Music of 2022

Continuing with the series of end of year lists of cultural artifacts, it's time to talk about the music that sustained me during this turbulent year. I continued to discover new music primarily through NPR, KEXP Songs of the Day, and podcasts. Like many of my generation, I still enjoy collecting and owning music, at least in the form of digital files and I resist streaming platforms that are too ephemeral for me. These are the records that meant the most to me this year: 

1. Cat Power - "Covers 2022:" Twenty years ago, Chan Marshall released a set of covers under the moniker "Cat Power" that set the indie rock world abuzz. She was back this year with another intriguing set of covers. It starts with a nifty take on Frank Ocean's "Bad Religion" and continues with iconoclastic versions of songs from Bob Seger's "Against the Wind" to the Billie Holiday standard "I'll Be Seeing You." Unlike her earlier album back in 200, which had spare guitar backing, this album has a crack backing band and some ambitious arrangements. 

2. Robert Glasper - Black Radio 3: Robert Glasper's "Experiment" project has produced three albums and made Glasper one of the most intriguing figures in early 21st century jazz. It's clear that he's steepe in the hip hop and r'n'b of his youth and yet I'm not sure that the kids will be listening to this album. It seems more likely to appeal to people of my age bracket than to the TikTok generation. As usual, Glasper drafts in a roster of collaborators on this one, including Lalah Hathaway and Common on a nice cover of Tears for Fears' "Everybody Wants to Rule the World." It's the sort of thing to throw on at your next bougie cocktail party.

3. Brian Blade, Christian McBride, Brad Mehldau, Joshua Redman - "LongGone:" I had the great fortune to see this Josh Redman-led quintet live back in 2002 as part of the International Association of Jazz Educators conference in Boston. Twenty years later, they're back and sounding better than ever. 

4. Lizzo - "Special:" Now on her fourth album, we know what to expect out of Lizzo - it's those anthems that make you bounce out of the shower wanting to take on the world. See, for example, the lead single "About Damn Time." The title track is so catchy and affirming that one might actually feel, you know, special. Well, at least for three minutes or so. And honestly, would you rather listen to the new Spoon record that makes you want to reach for the Fentanyl? No, you don't. 

5. Mitski - "Laurel Hell:" Mitski is an fascinating figure on the pop/rock landscape. Is she an Olivia Rodrigo style pop star with a penchant for rock riffs or is she a genuine indie rocker? Hard to tell at this point, but on this third album, she produces some solid #MeToo era singer-songwriter material, along with some superior pop balladeering. The standout track for me is "The Only Heartbreaker," where she rakes an ex over the coals in true Taylor Switftian fashion. 

6. Terri Lynne Carrington - "New Standards I:" Jazz drummer Terri Lynne Carrington has set herself the ambitious goal of recording 101 new jazz standards all written by women. She has assembled an all-star cast to help her with this project, including saxophonist Ravi Coltrane. 

7. Wet Leg - "Wet Leg:" Every decade or so, rock music needs to be refreshed and shaken up by a dose of garage rock. Punk did that in the 70s, grunge did it in the 90s, the downtown NYC bands like the Strokes and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs did in the early 2000s. British band Wet Leg are proposing to be the start of that wave in the 2022s, with tunes like "Chaise Longue" - surely the best titled song of the year - that cut through the muck. 

8. Maggie Rogers - "Surrender:" Maggie Rogers is one of a generation of young singer-songwriters influenced by country and western but not wedded to it. On her debut, she followed the acoustic path forged by the likes of Neil Young in the past. On her latest, though, she has found a more ambitious palette with a stellar band to save it. I was particularly drawn to the track "Overdrive." 

9. Father John Misty - "Chloe and the Next 20th Century:" Father John Misty is a conundrum for me. Back when he was still just Josh Tillman, dutifully playing drums in Fleet Foxes, I loved his background vocals. But he was obviously constrained by this role, with the heart of a boho troubadour beating inside him. His latest has a jazz, cabaret feel to it, which is often tasteful, if a bit precious at times. My favorite track is the sunny Laurel Canyon ballad "Goodbye Blue Sky." 

10. Cecile McLorin Salvant - "Ghost Song:" Jazz vocalist Cecile McLorin Salvant specializes in deconstructing the pop songbook in ways that emphasize the dark and hidden histories of this country.  On this latest album, she goes a bit farther afield with a ghostly cover of Kate Bush's "Wuthering Heights" and a handful of chamber-jazz influenced originals. It's not an easy listen but it's a rewarding one. 

Significant Others:

* Steve Lacy - "Gemini Rights"

* Sondre Lerche - "Avatars of Love:"

* Angel Olsen - "Big Time"

* Sharon van Etten - "We've Been Going about this All Wrong"

Disappointment: 

* Brad Mehldau - "Jacob's Ladder:" I always look forward to Brad Mehldau's new releases, and I was particularly intrigued by this one, as I'd seen what I thought was a preview clip of Brad at home with his son on drums vamping on a modal take on "Wives and Lovers." Well, it turns out that that tune isn't included on this record. Instead, it's built around religious imagery, which I could ignore if the album were any good, with mostly instrumental originals included. Instead of his usual trio, which I love, Brad includes an assemblage of collaborators including Chris Thiele on banjo. For some reason, one of the main motifs that Brad builds the album around is Rush's immortal "Tom Sawyer," snippets of which filter through the whole set. Now, I have no problem with jazzers expanding the jazz canon with rock songs; however, the hard part in making the cover as muscular as the original with acoustic instruments. Most of the time, as here, it comes out sounding thin.