Welcome to the fifth and final installment of Album Katchup 2022! For this one, we're talking about some albums that I listened to throughout the year but didn't get the chance to talk about for one reason or another. Whether it be listening to it around it's time of release but not having anything to say about it for a while or not checking it out until later in the year, you'll find it here. This edition covers albums released in the first three quarters of the year, as well as one from November and two from December. If you want to read the last one, click here. If you want a taste of any of the projects I talk about, click on the album names. It'll take you to one of their songs. With all of that said, let's get started!
Avril Lavigne: Love Sux
Release Date: February 25
Genre: Pop Punk / Pop Rock / Emo Pop
Love Sux is an album to disrespect your parents to. But hey, I'll take this over Machine Gun Kelly any day of the week. Then again, this album does feature MGK on a song, so... listen at your own discretion.
Grade: C-
Best Tracks: Kiss Me Like The World Is Ending; Dare To Love Me
Worst Track: Bois Lie
SASAMI: SQUEEZE
Release Date: February 25
Genre: Alternative Rock / Alternative Metal / Indie Rock
Sasami's sophomore album sees her giving us two different sounds: alternative metal and folk rock. Both sides of this album are okay. There are some cool riffs, some solid production and some decent songwriting. Nothing ever comes together to make this project feel all that cohesive, and most of the songs leave my mind as soon as they end, but it's an enjoyable enough project while it's on. I wouldn't say I love anything here, but I don't hate anything either. It's alright. Completely middle of the road. Check it out if you want.
Grade: C
Best Tracks: Skin A Rat; Say It; Squeeze; Not A Love Song
Worst Track: Need It To Work
King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard: Made in Timeland
Release Date: March 5
Genre: Progressive Electronic / Neo-Psychedelia
King Gizzard's nineteenth album, as well as their first project of 2022, was recorded for their Timeland festival, which was held on March 5th in Melbourne, Australia. Made in Timeland was an album they made and sold to the public at the festival. This is their first album to only be released on vinyl, as it is not available on streaming. I actually bought a record of this thing when out shopping one day, with absolutely no idea what to expect. This album consists of two fifteen minute long songs, one song taking each side of the disk. Both songs are experimental, electronic ambient pieces that contain bits and pieces of musical ideas strung together. In other words, this album is 30 minutes of interludes. Don't get me wrong: they are cool interludes. There are some really neat ideas in the mix here. However, they are interludes nonetheless. It's a cool novelty project and I'm certainly glad I have it, but it is definitely not one of the most essential projects from the band. If you're curious about what this is, then I would absolutely suggest buying it. Just make sure that you check out some of their other work before you even attempt to locate this one.
Grade: B-
Best Tracks: n/a
Worst Track: n/a
Orville Peck: Bronco
Release Date: April 8
Genre: Singer-Songwriter / Country / Country Rock / Outlaw Country
Man, I wish I checked this out sooner! Bronco is a very well made country album full of great performances, excellent production and one of the most unique country voices I've ever heard. He sounds like a Broadway singer giving us an Elvis impression, all while adding a strong southern twang. That might sound incredibly corny, and at times it can be, but Peck's vocals are so good. He has the power and the passion, and the range that he has is certainly surprising. On top of that, the songs are very well written. They're catchy and there's a surprising amount of emotion put into the lyrics. There are a few filler tracks here and there and sometimes, the bravado of everything can be a bit too much, but I thought Bronco was great. Definitely one of the best country albums of the year. Those that like country music should absolutely check this out.
Grade: A-
Best Tracks: Daytona Sand; The Curse of the Blackened Eye; Outta Time; C'mon, Baby, Cry; Bronco; Trample Out the Days; Hexie Mountains; Let Me Drown
Worst Track: City of Gold
Kehlani: Blue Water Road
Release Date: April 29
Genre: Contemporary R&B
This new Kehlani album is completely fine, inoffensive R&B. The production is solid, the songwriting is decent and Kehlani has a nice voice. There's not really a whole lot to latch onto here outside of a couple choruses, but this album is pleasing while it's on. It's certainly not the best or most memorable R&B project 2022 has to offer, but it's still worth a listen if you're a fan of Kehlani or the genre in general. Not bad at all.
