Thursday, December 15, 2022

Year In Review 2022 - Favorite Albums Part 3: The Top 5

Another year is finishing up and @RockBodElec wouldn't be a proper music site if we didn't end the year with a "Best Of" list, so RtBE presents 2022's Favorite Albums Part 3: Top Five.


In the instance that RtBE has reviewed the album, either on this site or elsewhere, we will link to that review and just give a quick summation; click on the name/title and you can read our full opinion. RtBE worked with the Glide Team to give input on their Top 20 so you can expect some overlap if you already have seen that list.

Again the focus here is on full albums, not singles, but long playing releases you can slap on and listen all the way through. We know these are a dying breed, but it still is the way we consume music, no shuffle, Spotify or singles for us.

The number ten just works for this, so here is the second part of our top ten, numbers five through one. You can see the back end of our top ten and the albums that just missed as well. 

Like all of our lists or 'best of's' these are meant to start conversations, not end them...

Last year we stated that there had never been a year where the gap from our 'Honorable Mentions' selections and the number one album of our top ten list had been so close. Well, this year things are even closer. 

That said, all of these albums are worth your time attention and money:



Some very energetic indie pop highlights one of the best albums of RBCF's career.  Endless Rooms is like catnip for indie rock lovers with catchy, electro hooks and jams. As stated in the review, Endless Rooms bristles with a creative spirit, which is clearly displayed in the twinkling folk-rock of “Open Up Your Window” and the building/banging dance-pop of “Blue Eye Lake”. Check that one out: 




Speaking of catnip, here comes Fantastic Cat.  A collection of NYC area singer songwriters who went for a modern day Traveling Wilbury's vibe, each contributing songs and playing multiple instruments throughout. Very reminiscent of an RtBE favorite Monsters of Folk, Fantastic Cat proves if egos can be put aside by songwriters, cool things usually flow out. "Fiona" is one of our favorite songs of the year and the rest are all solid to great, including "Nobody's Coming To Get You"...




At first listen Things Happen That Way seemed slow and bit mournful...but after a few listens it sunk in...that is kinda the point! The last studio album from Dr. John has some issues behind the scenes, but in the end it is a great collection of tracks from the Good Doctor and ranks with the best of his career. We mentioned the Wilbury's in the Fantastic Cat wrap up, but Mac actually covered them with a slow rollin' funky "End Of The Line" and his version of the title track is a stunner. This album is must hear for fans of Americana music with a New Orleans backbone.  




A bit out of RtBE's normal zone, Weyes Blood big baroque pop is impressive on And in the Darkness Hearts Aglow as she crystalizes these chaotic times we are going through and delivers big hymn like songs around them. Opener "It's Not Just Me, It's Everybody" says it right from the title, we are all in this together as she takes influences from Joni Mitchell, The Beatles, Harry Nilsson and more while retaining her own strong modern voice; an impressive album. 




We started this years round up with a Sub Pop band from the early 2000's whose (we thought) best days were behind them. Built to Spill goes back even longer in their history and now their first album for that famous label is a doozy.  

RtBE are shocked how much we listened to this album this year.  While we enjoyed 2015's Untethered Moon and ranked it in our top ten, we weren't keen on the last few releases from main BtS'er Doug Martsch and were so disappointed with them the last time we caught them live we vowed that was it.  This record however has it all and is better than any of their albums since at least 2001's Ancient Melodies of the Future or 1999's Keep It Like a Secret. 

Martsch went to Brazil to record with Le Almedia and João Casaes, both from the Brazilian psychedelic jazz-rock band Oruã, but the album is pure Built to Spill; total Martsch. Wandering guitar solos, pensive lyrics around Doug's laid back whine just luxuriate as the songs ease out gaining in jamminess as they progress. 

The album is immensely listenable to fans of guitar rock and that is right in RtBE's wheelhouse.  Check out some of the tunes below and the full top ten.




There we go, that's our list, how'd we do?  Weird year, old favorites and emerging new artists combine to form our top ten. Feel free to post your favorites in the comments and as always thanks for reading.  

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