We made it through another year – just barely. With all of the anxiety and stress of trying to cope with the world around us these days, it’s important to have a release valve to let off some steam from time to time. Aside from my family, my biggest coping mechanism is listening to and discovering new music. Luckily, it’s been a great year for music, and since it’s December, it’s time to talk about my Top 22 Albums of 2022.
Knowing that my entire year as a music columnist culminates with this article, I escape the world for chunks at a time while weighing the merits of every new album I listen to this year. While I am just one voice of many who makes these year-ends lists, I take the responsibility pretty seriously. Knowing there isn’t a cut-and-dried formula that calculates what a “top album” is, my hope is you give my selections a chance. Who knows, you may even find your new favorite band.
The list below consists of the albums I just couldn’t get out of my head. These records consistently rose to the occasion and stood out against the rest. I continuously played from start to finish without skipping any tracks. They entertained me, challenged me, and helped keep me grounded this year.
Thank you for reading my work throughout the year and allowing me to share my passion for music with you.
BEFORE WE DIG IN, HERE’S A SHORT NOTE ON THE CRITERIA I USE WHEN CREATING MY TOP 22 ALBUMS OF 2022 LIST:
- The albums have to be released in calendar year 2022.
- They must be full-lengths consisting of a majority of original material.
- Cover albums, EPs, live albums, soundtracks (unless it’s a soundtrack of original tunes), and singles are not eligible.
That about covers it. Without further ado, these are my Top 22 Albums of 2022.
22. CZARFACE – Czarmageddon!
Czarmageddon! continues the comic- and pop-culture-fueled adventures of CZARFACE – the alter ego of Inspektah Deck and 7L & Esoteric. The fifth studio album from the hip-hop super group contains the razor-sharp flow and boom-bap production fans have come to expect these rap titans. Why reinvent the wheel when you’re already masters of your craft? Another solid outing from the super villain known as CZARFACE.
21. Bedouin Soundclash – We Will Meet in a Hurricane
On We Will Meet in a Hurricane, Bedouin Soundclash blend pop sensibilities with dub, reggae, ska, and indie. Much like The Clash and The Police before them, Bedouin Soundclash masterfully harness their influences and make them their own. With this new album, they continue to transcend genre and craft their own unique sound. We Will Meet in a Hurricane is Bedouin Soundclash at its best.
20. Devon Kay & The Solutions – Grieving Expectation
There’s so much going on with Grieving Expectation. It’s a character study on life, death, insecurity, love, doubt, and perseverance set to the soundtrack of distorted synth power-pop. Devon Kay & The Solutions offer up a masterclass in blending lyrics oozing with irony, futility, and dark humor with upbeat rock music. The band is filled with extremely talented musicians who are able to provide a third dimension to Kay’s lyrics. Each song possesses musical and lyrical intricacies that will make you want to give this album multiple listens to fully appreciate it.
19. Danger Mouse and Black Thought – Cheat Codes
Black Thought is one of the best MCs alive right now, but for some reason, he doesn’t get the wider credit or respect that he deserves. Known mainly for starting The Roots with Questlove, Black Thought flies under the radar of most mainstream hip-hop fans. Sure, they might recognize him from Jimmy Fallon, but they’ve never experienced his greatness away from the television screen. The duo of Black Thought and Danger Mouse is just ridiculous. Danger is able to create instrumentals and beats that complement Thought’s flow perfectly, resulting in one of my favorite hip-hop albums of the year.
18. Gogol Bordello – Solidaritine
Gogol Bordello singer Eugene Hütz is a Ukrainian refugee, so the current war going on in his homeland is a central theme throughout Solidaritine. It’s a love letter to the strength and perseverance of the Ukrainian people in the face of Russian aggression. The album is filled with anger, sadness, and above all hope for a Ukrainian victory against their oppressors. The album is filled with the band’s signature high-energy gypsy punk influenced by Romani/Eastern European culture. This time around, there’s also a nice helping of ska evident on several tracks on the album, so bonus!
17. Norcos Y Horchata – Forever Disheveled
What do you get when you combine the garage punk sounds of bands like The Stooges, Ramones, and MC5 with good old-fashioned rock-and-roll and power-pop? You get Detroit trio Norcos Y Horchata. A very retro ’60s garage rock sensibility weaves its way throughout Forever Disheveled. At times, I hear those old-school punk acts. Other times, I hear a more updated version of that sound, a la The Strokes. The album is filled with fuzzy guitars, catchy hooks, and memorable sing-a-longs.
16. OKnice – Have You Tried Being Happy?
Minnesota-based indie MC OKnice raps about some pretty powerful stuff on Have You Tried Being Happy?. Mainstream hip-hop can occasionally focus on excess and superficial moments in life. OKnice, on the other hand, focuses on mental health, disassociation, wealth inequality, and the assorted struggles involved with coping with everyday life. His flow is as smooth as velvet, and his lyrics are pure poetry. OKnice could go toe-to-toe with the best groups on Rhymesayers and Strange Famous. If you like underground hip-hop that blends with Midwest emo, and post-punk, then look no further.
