the Top 10 Indie Rock Albums of 2022

The indie rock list is normally bands who do not rock hard enough to be rock records or fell askew from other lists, so they are falling here. Indie rock has been a thing since the days of bands like Television, in the 90s they got commercialized and scooped up by major labels, so it lost its charm. This does not mean bands that they are not on mainstream labels but bands that fall outside of pop and rock.; Much like in years past 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. 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 indie rock albums of 2022.

10-Alvvways-"Blue Rev" 

With a sound that is from a woozy corner of the 90s, this band from Canada manages to fuse quaint pop ditties with a swirl of ambiance. There are melodies that emerge which at times can be happier than what I normally listen to. However, when tempered to the more surreal drug drip of effects for the disenfranchised lyrics to ponder over things work out for the best

Abysmal Hymns: Alvvays : "Blue Rev"

9- the Black Angels - "the Wilderness of Mirrors" 

The 6th album by the Texas band carries the kind of hypnotic throb you want from them. It has a dark drone to it that creates a haunting pulse as layers of sound swirl around it.  The reverb drowned vocals occupying a similar space. The bass bring more of a thump to drive the grooves as the vocals have a clearer narrative when singer Alex Maas awakes from his stoned lethargy. There is more of a 60s pysch-pop feel at times, but it is always compelling. 

Abysmal Hymns: the Black Angels : "Wilderness of Mirrors"

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8-Rome - ""Hegemonikon-A Journey to the End of Light" 

Crossing over from the folk or post-punk list, the new album is a departure from the flirtations with Death in June. Instead, we got an atmospheric affair weighed heavily by synths, The vocals being buried under said synths. The strum of guitar remerges to a more familiar sound at times. The production on this album is less organic than previous ones. There is a more upbeat almost pop feel to the song writing which is still stellar enough to earn its place here. 

Abysmal Hymns: Rome : "Hegemonikon-A Journey to the End of Light" "

7-Death Bells -"Between Here and Everywhere" 

It makes sense that the band's move to Los Angeles finds their sound becoming more streamlined and palatable to the masses. The punk in the post-punk side of the equation is dialed back putting them in the same sonic zip code as the more mainstream post-punk revivalists of the early 2000s like Interpol and the Rapture. Here the more accessible leanings work in the bands favor as they have stepped up their songwriting game, resulting in some of their most memorable songs yet, the sounds provide a counterpoint against one another as the upbeat vibe of the song proves a backdrop for dead pan vocals and glum lyrics

Abysmal Hymns: Death Bells: "Between Here and Everywhere"

6- Black Country New Road- "Ants From Up There" 

The previous album was one of the best post-punk albums of the year. Where their last album rode ad the line between the early days of post-punk and a jammy weirdness, this album leans in a more prog direction with the dead pan vocals the only thing that holds traces of the starker postpunk tension. It is hard to fault them for this when the end result is a great deal of fun almost like Gogol Bordello without their obnoxious singer. Things break into an easier going more languid mood that opens room for the  vocals to take on a more wavering croon that is delicate in a manner not unlike Bright Eyes, who also serves as a fair sonic point of reference. They grew in an interesting new direction that paid off. 

Abysmal Hymns: Black Country , New Road : "Ants From Up There "

 

5- Interpol-"the Other Side of Make Believe" 

I can get over the fact Interpol is no longer as dark as they once were. Gone is the stark tension of post-punk. Now we have rather breezy indie rock that does what Arcade Fire did in a less orchestrated and more organic fashion. The Beatles are more of an influence than Joy Division with songs like "Fables". Despite this gradual stylistic shift that has brough them to this place over the years, they are still great songwriters. They are masters at capturing mood and while different still retains who they are and works as it is easy on the ears. I find myself just leaving it on to play

Abysmal Hymns: Interpol : "the Other Side of Make Believe"

4 Fontaines DC-"Skinty Fia" 

This Irish band now perhaps lives in a sonic zip code closer to Radiohead than any type of shoegaze or post-punk revivalists. They slip away from the more hypnotizing drones to slinky grooves. This allows for the vocals to be moodier but with an underlying attitude. Their singer chooses some interesting placement with his phrasing. This can be felt in the with the lyrics bobbing in and out of the guitars staccato jangle. "Sometimes flirting with their punk rock youth with lyrics invoking dive bars past midnight

Abysmal Hymns: Fontaines D.C. : " Skinty Fia"

3-the Smile - A light for Attracting Attention" 

A band with Thom Yorke and Johnny Greenwood is going to sound like Radiohead. The main difference is drummer Tome Skinner who played with the jazz band Sons of Kemet. He helps them lock into a much different groove than what you might expect from Radiohead. I think the rowdy punk tension of "You Will Never Work in Television Again" made some members of the press fooled into thinking this would be return to the scrappier younger days of Radiohead. Why should it be? After all this is not Radiohead? I am sure many of these songs were intended to Radiohead, but I can imagine the pressure which comes with writing for a new Radiohead album was one thing they wanted to get away from when writing this.

