Best Albums of 2022

10. Immanuel Wilkins “The 7th Hand”

9. Black Country, New Roads “Ants From Up There”

8. The Smile “A Light for Attracting Attention”

7. SZA “SOS”

6. Carly Rae Jepsen “The Loneliest Time”

5. Beyonce “RENAISSANCE”

4. Boldy James “Super Tecmo Bo” (with The Alchemist); “Killing Nothing” (with Real Bad Man); “Fair Exchange No Robbery” (with Nicholas Craven); “Mr Ten08” (with Futurewave).

3. Porridge Radio “Waterslide, Diving Board, Ladder to the Sky”

2. Billy Woods “Aethiopes”

1. Rosalia “MOTOMAMI”

Honorable Mentions:

The Wonder Years “The Hum Goes on Forever”

Youmi Zouma “Present Tense”

All the Your Old Droog releases

Dro Kenji “With or Without You”

Steve Lacy “Gemini Rights”

Pusha T “It’s Almost Dry”

Kendrick Lamar “Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers”

Alvvays “Blue Rev”

FKA Twings “Caprisongs”

Best Songs of 2022

25. “Let the Smokers Shine the Coupes” by Pusha T

24. “up at night” (feat. Justin Bieber) by Kehlani

23. “meta angel” by FKA Twigs

22. “Expert in a Dying Field” by The Beths

21. “Nonchalant” (feat. Mamii) by Westside Boogie

20. “Piano Love” by Conway the Machine

19. “If I Had the Heart for Chasing” by Yumi Zouma

18. “Silk Chiffon” (feat. Phoebe Bridgers) by MUNA

17. “Watching You Go” by Let’s Eat Grandma

16. “Hiding in Place” by Queen of Jeans

15. “Return of the Sasquatch” by Your Old Droog & Madlib

14. “Gone Girl” by SZA

13. “Laura and the Beehive” by The Wonder Years

12. “Mount Auburn Cemetery” by Rat Tally

11. “BULERIAS” by Rosalia

10. “United in Grief” by Kendrick Lamar

9. “midnight sun” by Nilufer Yanya

8. “Game Time” by Boldy James

7. “Rotten” by Porridge Radio

6. “New Shapes” by Charli XCX

5. “That’s Our Lamp” by Mitski

4. “Despues de la Playa” by Bad Bunny

3. “Sauvage”(feat. Boldy James) by Billy Woods

2. “Good Will Hunting” by Black Country, New Roads

1. “You’re the Reason I Don’t Want the World to End” by The Wonder Years

To choose hope over despair is probably the burden of every parent ever with every anxiety and world issue multiplied by a billion. I’ve entered that portion of my life and the weight is heavier than ever. Here The Wonder Years express the unrelenting grief and joy of parenthood. It’s a pop-punk/emo dirge that was perfectly crafted to hit both my nostalgia and current state of mind.