15. The Interrupters – In The Wild
In the past six years, I’ve seen The Interrupters go from playing to hundreds of people in small clubs to thousands of people opening for Green Day and Weezer on their recent stadium tour. That is a testament to the band’s dedication and talent. Most of their songs on their previous albums are rallying cries for togetherness and unity against an oppressive world. They consistently project a strong sense of community with their music, and those themes are still prevalent on In The Wild.
This time around, Aimee’s lyrics take a more personal turn as well. She sings about her anxiety, self-doubt, and troubled past. The lyrics are painful, yet hopeful and empowering. The lyrics aren’t the only reason this album is so personal. It was produced in-house as well, so In The Wild is the band’s fully realized version of themselves. While they’re known for their infectious brand of ska-punk, on this album, The Interrupters called on some ska heavyweights to help out, including Greg Lee and Alex Desert of Hepcat, and Rhoda Daker, lead singer of 2-Tone legends, The Bodysnatchers.
14. Dan Potthast – That’s Pretty Good
I’ve been a big fan of Dan Potthast since his days of fronting MU330. Since then, he’s had several solo projects that have showed off his range. His songwriting has always been tight and polished with layers of humor and self-deprecation. With his solo work, he’s also exploring a more synth-pop, Weezer-esque rock sound. Joining him for this solo project some of his Bruce Lee bandmates, Kevin Higuchi and Jeff Rosenstock. While I’ll always hold out hope for a new MU330 album, until then, I’m happy Dan Potthast is still out there releasing quality music.
13. Escape From The Zoo – Countin’ Cards
Escape From The Zoo is the ska-punk brainchild of Days N’ Daze lead singer Jesse Sendejas. If you’re familiar with Days N’ Daze, then you should know what to expect with this band. On their full-length debut, Escape From The Zoo blends aggressive crust-punk, folk-punk, skate-punk, black metal, hardcore, and ska-punk. This album has some of the more overtly political tracks Sendejas has ever written (“Draft Dodgers”) as well as songs filled with the whimsy of growing older (“Wasted Years”) and the optimism of believing in yourself and not giving up (“Learnin’ Curve”).
12. Westbound Train – Dedication
It’s been 13 years since the last Westbound Train album, and since then, lead singer Obi Fernandez has been moonlighting with The Inevitables. At this point, I just accepted that I would never hear new music from Westbound Train again. That made this surprise release even more special because Westbound is one of the best pure ska bands in the scene today. I put them up there with The Slackers and the Hepcats of the world. Their music has a dash of Motown soul mixed in with more traditional Jamaican ska influences. Dedication is a much-welcomed homecoming to one of my favorite bands. I’m so glad they’re back.
11. Sueco – It Was Fun While It Lasted
If you told me in January that Sueco would make my top albums list this year, I’d ask you who he was, and then I’d say you were wrong. That mentality all changed when I took my daughter to see Oliver Tree live and Sueco opened up the show. He was just out of the hospital from the night before, but still put on one hell of a show. He’s got the electronic auto-tuned emo-punk thing down that’s popular these days.
What separates Sueco from his contemporaries is that his songs are catchy, well-crafted, and filled with sing-a-long anthems. While his music feels modern, he’s also fit in perfectly with the crop of emo bands that were popular in the 2000s. This album is a prime example of why it’s important to get to the shows on time to check out the openers. You never know when they might become one of your new favorite bands.
10. Dissidente – The War on Two Fronts
The War on Two Fronts is a strong case of “good things come to those who wait.” The album was years in the making, and now that it’s out, it’s a rallying cry for unity. It’s a plea for solidarity in the battle of the haves and have-nots. It takes aim at capitalism, corrupt politicians, and religious hypocrisy. Dissidente doesn’t pull any punches. Each song is comprised of a masterful blend of skacore, hardcore, thrash, punk, and metal. If you’re not fired up and frothing for change after listening to this album, then you may just be dead inside.
9. Frank Turner – FTHC
Frank Turner is one of my favorite artists and his music helped me out of a darker time in my life. That’s why I’m always excited when he releases a new album. To be completely honest, his last two full-lengths fell relatively flat for me. While each one has individual highlights, as a whole, they never grabbed me like his previous albums.
When he promised a return to his more aggressive and punk roots with FTHC, I was cautiously optimistic for the return of the Frank Turner I know and love. After listening to it, I was happy to report that he’s back. While the album definitely has a few slower tempo singer-songwriter offerings, the majority of it taps into Turner’s punk sensibilities. He’s also not afraid to appear even more vulnerable, whether it’s singing about his former drug addiction, his anger over not having a father figure as a child, and their reconciliation as adults. In the heartfelt song “Miranda,” Frank sings about his father coming out as a trans woman. FTHC is Frank Turner at his best: a return to form that lands close to the top of my list of his best albums.
