Album of the Year
The Past is Still Alive - Hurray for the Riff Raff
Come for "Alibi", a catchy tune about supporting someone through their addiction, while struggling with your own tendencies to become an enabler. Stay for "Ogallala", which hit me hard with: "I used to think I was born into the wrong generation. Now I know I was right on time to watch the world burn."
Great Albums
These albums are good from start to finish, have multiple stand out great songs, or both.
- Letter to Self - SPRINTS - This was a close runner-up for AOTY for me. I highly recommend this album from an Irish post-punk band
- Below the Waste - Goat Girl
- Absolute Elsewhere - Blood Incantation
- RATKING - Brimheim
- XII: A gyönyörű álmok ezután jönnek - Thy Catafalque
- Sonido Cósmico - Hermanos Gutiérrez
- Funeral for Justice - Mdou Moctar
- The Promised Land? - Black Sites - The Chicago metal scene is alive and kicking.
- Championne (EP) - Championne - This is just an EP, but every song is fantastic. I can't wait to hear more from them.
- Mahal - Glass Beams
- Ngélar - LAIR
- Codes - Anja Huwe
- A La Sala - Khruangbin
- Synthesizing the Silk Roads: Uzbek Disco, Tajik Folktronica, Uyghur Rock & Tatar Jazz from 1980s Soviet Central Asia - Various Artists - This is technically old music, but these songs have been collected and released worldwide for the first time. It is full of buried treasures from a time and place that is often overlooked.
- Tigers Blood - Waxahatchee
Tracks
These are great songs, released this year, excluding songs from top albums.
- Gasoline - I AM THE INTIMIDATOR
- No Hiding Place - Jake Blount & Mali Obomsawin
- The Devil in Me - DIR EN GREY
- Crooked Road - Fantastic Negrito
- Daydream Repeat - Four Tet
- Bul Bul Bul - Kit Sebastian
- Seeds - Melt-Banana
- 황금빛 강 (Gold River) - Parannoul
- No Se Siente Normal - Sol y Santi
- Sinner - Elsy Wameyo
- Wipeout - COALTAR OF THE DEEPERS
- Motherfather - Machine Girl