ILM's Top 77 Albums of 2022 - 21st Anniversary Edition

I like the Florist so far—it's very pretty but maybe a touch twee for my tastes—but I'm curious about the ambient stuff as I like the overall sound world a lot

― rob

Yes, I agree with this. Having a listen right now and the soundscapes are great but I'm not so into the songs themselves.

haven’t had time to really focus on this rollout, but Kabza placing is absolutely wonderful. fantastic album. is it okay if I call it extremely accomplished?

https://i.imgur.com/4AgG25h.png
#63: Björk - Fossora - 196 points - 10 votes
Bjork - 2017 album

You will probably want to play this a number of times, firstly to get yourself into the headspace, and then to appreciate what a truly special album this is, even by its creator’s very high standards. Time well spent.

With her 10th album, Björk is grounded back on earth, searching for hope in death, mushrooms, and matriarchy, and finding it in bass clarinet and gabber beats.

curious: who was the number one voter for the Kabza album?

Fossora was one of the many albums I wanted to try out last year but completely failed to get round to. Expected it to be a bit higher than this.

xp pretty sure it was me

KOA has lived with me for months and only grown on me in that time

https://i.imgur.com/eRuVjlX.png
#63: Alex G - God Save The Animals - “” - 196 points - 10 votes
Alex g Sandy

The album finds the already ponderous Alex Giannascoli in a particularly inquisitive mood.

Alex G is a genius at crafting intimately familiar feelings while injecting off-kilter miscues that satisfy the oddball compulsions living in our heads.

has alex g ever made one of these before? this is his best album, imo, barely missed my ballot

by "one of these" i mean "ilx year-end polls"

no surprise here with Bjork. Much of the thread about it is like.... well, good for her! Which is ultimately where I landed with it too. For this year.

people not saving a copy of their ballots, i love that

https://i.imgur.com/4GXS3iO.png
#62: Lambchop - The Bible - 197 points - 8 votes
Lambchop

The latest from Kurt Wagner’s shapeshifting group is its darkest yet: a haunting ode to everyday American pain and the small ways we make it through.

While reckoning with the struggles of his dad, nostalgia for his old Nashville haunts, and lingering questions regarding his own relevance, Wagner has helped to shepherd one of Lambchop’s finest records in almost two decades.

i liked 'little black boxes' - need to give the album a run

Ok! Last one for the day!

https://i.imgur.com/MG6SHxP.png
#61: D. Tiffany & Roza Terenzi - Edge of Innocence - 198 points - 7 votes
the melbourne → vancouver connection

Edge of Innocence's greatest asset is its sheer enthusiasm—the feeling that that there's always a new, brilliant sound lurking around the next corner. The duo operate in familiar environs, but on Edge Of Innocence they're taking us somewhere new: across the European techno capitals, sure, but also far beyond.

RECAP 77-61

#76: Javiera Mena - Nocturna - 154 points - 6 votes
#76: Arctic Monkeys - The Car  - 154 points - 6 votes
#75: Suede - Autofiction - 154 points - 7 votes
#74: The Garden - Horseshit on Route 66 - 162 points - 4 votes
#72: Ravyn Lenae - HYPNOS - 162 points - 6 votes
#72: Burna Boy - Love, Damini - 162 points - 6 votes
#71: Loraine James - Building Something Beautiful For Me - 166 points - 7 votes
#70: Stromae - Multitude - 176 points - 5 votes
#69: Spoon - Lucifer on the Sofa - 177 points - 6 votes
#68: Angel Olsen - Big Time - 183 points - 6 votes
#67: Florist - Florist - 189 points - 7 votes
#66: Little Simz - NO THANK YOU - 190 points - 6 votes
#65: Kabza De Small - KOA II Part 1 - 196 points - 5 votes - 1 #1 Vote
#63: Björk - Fossora - 196 points - 10 votes
#63: Alex G - God Save The Animals - “” - 196 points - 10 votes
#62: Lambchop - The Bible - 197 points - 8 votes
#61: D. Tiffany & Roza Terenzi - Edge of Innocence - 198 points - 7 votes

I need to spend some more time with Edge of Innocence. So far I haven't gotten into it as much as some of the other stuff they've put out over the last couple years, but I'm a big fan of these two, so I'm excited to see them show up here.

Alex G sounds nice so far, wasn't familiar (I think I avoided it because I was thinking of a rapper who used that name?).

It's actually Sacha Baron Cohen

Alex G is way too low

lmao Keyes

i tried hard with the new bjork but it's the first album of hers i just can't get into.

listening to 'edge of innocence' now. first track was fine but "gravity bongo" is brilliant (and brilliantly titled lol)

Given up on anything I like or think is good placing, should have not voted as protest as I stated I would last January. Spoon? fucking Spoon?

I suspect at least two of my picks will place in this poll - would be shocked if they didn’t

Interesting first day. Florist is the only one I voted for but I like the Suede, Alex G, Loraine James and Kabza de Small albums. And Spoon was one of my favorite live acts of the year even if I never actually got around to the album.

