January 2022 Best Albums

Dawn FM

The Weeknd

The highly anticipated Dawn FM fully embraces the synthpop sound that Abel has been flirting with in recent years. It is cohesive and follows an interesting narrative that delves into the singer’s feelings and reflections. Standouts include ‘Sacrifice’ and ‘Here We Go… Again,’ which are by far the best tracks.

Planet Nine : VOYAGER

ONEWE

The South Korean band continues their emotional and romantic journey with Planet Nine, focusing on pop-rock ballads and incorporating cosmic elements to express themselves. All the songs were composed by the members and showcase their beautiful voices. Every track is intriguing, but ‘Trigger_’ stands out as the crème de la crème.

CAPRISONGS

FKA twigs

As the singer commented, “Caprisongs is my journey back to myself through my incredible friends and collaborators.” After years of suffering in her past relationship, FKA twigs releases a colorful and fun mixtape, blending various genres (art pop, R&B, afrobeat, electronic) that converse in an alternative pop style.

SICK!

Earl Sweatshirt

Earl’s latest album, Sick!, contrasts with his previous three albums and aims to bring comfort and acceptance amidst the chaos of the Covid-19 pandemic. It is short and captivating, offering optimistic reflections in calm songs with a production rich in reverbs and other characteristic effects of alternative rap, mixed with more acoustic styles such as jazz.

Old Dead Young: B-Sides & Rarities

Broken Social Scene

Having no expectations for a compilation album, in this case, a collection of b-sides and previously unreleased tracks from the indie rock band Broken Social Scene dating back to the early 2000s, what stands out the most is how these songs sound like current bands trying to revive garage rock with experimental and underground production. It’s worth a listen for those who enjoy this style of music.

FÚRIA

Urias

I was not familiar with Urias’ work, but I enjoyed what I heard. Considering the spectrum of current Brazilian pop, the unpredictable passages in both production and lyrics stand out. The best tracks tend towards electronic and noise pop, like ‘Racha’ and ‘Aposta’.

Animorphs

Honningbarna

Norwegian garage punk band Honningbarna releases an album inspired by the book series ‘Animorphs’ by K. A. Applegate, drawing a parallel between the alien invasion in the book and the coronavirus pandemic. It is noisy and political, with simple yet expressive lyrics delivered by lead vocalist Edvard Valberg.

Fawn

Foxtails

Once again, Foxtrails manages to harmonize screamo with a softer and more melancholic melody, striking a perfect balance. The addition of a fiddle (violin) stands out and expresses itself in various ways depending on the track. It remains cohesive and maintains interest until the end, even in the instrumental tracks, focusing on the disillusionment of transitioning into adulthood.

XVi

Seafoam Walls

Seafoam Walls is a Miami-based band active since 2014. They describe their style as “Caribbean Jazzgaze” due to its blend of jazz, shoegaze, indie rock, and hip-hop. The album evokes a sunset atmosphere with reflective lyrics, featuring a melancholic guitar as the foundation, enhanced with acoustic and electronic elements. It’s worth checking out!

COMPLETE WITH YOU

AB6IX

Initially, this mini-album wouldn’t have made it to this list, but I have some considerations about it. It’s always interesting to see K-pop idols credited in the songwriting process, although I don’t believe it is essential for a song to be good, as critics of the genre suggest. The idea of focusing each track on a member – and having it composed by each one of them – is fascinating. Despite not presenting much that is new, the tracks ‘VENUS’ and ‘CONSOLATION’ are excellent and well-arranged.

Marchita

Silvana Estrada

The simplicity and tranquility of chamber folk, an acoustic style that emphasizes vocals with simple accompaniments, are filled with the powerful voice of Mexican artist Silvana Estrada. Despite its name, Marchita (meaning “withered” in Spanish), the album is full of vigor and emotion. It’s interesting to note the minimalism of the arrangements, complemented by subtle additions of strings, woodwinds, and percussion.

BADモード (Bad Mode)

Hikaru Utada

One of the biggest J-pop artists of the present day releases another incredible work. The careful production is evident in each track, making it difficult to identify any weak songs, as almost all of them feature captivating melodies and diverse instrumentals that enrich the album.

Three Dimensions Deep

Amber Mark

Amber has been releasing music and EPs since 2016 but has only just released her first full-length album. It was hard not to have high expectations, as the singer with a distinctive voice always delivers amazing works. In this album, we continue to hear these wonderful compositions, ranging from neo-soul to alternative R&B with a touch of pop.

Aboogi

Imarhan

This one almost went unnoticed, but fortunately, I had the opportunity to listen to it. Imarhan is an Algerian group that plays desert blues – or tishoumaren, a genre that blends blues and rock with Arab and North African music. Aboogi is a tranquil album with standout instrumentals and lush choruses that fill the melodies.