Every year I try to listen to a lot of new music, and every year I put together a blog post of my favorites among those “new to me” albums. This year’s batch is the biggest ever at a whopping 18 albums! There is a lot of variety on this list, and I imagine almost anybody could find something here they at least somewhat enjoy, and probably a few that they absolutely hate. 😛 But it’s my list, and here’s what I enjoyed this year!

Bone Machine - Tom Waits (1992)

The artist I listened to the most in 2022 was Tom Waits, as I found myself continually intrigued by his music and interesting discography. He goes from jazzy singer-songwriter to embracing a dark and quirky persona that can be a little off-putting at first, but really grew on me over time as his strong songwriting shone through. Bone Machine is a dark album overall, and not what I’d recommend as an entry-point for new listeners, but has grown into a favorite with a ton of his best tracks.

California - Mr. Bungle (1999)

Perhaps the most eclectic and odd entry on the list, and a fairly recent discovery, but for some reason this Mr. Bungle record just works for me. I knew I had to give it a listen when I saw it included both “Surf Rock” and “Avant-Garde Metal” as sub-genres, on top of coming recommended from a friend. Definitely not going to be for everyone, and the closest comparison I can think of is System of a Down, but California stands in a category of its own that I happen to have really enjoyed so far.

Close to the Edge - Yes (1972)

The opening minutes of Close to the Edge made it seem like a fairly inaccessible listen due to some of its chaotic and frantic instrumentation, but as I listened to the entire album multiple times, I found that I really enjoyed the themes and overall arc of this ambitious, symphonic, progressive rock album. Still hard to say how much staying power it will have, but it has been trending up since my initial listen.

Deadwing - Porcupine Tree (2005)

I haven’t delved a lot into the genre of progressive rock as I find that while I like a lot of it, I rarely love it. Deadwing finds itself on the precipice of that balance, and at least for now is leaning more towards loving it. It has a nice balance of rocking out with tasteful instrumentation, and the arrangements are intricate and keep my interest.

De todas las flores - Natalia Lafourcade (2022)

Natalia Lafourcade has probably been my biggest surprise artist of the year. Normally, I wouldn’t listen to much non-English music, but gave De todas las flores a spin after seeing it receive some very high ratings. My initial thoughts were “this is nice, but not sure I’d come back to it,” but it turns out I was wrong; I kept wanting to come back to it! Just such a great relaxed vibe with beautiful instrumentation and vocals, and I have found that sometimes this is just exactly the kind of music I feel like listening to. Looking forward to exploring her discography more.

Desire, I Want to Turn Into You - Caroline Polachek (2023)

My music tastes don’t tend to align with the pop genre, but occasionally I will run across a pop-adjacent album that works for me for some reason. Dua Lipa’s Future Nostalgia is a past example, and Carline Polachek’s Desire, I Want to Turn Into You is another from this past year. Catchy while still having musical interest and a unique vocal style, and it comes together as something I have enjoyed returning to.

Fulfillingness' First Finale - Stevie Wonder (1974)

This was the year that I really went from liking Stevie Wonder’s music to really loving a lot of it. That largely has to do with an album that appears later on this list, but Fulfillingness’ First Finale is another great record with a lot of tracks that emphasize Stevie’s strengths and great songwriting.

(I Am) Origami Pt. 2: Every Power Wide Awake - John Van Deusen (2017)

I don’t find myself listening to a lot of “Christian” music in my free time, not because I have any aversion to it, but because the typical music style of modern Christian music doesn’t tend to align with my tastes. (I Am) Origami Pt. 2: Every Power Wide Awake manages to be an exception to that trend, and I am curious to see if it will hold up as I listen to it more. But for now, it has been a pleasantly surprising find!

Keep It Like a Secret - Built to Spill (1999)

It took me a little bit to adjust to the Built to Spill’s lead singer’s vocals, but as they grew on me, I found the band to be one of my favorite new finds of the year. It takes the indie rock genre and adds more interesting arrangements and layering of guitar parts that just really makes for some great music. Carry the Zero is a great track for getting a taste of their style, and I anticipate Keep It Like A Secret will hold strong among my favorites.

Marquee Moon - Television (1977)

I listen to a lot of older music simply because it is highly rated, and most of the time, I don’t end up enjoying it. But it is the work you put in to find the ones you will like, and Television’s Marquee Moon was one of those hidden gems this year. They have a very unique style, but it just clicked for me and I like the stripped back guitar-driven instrumentation.

Mule Variations - Tom Waits (1999)

Yet another consistent and solid Tom Waits album. Each time I begin exploring a new Waits album, I assume that it isn’t going to be as good as the ones I already enjoy, or won’t feel different enough to warrant a regular place in my music rotation. And time and time again, he has surprised me by providing a new collection of songs that holds up really well on its own.

Musas Vol. 1 - Natalia Lafourcade (2017)

I wondered if De todas las flores would be the only album I would regularly listen to by Natalia Lafourcade, simply because I wondered if her style might get samey across albums and the foreign language can be a bit of a barrier. But then I listened to Musas Vol. 1 a few times and found another great album I want to keep coming back to! I will definitely be exploring more of her discography this next year, but really happy with the two albums I’ve listened to thus far.

Perfect From Now On - Built to Spill (1997)

Perfect From Now On was my introduction to Built to Spill, and while Keep It Like a Secret might be slightly edging it out as my favorite that I’ve listened to so far, there is still a lot I really like here. Pretty much a “ditto” to why I enjoyed Keep It Like a Secret, but very happy to have discovered Built to Spill this year.

Quebec - Ween (2003)

I had never really listened to Ween, and they definitely have a weird identity as a comedy-first band that is surprisingly talented musically. Quebec is among their more “serious” albums, and is really a fantastic collection of songs ranging from quirky to rocking to genuinely beautiful, and repeated listens has quickly moved this up my list of favorites discovered this past year.

Red - King Crimson (1974)

While King Crimson’s popular debut In The Court of the Crimson King has grown on me since my initial listen, it is actually Red that is my favorite of their albums so far. As far as progressive rock as a genre, Red is one of the few that really keeps me coming back to it.

Songs in the Key of Life - Stevie Wonder (1976)

Despite really enjoying Innervisions, it was a long time before I listened to Stevie Wonder’s Songs in the Key of Life, probably because I was intimidated by its long run time. But I will never forget that first listen… by the time I hit the end of the Contusion → Sir Duke → I Wish stretch on the first half, I knew I had found something special. It’s Stevie at his best, and he keeps it up for over 100 minutes. More than any other album, I know that if I put this on, it will put me in a good mood; and that is pretty high praise.

Violator - Depeche Mode (1990)

I was familiar with the big singles off of Violator, particularly Personal Jesus, but giving the full album a spin really highlighted how groovy their style is. This is a really recent listen so I can’t say for sure if it will hold up in my regular rotation, but I was surprised by how much I enjoyed my first few listens.

Volcanic Bird Enemy and the Voiced Concern - Lil Ugly Mane (2021)

From what I can tell, Volcanic Bird Enemy and the Voiced Concern is kind of unique entry in Lil Ugly Mane’s catalog, straying the furthest from his more rap-based roots. The result is something really different than anything else I’ve listened to, but I found myself really enjoy the short experimental arrangements with his unique vocal delivery. Always fun to find an album I enjoy that is really unique and outside my normal listening genres.

Wow, so much good music this year! I’ve crossed 600 total albums rated and I know I haven’t even scratched the surface of finding music that I will enjoy.