Abysmal Hymns: the Smile : "A Light for Attracting Attention"

 

2-Murder By Death - 'Spell/Bound"

This album is sonically not as stark when it opens when a warmer sounding country song. Lyrically things darken at times. When I talk about dark with these guys, everything is being measured against "Who Will Survive and What Will Be Left of Them". Yes, I know that was their second album and it is a masterpiece. They are not trying to replicate it nor would I want them to, but it does show where they are at peak songwriting and the kinds of things, they are capable of. They reach similar heights but from another angle here. 

Abysmal Hymns: Murder By Death : "Spell/Bound"

1- Midlake- "For the Sake of Bethel Woods" 

This album both surprised and grew on me. They are moody and melodic in all the ways I like for this kind of music to be. Their drummer is really on it. There is a folk thing, but they are also very melancholy and thoughtful. Things get more soulful and lean toward being more  proggy than folk, as the instrumentation flirts with math rock while the vocals s are off doing their own thing. Ath the end of the day it's the songs and all the feeling they put into them that earned the top spot. 

Abysmal Hymns: Midlake : " For the Sake of Bethel Woods"

the Top 10 Albums of 2022 ... So Far

 

This year has half slipped away from us. More comprehensive of what has been released than you might expect, considering that I am already getting promos for August releases in my in-box. There is a fair cross-section of genres represented as I already did my metal list so while there are some hard rock artists, this is the top 10 non-metal albums that have been released this year so far.  Pop, goth, indie rock, post -punk and progressive rock are all represented here in varied shades. All of these albums a solid shot for the number one spot at the end of the year, depending on how they grow on me.  I make the overall top ten for the year and at this rate December will be here before we know it. What makes them the best is how much I actually listen to them. I guess we will see how these albums hold up over the course of the year.  I am posting links to the reviews if you want to check these albums out.

10-Dead Register - "Alive" 

This album picks up where they left off, but in a more refined manner. The grooves are smoothly syncopated with an industrial stomp, but with none of the gear grinding abrasion. There is more of a 90s grunge influence in the drumming this time around. The blend of brooding shadows in the verses is streamlined as the song writing is more noticeably matured

Abysmal Hymns: Dead Register : "Alive"

9-Marissa Nadler- the Wrath of Clouds" 

This EP consists of three unreleased songs and two covers. The originals she had forgotten about during the "Path of Clouds sessions", She went back into the studio and emerged with this. It splits the difference between the more atmospheric tone of her early work and where she is currently at with a more layered sound.

Abysmal Hymns: Marissa Nadler : "Wrath of Clouds"

 

 8-Rumours - 'the Lower We Sink the Less We Care" 

This Swedish band are skilled weavers of sonic gloom, it's laced with a punchy hint of 70s rock. The instrumentation is warmly recorded in analog. The retro thing is not the band trying too hard to capture a bygone era. With a sound that is very much their own, at time they occupy a sonic space similar to Rope Sect . The vocals are more dynamics as the singer belts it out with a great deal of convincing power.

Abysmal Hymns: RUMOURS : "the Lower We Sink, the Less We Care"

  7-Placebo- "Never Let Me Go" 

2006's "Meds" was the last album I want into by this British glam band.  I think the key to Brian's success as a songwriter lies in his ability convey the struggle of his anger, darkness, metal health and addiction. It is in that struggle where their music has found its fire. Moloko succeeds in recapturing that moodiness on their new album. I think it is important that Stefan is still working with Brian as that duo is clearly Placebo and not just Brian Moloko solo album. There is none of the kinetic punk tension that colored their early work. It works off smooth grooves and melodies, with sonic layers of guitar embellish the dynamics

Abysmal Hymns: Placebo : "Never Let Me Go"

6-Christain Death- "Evil Becomes Rule" 

The band's 15th album, I like the Valor albums and I like the Rozz albums I think Valor has carried the spirit of what the band was doing over the years. They continue to move in a less punk more metallic and darker direction, though it wonderfully melodic and there is an excellent choice in sonic colors they paint the sounds of this entire album.  

