough reason to check this out. If it's the second then I suppose I should approximately listen to it now to comfort myself. Because just like Color Theory, it's a very captivating record, one of the year's greatest actually. Yet unlike Color Theory, Sometimes Forever goes in more sonic places and becomes more risky and exciting because of it. [First added to this chart: 06/24/2022]
Year of Release:
2022
Appears in:
Rank Score:
262
Rank in 2022:
Rank in 2020s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Total albums: 100. Page 1 of 10
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Top 100 Music Albums of 2022 composition
| Artist | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
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| The Haunted Youth | 1 | 1% | |
| Marlowe | 1 | 1% | |
| Frances Chang | 1 | 1% | |
| Quadeca | 1 | 1% | |
| Wau Wau Collectif | 1 | 1% | |
| Tomberlin | 1 | 1% | |
| Karfagen | 1 | 1% | |
| Show all | |||
| Country | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
46 | 46% | |
 |
11 | 11% | |
 |
9 | 9% | |
 |
4 | 4% | |
 |
3 | 3% | |
 |
3 | 3% | |
 |
2 | 2% | |
| Show all | |||
Top 100 Music Albums of 2022 chart changes
| Biggest climbers |
|---|
 Up 27 from 87th to 60thElllegy by The Olllam |
| Up 6 from 78th to 72nd Love Lives In The Body by Soft Blue Shimmer |
| Up 5 from 64th to 59th Support Your Local Nihilist by Frances Chang |
| Biggest fallers |
|---|
| Down 24 from 55th to 79th Inside Problems by Andrew Bird |
| Down 22 from 62nd to 84th Always by Chris Tomlin |
| Down 12 from 73rd to 85th Fever Dream by Cannons |
| New entries |
|---|
 The Man From Wacoby Charley Crockett |
Top 100 Music Albums of 2022 similarity to your chart(s)
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Other year charts (from the 2020s) by DommeDamian
Top 15 Music Albums of 2024 by DommeDamian (2024)Top 100 Music Albums of 2023 by
DommeDamian (2024)Top 100 Music Albums of 2021 by
DommeDamian (2024)Top 100 Music Albums of 2020 by
DommeDamian (2024)Top 100 Music Albums of 2022 ratings
89/100 (from 5 votes)
where:
av = trimmed mean average rating an item has currently received.
n = number of ratings an item has currently received.
m = minimum number of ratings required for an item to appear in a 'top-rated' chart (currently 10).
AV = the site mean average rating.
N.B. The average rating for this chart will not be reliable as it has been rated very few times.
Showing all 5 ratings for this chart.
| Rating | Date updated | Member | Chart ratings | Avg. chart rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 90/100  | 01/28/2024 10:01 |  Purplepash | | 88/100 |
| 100/100 | 01/14/2023 16:26 |  Repo | | 100/100 |
| 95/100 | 12/23/2022 09:42 |  LedZep | | 84/100 |
| 85/100 | 03/31/2022 16:07 | Nkelleyslc | | 91/100 |
| 100/100 | 02/08/2022 19:35 |  Graeme2 | | 94/100 |
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Top 100 Music Albums of 2022 favourites
Showing all 2 members who have added this chart as a favourite
Top 100 Music Albums of 2022 comments
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From DommeDamian 12/24/2022 19:10
DommeDamian 12/24/2022 19:10
@LedZep thank you mayn. That really means a lot. I had a quick look at your highest rated 2022 albums and I have listened to pretty much all of it though, so yeah different taste but we're different, mate. :)
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
95/100
From LedZep 12/23/2022 09:47
LedZep 12/23/2022 09:47
Feels carefully crafted, with a lot of attention to detail and interesting write-ups. Probably my fave 2022 chart, even though we're not exactly listening to the same styles.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
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We work very hard to ensure our site is as fast (and FREE!) as possible, and we respect your privacy.