Grade: B-
Best Tracks: wish i never; up at night; altar; melt; wondering/wandering
Worst Track: any given sunday
Tim Bernardes: Mil Coisas Invisíveis
Release Date: June 14
Genre: Chamber Pop / Singer-Songwriter / Latin Folk
In July, I went to go see Fleet Foxes live in concert. It was an amazing show, and I loved every second of it. At the concert, Tim Bernardes was the opening act. I had not heard of him before that night, but I was blown away with how beautiful his music was. And after learning he had released a new album not too long before, I new I had to check it out. And yeah, it's great. The instrumentation is so simple, yet it is executed in a lovely and serene way. The guitars and other instruments are soft, yet they build a nice and pretty atmosphere. And Tim's voice... wow. His singing is stunning. It's so clear and his pitch is perfect throughout the album. Seriously, this project is worth listening to for his singing alone. I really only have two complaints about this album. One is that some of the tracks do drag. There are quite a few songs here that are unnecessarily long, especially given the content that Tim is giving us. The other is that the album, as a whole, is pretty uniform. There is not a lot of sonic variety here, resulting in the project sounding one note at times. But hey, this still contains some of the most gorgeous folk music of the year, so I can't complain too much. You should absolutely check it out. it's perfect for a late night listen.
Grade: B+
Best Tracks: Nascer, Viver, Morrer; Fases; BB (Garupa de Moto Amarela); Realmente Lindo; Falta; Mistificar; A Balada de Tim Bernardes; Leve
Worst Track: Esse Ar
Drake: Honestly, Nevermind
Release Date: June 17
Genre: House / Alternative R&B / Dance Pop
I was going to write a full review for this album around the time it came out, but after listening to it, I was like "honestly, nevermind." Ha ha, GET IT?!?!?!?!?!?!?! Anyways, where was I? Oh yeah! zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz...
Grade: D-
Best Tracks: Massive; Jimmy Cooks
Worst Track: Currents
Alexisonfire: Otherness
Release Date: June 24
Genre: Post-Hardcore / Alternative Rock / Stoner Rock
Post-hardcore outfit Alexisonfire have returned with their first album since 2009. This is my first time listening to them, and I mainly wanted to check it out because one of the singers, Dallas Green, is one of my favorite artists through his work as City and Colour. If you want some excellently written and performed folk rock, then check that band out. Their first three albums in particular are amazing. Anyways, the style of music that Alexisonfire perform isn't necessarily my cup of tea, but I will admit that this is pretty solid. The performances are all very tight, the songwriting is good, the screams hit hard and the singing from Green is as amazing as always. The album does kinda get same-y as it goes along as there isn't a whole lot of sonic variety here, and there are a couple tracks that get tedious as they go along. Also, is it just me, or is the production on "Dark Night of the Soul" worse than every other song here? It's weird because everything else is so clean, but that song sounds like a demo. Despite that, I think Otherness is a good album. It's cool getting more exposure to genres that I'm not drawn towards, and I definitely recommend that to everybody. Exposure therapy is good. So is this album.
Grade: B
Best Tracks: Committed to the Con; Sweet Dreams of Otherness; Sans Soleil; Survivor's Guilt; World Stops Turning
Worst Track: Dark Night of the Soul
Steve Lacy: Gemini Rights
Release Date: July 15
Genre: Neo-Soul / R&B / Bedroom Pop / Psychedelic Soul
Gemini Rights is a pretty decent R&B album that is marred by some messy production and some weak vocals. There are some solid songs here, and "Bad Habit" is a killer single, but I feel like Steve Lacy has a ways to go developing his artistry before he makes a truly great album. There are some great moments here, but it consistently trips over itself as it goes along. Not a bad record, but not one that I love.
Grade: C+
Best Tracks: Mercury; Bad Habit; Sunshine
Worst Track: Cody Freestyle
Joey Bada$$: 2000
Release Date: July 22
Genre: East Coast Hip Hop / Boom Bap / Conscious Hip Hop / Jazz Rap
Joey Bada$$'s 2000 is a perfectly fine hip hop album. The writing is solid, the flows are good and the production manages to be enjoyable throughout. This isn't the most engaging thing in the world and I forgot most of the songs after it ended, but I had a good time with this thing. What's interesting about this album, though, is how the quality ranges on this project. "Survivor's Guilt" is easily the best song here, "Welcome Back" is easily the worst and everything else ranges from fine to pretty good. In other words, as a whole, this album is fine. Certainly not the best of the year, but far from the worst. But hey, if you only check out one song here, listen to "Survivor's Guilt." It is fantastic and one of the best rap songs of the year.