'Abysmal Hymns: Christian Death : "Evil Becomes Rule"

 5- Midlake-" For the Sake of Bethel Woods" 

When I press play on their new album, I cannot for the life of me have good reason as to why I have not listened to them until this point. They are moody and melodic in all the way I like for this kind of music to be. Their drummer is really on it. There is a folk thing, but they are also very melancholy and thoughtful. 

Abysmal Hymns: Midlake : " For the Sake of Bethel Woods"

 

4-Zola Jesus -"Arkhon" 

One of my favorite singers of the past decade, I breathed a sigh of relief when I pressed play and found this album is another step into the darkness as she could have taken a poppier turn. This time rather than taking everything on herself she worked with producer Randall Dunn, and former David Bowie drummer Matt Chamberlin The former's influence can be felt the most. The second song moves with a more organic fluidity to its groove. Are some of her vocal passages more accessible here? Yes, but I am not sure I would call this pop music as it is more complex in both arrangement and laying

Abysmal Hymns: Zola Jesus : " Arkhon"

 3- Charli XCX- "Crash" 

Quirky British pop singer Charli XCX is back. This time she is showing us that she makes an album with a half dozen less songwriters and producers than the likes of the Weeknd or Lil Nas X . She does continue a slick 80s retro path and I am not sure any of the songs strike me as bumping as hard as she did on; "How I'm feeling now" . She has a knack of riding the beats with odd chanted vocal lines, which she works off of coming out of the gate. The best Pop album of the year so far. 

Abysmal Hymns: Charli XCX : " Crash"

  2- Hangman's Chair- " A Loner" 

The French band's 2018 album "Banlieue Triste" took the top spot as Doom album of the year. This time around things are dialed back in the metal department. They straddle the fence sonically in a zip code closer to post-nu metal Deftones and Katatonia. They know there is more than one way to be heavy  the album as a whole is more about capturing a mood, which they have. I respect that they did not try to recreate the previous album and made steps forward,

Abysmal Hymns: Hangman's Chair : "A Loner"

1-Tears for fears - "the Tipping Point" 

After 18 year silence , the dup found themselves bucking record label pressure in 2013, until they found who they were in today's world free of the radio trappings that could have been imposed upon them. This makes for a great deal of surprises as the album spans genres from the folky opener to the controls being set to sizzle as they reflect the new wave 80s vibe while working in modern electronics.

Abysmal Hymns: Tears For Fears - " the Tipping Point"

Midlake : " For the Sake of Bethel Woods"

 Outside the sphere of what I normally listen there are a great many indie rock bands that slip through the cracks with me. I am very fluent in their names but with only so many hours in a day no matter how big they are I rarely get a time to put a dent in them. Midlake is one of these bands. When I press play on their new album, I cannot for the life of me have good reason as to why I have not listened to them until this point. They are moody and melodic in all the ways I like for this kind of music to be. Their drummer is really on it. There is a folk thing, but they are also very melancholy and thoughtful. Things get more soulful on "Glistening".  More proggy than folk, in the ways certain instruments flirt with math rock, the vocals are off doing their own thing. It works but does not flow as well as the previous song. 

The driving element to "Exile" hints at some subtle post-punk influence on this otherwise mellowed out indie rock. The band has stated they listen to way more Jethro Tull than Radiohead, but there older stuff came out sounding more like Radiohead anyway. I can hear the remerging influence of older prog in the atmospheric swell in the background. This is one of the more urgent vocal melodies thus far. Listened to "Feast of Carrison" a few times to soak in the lazy summer vibes that float by. More orchestrated and intricate in flow of songwriting that folk. The surreal coat of atmosphere to "Noble "causes the song to hit you like second hand pot smoke, in the dreamy journey it brings upon you. Finely layered textures find the song progressing before you realized it has moved. At the very least some pot was being smoked in the studio while they recorded "Gone" if not perhaps some trippier substances. The psychedelic touches are done in a smooth and sleek fashion.  

This is taken a step further so it sounds more like Brit pop on "Meanwhile". Think the Beatles without all the vocal harmonies. So in other words the Shins, but more stoned and not as happy. Some of the trippy falls on the shoulders of the synths. "Dawning" has a lot cooler groove to it. I love the lyrics to "the End" , no it's not the Doors song. It saunters along with the piano, thoughtfully poppy  The album closes with a dreamier almost Death Cab For Cutie like moment. There is dynamic range to it though with majestic swells.  I will round this up to a 10, as it will continue to grow on me.