Our Favorite Albums, 2022
Our favorite albums of the year, as voted on by Tone Glow's writers
I was shocked when I tabulated the results of our collective “Albums of the Year” list and saw that there were 42 (!) albums we could, in some small way, agree on. 32 folks who’ve contributed to Tone Glow are responsible for what you’ll see below, and these people come from different sectors of my life: former Tiny Mix Tapes contributors, friends I made while at The Singles Jukebox, folks I’ve talked with for 10+ years on private torrent trackers, random people I’ve DM’d on Twitter who I felt kinship with. There is, much to my surprise, a strong sense of the Tone Glow “identity” within our choices, and whether that’s clear to anyone reading this is less important to me than the fact that I (and presumably other contributors) can feel it. This is perhaps why I enjoy running and writing for Tone Glow: we’re not making any claims about our list “capturing” a specific year, nor do we feel beholden to include any particular artist. There’s nothing at stake here… we just like music and want to keep exploring. As I listen back to some of these records, I’m deeply pleased that I can see why specific writers like some of them so much. It makes me think about how shoegaze was dubbed “the scene that celebrates itself”—shouldn’t that be every scene? I sure as hell feel like that way about Tone Glow right now.
Below, you’ll find our collective list—42 albums that appeared in at least 2 of our 34 lists. You’ll also find individual lists and reflections from contributors spread across two parts. As always, thanks for reading. Here’s to another great year of music. —Joshua Minsoo Kim
Tone Glow’s Favorite Albums of 2022
The below list is Tone Glow’s Favorite Albums of 2022 as determined by our contributors’ individual lists. Every album below received at least 2 votes.
Received Six Votes:
Kali Malone - Living Torch (Portraits GRM)
Received Five Votes:
Alex G - God Save the Animals (Domino)
Received Three Votes:
454 - Fast Trax 3 (self-released)
Alvin Curran - Drumming Up Trouble (Black Truffle)
Big Thief - Dragon New Warm Mountain I Love You (4AD)
black midi - Hellfire (Rough Trade)
Horse Lords - Comradely Objects (RVNG Intl.)
Huerco S. - Plonk (Incienso)
Ishmael Reed - The Hands of Grace (Reading Group)
Lauren Tosswill - “1, 2” (Hard Return)
Oren Ambarchi - Shebang (Drag City)
Sunik Kim - Raid on the White Tiger Regiment (Notice)
Vanessa Rossetto - The Actress (Erstwhile)
Received Two Votes:
Actress - Dummy Corporation (Ninja Tune)
Amateur Hour - Krökta Tankar och Brända Vanor (Appetite)
Anteloper - Pink Dolphins (International Anthem)
Bill Orcutt - Music for Four Guitars (Palilalia)
Bitchin Bajas - Bajascillators (Drag City)
Black Dresses - Forget Your Own Face (self-released)
Bladee & Ecco2k - Crest (Year0001)
brakence - hypochondriac (Columbia)
Cash Cobain & Chow Lee - 2 Slizzy 2 Sexy (Neva Slippin/Ferrari Fiction)
Cities Aviv - Man Plays the Horn (self-released)
Daniel Bachman - Almanac Behind (Three Lobed)
Duwap Kaine - A Dogg’s Influence (self-released)
Éliane Radigue & Frédéric Blondy - Occam XXV (Organ Reframed)
Dewa Alit & Gamelan Salukat - Chasing the Phantom (Black Truffle)
Fievel Is Glauque - Flaming Swords (MATH Interactive)
Florist - Florist (Double Double Whammy)
Jana Rush - Dark Humor (Planet Mu)
Julia Reidy - World in World (Black Truffle)
Laura Cocks - Field Anatomies (self-released)
Lolina - Face the Music (Relaxin)
Mabe Fratti - Se ve desde aquí (Unheard of Hope)
Moin - Paste (AD 93)
NewJeans - New Jeans (ADOR)
Olly Wilson - Composer “Portrait” Series #1 (Creel Pone)
Pat Thomas & XT, Will Holder - “Akisakila” / Attitudes of Preparation (Edition Gamut)
Ryu Hankil - ⑥ (dingn\dents)
Soul Glo - Diaspora Problems (Epitaph)
Staubitz and Waterhouse - Common Metals (Music Is The Worst)
Toshiya Tsunoda - Landscape and Voice (Black Truffle)