8. Joker’s Republic – Necessary Evil
One of my favorite new (to me) discoveries of 2022, Joker’s Republic has a throwback late ’90s ska-punk sound with modern sensibilities and subject matter. Musically, they’re more punk than ska, but the ratios balance out well. On the ska side of things, I hear Goldfinger and Less Than Jake as primary influences. On the punk side, Joker’s Republic veers more towards melodic pop-punk, which marries so well with their brand of ska. You’ll hear hints of Blink-182, MxPx, Green Day, Bad Religion, The Offspring, and Green Day. The band masterfully blends both genres into an album filled with melodic ska-punk anthems about society, relationships, mental health, and politics.
7. Stop the Presses – Got It
Stop The Presses does it right. It’s as simple as that. Since their humble beginnings as a fledgling ska band from South Florida, each of their albums has featured diverse musical influences that showcase their growth and maturing sound. Got It shows that Stop The Presses still have some new tricks up their sleeves, including a healthy dose of funk, soul, and psychedelic rock. This album shows another evolution of their sound, and is easily their best release to date. At a brisk 30 minutes, Got It never overstays its welcome. Instead, it leaves you with a sense of anticipation wondering what the band will do next.
6. Bruce Lee Band – One Step Forward. Two Steps Back.
When Bruce Lee Band started in 1995, it was essentially Less Than Jake with Mike Park (Skankin’ Pickle, The Chinkees, Asian Man Records) as the lead singer. Since then, the band has seen several line-up changes. With each change, the group just gets better and more dynamic. For the current iteration, Park is joined by Dan Potthast, Jeff Rosenstock, and Kevin Higuchi, while Angelo Moore from Fishbone and Jer Hunter also contributed to the album.
This is by far the best Bruce Lee Band has ever sounded. Just like their sound has evolved from 3rd Wave ska-punk, so has the lyrical focus. Park is hyper focused on calling out society’s issues and hoping for a better path forward. As the album title insinuates, that path forward isn’t always easy, but we need to keep fighting for it.
5. JER – Bothered / Unbothered
JER is the solo project of multi-instrumentalist Jer Hunter (of Skatune Network and We Are The Union fame). While building their platform on social media and through their other musical endeavors, Hunter has been working on Bothered / Unbothered behind the scenes. It’s easy to call JER ska-punk, but it’s so much more. Jer is a walking encyclopedia of ska music, so you best believe they bring that passion and knowledge to this album.
From First Wave to New Tone and Hyperska, it’s all here. There’s also indie, Midwest emo, shoegaze, and rap, too. Jer Hunter is one of the most talented instrumentalists in ska music today, and this album shows their songwriting talent is up there with the best as well. Bothered / Unbothered is an honest and emotional raw journey on what it means to be a non-binary BIPOC person in America today. It’s an important listen.
4. Eichlers – My Checkered Future
Hi (Top 22 Albums of 2022 Edition)
Eichlers (Ike) is a breath of fresh air in an already diverse modern ska scene. He blends power pop, ska, hyperpop, emotrap, and EDM into a new evolution in ska music affectionately coined hyperska. My Checkered Future is Ike’s sophomore release, and it will serve as the primary inspiration and blueprint to all of the future hyperska artists who are destined to pop up in the future.
3. The Homeless Gospel Choir – Fourth Dimension Intervention
When the final chapter is written about The Homeless Gospel Choir, Fourth Dimension Intervention will be seen as a turning point in the band’s history. It’s an ambitious blueprint of what we can expect from the group in the future. The punk rock ethos and sensibilities remain from the solo acoustic days, but the story is just getting richer to the point of transcending genre. The songs, focusing on mental health, religion, politics, and social issues, deserve multiple listens because there’s just so much going on that it’s be hard to catch it all the first time. It’s the best “punk” album I’ve heard this year.
2. Hans Gruber and the Die Hards – With a Vengeance
With a Vengeance has a little bit of everything. Ska? Yup! Hardcore? Sure thing! Cumbia? Oh yeah! Gospel? Uh huh! Heavy Metal and Thrash? You betcha! Even with such a buffet of influences, Hans Gruber and the Die Hards seamlessly combine each style of music into a concise musical concoction that comes off as a kaleidoscope of manic energy. With their unique stylings, the band touches on important socioeconomic and political topics including our dependence on fossil fuels, COVID-19, and capitalism. The album is do diverse and so infectious. With a Vengeance is definitely one of the more unique and original releases on my list this year.
1. The Slackers – Don’t Let The Sunlight Fool Ya
Over the last 30 years, The Slackers have consistently been one of the hardest working and best ska bands out there. On their previous full-length from six years ago, the band started breaking from their core sound and experimenting with more styles. This trend continues with Don’t Let The Sunlight Fool Ya. Sure, their foundation will always be ska, rocksteady, and reggae. This time around though, The Slackers branch out with New Orleans blues and jazz, Van Morrison-esque soul, and ’60s rock. The album is a time capsule of the early days of the pandemic, both from a political and social perspective. The Slackers are like a bottle of fine wine; they just keep getting better with age.
Now that you’ve read my Top 22 Albums of 2022 column, feel free to check out my past offerings