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Eric Wiersema writesCHIRP Radio’s Best of 2022: Eric Wiersema
Throughout December, CHIRP Radio presents its volunteers’ top albums of 2022. Our next list is from DJ and Assistant Music Director Eric Wiersema.
It’s hard to believe that 2022 is already mostly in the books! I guess time flies when you’re having fun. I genuinely mean that too!
After the COVID-plagued years of 2020 and 2021, it felt great to, more or less, resume life as normal *mostly* without fear. It was great to see live music year-round this year, enjoy both Pitchfork and Riot Fest in their regularly scheduled times (not exhausting back to back weekends) and experience the triumphant return of CHIRP’s Record Fair and Other Delights.
Last and definitely not least, it was great to experience any and all new music that found its way to my ears! 2022 was my second full-year as a regular CHIRP DJ and Assistant Music Director and I was exposed to an insanely large amount of new music as a result.
While being consistently fed 20 or more albums a week ensures that my thirst for new music is always quenched, it is not without its drawbacks. It is damn near impossible to keep up with and fully digest everything thrown my way. It is way harder now for new albums to truly stand out and remain a part of my long term musical diet.
Fortunately, a handful of albums were able to break this mold that will stick with me for years to come. I look forward to seeing my fellow CHIRPers lists as well to check out albums I missed or revisit albums that didn’t initially grab me on the first listen!
#1 Wet Leg by Wet Leg (Domino)
Call me basic if you want, but Wet Leg lives up to all of the hype they have been getting for the past two years. I love their brand of upbeat and quirky indie rock that will even get the normies to consume a couple of warm beers on the chaise longue! I actually requested "Chaise Longue" at my brother’s wedding this summer and everyone flocked to the dance floor!
While the singles are undoubtedly Wet Leg’s strongest material, the rest of the album grew on me after a few listens and still remains in my regular rotation today. Favorite Tracks: "Chaise Longue," "Angelica," "Wet Dream," "Ur Mum"
#2 Ants From Up There by Black Country, New Road (Ninja Tune)
Black Country, New Road’s excellent debut For The First Time landed the coveted #1 spot on my year-end list last year and finished as the runners-up this year. Ants From Up There finds the band really coming into their own.
The Slint influence is toned down in favor of a more melodic sound. The band’s jazzier and more theatrical elements really shine through and makes me wonder if Broadway or a film score will ever be in their future.
Vocalist Isaac Wood left the band shortly after this album’s release leaving the future uncertain but I can’t wait to hear what is next! Favorite Tracks: "Chaos Space Marine," "Good Will Hunting," "The Place Where He Inserted the Blade"
#3 Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe In You by Big Thief (4AD)
This is Big Thief’s fifth and most experimental album to date! While there are still plenty of traditional indie folk tracks on here, the band also delves into full-blown country, trip hop, and avant garde music reminiscent of Animal Collective. This experimentation feels natural and compliments the band’s strong folk instincts.
Andrienne Lenker and co have come a long way since I first saw them (and danced with her!) at the Empty Bottle in 2016 a couple months before their debut album Masterpiece was released. I am so glad that they have become one of my favorite bands for the past 6 years! Favorite Tracks: "Time Escaping," "Blurred View," "Red Moon," "Simulation Swarm," "Love Love Love"
#4 One Stop Shop by Twen (Self-Released)
This Nashville by way of Boston duo is one of my favorite musical discoveries this year. I unfortunately missed their 2019 debut Awestruck, but better late than never.
One Stop Shop is a great blend of Britpop, dream pop, and psychedelia that brings to mind many '90s greats like Lush and Mazzy Star. I haven’t been able to put this album down since its release this summer! Favorite Tracks: "One Stop Shop (For a Fading Revolution)," "Dignitary Life," "Long Throat"
#5 God's Country by Chat Pile (Flenser)
God’s Country is the debut album from the Oklahoma City noise rockers and my favorite heavy album of 2022. This album combines thick, sludgy guitars, pummeling drums, and bellowed vocals with sharp social commentary. RIYL: Daughters, The Jesus Lizard. Favorite Tracks: "Why," "Slaughterhouse," "Pamela"
#6 Endure by Special Interest (Rough Trade)
Special interest, like Twen, is another band I was regrettably late to the party for. Endure is the band’s third album and my first exposure to their unique blend of dance punk and industrial music.
