The Earworm: 5 Notable Albums by Women in 2022
Angel Olsen – “Big Time”
Missouri-native and indie folk singer Angel Olsen has been a solid player in the scene since the early 2010s. This past year, Olsen accomplished two tours and a performance on Jimmy Kimmel Live, on top of the release of her eighth record. The 2022 album, “Big Time,” proves Olsen’s steady growth as she continues to put forth candid and tangible expressions through her work. Her latest album, however, unabashedly talks about her successes and shortcomings – diving deeper and deeper into vulnerability with each record release. The slower paced project’s instrumentation flows through the warm breadth of strings and steel pedals, making for an easy weekend morning listen.
Olsen’s voice, unfaltering and controlled, seeps into a lower range that holds an earthy tenderness, like embers in a fire. The track “Dream Thing,” while simple in structure, produces an easeful melody that illustrates Olsen’s cravings of honesty and empathy. “Ghost On” and “All The Flowers” are striking examples of this, with a heavy and bold determination for embracing hardship. Olsen’s “Big Time” showcases her own identity in the folk world, letting burnished instrumentation compliment her natural and hearty sound, a true testament to unapologetic, brave artistry.
FKA twigs – “CAPRISONGS”
Known for her experimental and abstract musical ideas, British artist FKA twigs’s ever-changing sound was pushed this 2022 to new heights that raised the standard for artists all around. Her new album “CAPRISONGS” delved into self-reflection, spurring discussions surrounding confidence and empowerment under the exploration of spirituality. FKA twigs, also known as Tahliah Barnett, pushed the boundaries of ambiguity through a combination of sultry R&B and dreamy pop. Including recorded conversations between her and her friends speaking about self esteem, the universe and failed relationships, the project is uniquely captivating as Barnett allows listeners to relate to and be inspired by these intellectual discussions.
Gathering an impressive handful of features, artists such as The Weeknd, Daniel Caesar and Jorja Smith each offered their smooth and velvety vocals, complimenting Barnett’s sweet-as-sugar voice (and British accent) ever so gracefully. The track “oh my love” proved to be a strongly saturated declaration of persistence that steamrolls through an influential beat, flashy post-chorus and gripping production, while “tears in the club” with The Weeknd showcased artfully flavored autotune and hyperpop timbre. “CAPRISONGS” is a tasteful yet enthralling project, one that serves to lift women up in recognizing their own divinity with the guided help of FKA twigs’s acute ear for versatility and innovation.
Fousheé – “softCORE”
After a striking performance on Steve Lacy’s “Gemini Rights” album this summer, New Jersey-native Britanny Fousheé’s sophomore record “softCORE” made waves upon listeners’ ears in the alternative realm. The project certainly set itself apart with its central instrumental and lyrical theme: the art of contrast. Fousheé’s voice is one that already holds a more gentle precedent, as her vocal tone is calmly elegant but abundant in dynamics, as demonstrated through her feature in Lacy’s track “Sunshine.” She weaves in and out of her lower and higher register, even impressively executing sharp whistle tones. Her dynamism does not just stop there, though.
The record itself is an eclectic mix of genres, spanning from hyperpop to punk, indie to alternative rock – and all on the flip of a dime. “i’m fine” is a prime example of this as Fousheé trades off between delicate elements of plucked acoustic strings versus the hard-and-fast jolt of screaming vocals and pounding drums. Teaming up with rap icon Lil Uzi Vert, the two prove to be a natural pair in “spend the money,” a youthful track energized by its contemporary, persistent indie-flavored guitar and drums. Other tracks, however, like “stupid bitch” highlight Fousheé’s ability to sing an effortless ballad, peppered with angelic high notes that glitter under reverbed overlays and a haunting string orchestra. Fousheé’s taste for contrast is a rare and appreciated quality that is hard to achieve, but her project “softCORE” distinguishes itself with the simple notion that having more than one side or aesthetic is not an inconsistency, but rather an indicator of depth and multifaceted beauty.
Wet Leg – “Wet Leg”
With the release of their debut album in 2022, Rhian Teasdale and Hester Chambers of Wet Leg were put on the fast track to success. The British indie rock duo toured all 12 months of 2022 and does not plan on stopping anytime soon. The self-titled debut no doubt has acquired much attention in the music world, which can be attributed to the record’s brazen individuality, brimming with bold rock instrumentation and the shameless airing of male-centered grievances. The duo’s no-holds-barred attitude is one that resets the scene with a refreshing message: while it isn’t fun, it’s okay to have a messy life.
Tracks like “Chaise Lounge” and “Ur Mum” encompass Teasdale and Chambers’s bizarre yet entrancing writing and vocal style with fleshed-out guitar spells that spiral into the everlasting madness of mundanity that is the female rage. The debut struck quite a chord with listeners as Wet Leg has already received their first Grammy nomination(s) for the upcoming February award show for categories Best New Artist, Best Alternative Music Performance, Best Alternative Music Album and Best Engineered Album.
Weyes Blood – “And In The Darkness, Hearts Aglow”
After the overwhelming success of her 2019 record, “Titanic Rising,” listeners have clutched onto the special and rare gem that is Weyes Blood, also known as Natalie Mering. Mering’s hypnotic sound has only been amplified in 2022 with the release of her fourth record, “And In The Darkness, Hearts Aglow.” With an unrivaled vocal capability, Mering’s voice holds a warm and mature resonance. Somehow, she solidifies listeners in a feeling of deep groundedness while simultaneously flying in the euphoric heights of her unfaltering, stretched notes that carry and transport listeners like a lazy river.
“It’s Not Just Me, It’s Everybody” introduces the album’s transcendent spirit through Mering’s layered harmonies, enchanted harps and a steady piano, revealing the truth behind universal loneliness. Blissful instrumentation straddles the line between folk and indie by a sweet melting of foundational standards like the acoustic guitar and traditional drum beats with celestial synthesizers and outer space-inspired elements, as shown in “The Worst Is Done.” The California-based artist not only accomplished her most honest project yet in 2022, but also a feature on “Minions: The Rise of Gru” soundtrack. Covering Linda Ronstadt’s “You’re No Good,” Mering delivered an impressive performance of the 1970s classic. Weyes Blood’s sincere musicianship is a force of nature, showing that having an authentic voice makes for a timeless sound.
Caitlin Reardon is from Southampton, MA and is currently a journalism major at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Since she was little, Caitlin loved to write and developed a passion for it. Her parents instilled in her from a very young age the importance of music and its uniqueness. Intertwining her love for music with writing, she found a knack for music reviewing through The Daily Collegian where you can find some of her published journalistic works in news and arts. She is very excited to expand her platform to Overheard with The Earworm and is open to article requests on particular albums. You can reach her at caitlinreard@umass.edu or on Twitter @caitlinjreardon.
