Lady Wray – Piece of Me
This record is fabulously produced and there’s not a bad track to be found. It’s one of those rare albums you can play on repeat without getting tired of it. Sometimes, Nicole Wray’s soulful voice sounds like she’s time-travelled from the 1960s, and other times it’s distinctly more modern, like on Through It All. Piece of Me and Joy & Pain evoke an Aretha Franklin-esque heartache, with captivating melodies. But there’s also that completely addictive rhythm perfectly captured by Tommy Brenneck and Leon Michels, which provides such a stable foundation for Wray to show off her vocal skills. Darragh Boyd, 34, London
Rina Sawayama – Hold the Girl
Rina Sawayama’s vulnerability is what makes this album my favourite of 2022. There’s a journey through trauma, each song getting you one step closer to recovery. This album was difficult to get through on the first listen, but when I finished the last track, a euphoria came over me. Rina has somehow made a cohesive album while weaving through pop, rock, country, R&B, garage, trance, industrial, folk, and more. She also continues voicing complex themes (religion, sexuality, ethnicity) without losing her pop-star quality. Lana, 27, Essex
Arctic Monkeys – The Car
Every time they drop a new album I’m impressed how uncompromising Arctic Monkeys are. They just follow their journey and share a snapshot with us every couple of years. Their recent performance on Jools Holland showcased their latest work perfectly. Jonas, 27, London
Courting – Guitar Music
The best album of 2022 for me has to be Guitar Music by Courting. It’s really in a lane of its own with the brilliant mishmash of genres creating an overall masterpiece. There’s a really good vibe from the album and I can’t wait to see where they go next. Millie, 18, Monmouthshire
Soul Glo – Diaspora Problems
Diaspora Problems is a hard-hitting whirlwind of an album. For me, it has taken punk or hardcore to a place it hasn’t been before sonically, and has pushed the genre forward. No album I’ve heard in a long while has been as ferocious, energetic and lyrically poignant. Seeing them live confirmed for me that not only is this my album of the year, but they are a band to watch. Andrew Seeley, 33, Liverpool
Tim Burgess – Typical Music
Tim Burgess’ double album Typical Music was a pleasant surprise. Like many, I’ve been following his Twitter listening party, and so when he announced the release I decided to give it a listen. It’s very different from anything his band the Charlatans ever did, the sound veering from punk to psychedelia and trippy dance. With genre-defying work like this, listeners will never be bored. Anything but typical music, if you ask me. Danie Jones, East Anglia
Gang of Youths – Angel in Realtime
Angel in Realtime is a beautiful album full of hope and loss, with personal meaning to me as it helped me process the recent loss of my mum. Sometimes, albums speak to moments in life and this album will be forever in my heart. Ian, 45, Ampthill
Jockstrap – I Love You Jennifer B
I Love You Jennifer B is a brilliantly executed intermeshing of genres and musical ideas. It’s always engaging, often entrancing and occasionally moving. Some of the best music this year seemed to revel in non-linearity, disjuncture, intertextuality, a sort of cultural zigzag – and Jockstrap capture this vibe perfectly. Concrete Over Water is the absolute standout track, Greatest Hits is fabulous fun, and the use of the harp on Angst is inspired. Catherine, 53, Oxford
King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard – Ice, Death, Planets, Lungs, Mushrooms and Lava
King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard’s Ice, Death, Planets, Lungs, Mushrooms and Lava is an album that not even the band can remember the full name of. Originally built of out hour-long jams based on each of the musical modes that were then edited down to seven roughly 10-minute songs, with lyrics then written and layered at the end, the album is full to the brim of psychedelic rock and enthusiastic “woooos” peppered across the tracks. Crazy layers and intertwining funky rhythms of distorted guitars, synths, bass and flutes stack on each other to produce a wild ride into the band’s 21st studio album (and one of three that came out in October this year) – an impressive feat considering the band has been active for a decade. Dom, 26, Cardiff
Black Country, New Road – Ants From Up There
Ants From Up There eschews none of the creative brilliance or romantic poetic lyricism of Black Country, New Road’s first album, but moves them into a much more accessible space. The songwriting is even more masterful than on their debut. All seven musicians in the band complement each other so effortlessly that at times it’s like they all breathe together. The album is often dark, and in the hands of less skilled songwriters could be maudlin and self-indulgent, but I think you can hear just how much fun they have playing together. Rob McHugh, 29, London
