Feeling depressed? Need a soundtrack to sitting outside by yourself? This year's current crop of folk and country albums provided that. As with years past I sort through the genre lists before making the overall top ten of the year list. The fact these artists made it on the list speaks to how great these albums are, so it's not a slight that the number 8 album is above the 9th album, there is something that just gives it an edge that makes me want to listen to it more. After all we can try to look cool and pick the hippest bands for a list, but at the end of the day what makes an album the best is that it makes you want more, you look forward to listening to it again. Sure, you can bitch and complain about your favorite band not being on the list. However, I listen to five new albums a day so yes, I heard your favorite album and was not impressed. No, I do not care what you think about it. I do hope you can find your next favorite on this list and have included links to reviews of these albums if you want to check out audio on these guys. Anyways here are the top 10 folk and country albums of 2022
10-Serpentent -"Ancient Tomes, Volume 1 Mother of Light"
While Anne K O' Neill's dark folk project, might follow a long trend over the past decade of goth sirens, but there is an honest conviction that gives the feeling of earnestness to what she is doing rather than trying to be the next Marissa Nadler or Chelsea Wolfe. It is surprising to see she is from Seattle as there is depth that carries and Old-World European feeling.
Abysmal Hymns: Serpentent : "Ancient Tomes, Volume I: Mother of Light"
9-Karin Park-"Private Collection"
A fan of Park's earlier pop album and kept an open ear toward the work she has done since. These are e songs she has re-envisioned and decided to record again with new arrangements that lay her vocals bear with only a piano or organ accompanying her.; She has a great deal of integrity as an artist to embark upon making an album like this when given today's current pop landscape we have artists when two dozen producers and another dozen songwriters helping them create product for Tik Tok, with not true artistry. The dramatically stripped-down minimalist approach does high light here voice. For the first two songs this formula works really well and showcases a richness to her voice I had now notice before and propels the tracks on raw talent
Abysmal Hymns: Karin Park: " Private Collection"
8-Angel Olsen - "Big Time"
If this album was solely Angel Olsen doing retro country, then its strengths might play off the moments the horns sounds like they s from 60s Motown. They bring together an interesting cross section of sounds not unlike what country music did in the 70s which is my favorite decade of country music. However midway into this album she takes off the cowboy hat and it's back to business as usual, which works as well.
Abysmal Hymns: Catching Up with 2022 : Angel Olsen :"Big Time"
7-Swans -"Is There Really a Mind?"
These are the demos Gira released to crowdfund the new album, which would be a Swans album that is not stripped down and strummed out on an acoustic guitar, not to say they have not used those neo folk elements before, they just tend to work off the weird and loud, so this is a skeleton of the songs, yet they still work better than most younger bands fully formed sense of self. At the end of the day, it's about the songs and that is what this is.
Abysmal Hymns: Swans: "Is There Really a Mind? "
6-Ryan Adams -"Chris"
His 19th album. He is a great songwriter who has been around the block a few times. At this point he is who I listen to when most people would listen to Bruce Springsteen. These songs fall somewhere between his country folk and rock leanings. The strum of guitar falling very comfortably into his wheelhouse so much so you might dismiss it as him just dialing it in, but there is something more urgent about the delivery than what people who dial it in normally do. Maybe he is just faking it. There is more of a rock swagger in the guitar in some songs, while it might not be Adams at his most inspired. He is a songwriter, and he cranks albums out it seems once a year, but his dialing it in is better than most can they do when they try their hardest
Abysmal Hymns: Ryan Adams : " Chris"
5-Emily Jane White-"Alluvion"
There is a dark tension to this album that moves with the pulse of intense atmosphere that is coupled with a floating ethereal melody. At first the undercurrent of darkness here might remind you of Chelsea Wolfe, but the overall vibe of the album has more in common with Marissa Nadler. Sometimes showing its brighter side to the second song. In some places the melodies flow like pop with an almost 90s rock drive to it.
Abysmal Hymns: Emily Jane White : "Alluvion
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4-Sharon Van Etten- "We've Been Going at the Wrong Way"
She continues to perfect her brand of atmospheric folk rock, with a great dynamic build on the opening track. Piano plays a more prominent role on the second song. Her voice holding a hushed tension. She is capable of writing pop worthy hook and works well with the beat, but the organic nature of this albums strips things down in a way that proves more intimate and introspective to earn its place here
Abysmal Hymns: Sharon Van Etten: "We've Been Going at This the Wrong Way"
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3-Orville Peck-"Bronco"
Even in 2022 the novelty of being a gay cowboy is only going to go so far for so long, so he had to prove himself on this album. Which making the number three spot means he did. Peck has grown his sound since "Pony". His voice has filled out into a more confident baritone croon that owes in equal amounts to Johnny Cash and Elvis. He does include is his love for Elvis in the lyrics f, and his yodel " feels more fluid than when he did this on his earlier work. He also hits pretty solid notes from his chest register. There is a more organic feel when it comes to how the interplay of the music backing him. The guitar tones reverberate with pristine lushness than accent the Western in country western.
Abysmal Hymns: Orville Peck: "Bronco"
2-Tyler Childers -"Can I Take My Hounds to Heaven"
The more gospel slant to what he does this time around would not work for me given my distaste for the Christian religion and really all religion, but there is something raw and honest about what he does that seems like more of an ode to his hillbilly past rather than a declaration of his current belief system. The first version certainty more of a honky tonk feel. If you were going to compare this to say Orville Peck, it is clear who the more authentic version of country music is.
Abysmal Hymns: Tyler Childers : 'Can I Take My Hounds to Heaven"
1-Marissa Nadler-"For My Crimes"
She continues down a path of hauntingly morose balladry. More ghostly than Lana Del Ray. More folk than country this time around, though hints of western sounds still color this album. This one had to slug it out for top spot against Tyler Childers in my head and came out on top as Childers experimented more and included some instrumentals where Nadler was more song focused thus earning the top spot, as she can write songs that stand shoulder to shoulder with anyone.
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