My Top Albums of 2022 (Music Journalism Club)
Read here on WSUM.org
Albums:
The Chats, Get Fucked
Animal Collective, Time Skiff
DOMi & JD BECK, NOT TiGHT
LaBlue, Blue Phases
Ethel Cain, Preacher’s Daughter
Moonchild, Starfruit
The Beths, Expert In A Dying Field
King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, Changes
Viagra Boys, Cave World
Ravyn Lenae, Hypnos
Honorable Mentions:
The Smile, A Light for Attracting Attention
of Montreal, Freewave Lucifer f<ck f^ck f>ck
Hether, play it pretty
Slaughter Beach, Dog, Live At The Cabin
Khruangbin, Vieux Farka Touré, Ali
EPs:
Coco Bryce, Daktari
Baseball Gregg, A Life Designed for Fun (Pastimes Vol. II)
Faye Webster, Car Therapy Sessions
Blood Orange, Four Songs
Jeff Rosenstock, Laura Stevenson, Younger Still
Singles:
Sleater-Kinney, Courtney Barnett, “Words and Guitar”
Hiatus Kaiyote, “Get Sun – Georgia Anne Muldrow Remix”
Liv.e, “Ghost”
Four Tet, Burial, “Moth”
Keifer, “Why Not?”
I’ve been a fan of The Chats ever since “Smoko” dropped in 2017, immediately reminding me of an Aussie version of The Minutemen. From the first five seconds of “6L GTR”, I knew Get Fucked would be my album of the year. With 13 tracks, each hovering around the 2 minute mark (give or take), blazing through the record feels like a pedal to the metal race to the finish line. Eamon Sandwith snarls through seedy pub stories and run-ins with law enforcement on “Ticket Inspector”, while simultaneously ripping baselines in a very Naked Raygun fashion. In their classically frank nature, “The Price of Smokes” is a surprisingly enjoyable track, even though the title is pretty much the entire gist of the lyrics. Ultimately, Get Fucked feels tighter and more focused than the trio’s other projects, providing commentary on working class conditions in Australia while also making themselves the brunt of their own jokes. It manages to be a thoroughly accessible record, even though it sounds like if the line cooks at the greasiest pub in town got together and recorded some tracks after a night out. The way The Chats toe the line of sincerity and sarcasm is truly something every neo-punk band needs to be taking note of.