(Actually liked the other Loraine James album even more — won't be surprised if it shows up, tho I didn't vote for that one either.)

xp to table: if Anna Butterss doesn't place I will be mad (partially at myself for not #1-ing it). There was a decent amount of jazz on last year's list, though it may have been a stronger year

what is Edge of Innocence? genre-wise or more specific if anyone feels like it

Loraine James is an artist I listen to at poll time each years when she places (here or elsewhere), enjoy, and then forget to keep up with. Gotta not make the same mistake again.

this is a very dull selection, especially for the bottom chunk of the albums poll, which usually has the best chance of containing some curveballs, but otoh lol at not voting as protest in an ilm music poll

This is probably going to follow the usual pattern of these polls where a few of my votes place on the first day and then nothing after that, as the poll converges more towards hive-mindy stuff. The Angel Olsen just clicked immediately with me, whereas I'd never really paid much attention to her before. Guess I'll have to go back and check out those earlier albums. I love how the glossy country-rock stuff just blends seamlessly into the more dirge-folky stuff. If there's any touchpoint I would name, I guess it would be Gene Clark's sui generis No Other.

what is Edge of Innocence? genre-wise or more specific if anyone feels like it

― rob, Monday, January 30, 2023 1:19 PM (three minutes ago) bookmarkflaglink

was gonna try to explain but i think their bandcamp description is worth reading in full haha: https://itsdelicaterecords.bandcamp.com/album/edge-of-innocence

i would've liked the angel olsen album a lot more if it reminded me of no other

currently listening to Florist and resisting the urge to say more than this

Getting "Do you know anything about techno?" vibes from that description

imago, say more, this has been too genteel

i didn't know songwriting was this easy

Spoon are going to be one of the few rock albums that will even place, still can't satisfy everyone. This might be the last Spoon album they release and might even be the last concert I will see. I went back and forth on their album all year but in the end made my list.

listening to 'edge of innocence' now. first track was fine but "gravity bongo" is brilliant (and brilliantly titled lol)

didnt vote for the album but yeah that track is a ripper. techno with a deep focus on groove

yeah the album is groovy and playful, and not in the cringe-y way that the bandcamp copy might suggest

Spoon are going to be one of the few rock albums that will even place

lol wut didn't a bunch more place today?

Imho this year most of the interesting sounding albums are in the middle portion of the poll, whereas in previous years it was usually in the lower end. I think Tuesday and Wednesday will be the days that might be the more satisfying for the more “esoteric” picks.

yeah "first day, best day" hasn't been true for a couple of years iirc

okay well i will abort my under-construction Stromae post and trust in Moka

My prediction is that… mmm Wednesday will be your day imago

Spoon has never clicked with me, like some other old-guard indie bands that ILM has a soft spot for (e.g. Lambchop, Low, Purple Mountains).

love spoon but this album didn't really do many of the things that i love about them. i preferred the left turn of 'hot thoughts,' this one was a little too black keys-y

#76: Javiera Mena - Nocturna: Hadn't given her a thought in years, but if it's k-poppy, I'll check it out!
#76: Arctic Monkeys - The Car: The first single was okay, but they just spend all their talents finding new ways to sound old fashioned.
#75: Suede - Autofiction: First single was okay, but I don't really care. ILX really loves nineties bands more and more each year.
#74: The Garden - Horseshit on Route 66: Don't know at all, but if it's hyper garbage, I'll check it out!
#72: Ravyn Lenae - HYPNOS: Couldn't get into it at all.
#72: Burna Boy - Love, Damini: My least favourite of the big Nigerian albums from 2023, but some absolute classic tracks.
#71: Loraine James - Building Something Beautiful For Me: Preferred 'Whatever the Weather'. And I thought both of them was a stepdown after Reflection. But she is one of the best new electronic artists in a while, and I look forward to following her career.
#70: Stromae - Multitude: My #5. A living legend returned with his best album yet. Yes, the singles tower over the rest, but they were mind-blowing! Sante especially, the rhythm was incredibly made. So great to have him back.
#69: Spoon - Lucifer on the Sofa: Heard it quite a lot last winter, and it's good, but I never pondered voting for it.
#68: Angel Olsen - Big Time: Don't get in general, and this album was just boring.
#67: Florist - Florist: It's very abstract, and I only heard it a couple times, but I'm hoping to get into it. It's quite beautiful.
#66: Little Simz - NO THANK YOU: I thought it was better than 'Sometimes I Might Be Introvert', fewer incredibly bad skits for one. But I don't care about this type of British hiphop. Don't care about Stormzy either. And Sault made way too many albums this year.
#65: Kabza De Small - KOA II Part 1. Oh, wow. Glad to see this here, even though it kinda broke me. Way too long, I don't have time for it anymore.
#63: Björk - Fossora: Liked the gabber influences, but the release led me to go back through Björks discography, and then I just heard Homogenic and Vespertine on repeat instead...
#63: Alex G - God Save The Animals: My #12. So indie, but it kinda bowled me over. The electronic disruption is very well done. I love how people like Alex G brings back the feel of old lo-fi indie, but with modern computer-noise instead. It sounds like a new take on old genres. And the songwriting was extremely good.
#62: Lambchop - The Bible: My #16. Honestly kind of the same as Alex G. I love everything Lambchop has done since FLOTUS, it hasn't been as fantastic as Low, but a bit of the same feel.
#61: D. Tiffany & Roza Terenzi - Edge of Innocence: Heard a few tracks for work, liked it. I will check the rest of it out.

Re: Finnish hiphop: Bomfunk MCs are forever! But Finnish isn't a very good language to rap in. Not like Danish.

I do like the Loraine James record, just didn’t like it enough to put it on my list, but I’ve also been following Eastman’s revival for a while and sort of burnt out on him for a minute