You can bet I had the studio lights down and the disco ball on whenever I played a track from this on my show! Of course, I have no rhythm so my dancing is limited to the privacy of the CHIRP studios! Favorite Tracks: "Cherry Blue Intention," "Kurdish Radio," "LA Blues"
#7 Diaspora Problems by Soul Glo (Epitaph)
My favorite hardcore album of 2022 is from this Philly crew! Soul Glo sets themselves apart from the pack by adding elements of hip hop and ska to their blend of aggressive hardcore punk.
This album is as in your face as it gets and could easily replace caffeine as your morning pick-me-up. If Diaspora Problems and great recent releases from Code Orange, Knocked Loose, and Turnstile are any indication, a new golden age of hardcore is upon us! Favorite Tracks: "Thumbsucker," "Driponomics," "(Five Years And) My Family"
#8 I Love You Jennifer B by Jockstrap (Rough Trade)
An excellent debut from the UK art pop duo consisting of Taylor Skye and Georgia Ellery (Black Country, New Road). Jockstrap’s sound is hard to define, but art pop would probably be the most accurate descriptor.
I Love You Jennifer B contains elements of glitch, trip hop, folk, and orchestral arrangements and this barely scratches the surface. Give it a listen for yourself! Favorite Tracks: "Neon," "Jennifer B," "Greatest Hits," "Glasgow"
#9 Heavy Pendulum by Cave In (Relapse)
Massachussets post-hardcore legends return with their seventh album. 2019’s Final Transmission was originally intended to be the band’s swan song due to longtime bassist and vocalist Caleb Scofield’s tragic death in a car crash a year prior. Fortunately, the band was able to recover from this terrible tragedy and sound completely reinvigorated on Heavy Pendulum.
The band covers a wide variety of sonic ground including space rock, sludge metal, and even some straight up grunge. This results in a very satisfying listen proving that heavy music is far from dead! Favorite Tracks: "New Reality," "Blood Spiller," "Heavy Pendulum," "Blinded by a Blaze"
#10 Nothing But Time by Breanna Barbara (Fuzz Club)
A fantastic blend of blues and psychedelic rock with traces of surf and soul from the New York-based singer songwriter. This album is largely influenced by the sounds of the '60s but has enough modern flair to avoid sounding dated.
Barbara’s voice is soulful and powerful and often reminiscent of Chan Marshall (Cat Power). She is definitely an artist to watch! Favorite Tracks: "Nothing But Time," "Me Too," "Weight of the World"
Honorable Mentions
Black Midi - Hellfire - Rough Trade
Hatchie - Giving the World Away - Secretly Canadian
Dry Cleaning - Stumpwork - 4AD
PUP - The Unraveling of PUP the Band - Rise
Fontaines D.C - Skinty Fia - Partisan
White Lung - Premonition - Domino
Spoon - Lucifer on the Sofa - Matador
Cat Powe r- Covers - Domino
Starcrawler - She Said - Big Machine
St. Paul and the Broken Bones - The Alien Coast - ATO
Drug Church - Hygiene - Pure Noise
Sharon Van Etten - We’ve Been Going About This All Wrong - Jagjaguwar
Viagra Boys - Cave World - Year 0001
Regina Spektor - Home, Before and After - Sire
SASAMI - Squeeze - Domino
Favorite Albums By Local Artists:
Horsegirl - Versions of Modern Performance - Matador
Russian Circles- Gnosis - Sargent House
Beach Bunny - Emotional Creature - Mom + Pop
The Handcuffs - Burn the Rails - Pravda
Smut - How the Light Felt - Bayonet
Next entry: CHIRP Radio’s Best of 2022: Al Gabor
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