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I am not a music connoisseur, but I do love music. I wanted to share some of my favorite albums that were released this year. I don't expect to blow anybody's mind with these picks, I was just having fun with it. I'm not strictly "ranking" these, although obviously, they have to be presented in a list format.
Butcher Brown Presents Triple Trey - Butcher Brown
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Hip-hop doesn't constitute a major portion of my normal listening mix. This made it all the more delightful to discover Butcher Brown this year, in their fantastic collaboration with Triple Trey. This album has excellent musicianship and arrangements, expertly layered under Triple Trey's lyrical mastery. I also love that this album intersperses some instrumental tracks along with vocal tracks; for me, it adds a ton of freshness to the album and keeps the entire experience interesting. I would recommend this album to anyone who likes hip-hop, and I would particularly recommend it to people who don't listen to a lot of hip-hop but enjoy blues, jazz, and funk. Git Along and Breevin' are two standout tracks, but I'd recommend listening to the album from start to finish.
Empire Central - Snarky Puppy
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Well, big surprise: most things Snarky Puppy touches turn to gold, and Empire Central is no exception. I haven't listened to this album straight through as much as I'd like because it is extremely long (over an hour and a half)! That said, I've enjoyed it thoroughly when it is on.
If you don't know Snarky Puppy, well, get off yer butt and go listen to some stuff. While you're at it, watch some of their live studio performances - they are amazing! I think what amazes me most about Snarky Puppy is how consistent they are. They are all superstar musicians and can hold down any groove with precision, all while adding layers and layers of color and texture. The arrangements are rich, the compositions are varied and interesting, and the production quality is amazing. I also love that Snarky Puppy has committed so thoroughly to the live-studio-recording concept; they execute it with such ease that you could be forgiven for not realizing that it was recorded in one take. I don't know if this is my all-time favorite Snarky Puppy album, but I do know that it is an absolute pleasure to listen to.
Into the Ether - Franc Moody
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Into the Ether might not stretch your musical horizons too far, but it will definitely make you want to dance! Riding a disco-pop-electro-funk vibe, Franc Moody delivers an album that is 100% fun from start to finish. Heavy, crystal-clear bass lines hold together most tracks on the album, and lush, thick synths are used extensively. The title track is a great introduction to the album; if you like it, you should keep listening. Raining in LA has a great upbeat disco vibe, The 7 has a dank slap bass bridge, and In Transit has a super catchy hook along with infectious percussion. I kept thinking of the artist Poolside when I was listening to this album; laid-back, groovy as hell, and polished to perfection.
Cold As Weiss - Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio
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I'm a huge sucker for B3 organ, and Delvon Lamarr just so happens to be a master of it. I saw them this fall at Antone's in downtown Austin and it was an amazing show. They closed out the show with their transcendent cover of Careless Whisper, but I think the highlight for me was Don't Worry 'Bout What I Do, which unquestionably gets the award for Tastiest Guitar Lick of 2022 🥇🎸. If you need some feel-good music in your life, I cannot recommend Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio enough! They are consistently groovy and have great energy between them. Pro tip: if their full name is too much for you, you can use their moniker DLO3, pronounced "Dee-low-three".
STR4TASFEAR - STR4TA
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I'd never heard of STR4TA before 2022, and I was caught off guard by how much I enjoyed their album STR4TASFEAR ("stratosphere"... get it?). Some tracks have a real grittiness to them like they were recorded in a garage, while others feel dreamy and ethereal. Like all the albums in this post, the musicianship is top-notch, and I found myself continually smiling at the songwriting and instrumentation. When You Call Me has a fun 808-style drum beat with kind of a synth marimba melody layered underneath a smooth bass line and soft pads. To Be As One almost has a nu-jazz feel, with a very disco beat and a great piano solo. Check it out if you like strong, funky bass lines, 80s-style pad synths, and syncopated drumming.
Extra goodies
Of course, some of my favorite albums from this year were not released in 2022. Here are a few of my favs that I discovered this year, but were released in prior years.