To wrap up this 2022 review, here are my favorite songs of the year – at least those not already highlighted from my top albums. I’m often not fully aware of what makes a song “click” for me when I first hear it and wouldn’t be sure how to articulate its secrets at the time – I just know it when I hear it. It’s only when I sit down now, having grown familiar and comfortable with these songs, that I can start to look at them with more context and hope to understand some of the craft that lies within the art.
Once again, I hope these posts help you discover some of your own new favorite music.
FAVORITE SONGS OF 2022
1. “Bleed Out,” The Mountain Goats
Grisly, dark humor that goes too far? Or jaunty, wry-smile inducing anthem of persistence through the shit-storm of life that rages all about? I say the latter. “And I will never lose hope, and I haven’t lost hope / I’m just realistic / I will go down punching, but I will go down / And my corner man won’t bring me back around.”
2. “Alive Ain’t Always Living,” Quelle Chris
Slow groove, gospel tinged hip-hop track that preaches what’s really important in life – in the coolest, most low-key way possible. “Lord, I know what I done wrong, tryna be what I done right / Veinticuatro, siete dias, me, oh my / You can keep the feast and wine, I just want my peace of mind.”
[In hindsight, listening to these first two tracks along with “100% Endurance,” from my favorite album of the year highlighted earlier, I can’t help see the thread of a thematic trend… But I’ll leave that for others to comment on or just roll their eyes and move on.]
3. “Gary Borthwick Says,” Neutrals
A great example of post-punk dry wit, but what I particularly love about this track is how our understanding of the character depicted in the song flips with a few subtle lines in the final bridge making us realize we underestimated and minimized the character – and we also underestimated and minimized the song itself.
4. “A Warning,” Elizabeth Compton
This was a late-in-the-year discovery during a night of Bandcamp mining. Entirely unaware of what was coming as I took the first listen, this is a song that swallowed me whole on the first take. Like some kind of melancholy version of Portishead, the dance beats removed and the analog synths turned up to max. The chopped pattern of static and the fluctuating, mechanical rhythm of those synths create a ghost-inside-the-machine feel for Compton’s haunting voice.
5. “All My Love Is Coming Back To Me,” S.G. Goodman
At times I hear traces of the legendary Bonnie Raitt, but S.G. Goodman is clearly on her own path and this song has all the components of a great rock song – one with the kind of driving rhythm that if played at high volume while in your car will inevitably result in speeding tickets.
6. “Dark Before the Dawn,” Benjamin Todd
Benjamin Todd has a powerful voice that’s only matched by the power of his earnestness. Combined together they take the lament of this simple cowboy song and bring it to life.
7. “Wood Dove,” Nick Cave, Warren Ellis
I like birds. I guess that’s why my interest was sparked when I heard about this massive work of over 200 songs and poems put out this year called For the Birds: The Birdsong Project. A collection of pieces from a wide range of artists/writers, all taking some kind of inspiration from birds. Out of that work, the ethereal soundscape of this track, combined with Nick Cave’s haunting voice, captured me instantly.
8. “Blue is the Eye,” Ye Vagabonds
Love song. Lullaby. Funeral dirge. Each time I listen to this song I feel I can take a different meaning from this new-wave Iris folk song. Remember the Thistle and Shamrock radio show? I guess it’s still going but to be honest, I was never a huge fan. Too much of the traditional Celtic music was… well, over the top in its Celtic-ness. But here, the traditional components are subtle and soulful – the end result a gorgeous piece of music.
9. “Angel Band – Jubilee Version,” Tyler Childers
Much like Sturgil Simpson, Tyler Childers has a brilliant touch for combining old-school, traditional American music – folk, country, and in this case even some gospel – with a modern, progressive mindset. Here he makes getting to church sound so inviting you can’t help but think fondly of those hard, wooden pews.
10. “Excuse-moi de t’aimer,” Elizabeth Moen
Elizabeth Moen released a great album this year which almost made my list, but it was her single “Sorry That I Love You” with this French translation B-side that I couldn’t put down. Both tracks showcase her luxurious vocal range and power with exceptional production touches including guitar backing by Liam Kazar. (Yep, third time he’s been mentioned in these end-of-year posts – there’s definitely something special going on in the Chicago music scene these days.)
11. “Munch (Feelin’ U),” Ice Spice
I don’t think anyone is going to argue the value of this track based on the lyrics (What about his lunch?) but I am not too proud to admit I jumped on the bandwagon for this viral hip-hop track. A simple but insanely catchy bass groove topped off with a buttery smooth, too-cool-for-you rap delivery.
12. “Runner,” Alex G
Alex G has put out a couple of highly acclaimed albums over the years (including this year’s God Save The Animals) but I’ve never felt there was sufficient consistency or focus in them to make my favorite albums list. But on a track like this one the songwriting crystallizes into a rock-pop standout. Is this a song about someone’s devotion to their dog? Probably not…
13. “The Smoke,” The Smile
Some might be surprised about this pick given my lackluster feelings about Radiohead. But I think this song by the Thom York, Jonny Greenwood side project has what is frequently missing from Radiohead’s music – authenticity and soul. How do they create it here? Maybe it comes from touches like a tangible melody and the slight swing of a back-beat groove – but it’s probably just that wicked bass guitar lick!
14. “Jackie Down the Line,” Fontaines D.C.
A cold warning about a brutal character. The track’s punch is delivered in full force thanks to the way frontman Grain Chatten’s weary voice is paired with a slashing guitar, a shuffling drum pattern, and the rolling bass line coursing through it all.
15. “Black Umbrella,” Anna Tivel
From a local Portland singer-songwriter this is a poignant, vivid and heartbreaking story inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement and a tragic event that is all too easy to recognize.
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