With the influx of second-semester-senior no-college-applications-left free time, one of my personal goals this year is to listen to music – more of it, and in more genres. That being said, I thought it would be fun to share a sort of musical time capsule of the albums and genres that defined my 2022.
Solar Power (2021) – Lorde
Definitely a different sound compared to her past albums – lots of layered harmonies, mellow acoustic chords, and wistful lyrics culminate in a wholly atmospheric, folksy album. I’ve really enjoyed the evolution of Lorde’s music over the past decade, and I like when artists are able to transcend the style of music they originally gained prominence for. Also, the appropriately breezy, beach-themed music video for Solar Power is visually fantastic, offering a welcome respite from a bleak midwestern January winter.
Aja (1977) – Steely Dan
I. Love. Steely. Dan. It remains somewhat of a mystery why the melodically-driven, jazz-infused, 1970s yacht-rock of this band resonates with me so much, especially when their core fanbase seems to be compromised by middle-aged white men, but the heart wants what it wants. Every one of their songs is a masterclass in chord progressions, evocative lyricism (Quoting Deacon Blues: I crawl like a viper / through these suburban streets), and audio mixing, but Aja remains, in my opinion, their best album.
Come Away With Me (2002) – Norah Jones
No lie, there is not a single bad song in this album. Norah Jones’s voice is super distinct, and perfectly suited to the acoustic blend of jazz, country, and folk that characterizes Come Away With Me. I grew up with this album, so it has sentimental value – my mom owns the physical album, and I have vivid memories of her playing it on every car ride when I was, like, five.
Honestly, Nevermind (2022) – Drake
I’ll admit it: I like Drake. I have no idea how, but he ended up as my number one artist on Spotify wrapped last year. Although perhaps not the most musically groundbreaking or lyrically intricate stuff, there’s a certain easiness to Drake’s music – you know what you’re getting. At the junction of hip-hop, r&b, and pop, his melodies are catchy, and his rhythms get me tapping my foot. But within all this, Honestly, Nevermind feels like a breath of fresh air. The album strays away from established precedent to entertain a more minimalist, groove-heavy, house style. I actually started listening to a lot more dance/house music last year, so I’m a fan.
Windflower (1978) – Herb Ellis & Remo Palmier
One of my favorite instrumental jazz albums of all time. Not a recent discovery, but one I keep coming back to. The lush guitars of Ellis and Palmier layer over each other beautifully, and there’s a great mix of both slower and upbeat songs within the album so it doesn’t get too repetitive. For any who haven’t really listened to jazz before, this album is a good introduction to the genre, especially since they cover a lot of standards (honestly, I think this version of My Foolish Heart is better than the more famous Bill Evans one). It doesn’t exist on Spotify, so here’s a link to the youtube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fAi7IeJG-6Y&t=649s
Juno / I’m Allergic To Dogs (2021/2020) – Remi Wolf 
Rare tie alert: Couldn’t decide which album to include, so I listed them both. All-around fun, upbeat, funk-infused pop, Stevie Wonder’s Gen-Z resurgent. Makes you want to get up and dance, which is saying something, because as a general rule of thumb, I don’t dance. American advertising executives seem to think so too, because I’ve heard her songs featured in multiple independent ads, most strangely, for Kraft Mac and Cheese.
Dreams (2022) – Elephant Gym
Another instrumental album – this time, math rock. Math rock gets its name from the atypical time signatures, complex electric guitar riffs, and rhythmic drum patterns that characterize the genre. I started listening to it a lot more over 2022, and although I’ve had some time to play around with my trusty Yamaha acoustic guitar over the past few years, the technical skill needed for this style humbles me every time. I like this album because it’s more downtempo; in contrast to a lot of math rock, these songs start off a little slower with a focus on the guitar instrumentals before picking up with a drum solo.
Of course, let me know if you have any recommendations – any genre! I’m down to listen to pretty much anything and I love discovering new stuff. Thanks for taking a musical journey down memory lane with me 🙂
Evelyn! I really enjoyed taking a tour of your 2022 in music, and am very tempted to borrow the idea for a future blog.
Funnily, my mom is also a big Norah Jones fan and often played Come Away With Me when I was growing up. I think this was one of the few CDs we had in our car, so Norah Jones (along with, like, Taylor Swift and Bruce Springsteen) soundtracked a lot of road trips. I’ve recently started listening to her again and have fallen in love — Come Away With Me and Don’t Know Why are my favorite tracks off the album: pure bliss, some of those rare songs I can loop for an hour without getting bored.
I also really liked the new sound Lorde took on Solar Power, though Melodrama remains my personal favorite. I did not expect Steely Dan to be on this list, but you’ve convinced me to give them a try! I love how diverse your taste is, and have tried to introduce the same level of variety into my own listening habits — I like jumping between genres, so my playlists will go from Big Thief to Kendrick Lamar to Nilüfer Yanya. I’m definitely also hoping to listen to more new music this year.
Hey Evelyn! When I saw the title of your blog post, I got very excited. I love listening to music and I could talk about it forever. Immediately, I can tell we have very different tastes in music. I haven’t listened to anything by Lorde since Royals came out but your post prompted me to listen to it, and really is not my cup of tea but the song Solar Power is not bad! I am very particular about the music that I listen to and tend to stay in the same two genres ( R&B and rap), but I can tell that you listen to various music! There are a lot of benefits to having versatile taste in music because it is easier to get aux when hanging out with friends. I can speak from personal experience that only my friends with the exact taste in music like letting me play my music when we are in the car, and it sucks for me because then I am suffering whenever I am listening to artists I dislike such as Taylor Swift or Harry Styles. I love Drake, but I am shocked that you included Honestly, Nevermind over Certified Lover Boy or Her Loss! There are only a few songs on this album that I like but I agree that Drake makes so many different types of songs that make him universally loved. I really enjoyed this post and will let you know when I listen to more of these albums!