Wet Leg – Wet Leg
Wet Leg is a funny album but also darkly critical of the sexual demands and assumptions of men. I wouldn’t be surprised if it were autobiographical. It’s about women doing it differently without the need for male approval, and boy does it show. Mel Zeki, 62, Lewes
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Ezra Collective – Where I’m Meant to Be
In a year where many of my favourite artists have released standout albums, including Kendrick Lamar, the Comet is Coming, the Smile, Sarathy Korwar, King Gizzard and Little Simz with a last-minute release that shot straight into my Top 10, my album of the year is the phenomenal Where I’m Meant to Be by Ezra Collective. Rarely is jazz so unabashedly joyous, bringing in hip-hop, Latin and dancehall rhythms, riotous horns, and some fantastic guest vocals from the likes of Sampa the Great and Kojey Radical. It’s the kind of album that puts a smile on your face and a spring in your step, and at a time when the world is all kinds of messed up, it’s no small pleasure to have music that can instantly put you in a good mood. Srikar, Brussels
Traams – Personal Best
Personal Best is my personal best because it’s just a breath of fresh air. It’s brilliant to listen to on vinyl and even better to hear live. I play it as least four times a week and it’s my end-of-the-week Friday banger. It’s an amazing album and it would be great if more people could hear it. Raymond Murray, 50, Brighton
Beyoncé – Renaissance
For me, Renaissance is the best produced, most cohesive, culturally impactful album of the decade so far. It’s packed with stellar vocals and lyrics and steeped in wit and history. Three decades years into her career, Beyoncé is clearly still as hungry, passionate and creative as ever. The album is a gorgeous homage to queer Black music (house, disco, bounce, ballroom, afrobeats, trap, dance) that feels fresh and exciting, with endless replay value. It feels futuristic yet nostalgic, complex yet simple, rich and expansive yet easily digestible. It’s the album I needed. Mick, 19, New York
Let’s Eat Grandma – Two Ribbons
I first became aware of the duo of Jenny Hollingworth and her childhood friend Rosa Walton when they supported Chvrches at a gig I attended more than three years ago. They blew me away with their skill and energy. I immediately bought both of their albums, Gemini and I’m All Ears. The first was interesting but inconsistent. The second was remarkably good. As for their third, there are wonderful things wherever you look. Insect Loop is my favourite track, with its wonderful guitar hook. It has a choppy feel early on, but becomes very atmospheric and anthemic. Mark Allen, Poole, Dorset
The Lounge Society – Tired of Liberty
Tired of Liberty by the Lounge Society is a thrilling debut by the Hebden Bridge four-piece. It’s their own take on funk-punk, where the music leads the way. I was staggered to learn the band are still teenagers. Tired of Liberty is passionate and raucous, ebbing and flowing with exhilarating effect. Listen to the album and see this band live. You won’t be disappointed. Julia Mason, 57, Edinburgh
Little Simz – No Thank You
For me, No Thank You by Little Simz is the most personal and thought-inspiring collection of tracks this year, backed by old-school rap and hip-hop beats and flows. Her three-album run has just been phenomenal. Anonymous, 24, London
Lissie – Carving Canyons
Just when you think she couldn’t possibly up her game further, Lissie comes up with these songs. Raw, sad and uplifting, Lissie certainly wears her heart on her sleeve, with songs referencing the death of her dog to being unceremoniously dumped by her boyfriend in lockdown. Amanda Longhurst, 55, Buckinghamshire
Snarky Puppy – Empire State
After the grimness of the past few years, it was time for something uplifting. Like many other people, I was brought low by the pandemic. Snarky Puppy’s viral performance of Lingus bolstered me, as it did many others. But it was their musicianship that kept me listening. Weird timescales, unbelievable solos, their absolute control over their instruments. They’ve been a spark of excellence in a miserable world. Lynne Connolly, Warrington
Marlon Williams – My Boy
After a long wait, Marlon returned in 2022 with his third album and an irrepressibly sunny new mood. From the delicious breeziness of the title track, through the seductive rhythm and strut of My Heart the Wormhole, to the dark disco of Don’t Go Back, this is an album that thrills from start to finish and perfectly showcases Williams’ stunning voice. It’s a voice that can make you sing along and make you cry, but above all, these songs will make you feel. Thinking of Nina is my favourite track, a perfectly judged 80s-influenced tale of obsessive romance. Kate Connolly, 40, Burgess Hill, West Sussex