Grade: B-
Best Tracks: Make Me Feel; Where I Belong; One of Us; Wanna Be Loved; Head High; Survivor's Guilt; Written in the Stars
Worst Track: Welcome Back
Panic! at the Disco: Viva Las Vengeance
Release Date: August 19
Genre: Power Pop / Pop Rock / Glam Rock
On Viva Las Vengeance, Brendan Urie pulls from classic rock and glam rock, primarily Queen, to give us this over the top piece of schlock. The performances are so high octane that they get obnoxious VERY quickly. The instrumentation is often generic as it blatantly rips off various classic rock acts ranging from Queen to Thin Lizzy. The production is bland, as it never really matches the gravitas that the songs are trying to pull. It all sounds so plain and boring, even though it is trying to be exciting. And Brendan's vocals... okay, here's the thing. He has a good voice, but every single note is him going 10/10 in volume and power to the point where you can tell he's straining. There are no dynamics to his vocals here. It's all just power. There's no subtlety, and his singing gets old so quickly. But the biggest problem with Viva Las Vengeance is that the songs are just poorly written. The project grows more mind-numbing as it goes along. Yeah, this was a flop for me. I do appreciate Brendan going in a rock sound after going full pop on the last album, but there is very little here that I enjoy, and this is coming from a fan of a lot of the music that Panic! is pulling from. "Don't Let The Light Go Out" and "Say It Louder" are the two most entertaining songs here, but outside of that, there is very little worth listening to. This is definitely a skip.
Grade: D-
Best Tracks: Don't Let The Light Go Out; Say It Louder
Worst Track: Star Spangled Banner
Release Date: September 9
Genre: Trap
This was my first time listening to NAV. I've heard many things about his music, none of which are too savory. Most of the criticisms I've heard have been about him being a boring and lifeless performer, as well as a poor writer. I went into this thing out of morbid curiosity, as I have also heard that this was his best album, but not by a whole lot. And honestly, this thing is not that bad. The production manages to be pretty nice throughout. The features are all solid, and I actually like some of the themes about depression and self destruction that are being talked about here. Where this album falls apart is NAV himself. His delivery sounds amateurish at best and comatose at worst. He brings the same monotone flow to every single track, and the effects put on his voice do get grating very quickly. Even still, this thing isn't terrible. It's definitely not good, but I have certainly heard worse this year. If you're a fan of the moodier side of trap, then this'll be right up your alley. I certainly have no plans on listening to NAV ever again, but I do respect what he's doing here, even if I don't particularly like it all that much.
Grade: C-
Best Tracks: Dead Shot; Loaded; Lost Me
Worst Track: Destiny
DaBaby: Baby On Baby 2
Release Date: September 23
Genre: Southern Hip Hop / Trap / Pop Rap
Wow. This was... borderline unlistenable. And that... is all I have to say about this album. Skip.
Grade: F
Best Tracks: BLANK (but it's really only because of the Anthony Hamilton feature, the song is trash without him)
Worst Track: CALL OF DUTY
Freddie Gibbs: $oul $old $eperately
Release Date: September 30
Genre: Gangsta Rap
Freddie Gibb's latest album has a fantastic finish. The last third of this album is great. The first two thirds are fine, but that last third, oh man! It's amazing hip hop. Everything else is decent. As a result, the album as a whole is good. Not great, but certainly good. Check it out if you haven't.
Grade: B
Best Tracks: Blackest in the Room; Space Rabbit; Feel No Pain; Dark Hearted; Gold Rings; Grandma's Stove; CIA
Worst Track: Too Much
Black Eyed Peas: ELEVATION
Release Date: November 11
Genre: Dance Pop / House / Latin Pop / Reggaeton
You know, I didn't have to listen to this. I was over a week into December when I decided to check this thing out. I mean, it's the Black Eyed Peas. What the hell was I expecting? I'm not sure. Here's all I will say: this sucks. Whack beats, poor performances, terrible lyrics, annoying samples, a track list that goes WAY too long... it all sucks. This thing is actively making me nauseous as I listen to it. There is almost nothing worth redeeming here. At least the worst albums up to this point have one or two decent moments. This has nothing. Expect it VERY high on my worst list.
