Three February Albums That Absolutely Rule
Let's talk about trivial things, as a little treat
Look, there is so much not good stuff happening in the world right now, but I don’t want to use this space to just reiterate that to you.
I wanted to instead tell you about what has been good in 2022, and that is the music. There has been a ton of really, really great stuff within these first two months, and it has come in a variety of genres from a wide list of artists.
The albums I specifically want to talk about have all come out in February, and they all came out on back-to-back-to-back weeks.
Since I’m only talking about three albums, I also recommend all of these projects from the early parts of 2022:
Dawn FM - The Weeknd
Laurel Hell - Mitski
Walkin - Denzel Curry
Yes, this is just a song, I don’t care. This is a locked in top five song of the year I guarantee it. Just an incredible first single for Denzel’s new album, please listen.
CAPRISONGS - FKA twigs
Few Good Things - Saba
Alright, let’s start it off with the weirdest of the bunch.
Ants From Up There - Black Country, New Road
For the uninitiated, Black Country, New Road is a hard group to pin down to a few adjectives. I think the genre that most aptly suits their sound would be experimental rock, as there is certainly rock instrumentation, and is, uh, experimental.
But there’s no point in trying to put BCNR in a box, because they aren’t in one, and this sophomore album is nothing short of a masterpiece. Ants From Up There is so brilliantly crafted from start to finish, and it’s an experience that is fun, intense, dark and powerful all at once.
Every single song here works, and even as they get progressively longer as the track list continues on, it never grows stale, not even a little bit. This will be BCNR’s last album in this form as lead vocalist Isaac Wood announced his departure. If this is the peak for the group, it won’t be a letdown, because most artists will never reach these type of heights.
Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe in You - Big Thief
Coming down from the audacious sounds of “Ants From Up There,” I needed something nice and relaxing. Enter Big Thief’s newest album, with an eclectic title and a beautiful folky sound.
This is indie folk at its absolute best, at least for me. There is a certain beauty to what Big Thief accomplish here, and it’s not because of some grandiose adventure or extreme concept. Instead, it is almost more impressive how simple and sweet this album is for 20 songs and for 80 minutes.
An album that is low key and easy to listen to should not stay exciting after well over an hour of content, and yet that is exactly what happens here. There are enough changes in the sound to keep it interesting, but what it really comes down to is Big Thief being really damn good at what they do.
This is a mastery of the craft above all else, and it is an absolute delight. It might also be one of the best albums ever made to listen to while working, because it stands out enough for how good it is without it becoming a distraction.
Once Twice Melody - Beach House
Speaking of the best work albums of all-time, Beach House’s entire discography would be in the conversation, and this newest album is not an exception.
"Once Twice Melody” is a special one from the dream pop, shoegaze group that makes some of the most satisfying music of the 21st century. What made this release unique was that it came out in four chapters over the past few months, all combining to create this 18-song, 84-minute beauty.
So yes, it is true that I had heard 13 of the songs before this past Friday, but that didn’t make the overall experience of my first full listen any worse. Instead, Beach House has a way of making the whole damn thing jell together thanks to their incredible production.
There’s not a whole lot to talk about with this album, just listen to it. It makes my ears happy.
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