- Only albums that were officially released in 2020 are included in this list.
- I go through in depth my system for ranking albums here, but it is essentially the average score of all the tracks in the album. For albums with tracks released in previous years, I carried over their score from those years to calculate the score for this year.
- Only the initial release of the album is considered for the calculation. So, therefore, deluxe versions, extended versions, versions with digital bonus tracks, and such were not acknowledged.
- LPs and mixtapes are included in this list. EPs, original scores and soundtracks, live recordings, DJ mixes, and compilation albums are not. Shout-out to Khruangbin and Leon Bridges’ Texas Moon EP and Ela Minus and DJ Python’s ♡ EP.
- Just like in Everything Else, I am purposely excluding albums from the Phillippines due to any unconscious bias I may have, but a shout-out to Laughing in Milk by Ligaya Escueta and Fuzz Sounds by Spacedog, Spacecat.
- You can follow along on Spotify as well.
- And with that, here are dragon new warm albums of 2022 that I believe in.
#030: Horsegirl – Versions Of Modern Performance
release date 3 June 2022
label Matador
genre traditional indie rock | whip-smart fuzzy guitar music
#5 on MAGNET Top 25 Albums of 2022
#6 on RIOT Albums of the Year 2022
#7 on Les Inrocks 50 Best Albums of 2022
Anti-Glory | Option 8 | World Of Pots And Pots
“The vocal delivery combined with the repetitive melody and the propulsive percussion are all I need to be happy.”
—Northern Transmissions
#029: Momma – Household Name
release date 1 July 2022
label Polyvinyl
genre mix of 90s sludgy guitars with an intoxicating feeling that leaves this ex-indie kid feeling young again
#7 on WXPN Best Albums of 2022
#16 on Northern Transmissions Best Albums of 2022
#28 on Paste 50 Best Albums of 2022
Speeding 72 | Motorbike | Callin Me
“While musically speaking, they hold the stylistics of ’90s rock close to their chests, they know better than to merely imitate their idols, lending their own voices to an existing template to create something more distinctive.”
—Kerrang!
#028: Hikaru Utada – BAD Mode
release date 19 January 2022
label Epic
genre gentle dance-pop | alternative J-R&B
#9 on Slant Magazine 50 Best Albums of 2022
#17 on The Skinny Top 20 Albums of 2022
#19 on Gorilla vs. Bear Albums of 2022
Darenimo Iwanai | Find Love | Somewhere Near Marsailles
“A great dance-pop record is a marriage of great songs, appealing vocals, and innovative production. Hikaru Utada’s Bad Mode fits that bill. It’s a classy and elegant affair.”
—PopMatters
#027: Sudan Archives – Natural Brown Prom Queen
release date 9 September 2022
label Stones Throw
genre celebratory R&B, frenzied soul
#1 on Passion of the Weiss Best Albums of 2022
#2 on Clash Albums of the Year 2022
#2 on Pitchfork 50 Best Albums of 2022
Selfish Soul | ChevyS10 | Homesick (Gorgeous & Arrogant)
“By drawing from so many themes and aesthetics, it’s clear that Natural Brown Prom Queen is a celebration: of creative freedom, of Black and brown women, of Park’s colourful inner world.”
—Crack Magazine
#026: Makaya McCraven – In These Times
release date 23 September 2022
label International Anthem | Nonesuch | XL
genre contemporary jazz, jazz labyrinth
#3 on Passion of the Weiss Best Albums of 2022
#7 on NPR Music 50 Best Albums of 2022
#14 on Loud and Quiet Albums of the Year 2022
In These Times | Dream Another | So Ubuji
“Where his breakthrough LPS deftly shaped improvisations into compositions, In These Times reverses the trick – adding textural depth and layer upon layer of intrigue to McCraven’s emotionally-charged meditations on life and identity.”
—Mojo
#025: Steve Lacy – Gemini Rights
release date 15 July 2022
label RCA | Sony Music Entertainment | L-M Records
genre modern spin on R&B’s ‘70s golden age | retro-inspired through a modern lens
#3 on Okayplayer 22 Best Albums of 2022
#3 on WIRED 12 Best Albums of 2022
#6 on Vulture Best Albums of 2022
“Over smudged, yearning guitars, delicate piano and melodies so accomplished they feel as if they’ve always been deep in your bones, Lacy’s breathy voice glides with a warm, mellifluous lightness. A sumptuous listen that glows like a freaky summer love.”
—The Observer
#024: Alex G – God Save The Animals
release date 23 September 2022
label Domino
genre genre agnostic indie rock
#2 on Paste 50 Best Albums of 2022
#2 on The FADER 50 Best Albums of the Year 2022
#4 on Exclaim! 50 Best Albums of 2022
Runner | Mission | Ain’t It Easy
“The cult star’s latest is delightfully idiosyncratic, and further confirms his place as one of his generation’s most consistently brilliant songwriters.”
—NME
#023: CASTLEBEAT – Half Life
release date 27 July 2022
label Spirit Goth Records
genre jangly synth pop
Into | All The Time | Looking For Something
“For some reason in the 2010s, it was a big deal for artists to record in their bedrooms. Hwang uses his garage, but that’s still getting at that same kind of intimacy and engagement.”
—Merry Go Round
#022: Angel Olsen – Big Time
release date 3 June 2022
label Jajaguwar
genre rocking gently in the warm breezes of vintage country
#4 on Uncut 75 Best Albums of 2022
#5 on Entertainment Weekly 10 Best Albums of 2022
#5 on Northern Transmission Best Albums of 2022
Ghost On | All The Flowers | Right Now
“Whatever Big Time’s genre, it is a mature and accomplished album; a requiem yet also a quiet celebration. It’s probably the most honest album you’ll hear all year.”
—The Telegraph
#021: Polyphia – Remember That You Will Die
release date 28 October 2022
label Rise
genre accessible math rock | guitar god prodigies started a band
#13 on Punktastic Top 25 Albums of 2022
#21 on Revolver 25 Best Albums of 2022
Playing God | ABC | Ego Death
“Grandiose and extravagant, each experience feels fresh but retains the same grooves and technical prowess they are so good at replicating on each release.“
—Spill Magazine
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