The 20 best indie albums of 2022

Pinegrove has tended to keep it simple in the past, but for 11:11, they blew things out a bit. The emo-adjacent rock band recorded in a proper studio for the first time and enlisted Chris Walla from Death Cab for Cutie to produce the record. That changed the feel of this album to a degree, but it’s still Pinegrove, and that’s a good thing.

As her career has come on, Mitski has gotten more and more baroque in her sound. We’re a long way from the days of Bury Me at Makeout Creek, and the synth-pop and electronic sound of Laurel Hell won’t be for everybody. Mitski’s evolution has been fascinating to watch, and if you have been on board, Laurel Hell likely arrived to an enthusiastic response.

In 2019, Big Thief released two albums. This time around, they figured they might as well just do it all at once. Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe In You is a double album — rare for a modern indie rock band. However, instead of feeling overstuffed, the album justified itself and earned its robust nature. It’s just more of the Big Thief we’ve come to know and love.

Widowspeak has a sound akin to shoegaze, the kind of sound that leads to a song appearing in an episode of American Horror Story. They’ve been consistent producers over the last decade. Their latest record, The Jacket, was met with critical acclaim. The guitars still pop, and the riffs still crash over you like a wave.

This album is in the running for the worst cover art of the year (with another album later on this list), but fortunately, music is not a visual medium. The snide punk of PUP is appreciated in these modern times. There is a kinetic energy and verve to their music that does not believe the musicianship that is often overlooked in bands owing the evolution of their sound to the pop-punk bands of the days of yore.

Wet Leg arrived and immediately clicked with people. They became an indie band du jour right out of the gate from the strength of their debut album. Specifically, off of their surprise hit single “Chaise Lounge." Nobody really got the chance to have Wet Leg be “their band,” but sharing is caring.

Kurt Vile is as prolific as he is shaggy. However, even Vile was not immune to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Left in the lurch, Vile got productive, building a recording studio in his home. That allowed him and his backing band the Violators to record Watch My Moves —all that effort from the king of stoner indie rock.

This is such a perfect album title for Sharon Van Etten. It’s funny that she got it from a line of dialog from The Sandlot, which she says is a favorite movie of her son’s. Motherhood has undoubtedly impacted Van Etten’s music — for somebody often poignantly introspective in her lyrics, how could it not? — but she’s maintained her verve and energy. The album's deluxe edition is worth it because “Never Gonna Change” is as good as any song on the original release.

Van Etten’s compatriot Angel Olsen dropped new music in 2022 as well. With Big Time, the singer-songwriter has gone full alt-country, and even when you combine indie sensibilities with country music, you are going to cause some reticence. Fortunately, Olsen’s voice, always her greatest weapon, works in this milieu. It’s basically an Olsen album with a little more twang to it.

Nine songs, 16 minutes, all punk rock. Joyce Manor carries the banner for a certain brand of punk, allowing millennials who grew up on punk to stay attuned to the genre. The band manages to thread the needle of emotionality without getting overly simple or retrograde. If you cringe at a song like “Popular” by Nada Surf, you can relax and enjoy some 40 oz. to Fresno without worry.

Soccer Mommy’s first two albums are brutal, open-wound releases. While Sometimes, Forever is not exactly light, there is a song called “Darkness Forever,” after all, but it still feels like a bit of a breather. Fortunately, the musicianship and vocal quality are still there, and that’s what matters the most.

Beabadoobee’s debut in 2020 Fake It Flowers was auspicious. It’s a relief when a sophomore album feels like it builds on the debut effort. There is no sophomore slump and no “the same thing, but again” quality. Beatopia is a continuation of a promising career for Beabadoobee.

The Beths, with their New Zealand accents, clever humor, and general positive vibes, can make you forget that they absolutely rip as musicians. Expert in a Dying Field is another example. Come for the witty lyrics, stay for the killer guitar and fantastic drumming. Indie rock at its finest.

The return of Alvvays was a reason for excitement. Their third effort Blue Rev arrived and…it took a second to wrap your arms around. The band, once the epitome of beautiful indie pop, had changed. Blue Rev is basically a shoegaze album, but as soon as you realize that, you realize that Alvvays have crushed it again. It may not sound pretty, but it sounds pretty great.

Katie Crutchfield, aka Waxahatchee, and Jess Williamson have gotten country adjacent in their sound. They definitely have been both working in the indie folk realm in recent years, and the two joined forces for Plains, a project that indulges the folkier, countrified elements of their output. I Walked With You A Ways can feel a little “one for you, one for me” from the duo, but that aside, you can’t complain too much when you would happily accept a fully new album from either Crutchfield or Williamson.

Frankie Cosmos used to be as prolific as any band (doubly so when you go back to Greta Kline’s bedroom pop phase), so three years between albums felt almost like a death of output. Inner World Peace was worth the wait. Few people write lyrics like Kline, who has mastered saying something simply — almost mundanely — but sounding poignant. Frankie Cosmos makes the most complex simple music out there.

Babehoven’s early output could be a bit alienating. Speaking of alienating, this is the other album in the running for the worst cover art of 2022. On the flip side, it’s in the running for the best album of 2022 — full stop. Light Moving Time is beautiful, emotional, gripping, and entirely fantastic. This is technically Babehoven’s full-length debut. It was worth the wait.

British indie rockers don’t get more emo than Martha, but we mean that as a compliment. It’s joyful “sad bästard” music, owing to the instrumentation and the band's way with words. The title song for this album effectively boils down to “things sucked when I was younger,” and that’s Martha in a nutshell.

Maybe you don’t want the COVID-19 pandemic and all it entailed emotionally synthesized into an album. If you do, Porridge Radio has you covered. No song cuts to the core of the bleakest days of the last couple of years quite like “Back to the Radio,” and that’s just the highlight of an album filled with strong songs.

Alex G, formerly (Sandy) Alex G, has been around for a few years, but 2022 was his breakout. He performed on Fallon and Colbert, and God Save The Animals is his best-received album yet. Alex G’s songwriting has never been stronger, making this feel like an evolutionary step for him. Maybe he just needed to drop the (Sandy) to reach his full form.