hi, i'm nathan ng

Genre: Indie Pop, Shoegaze, Noise Pop
For Fans of: Japanese Breakfast, Jay Som, Hatchie
Favorite Track: Pharmacist

Alvvays has always (haha) had a special place in my heart ever since I heard their s/t back in 2014 and got a chance to scream the lyrics to Archie, Marry Me live. Blue Rev sounds like the culmination of everything they've been working towards in the 8 years since, combining their unmatched pop writing with crunchier guitars, more complex melodies, and the addition of some sick guitar solos (I'm looking at you, Pomeranian Spinster). As soon as the first chords of Pharmacist come in its a nonstop ride until the very end, and somehow Molly and co. manage to maintain their charm and character the whole way through.

Genre: Chamber Folk, Singer-Songwriter
For Fans of: Honestly I have no idea, I guess music?
Favorite Track: Pajarito colibrì

I'm going to preface this by stating I have the Spanish knowledge of a 6 month old (the final exam for my Spanish 5-6 class was ordering a burrito from the local Mexican joint), so I'm definitely not qualified to judge the lyrics on this album. But if you take a listen to any song on this album, I think you'll agree that Natalia's voice just sounds damn nice. This is not to take away from the lush instrumentals and arrangements, but the real treat is simply listening to her voice glide across the guitars and strings, at times hesitant and melancholic, and at times hopeful and earnest. One day I'll listen through the whole thing again with an English translation next to me, but for now simply listening to these songs is enough to make this one of my favorite albums of 2022.

Genre: Cloud Rap, Hyper Pop
For Fans of: DRAINNNNN GANGGGGG
Favorite Track: The Flag is Raised

I'll admit I'm late to the #draingang hype but after hearing Bladee and Ecco2k perform Crest live I'm a full convert. Although the entire #draingang movement is driven by some degree of post-ironic memery, it feels like its circled back so many times that Crest actually feels like some of the most sincere and earnest music I've heard all year. Even though the lyrics on this thing basically make no sense ("I'M COMING HOME, VIRGINIA-INIA!"), the beats are so fun and catchy as all hell that it doesn't even matter. Personally I'll be trying to channel as much of that energy into my 2023 as possible.

Genre: Blackgaze, Post-Hardcore
For Fans of: Deafheaven, Ujubasajuba
Favorite Track: Dive Under the Blue Sky

OK hear me out: anime openings, but the singer is screaming and its actually black metal. This is actually a terrible way to describe Island but if it gets you even mildly interested then it's done its job. The blast beats, guitars, and riffs on Island are as heavy as any of the best metal albums out there but where it shines is the way Asunojokei uses the Japanese aesthetics of their melodies and progressions to make them so bright. Listening to this album feels like you're being thrown into the sun in the best way possible.

Genre: Conscious Hip-Hop
For Fans of: you know who Kendrick is
Favorite Track: Father Time

1855 days, and Kendrick Lamar has been goin' through something. In interviews, Kenny has said this was his favorite project, and I can see why: it's basically an expression of catharsis through a deep dive into his personal traumas, anxieties, and depression guided by the occasional interludes from Eckhart Tolle. Listening to Mr. Morale front to back feels very much like going on that journey with him, exploring the daddy issues passed on from generation to generation in Father Time, the (almost) too real toxic relationships in We Cry Together, the cycle of abuse in Mother I Sober, and finally learning to choose himself on Mirror. This is all in addition to the beats on this thing, which simply put, bang. I still remember that feeling of first hearing that beat drop on United In Grief and knowing I was in for a damn ride. It doesn't top To Pimp a Butterfly for me, but Mr. Morale is a worthy addition to the pantheon of Kendrick albums that solidify him as The King.

Genre: sound collage, ambient
For Fans of: Sarah Davachi, Oren Ambarchi, Chihei Hatekayama
Favorite Track: the whole album is basically just one track

Ambient music is a hard genre to describe, since its purpose is almost not to be listened to. In the words of Brian Eno, "it must be as ignorable as it is interesting." It's at its best when its not the sound that you notice, but rather the absence of it. In that respect everything perfect is already here is a masterwork. I've listened to this album countless times and couldn't tell you exactly what I listened to over 30 minute runtime, but I know there's strings, pianos, synths, field recordings of talking and nature and rustling, and the occasional click or subtle noise. What's more important is the feeling you're left with once its over, that you've just listened to something that's warm and comforting precisely because of its imperfections and impermanence, something that's gone before you've even had a chance to notice it.

Genre: Math Rock, Midwest Emo
For Fans of: Uchu Conbini, toe, tide/edit
Favorite Track: All the Same

As I'm writing this I'm noticing a trend: I'm a sucker for music that's so earnest and sincere that it obviates any of my own criticisms about cheesiness or mushiness. Let's Promise to Be Happy is no exception, and it wears its heart on its sleeve from the beginning all the way to the end. But if you let yourself fully feel the whole mess of shimmering guitars, flutes, and mathy riffs, you're in for one of the best rides of the year. Again, I have no idea what any of the songs or lyrics or about, but I feel like that's almost besides the point when the music is this pretty.

Genre: Americana, Folk
For Fans of: Big Red Machine, Bon Iver, Fruit Bats
Favorite Track: Summer Dream

This won't be the deepest or most complex album you've ever heard, but damn does it hit (my opinion is probably slightly swayed by the fact that I listened to all the singles on repeat during a particularly emotional part of my 2022 summer that I spent in New York.) Their first s/t album was one of my favorites of 2020, and Rolling Golden Holy builds on that success with more lush arrangements, folksy guitar strumming, and lyrics about leaving your love behind, finding another, and riding horses into the sunset. OK maybe not that last part, but put this on the next time you're on a road trip through California in that countryside nowhere space between leaving and going and you'll know what I mean.

