Summer is here! That means it’s festival season. Whether you’re looking to be in the first row at a show or throw on a wistful album to accompany a long drive, indie musicians have already shared a number of exciting releases in 2022.
From Arcade Fire’s triumphant comeback album We to the vulnerable eighth studio release from The Beachouse, indie artists have given us some of the most compelling releases of the year thus far. With the steady rollout of new music, it can be hard to keep track of all the best new albums — and that’s where we can help.
Arcade Fire – We
Arcade Fire took 2022 head-on with the release of We, which was better received than its predecessor Everything Now. The album works because instead of trying to modernize with dance influences like Everything Now did, it reaches for, and often touches, the same feeling that Funeral gave wide-eyed fans back in 2004.
Band Of Horses — Things Are Great
After a period of spotty records in the 2010s, Things Are Great felt like a conscious return to the brawny, vision-quest-y rock of Band Of Horses’ mid-aughts era, when they first roared to indie fame on the strength of their 2006 debut, Everything All The Time. After all this time, Ben Bridwell remains uniquely talented at crafting big-hearted rock songs that sound predestined to soundtrack life-changing road trips.
Beach House — Once Twice Melody
Not only did Beach House essentially define the contemporary dream-pop genre (or at least raise its bar), but a decade after making that type of music, they’re probably still the best at it. The massive scope of Once Twice Melody — an 84-minute, 18-track album — matches the grandiosity of the band’s sound. This epic scale doesn’t come at the cost of intimacy, though, as the album is still filled with detail and vulnerability.
The Black Keys — Dropout Boogie
Since taking a lengthy break between albums, Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney have been as productive as at any point in Black Keys’s history over the past few years. This past May delivered Dropout Boogie, the duo’s third album since 2019. The resulting album is the Black Keys in its purest form: no-frills rock music built on guitar, drums, and not a ton else.
Camp Cope — Running With The Hurricane
Returning for the first full-length release since their acclaimed 2018 album, Aussie rockers Camp Cope showcases their refined and relatable ballads on Running With The Hurricane. Contrasting the music’s sunny chords and distinct rhythms, the project is confessional, tender, and sincere.
Christian Lee Hutson — Quitters
Christian Lee Hutson continues to showcase his observant songwriting with his sophomore album Quitters. The Phoebe Bridgers and Conor Oberst-produced project is filled with wistful, ballad-like tracks like “Strawberry Lemonade” and “Rubberneckers,” led by acoustic chords and thoughtfully arranged orchestral sections.
Fontaines DC — Skinty Fia
Fontaines DC is a commercial juggernaut in the UK and Ireland: Their new album, Skinty Fia, went No. 1 in both areas. They’ve managed to cultivate a high level of respect stateside, too. That’s something they’ve earned via both consistency and a sense of adventure, emphasized by tracks like the grungy alt-rocker “Jackie Down The Line” and the trip-hop-influenced title track.
Girlpool — Forgiveness
LA duo Girlpool did not hold back on their new album Forgiveness, which candidly explores lust, shame, and relationships, maturing suddenly since their previous, more innocent material. The unhurried pace doesn’t take away from the electricity and thrill of this album; they can excite with simple melodies and succinct lines about parties that are whispered honestly over twangy guitars.
Haai — Baby, We’re Ascending
After honing her sound over the last five years with a handful of singles and a 2020 EP, Haai’s technical skills are on full display in her euphoric debut LP Baby, We’re Ascending. Tailor-made for sweaty, low-lit dance floors, the album is moody, glitchy, and euphoric, jam-packed with fractal beats and atmospheric soundscapes.
Joyce Manor — 40 Oz. To Fresno
Following up on Million Dollars To Kill Me, Joyce Manor is summoning the chaotic, raw energy of 2012’s Of All Things I Will Soon Grow Tired with their new album 40 Oz. To Fresno. The album offers catchy tracks with poppy melodies with “Dance With Me” and “Reason To Believe,” and absolute rippers such as “Gotta Let It Go” and the relentless finale “Secret Sisters.”
The Smile — A Light For Attracting Attention
As a side project from Radiohead’s Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood, The Smile offers a tantalizing sound like a version of Radiohead that Radiohead no longer is apparently interested in being. Given the dearth of actual Radiohead albums since A Moon Shaped Pool, it’s almost too easy to regard A Light For Attracting Attention as the next best thing.
Soul Glo — Diaspora Problems
Philadelphia group Soul Glo didn’t hold back on this new album Diaspora Problems, a collection of eclectic songs whose common denominator is relentlessness. Along with bands like Turnstile, Soul Glo is expanding the meaning of hardcore music and creating space for others in the scene.
Wilco — Cruel Country
Wilco rose from the ashes of alternative country group Uncle Tupelo and the band retained that twangy sound early in its life. They eventually strayed from it, but appear to have gone back to country for the twelfth album release titled Cruel Country. The result is an album that brings collective wisdom to the aesthetic by which their younger selves were most immediately enamored.