Grade: F
Best Tracks: a couple of the beat switches are nice, I guess
Worst Track: IN THE AIR
SZA: SOS
Release Date: December 9
Genre: Alternative R&B / Contemporary R&B
After a five year hiatus, SZA has finally released her sophomore album. And this thing is a big one. 23 tracks, 68 minutes... it's clear that SZA wanted to make a statement on this project. And she certainly did, as there are some excellent songs here. The production is immaculate, SZA's voice is stunning and the balance between themes of romance, sex and personal struggles is quite well achieved. With all of that said, this album is also kind of a mess. Like I said earlier, this project is a big one, and because of the number of tracks, there is a strong risk for an increase in filler songs. Unfortunately, SZA has fallen into that trap. Some songs feel underdeveloped, while others feel either uninspired or bland. Plus, there are some tracks that completely switch up genres in a way that feel entirely out of place, like the trap-infused "Low" or the rock inspired "F2F." And at a certain point, the album just drags. There have been longer albums to come out this year, like with Big Thief or Beach House, but those bands do a better job at keeping things fresh and captivating as the album goes along. With SOS, there is an excellent project in here somewhere. If you cut out at least a third of the tracklist, then you could have one of the best R&B albums of the year. As is, it's good. It's decent. The good tracks are really good, but the pacing leaves a lot to be desired. Absolutely check it out, though. Again, there is some fantastic music here. Just be prepared for some filler.
Grade: B
Best Tracks: Kill Bill; Seek & Destroy; Blind; Used; Gone Girl; Ghost in the Machine; Nobody Gets Me; Special; Open Arms; Good Days
Worst Track: Smoking on my Ex Pack
Little Simz: NO THANK YOU
Release Date: December 12
Genre: UK Hip Hop / Conscious Hip Hop / Neo-Soul / Orchestral Hip Hop
In 2021, Little Simz released my favorite album of the year: Sometimes I Might Be Introvert. That album features some of the best production I have ever heard in my life, as well as some killer flows and writing from Simbi herself. It was an experience that hit me hard in the best way possible, and I adore that record. Now, a little over a year later, Little Simz has given us her follow up. NO THANK YOU has the grandiose orchestral touches of Sometimes I Might Be Introvert and the rawness of GREY Area. By that notion, this really does feel like a culmination of everything she's given us up to this point. And surprise, surprise, it's very good. The orchestration is immaculate. The use of strings and horns give these songs so much power, and Simbi's writing is as on point as ever. The way she writes about politics as well as mental health are so endearing and always well thought out. There aren't any straight laced bangers here like on her past albums, but the songs here are full of so much emotion and power, and the emphasis on the orchestra is pure ecstasy. Songs like "X" and "Broken" really add a lot to the overall tone and messages of those two songs, particularly the latter. That orchestral outro is one of the best moments of any Little Simz song instrumentally. And "Heart On Fire" is one of my favorite songs from her period. The sample is sick, the hook is catchy and I love the way the strings build around the steady rock beat. With all of that said, I do think NO THANK YOU isn't as strong as Simbi's past couple of albums. The biggest reason is because of the ending. "Sideways" uses one of the most jarring samples I've heard in a while based on how it comes in, and the production on the backing vocals throughout the verses are so compressed, you can hear crackling as the song goes on. "Who Even Cares" is a total snoozer, containing one of Simbi's most comatose verses ever. Luckily, "Control" does end the album on a strong note, as it is a beautiful tune consisting of Simbi rapping over these gorgeous pianos, but the two songs leading up to it are rough. Honestly, the album could have ended with "Broken," and it would have been satisfying. Despite that, NO THANK YOU is yet another winner for Little Simz. It may not be the most consistent album in her catalog, but the highs are so high that I will definitely be coming back to this more and more. If you ask me, this is right in the middle of my Little Simz album ranking, which goes, from best to worst, Sometimes I Might Be Introvert, GREY Area, NO THANK YOU, A Curious Tale of Trials + Persons, Stillness in Wonderland. You might not care about that, but hey, I just wanted to share that with you. Anyways, great album. Check it out.
Grade: A-
Best Tracks: Angel; Silhouette; X; Heart On Fire; Broken; Control
Worst Track: Sideways
Thank you for reading! Stay tuned for my end of the year lists. We'll start with my Worst Singles and Albums, followed by my Top 50 Singles and the ending with Top 20 Albums. See you then!
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