Genre: Chamber Folk, Singer-Songwriter
For Fans of: Natalia Lafourcade
Favorite Track: Tristeza

Again, disclaimer for all these foreign language albums: I have no idea what any of the lyrics are really about, even if I've looked them up once online. In my opinion it's just as valid to connect with music through the sound and timbre of the voice as it is through the actual lyrical content, and Silvana Estrada has one of the most unique and compelling voices out there. The arrangements are sparse and minimal, often just a single guitar, but provide just enough support for the intimacy and emotion of her voice to shine through. You'd be hard pressed to find an album even in a language you can understand that conveys as much melancholy and heart as Marchita.

Genre: East Coast Hip-Hop, Boom Bap
For Fans of: Benny the Butcher, Westside Gunn, anyone from Griselda
Favorite Track: Piano Love

I'll keep this one short: Griselda doesn't miss, and this new album from Conway is no exception. I'm not really sure how else to convince you to listen to this album besides telling you how hard these beats go and how smoothly Conway flows over them. Sure the themes aren't particularly deep or new, but it doesn't even matter when it sounds this good.

Genre: Dream Pop
For Fans of: Slowdive, Cocteau Twins, Beach Fossils
Favorite Track: Runaway

Beach House is one of my favorite bands and getting a huge double album like this is like unwrapping a Ferrero Rocher and finding, inexplicably, that there are two delicious balls of chocolate inside instead of one. There's nothing particularly new about the sounds and songs on Once Twice Melody, but it feels like the culmination of everything Beach House have been working up to, from the lush shoegaze of Depression Cherry, the synths and darker tone of 7, and their always present dreamy charm. Each of the four sides has its own character and identity, and there's enough variety and interesting sounds to leave you wanting more even after the mammoth 90 minute runtime.

Genre: Pop Rock
For Fans of: The 1975 is so mainstream I'm not sure I need to put anything here
Favorite Track: Looking for Somebody (To Love)

I'm still not sure if its acceptable to be a 1975 fan but I'm gonna say it right now: I'm a 1975 fan. For their past few albums, Matt Healy and co. have put together massive tracklists full of bloat and total misses but also frustratingly amazing songs that hint at a really great band under the surface. Being Funny is finally the one where they hit it out of the park, cutting out the weird Greta Thunberg samples and genre detours for a focused and concise project that combines the best parts of their earnestness and immaculate pop writing. This level of heart-on-sleeve-wearing is definitely not for everyone and I wouldn't blame you for being wary of The 1975 actually producing a good album, but give this a shot without any preconceptions and I think you'll find something really special.

Genre: Slowcore, Post-Rock
For Fans of: Mogwai, caroline
Favorite Track: Horses

Modern post-rock has diverged a bit from its roots; most bands these days are just producing overly saccharine tracks too long for their own good with terrible song names like "13 Angels Standing Gaurd 'Round The Side Of Your Bed" (just kidding that's a great song by Silver Mt. Zion, but the point still stands). deathcrash is doing post-rock the right way, bringing back the post-hardcore and the actual songwriting. The straightforward tracks are great in their own right, but Return really shines when it's not afraid to get a bit rough at the edges, like on the Slint-inspired banger Wrestle With Jimmy, which leads straight into the shimmering and pensive Metro 1. It might seem like it'd give you whiplash but it works so well you almost forget the song has even changed.

Genre: Indie Rock, Indie Folk
For Fans of: Car Seat Headrets, Teen Suicide, Field Medic
Favorite Track: Runner

I almost blew out my eardrums watching Alex G play this album live because I forgot earplugs and if that was the last thing I heard I think I'd be OK with that. Alex G has always been kind of hard to describe. Lots of his songs have moments you might call conventionally "pretty" and yet there's always something slightly off: the chords change in unexpected ways, the instruments lag behind, there's a subtle bit of discord, fuzz, and bizarre effects. What keeps me coming back to God Save the Animals and most of Alex G's songs is the feeling that I'll never really figure them out, there'll always be something deep inside them I can't know. At their core they're some of the most human songs I've heard all year, and they also rock.

Genre: Outsider House
For Fans of: Vegyn, Naked Flames
Favorite Track: Took a Turn

The beats on Sd-1 don't overstay their welcome: as soon as you think you've started to figure out the groove they're already gone. Part of that is the immaculate sampling and drum sounds across Sd-1. It's lush and ethereal, perfect for soundtracking a late night subway ride when you got a bit too drunk at the bar and have to wake up early for a meeting in the morning (definitely not speaking from personal experience). The highlight of the album is Took a Turn, which flips an unassuming Lomelda sample and a skittering drum pattern into one of the most danceable house songs all year.

Genre: American Primitivism, Drone
For Fans of: John Fahey, Hayden Pedigo
Favorite Track: the whole album is just one track

Sea Of Stars is a kaleidescopic 40 minute long epic of 12-string guitar and drone, every few minutes the facets of the riffs and chords changing almost impercetibly and yet monumentally. That might sound like I took a thesaurus and just made my writing sound as prentious as possible, but just try taking a good pair of headphones with you and sitting down with this album for an undisturbed 40 minutes and you might start to agree. I've been a big fan of Matthew J. Rolin ever since hearing his collaborations with Jen Powers and Jayson Gercyz, but this album really sees him coming into his own, merging the lush americana fingerpicking with a wall of synths, reverb, and droning. If there's one album from this list that I'd recommend to someone truly open-minded about music and looking for a unique and almost spiritual experience, it'd be this one.