The AllMusic 2022
Year In Review
Heartfelt lyrics and intimate production were hallmarks of our favorite singer/songwriters this year, with established artists like Bill Callahan and Angel Olsen (pictured) standing alongside exciting relative newcomers Laufey and Night Palace.
Aldous Harding
Warm Chris
Both compelling and confounding, the Kiwi artist's fourth long-player suggests Lana Del Ray by way of Os Mutantes.
Andrew Bird
Inside Problems
The gifted, eclectic indie rock fiddler looks inside himself for inspiration, delivering a witty, pleasurable exercise in art therapy.
Angel Olsen
Big Time
Written as she was coming out as queer, the singer's sixth LP wrangles complex emotions with a broad palette centered on retro-shaded alt-country.
Bartees Strange
Farm to Table
The eclectic indie artist offers a sophomore album of emotional honesty, unique arrangements, and understated originality.
Beth Orton
Weather Alive
Brittle vocals and haunting atmospheres fashioned with around a dozen guests distinguish an immersive, self-produced seventh solo album.
![YTILAER [REALITY]](https://fastly-s3.allmusic.com/release/mr0005784736/front/400/uWm8h-ynruloMSDTQ8OuaVWnbEN5fCjifro6xhIBuB4=.jpg)
Bill Callahan
YTILAER [REALITY]
The singer/songwriter's post-pandemic reflections capture the moment's tensions and hopes with songs of timeless quality.
Cass McCombs
Heartmind
A playful, breezy tenth full-length that looks at music and humanity through a delightfully wry lens.
Damien Jurado
Reggae Film Star
A lush balance of wistful folk and psych-rock marks a cinematic 18th album focused on the life and times of ill-fated C-list actor Roger.
Daniel Rossen
You Belong There
The Grizzly Bear singer/songwriter's first solo album is a dazzling, passionate triumph.
Dashboard Confessional
All the Truth That I Can Tell
A return to the emo outfit's early days when all Chris Carrabba needed was an acoustic guitar and introspective lyrics.
Florist
Florist
Split between songs and instrumentals, an immersive, poignant fourth LP that finds the band reuniting for sessions on a porch with stunning results.
Gilbert O'Sullivan
Driven
O'Sullivan delivers another late career standout full of joy, wit, and confidence.
Hurray for the Riff Raff
Life on Earth
"Nature punk" Alynda Segarra updates their folk-rock with such modern touches as urgent melodies and atmospheric keyboards.
Josh Rouse
Going Places
The veteran singer/songwriter offers a breezy, stripped-down set perfect for bopping around the barroom dancefloor.
Julia Jacklin
PRE PLEASURE
The follow-up to the devastating Crushing expands arrangements and somewhat loosens the mood with still-affecting songs that hold their own.
Kevin Morby
This Is a Photograph
Stark reflections on family and mortality combine with elevated arrangements for some of this indie singer/songwriter's best work to date.
KT Tunstall
Nut
The Scottish singer/songwriter closes her ambitious Soul, Body, Mind trilogy with this lively, pop-polished conclusion.
Laufey
Everything I Know About Love
Lush, contemporary vocal jazz debut from the Icelandic-Chinese singer/songwriter who channels inspirations from Chet Baker to Ella Fitzgerald.
Laura Jean
Amateurs
The mercurial Sydney-based singer/songwriter examines with wit and poignancy the concept of amateurism.
Laura Veirs
Found Light
With a new co-producer and greater sense of creative freedom, the indie folk heroine sounds delighted to explore fresh territory.
Lola Kirke
Lady for Sale
The singer/actress embraces a playfully empowered, '80s-styled country-pop vibe on her sophomore album.
Maggie Rogers
Surrender
The singer follows her acclaimed debut with a '90s alt rock-influenced album marked by a feeling of defiant, sensual joy.
Naima Bock
Giant Palm
The former Goat Girl member's debut album blends folk, classical, jazz, and electronic influences into songs with an independent yet generous spirit.
Night Palace
Diving Rings
Unexpected production choices and ambitious orchestral pop arrangements join captivating songwriting on the dreamlike debut LP from this Athens/N.Y.C. group.
Paolo Nutini
Last Night in the Bittersweet
A gorgeously sprawling, deeply literate and personal album from the Scottish singer.
Regina Spektor
Home, before and after
Merging hooky pop, lyrical orchestral fare, beats, and theatricality, her freewheeling eighth studio LP is odd, fun, smart, fearless, and heartbroken.
Sondre Lerche
Avatars of Love
A constantly surprising, alternately epic and intimate album from the songwriter that feels like a definitive artistic statement.
Susanna
Elevation
The singer/songwriter's second volume of Baudelaire interpretations is a meditation on spirituality and a celebration of creative transformation.
The Weather Station
How Is It That I Should Look at the Stars
The companion piece to the breakthrough album Ignorance is filled with softly insightful songs about relationships and climate change.
Tomberlin
i dont know who needs to hear this...
The follow-up to the songwriter's intimate collegiate debut finds a musical artistry that rises to the level of her lyrical perceptiveness.
Walter Martin
The Bear
On his eighth album, the singer/songwriter opens up with some of his finest and most revealing work.
Weyes Blood
And in the Darkness, Hearts Aglow
Fifth album from this soft rock-inspired songwriter builds on the orchestral majesty of earlier work while focusing on themes of isolation and societal dread.
Zella Day
Sunday in Heaven
The Arizona native's third album is an inspired, sonically textured blend of '70s-style pop.
